Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue#137 - June 2017 i Australian Road Rider

Phillip Island. Iconic, rated among the greatest tracks on the planet. Hard to believe that is was playing host to cows and all but overgrown after falling into disrepair during the ‘70s. That was until the place was purchased by Placetac Pty Ltd in 1985, with a view to renovate the circuit. Things gained momentum when Barfield Pty Ltd, led by engineer and promoter, Bob Barnard, was awarded a round of the world motorcycle championship. How the conglomerate convinced the powers that were to commit to the huge undertaking of sending the world’s greatest to the other side of the planet is a little beyond us, but there you have it. Barfield was granted a lease on the land and began restoration of the track and facilities in 1988. The…

No motorbike in the world has brought me greater pleasure or pain than the Royal Enfield Bullet 350cc. Yes, it’s a road bike — and an antiquated and underpowered one at that — but it’s taken me to remote places on horrific roads that few other motorbikes can reach due to its light weight, low fuel consumption, and low-tech mechanics that any roadside grease monkey can fix. Which brings me to the “pain” factor. Manufactured in India for the local market at the retail equivalent of AU$2500, the Bullet is fitted with low-cost parts that break down as regularly as The Donald lies. While riding in Nepal, the teeth on the rear sprocket of a Bullet I hired were ground down to dust. In Vietnam, the sub-standard tyres on my…

R4 EVS RACE COLLAR Ihave seen an increasing number of riders wearing cumbersome-looking “race collars” but never really considered myself a candidate for one. However, as I push my skills past my abilities doing this adventure bike thing, I find myself making eyes at the ground more frequently than I plan. Wrapping myself in proper armour, good boots and always wearing a top-notch helmet is obvious and as an ex emergency nurse, I’m acutely aware that neck injuries are to be expected and positively ruled out in all bike prangs. Shelling out $190 for a low-profile EVS R4 didn’t seem too steep for the protection it promised. What I was a bit dubious about was the comfort. Being trussed up like a Christmas turkey didn’t sound like the beginnings of…

Who could turn down an opportunity for a father and son jaunt through some spectacular alpine scenery in the NSW High Country? A bit of family bonding between navigating a riding loop that contains some truly awe-inspiring roads that are made for testing the limits of man and machine. I taught my son to ride dirt bikes from an early age, hammering in as many good habits and bike control techniques as possible. When he reached his late teens and turned to the tarmac, I wasn’t thrilled, but it was probably inevitable considering his father lives and breathes bikes. Some of our best times were had on enduro bikes when we went bush for a few days and tackled the gnarliest trails we could find, so it was good to…

WINNER 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 left ers 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 gleech@universalmagazines.com.au or send mail to Road Rider, Unit 5, 6–8 Byfield Street, North Ryde NSW 2113 — SNAG THE HOLE SHEBANG I recently toured around one of our country’s more remote tourist areas. The scenery was spectacular and the weather was obliging. The roads,…

German Gottlieb Daimler is credited with inventing the first real motorcycle in 1885, attaching his engine to a wooden frame and using spoked wooden wheels. But the definition is a little cloudy. You see, American, Sylvester Howard Roper (1823–1896), invented a two-cylinder, steamengine motorcycle (powered by coal) in 1867. This can be considered the first motorcycle, if you include one powered by a steam engine, but Daimler definitely invented the first gasoline-engined motorcycle. For most purposes, that’s when a gas-powered engine and a bicycle came together. I don’t think Daimler and Roper are going to get in a blue about it, so we’ll give the gong to Daimler. To build the bike, Daimler created a carburettor which mixed gasoline with air, allowing its use as fuel. In the same year,…

Yamaha’s XJR1200 first saw the light of day in 1996, launched into a global marketplace that had made it clear it was looking for big-bore motorcycles with laid-back manners and slightly retro styling. We’ve come to know the category as the ‘Naked’, becoming a cornerstone of motorcycle market share, particularly in Australia and Japan. Prior to the big Yam taking up its position in showrooms across the globe, Honda had its CB1000F, BMW the R 1100 R, Triumph represented the category with the Speed Triple, Ducati the Monster … all worthy and strong selling offerings, but they left a gap — a big, fat, lazy gap that called for a big statement. Enter the XJR1200. The XJR certainly fulfilled the brief with regard to physical stature, but with 71.5kW at…

“We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in Timor-Leste because of the uncertain security situation. The situation could deteriorate without warning,” warns the Department of Foreign Affairs. “Pay close attention to your personal security at all times. Monitor the media and other sources about possible new security risks.” But I dunno … It sounds more like a challenge than a warning to me. Why not make it really interesting and throw a couple of motorbikes into the mix? So I got on the internet and started looking for anyone who had ridden around East Timor with bikes. My investigations led me to James Hawker, a veteran motocross rider based in Darwin who’d chased trails over the half-island state and knew the place like the back of his…

The generosity of the motorcycling community never ceases to amaze me. That was my first thought when a phone call with a familiar voice ended with, “I’m not using my house on Kangaroo Island — you’re welcome to it for a week or two.” Ms J and I had a one-week window and jumped at the chance. When our host suggested that our trip from Penneshaw to his place would take 80 minutes, my logic circuits had conniptions. Islands are a crescent of white sand and a couple of palm trees! KI (as the locals call it) is nearly 4500 sq km in area, with 1600km of roads. It’s Australia’s third largest island — it’s big! The best plan, it seemed, was to book a midday ferry on a Saturday,…

Ihave got some mates who challenge each other on who can pack the least on a long weekend ride. The winner stuffed a spare pair of jocks and a credit card in his jacket. He was the one standing by himself in the corner of the bar after a long, hot, sweaty day in the saddle. That’s all a bit of fun, but when you want to live off your bike day to day, month after month or year after year, most of us want to be a little more self-sufficient. Right now, motorcyclists are out there riding the world, some seasoned travellers, others new to the game. So why re-invent the wheel? Why not have a gander at how others travel? I contacted a few mad mates and have…

I booked this tour with Bike Tour Asia, a motorcycle touring company based in Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. The former capital of the Lanna Kingdom, Chiang Mai is a charming city, filled with temples, relics of ancient times and inviting coffee shops. The evening before the start of the tour, I met the six companions I would be riding with for the next 11 days. They came from the USA, Australia and South Africa and between us we had a lot of motorcycling stories to share. We spent the first night at the Marndadee Heritage, a wonderful resort located 30 minutes outside of the city. You can feel the rich history of the Lanna Kingdom in every detail of this hotel. The place is a real pearl. The next…

Harley-Davidson owned a massive 80 per cent share of the US market for big motorcycles in 1969. The yanks just couldn’t get enough of the big beasts and all looked very rosy for the great American eagle. But things were not to stay that way. A short 10 years hence, that figure had dropped to just 20 per cent. What went wrong? Well, the Japanese had filled a market niche with dependable and relatively cheap motorcycles, and the cringe over bikes from the Land of the Rising Sun was not affecting the new generation of questioning youth. Added to this, the US was in recession in 1981 and this severely threatened Harley-Davidson. Soon, the then current owner AMF began to lose interest in keeping the struggling business afloat. To save…

Love them or hate them, but fashionfocused bikes are here to stay. Why? Because, like it or not, we’re living in the post-performance era, where speed is trumped by style. For many, it’s not about how quickly you reach your destination, but the size of your grin getting there. And let’s face it, speeding these days just lands you in jail. For emerging buyers of this belief, it’s about enjoying your bike, personalised by you. That’s right, custom bikes — as in the new wave of bobbers, choppers, cafe racers, scramblers, brats and trackers — and all are as individual as their creators. The popularity of today’s custom bike scene has exploded across the globe and there’s very much a culture and industry supporting it and thriving from it. Think…

I was sitting at the red light, staring intently at the gear-position indicator in the top-left of the busy dash, as my left foot played hide-and-seek with neutral. Frustratingly, and as was too often the case when the bike was hot, the gearbox was winning and it wasn’t until a polite toot from the car behind that I realised the lights had changed. It peeves me greatly when people don’t pay attention at traffic lights and the irony was not lost on me! Embarrassed, I dumped the clutch and gave the bike a big handful. In response it shot across the junction, the engine making a noise like tearing metal, and proceeded to skip the front wheel off the tarmac all the way along the following straight as I banged…

The Sunshine Coast is a perfect place to go cruising, with some of the best roads in south-east Queensland, and winter is the ideal time, with temperatures in the 20s from 8am onwards, even on the coldest mornings. As a BrisVegas resident, I often head up to the Sunshine Coast for a Sunday ride. In summer I head for the mountains to beat the heat and in winter I roll through the hinterland, where it’s always temperate. But by the time I play over the Mt Mee or Somerset Dam roads and stop somewhere for breakfast, there is little time left to explore the Sunshine Coast hinterland roads. So most riders turn around and head home after lunch, missing out on a wealth of great riding roads. So I suggested…

SHOEI RYD Shoei has just released its new RYD helmet, which is said to be anything but entry-level, with an array of high-end features. The lid boasts a new compact design with aerodynamic and aggressive styling. Along with an enhanced airflow system, the helmet has a fully removable liner to adapt to short-distance or long-distance touring comfort. Colours: Solid Gloss Black, White and Basalt Grey. Matt Black, Matt Deep Grey, Tangerine Orange, Matt Blue Metallic. Prices: Gloss — $599.90 RRP Metallic/Matt— $649.90 RRP Visit:www.mcleodaccessories.com.au OGGY FENDER ELIMINATORS Oggy Knobbs’ Fender Eliminators are now available, manufactured in Australia with quality materials and the attention to detail we have come to expect from Oggy. These Fender Eliminator kits come with bracketry to suit both the original and/or aftermarket indicators. Designed for use…

The one-off custom Royal Enfield Bullet 500 you see here is the work of New Delhi local Aseem Singh Pawar. He’s a product designer by trade and, like many of us, he started out tinkering on motorcycles and they soon became a full-blown obsession. Aseem was approached by Royal Enfield to build a custom Bullet for Rider Mania, its annual motorcycle show. He was given a bike, a budget and just 45 days to get a finished bike to the showground. He partnered with Gursourabh Singh, a well-known figure in the Indian custom motorcycle world, and they set to work creating a bike they call the Beach Tracker. We think it looks pretty darn cool. RIDDEN We ride Yamaha’s latest mid-range tourer, the MT-09 Tracer. Snag takes on the all-new…