Australian Motorcycle News Vol 70 Issue 02

AS THE COVID curse looms above us all again, and by all I mean Victoria – so far – I’d like to remind us all that riding motorcycles was actually endorsed by some of even the most hardened pollies. You all know what to do then… This fact is at least part of the reason motorcycle sales have finally headed north again, I reckon (see page 12). And it’s not just bikes sales returning to full swing. I hope we have learned from this lean time While motorcycle licence training – a field I spent a lot of time in recently – paused as the effects of Covid were assessed, it is also in full swing again across the country. I guess if I suddenly had access to my super…

NEW ENGINE, NEW chassis and new styling. It might look remarkably like the current model, but the 2021 Speed Triple we sprung on test stays true to Triumph’s roots while trying to wrest back its old title as king of the factory streetfighters. Clearly in near production-ready form, we don’t think it’s far off an official launch. BEN PURVIS unravels the detail. IN THE FRAME WHILE THE ALUMINIUM frame mirrors the existing Speed Triple’s, it’s entirely new to suit the more compact engine. Look at the rider’s footpegs to see how much shorter it is. They used to be bolted directly to the rear of the frame, near the swingarm pivot point. Now they are on long hangers to put them back far enough. The swingarm pivot is at least…

BMW HAS CONFIRMED that radar cruise control is coming to an updated range of its current models. We’ve already seen spy shots of the touring version of BMW’s R 18 cruiser fitted with a distinctive radar sensor on its nose. Now BMW admits a deal to use Bosch’s radar-assisted system on other models, joining Ducati, KTM and Kawasaki. BMW’s announcement includes a few extra nuggets of information, including images of how the radar’s findings will be displayed to the rider. ‘Active’ or ‘adaptive’ cruise control, using radar to measure and maintain vehicle distance has been a feature on some cars for more than a decade. So operation of BMW’s ‘Active Cruise Control’ (ACC) is much as you’d expect. You set the desired target speed, then raise or lower that target…

TWO MONTHS AGO Australian motorcycling looked like it was headed to the cliff. Lockdowns and social distancing appeared to have crippled an industry already battling an alarming drop in new sales. Now the six-month national figures are in and motorcycle and ATV sales have soared 24.5 percent. Compare this to the car industry, which dropped 20 percent. Some of the gains have been spectacular and unprecedented. ATV sales increased 50.9 percent while off-road motorcycles jumped 42.4 percent. Releasing the figures, Tony Weber, chief executive of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), the peak body for the automotive industry in Australia, was optimistic about the future. “A year-on-year increase of 24.5 percent is significant, and signals improving conditions for both members [manufacturers] and dealers,” he said. “A year-on-year increase [in…

THERE IS NO doubt that the sales figures are unexpected and great news. The secondhand market also appears to be booming. Suppliers catering to the restoration sub-culture are riding another wave of prosperity as cashed-up Boomers go into home workshop isolation. There has also been a rush to rider training schools and State Government programs that issue Learner licences. However two big questions must be asked going forward. The first is: Are these new buyers going to stick with motorcycling in the future? As the biggest boost in sales has been off-road bikes intended for the youth market, the challenge is to keep them engaged. Programs like the Ride Parks Australia scheme could play a major role. Last year AMCN investigated buyer trends and discovered a large number of new…

20 Stay Upright has seen a greater than 20 percent increase in learner training demand in NSW since 1 May. TALE OF A TWIT Don’t try this at home! A rider on America’s infamous Tail of the Dragon which can boast 318 corners in 18km has become a social media sensation with this temporary fix for his worn tyre using patches and rubber cement. It’s wildly dangerous, it’s any wonder the bloke made it home. COMPASS CLOSES After 13 years of running tours and major expeditions around the world, including Siberia’s Road of Bones, Victorian-based tour company Compass Expeditions is shutting down. This involves an upcoming garage sale of vehicles and equipment.…