Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 160 i Australian Road Rider

Cruisers from BMW and Adventure bikes from Harley-Davidson. If it gets any crazier, nice people will stop riding Hondas. I’ve had plenty of people tell me these brands are nuts, that they should stay with what they are good at and stop trying to reach into genres dominated by other brands. Kind of reminds me of when a Telstra spokesman said “Apple should stick to its knitting”. In 2007, the telco believed the functionality of the iPhone would be eclipsed by the likes of Nokia and Motorola. Younger readers might never have heard of those two once-dominant mobile handset manufacturers. Apple (and later with Google’s Android phones) killed them. I don’t think we’re going to see a repeat of that process in motorcycling, but it’s a smart move by manufacturers…

“…LORNE TO APOLLO BAY. IT’S 45km OF CORNERS…” It’s around a three-hour ride from Melbourne on the famed Great Ocean Road. But if you are really in tourist mode, why not cruise down the Mornington Peninsular from Melbourne? Avoid the freeways and take the slower coastal roads where you can to Sorrento. The ferry trip across the heads of Port Phillip Bay can be pleasant, often with a pod of dolphins playing on the bow wave before landfall at Queenscliff. The roads can be a little congested with the urban spread but, once past Torquay, the Great Ocean Road is there for you to ride. This is a scenic drive with the usual not-so-competent tin-top pilots and heavily policed speed limits, so take it easy. If you can plan to…

The 850 Sport is Triumph’s new entry-level Adventure bike with pared-back trickery. It’s aimed squarely at people like me who would never consider one of the higher-priced, high-tech new Tiger 900s; I’d never use all the riding modes, rider aids and fancy tech, so I wouldn’t buy it. The Tiger 850 Sport, on the other hand, offers rain and road riding modes, traction control and ABS. For any big bike designed to take average riders on dirt roads, I’d say this is the new minimum spec – tech to help prevent crashes. I used traction control and ABS on all the unsealed sections, but more confident riders might choose to experiment with and without. Similarly, you might experiment with “road” and “rain” in a variety of conditions to find your…

A good boxer understands power and speed are simply brutal without control, so the biggest Ninja has an aluminium monocoque frame, Öhlins rear shock and big Brembo brakes - and it’s the only bike in its class to have such high-level standard equipment. And just like a heavyweight boxer, the ZX-14R can only fully let loose and explore all its performance under strictly controlled conditions. For the motorcyclist this means you’ll rarely get the chance to explore its near-300km/h potential. Of course there’s a lot more to a good sportsbike than its top speed, though. Here at Australian Road Rider we went looking for the practical sportsbike built into the rocketship exterior… THE DETAILS It’s one of the oldest platforms in Kawasaki’s catalogue, but despite that, it’s still a very…

EDITOR’S NOTE: Adriatic Moto Tours invited Road Rider’s editor to join a tour and review the experience, but COVID-19 shut that down in 2020, so here’s what you can expect from the perspective of a local and tour guide… Italy is one of the world’s most popular motorcycle touring destinations and not just because it’s the home of Ducati, Moto Guzzi and other famous manufacturers. The countryside, mountains and coast are spectacular and the riding is fantastic. It’s also crowded, heavily policed, and getting more and more expensive to experience… but it borders the Balkans, a melting pot of different cultures and religions. A region where a few kilometres can make a huge difference in the landscape. The countries on the Balkan Peninsula (which is opposite Italy on the Adriatic…

Compact, light, quick and most of all, fun. That just about sums up how I feel about the Ducati 1100 Sport Pro. Compared to many litre-plus bikes it’s compact and light - if Ducati had stuck 750cc stickers on the side I’m not sure too many people would have questioned it. The fact is, bikes are getting bigger. Not long ago an 1100 was a big, scary motorcycle, but these days even Ducati references how the new Scrambler 1100 Dark Pro has features aimed at the less-experienced rider. Yeah, I’m still getting my head around “1100cc” and “less experienced rider” … so let me get this out early: if you’re moving up from a LAMs machine, I recommend you buy an 800cc Scrambler before going to an 1100. That said,…

“WORK STEADILY ROLLED IN AS WORD GOT OUT…” A little over five years ago, laid off from the mines when a downturn hit, Liam Butler, a Newcastle lad with an interest in vehicle modification and restoration, needed work and a new challenge. And so it came to pass that a new custom shop emerged… Butler’s Customs & Café Racers. With a need to feed his family and limited space to work from as he’d be starting off at home, Liam used Facebook to let punters know he could repair motorcycles and do wiring, which resulted in him getting four jobs that very evening! Work steadily rolled in as word got out that there was someone willing to do the jobs that dealers weren’t interested in, and a more suitable location…

The performance of your suspension is critical to the ride experience you’ll get: handling, comfort and safety all depend on your shock absorbers and forks, but many riders don’t realise it. Put simply, if you’ve never ridden a motorcycle with well-set-up quality suspension, you don’t know what you’re missing! Most riders start out on a cheap bike, with either new or (even worse) second-hand worn suspension. When they eventually get to ride a modern larger-capacity machine, they might find the suspension performance to be fantastic, but it’s generally still built to a price. Ride a bike with really goodquality suspension that has been set up for your weight and riding style and many riders never want to go back to a lesser machine. The problem is that good suspension isn’t…

THE NEW HAYABUSA In just its third iteration since being introduced in 1999, the new Suzuki Hayabusa has been brought up to date with new electronics, riding modes, quickshifter, combined braking, traction control, cruise control and more. The new bike will be available in Australia mid year for just $27,690, although demand is expected to outstrip supply for some time. “With high demand and limited supply, reservations for this highly anticipated motorcycle will be exclusively online via Suzuki’s Build and Order feature on suzukimotorcycles.com.au,” says the official information from Suzuki Australia. Firsts for the new model include an active speed limiter that allows the rider to set a maximum speed for the motorcycle and be safe in the knowledge they won’t exceed that speed. Changes to the bike have been…

I seek out roads that restrict my speed with their corners. Getting the pace right, exploring the cornering clearance available, feeling the lean angle under your wheels is, to many riders, what motorcycling is all about. Many cruisers aren’t built for this, however; they have inadequate suspension – both travel and control – limited clearance, pathetic brakes and a riding position not suited to enthusiastic riding. Which made my introduction to the new BMW R 18, a new cruiser at a time when the cruiser market is on the wane, all the more interesting. BMW has a reputation for fine-handling machines and wouldn’t want to tarnish that reputation. So I took the Old Road rather than the freeway. Lots of twists and turns, a low speed limit but a good…

The blues were hitting pretty hard during lockdown. Bloody virus. Personally, I’ll be hanging around like a junkie looking for his dealer to get a hit of the vaccine. Where to go when we can travel again? My mind wanders back to when I pulled the pin and left the “job”. I wasn’t sure if the time was right, but we’d done one big trip that changed my outlook on life. I listened to the pillion in a million, (in her words “for a change”), and thought, bugger it, we won’t be starving in our old age, the kids are set, I’ve got an itch I’ve gotta scratch. Talk to anyone who has taken the plunge and they’ll all say the same. Once you’ve travelled in foreign lands on your…

In issue #157, Phil James tested the new V-Strom 1050XT and came away pretty impressed, so I was very pleased when Suzuki offered to loan me one for my strop around Gippsland. The thing I remember about my first experience aboard Suzuki’s stalwart middleweight Adventure bikes is how easy they were to ride in both the 650 and 1000 guise. Relatively uncomplicated compared to the big Bavarian machines, they appealed to my simpler needs. The venerable V-Strom has been around for almost 20 years and the 90-degree, DOHC, 8-valve V-twin engine for nearly 25. The bike has been an undisputed sales success and has built a huge core following among riders who are attracted to a no-fuss machine that gets the job done and is undeniably pleasant to ride across…

After reading about the latest arrival to the Ducati family, the Multistrada V4, we came up with the idea of setting ourselves the task of putting this new machine to the test in extreme conditions… but what about in the hands of riders with little experience riding in snow? We contacted Ducati and they loved our motto, “Life begins outside your comfort zone”, and agreed the project would not only be a great test of the bikes, but would also give their engineers some important early feedback. With our wheels confirmed, we got in touch with Dainese to try to get our hands on some gear specifically designed to withstand the freezing northern temperatures, and once again we were met with an amazing response. They agreed to provide us with…

The lights were green and I had a huge gap to the vehicle in front – probably four or five seconds, even doing 60km/h through suburban Sydney. One of those rare, wonderful occasions where I’d made it to the front of the flow of traffic and could get back to the office quickly. But that lack of traffic contributed to the problem, a distracted driver looking for where he wanted to be rather than where he was; he simply sailed through those traffic lights, through a bright-red light. He realised his mistake and slowed, instinct telling him to stop… directly in my path. Years of experience and a little luck worked for me; I instinctively set up and squeezed the brakes, getting as much power into the front brake lever…

“THE MOST SERIOUS SHORTCOMING WAS THE ABSENCE OF A REAR FENDER” I ordered my Triumph Rocket 3R several milliseconds after I laid eyes on one. I had been waiting for it, having once owned and loved the old-model Rocket, but needed to check out the ergonomics (I am rather tall) before handing over a cheque. I already knew Triumph had allowed designers and marketers to hijack the development of the bike, and the result was that many aspects of it were form over function. In other words, some things looked wonderful but were hopeless for the world of a serious motorcyclist. I ordered my bike with practically every single option available (alarm, heated grips, single seat, pannier mounts plus panniers, quick shifter up and down, sports mirrors) and that would…

Harley-Davidson Low Rider S, from $27,995 Maybe the Breakout would have been a better comparison bike, but the Low Rider S has mid controls, a solo seat and handles well, so it’s definitely one to consider. Indian Chief Dark Horse, from $25,995 Indian’s range of cruisers has been shrinking, with the nearest machine to the R 18 now the Chief Dark Horse. It offers 116cu engine, classic style, forward controls and a solo saddle. Triumph Rocket 3, from $31,990 In R or GT, either Rocket is a muscle cruiser like nothing else. Big, powerful, heavy and amazing.…

The Gippsland region stretches from Melbourne’s eastern outskirts all the way to the state border with New South Wales in Victoria’s far east. This extensive and diverse geographical area is renowned for its natural beauty with hundreds of kilometres of spectacular coastline, picturesque rivers and lakes, forests and even snowfields. And as if especially catering to riders, there is the Great Alpine Road. Gippsland is quite the package. Years ago I had made a rash promise to return to the Star Hotel in the glorious former mining village of Walhalla after first visiting there 10 years ago. Owner and manager, Michael Leaney, with his partner Russell, rebuilt the old hotel to faithfully recreate the pub that once stood on the spot back in the day, creating a gorgeous, boutique establishment…

Motorcyclists like leaning over in corners, in part because it counteracts all the forces trying to make you go straight – in a car the vehicle always feels like you’re fighting it to turn. A bike, when leaned over, will just keep going around in circles. So will the new Yamaha Tricity 300, a trike that behaves like a scooter. The available traction of a motorcycle is limited to the very small contact patch of a pair of tyres, so crashes due to a loss of grip, especially in the wet, are common compared to cars. Scooter manufacturers know this and realised the best way to increase grip is with more rubber. Adding a third wheel not only increases the amount of rubber, it also separates the contact patch, increasing…

Suzuki Hayabusa, $27,690 ride away A huge 2022 update for the Hayabusa and the new model will be with us mid-year. More tech and revised ergonomics, but a higher price and the Ninja’s suspension is better, at least on paper. KTM Super Duke GT, $31,695 ride away A high-performance V-twin, KTM’s off ering is more comfortable, more “tourable” but nowhere near as fast as the Ninja. Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX, $31,000 ride away Kawasaki’s Supercharged sports-tourer can do everything the ZX-14R can do, with panniers. A less-aggressive riding position with similar weight and horsepower. A lot more tech and a lot more dollars.…

Triumph Scrambler 1200 XC – from $22,500 Ride Away Triumph has tried to ace Ducati with its own Scrambler, which has a little more capacity, a little more power, a little more fuel capacity and a 21-inch front wheel. Yamaha XSR900SP – $15,699 Ride Away Retro styling wrapping a modern machine, the XSR doesn’t have some of the trick components but is a whole lot cheaper. BMW R nineT Scrambler – From $21,370 Ride Away A bigger twin (1170cc) with more power, more torque, more weight. Classic heritage style and lots of options. Indian FTR – From $19,995 Ride Away Now with 17-inch wheels, this flat-track inspired but built for the street performance twin has plenty of power and torque. Good suspension, LED lighting and cruise control standard.…

MY HEALTH has improved to the point where I wheeled my Ducati out of the shed last week, charged the battery and hit the starter button. It’s been more than a year since I last rode it or any other bike and it was time to break the drought. Nothing. The engine turned but not a flicker. No fuel! Poured in some fresh juice, second stab it fired, one cylinder at first, then the other. Yeehar! I set it at a fast idle and lost myself in the wondrous cacophony of an air-cooled desmodromic V-twin preparing for battle. Drip. Drip. Drip. So that’s why the tank was empty. I briefly considered just going around the block – it wasn’t leaking much and the petrol would evaporate in the wind. Then…

LOOKING BACK Yamaha, Piaggio and others have been building leaning trikes for some time, but I rode one back in 1997. At the time I was assistant editor of Two Wheels magazine. I was in Perth visiting family when I met up with a bike builder who had used a Honda CX500 as a donor bike to build one of the first practical, rideable leaning trikes. Unfortunately the story appears to be lost in the mists of time; I wrote it in the Two Wheels office (I didn’t even own my own computer at the time) and I haven’t managed to retain every copy of every magazine I worked on over the last 23 years, so I couldn’t find the printed article, either. And the bike never seems to have…