Innehållsförteckning för #352 18-11 från Just Bikes

The 2018 version of the Triumph Tiger 800 has arrived and brings with it new and updated features, covering the engine, chassis and rider technologies, as well as improvements to the finish and detailing. Triumph are claiming more than 200 chassis and engine improvements with this upgrade, to make the Tiger more competitive against rivals like the MV Agusta Turismo Veloce and BMW F700 GS and F800 GS, as well as the SWM 650 Superdual, Ducati Multistrada 950 and KTM’s 1090 Adventure R. The range still covers the dual-purpose (ie. road and off-road) XRx and XRT, as well as the harder core off-road XCx and XCA variants, but the previous XR base model has been dropped. The easiest way to identify the two is that alloy wheels (in a new…

The 2018 Condo 750 saw Jacob Smith of the Penrite Honda Desert Racing Team once again emerge victorious. This year’s win marks the fourth for Smith; part of a remarkable record that has seen the 27-year-old greet the podium on all bar one of his ten starts in the event. The longest and toughest off-road navigational rally in New South Wales, with 778km of competition and 272km of transit riding, this year’s 30th Condo 750 attracted 62 starters in the moto division, including Dakar veteran Rod Faggotter and Toby Hederics, son of Aus Safari legend John Hederics. Last year’s winner, Lachlan Manwaring (KTM), was fastest in the 34km Prologue to be first away on Day 1, while 2016 winner Smith started from sixth and Faggotter (Yamaha) tenth; the latter expected…

DAINESE RACING 3 WOMEN’S LEATHER JACKET Cassons P/L cassons.com.au Made from soft but strong ‘Tutu’ leather with S1 fabric and Microelastic stretch zones, the Dainese Racing 3 Lady jacket features the same strength, flexibility and light weight as the Racing 3 for men, but is tailored specifically for women. Features include replaceable aluminium shoulder plates, a sweat and odour-absorbing Nanofeel comfort liner, air vents on the chest and sides, provision for chest and back protectors, two outer pockets, reflective inserts and a pants fastening system. Available in black or black/white/fuchsia and Euro 38-48 sizes, the Dainese Racing 3 Lady is priced from $799.95 RRP. AGV ‘ROSSI MUGELLO 2017’ PISTA GP R Link International linkint.com.au Another Aldo Drudi special, the ’17 Mugello AGV Pista GP R helmet features Rossi as a…

It was 1980, and I had a poster of a scantily clad girl on my wall. But this scantily girl was sitting on the wickedest-looking motorcycle the world had ever seen, so she was somewhat less interesting to me than she would normally have been. She was on a Suzuki GSX1000S Katana – a bike which sat the motorcycle universe on its prissy white arse after punching it the face a few times. Designed by steel-eyed Germans still coming to terms with placing a distant second in WW2, it was styled like nothing before it and lots of stuff after it. It was iconic, ground-breaking and I came very close to buying one. But the sales-animal told me I would have to wait a few months. I was not a…

Australia’s motorcycle sales market experienced a minor drop for the first quarter of 2018, with 21,614 new bikes sold, compared to 21,886 for the same threemonth period in 2017. The 1.2 per cent drop was reflected in almost all the major categories, with road bike sales down by 2.6 per cent, off road sales down 0.5 per cent and ATV/SSV down 0.2 per cent for the quarter. Scooters, however, bucked the trend with a 2.9 per cent rise, no doubt fuelled in part by the growing number of Deliveroo and UberEats delivery riders. Honda once again led the overall market with a 22.49 per cent share (4863 sales), followed by Yamaha with 19.39 per cent (4192 sales) and Kawasaki significantly further back with 10.79 per cent (2334 sales). KTM (1821…

In an era of race replicas and retroinspired colour schemes, Royal Enfield has chosen a livery inspired by the world’s tallest mountain range for the new Himalayan ‘Sleet’. As a third colour option for the adventure tourer (joining the already available Granite and Snow), the new-for-2018 Sleet colour scheme is said to be inspired by the “shades of the Himalayan mountain range – from peak, summit and to the deep valleys below”. Translated, that means a mid-grey colour scheme for the tank and mudguards, with asymmetrical patches of white and darker grey. The look has a touch of urban camouflage, or even World War I dazzle ships about it, and certainly stands out. The Sleet combines its unique colour scheme with a black finish for the top and bottom fork…

Kawasaki-backed stunt rider Jamie ‘JB’ Baker has unveiled his new Ninja ZX-6Rbased stunt weapon – ‘Berserk’. Claimed to be the first of its kind in Australia, what makes Berserk unique is the addition of a custom turbo kit to the Kawasaki 636cc engine. Baker unveiled the bike this past April, but said the project was first dreamed up back in February, 2017. “From very early on I was told it couldn’t be done, that I was wasting my time and I should just work on a 1000cc turbo project,” Baker said. “In my line of work, I have always run engines around the 600cc mark, so combining a turbo with the lightweight manoeuvrability of the Ninja ZX-6R just seemed to be the way to go.” Berserk provided challenges that were…

As part of their Woodward Dream Cruise competition, Shannons are offering the chance to win a new Indian Chief Dark Horse. Valued at $28,995, the 2018-model Chief Dark Horse comes with all on-road costs covered and includes 12 months’ Shannons Comprehensive Motorcycle Insurance Cover. As well as the bike, the winner will score a 12-night tour to the US for two (in August, 2019), starting with four days in New York, before heading to Detroit for the Woodward Dream Cruise – the world’s largest one-day automotive event. Sure, it’s a four-wheeler show, but with 40,000 cars on parade, it’s pretty cool. While in Detroit, the tour also takes in Ford’s historic Piquette Avenue factory, the Henry Ford Museum, General Motors’ Heritage collection and more car culture in Motor City. The…

The Australian launch of the Benelli TnT 125 was late last year, but after the launch on the Leoncino (see JUST BIKES #351), I decided to revisit my impressions of this stylish, fun and capable naked roadster. BREAKING MOULDS First thing to get your head around when approaching the TnT 125 is exactly how to categorise it. Like the Z125 Pro from Kawasaki that preceded it and the Honda Grom that kicked of this whole market segment, the TnT 125 isn’t a fullsize naked, while a “pocket bike” or “fun bike” tag implies it’s much smaller than it actually is. The term “compact” has been bandied around a bit and it’s probably the label that fits this LAMS-legal bike and its competitors best, as they’re all smaller in terms of…

After production of Honda’s iconic and long-lived Z50 ‘Monkey Bike’ ended in 2017, Honda looks set to bring the mini roadster back, but as a larger, retro-styled companion to the successful Grom. Rumoured for a reinvention as far back as 2016, it was only the display of a ‘Monkey 125’ concept at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show that pointed to Honda being more serious about extending the life of their compact 50cc fun bike that has a history dating back more than 50 years. As presented at Tokyo, the Monkey 125 used the 125cc single-cylinder engine from the Grom, but producing a little less power, at 6.9kW and 11Nm. Described as being very close to a production version, the Tokyo Show concept also featured modern LED lighting, LCD instrumentation, a…

CFMoto’s ‘NK’ roadster range has expanded, with a new, LAMS-legal 250NK joining the 150NK, 400NK and 650NK in the locally-available range. As the name suggests, the 250NK is powered by a 250cc single-cylinder engine; an all-new DOHC 4-valve powerplant that produces claimed max power of 19.5kW at 9000rpm and max torque of 22Nm at 7500rpm, while Bosch fuel injection is said to deliver impressive fuel consumption. Two power modes are available: ‘sport’ and ‘rain’ with the latter softening the delivery for smoother acceleration in slippery conditions. The liquid-cooled single is matched to a 6-speed gearbox, while the steel tube trellis frame is similar to that on the 150NK, hooked up to a USD telescopic front fork and monoshock rear, but sizes and travel have not been revealed. Brakes are Spanish-made…

Kymco has released a new version of their Like 150 R scooter, which the Australian distributors are describing as the pièce de résistance of the range. Power is up by 16 per cent compared to the outgoing model, thanks to a completely new 4-valve liquid-cooled 150cc engine. The most powerful in its class, the new 9.9kW singlecylinder engine is also smoother and quieter. Complementing the new engine is a new bi-beam frame design and a relocated fuel tank that lowers the scooter’s centre of gravity for improved handling. Suspension is largely carryover, as are the lightweight 12-inch wheels, Bosch ABS braking, underseat helmet storage space and glovebox compartment. LED lighting and USB charging ports are standard, while the new Like 150 R gets the updated ‘Noodoe’ dashboard technology that allows…

There is so much bang for your helmet buck here, it’s almost embarrassing. From a design perspective, Kiska, the Austrian design house responsible for KTM’s look, is also behind this Schuberth range. If you’re after a great all-round full-face, a lid you can use on the track, to commute, or to tour, and you haven’t got a million dollars, this German masterwork could be for you. Unless your head is shaped weirdly, in which case you’re on your own. You’ve worked out by now Schuberth helmets are up there with the very finest lids on earth. They’re made in Germany and have a well-deserved reputation for being the quietest and most aerodynamic lids on the market. They also come fully-loaded out of the box with a host of features, including…

Motorcyclists are weird about tyres. I am no exception. I get a certain brand into my head and I’m like some OCD mutt…no other tyre is as good, no other tyre is ever even to be considered, I know what I know because all my friends agree with me, and so on and so forth. It’s a little bit shameful because tyres we get today are all pretty damn good. Has that stopped me from going through a Pirelli phase? Nope. Has it stopped me having a Dunlop obsession. Not at all. Has it made me consider something other than a Michelin? Not a chance. Continental? Um, yeah, I’d heard of them… Had I used them? Nope. But that has now changed forever. Actually, I’m lying a bit. I had…