Innholdsfortegnelse for 182 i Australian Road Rider

“He went out for a ride, and he never went back…”. Bruce Springsteen's words about a man who jumped on a bike and disappeared have always resonated with me, although sometime later in life I realised it's only the mentally ill and narcissists who abandon their families… but it sounds cool. It's time I went out for a ride and I won't be coming back… at least not to the editor's chair here at Australian Road Rider, after five years I'm done. My enthusiasm for the latest and greatest is waning and I'd rather be riding bikes than writing about them. So I'm off to distant parts of Australia (OK, my sister is getting married in Perth) and while I'll be flying over I hope to borrow a bike while…

With a sportsbike engine, modern naked good looks, and Öhlins rear shock, Brembo Stylema front calipers and lots of modern electronics, Honda's 2025 CB1000 Hornet has a host of premium features. It'll go up against bikes like Yamaha's MT-10SP, Kawasaki's Supercharged Z H2 and KTM's Super Duke and on paper at least, looks like it'll be highly competitive. Power of 115.6kw (157hp) and torque of 107Nm will make it a rocketship. Interestingly, we suspect Australia won't get the standard model CB1000 Hornet coming to other markets – Australian Road Rider suspects Australian homologation will make the bikes too close in retail price to bother with the standard model, although pricing hasn't been announced as we go to press. The bike's engine is derived from the 2017 CBR1000RR Fireblade, with a…

Yamaha's MT-07 has been one of the most popular midrange bikes for the company in decades, and for 2025 it's getting a host of technological improvements to keep it at the leading edge of the pack. With both LAMS and High Output (HO) versions available, the new bike will be priced at $14,899 ride away for either model in Ice Storm, Icon Blue and Tech Black colour schemes. There's also a HO model equiped with Y-AMT – Yamaha's Automated Manual Transmission – being built, but it's unknown at this stage if it's going to be made available in Australia, something which might depend on how successful the MT-09 with Y-AMT is – a bike you'll be able to read about in Australian Road Rider's next issue. The important changes to…

Ducati shocked the world and the Superbike World Championship when it introduced the 851, a water-cooled 8-valve desmo powered lightweight machine with lots of trick gear to go with the astronomical price, way back in the 1980s… and since then the Superbikes and the company have grown and grown and grown. in 2025 Ducati will introduce the seventh generation of its desmo Superbike, the 2025 Panigale V4 plus the Öhlins-eqipped V4 S. Developed to reduce laptimes and riding effort, the new bikes are built to win races, sure, but also to be simply great fun to ride around tracks, as fast as you can. Fast doesn't begin to describe the Panigale V4 – with 216 horsepower available and pushing only 187kg, the bike has one of the best power-to-weight ratios…

It was one of the worst-kept secrets in recent motorcycle history and predicted years ago – a sportsbike based around the MT-09 naked. Yamaha's MT series has been very successful – at least the affordable twins and triples – and when the R7 was released the first question was ‘where's the R9?'. The R7, of course, is a sports version of the MT-07, and if they could do it with the smaller motor, why not the three cylinder MT-09, and that's exactly what we have here – the 2025 YZF-R9. Of course there will be some out there thinking the new bike will be too close to the R1, but the four-pot racetrack refugee is nearly ten grand more money in 2025, and far harder on the body thanks to…

Come February there will be a new collection of Triumph Icons, bespoke versions of the company's classic machines in exclusive colours and only for this year. There's even a heritage logo from 1907 which will make a reappearance, a once-only revival. There are seven models available, each with a sophisticated Sapphire Black and Aluminium Silver colour combination. The bike featured are the Bonneville T100 and T120, Scrambler 900, 1200 X and 1200 XE, and custom-vibe of the Bobber and Speedmaster. Paul Stroud, Triumph's Chief Commercial Officer, says “The Triumph Modern Classics have an enduring reputation for original style, high quality, premium finish, and modern performance. It is this authenticity, coupled with the heritage and passion encapsulated in the 1907 logo, that will have broad appeal with both younger and older…

Royal Enfield has been rather busy since it introduced the Interceptor and Continental GT 650s back in 2018 – numerous new models, including new engines for the current range of 350s and 450s, so it's no surprise we have only see variations on a theme with the Super Meteor and Shotgun, not a new bike. The Bear 650 falls into the same category. A flat-track/scrambler style of motorcycle similar in execution to the Scram 411, although this time developed from a road bike – the Interceptor – rather than an adventure bike – the Himalayan. Lots of parts have changed if you compare the two models, but it's still fair to call the Bear a variant rather than all new, because it carries the same engine iEdn a modified Interceptor…

Ducati Multistrada Pikes Peak (Price TBA) The 2025 model has been announced and this model is squarely aimed at the M 1000 XR. Both have 17-inch wheels, high performance set-ups and hot paint jobs. The question might be German or Italian… Aprilia Tuono V4 Factory – $34,440 Ride Away Still a rocketship and more of a naked with some bodywork than a true crossover, the Aprilia will suit smaller riders than the M 1000, and it's a fair bit cheaper, too… but not as trick.…

Kawasaki's smallest Ninja has enjoyed huge popularity in Australia, often being the best-selling machine in the country, so the latest – and biggest – version has a lot to live up to. It needs to be sporty, but not uncomfortable, great around town without sacrificing countryside manners, technologically advanced without being complicated, compact yet suit a wide range of rider physiques… it's a big ask for a small bike. Kawasaki, however, has a head start in that this new bike is very much an evolution of the old, with the parts that have worked well being developed slowly, improvements found to the formula and innovations introduced usually after they've been proven on bigger, more expensive and flashier machines. This has enabled Kawasaki to keep the price down to well under…

When 30+ bikes all of equal power head for the same corner at the same time, it's gonna be carnage and it certainly is in the Australian Postie Bike Grand Prix, an iconic event we've covered in the pages of Australian Road Rider in the past. Thrills Delivered is a 50-minute documentary about the 2023 Australian Postie Bike Grand Prix – the country's last around-the-houses road race, a survivor in the face of the onslaught that is the Nanny State. In pouring rain the 2023 event was spectacular for its crash count, with many bikes going down or running into the barriers… only to be picked up and kicked back to life, riders looking to make up the lost ground at full throttle. The trackside cameras and the onboard footage…

My first issue of Australian Road Rider was #151, and featured a launch report of the then-new Royal Enfield Interceptor and Continental GT, the new 650s from India. Although not the first of the new generation machines from the British-turnedIndian manufacturer, they were the first twins, squarely aimed at an international market. Nigel Crowley wrote the launch report and admitted to being cynical before he rode them. “I'd written an informative yet somewhat amusing paragraph outlining Royal Enfield's lengthy history whilst simultaneously bagging their customer base outside of India as a bunch of hipsters looking for something quirky to be seen fixing at the side of the road”, were close to his opening lines… but the new bikes converted him, and he went on to buy one. Put simply, while…

Bikes just keep getting better and better and the 2025 crop is looking like we're finally over the COVID-19 hangover, with lots of great new bikes being announced – although the majority are variations on exiting models, which isn't surprising when you realise all the brands are probably working on electric bikes in the background. Mid range machines are getting a boost, that's for sure. There's the Royal Enfield Bear 650 featured from page 42 which I recently rode in California and new full-power versions of the Yamaha MT-07 and Triumph Trident 660. It's great to see bikes under 650cc which aren't artificially limited to fit into the LAMS category. THE AUTOS Yamaha has announced there's a Y-AMT equipped MT-07 being built, but who knows if we will get it,…

Triumph is bringing the full power Trident 660 to Australia for the first time in 2025 alongside a new LAMS version. Triumph says the new bike is more ‘rider focussed’ with optimised cornering ABS, a quickshifter and cruise control. The Trident also features an integrated TFT display and MyTriumph Bluetooth Connectivity system gives riders turn-by-turn navigation, calls and music control, and there are three rider modes, including a new Sport mode. Triumph's Chief Commercial Officer Paul Stroud said: “We first launched the Trident in 2020 with a unique combination of exhilarating triple performance and character, confidence inspiring handling and bold British styling. With its unrivalled overall cost of ownership on top, it proved popular with riders of all ages and experience levels, in markets across the world, and since its…

Kawasaki has announced the Ninja 1100SX for 2025, the fifth generation of the company's versatile sports-tourer growing in capacity for the first time. More capacity and optimised gear ratios are aimed at making the Ninja 1100 even more capable in a variety of sports or touring situations. There will also be a Special Edition model featuring Öhlins suspension and Brembo brakes. The engine capacity increase is aimed at boosting bottom-end and midrange power from the inline four cylinder engine. The increase in capacity has come from lengthening the stroke, rather than the bore, which is generally what engineers do when they're looking for more torque rather than more horsepower. Kawasaki hasn't released figures for the Australian model, but Australian Road Rider is led to believe it'll be around 140hp, similar…

New Skyhook suspension, improved passenger comfort, reduced fuel consumption and an automatic lowering device are the headline improvements to Ducati's Multistrada V4 range for the 2025 model year. There are new Pikes Peak and V4 S models coming in addition to the standard Multistrada V4, with the changes being more of a solid update than a wholesale reinvention of the bike. The new model is recognisable thanks to the new design of the front end, using the style of the Panigale V4 has a template. There's also a new muffler and ‘more personal’ sound. The Euro5+ engine produces 170 hp (125 kW) at 10,750rpm and 123.8Nm at 9,000rpm. Exactly what changes have been made to the engine aren't specified in the press release, but it does tell us the engine…

The heading says it all, the new 1390 Super Adventure motorcycles from KTM offer insane levels of performance and capability – and that's KTM providing that description, not Australian Road Rider! While the EVO model features the automatic transmission, the S model gets by with manual and has the radar as an option. The engine capacity is now out to 1350cc and has CAMSHIFT variable valve timing. There's over 170hp and 145Nm of torque available, and KTM claims CAMSHIFT improves rideability at low revs. A portrait-mounted touchscreen TFT display with inductive technology which will work even with thick winter gloves is standard. of course there are ride modes, connectivity and other features. If the radar option is fitted there's adaptive cruise control, brake assistance, collision warning and distance warnings. There's…

Most of us have a ‘bucket list', in the back of our minds – magical places we definitely want to experience for ourselves once in our lifetime. It could be the loneliest highway, the most drivable road in the middle of nowhere, the twistiest road – or as in my case, the fastest place in the world. The huge dry salt lakes in the US state of Utah are definitely one of the places on our planet where the highest land speeds of over 1,000km/h are achieved, although maybe for not much longer. Of the former 35,000 square metres of salt area of the former Lake Bonneville at the beginning of the last century, not even half of it remains. Since 1917 the mining of potash salt for use as…

Most people have no idea about the pivotal role Western Australia played in the space race, in particular Carnavon's tracking station, which relayed Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon's surface which was broadcast as a live telecast, watched by millions around the world, way back in 1969. I was in Carnarvon, purely by chance, on the 55th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 11, which carried Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin to the historic moon landing, with a bunch of mates, having ridden up from our Perth homes over a couple of days. Since then, the tracking station has supported NASA's Gemini, Apollo and Skylab programs. Phase 1 of the now Carnarvon Space & Technology Museum was officially opened by Buzz Aldrin in 2012. Phase 2…

Honda CBR500R From $9,951* Honda's answer to the Ninja 500 is the CBR500R, which goes spec-for-spec with the Ninja closely. It's a little more expensive but has USD forks and wave discs, plus it's red! CFMOTO 450SR From $8290 Sporty, modern and probably a little harder-edged than the Ninja, if you're looking to set lap times on a LAMS-approved lightweight twin, you'd be mad not too have a look at the CFMOTO. Brembo brakes and a three-year warranty, too. Yamaha R3 from $8699 Ride Away Although smaller in capacity and a little older in design, Yamaha's R3 is a sporty, easy to ride and deceptively quick motorcycle. At 321cc it's only giving away 100 or so to the Ninja and at just 167kg is light and responsive. Available in three…

MOTUL CARE PACK WINNER…

LOOKING BACK In my 30+ years as a motorcycle journalist, the bikes have changed a lot, but the reasons for riding haven't – it's all about the buzz you get from being in the saddle. In the 1990s sportsbikes reigned supreme, with huge numbers of Fireblades, GSX-Rs and Ninjas being sold each year, until Yamaha came along with the R1 and stole everybody's thunder, at least for a while. But that may only have been because we couldn't afford a Ducati 916. Going faster and faster on public streets has become more and more fraught what with increasing penalties, more traffic and bikes which aren't really much fun to ride below 100 miles per hour though, which I think was part of the reason for the growth in adventure bikes,…

A new design, updates to almost all the major components and some additional tech including cruise control are the headline features of the 2025 Kawasaki Z900. From the 948cc four pot engine – now producing ‘a distinct intake note’ – offering smooth power delivery thanks to new electronic throttle valves to the IMU offering technological control over many aspects of the rider aids, the new Z900 is aimed at offering an exhilarating ride thanks to strong midrange and a quick-revving engine. There's still a trellis frame the bike is famous for, with new-for-2025 suspension settings, four-piston calipers and the latest Dunlop Sportmax tyres. The aggressive styling is set off by the new compact LED headlight and taillight plus brished aluminium side shrouds and plated parts. From the rider's perspective the…

The new Triumph Tiger Sport 800 won't get los of headlines, because it's not massively powerful, radically styled, built to be raced or likely to set the sales charts on fire… but from what we know about the bike we think it'll make a very good way to see Australia. Producing around 115 horses from its 800cc inline triple and weighing in at 214kg means it'll offer a decent turn of speed and the ability to cruise at speeds way over the limits we're allowed in this country. Its tech includes cornering ABS, quickshifter, Bluetooth connectivity, rider modes and cruise control. A middleweight crossover/sports tourer, the new Tiger Sport should handle as well as go fairly hard for a bike which isn't aimed at racetracks, yet is set-up to be…

If you're into something a little different, the 2025 Husqvarna Svartpilen or Vitpilen might be for you. They are the latest machine to run the midrange parallel twin from KTM, this time as a 799cc unit, and a departure from the earlier pilens, which were singles. There's a tubular steel frame, adjustable WP suspension, lots of electronic rider aids and that unique styling. If you're after and urban bike with dirt heritage in the styling, see your Husqvarna dealer. The Svartpilen is a little more flat-track in its style and execution, the Vitpilen a bit sportier.…

Versatile and built for street riding, Kawasaki's litre-class Versys has been with us since 2012 and the new model coming soon should be the best yet. An increase in capacity to 1099cc sees horsepower increase from 120 to 135, which makes it far more competitive with other bikes it competes with. Improved mid-range and top-end will see it more able to keep up if speeds escalate while the increased grunt makes highway cruising and overtaking effortless. The Versys 1000 has always been about comfortable long distance riding, and that continues with the new model. The upright riding position is comfortable all day, long travel suspension provides isolation from Australia's rough roads yet the 17-inch wheels contribute to sporty, quick-steering handling. The Versys features an updated quickshifter, cruise control, riding modes,…

Continuing to expand its range of 450cc based machine, CFMOTO has announced the 450CL-C, a Bobber which is light, compact, inexpensive and LAMS approved – and looks awesome! British design inspired and powered by a parallel twin engine,. the new Bobber features modern engineering in a very old world style. Featuring a long wheelbase design, floating soft-tail seat, high quaility paint and an excellent quality of finish, the 450CL-C is looking to take CFMOTO to the next level as a respected motorcycle manufacturer. The engine is familiar, being the basis for various naked, sports and even adventure bikes – a 270-degree parallel twin producing 41 horsepower and 42 NM of torque. Dual balance shafts and a belt final drive keep the ride smooth. Wieghing in at just 177kg and with…

Peter Dean has spent the last forty years searching for the ultimate bevel drive Ducati. For those who love bevels they are the ultimate motorcycle. Ducati stopped making bevel drive Ducatis in the 1980s… in this context ‘bevel’ means how the overhead camshaft with its desmodromic valve operation functioned, replaced by lighter, cheaper belts as time went on. Dean actually already owned a bevel, his 1978 900SS he'd owned for those forty years. Pete and his SS had done it all. Thousands of road miles, road racing when you could ride to the track, tape up your lights and then ride home. Honeymoon escapades, cracks at land speed records and daily use when his body could cope with it. Over those 40 years and 250,000 kilometres, many of Australia's bevel…

M can stand for Mental, Magical, Monstrous, possibly Magnificent, and in some cases Manic… All words that come to mind with any BMW M series machine. BMW offer the track focused M 1000 RR, the hypernaked M 1000 R; and from the… we just had to do it department… the M 1000 XR. We've not ridden the M 1000 RR, although I've had plenty of track time on the cheaper, but still impressive S 1000 RR; we tested the M 1000 R in issue 177 and found Manic a suitable descriptor (and meteoric, mad, masterful). It's basically a naked race bike with a number plate. The M 1000 XR however, tantalises with the possibility of usable on-street performance, comfort and decent track ability. This should drive its desirability to a…

Smooth is fast, fast is smooth. Riding a big adventure bike fast requires high level of skill and a lot of bravery, because pulling those sorts of bikes up when they get a little bit out of control isn't for the faint of heart. This is why so many of us have always wanted lighter adventure bikes, and in recent times the mid-range models from 700 to 900cc have been the big sellers. CFMOTO has been a player in that game, with its 800MT being a popular adventure tourer, but while being a good thing, it's no game-changer. The new 450MT… this bike might just be viewed, in the future, as a game-changer: it's already looking like being the best selling registered bike in the country for 2024, with both…

I was shocked, pleasantly shocked. Fifteen years has passed since I'd ridden Mt Lindesay Road from Tenterfield to Rathdowney and at the time, the section from Legume to Woodenbong was easily the worst sealed road I'd ever ridden. It featured 200mm high truck bumps… on a surface resembling a bitumen covered creek bed. I worried my wheels wouldn't survive the trip and vowed never to return. That didn't work out, the draw of stunning countryside and no traffic eventually pulled me back, where I found something almost unheard of… the complete rehabilitation of a rural road. WOW. We need more of it… Undulation had been replaced with flatness, narrowness with two proper lanes, and the prospect of a great run through marvellous countryside a possibility. The Mt Lindesay highway runs…

Built to automatically capture high speed adventures, then allow you to create ‘trip lapse’ videos while also providing protection and full 1080 HD footage at 60 frames per second (which allows for smooth slow-motion playback), the $579 Navman MiVue M820D has been designed by bike riders for bike riders. You can easily access, download, and share footage through the app and because it's wired into your bike, it's always ready. There's a handlebar mounted control box and there's a unique parking mode. The MiVue secures all impact footage on an included 64GB micro SD card. Available from: whitesmoto.com.au and your local dealer. MORE INFO NAVMAN MIVUE 820D MOTORCYCLE DASH CAM - FRONT & REAR CAMERAS https://links.roadrider.com.au/MiVue-182…

I'm writing this column in Nannup, a small town in the fertile south-west of Western Australia. Our retirement odyssey continues with a two-month trip tracing the coasts of South Australia and WA as far north as Perth. Yes, we're in our 4WD and camper trailer, but motorcycling is never far away. Unlike our Cape York adventure last year, we've seen lots of bikes on the road, particularly across the Nullarbor where there's no other route. Harleys reign supreme in the outback and if it were me I'd fit a car tyre on the rear as there aren't many corners. We saw lots of regular bikes doing a lap too, not just adventure models, and one plucky Asian dude with not much English riding a maxi-scooter. And then there were all…