Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 145 i Australian Road Rider

Hi folks, I’m a massive fan of MotoGP. Those guys are freaks. Every week they put their lives on the line and defy the odds on screaming animal machines. They are our very own, real-world superheroes. They can also be petulant rich kids, stamping their feet and pouting when things don’t go their way. That’s what happens at the top. People are constantly told how good they are, fed all the right foods and cossetted like the rare butterflies they indeed are. Hey, if you could do it, wouldn’t you? I know I would. It wasn’t always like that. Back in 2003 (yep, that’s 15 years ago now!), I was getting drunk on Harley-Davidson’s tab in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The motor company was turning 100 and members of the bike press…

For the last few years I have stuck pretty rigidly to the speed limit when driving the car. With the level of policing these days, it’s just not worth risking a fine and valuable points when driving the yawnmobile. That would be a total waste! If I am going to cop a fine and accrue points on my licence, I would much prefer it to be when I am having fun on the bike! That’s my philosophy anyway, so bear that in mind as I tell my tale of woe. The other day I drove to Penrith to pick up a new regulator for the mighty Cagiva. On the way home I turned right onto the last roundabout heading out of town. There were two lanes travelling in my direction…

ENGINE  Type: Liquid-cooled, desmodromic, two-valve, L-twin Capacity: 803cc Bore x stroke: 88mm x 66mm Compression ratio: 11:01 Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection PERFORMANCE  Claimed maximum power: 54kW (73hp) @ 8250rpm Claimed maximum torque: 67Nm @ 5750rpm TRANSMISSION  Type: Six speed, constant mesh Final drive: Chain Clutch: Wet multiplate CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR  Front suspension: Upside-down Kayaba 41mm fork, 150mm travel Rear suspension: Kayaba rear shock, preload and rebound adjustable, aluminium double-sided swingarm, 150mm travel Front brakes: Single 330mm disc, radial four-piston caliper with ABS as standard equipment Rear brake: Single 245mm disc, single-piston floating caliper with ABS as standard equipment Tyres: Front Pirelli MT 60 RS 110/80R18, Pirelli MT 60 RS 180/55R17 DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES Rake: 24 degrees Claimed wet weight: 186kg Seat height: 790mm Wheelbase: 1445mm Fuel capacity: 14…

Moto Guzzi California Eldorado In terms of pure visual appeal it’s very hard to go past the Eldorado. With its imposing engine, authentic retro look and whitewall tyres, matched to a plethora of chrome and other quality details, this definitely has all the panache and striking looks of the Speedmaster. Twin radial-mounted 4-pot Brembo brakes hint at the dry weight of 314kg and is less happy being hustled through the bends than the Trumpet. High overall spec-and-build quality make this a contender, but at a much higher price new, although you can pick up zero-mileage old stock for about the same money. Indian Scout This is Mom’s apple pie versus a pint of warm beer, and the Scout could hardly look any more a product of its home country if…

Melbourne-based Get Routed is a motorcycle shipping and tour company that has been organising IoM TT and Classic TT packages since 1997. Its package for the 2019/20 Classic TT excludes airfares but includes return shipping of your bike to Felixstow north-east of London, ferry transfers to and from the IoM, and 14 nights accommodation on the isle itself. Cost is currently $7436 for a rider plus bike with a discounted rate of $2535 for a pillion passenger. The Get Routed package suits riders who intend to include the TT in a longer motorcycling holiday in the UK and Europe. For more information, visit getrouted.com.au or call (03) 5625 9080 or 0412 689 849.…

ENGINE  Type: Liquid-cooled, four-stroke, DOHC, eight-valve parallel-twin Capacity: 500cc Bore and stroke: 69mm x 66.8mm Compression ratio: 11.5:1 Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection PERFORMANCE  Maximum power: 48hp (35kW) at 8500rpm Maximum torque: 46Nm at 6000rpm TRANSMISSION  Type: Six-speed Final drive: Chain Clutch: Wet, multi-plate CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR  Frame type: Tubular-steel trellis and plates Front suspension: Marzocchi inverted 50mm telescopic fork, non-adjustable, 145mm travel Rear suspension: Sachs monoshock, adjustable for preload, 45mm travel Front brakes: Twin 320mm disc with radial-mount four-piston Brembo calipers, Bosch ABS Rear brake: Single 260mm disc with single-piston Brembo caliper, Bosch ABS Tyres: 120/70-ZR17, 160/60-ZR17 DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES  Claimed wet weight: 235kg Seat height: 800mm Wheelbase: 1525mm Fuel capacity: 20 litres ETCETERA  Price: $8790 ride away Test bike supplied by: Urban Moto Imports Warranty: 24 months,…

ENGINE  Type: Air-cooled, twin-spark, four-stroke single Capacity: 346cc Bore x stroke: 70mm x 90mm Compression ratio: 8.5:1 Fuel system: Carburettor PERFORMANCE  Claimed maximum power: 19.6hp (14.4kW) at 5250rpm Claimed maximum torque: 28Nm at 4000rpm TRANSMISSION Type: Five-speed Clutch: Wet, multi-plate Final drive: Chain CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR Frame: Steel duplex cradle Front suspension: Conventional 41mm fork, non-adjustable Rear suspension: Twin shocks, adjustable for preload Front brakes: Single 280mm disc with twin-piston caliper Rear brake: Single 240mm disc with single-piston caliper Tyres: MRF Zapper, 90/90-19 front, 120/80-18 rear DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES  Claimed wet weight: 192kg Seat height: 775mm Wheelbase: 1350mm Fuel capacity: 20 litres ETCETERA  Price: $6790 (ride away) Colours: Stone Black (matt black), Lightning (metallic grey/brown) or Marine (metallic blue) Warranty: Two years/20,000km plus two years of roadside assistance Bike…

Every issue we’re giving away this beaut pack of Motul cleaning gear worth $49.95. All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is write to us. We’ll pick what we think is the best letter every month and the top blokes at Motul will fire out this pack to whoever wrote it. Simple. Pack includes some of the best washing and detailing products on the market: • Wash & Wax, a waterless cleaner that leaves a wax coating • Moto Wash, good for all surfaces • Scratch Remover, a micro-abrasive cream for painted surfaces • Helmet & Visor Clean, to keep your lid and your view pristine. Email roadrider@universalmagazines.com.au or mail to ARR at 5/6–8 Byfield St, North Ryde NSW 2113. We’ll do the rest.…

ENGINE  Type: Liquid-cooled, four-stroke, SOHC, 8-valve, parallel twin Capacity: 1200cc Bore x stroke: 97.6mm x 80mm Compression ratio: 10:1 Engine management: Electronic fuel-injection PERFORMANCE  Claimed maximum power: 76hp (57kW) at 6100rpm Claimed maximum torque: 106Nm at 4000rpm TRANSMISSION  Type: Six-speed Final drive: Chain Clutch: Wet, multi-plate, torque-assist CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR  Frame: Tubular steel cradle Front suspension: 41mm cartridge fork, 90mm travel, non-adjustable Rear suspension: Single shock, 73.3mm travel, adjustable for preload Front brakes: Twin 310mm disc, Brembo two-piston floating caliper, ABS equipped Rear brake: Single 255mm disc, Nissin single-piston floating caliper, ABS equipped Wheels: 32-wire spokes, 16x2.5 front, 16x3.5 rear Tyres: Avon Cobra AV71/72, front 130/90-16, rear 150/80-16 DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES Rake: 25.3 degrees Trail: 91.4mm Claimed dry weight: 245.5kg Seat height: 705mm Wheelbase: 1510mm Fuel capacity: 12 litres…

Imagine this: the legendary Mike Hailwood retires from racing in 1967 and is talked into returning in 1978 to ride a Ducati in the IoM TT. That’s 11 years out of the saddle. He gets in a bit of practice racing in the Castrol 6-hour in both NZ and Australia before returning to the IoM and winning. ARR has inside information that he wasn’t confident of even being able to race, let alone win, but win he did. The bike exploded as he crossed the finish line but his performance is now the stuff of legend. The parade lap on August 25 will feature 23 times TT champion John McGuinness on the actual bike Mike rode in 1978. It will be the 40th anniversary of Mike’s unlikely victory. “It’s truly…

ENGINE  Type: Liquid-cooled, four-valve inline six cylinder Capacity: 1649cc Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection PERFORMANCE  Claimed maximum power: 160hp (118kW) at 7750rpm Claimed maximum torque: 175Nm at 5250rpm TRANSMISSION  Type: Six speed Final drive: Shaft CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR  Front suspension: BMW Motorrad Duolever; central spring strut, 115mm travel Rear suspension: BMW Motorrad Paralever 125mm travel Front brakes: 320mm disc with twin-piston caliper, ABS Rear brake: 245mm disc with single-piston caliper, ABS Wheels: Front 17 x 3.5, rear 17 x 6.0 Tyres: Front 120/70-ZR17, rear 190/55-ZR17 DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES  Claimed wet weight: 336kg Rake: 27.8 degrees Seat height: 780mm (750mm optional) Wheelbase: 1618mm Fuel capacity: 26.5 litres ETCETERA  Price: $34,390 Colour: Blackstorm metallic Bike supplied by: BMW Motorrad Australia Warranty: 24 months unlimited kilometres plus 24 months roadside assist…

“It seemed like a tall ask until Valerie ran a lazy 328mph (528km/h) ‘off the trailer’” Every once in a while a movie comes along that changes the motorcycling world, whether it was The Wild One laying down the template for outlaw biker culture in 1953 or On Any Sunday ushering in the trail bike boom of the 1970s. In more recent times, Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman’s Long Way Round introduced us to the romance of adventure bikes, just as Easy Rider popularised choppers a generation earlier. The latest candidate is The World’s Fastest Indian, the 2006 movie starring Sir Anthony Hopkins as Kiwi land speed racer Burt Munro. I know because I’m just back from Speed Week on Lake Gairdner in South Australia. There was a time when…

Wanna modify and accessorise your shiny new steed? Well Ducati allows you to do so online and see the results immediately. Go here and play: https://scramblerducati.com/en/bike/mach2-0. On the site you’ll also find a little history on the bike and what inspired it, as well as a full spec sheet and a downloadable owner’s manual. There’s even a Scrambler radio station that you can click on and groove to while you choose between carbon Termignonis or a T-shirt. It’s a fun little site to muck around on and has all the Scrambler models to choose from as your starting point, as well as a mind-boggling array of apparel including a matching Bell, Cross Idol, retro-look helmet. When you’re done you can of course share your spruced-up bike all over social media,…

The Highway We very quickly dubbed this bike the CHiPs model with its tall screen, leather saddlebags, bigger seat, sissy-bar and chromed crash bars. We all had a turn at being Ponch, because he was way cooler than Jon, and the tall screen certainly made a big difference in terms of rider protection although on the boiling-hot day we rode it, hardly necessary. The chromed engine bars are about the same diameter as the header pipes and follow the same lines as they wrap around the front of the block, giving the slightly weird impression of the bike having four exhaust pipes at first glance. If you’re thinking of using your Speedmaster for some serious touring, this set-up would be well worth a look. The Maverick By far my personal…

The Classic TT brings out the best racers, none more special than NZ’s Bruce Anstey, who is currently dealing with cancer and probably won’t race this year. Anstey recorded the first ever 120mph lap in 2017 on a Padgett’s Honda 250 as well as setting a new Classic TT lap record of 127.496mph on a YZR 500cc Yamaha, which nobody thought would go the distance. Last year, Michael Dunlop recreated the first 100mph lap of the course on a replica of the bike on which Bob McIntyre first achieved it. Dunlop confessed it was a struggle to keep the replica on the road but managed the 100mph average. The Classic TT program for 2018 is four races, with the Senior Classic TT on the first morning of racing: August 25.…

The new Benelli models you see today are designed in Italy but produced in China. This has translated to inexpensive ride-away price tags — but in some cases lower build quality, which has hurt the brand’s reputation. Benelli is adamant its bikes are now up to standard, and with some of the new models arriving down under, it’s getting harder to argue. But where did it all start? It may surprise you to learn that Benelli is in fact one of the oldest Italian motorcycle manufacturers alive today. Established by a widowed Teresa Benelli in 1911, the company was put into the hands of her six sons — Filippo, Domenico, Giuseppe, Franceso, Giovanni and Antonio. Initially the boys repaired old motorcycles and cars and manufactured spare parts, until 1921 when…

SHARK S-DRAK HELMET The unique shell of this product mirrors the shape of the skull to create a low-profile look while also maintaining Shark’s well-known safety concept. The extremely light carbon-fibre construction weighs in at just 1000gm for the medium-size helmet and includes a removable drop-down visor and face mask. The S-Drak features Shark’s Easy-Fit system for glasses and is SharkTooth ready. Key features are: SharkTooth Bluetooth coimpatible, Total Vision Visor (anti-fog, anti-scratch), quick-release visor, removable face mask, two shell sizes, carbon-fibre construction, removable lining. The quids: Carbon Skin $529.95; Freestyle Cup $599.95 Contact: ficeda.com.au MOTODRY HD FINGERLESS GLOVES Here’s a set of fingerless gloves with a heavy-duty design for warmer climates. They are made of high-quality aniline leather, there’s a reinforced padded palm area, scalloped cuff opening and…

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 gleech@universalmagazines.com.au or send mail to Road Rider, Unit 5, 6–8 Byfield Street, North Ryde NSW 2113. — SNAG NIKE BIKIES Dear ARR, Hi guys. I don’t wanna be a buzzkill, but are pipes (particularly those on a certain American brand) getting louder? I know that changes…