Indholdsfortegnelse for August 2019 i Australian Motorcyclist

URAL SAHARA PRICE: $27,490 (plus on-road charges) WARRANTY:Two years, unlimited distance SERVICING INTERVALS: Every 5,000km or 12 months ENGINE: OHV air cooled 2 cylinder 4 stroke “boxer” (flat twin) BORE x STROKE: 78 x 78mm DISPLACEMENT: 749cc COMPRESSION: 8.6:1 POWER: 30.5kW @ 5500rpm TORQUE: 57Nm @ 4300rpm TRANSMISSION: 4-speed (and a reverse), dry dual-plate clutch, shaft final drive SUSPENSION: Front, IMZ leading link fork. Rear, twin shocks, adjustable preload, Sidecar adjustable preload DIMENSIONS: Seat height 785mm, weight 335kg (dry), fuel capacity 19 litres, wheelbase ---mm TYRES: Front/Rear/Sidecar: 4.00 X 19. All wheels interchangeable FRAME:Tubular steel double cradle BRAKES: Front, 4-piston fixed Brembo caliper, 295mm disc. Rear, HB big bore single piston integrated floating caliper 256mm disc. Sidecar, 2-piston fixed Brembo caliper with 245mm floating Ng rotor FUEL CONSUMPTION: 6.9 litres…

SO ANYWAY, in all the joints I’ve been to and whose muddy backgrounds I’ve dug into, I’ve never come across a pub whose myths, legends and stories contain more intrigue and surprises than the Armatree Hotel. By bush standards, this isn’t an old pub. It was built in 1929 but it probably should’ve already celebrated its centenary. In 1917 the local wowsers petitioned the Licensing Court over in Coonamble in opposition to an application by a bloke named George Shanklin to build a pub in Armatree. The local rag noted that the application was adjourned but in fact it was never heard of again and when Shanklin shifted to the great pub in the sky in 1925, the same paper only mentioned that he’d been the mailman. So Armatree stayed…

HER ROYAL MAJESTY – the Yamaha Majesty (I’m talking about) has left the castle and been replaced with the XMax 300 – a much sharper crown, made for carving whatever path you choose through city traffic. The new XMax is styled like a maxi scooter, just not in size. It’s relatively compact for a ‘maxi’ and the carrying capacity under the seat is cavernous. I reckon if you were in the business of hiding bodies, you’d fit one under the seat of the XMax. A keyless ignition is quite a premium feature for a ‘scooter’; the XMax has one, and it’s easy to use. Leave the fob in your pocket, and one dial and two buttons operate the ignition, lock, seat, fuel cap and cubby hole lid – just read…

$199.95 FRONT: 120/70/ZR17 $299.95 REAR: 180/55/ZR17 THE MIGHTY KAWASAKI Z900RS was up for a set of new tyres just as Bridgestone offered a set of their new S22 hypersport tyre for review. This is not normally the kind of tyre my father would want on his bike but I was interested to get his thoughts on how a sticky sports tyre goes for the type of riding he does – weekend blasts and touring. Slotting into the firm’s line-up between RS10 (super soft) and outgoing S21 as a road-based tyre that will handle the stresses of circuit use, the previous S21 was widely acclaimed as a highly competitive all-around top notch tyre, how does the all-new version scrub up? This tyre is all about being faster, lighter and better... in…

IT MIGHT SURPRISE you that we are a very systems-based office here at downtown AMM. There is a pecking order as well. In the dole out of the test bike keys, it works like this. If the motorcycle is flash, fast and addresses all ego nourishing facets of our game, then Stu usually gets the keys. When the model, sitting forlornly, downstairs needs some extra miles clocked up to a non-descript location (read country pub) then Mr Bear is always happy to oblige and is granted a leave-pass. I should note, (The Bear is over in Europe this month and hopefully won’t get to sub this) that nothing leaves here with Stuart not setting the power modes to Full or Off. It’s just not worth the paperwork! Of course, the…

THE END OF MAY, start of June marks the mega road race that is the Isle of Man TT. After last year’s amazing dry and hot weather, Mother Nature hit the event with rain, rain and more rain. Essentially practice week was a washout with only two practice sessions running. Even then there were damp patches around the course. The pacesetters were Peter Hickman, Dean Harrison and Conor Cummins; this three would go on to help fill the cabinet with silverware. 18-times TT winner, Michael Dunlop was off the pace a little and totally understandable – the death of his brother, William and not riding a bike for near twelve months will mean you’re not at your best. The rain wreaked havoc for the organisers but they did an amazing…

BARK LOUDLY Barkbusters, the world’s leading motorcycle handguard specialist, has announced the release of its latest Bike Specific Hardware Kit for the Kawasaki Versys 1000 (2019 on) for $129. The kit comprises of two mounting points, heat treated aluminium backbone, complete hardware kit supplied with easy to follow instructions with Barkbusters JET, VPS, STORM or CARBON guards (each sold separately) able to be fitted. To find out “Where to buy” check the Barkbusters website for your nearest stockist or online dealer, see here: https://barkbusters.net/where-to-buy/ GOOD HABIT Here’s another awesome new release for Macna’s Graphite range. The look and feel of an outdoor soft-shell jacket with the protection and functionality of a motorcycle jacket: that’s the Habitat. The thermal liner is also waterproof and can be worn separately if required. It…

H-D COLAB Harley-Davidson, Inc. announced another step in its strategy to build more riders globally by expanding access into Asia through collaboration with Benelli parent company, Qianjiang Motorcycle Company Limited (“Qianjiang”). The collaboration comes with the launch of a smaller, more accessible Harley-Davidson motorcycle for sale in Harley-Davidson dealerships in China by the end of 2020. This collaboration joins Harley-Davidson’s global motorcycle leadership with the capabilities of Qianjiang to co-develop a premium 338cc displacement Harley-Davidson motorcycle for sale first in the China market with additional Asian markets to follow. Harley-Davidson selected Qianjiang based on its experience developing premium small displacement motorcycles, established supply base, proven capabilities in emerging markets, and ability to meet consumer requirements. Like all Harley-Davidson products, this new model claims it will embody a distinctive look, sound…

THERE’S A TOTALLY unnecessary amount of mourning in the motorcycle community. Whenever I talk to other riders, someone is bound to pipe up with “I wish I could do the rides that you do…” Now mourning is cool; it’s a very human reaction to loss. But it is a bit silly when it’s about something that you can change. And just about everyone can change the way they spend their holidays. Think it’s too difficult? Too expensive? Too – well, just altogether too much? It isn’t. Keep in mind that quite a few of my trips are done exactly the same way that you can do them. I fly somewhere, choose a bike, join a group of other riders and we go out and explore the countryside for a couple…

THIS IS A RELATIVELY short ride but one that is simply a lot of fun. It includes some awesome corners ready to be carved and when you get off the bike the Hunter Valley serves up loads of fine wine for tasting. CESSNOCK The administrative centre of the City of Cessnock was named after an 1826 grant of land called Cessnock Estate, which was owned by John Campbell. The local area was once known as “The Coalfields”, and it is the “gateway city” to the vineyards of the Hunter Valley, which includes Pokolbin, Mount View, Lovedale, Broke, Rothbury, and Branxton. HUNTER VALLEY With more cellar doors than any other wine region in Australia, one of the great pleasures of wine tasting is discovering what you like. From the classic valley…

PRICE: $6999 (plus on-road charges) WARRANTY:Two years, unlimited distance SERVICING INTERVALS: Every 10,000km or 12 months ENGINE: Liquid-cooled single cylinder, 4-stroke, SOHC, 4 valves BORE x STROKE: 70 x 75.9mm DISPLACEMENT: 292cc COMPRESSION: 10.9:1 POWER: 20kW @ 7250rpm TORQUE: 29Nm @ 5750rpm TRANSMISSION:V-belt automatic, belt final drive SUSPENSION: Front, 33mm telescopic fork, non-adjustable, travel 110mm. Rear, twin-shock, adjustable preload, travel 79mm. DIMENSIONS: Seat height 775mm, weight 179kg (wet), fuel capacity 13 litres, wheelbase 1540mm TYRES: Front, 120/70/15. Rear, 140/70/14 FRAME:Tubular steel BRAKES: Front, 267mm disc with twin-piston ABS caliper. Rear, 245mm disc, twin-piston ABS caliper. FUEL CONSUMPTION: 4.34 litres per 100km, premium unleaded THEORETICAL RANGE: 299km COLOURS: Matt Silver VERDICT: SLAY TRAFFIC…

THIS YEAR’S Concorso di Motociclette, run as the motorcycle section of the world famous Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este saw some exquisite machinery on display with stunning class winners making the two Best of Show winners – a 1929 Koehler-Escoffier and a 1953 BMW R68 – deserving of their accolades. I have been going to the annual Concorso d’Eleganze Villa d’Este for well over a decade and every time I come back I am fascinated as to how could the organisers top the cars and bikes on display for the coming year. And like every year I come back dazzled by the machinery, both original and restored, raced and preserved, unique one-offs to production trendsetters, the 2019 edition of the Concorso di Motociclette had them all covered. And even though there…

PRICE: $18,990 ride away WARRANTY:Two years, unlimited distance SERVICING INTERVALS: Every 12,000km or 12 months ENGINE:Air-cooled L-Twin-cylinder, 4-stroke, 270-degree SOHC, 2 valves per cylinder BORE x STROKE: 88 x 66mm DISPLACEMENT: 803cc COMPRESSION: 11.0:1 POWER: 54kW @ 8250rpm TORQUE: 67Nm @ 5750rpm TRANSMISSION: 6-speed, wet multi-plate clutch, chain final drive SUSPENSION: Front, Kayaba 41mm USD fork, travel 150mm. Rear, Kayaba shock, adjustable preload and rebound, travel 150mm. DIMENSIONS: Seat height 805mm, weight 180kg (dry), fuel capacity 13.5 litres, wheelbase 1445 TYRES: Front, 120/70 R17. Rear, 180/55 R/17 FRAME:Tubular steel trellis frame BRAKES: Front, 330mm disc with radial mount four-piston Cornering ABS caliper. Rear, 245m disc, single-piston ABS caliper. FUEL CONSUMPTION: 5 litres per 100km, premium unleaded THEORETICAL RANGE: 270km COLOURS: Blue/Silver VERDICT:ACE RACER…

IF YOU ARE UP for a spot of time-altering travel imagine the complexity of choice for a Learner these days. The LAMS umbrella embraces scooters, off-road and the 250cc roadies most of us grew up with (endured?). The scheme also extends choice way up into the 660cc capacity to suit the larger framed riders and perhaps the more ambitious travelling types. That said, I think the sweet spot for commuting and fanging, let alone developing all the riding and survival skills, resides in the 300 - 400cc camp. I’m up for a bit of role-playing here, although I will need to reduce my age by forty odd years, lose a few kilos and squeeze back into my age-appropriate riding gear. I will also need to trade my full licence back…

WE LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU, the letters are among the most keenly read parts of the magazine. Please try and keep letters down to no more than 300 words.Then you can read many, not just a couple.We do reserve the right to cut them and, unless you identify yourself and at least your town or suburb and state, we will print your email address instead. Please address letters to contactus@ausmotorcyclist.com.au or Australian Motorcyclist Magazine, Suite 4b, Level 1, 11-13 Orion Rd, Lane Cove West NSW 2066. All opinions published here are those of the writers and we do not vouch for their accuracy or even their sanity. MORE MONEY, MORE MONEY Hi Stuart, I was reading an online piece from The Age (May 1, 2018 Benjamin Preiss) where the author…

IT’S HERE! YEP, the long awaited Moto Guzzi adventure bike has finally surfaced. Shown some time ago across many motorcycle shows around the world, Moto Guzzi has released the V85TT. Classically styled it’s a machine that grabs a lot of attention. We headed off to the Aussie launch in the Victorian High Country where it snowed – of course! The new Moto Guzzi V85TT is a kind of niche adventure motorcycle thanks to an 850cc engine and shaft drive. Guzzi aren’t billing the V85TT as a full-on adventure machine – more a touring bike that will handle some dirt roads, but I wonder if they’ve underestimated the capabilities of the bike as it will go places most other adventure bikes can. The only thing I can see that limits it’s…

THERE HAVE BEEN some big breakthroughs in the history of engineering. For trains, taking the leap from coal-powered steam to electrical power was a monumental achievement. Safety and performance took a huge step forward in 1953 when Cessna bolted an extra engine to its commuter plane and recently, we also rejoiced when Ducati pushed into production a sophisticated V4 powerplant - giving us a new level of pleasure. Amen, hallelujah and a slow goodbye to the L twin. By contrast, in a not so earthshattering move, Ural has completely updated the 749cc engine with some rather major changes. The difference is outstanding. Yes, you still will be riding something that looks and to a certain degree feels antiquated in a sitting- on-Grandpa’sknee kind of way. For me, the totally optioned-up…

METZELER HAS BEEN making a huge push over the last couple of years with the introduction and promotion of the current range and new tyres such as the amazing Roadtec 01 and Karoo Street. Now it’s the world of cruising that’s got a new tyre to rave about – the Cruisetec! Produced as a ‘sports touring’ type of tyre for cruisers and big tourers, what this means is you now have a tyre that offers grip, style and decent longevity. If you want mega longevity, Metzeler still offers the ME888. Metzeler said as cruiser and touring motorcycles have progressed in technology over the years with the introduction of various electronic aids, better suspension and far more powerful brakes and the like, they felt the tyres available didn’t meet the kinds…

THE EUROPEANS HAVE long been at the forefront of making trick frames for Japanese engines. There are still some custom frame builders around but nowadays it’s hard to make a modern performance bike even better. It’s also not easy to turn a shit box into a thing of beauty and wonder; and only those with a huge work ethic and vision made a name for themselves building custom frames for Jap engines back in the ’70s and ’80s. Sure, there were some Brits around earlier than that, like Colin Seeley for example, probably the best known of them. I’ve often wondered what a Moto Martin, Spondon, Harris, or a McIntosh were like to ride. Were they a wank, for poseurs who wanted to stand apart from the great unwashed? Building…

NEW BOY ROYAL ENFIELD 650 INTERCEPTOR EVER SINCE I rode the new 650 Royal Enfield I’ve hounded the Aussie distributor to give us one as a long termer and the time finally arrived that we got just the bike I wanted – the Interceptor. I love the extremely easy going nature of the Interceptor and just love listening to the aural delights exiting the twin chrome mufflers. What do we have planned for the Interceptor? Well, we’re going to bore it out, turbo it, supercharge it, mount machine guns…and now you know I’m full of it. No, we’re going to start off by living with it day-to-day and letting you know our initial thoughts. We’re going to fit some accessories to it and of course we’ll get it out for…

I MADE A MASSIVE leap forward with the concourse restoration of my Z900 A4 this month. The frame, swingarm, engine brackets, battery box and triple clamps have been beautifully powder coated by the team at Comp Coat whom I previously used for my 1100 Katana and other bits and pieces. The frame was originally spray painted by Kawasaki at the time of production but powder coating techniques have improved over the years so the coating looks just like it’s been painted. The reason I prefer powder coating over painting is that it is far more durable, plus 2-pak paint wasn’t around in the ‘70s. If you get a frame painted today, that’s what you’ll get – and it will be much shinier than what came out of the factory. You…

PRICE: $5799 (plus on-road charges) WARRANTY:Two years, unlimited distance SERVICING INTERVALS: Every 10,000km or 12 months ENGINE: Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4-valve, 2-cylinder BORE x STROKE: 68 x 44.1mm DISPLACEMENT: 321cc COMPRESSION: 11.2:1 POWER: 31.3kW @ 10,750rpm TORQUE: 29.6Nm @ 9000rpm TRANSMISSION: 6-speed, chain drive SUSPENSION: Front 41mm telescopic fork, travel 130mm. Rear monoshock travel 125mm DIMENSIONS: Seat height 780mm, weight 168 kg (dry), fuel capacity 14 litres, wheelbase 1390mm TYRES: Front 110/70-17, Rear 140/70-17 FRAME:Tubular steel double cradle BRAKES: Front, 298mm disc with twin-piston ABS caliper. Rear, 220mm disc, single-piston ABS caliper FUEL CONSUMPTION: 3.8 litres per 100km, premium unleaded THEORETICAL RANGE: 430km COLOURS: Ice Fluo,Yamaha Blue, Black VERDICT: ROSSI APPROVES? WE LIKE!…

GERARD IS THIS month’s letter winner. He rode to the highest motorable road, broke down and had to endure a truck ride back to civilisation. For the good and bad luck Gerard you’ve won the awesome Nelson-Rigg backpack and T-shirt. Send me your size. Cheers, Stuart. GETTING HIGH G’day Peter et al, I thought I’d share this photo. The air was a bit thin up there. It was my fifth crossing of the La. The Army goes everywhere. Regards, Gerard Cawley. HIGHER AGAIN G day again and all, I did manage to get to the highest motorable road. Unfortunately the bike broke down and I had to finish the journey by truck. Regards, Gerard Cawley.…

Starting out of Cessnock jump onto Wine Country Road heading north. Turn left onto Broke Road and follow to the end. Turn left at the roundabout and right at the next roundabout to stay on Broke Road. Follow all the way to the end and turn left onto Wollombi Road. Follow this south with the road name turning into Paynes Crossing Road. As you get into Wollombi turn left onto Wollombi Road and follow it all the way back to Cessnock. Now it’s time to enjoy more Hunter Valley delights. Distance – 96km Fuel – Cessnock, Broke, Wollombi TEAR-OUT MAP #78 COLLECT THEM ALL…