Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 171 i Australian Road Rider

NEW MODELS FOR HARLEY'S 120th Harley-Davidson is celebrating its 120th anniversary all year long, kicking off with a swathe of special anniversary models featuring commemorative paint, finishes and details. HIMALAYAN TOUR PART 1 If you missed the last issue but would still like to read part one of the editor’s tour of the Himalayas, scan the QR code or go to roadrider.com. au and you’ll find it there. But you really should subscribe to never miss an issue - see page 124. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Got something to get off your chest relating to motorcycles? Want to tell the editor what sort of an idiot he is? You can do this and read what other readers think on the road rider website at road rider.com.au/letters-to-the-editor. Or just scan the…

Motorcycles aren’t typically thought of as life-saving transport, but that’s exactly what the riders in Bloodbikes do. Volunteers who use their own bikes to transport anything from plasma to medication and, of course, blood from where it is to where it’s needed quickly and efficiently, Bloodbikes is providing a much-needed service to the community. Inspired by the Bloodbikes movement in the UK and Ireland, founder Peter Davis has started it here in Australia. “I had a mate who volunteered for Bloodbikes Scotland and thought, what a great idea, a chance to do what I love, riding motorcycles and doing some good,” says Peter. Bloodbikes Australia currently has 430 volunteers Australia wide, in all states and territories. This group of independent volunteers operate as a last-resort alternative to get any form…

ROAD RIDER TEST 2022-2023 YAMAHA MT-10 “…A SPORTY MACHINE THAT CAN CARVE THROUGH TRAFFIC OR UP A WINDING ROAD…” The induction roar was filling my helmet with a glorious howl as the engine revs shot up toward redline while Yamaha’s CP4 engine was propelling the MT-10 toward an arrestable speed in just seconds. Despite the enjoyment of hard acceleration and the delightful howl of both induction (via the new Acoustic Amplifier Grilles in the tank cover) and from the titanium exhaust, staying out of goal is a plan so I rolled off the throttle and let the 164hp inline four settle down to a more reasonable pace, revelling in the package of sporting performance, naked style and streetbike ergonomics that make all-day rides a high-performance buzz. Yamaha’s MT-10 has been…

Great roads are created by bitumen following the paths of rivers and winding their way up and down mountains, which makes Corsica — effectively the top of a mountain sticking out of the Mediterranean Sea — a rider’s paradise. Those great roads have lead to international bike launches being held on the Island, at least in part so the bike journalists can get to experience a variety of fun roads in a short time… so doing a nine-day tour around Corsica and its neighbour Sardinia with Adriatic Moto Tours (AMT) was something I’d been looking forward to for a while. Although parked seemingly off shore to Italy, Corsica is a French territory and Sardinia Italian. There have been plenty of fights over the islands over the centuries, although these days…

ROAD RIDER TEST 22 BMW K 1600 GRAND AMERICA The ancient, overloaded cattle truck hurtled along, swaying from side to side as it tried to maintain momentum for the next hill with a trail of foulsmelling, yellowy brown slop in its wake as its load showed its displeasure at the wild ride. I was sitting behind, knowing it was a matter of time before I got sprayed or potentially lose the front on the poolubed road. The options were crappy — drop back or stop and let him get away? That wouldn’t work as the road would remain treacherous. Overtake? This is Australia — despite long straights, the unbroken centre lines had been going on for a dozen kilometres. Time for the least-bad option then… Moments later the cattle truck…

SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Type: Revolution® Max 975T. 1252cc 60-degree V-twin four stroke. EFI, intake VVT, DOHC. B/S - 97 × 66mm Capacity: 975cc Compression ratio: 12:1 Engine management: Ride-by-wire throttle, EFI, electronic ignition PERFORMANCE Claimed maximum power: 90hp (67Kw) @ 7500rpm Claimed maximum torque: 95Nm @ 5000rpm TRANSMISSION Type: 6-speed Final drive: Belt Clutch: Wet multiplate, assist & slipper CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR Chassis: Stressed-member, high-strength low-alloy-steel trellis frame; stamped, cast and forged junctions; MIG welded; aluminium forged mid-structure Front suspension: 41mm SHOWA® Dual Bending Valve conventional forks. Aluminium fork triple clamps Rear suspension: Rear suspension is dual outboard, direct-acting (no linkage) emulsion technology shock absorbers with coil springs and a threaded collar for pre-load adjustment Front brakes: Axially mounted, 4-piston calliper acting on single disc Rear brake: Floating, single-piston calliper,…

VSTING VIETNAM ARR DESTINATIONS “JOSEPH HAD KINDLY LENT US HIS 1962175CC VESPA SCOOTER OUTFIT” We were back in Saigon with its crazy scary traffic. Broken footpaths covered with parked scooters, bags of litter and kindergarten-sized plastic chairs everywhere. A city officially known as Ho Chi Minh City where people ebb and flow in traffic like a magician conjuring a trick. You see it happening but can’t always reason why as riders meld like a deck of shuffled cards, weaving a ballet dance all over the road. Riding in Saigon isn’t for the faint hearted. I heard myself yelling in the tangle sometimes, insisting upon our space amid that peloton while the locals just go with the flow. Every road rule you know is broken here, even if they do ride…

MOTORRAD GARAGE WHATZ NEW…

My old man used to have a saying when luck wasn’t going his way: if it was raining virgins, he’d be washed down the gutter with a porcupine. He didn’t actually say porcupine, he used another word, but you get my drift. Luck for most people comes and goes, but Dad’s advice was you get more of it when you set out to make your own. You have to get yourself in the luck stream, he’d say, and that’s where I’ve been pretty much my whole adult life. If it was raining porcupines, I’m the bloke holed up in a dry shed with the virgins. After raining for 400 days and 400 nights, the sun finally came out on our way back from the MotoGP and this time it stayed…

LAST LOOK LOOKING BACK It’s been four years since I took possession of the editor’s chair at Australian Road Rider, and what an interesting ride it’s been so far. Many regular readers have let me know the team here is doing a good job. Highlights of my time as editor include taking Harleys to Lightning Ridge and riding a Royal Enfield in the Himalayas. Both the Pan America and the Himalayan (the bikes I rode on those trips) are destined to become classics of their classes. The Pan America is Harley-Davidson’s first “modern” bike in ages — maybe the V-Rod was 22 years ago and the Street 500 in 2011, but neither sold well in places where it mattered. The Pan America has been a rip-roaring success the USA, and…

I’ve been riding bikes for more than 40 years, yet in that time Harley-Davidson has never sold a small bike. Sure, the Street 500 was Learner Legal in Australia and sold well here, but when most of us were kids, 500cc was also the capacity of the most important (and largest) class of Grand Prix racing. But the Indian experiment didn’t work, and with the US such a big percentage of the Harley-Davidson market, no bike will survive in the line-up if it’s not popular with Americans. With its latest plan, I suspect Harley won’t need the 350X and 500X to sell well in the USA: the company is taking a different approach. These bikes are designed to sell in markets that already have midrange bikes, and given the success…

KAWASAKI Z H2 - RIDE AWAY FROM $26,600 (NSW) Four pots, 1000cc and a Supercharger for not much more money. It’s a little heavier and we didn’t like the suspension as much, but the Kwaka can’t be ignored. SUZUKI GSX-S1000 RIDE AWAY FROM $17,990 The bargain of the naked 1000s, the GSX-S is capable, quick and fun but nowhere near as aggressive as the MT-10. TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE RS RIDE AWAY FROM $27,900 With a sporty riding position and masscentralised design, the current Speed Triple is an excellent street sports motorcycle with a three-cylinder engine, which is sublime.…

THE HONDA GOLDWING The Grand America doesn’t have a lot of competition. On paper the Grand American Tourers (Harley-Davidson and Indian) are alternatives, however we’ve observed many riders interested in these machines are culturally locked to the “big twin, made in the USA” concept. Most wouldn’t consider the BMW because it is neither of these things — which we think is their loss (and why BMW built the R 18 Boxer platform — the K 1600 models weren’t gaining market share). The Honda Goldwing, on the other hand, fights for the same buyer as the GA, We tested the entry-level Goldwing in issue 166 and were equally impressed with its ability to work as a fun tourer (despite its mastodon weight). We haven’t done a back-to-back comparison, but we can…

SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Type: Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4-valve, In-Line 6-cylinder Power: 160hp (118kW) at 6750rpm Torque: 180Nm at 5250rpm Capacity: 1649cc Bore × stroke: 72 × 67.5mm Compression ratio: 12.2:1 Fuel system: Fuel injection, throttleby-wire Ignition: Digital with mode variable mapping TRANSMISSION Type: 6-speed, helical cut gears Final drive: Shaft Clutch: Wet multiplate, assist and slipper function Reverse: Yes CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR Chassis: Aluminium Swingarm: BMW single-sided aluminium paralever Front suspension: BMW duolever with central shock. Electronic rebound adjustment. 115mm travel Rear suspension: BMW paralever. Electronic rebound and preload adjustment. 125mm travel Front brakes: Twin 4-piston callipers, semi-floating discs, 320mm, ABS Rear brake: Single 2-piston calliper, 320mm disc, ABS Tyres: Front: 120/70ZR17 Rear: 190/55ZR17 ELECTRONIC RIDER AIDS Brake control (ABS): Yes Engine power modes: 3 modes Engine drag torque Control:…

ARR TOURING RIDING WITH MOTO HIMALAYAN This is part 2 of the editor’s story about touring the Himalayas. For part 1, see issue #170 or roadrider.com.au DUST, ROCKS AND ROADS After a few days of air travel, acclimatisation and riding in the Himalayan mountains, we started heading out across tougher terrain. Our hosts, Moto Himalayan, didn’t simply take us on a looping ride around the districts, but planned visits to spectacular locations via incredible roads. There were the rides over three major passes (Khardung La, Chang La and Taglang La), each one offering tougher conditions than the previous. Khardung La is close to Leh and has become so popular that it’s at the top of a well-sealed and often quite wide bitumen road… but you still need to have your…

RIXY'S RIDE Rally: "to bring or come together in order to provide support or make a shared effort" (Cambridge). Or "to bring into order again; gather organise or inspire anew" (Collins). There are other interpretations of the word "Rally" including political gatherings, but I guarantee they wouldn't be as much fun as a bike rally. Ah, the good old days; there are those of us old enough to remember chucking a sleeping bag and not much else on the bike and heading off with a few mates to some remote or renowned spot to light a fire, ingest all sorts of substances, talk shit, and do stupid things on motorbikes. We remember those times fondly, even if it is with creaking bones and through rose-coloured glasses. There are still a…

WHATZ NEW AVON SPIRIT ST UPDATE With a little over 4000km ridden on the Avon Spirit ST tyres fitted to my Yamaha FJ R1300, I thought it was time for a midusage update. Measuring the tread depth has indicated the tyres are only about a third worn, so theoretically they could be good for 12,000km — exceptional on a powerful, heavy motorcycle. Of course, many tyres wear faster as they age, so it wouldn’t come as any surprise if they don’t last quite that long, but even at double their current mileage, that represents good wear. So far, the Spirits have been very consistent and predictable, providing good feel, excellent grip and little maintenance. They don’t lose pressure like some tyres I’ve had in the past. Their wet weather performance…

o wned by a plumber we’ll call Mike, this Ducati 950 Hypermotard is much loved and spoilt like a favoured grandchild. “I bought it new and it goes like a cut snake,” Mike told Australian Road Rider. Finished in Ducati Red and running the Testastretta 11° V-twin 937cc engine, the Hypermotard produces 114hp at 9000rpm while its flat torque curve peaks at 7250rpm and 96.1 Nm. While those figures aren’t world-beating, combining it with just 178kg means it isn’t pushing around much weight. “There’s a massive shove from idle,” Mike said when describing the performance of the machine. He’s had the bike a while, having bought this 2019 model new. “I had Glenn Allerton (GSD Suspension Services) set up the bike. There’s a Mupo shock fitted.’ Allerton is a former…

UPFRONT BENELLI BUILT LAMS HARLEYS? Harley-Davidson has been trying to re-invent itself for decades, with the Street 500 and 750, LiveWire electric bike project, the Pan America adventure tourer, an all-new Sportster model and, featured in this issue of ARR, the Nightster. Some projects have been more successful than others, with the Street range, despite the 500 being a big seller in Australia, failing. The Indianbuilt bikes had a few issues out of the crate and proved to be less than durable over the long term. Sales around the world were lacklustre and the project was killed off during the COVID-19 pandemic. That hasn’t stopped Harley’s quest — some might say need — for sales and profits that come from high unit sales of small-capacity bikes, especially in Asia. Back…

When you’re young you go where your parents take you. In your teens there’s the ubiquitous right-ofpassage pub crawl, then on bikes the smart ones ride between cafés, not hangovers. For many of us travel then becomes riding between towns, then cities and even across continents. If travel broadens the mind, motorcycles move your soul. And somewhere along the way we realise the wonderful modern bike you once owned is now running around on classic rego, and you wish you’d never sold it. Alas, I’m as guilty as anyone… I’ve bought and sold more bikes than I can remember, but letting my Moto Guzzi Le Mans and Ducati 851 out from my grasp, yeah, that was tough. So we start visiting museums, and there’s that shock when you see a…

ROAD RIDER TEST 2022-2023 YAMAHA MT-10 SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Type: Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, DOHC, crossplane crank four-cylinder Capacity: 998cc Compression ratio: 12.0:1 Engine management: Ride by wire throttle, EFI, electronic ignition PERFORMANCE Claimed maximum power: 163.6hp (122kW) @ 11,500rpm Claimed maximum torque: 112Nm @ 9000rpm TRANSMISSION Type: 6-speed, bi-directional quickshift with auto disable Final drive: Chain Clutch: Wet multiplate, assist & slipper CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR Chassis: Aluminium control filled Deltabox Front suspension: Fully adjustable KYB telescopic forks, 120mm travel Rear suspension: Fully adjustable KYB linked monoshock, 120mm wheel travel Front brakes: 4-piston monoblock calipers, twin 320mm discs Rear brake: Single disc, 220mm Tyres: F: 120/70ZR17 R: 190/55ZR17 DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES Rake: 24° Trail: 102mm Claimed wet weight: 212kg Seat height: 835mm Wheelbase: 1405mm Fuel capacity: 17L ELECTRONICS, RIDER AIDS & CONVENIENCE FEATURES…

ARR TOUR KOSOVO Kosovo. The very name conjures images of genocide and ethnic cleansing, of a small, landlocked country in the heart of the Balkans that fought a brutal war of independence to free itself from Serbian control between 1998 and 1999. More than two decades on, thousands of NATO troops are still on the ground in Kosovo to keep the uneasy peace forged between the Muslim majority (who identify as Kosovo Albanians) and Kosovo Serbs, who are Orthodox Christians. Unsurprisingly, Kosovo remains one of the least-visited places in Europe. In 2019, the most recent year for which government statistics are available, only 177,000 foreigners entered, around the same number who visited nearby Croatia every three days. Recently I spent two days riding through Kosovo while transiting between the more…

“…LESS VIBRATION AND LESS INERTIA OFTEN MAKE FOR A MORE RELAXED RIDE” The Nightster might just be all you need in a motorcycle: a pair of wheels, handlebars, V-twin motor, brakes, seat and an American soul. It’s the second liquid-cooled machine released in Harley’s Sport category, but it’s not a Sportster: that name has been reserved for the 1200cc, fat-tyred, single-shock machine released in 2021. But I reckon the Nightster is closer in design, style and performance to the Sportsters of old. Its smaller engine will still smoke any air-cooled Sportster, the 19-inch front wheel is more traditional than the 16s on the Sportster S, and the conventional forks and twin shocks… they look right. And from the perspective of someone looking to customise, the Nightster platform looks to have…

KTM RC 390 ROAD RIDER TEST “…MINOR ENGINE TWEAKS AND A LOT OF CHASSIS UPGRADES…” Brace, brace, brace. The words flashed through my head as I crested a hill at speed — a badly damaged section of road presented itself over the brow of the hill. There was no avoiding it and no time for defensive action. All I could do was hang on and hope… It was a B road and, unusually, it was in good condition. Consequently, I’d been happy to do a brisk pace on KTM’s pocket sportsbike. But as the unavoidable badly damaged section loomed into view all I could do was hang on and hope… Typically, light bikes at speed and rough roads are a mix straight from tank slapper heaven, but no… the RC…

$20,000 BIKES ON THE MARKET “…BIKES THAT ARE POWERFUL, GOODLOOKING AND CAPABLE” You don’t have to spend a fortune to get a great bike. While your dream bike might be north of 40k, the reality is you can probably afford a new bike that will be great to ride and will provide years of reliable service without breaking the bank. We’ve done our research in the annual Australian Road Rider Bike Buyer’s Guide and chosen 20 grand as a figure which gets us generally out of LAMS and inexpensive machines and into bikes that are powerful, good-looking and capable. That’s not to say bikes under 20K aren’t worth considering; it’s just we had to make a value judgement at some sort of price point and decided 20k was a nice,…

TOUCH-SENSITIVE GLOVES ARR FEATURE Here at Australian Road Rider we find we’re using devices more and more — especially phones, but also dedicated GPS units as well. Once your phone is mounted on your handlebars, you’ll find the convenience of having access to everything from maps to weather reports to speed limit monitoring to actual phone calls… well, it’s hard to go back to not having the tech at your fingertips. So it’s really frustrating to realise you need to remove your gloves to drive your phone. GPS units usually use a pressuresensitive screen, but phones are capacitive — gloves won’t provide the electrical connection required unless a deliberate effort is made by the manufacturer. Eventually all gloves will be touch screen compatible, but we aren’t there yet, so we…

KEEPING THE RAIN OUT WHATZ NEW Staying dry while riding has been a challenge for those of us on the east coast for the last couple of years, so the appeal of a two-year warranty on waterproofs strikes us a very good thing. Two-piece suits have some big advantages over one-piece oversuits, including being able to use the pants over jeans if you have a waterproof jacket, being able to run heated power cables between the parts, and it’s usually easier to get them on by the side of the road. The Nelson-Rigg Solo Storm rain jacket and pants are made from PU-backed PVC-free polyester with electronically taped seams and waterproof out pockets. There’s a breathable mesh back lining that helps prevent the jacket from sticking to your riding jacket…