Indholdsfortegnelse for June 2018 i Australian Adventure Bike

Comprehensive inflatable upper body protection for back, shoulders, kidney area, chest and upper abdomen. Electronic sensors are securely and unobtrusively incorporated within the system’s chassis (in the shoulder area), meaning the vest is completely self-contained and allows it to be worn interchangeably between compatible jackets. Constructed from a strong and durable mesh main shell with stretch poly-fabric on shoulders and torso for a compact and secure fit that is close to the rider’s body while allowing complete freedom of movement. Incorporates removable inner mesh and elastic Velcro® waistband to position airbag system to customise fit and improve adjustability. Full internal back lining constructed from 3D mesh for optimised levels of ventilation and breathability. The Airbag Control Unit (ACU) for Tech-Air® is incorporated with a strong, lightweight polymer back protector, which…

Yep, another prototype/concept bike. The V85 is an 850cc air-cooled V-twin with shaft drive and a 19/17-inch wheel set. Moto Guzzi says: “It is the motorcycle that was needed by an increasingly standardised market dedicated to travelling in its purest form, recalling the epic rally raids of the 1980s, a point of reference from which it inherits style, charm and thus emotion, but which has been designed to take on both everyday routes and long-distance routes, using the most up-to-date requirements.”…

And yes, it’s also still just a prototype bike, but it has moved forward from the T7 version we saw in 2016. Using the engine from the popular MT07, the Ténéré 700 World Raid features an Akrapovic pipe, single rider seat, LED headlights and a set of carbon fibre radiator shrouds that we doubt would see life on a production model. The adventure market shows no signs of slowing down with model after model in both prototype and functional form appearing over the last 12 months. It was pretty amazing, however, to be at the Ténéré Tragics ride this year and see the Yamaha in the flesh. If the final product is anything like the prototype then this could be a huge bike for Yamaha. And you can thank Yamaha…

I will raise my hand right now to say I love everything that is BMW GS Safari. This was my fifth and it’s an event marked on the calendar every year that I look forward to with the hope the planets align and I can make it happen. BMW have been delivering with the GS Safari for 24 years now and with this prime location, around 220 riders chafing at the bit and an experienced support crew, it was looking like this instalment would be no exception. Riders from all over the country and the world are catching the adventure bug and for many the road leads to an organised ride where a lot of the logistics are handled discretely in the background. With the BMW Safari the routes, accommodation,…

To cover all the electronics on offer on the 1290 Super Adventure R is, like with a few other bikes, something that would take up an entirely separate story. There is a lot going on behind the scenes, so to speak, and a lot you can meddle with and fine-tune yourself. In a basic rundown we rode most of the time in Offroad mode and about 50 per cent of that time with ABS switched off at the rear. The 1290 doesn’t come with heated hand grips as standard, which is a bit disappointing, and we’d rather that than the Hill Hold Control which is more at home on the road-purposed S model. It’s not set up like the Ducati or BMW with a heap of sub menus, and therefore…

We’ve wanted to try the Africa Twin with DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission) transmission for ages. We’ve done a heap of kays all over the place on the Africa Twin and it’s right up there as one of our all-time favourite bikes. There are few adventure bikes that are as good to ride in the bush as the AT. However, we got a double dose of goodness with this particular bike in that it’s not only the DCT model, but it has a full spread of Öhlins suspension fitted. The AT’s stock suspension is pretty good but too soft overall for really aggressive riding, and it bottoms out pretty regularly. DCT is very basically an automatic transmission but in fact a fair bit more intelligent. It features a dual-clutch system whereby…

I live in a small town on Lake Macquarie in NSW. 20 minutes from my house is the town of Newcastle and my backyard is the Hunter Valley. Newcastle has always been known as a coal town. I can see a colliery from my house. My sister lives in a house owned by a mining company and there’s a shaft right under that property. The upper Hunter Valley is full of mines that a lot of my mates have worked in and as you’re no doubt getting the idea, where I live, mining is a big deal. But it’s also the number-one culprit fingered in the downturn of local economies as the price of coal and iron ore suffers and jobs are being cut. I wanted to get an idea…

Let’s start this feature with a tiny history lesson on how the SWM name came to be resurrected. Remember when BMW wanted to get into the dirtbike market so they built the G 450X? It was a bit shit but they were keen to appeal to a younger, ‘sportier’ crowd, so not long after in 2007 they bought Husqvarna. This was a rare move for BMW, which hadn’t acquired another motoring brand since its ill-fated Rover buyout from Honda in 1994. Ask a Rover owner about this now and they’ll drop their scone. BMW’s ownership of Husqvarna was essentially a financial disaster and after six years without producing many motorcycles worthy of high praise, they sold it off to KTM (technically Pierer Industrie AG) in 2013. KTM moved manufacturing to…

What if Suzuki built a V-Strom 1000 with a 21/18 wheel set and longer travel suspension. Well, it’d look something like this. This is built by a company in Germany called Hessler Motorsport and it’s the stuff dreams are made of. The forks are taken from 160 millimetres of travel to 205 while the Wilbers Type 641 Competition shock gains 30 millimetres with full adjustment features. The seat height and crucial ground clearance increase by 55 millimetres, which the V-Strom can afford, and all of a sudden you have a very different beast on your hands. Obviously, the triple clamps are custom made, the ‘bar clamps and the ‘bars themselves are swapped out, while new lines are fitted along with a new front mudguard and a set of custom graphics.…

PRACTISING REAR-BRAKE SLIDES WILL HELP YOU BECOME MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE WITH SOME OF THE MOVEMENTS THE BIKE MAY MAKE WHEN YOU’RE OFF ROAD A rear-brake slide is something not even considered by many adventure bike riders. It’s a scary thought having the rear wheel sliding around beside you but only if you’re not used to it and it’s not controlled. Practising rear-brake slides will help you become much more comfortable with some of the movements the bike may make when you’re offroad. It’s a very handy skill to have for changing direction and turning the bike in a tight area, and will also allow you to square the bike up for different obstacles like logs and ledges. You’ll become more confident with the rear brake and also learn where to…

THIS IS BEST DONE IN THE STANDING POSITION SO YOU CAN BE MORE AGILE ON THE BIKE Want to get your adventure bike sliding on the exit of a turn but you’re a little nervous about it? Here are four tips to a confident drift PHOTOGRAPHY MATT BERNARD 1 TIME & PLACE A nice drift on the exit of a turn is a great feeling on an adventure bike but it’s not for every single turn you go around. You have to consider things like oncoming traffi c (especially if you get it wrong), the surface, your tyres and the surrounding terrain. It’s fun when the road is a little more remote and you can see a long way ahead; when the surface is right and you don’t have to…

The MSC Africa Twin Adventure Footpeg is engineered so that the tread platform starts close to the bike rather than losing valuable tread space for the mounting lug that is standard. Expert designer Mark Cumming, understood that mounting the footpeg closer to the bike could provide a larger treadplate — an impressive 120mm-width plate — while ensuring the Adventure Footpeg does not protrude out off the bike any further than other brands that can only provide 90mm of tread. The large 120mm x 60mm tread plate allows the maximum amount of the rider’s boot on the tread, offering more stability and grip with less boot wear. MSC MOTO ADVENTURE FOOTPEG FEATURES: 120 x 60mm platform size Solid billet CNC machined 7075 aluminium 9 stainless studs with integrated machined tread teeth…

KTM has teased the planet with its smaller-size adventure offering, the 790 Adventure R, which looks pretty much ready to roll but we won’t be seeing it for a while yet as it’s still in concept bike purgatory. The 790 will run a version of the LC8c parallel twin that’s in the 790 Duke and produces around 105 horsepower. Given the Duke weighs in at about 169kg dry, if KTM can build on that base then the Adventure R could be a lightweight weapon. Speaking at EICMA, KTM Chief Sales Office Hubert Trunkenpolz said, “We aimed to design the most performance-focused mid-weight travel enduro of its class, with the dynamism of much bigger engine machines, by giving it a leading power-to-weight ratio. The KTM 790 ADVENTURE R prototype is built…

Triumph has gone hard at the new range of Tiger XCs to not only bring them up to pace with the competition but to give it a good shake-up at the premium end. The flagship XCa is pretty damn impressive on paper. The 1200 XCa’s three-cylinder engine gains 15cc and now has a claimed 139Hp, which is more than the other most well-known shaft driven adventure bike, the R 1200 GS, and also comes with an “up-to 11 kilogram weight loss”. Triumph claims that the new line features the most technologically advanced motorcycles it has ever made and backs that up with offerings like six ride modes, semi-active suspension, electronically adjustable windscreen, heated seat and grips as well as ABS, traction control and integrated brakes, just to name a few…

For many taking part there is a common theme…they’ve sampled a BMW at a GS Experience event, borrowed a mate’s or simply felt drawn to this style of bike and what it can offer. They may have years of road experience but are looking for more adventure. After landing their own two-wheel ticket to freedom short rides become longer rides, and the lure of the road less travelled beckons. This can highlight the need for some instruction or coaching on the finer points of riding on surfaces and terrain that are foreign to them. Thankfully, many seek out the crew at BMW Off Road Training and with their new-found skills and confidence the goal of attending a Safari becomes a reality. For over 60 riders, their Safari week began in…

“OFFROAD-HEAVY, THE RIDE HOSTED BIKES FROM THE VERY FIRST MODEL TÉNÉRÉ (1983) TO THE PRESENT DAY 660 AND 1200. SOME WERE IMMACULATE AND SOME WELL- WORN.” “THE CRAZY QUEENSLAND WEATHER THREATENED TO TURN THINGS UGLY, BUT IN THE END ONLY ONE MID-RIDE DETOUR WAS NEEDED AND WE WERE TREATED TO ONE AMAZING LANDSCAPE AFTER ANOTHER.” “THE WEEK STARTED WITH A SURPRISE OF EPIC PROPORTIONS AND ENDED WITH EVERYONE TOTALLY SATISFIED AND RIDING OFF HOME OR TO EXTEND THEIR ADVENTURE A LITTLE MORE.” RIDE KIT This kit saw horrid, humid heat and on day two an insane downpour for the entire day. Macna’s Vosges jacket is the better choice in the heat, but in the rain the Mountain Range was excellent. Macna Mountain Range jacket Macna Fulcrum pants FOX Instinct boots…

ÖHLINS FFHO 101 FORK RRP $3995 The fork is the first in a new family of Adventure front fork products from Öhlins Racing AB. I guess it’s a hybrid, utilising our MX/Enduro front fork inner with TiNitride surface treatment and hard-anodised gold outer tubes with dual radial caliper fork bottoms to suit the Africa Twin. Inside, however, we use our NIX30 Adventure damping system, which is more suited to the type of use this motorcycle and front fork will see. Other Adventure bike users might be familiar with our NIX30A cartridge inserts, which replace the original damping system while retaining the outer shell of the original front fork. NIX technology separates compression and rebound into the two different fork legs. The advantages are that you are able to maintain a…

Ducati released the Multistrada 1200 Enduro in 2016 into an adventure market that was in full swing. Since then we’ve had new arrivals from KTM while Triumph has given its range a refresh, BMW has had a rethink of its smaller-capacity models, Honda has dominated in Australia with the Africa Twin and Yamaha is so close to releasing its long awaited T7. Things are moving quickly in the adventure scene and manufacturers have to move with it to keep up. Ducati could probably sit on the Enduro 1200 for another year without too many complaints, but instead the Italian company decided to give it a bit more of an edge where the dirt begins, which is a sign that adventure bikes aren’t the Prados of the two-wheel world and that…

With 112 KTM adventurers from seven different countries, 25 support staff and one epic week in Lord of the Rings country, riders were treated to beautiful weather, stunning scenery and some seriously challenging tracks. Aoraki Mount Cook did not disappoint as the kickstart point of this epic adventure, showing off in all its snow-capped glory with warm sunshine and clear blue skies for admin sign-on and the welcome dinner. Riders then traversed between 180–380 kilometres per day over the next five days, staying overnight at Alexandra and Cromwell for two nights, then on to Wanaka before finishing with a fitting bang in the adventure capital of the world, Queenstown. “IT WAS SO MUCH MORE FUN THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE. THE ROUTE WAS CHALLENGING AND SCENIC. IT WAS A…

The annual Touratech Challenge is a coming together of all things adventure and we travelled down to Myrtleford, Victoria, to take it in for the first time. Based at Myrtleford showgrounds, the event offers ample room for camping while the rest of the town and surrounds has a heap of accommodation. We stayed just a little bit down the road with the guys from Suzuki Australia, who were on hand to offer rides on the V-Strom XT range as well as the DR650. They were pretty flat out all Saturday with superbike legend Sean Giles leading the rides and on hand to offer advice. Other manufactures to join the fray included Ducati, which had the Multistrada Enduro on hand as well as its super-cool Scrambler. KTM had its 1090 and…

THE KEY HERE IS TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. TOO FAST AND YOU ARE JUST A PASSENGER WHEN YOU HIT THE WATER IF YOU’RE NOT SURE, CHECK IT The obvious threat faced at a water crossing is water depth. Sometimes it’s pretty straightforward — the crossing is short and you can see the bottom easily. In this case you’ll most likely ride on through and have no problems. When the crossing is more than a few bike lengths across then it becomes a different story. Even if the water is clear enough to see the bottom, you may not be able to see all the way across, so you can either walk it or ride it steadily and if the depth changes you’ll be forced to stop mid-crossing — not ideal but…

TAKE THE TIME TO STOP AND POKE A STICK INTO THE WATER TO CHECK DEPTH OR EVEN WALK OUT IF NECESSARY You may be able to get a good look without stopping. If not, you may have to pull up and take a closer look. Either way, make an assessment as to whether it’s something you can ride through or not; remember, getting an adventure bike bogged deep is something best avoided. You then have to choose the best rut to get you through and out the other end. If it looks borderline, take the time to stop and poke a stick into the water to check depth or even walk out if necessary. Picking the best line is all about making life as easy as possible. Try to look…

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the original Africa Twin, Honda has taken to the bike with the upgrade paperwork in hand. Honda has done a great job at making a great bike a little better with the Adventure Sports model, while at the same time not changing the stuff that makes it such a great bike. The larger fuel tank is the number-one change for us and obviously opens up the range of the bike. Better pegs are welcome, as are the ride-by-wire set-up and enhanced ride modes. No word on pricing at the time of writing but the AT starts at a comparatively low rate of $15,499 for the standard model, which is outstanding value. “Our CRF1000L Africa Twin has proven itself a worthy successor to the original…

BMW’s new F 850 GS is ticking a lot of boxes for anyone looking for a sub-1000cc bike that’s up for anything. The new in-line twin cylinder engine cranks-out a claimed 95Hp (which is around the V-Strom 1000 and not far off the Africa Twin figures), and features dual counterbalance shafts to chase that V-twin smoothness. BMW also claims the new engine is more fuel efficient. The bike, which was released in tandem with its softer cousin, the F 750 GS (same engine, different name), will feature a 21/17 wheel set, a slip and assist clutch, and weighs in at a claimed 229kg wet. BMW needed to give its mid-sized range a solid going-over and its done that pretty comprehensively. We’ve always been big fans of Beemer’s mid-sized offerings but…

Safari has had its share of overseas visitors in recent years and 2018 was no exception. Brett Toothill from Folsom, California, had always wanted to visit Australia. He made the trip after a YouTube video he stumbled across of the 2016 Queensland Safari had him hooked. As a BMW GS owner he knew there was no better way to see some of our country than on board a GS and offroad. Brett was able to hire a bike through Craig at Compass Expeditions / Bike Round OZ. “Betsy Blue”, a 2008 R1200GS, became his steed for the week of Safari as well as the transport to and from Melton, Victoria. Jerry and Mango got a special shout out from Brett for helping set him up for the ride. He also…

Why does the world need a 1290? Adventure bikes have begun a shift to the smaller capacities of 1000cc and under, so why be the guys that produce the biggest engine of all the major manufacturers? This must have been a question raised in Mattighofen, just as it was in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales, where we set off to find a happy place on the KTM 1290 Super Adventure R. The Austrians clearly found an answer that affirmed their enthusiasm for the 1290 but would we find it too? The 1290 is in the unenviable position of having replaced a favourite in the 1190 Adventure. The 1190 was a very good bike that didn’t leave us wishing it would be gifted another 100cc, so why mess with…

First of all, where do you call home and what do you do for work? I call Melbourne home. [I’m] currently working part-time as an Army reservist and fulltime as a postgraduate law student at the University of Melbourne. How long have you been riding bikes? Unlike other people who go on adventure rides and have been riding since childhood, I haven’t been riding very long. I actually only began riding six months prior to my current trip, [in] August 2015! Can you broadly describe the ride you’re on? After doing a lap of Tasmania, I rode from Melbourne to Adelaide, up to Uluru, then to Darwin. From Darwin I headed across to Townsville, up to Cooktown (I couldn’t go further due to time constraints and wet season) then back…

I haven’t had much experience riding a Triumph. Up till this test day I’d ridden two. One was a Tiger and the other a Bonneville, so it’s fair to say that while I’ve spent countless hours on most other makes the whole Triumph thing is quite new to me. The Triumph range of adventure bikes is a big one and recently received a host of updates to keep it competitive in a bustling market. We were offered the chance to take out the Tiger 800XCx, which is the smallest capacity Tiger and, hell, why wouldn’t we? On a brilliant sunny day we headed off into the distance in search of quality dirt and to get to know the Triumph. SLICK PACKAGE The Tiger 800 XCx has a somewhat familiar look…

Why is it that so often the least fashionable bikes are the really good ones? The DR-Z400. The KLR650. The 200EXC and the WR250R. These aren’t at the top of too many must-have lists but they’re all great bikes. There was a time when I looked at the V-Strom as a bike that a retired shoemaker would buy to ride from a cheese factory tour to the annual gathering of the Royal Rare Fungus Society. Some years ago when I had the opportunity to ride the V-Strom 650, I didn’t expect much but found a hell of a lot. I was genuinely surprised at just how much I enjoyed the bike in the bush and over long distances. I came close to buying one and in fact after riding it,…

It was going to be a tight schedule. A ride from Newcastle to Thredbo had been planned for weeks but with short notice I got an offer from Honda Australia to be part of a Daryl Beattie Adventures (DBA) tour of Cape York. The DBA ride required a flight out of Sydney on Sunday, which meant I had to cut the Snowy ride a little short and bolt back home, repack and head to the airport — there was no way I was going to miss this. I’d never been to Cape York before. I’d never even been to Cairns before and to have this all wrapped up with a DBA ride was too good to pass up. I even had to bum a three-hour lift to Sydney airport because…

Suzuki’s V-Strom is in an odd place. It’s not an easily definable motorcycle. It attracts more than its fair share of criticism but the bulk seems to be from folks who have never thrown a leg over which, in this era of emotionally exhaustive online bitching based on zero facts or experience, is really no great surprise. For those that do know the bike, the opinions range from damn-near universal praise to a deep and sometimes uncomfortable-to-be-around love. So how does one bike come to polarise people so much? In this case there are two reasons. One is that in 2018, if something isn’t to your liking then it must be utter shite and done away with. There is no consideration that it may be very much to someone else’s…

There are two things about this test that were bizarre to me. The first was that I got two bikes from Honda in one month. That’s wholly unusual these days and greatly appreciated. The second was that I was riding a 250 adventure bike. This is neither my idea of an adventure bike nor of a great deal of fun. Yes, I am that guy. While I advocate strongly that we should all be giving 250Fs more of a go on the trails and tracks of the world, I don’t want to give up my 800-1000cc when it comes to adventure. But the CRF250 Rally looks the biz and I am also shallow enough that I want to ride a cool-looking bike. That’s the attitude I took into this test…

IF YOU’VE CHOSEN TO USE AN OFF-ROAD TYRE, REMEMBER THE DIFFERENCE IN PERFORMANCE WHEN ON THE ROAD RESET THE BRAIN This is even more important if you’ve just spent half a day or more offroad and you pop back out onto the bitumen. Your brain’s in dirt mode: speeds are generally a little slower than on the bitumen and there’s usually less traffic. Back on the bitumen, you need to refocus on the riding conditions and adjust your brain and reactions to the higher speeds. Things come up quicker and the first switchback hairpin you come across needs to be judged correctly. Be alert and don’t push it. RESET THE BIKE Many of the current adventure bikes have optional settings for rider assistance systems. Things like ABS, traction control and…

THIS EXERCISE MAY SEEM BASIC BUT IT’S A GREAT WAY TO GET SOME FRONT-BRAKE CONFIDENCE IN A SLOW AND CONTROLLED WAY The front brake can be an intimidating thing. With adventure bikes, you generally have very powerful brakes and, in many cases when you’re offroad, limited traction. This can result in a loss of confidence in the front brake or staying away from it altogether. If you get to that point you’re riding with very limited braking capacity, so it’s well worth spending time learning to get comfortable with the front brake again. Many riders also come to adventure riding from a road background and have the misconception that there’s no traction available whatsoever when you leave the bitumen. But, as you can see in this picture, that isn’t always…