Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 154 i Australian Road Rider

I hate the heat. I think I’d have preferred global cooling to global warming, given a choice. When I was kid, air conditioning in cars was rare, a very welcome experience when I got to travel without sticking to the vinyl seats of Dad’s Holden Special. In my late teens I was a motorcycle courier, delivering packages for a living under the blazing West Australian Sun, and at one stage I decided it was better to ride without a jacket and avoid heat stress than risk a crash because my body was overheating. These days I do things differently. I’ll still ride a bike in the summer, but ventilated gear provides air flow and protection in a spill. A flip-top helmet gives me an open face or full-face while on…

PANIGALE STREETFIGHTER For the hoon inside every Ducatista, Ducati has built what some might consider ridiculous: a 208hp naked. It’s a Panigale V4 with its clothes off, although Ducati has tastefully added back in some stylish bodywork, inspired by the comic book character and movie The Joker. Practical streetfighter features include higher handlebars, lower footpegs and a more thickly-padded seat. Pillion passengers are better accommodated too, with a new steel subframe and more space for the rider. The bike is very compact thanks to using the engine as a structural chassis part, with a front frame bolted to the upper crankcase and the rear suspension, swingarm and subframe bolting the engine at the rear. The engine itself is the 90-degree 1103cc V4 from the Panigale V4. It’s close to unchanged…

The PowerPlus is Indian’s new 108 cubic inch (1769cc) engine, delivering 122 horsepower and 178Nm of torque in its first home, the new Challenger. Indian claims the new engine will make the Challenger the highest-performing American V-twin ever developed. The name is also a nod to the past – from 1916 to 1924 Indian sold a motorcycle named the PowerPlus. “We challenge our engineers with the notion that anything less than best-in-class design and performance will simply not get it done, and it’s clear with this new engine that they have delivered on that high standard,” said Steve Menneto, Indian Motorcycle President. “Countless hours were spent in design, development and testing to ensure this is the best liquid-cooled V- twin ever developed, and I could not be prouder of our…

I have quite a few mates who rode road bikes as teenagers and into their 20s, but for one reason or another then gave them away. In many cases, they have maintained a strong interest in motorcycling, particularly motorcycle sport, but rarely enough to take up where they left off. The gardener is a case in point. Turn the clock back 40 years and he was attacking the roads of Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs with the same aggression he took to the waves in Bondi, his weapon of choice a ferocious Honda 750 Four. Listening to his tales of racing his mates through the narrow streets of Watsons Bay makes me wince, but somehow he survived long enough to give bikes away and become a lunatic in cars instead. We catch…

"…TIGHT AND SWEEPING CURVES, ONE OF THE LONGEST CLIMBS IN THE COUNTRY…" You know how it is. As soul-satisfying as washing the garden and mowing the dog is… the impulse to get on the bike eventually becomes irresistible. When Coolangatta accommodation at 60 per cent off came up, it was time to commit. Add in the Niken GT I tested for the last issue was still available and it was a no-brainer. My ability to get rained on is legendary; my riding friends call me the “Kiss of Death”. Departure day from Newcastle went exactly to script. We’d had no rain for three months, then, two days before lift-off, the Hunter scored 150mm. We needed it, but also perfect for bringing oil up to the road surface. The rain continued…

Mounting your smartphone onto your bike where you can use it means easy access to maps, music and phone calls, which is all good. Mounting a phone so it will stay in place, is accessible and weatherproof, often not so easy. Recently SP Gadgets sent Australian Road Rider the Moto Bundle, which comprises its black stainless steel ‘Moto Mount Pro’, phone case (for iPhones 6 through 8), weather cover and bits and pieces to make the unit suitable for as many bikes as possible. (There are other bundles for other phones and you can buy a new case for a new phone separately.) The case offers (claimed) high impact protection, although there’s no front cover (and I wouldn’t want one), and it’s in basic black. The mount is built into…

Riding the Blue Mountains is a well-known weekend excursion for most Sydney-based road riders. We know these roads like the back of our calloused hands, but each time I head up the Great Western Highway, I vow to uncover something I didn’t know about or had habitually missed. So with a brand-new Harley-Davidson Low Rider S in the driveway and nothing better to do on a glorious spring weekend, I gleefully leapt aboard the 114ci Milwaukee-Eight-powered Softail for a re-examination. Accommodation can sometimes be hard to find on the weekends, but I did discover this hidden gem, hiding in plain view in the heart of Katoomba. SWEET DREAMS AT PALAIS ROYAL HOTEL, KATOOMBA This classic 100-year-old hotel has had several personas over the years, yet retains an authentic 1920s aura…

WIN THIS 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 send us a pick of your shining steed and we’ll pick what we think is the best shot and comment 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@umco.com.au. We’ll do the rest.…

Nothing draws a crowd like Kawasaki’s Supercharged H2 roadburner, but with a price in the stratosphere they aren’t seen on the streets very often – but with the new Z H2, that might be about to change. The new naked 998cc supercharged four should be priced at around $25,000… we hope. Pricing, as we go to press, hasn’t been announced, so jump onto roadrider.com.au and check for an update, although insider information is pointing to more affordable pricing as Kawasaki endeavours to make its supercharged bikes more affordable. Whatever the price, the Z H2 looks like becoming an instant classic. It’s got a trellis frame, just like the H2, aggressive good looks, modern electronics to keep the power under control and good levels of equipment. Kawasaki has spent a lot…

BMW F 900 XR The BMW S 1000 XR is a popular bike among the Australian Road Rider crew, its mix of sportsbike performance, sensible ergonomics and excellent long-travel real-world suspension make it a great bike… so much so it’s being joined by a twin cylinder version, the new F 900 XR. Designed for sporty long distance riding, BMW has equipped the new bike with an effective fairing with two-level screen, adjustable seat heights and good pillion accommodation. The parallel twin motor produces 105 horsepower (77kW) and 92Nm of torque from a powerplant developed from the earlier twins. The motor is pushing 219kg of motorcycle ready to ride. Suspension travel is generous, 170mm at the front and 172mm at the rear - so it should handle Aussie roads really well,…

Trials, for you youngsters out there, is a form of motorcycle competition where riders have to negotiate a tough course without putting their feet down or crashing: speed is not relevant. Now very much a niche sport, Trials is vastly more popular in Europe (in particular Britain) with indoor events which rival Supercross for action. Simply search Youtube for ‘Trials action’ and you’ll see what I mean. The Trials heyday, however, was the 1950s and sixties, with riders competing on modified road bikes and tens of thousands of spectators turning up to watch – and that’s where the new Royal Enfield Bullet 500 Trials Works Replica comes in, it’s a nostalgic replica of the machines the top-level factory riders rode. The press release (which we’re published in full at roadrider.com.au,…

This story is so messed up I don’t know where to begin. How about the part when I was flying down an unlit highway at night, inexplicably lost the “right of way” and came within a whisker of getting T-boned by an oncoming truck? Or the part when my top case came open while I was riding and I lost most of my clothes, toiletries and toolkit — more than $1000 worth of stuff? Or should I start at the part where Jack and I stepped out for a nightcap to discuss the final leg of our ride to the Amazon? Why not? It’s as good a place as any. “…CALI IS STILL CALI, A HOTBED OF SALSA AND FORNICATION…” We’re in Cali. Not Cali as in California, but the…

Even a minor spill without gloves on can put you off work for weeks. Lose a decent amount of skin off your hands and you won’t be able to hold a pen, use a keyboard, grip a tool… which will make you feel like a tool. But I don’t ride expecting to fall off: really, I wear gloves because it makes for a more comfortable ride than having naked hands. Even in the height of summer I’ll wear gloves: I’ve even been sunburnt in the gaps between glove and jacket. The trick is to have airflow, and that means ventilation or mesh components and breathable materials. A comfortable summer glove enhances feel at the controls, protects from the sun, bugs and the occasional rock, stops your hands getting dirty from…

The easy way to ride Europe is with Adriatic Moto Tours – the company organises guided and self-guided tours or you can simply rent a bike from them. Based in the Slovenia, the company’s location is really convenient for exploring Central & Eastern Europe, the Alps, the Balkans, Adriatic Coast and the Mediterranean. Adriatic Moto Tours offers bikes from BMW, Harley-Davidson, Suzuki, Ducati, Yamaha and Honda. AMT recently released its new brochure which can be ordered by visiting www.adriaticmototours.com/Brochures-order - or check out the website www.adriaticmototours.com.…

"IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE PRICE OF THE BIKE…" 1 KNOW WHAT YOU WANT Do your research and work out exactly which bikes will work for you. Consider what you’re allowed to ride (if you’re LAMS restricted) but also what you’re capable of riding comfortably and safely. Don’t buy something with more power than you believe you can cope with in the hope you’ll “get used to it”. Be careful of seat heights, weight and the physical size of the bike — if you’re not confident, you won’t enjoy the ride. 2 CONSIDER WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD We’d all like the latest and greatest, but if money were no object you’d be looking for a new bike, so be realistic about what you can afford. It’s not just about the…

LOOKING BACK THE INTERNET’S HAILWOOD REPLICA Mike Hailwood has gone down in history was one of the most talented riders to ever wear leathers, and still has one of the best Grand Prix records of anyone, despite being forced to sit-out numerous seasons for contractual reasons. He was effectively forced into semi-retirement and eventually moved to car racing. In the late seventies Hailwood made a comeback to motorcycle racing, winning the 1978 Formula 1 race on a Ducati 900SS. He retired for good in 1979. After nine world championship titles, 76 GP victories, 14 Isle of Man TT wins and a career which also included Formula 1, “Mike The Bike” was killed in a motor car accident in 1981, colliding with a truck which had made an illegal turn in…

Honda’s 2020 CBR1000RR-R SP will be released soon, with advanced aerodynamics, electronics, friction-reducing material coatings and new technologies all aimed at producing the best road-legal track bike it’s ever made. No, we don’t know how much it will cost yet, but be assured it won’t be cheap. The new bike shares the bore and stroke of its MotoGP-winning RC213V V-four, although the Fireblade remains an inline four. Producing a claimed 217hp in standard trim, it’s definitely going to be popular with the Superbike crowd, both racers and track day riders. The technology is eye-watering: A semi-cam gear train, finger-follower rocker arms, titanium con-rods, RC213V-S internal friction reduction technologies, piston jets with check ball system and a built-in bottom bypass passage for the cylinder water jacket. The bore and stroke match…

Indian has announced a new touring Bagger, the Challenger – and it’s the first bike to feature the new PowerPlus engine. The Challenger is a high performance Bagger with an excellent level of standard equipment, and a price to go with it. There are two models - the Limited ($39,995 Ride Away) and the Dark Horse (39,595 Ride Away). Standard equipment includes the new PowerPlus 122hp motor, USD forks and a hydraulically adjustable Fox shock. The chassis is aluminium, the brakes are from Brembo and features include electronic cruise control, full LED lighting, a long-haul seat, ABS, keyless ignition, and weatherproof saddlebags with over 68 litres of storage space. The fairing features an adjustable screen with three inches of travel and air vents. The Challenger features Indian’s Smart Lean Technology,…

KTM is looking forward to a big 2020 with a new 1290 R Superduke, with more power and less weight, the new 890 Duke R and the small-bore 390 Adventure. 1290 SUPER DUKE R Described as the edgiest, wildest and most awe-inspiring production bike ever created by KTM, the company’s engineers were on a mission to create the ultimate naked bike. The 2020 Super Duke features a brand new chassis which uses the engine as a stressed member, resulting in massively increased torsional stiffness. There’s more cornering clearance and better suspension performance from the new WP Apex shock. Engine updates include lighter crankcases, lightweight titanium valves and 56mm throttle bodies. Electronics include a new generation traction control, revised riding modes, and a new angle-adjustable 5-inch TFT instrument panel. Brakes, wheels…

Indian Chief Dark Horse With its blacked-out styling, Thunderstroke 111 engine and American build, the Chief is the a little more cruiser and classic style than the Low Rider S, but worth a look. Similar pricing and well built. Triumph Rocket III The 2020 Rocket looks incredible. Three cylinders of British grunt, with 221Nm of peak torque, and it’s 40kg lighter than the old version. Handling will be helped thanks to the new aluminium frame. The price is unknown yet, but it’ll likely be in the ballpark. Suzuki Intruder M109 The last of the big Japanese muscle bikes, the M109 does everything the Low Rider S can do, for lots and lots less money. But it doesn’t do it quite so well, or with the same style……

Interphone motorcycle communication systems are designed to keep you in touch with the right people while on your bike. Interphone’s offerings include the Connect system for rider to passenger, Avant for conversation with up to eight bike-to-bike intercoms and radio, GPS or music in the background and Active, high quality audio with up to four intercoms. The systems all talk to each other, so you might buy an Avant single unit to connect to other riders while your passenger might simply get the Connect to talk just to the rider. All the units feature music listening and sharing, FM radio, a Smartphone App, rainproofing, high quality stereo sound, voice commands, automatically adjusted volume and direct access to all functions. The Connect (single $239.95, double kit $429.95) has 15 hours of…

Adventure boots are such a compromise – they need to be comfortable on and off the bike, day in day out while on tour, yet be tough enough to provide the protection you need in a spill and last for years. So I must say when I was first handed the latest TCX Baja Gore-Tex boots to test the first thing I noticed was how light weight they were. Considering how heavy some leather boots can be, it’s a credit to the modern lightweight materials available today that these boots can be so light and yet perform the function they do. Finished full grain leather, beautifully stitched with all the padding and protection you would expect from a quality Italian designed boot. Some of the features included are: • Breathable…

The four-cylinder pannier-equipped sports-touring bike is becoming a very rare breed, and if you’d like one with shaft drive, you’re down to a single choice: the Yamaha FJR1300. Either the machines have grown extra pots (BMW K-series) or been discontinued (Honda STX, Kawasaki GTR1300, Triumph Trophy). The four-cylinder class was popular because the machines offered more power than a twin and less weight than a six. In particular, the Kawasaki is sorely missed; it was a great platform with outdated electronics. I’d suggest that not offering cruise control sealed its fate, but hopefully something similar will make a comeback. EVOLUTION OF THE SPORTS-TOURER In contrast to Kawasaki, Yamaha has continued to develop the FJR, keeping it up to date and relevant. It’s always been a well-loved bike and the current…