Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 69 Issue 03 i Australian Motorcycle News

WHEN I FIRST began working for this magazine, back in 2001, you couldn’t sell an adventure bike in this country. No one wanted one and I was bewildered as to why. This vast country is perfect for Adventure riding – both on and off road – and getting lost on a bike in Australia is one of my favourite things to do. Getting lost on a bike in Australia is one of my favourite things to do In 2019 we have so many excellent, dedicated Adventure bikes to choose from, it’s been a total reversal in Adventure bike status, and not just in Oz. Why? Because as the chance to make your own decisions on how and where you go anywhere dwindles, motorcycles still offer that last bastion of individual…

AS WITH THE current Africa Twin, there will be four models in the range. At the moment, the line-up includes the base ‘CRF1000A’, the DCT-equipped ‘CRF1000D’, the larger-tanked, more off-road-oriented ‘CRF1000A2’ Africa Twin Adventure Sports and its DCT-equipped sibling the ‘CRF1000D2’. In 2020, the range will be made up of the CRF1100A2, CRF1100D2, CRF1100A4 and CRF1100D4, and all the bikes are believed to be closer to the existing Adventure Sports model than to the base Africa Twin. As a model range, they go under the internal codename SD09, where the 2018-2019 Africa Twins are classed as SD06 models and 2015-2017 versions were SD04.…

JUST WHEN WE thought the 600cc sportsbike category was dead in the water, Triumph Motorcycles has confirmed the introduction of a limited-edition Moto2-inspired Daytona 765. Far from living on its former glories, the Daytona Moto2 765 draws on Triumph’s role as the sole engine supplier to the Moto2 series and promises to offer a near-Moto2 experience to its buyers. Triumph isn’t divulging detailed specs yet but says the Moto2-tuned version of the engine makes more than 103kW (140hp) from the triple-cylinder engine, which is a tuned version of the 90kW 765cc unit that powers the latest Street Triple. The forks are clearly Öhlins units and the brakes are from Brembo, ticking all the usual high-spec sportsbike boxes, and Triumph says the frame is the same as was used on the…

70¢ According to new research published on picodi.com, the cheapest petrol in the Asia-Pacific can be bought in Malaysia. The most expensive is Hong Kong at $A3 a litre. EVEL LIVES! Stuntrider Vicki Golden has smashed through 13 flaming boards to set a new record at History Channel’s Evel Live 2 show in Las Vegas. The event showcased contemporary heirs of Evel Knievel, the history-making stuntman and pop-culture sensation of the 1960s and ’70s. ULTIMATE ADVENTURE Lyndon Poskitt is back home in the UK after a five-year, 74-country odyssey that covered over 200,000km and involved two Dakar rallies. Poskitt rode his KTM on a lap of the world that included racing on every continent, including Australia’s Finke and the Baja in the US. He came second in the unsupported Malle…

ADVENTURE RIDING CAN become soooo serious. Here’s a chance to lighten up in one of the world’s most adventurous countries. The Monkey Run Peru takes you through isolated areas from the moist Amazon rain forest into the high and dry Andes. All this at a pace slow enough to take in all the sights because, instead of belting along on a big-bore bush basher, you are mooching along on a rented Monkey Bike. It’s another crazy guided tour from the The Adventurists, already responsible for The Mongol Derby (the world’s longest and most dangerous horse race) and the Icarus X (a paramotor race across southern Africa). Three years ago they launched the Monkey Run, which saw participants dropped into the Sahara and tasked with crossing the Atlas Mountains and reaching…

News Yamaha Australia announced that the final shipment of the RZ500 was due to arrive in Australia in late December. The model was only released in very limited numbers, meaning you had to be quick to get your hands on this wild ride. Sport A race that became known as “one of the most exciting Castrol 6 Hours ever” saw Richard Scott and Michael Dowson on their Yamaha RZ500 snatch a win from Wayne Gardner/John Pace. The race ended two minutes early to allow ABC to screen the presentation before the golf came on. Bike test In Oxfordshire in England, John Reed managed to Frankenstein together a Kawasaki GPZ1300R trike. According to Tony Middlehurst, the trike was “surprisingly manoeuvrable.” Reed later moved to the USA and was inducted into the…

Reckon you’re pretty quick when it comes to two-wheeled trivia? Then have a crack at our who-what-where series. If you’re finding it hard, here’s a clue – all the answers have appeared in AMCN at some time over the past 67 years. When you reckon you’ve worked out the bloke, the bike and the track, email your numbered answers to comps@amcn.com.au for your chance to win! 1. WHO? Who is the famous house musician with his own historic racing team? 2. WHEN? When did Australian Les Bailey make his Isle of Man TT debut? 3. WHAT? What is the track on the BSB calendar known to have bikes get air time? 4. WHY? Why was the 1910 Pierce Four a mechanical advance for American Motorcycles? 5. WHERE? Where did this incident…

ENGINE Capacity 123.7cc Type Single-cylinder piston-port two stroke Bore & stroke 54mm x 54mm Compression ratio 12.4:1 Cooling Air Fueling 1x 30mm Dell’Orto carburettor Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 16.2kW @ 9000rpm (claimed) Torque 17Nm @ 9000rpm (claimed) Top speed 119km/h (claimed) Fuel consumption 7.5L/100km ELECTRONICS Type Not applicable Rider aides Not applicable CHASSIS Frame material Tubular steel Frame type Twin-loop frame with reinforced single-tube backbone Rake Not given Trail Not given Wheelbase Not given SUSPENSION Type Marzocchi Front 35mm telescopic fork, 180mm travel Rear Dual air/oil shocks with remote air chambers, 130mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Wire-spoked, aluminium Front:…

BEST THING about adventure bikes is their so versatile. The KTM 1290 and 790 are not just great off-road bikes and tourers, but riding either on a daily commute would be a breeze. You could pack your adventure suit in the panniers and trade the shirt and tie in for a quick pass over the mountain range on a Wednesday afternoon. This category works well in Australia because we have so many terrain options, often only a short ride from home. In the past, adventure bikes lacked on-road handling and were fairly unrefined, more like heavy dirtbikes with a big fuel tank. Many manufacturers, including KTM, are also offering a street oriented version of the same machine. The 790 comes in a road-biased version, the R-model tested, and in 2020…

Pack light LESS IS MORE when you are carrying everything on your bike. Put some thought into what you take and only take what you will need and know how to use! Having tools to fix a problem you don’t know how to is not that smart! You can also share tools and supplies among a group, you don’t all have to carry one of everything. One for both IF YOU CARRY a spare tube, even for tubeless tyres, just carry the front wheel size. It will get you out of trouble for the rear too and saves carrying 2 tubes. Get booted IF YOU ARE riding off-road a lot, wear a pair of proper off road/motocross style boots, not soft road style boots that might look like adventure boots.…

A FLYING START IN EUROPE Not wanting to die on the first day was the only thing I could think about as we chugged along a blacked-out, empty French motorway at 40km/h, in the most dangerous riding conditions we’ve ever experienced. The wind threw us from lane to lane like rag dolls. The rain was relentless, hammering into our visors and reducing visibility to an outstretched hand. When the rain rested the fog took over; a thick cold blanket that swallowed petrol stations and left us running on fumes, and finding fuel with only drops to spare. Only as we arrived at a friend’s house in Normandy at 1am (seven hours later than the planned three-hour ride) did we discover the cause of the weather; Storm Eleanor. We’d just ridden…

I’VE BEEN RIDING all sorts of roads and trails with my ’round-the-corner riding buddy for a couple of years now, and I’ve been a few thousand kays coveting his boots. And other than the good-looking brown leather, not really for any other reason than I struggle to find a decent off-road boot that fits me and my child-sized feet and then, if and once I do, which remains in proportion enough to fit on and around the controls of a motorcycle. But with Andy luring me further away from the traction of the tarmac, it was time to find a pair of off-road boots. Despite me being a long way from it, Forma’s Terra Evo boots are at the pointy end of the Adventure range. But for a few extra…

Top 3 TV 1 MotoGP Rd10 Brno, LIVE Videopass 4 August 7pm (AEST) MotoGP heads to Brno for Round 10. Videopass and Fox Sports air all classes live with Moto3 starting at 7pm, Moto2 at 8.20pm and MotoGP at 10pm. Free-to-air viewers can catch the MotoGP race on 10 Bold. 2 MX Nats Rds 9-10 Qld, LIVE Online 7-8 August 8am (AEST) Aussie Motocross fans can catch the final two rounds of the Pirelli MX Nationals live from Coolum in Queensland by logging on to mxnationals.com.au. Racing starts at 8am and you can also view previous rounds on demand. 3 Red Bull Romaniacs LIVE redbull.com 1-3 August 1am You can still catch the last three days of Red Bull Romaniacs, the world’s toughest Hard Enduro race, live from Sibiu, Romania.…

THERE ARE MANY ways for 50-year-old racing tragics to feed their addiction and I’m a willing fool who’ll try them all. After spending half a lifetime road racing to feed myself, I now have the luxury of donning a race face purely to amuse myself. Which is quite neat, and circular, as my road-racing career started with the, some would say, hilarious urge to race a highly modified Lambretta. For my younger self it was both hilarious and deadly serious, which is an outlook I’ve carried throughout my racing life, for better or for worse. Since escaping the full-time gig at AMCN three years ago to freelance, I’ve also been contracting my services to Royal Enfield, primarily in the role of chassis development test rider and complainer-in-chief. Channelling skills honed…

“All teams actively completing one lap before the red flag have to be classified,” were the words delivered by the FIM that confirmed that Jonathon Rea and Leon Haslam had given Kawasaki its first Suzuka 8 Hours victory since 1993. The Kawasaki Racing Team of Rea and Haslam triumphed in the 42nd running of the Suzuka 8 Hours race, but only after a protest was upheld, after the Yamaha Factory Racing Team were initially crowned winners. Riding the final stint, Rea crashed on the oil from a blown Suzuki engine with minutes remaining, which brought out the red flag. With the result declared from the completion of the previous lap prior to the red flag, the race was awarded to the dominant Kawasaki team. It was a sweet double for…

WITH IDEAL CONDITIONS in the beautiful northern rivers, Daniel Sanders put the disappointment of Hattah behind him to win 18 of the 22 special tests on his Husqvarna FE501 during rounds five and six of the Australian Off-Road Championship. This almost perfect weekend at Kyogle puts him in an almost unbeatable position in the E3 (over 450cc) Division. Still suffering the after effects of a shoulder operation and resultant tendonitis, Daniel Milner – now having moved up from his KTM 350 EXC to the 450 model – left no doubt he’s got both hands on the E2 (up to 450cc) trophy. ‘Officially’ both riders are aware there is no overall championship to fight for, however they also know they’re locked at three rounds each in an 11-round series, and only…

ROYAL ENFIELD IS redesigning its mainstay single-cylinder retro models to meet 2020-21’s Euro 5 emission regulations. The tape-covered bike caught here in a video shows a new chassis housing a completely new version of the air-cooled single-cylinder engine. Note the completely different transmission – with the chain on the left-hand side rather than the right – and a large new catalytic converter. The exhaust is diverted below the swingarm pivot area to a large, black-painted catalytic converter then back to the silencer. With the Bullet, Classic and Thunderbird models all sharing the same basic frame design and single-cylinder 350cc and 500cc engines, this prototype is a blueprint for the whole range.…

Hot wheels The father and son stunt team of Matt and Maddox ‘Madz’ Mingay will perform a double act at Wollongong’s November Australian Motorcycle Festival. Buck up November’s Freak Show Festival of Motorcycles, featuring flat track, a dirt hillclimb, custom show, motorcycle movies and the HOG national rally, is expected to bring millions of dollars into the NSW district of Walcha. Farewell, mate Engineer on the mid-1990s Hunwick-Hallam Aussie Superbike, presenter of H-DTV and general all-round nice guy Paul Hallam has died. Legend departs Maurice Quincey, nine times Australian TT winner, international racer and a former Melbourne motorcycle dealer, has also died, aged 90 years.…

EVERYONE’S HEARD OF America’s Route 66, but how about the TransAmericaTrail? It’s the brainchild of cross-country adventurer Sam Correro. Since 1984, Sam has surveyed and covered thousands of kilometres to create an entire dirt-road coast-to-coast trail. The result is a web-based route that can be navigated using either a combination of maps and roll-charts or GPS tracks. Dining, accommodation, motorcycle maintenance and suggested riding itineraries are listed on the website www.transamtrail.com Riders typically cover around 300km a day and are guided to motorcycle-friendly destinations. They may face mud, sand and snow along the 8000km route that carves through mountains, deserts and lush valleys, so a long-legged machine with knobby tyres is essential. Sam provides updates on road closures as well as information on public and private property use. The cost…

Congratulations Russell, you’ve scored a beaut Motul cap and T-shirt valued at $35, kindly supplied by our mates at Link International. Send an image and details about your two-wheeled pride and joy to access@amcn.com.au Rider Russell Burns Ride 1950 Matchless G80S He says My current bike was actually my first bike. I purchased it from my brother, who bought it to ride from Geelong to Melbourne University every week during his studies. When he got a placing at Canberra University, my father asked me what I was going to do for transport (I actually had high hopes of using the family car). Needless to say, I bought the Matchless from Robert and learnt about life from the seat of a motorcycle. It was 1970 and I have been riding continuously…

Incredible off-road capability, the weight balance is a game changer and its power-to-weight ratio make it exhilarating Could do with some V-twin-type torque down low, the electronics reset when the engine is turned off by the kill switch and what, no heated grips?! Awesome grunt, great weather protection and the suspension setup absorbs just about everything you can throw at it Weight balance is a little front heavy, the throttle response isn’t instant, even on maximum and what, no heated grips?!…

ENGINE Configuration Transverse 90° V-twin Cylinder head Pushrod, two valves per cylinder Capacity 853cc Bore/stroke 84 x 77mm Compression ratio 10.5:1 Cooling Air Fueling EFI, single 52mm throttle body Power 59kW @7750rpm(claimed) Torque 80Nm @5000rpm (claimed) TRANSMISSION Type Six-speed Clutch Dry, single-plate Final drive Shaft CHASSIS Frame material Tubular steel Frame layout Engine as stressed member Rake 28° Trail 128mm SUSPENSION Kayaba Front: 41mm telescopic USD fork, with adjustable spring preload and rebound, 170mm travel Rear: Monoshock, adjustable spring preload and rebound, 170mm travel WHEELS/TYRES Wheels Spoked Front: 19 x 2.5 Rear: 17 x 4.25 Tyres Michelin Annake Front: 120/80R19 Rear: 150/70R17 BRAKES Brembo Front: Twin 320mm discs, four-piston radial calipers, ABS…

Shane Booth Age 38 Title Co-Director of Motodevelopment; manage and run GS Off-Road Training Australia, BMW Safari, GS Tours Experience Over 30 years of off-road riding experience, 20 years of supercross and motocross racing experience, 20 years motorcycle rider coaching experience. Eight years running BMW Motorrad Australia’s GS Off Road Training program. Chris Urquhart Age 39 Title Co-Director of Motodevelopment; manage and run GS Off Road Training Australia, BMW Safari, GS Tours. Experience Almost 35 years of off road riding experience, two decades of off-road racing and 20 years motorcycle rider coaching experience. Eight years running BMW Motorrad Australia’s GS Off Road Training program.…

SET OFF WITHOUT A DRY RUN And I’m not talking about the weather. Afullypacked dry run is at the top of the must-do list. We didn’t make time for one and paid the price. Our bags were packed too high on the sides and one ended up on the exhaust, causing a burnt bag and a crispy tent. Our top box was also too far forwards and we had to fabricate extension plates in Slovakia to move it back. Our sidestand needed cutting down about three centimetres. A dry run would have saved us learning the hard way. DON’T TEST THE BIKE We left two-up on a Yamaha XT660R because I already owned the bike and used it to ride from the UK to Iraq and back about eight years…

Henning Jorgensen is a draftsman by trade, and a fair-dinkum motorcyclist. He purchased his 1970 BMW R75/5 with around 35,000 miles (56,000km) and, remarkably, has since added 540,000 (869,000km) more. The rally custodian for the last 30 years, 2019 was Henning’s last as organiser of the Alpine Rally. We grabbed a quick yarn You bought your bike in ’74 but your first rally was ’72. What did you ride those first two years I rode a 1967 BMW R 60, two up. Can you describe being bitten by the Alpine Rally bug? It’s the adventure of being out here, the journey getting here and the great outdoors. As the organiser, it’s putting something back into my hobby. It’s all about the attendees and their antics, the camaraderie and so many…

THE STORY GOES that a Perth rider named Bear was given a self-saucing pudding in Adelaide some time during the mid-1970s because, for whatever reason he found himself without food and hungry after a ride across the Nullarbor. For reasons also unknown to me, Bear didn’t consume said pudding and a few weeks later met up with a rider in Sydney, who was asked to return said pudding back to the South Australian capital. Somewhere along the line, the pudding ended up at the Alpine Rally – in fact it has been to nearly every Alpine Rally ever since – where its reputation means it gets auctioned off for decent sum of money each year, which is then donated to the RFDS. These days, I’m told, it’s preserved in resin…

BEING THE CLOSEST city to anywhere in Australia, Santiago is the obvious place to begin an adventure, as there are a number of motorcycle rental options available. You will not find a friendlier, more professional outfit than Ride-Chile, operated by Ana and Tomas Rojas. Contact ana@motoss.cl Both Dave and I selected well-maintained BMW 800GS models which, with near new rubber, performed as expected under all conditions we encountered. Because of time constraints we dropped the bikes in Calama – 1600km from our pickup in Santiago – which cost a little extra. But we left them in the same condition as received, so it’s safe to refer to our recommendations. Ride-Chile also offer tours and guides which, while not essential, can make life a lot easier, particularly if you want to…

CALL ME OLD-FASHIONED, but just like on my enduro bike all those years ago, I’m a stickler for a conventional gearbox on an off-road machine. Honda offers four versions of the CRF1000L, two of which boast a dual-clutch transmission, and that means that the lever in front of your left hand is a not for the clutch; it’s a parking brake. Similar to no-shift technology that has been in other Hondas for some time, the latest DCT technology is far more than the seamless shift gearbox the firm debuted on the VFR1200 in 2009. These days, using that all-important IMU, as well as the RPM and throttle position inputs, the smarts are detecting whether the bike’s heading up or down a hill, it knows the degree of inclination and it’s…

I LOVE THAT Dririder gear is developed here and I was thankful for that on my last Adventure ride – we had it all: snow, rain, some dust and zero-degree temps. I sat resplendent through the lot with no precipitation making its way to me, which is a crucial point to Adventure gear. It needs to handle everything. I did have a couple of gripes, mostly no inside pocket for my phone and no standard knee armour (or even padding) in the pants, but comfort and fit-wise, the kit is excellent. I have to admit to not wearing the gloves for much of that time – they are vented and designed for much warmer climes than I found myself in – but the Rallycross pant and jacket are so good,…

MOTORCYCLES HAVE BEEN my life since the age of nine and created a racing career that took me around the world. It was tough to have to give up Grand Prix racing prematurely at the age of 27, but I found a new life force in Australia’s big backyard. My love of the Outback has helped give me a new focus on life. To start with it was road trips and fishing with a few mates way up north, but the bike element was missing for me. That’s the reason I started our tours (Daryl Beattie Adventures) six years ago. The Outback is a very special place and it keeps drawing me back year after year to ride the different routes that opened up the country that is our nation…

Josh Hook F.C.C. TSR Honda France - Honda Qualified 7th Finished 4th Hook was all smiles on the podium at Suzuka, despite falling short in the team’s title defence. Riding with Mike Di Meglio and Freddy Foray, the team finished a very respectable fourth behind the factory stars, with Hook looking certain to race with the team again in the 2019/20 season. Broc Parkes Yamaha Austria Racing Team - Yamaha Qualified 6th Finished 6th Fresh from riding the Suzuka ARRC round, Parkes handled the Suzuka heat well, riding the second stint. Partnered with Marvin Fritz and Niccolo Canepa, the experienced team finished sixth. Troy Herfoss KYB Moriwaki Racing - Honda Qualified 10th Finished 9th By his own admission, Herfoss had a less than ideal preparation for this year’s Suzuka 8…

RUSSIA HAS MADE it back-to-back victories in the Speedway of Nations tournament – this time on home shale in Togliatti in front of their jubilant fans, as Poland and Australia joined them on the rostrum. Just five months ago, Russia won its umpteenth World Team Ice Racing crown at the same venue, but over the two nights of racing on 20-21 July, the Russian team of Emil Sayfutdinov, Artem Laguta and Under 21 rider Gleb Chugunov had to work so much harder than their ice-racing compatriots. Australia (23) led narrowly after the first night from Russia (22) and Poland (21), with Polish rider Maciej Janowski, British rider Robert Lambert and Dane Niels-Kristian Iversen all involved in alarming crashes, which saw Janowski and Lambert ruled out of the second night of…

IF THERE IS one Superbike that defines the 1990s, it’s Ducati’s 916. To celebrate 25 years of the game-changing big twin, Ducati has launched its Panigale V4 25° Anniversario 916. Just 500 will be made and it was unveiled by Carl Fogarty, who took 43 WSBK wins on the 916 and its derivatives. Based on the higher-spec ‘S’ version of the Panigale V4, the $67,180 special is further tweaked with forged magnesium wheels and a road-legal titanium Akrapovic exhaust, while the half-length frame is borrowed from the WSBK homologation-special Panigale V4R. One will be auctioned in memory of Carlin Dunne, who died riding Ducati’s prototype Streetfighter V4 at this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. In his memory, the Panigale V4 25° Anniversario 916 carrying the serial number 5 (Dunne’s…

A country welcome A new website brings together a directory of motorcycle-friendly towns and businesses in New South Wales and Victoria. Visit www.motorcyclefriendly.com.aufor details. Worldbeaters celebrate World on Wheels (formerly Ferris Wheels) is celebrating its 25th birthday as the first international tour group to take motorcyclists to the world’s highest road, India’s 5600m Khardung La. Posties miss delivery The 2019 Postie Bike Challenge is sold out but like-minded enthusiasts can still find a place on the Apex Outback Postie Bike Ride. Check out both operations at www. postiebikechallenge.org/ and www.mycause.com.au/events/apexoutbackpostiebikeride…

I bought my first bike in five big boxes. It turned out to be a 1959 Triumph Bonneville that a 16-year-old me had lots of fun on in 1976, loads of fun on it back in the day. Hannes Marais This is not my actual bike – I didn’t own a camera in those days. But my first bike was a 1955 DOT with a 197cc Villiers two-stroke engine. It was sold as a trials bike but it was more of an early trail bike. Neil Collard This was my first roadbike, back when rego labels were still a thing. Jamie Baumgarten My first roadbike was this old Harley-Davidson Shovelhead. I had it for 10 years, then it was time for an update. Peter Taylor If it was a paddock…

IN ORDER TO gain some two-stroke credibility, Forni was hired to race the Regolarità in the 1976 Italian MX and Enduro championships, as well as compete in the ISDT in Austria – in the course developing an uprated version which Ducati introduced for 1977 under the Six Days label. Boasting more aggressive off-road styling with an eight-litre aluminium fuel tank, the new bike came in two versions, Cross and Regolarità, each with revised porting for the new chrome-bore cylinder and altered ignition timing. A new combustion chamber design and piston, a larger carburettor and compression raised to 14.6:1 delivered a claimed 18.6kW (25hp) at 10,250rpm. Dry weight was slashed to a claimed 99kg, which actually turned out to be 104kg, but the front brake was increased to 140mm in size,…

FOR THOSE OF you that ride a motocross bike, you will have noticed just how many 250cc bikes are on track with equal, if not faster lap times than 450s. The 250s are easier to ride and produce a similar result to the bigger capacity machines, but with less effort. It’s similar in the adventure category, as riders place more and more focus on taking their bikes into the bush. A decade ago, a 1000cc bike (or bigger) was the trophy, almost a status icon of the riding world. Bigger used to be better, but that’s changing. The smaller-capacity machines are closing the gap and throwing a few very enticing advantages into the mix. With the advancements in metallurgy that are keeping weight down and tensile strength high, coupled with…

Going into our eighth year now of running GS Off Road Training program, we have witnessed first hand the adventure riding boom and have had over 1000 adventure riders attend our courses in that time. With many of them very new to riding off road, we have learned what are some of the common issues that riders struggle with. While there is so much to learn about riding off road, we put together 10 top tips to help your adventure riding, spread across some vital aspects of riding and preparation. Hopefully you find some or all of them helpful next time you head out on your adventure bike. 1 PRETEND YOU’RE PEDROSA SOMETHING WE HEAR riders frequently discussing at our courses is seat height and the need to be able…

BMW OFF-ROAD Training is the premium adventure bike training provider in Australia. With Chris and Shane’s experience ranging from professional racing to coaching all disciplines, their skills sets transcend across all experience levels, from beginner through to advanced adventure riders. The unique way that the courses have been put together allow riders to grow their skills and confidence levels in unison, offering riders the ultimate training experience. Motodevelopment presents 25 training courses each year, Australia-wide. A fixed calendar ensures the adventure can be taken to the customer. All BMW Off-road Training is capped at 20 riders per event to provide the best possible instructor to rider feedback. COURSE OPTIONS Level 1 OFF-ROAD SKILL FOUNDATION Far from a basic course yet suitable for beginners through to experienced riders, everyone is…

PREP YOUR TOOLKIT Take your bike apart to a level you feel comfortable with, put it back together and only take the tools you just used on your trip. Try and condense them as much as possible first by swapping for two-in-ones and lightweight variants. There’s no point taking tools you’re not comfortable using, or tools you won’t use. For example, it’s unlikely you’ll perform an engine rebuild in the Sahara so don’t bother with tools for that. TAKE SPARES We’ve met travellers with panniers full of spares. That’s heavy, unnecessary and you can’t account for everything. We did end up waiting for weeks for new suspension parts but that’s just the way of it. What you should definitely take are spare tubes, and replace the spares as soon as…

THIS IS EIGHT-year-old Inagereia Separovic-Michie, who rode 600km on the back of her dad’s BMW R 1100 GS to attend her first Alpine Rally. The 2019 event was her old man’s third Alpine and because it was the event’s 50th anniversary, he wanted his wife and three kids to come along and experience what it is that has kept the rally going all of these years. She said she didn’t get cold or bored, either on the bike or at the rally, and she even said she wants to come back.…

NOW THAT CÉSAR Mora has forsaken enduros and swears his next road race will be his last, other than his Riding School he’s got time on his hands. It appears travelling the world to various trade shows is more of a chore than a pleasure. And as Ambassador for Suzuki he’s obliged to spend as much time as possible on his Suzuki GSX-R1000R. At least I think that’s his rationale. So should a small group of riders wish to take a ride such as described here. Or maybe ride south to view the glaciers of Patagonia – best done between November and February – then César’s the bloke to talk to. Or I will happily pass on what information I can: pedrontweed@hotmail.com.…

BACK IN THE 1970s there was no such thing as an ‘adventure’ bike. Sure, in the ’60s there had been big-bore British street scramblers based on American flat-track and desert-sled racers. They had names like Triumph TR6C (Competition) and Norton Nomad. And in the early ’70s there were small-capacity street-registered Japanese enduros, such as Yamaha’s two-stroke DT and Honda’s four-stroke SL100 Motosport. However, all these models were more about having fun in the dirt for a few hours, rather than undertaking a trans-continental tour. It wasn’t until the early ’80s and BMW’s R 80 G/S that a mainstream manufacturer produced a motorcycle designed purely as an off-road tourer. BMW advertising in Australia described it as “the two-wheeled Range Rover” and its price of around $4500 certainly put it into the…

AFTER RACING RESUMES with the back-to-back Czech and Austrian GPs, and in the weekend before lining up for the GP of Great Bumps – sorry, make that Great Britain – there is a significant interval for GP test teams. Stefan Bradl, Michele Pirro, Bradley Smith and co will be going for gallops at the all-new Kymiring, in preparation for the Finnish GP joining the calendar next year. This new race will bring the calendar up to a full 20. Which is a lot, albeit one short of this year’s F1 routine, which crams 21 races into more or less the same time span as MotoGP’s 19. MotoGP might go to 21 too, with plans to add Indonesia and a proposal to return to Brazil. This is a big jump from…

Bikes banned from Pikes Peak Rennie Scaysbrook may well go down in history as the last rider to win the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb after organisers confirmed motorcycles have been scratched off the 2020 program to give the event’s organisers time “to determine the long-term viability” of the two-wheel competition. Despite being part of the first-ever PPIHC in 1916, motorcycles were only included as a permanent fixture in the schedule 29 years ago. The announcement comes after four-time Pikes Peak winner Carlin Dunne lost his life in a crash during the 2019 event. KB Irwin out, Barbera in Reigning British Championship winning team, Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki, has split with its rider Glenn Irwin mid-season, citing mutual consent between the two parties. Despite a stellar performance on Kawasaki…

FIFTY YEARS HAVE passed since the Apollo 11 Moon mission and all month long the question has been ‘where were you when…’ Most competitors at the 2019 Classic Motocross Championships at Harrisville, Queensland, found it simple to answer. It was on a Sunday (in the USA, anyway) when Neil Armstrong took that first small step for man, and back on Earth, Sundays in 1969 were reserved for scrambles. While the sport has outlasted most of the classics that started it, there was any number of pre-lunar exploration machines at Harrisville, including an Ariel, a Cheney Triumph, a TriBSA, three Metisses and an entire collection of CZs. With events spanning 125, 250 and Open categories and several age groupings for the riders, Classic Motocross is just that. Depending on age, judicious…

Australian Motorcycle News road test photographs are posed for by skilled, professional riders under controlled circumstances. Attempting to imitate their actions may be dangerous. Australian Motorcycle News supports and endorses rider training and wearing protective riding gear. Especially when you’ve got the whopping adventure issue coming up and need to fill 164 pages of fresh-airy goodness. Kel’s dad may recommend not leaving your jacket outside your tent in sub-zero temperatures, pulling it on covered in ice isn’t the best way to start a 600km ride home. Or if you’re going to camp in a forest riddled with spiders, Gareth would probably also suggest zipping up your swish hammock tent before nodding off to sleep. Oh, and if you’re working up a thirst riding Moto Guzzis through the snow, Sam might…