Australian Motorcycle News Vol 71 Issue 08

LIKE MANY THINGS in 2021, we had to bump the annual AMCN adventure issue this year due to bloody Covid. But here it is… not entirely as we had originally planned it, but certainly 164 pages chock-full of adventure bike goodness. Plan A involved a ride to the far west of NSW. We were going grab a bunch of brand-spanking new adventure bikes – a few out of Melbourne, a few out of Sydney and one out of Brisbane – and meet up somewhere near Menindee. After years of crippling drought, the lakes around Menindee are currently full of water, and it would have been fantastic to see them in this state, as well as to get a couple of thousand clicks of red sand under our wheels. But when…

A MAJOR REDESIGN of its Tiger 1200 to make it capable of attacking big-bore market leaders and the impending release of a LAMS-spec Tiger 660 means Triumph has declared war on the Adventure bike segment. Latest information teased by the British manufacturer confirms the Tiger 1200 is a clean-sheet redesign intended to go to the very top of the Adventure bike class. Meanwhile last week’s launch of its Tiger Sport 660 now clears the way for the last of Triumph’s LAMS-based trio to be finalised for production. Triumph won’t admit it but we got a leaked image from a dealer meeting last year, before the Trident 660 was launched, showing all the three models. If the roadbased Tiger Sport 660 is any indication, the off-road Tiger 660 will challenge the…

BUILDING ON THE success of its Z900RS, Kawasaki has turned its Z650 into the retro-styled Z650RS. Two versions were unveiled, however only the LAMS-compliant version will be made abvailable in Australia. A classically circular headlight, twin analogue clocks, trad-style tank and Kawasaki’s signature duck tail seat unit triggers spectres of the original Z1 and Z650 models. Throw in some classic paint jobs – notably the pinstriped green option with gold wheels – and the transformation is complete. Such is the similarity to the Z650L, which also runs a 649cc water-cooled parallel-twin engine making 37.8kW of power at 8000rpm and 59Nm of torque at 6500rpm, that the Z650 has the same seat height and weighs just 1kg less at 187kg wet It arrives later this year with pricing to be announced.…

THE RISE OF motorcycle and quad-type vehicles continues to increase, up 8.3 percent in the period from January to the end of September. Sparse figures issued by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) lack detail on exactly what models are top sellers but confirm a 2.2 percent increase in roadbikes, 10.5 percent in off-road, 14.1 percent in OHV (quad-types vehicles) and 1.5 percent in scooters. Total sales of 86,239 units compare with 79,623 over the same period in 2020. The FCAI is limiting the information it gives on market sales and trends. AMCN believes the decision is because it doesn’t want this detail being available to the many brands and importers which are not FCAI members. One way to glimpse how sales of particular models are going is through…

DUCATI HAS LAUNCHED the Multistrada V2 as a new entry level to its adventuresport road range but it has the retro DesertX dirt-roads blaster ready in the wings. Both cater to riders who think smaller is better than bigger but still want the latest rider tech. The V2 replaces the Multistrada 950 and has been tweaked to suit a wider range of riders, while its price keeps it in sight of buyers considering rivals such as BMW’s F 900 XR. The Multistrada 950’s 937cc V-twin engine is largely carried across with an identical 83kW at 9000rpm and 96Nm at 7750rpm, although new conrods, a revised clutch and clutch case, plus other minor changes make this engine 2kg lighter. Chassis and suspension are unchanged but the seat is 10mm lower at…

AFTER SHIPPING 12,500 Trident 660s since its launch earlier this year, Triumph has released the Tiger 660, an Adventure-Sports version. Adamant that it is not intended as an off-roader, Triumph has all but confirmed that a full-on Adventure version will follow. While the Tiger 660 is a relatively easy adaption of the Trident’s design, an Adventure version requiring longer suspension travel, a 19- or 21-inch front wheel and taller seat height will be a much more complicated exercise. Like the Trident, the Tiger 660 is a fresh approach to the Australian LAMS Adventure-sports market, offering the same crisp performance from its three-cylinder engine, segment-leading rider tech and, most importantly, the longest service intervals available. Long service intervals significantly reduce the cost of ownership, adding value to the already-competitive ride away…