Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue#124 i Australian Road Rider

Motorcycle tracks around the world are under threat from encroaching residential areas and the latest would appear to be historic Lakeside circuit in northern Brisbane. An Ombudsman’s report, subsequent social media rants and a local newspaper beat-up with a few demonstrative neighbours would have everyone thinking the worst for the historic circuit, where the likes of world champions Wayne Gardner and Mick Doohan once raced. However, lease holder John Tetley of Queensland Raceways believes that isn't the case. His comments will allay the fears of motorcycle riders who use the circuit for track days and training programs. However, he warns it could spell the end for historic motorcycle racers on the track. “There is only one neighbour who keeps the situation going … and she lives a kilometre away and…

First Aid for Motorcyclists has announced its schedule of courses around Australia for 2016, along with a partnership with a similar British course. The four-hour courses cost $78 and their 2016 schedule includes nine courses each in Vic and Qld, five in NSW/ACT, four each in WA and SA, three in Tas and two in the NT. The course is tailored to the needs of motorcyclists involved in accidents and includes accident scene management, trauma management and accident prevention management. Meanwhile, course organisers Roger Fance and Tracy Hughes have announced an international alliance with TrainAidInc (UK) for 2016. “We share a similar philosophy of recognising and responding to the needs of motorcyclists involved in accidents with the aim of reducing the road toll and consequences of serious injury,” they say…

The world’s first commercially available motorcycle helmet with an integrated head-up display, the Skully AR-1, is shipping to customers just two years from concept. The AR-1 has received DOT/ECE certification and will be available in Australia in states where the international standard helmet is permitted (at this stage, Qld, NSW, Vic, ACT and NT) and is priced at $US1499. While the British-based BikeHUD system is the first commercially available HUD accessory that can be fitted to almost any helmet, Skully integrates the hands-free technology into the helmet. Both allow the user to see vital information on a screen without having to look away from what they are doing. The Skully also has a rear-view camera and navigation system that projects information onto an LCD screen which can be lightened or…

Bell Helmets plans to integrate a 360-degree action camera into one of its road helmets, which would get around the legality issues of attaching a camera to a helmet. The Bell Star will incorporate the 360 Fly action camera which boasts a field of view that is 360 degrees horizontally and 240 degrees vertically. It is claimed to be the widest viewing camera in the world. The camera has two-hour battery life and features Bluetooth and Wi-Fi so riders can live-stream video and transfer files to a computer. It also has a GPS sensor to tag locations, plus a barometer/altimeter and accelerometer to provide more information for the video. They say it will also alert the rider to an impending collision outside their field of vision, but hasn’t indicated how…

Scotland is one of the greatest countries in the world to ride a motorcycle, but that is expected to change this year when the country introduces a 1mph speed tolerance. Scotland will then join Australia in a flawed “nanny state” clampdown on accidental speeders for the sins of the few high-speed offenders. Several states in Australia have reduced their speed tolerances in the past few years, which only serves to punish low-speed offenders and turn us into a nation of distracted speedo gazers. Meanwhile, many other nations throughout Europe, the Americas and Asia are more concerned about keeping traffic flowing and patrolling for dangerous high-speed offenders. Scotland’s geography is dominated by highlands, craggy coastline and a massive lakes district, which results in some of the world’s most winding roads through…

Here is the future wrapped up in the past — which is Harley-Davidson all over, really. The engine is the future: for the first time, H-D’s 110ci engine has been allocated to mainstream models and surely it’ll roll out across the board in the coming few years. The models in question are the past: the 1940s-style Slim, which you can have in a paint scheme that was a world-wide hit during that decade; and the famous Fat Boy, arguably Harley’s most significant model of the past 25 years and a bike that still hints at war-ending atomic bombs and America’s prosperity in the years after. And yet for all the meaning you can read into the debut of the Softail S-Series models, everything boils down to simple riding pleasure. The…

“I’ve had tourers this big and heavy get out of shape in the wet before, but never with so little fuss and such quick recovery as on this one” Summing up the BMW R1200RT is easy: It’s the best touring bike I’ve ever spent lots of time on, and it stacks up better than some of the sports-tourers I’ve ridden, too. After 12 months, 12,000km, several tours and lots of time on country roads, I’m left with few criticisms and a long list of things to praise. The only true disappointment is that I didn’t have time to ride further. From my base in country NSW, the RT did two trips to Queensland, one to Victoria, a loop to the NSW North Coast and back, a heap of trips to…

“Consistently recognised as one of the top 10 scenic routes in the world, the 240km-long ride offers jaw-dropping views of the largest concentration of snow-capped mountains, turquoise lakes, rivers, waterfalls and glaciers in North America” Ishould’ve paid attention to the sign. Not the one that said “Avalanche Zone” or “You Are Now Entering Grizzly Bear Country”, but the one that said “Road Under Construction — Do Not Enter”. Yet I was on a mission, well a mission within a mission to divert off the highway between the towns of Pemberton and Lillooet though the Hurley pass and make my way along a gravel track marked on my roadmap as “summer only”. I wasn’t in any way going in blind. It was August, the height of the Canadian summer. My ride,…

Her journey spanned 24 countries, but she’s not exactly sure how far she has travelled. Maybe 70,000km, maybe more. “I’ve no idea. My speedo broke along the way and at one stage I got towed hundreds of kilometres, so I don’t think that counts” Crossing into war-torn Syria, 36-year-old Danielle Murdoch stuffed her laptop down the back of her jacket and her camera in her socks so she didn’t look like a western journalist. It was one of many tricks the plucky young adventurer learnt in her nearly five years of travelling that have won her the annual Australian Geographic Society (AGS) Young Adventurer of the Year award. “I hope it’s an inspiration for other women to say ‘I can do this’ and get their bike licence and start riding,”…

Don’t forget to write! We mean it. We love to hear from you and everyone else does too; these pages are among the most popular in the magazine. Preferably, keep letters under 300 words so we can fit more in, though we will allow the odd exception without taking to it with the editorial knife. Yes, we will chop ’em when we have to. Do include your real name and some contact details, just in case we need to clarify something. Please write to roadrider@universalmagazines.com.au or send mail to Road Rider, Unit 5, 6–8 Byfield Street, North Ryde NSW 2113 — Matho A NEED FOR SPEED AND FINES I was flicking through an old edition of Road Rider dated July 2014 and an article on the case for raising the…

REWIND On the eve of the release of the new generation of water-cooled Triumph Bonnevilles, we pay tribute to the modern Bonneville and the effect it has had on the whole retro-bike scene. RIDDEN We go off-road aboard Triumph’s hard-core adventurer, the Tiger 800XCA, hold on tight aboard MV Agusta’s lithe and wild Brutale Dragster RR, and cruise on the glorious Moto Guzzi Audace. RIDING We take you to the Isle of Man for the TT races, but not for a professional’s view of the racing but how an Aussie on holidays could see it. We head into central NSW and ride the Armidale-Ebor-Grafton Road, and catch up on part two of Riding for a Cause. NOT FORGETTING All the other beaut stuff and regulars you expect to see in…

Roadbike sales were strong in 2015, increasing 2.6 per cent compared with 2014 and accounting for 41.4 per cent of the total market. Australians rode home with a total of 45,013 roadbikes in 2015. Harley-Davidson accounted for 21.7 per cent of those bikes with 9790 sales, including 1605 Street 500 models and 1552 Softail Breakouts. “Harley-Davidson is super excited about being the number-one roadbike seller across Australia,” said H-D Australia’s Adam Wright. “Much of the success is attributed to the new LAMS Street 500, which was released in February of 2015, and the ongoing popularity of the Softail Breakout, which continues to be in high demand. May I also say we would not have achieved this level of success without the assistance and dedication of our dealer network, which has…

Eight long-lost Brough Superior motorcycles, believed to have been destroyed, have been found in a Cornish village and are to be sold at a Bonhams auction. The bikes were stored in Bodmin Moor barns for more than 50 years and were discovered whole and in parts, under decades of dust, old machinery parts and household clutter. The bikes were owned by the late Frank Vague, an avid member of the Brough Superior Club. He acquired the majority of the collection in the early 1960s and they have remained unused for the past half century. They will now be offered at Bonhams Sale of Important Collectors’ Motorcycles at Stafford at estimated prices of up to £120,000 ($250,000). “This is one of the greatest motorcycle discoveries of recent times,” says Ben Walker,…

“Adelaide council is seeking feedback from local businesses on their proposal to trial motorcycle and scooter parking in two designated areas of footpaths in the city” Adelaide has joined a growing push to allow motorcycles and scooters to park for free on footpaths and free up parking spaces for other vehicles. The Adelaide Council is seeking feedback from local businesses on their proposal to trial motorcycle and scooter parking in two designated areas of footpaths in the city. It follows a recent move by the Gold Coast Council to also investigate the proposal. Footpath parking has been legal in Melbourne and Victoria for some years and has been introduced in more recent years in parts of Sydney and Brisbane, although with varying restrictions. It is also common in many European…

“Tenneco had failed to invest heavily in R&D in the company and talked about closing down Marzocchi” Exotic motorcycle and mountainbike suspension and exhaust manufacturer Marzocchi has been saved from closure after being bought by a fellow Italian company. Marzocchi’s parent company Tenneco closed the Bologna factory in April amid reports the company would cease all operations, sending motorcycle manufacturers to seek alternative components. However, Italian automotive parts manufacturer VRM has now bought the company from Tenneco with the help of the local and regional authorities to keep some 70 jobs. The Italian company’s products are used by a wide variety of motorcycle manufacturers such as Ducati, MV Agusta, Bimota, Benelli and Moto Guzzi, plus BMW and even American electric motorcycle company Brammo. Their suspension systems are also used by…

“They have transformed Triumph from one of the most iconic British brands to a globally recognised one” Triumph Motorcycles owner John Bloor has been awarded the Diamond Jubilee Trophy by the British Royal Automobile Club. RAC spokesman Ben Cussons says the award is only given to “game changers”. Previous winners include NASA for the vast crawler-transporter that moves space shuttles around, and to CS Cockerell for inventing the hovercraft. “They have transformed Triumph from one of the most iconic British brands to a globally recognised one,” Cussons said. "Their commitment to manufacturing excellence and a single-minded determination to build the 'best of British' have enabled them to succeed in an intensely competitive market. This outstanding achievement and commitment to quality and innovation embody all that the trophy represents." The Diamond…

“There is no history of accidents caused by high bars. Law enforcement pulled people over for high bars as a tool for probable cause; an excuse to stop motorcyclists” The safety of ape hanger handlebars is back in the news with one American state considering axing a three-decade ban and other states closely watching the outcome. High-set ape hanger bars were banned in 30 American states in the 1960s; in Australia the lowest part of the hand grip must not be higher than 380mm above the attachment or triple tree/clamp. The American ban was on the pretext of safety, but was more likely introduced so police had reason to pull over and search riders believed to be members of outlaw motorcycle gangs. Remember, this was during the height of media…

“The Heritage is a great touring cruiser. The seats are plush, the pillion’s backrest welcome, the engine smooth and performance adequate” The Heritage Softail just became more modern for 2016. Ironic, eh? In its quest for more modern appeal, it now more closely resembles the 1950s Hydra-Glide. And that is very cool. The fact that a Heritage looks like a classic bike is exactly the reason I bought one back in the ’90s. So it’s great to see the Heritage maintaining its heritage. The Hydra-Glide’s claim to fame was being the model that brought telescopic, hydraulic forks to Harley’s range, replacing the girder (or springer) forks that’d come before. It still had a rigid rear end — rear suspension didn’t come until the Duo-Glide in 1958. The Heritage’s Softail chassis…

Honestly, I really must have angered the Mountain Gods in a previous lifetime. It seems I can’t ride the Bells Line of Road (I love that weird name) without someone upstairs deciding I need to be punished for my efforts. The last time I rode the V7 on it (which was only a few weeks ago) it was a horrible experience involving too much rain, too little visibility and a woeful lack of grip that saw me concentrating like a brain surgeon in a black-out, and one which I was not keen to repeat. I had business to do in Katoomba and as my tenure of the Guzzi was coming to an end, I figured I’d go the long way round, involving at least a 150km ride each way. This…

“This was Jono’s adventure, but I was pleased and proud to be invited along for the start of his trip across 20-something countries and some 20,000km” My only son inherited all his mother’s good qualities and most of my bad ones: motorbikes, scotch and the desire to occasionally follow the path less travelled. Jonathan is in his 20s and building a career in Sydney, and I had assumed he had settled down. So I was taken aback when he called and said, “Dad, I am going to ride my Enfield from Sydney to London. Are you up for a bit of a ride?” Jono has also had a number of different bikes over the years, but now we both have Royal Enfields. His current bike, a 1969 350cc Bullet, is…

KLIM APEX JACKET Klim has taken lessons from outdoor clothing with this jacket. The company has gone for the layering system, and the Apex jacket is designed to be the outer layer only. It provides impact and weather protection; you provide the inner layers. In a lot of ways, that makes plenty of sense. The Apex has tons of advantages over other bike jackets, as I’ve come to realise more and more as I’ve worn it. Klim has made offroad and adventure gear for a long time, and the brand also produces snowmobile gear, but they’ve recently made the move into road bike clothing too. The Apex fits straight into that category, its short cut and sporty style fitting the bill nicely. It’s an all-round thing — good for sports-touring,…

“If the rider had swerved to avoid the roo he may not have been entitled to claim as the resultant accident may have been considered due to his actions” Arider who hit a kangaroo on an outback NSW road in 2013 has won his bid for compensation in the NSW Supreme Court, which has positive ramifications for all riders. The case may still be subject to appeal so caution is needed in celebrations, but the ruling was so comprehensive an appeal seems unlikely. The rider was travelling south on the dirt road between Hungerford and Bourke in 2013 on a BMW F650GS Dakar when a roo jumped out of the shadows and hit the rider, resulting in serious injuries. Hungerford Road is one of the long straight and wide red…

The head-up display revolution is coming, with BMW joining the trend. BMW Motorrad debuted its HUD helmet, along with a laser light for its K1600GTL tourer at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January. BMW says the HUD helmet will be developed to series-production level within the next few years. HUD allows riders to see vital information such as GPS, speed and various motorcycle functions on a screen in their periphery so they don’t have to take their eyes off the road. BMW says its helmet may also display real-time information for future vehicle-to-vehicle communication to prevent crashes. Meanwhile, the company also displayed its laser headlight from its 7 Series luxury cars fitted to a K1600GTL concept machine. BMW says that when added to LED headlights, its…

“The new kit includes grass goggles, but the AMSF admits they cannot truly replicate the effects of a marijuana high” In the wake of several states legalising medical marijuana in the USA, the American Motorcycle Safety Foundation (AMSF) has introduced a marijuana awareness kit to show the effects of the drug. The AMSF says marijuana “tends to distort perception of time, space, and speed”, making it dangerous for riders, as well as illegal. “This is especially true for motorcycle riders, who must continually make detailed assessments of complex traffic situations and make split-second decisions requiring precise rider input to navigate safely and maintain an adequate safety margin,” the organisation says. It previously produced an alcohol awareness kit which includes beer goggles that replicate the effects of being drunk. The new…

“While the boost in power and torque makes it more of a package for experienced riders, at slower speeds it still has the predictable and easy-to-use character of the learner bike, just with a lot more punch everywhere in the rev range” Yamaha’s MT-07L has been a sales hit for Yamaha in 2015, the learner-legal nakedbike’s first year on sale. And for good reason too. The stylish and dynamic nakedbike has better handling and performance than you typically get from a learner bike, let alone one that retails for under 10 grand. Much like other full-capacity learner bikes like the Ducati Monster 659 and Triumph Street Triple 660, the Yamaha MT-07L is a machine restricted specifically for Australia’s learner licensing capacity limit of 660cc. And like the Ducati Monster and…

“The total group could be spread out over 40 to 50km, hours in fact, and it wasn’t unusual to bump into a party of five or six taking a break or working out a path to cross a tricky creek” If you think adventure riding is a cruel, lonely, punishing and sadomasochistic pursuit, and you like it, then the TransTerra is for you. For an escorted, planned and professionally organised event, the 2015 TransTerra didn’t fail to challenge the most hardened of adventure riders on every single day. There were spills, breaks, dust, hail, torrential rain that brought out mud that would have almost stopped an international enduro event. We had ambulances, hyporthermia and the biggest chicken parma I’ve ever seen. There was the odd helicopter and a few frazzled…

“A contingent of 10 came from Sweden with their own bikes, plus four from Malta and three from Germany. The rest were Western Australians” There are thousands of Kawasaki Vulcan riders in the northern hemisphere and they take their bikes and their riding very seriously. They’re also very organised. The Vulcan Riders Association International, with more than 10,000 members, is the umbrella organisation that connects chapters full of Vulcan riders in 26 countries around the world. Way down south is Chapter 61 — Australia. Chapter 61 is actually the Vulcan Riders Association of Western Australia (VRAWA). We’re a small and enthusiastic group who meet regularly for day, weekend and longer rides. We’ve been around for more than 11 years and currently have a humble membership of 27. One of our…

New bike prices can go up and down like the stock market, so in every issue we’ll bring you the sticker prices. To be completely up to date with things like factory discounts and incentives, check the Road Rider website (www.roadrider.com.au) where we will bring you all the special deals, bonus offers and cashback promotions we can find. We have included the importers’ websites, which is the place to go if you’re looking for more information. You’ll see that we haven’t listed every bike on the market (yet) but we aim to get there with all of them. Sometimes even we struggle to find the details of the smaller, newer importers. Meanwhile, enjoy this most meaningful of Australian bike listings, covering the bikes you’re interested in. The prices are the…

“Victory could probably have made its new donk much more powerful than it is, but chose not to” Power? What a joke! You can put any bike you choose onto a dyno and measure its power output, but I’ll bet you all the rubber you can shred from a worn-out race tyre that the dyno’s reading means nothing. The power figure will be as irrelevant as a former prime minister’s opinion on policy. And in any informed discussion, it’ll be less important. What really counts is you. You are the measure and the meter of a bike’s power. You’re also the one — the only one — who can judge whether a bike’s power is fun. That’s why the seat of your pants is right. Put another way, this is…

THE OTHER EXCELSIOR Excelsior built motorcycles out of Chicago from 1908 to 1931. In 1912, Excelsior made the first motorcycle to be recorded at 100mph and in 1917 bought the Detroit-built Henderson. By the start of the ’30s, Excelsior was the third-biggest manufacturer in the USA behind Harley-Davidson and Indian. But then the Great Depression hit and it was the end of the road for Excelsior and the Henderson, with parent company and bicycle maker Schwinn closing the company in 1931. Despite the fact the company was in great shape, Schwinn foresaw the effect of the stockmarket crash and changed the business focus.…