Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue#134 - March 2017 i Australian Road Rider

“While the circuit will host top-level racing, it will be open to the public for a driving experience like no other, either in their own cars or in specially prepared track cars” A local contractor has been appointed to redevelop the Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia, formerly known as the Mitsubishi Motors Australia test track. The new road-racing facility will be 7.7km long, replacing the famous Mount Panorama’s status as the longest racing circuit in Australia. It is however dwarfed by Germany’s Nürburgring, which stretches to 24.4km at its maximum length. The intentions are to use the Bend Motorsport Park for GT racing, but there are also plans for the track to host national series such as Australian Superbikes and V8 Supercars, which will use a 4.9km version of…

“Luckily there was an aged pensioner there to help me get it back up. Otherwise I’d still be there” A big road trip tests a few things. It’s all very well running round for a coupla hundred kays and giving a test bike back without having to ever fill the tank. But we reckon you gotta try to really use and “live” with a bike, get the feel for it, then report with a degree of authority. There’s a few outlets in these here parts that might wanna take a bit of notice of that comment, but I don’t want to come off all bitter about that. No, instead, let’s look at the bike that they reckon is a game changer, in a market that offers quite a few choices…

Years ago, as a young bloke full of curiosity and energy, I took off with my motorcycle and camping gear and not much else, to ride from Sydney to Perth. There were family and friends who were sure I’d meet my end and perish in the wilderness; however, I didn’t just survive the trip, I loved every minute of it, and that experience set the foundation for a lifetime of riding adventures. There have been many trips since, but it’s been a long time since I ventured across the Nullarbor. So when I found out about the annual Border Run — a get-together at Border Village on the Western Australia/South Australia border — I immediately decided to do it. It is, after all, a road trip like any other —…

Overseas motorcycle travel is fun. Riding great roads, seeing ancient sites and experiencing different cultures becomes addictive. It all sounds romantic and wonderful, and it is, but there are traps for those who head off unprepared. Sure, being a little reckless and carefree is a big part of why we ride but to undertake the trip of a lifetime, it pays to do a little homework before you leave to avoid unnecessary hassles and maybe a night or two behind bars. There are great internet sites and books that can help you plan your big adventure but time and time again, I get asked about paperwork. We all know that “the job’s not done until the paperwork is finished”. We’ve heard that at work or, to do with personal hygiene.…

MOTOCELL LITHIUM GOLD BATTERIES Link International has just released the latest range of Motocell Gold batteries to the Australian market. The big deal with these things is that they are specially designed to be as light as possible (approximately one-third lighter than the equivalent lead acid battery) while still being durable no matter the conditions. The 12.8V battery features a tough nylon outer case, brass terminals with three-position multi-mount connectivity, an integrated LCD state-of-charge indicator and self-adhesive foam pads to reduce vibration. Price: $129 Visit: linkint.com.au PRO SERIES MULTI TOOL KIT Here’s a nifty little product that may just save your arse. It’s a 30-piece multi tool set that comes complete with an angle-head ratchet driver. The kit contains Phillips Bits, Poz Bits, E Star Sockets, Hex Sockets and more,…

“The weekend promises great dining and nightly entertainment with presentations about the latest releases, bike photography and much more” After a successful 2016 event in Jindabyne, Triumph has organised its next annual rally at the Hahndorf Resort in the Adelaide Hills. To be held on 7–9 April, the three-day event will include two days of planned cruises, demo rides on Triumph’s latest models, a show-and-shine and an “exclusive” merchandise pack for everyone in attendance. The all-new Bobber and Street Scrambler will be available to test ride, along with the recently launched Bonneville T100 and Street Cup. The weekend promises great dining and nightly entertainment with presentations about the latest releases, professional bike and helmet pin-striping, bike photography and much more. Attendees will have access to special guests including World Superbike…

So, you are on a budget that limits you to spending around $3000. Don’t despair, there is a range of options available in that price bracket. It’s fair to say that most of them are not the sexiest of choices, but they’ll get you on the road. We’ve put together a small group to let you know the sorts of things that are out there for that price. We’ve gone for a utilitarian, a small cruiser and a middleweight sports tourer. We’ve aimed at purchasing bikes that are known for their reliability — the last thing you want to do is have to spend money you may or may not have fixing up a bike that was intended to offer cheap motorcycling. They all have great parts availability, should you…

“All the paperwork in the world won’t necessarily give you a green light unless palms are greased first” Trying to cross an international border on a motorbike can be a stressful affair. There’s a voluminous amount of paperwork one needs to have in order, and zero tolerance for errors; one misplaced, incorrectly stamped or misdated document is all it takes to get rejected. But in South America where corruption is rife, all the paperwork in the world won’t necessarily give you a green light unless palms are greased first. So you can appreciate my trepidation as I leave squeaky clean Chile, one of the least corrupt countries in the world, and approach Argentina — a country where “payoffs, kickbacks and government corruption are considered part of everyday life,” according to…

To quote from George Orwell’s iconic book Animal Farm: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” All motorcycles are fun to ride in their intended purpose, but some are more fun than others. In the world of adventure bikes, the trailblazer in this category is BMW with its trademark horizontally opposed twin. The mighty GS range started out with a huge (for the day) 800cc engine that powered to victory in the 1981 Paris to Dakar with Hubert Auriol on board. The R series GS range has now expanded to 1200cc and puts out more ponies than any previous model. Sure, they’re very capable beasts, but some think they are just too big. As BMW expanded its capacity of the GS range, other manufacturers filled…

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 ACHING BAD G’day, enjoying the magazine, gets the mind wandering when I should be concentrating on work! I recently picked up a DR650 and am slowly getting organised…

VICTORY AND DEFEAT You’d have to have been in Siberia in a snow cave not to know that Victory Motorcycles has put its cue in the rack, mainly because it wasn’t selling enough bikes and was probably taking the Mother Ship in global giant Polaris’ corporate eye off the ball. It’s always sad when a brand goes under, but this one is especially so. You see, Victory was building good motorcycles. The Octane was a favourite here at ARR HQ. It lives on to some extent with the Indian Scout, but it was a hot rod with oodles of potential. So, we look back at Victory with a tinge of sadness and hope that all this results in more Indian product. Then it will not be all in vain.…

“The bike automatically enters what’s known as ‘balance mode’ when moving slower that 5km/h” Honda has revealed a bike that, quite literally, won’t fall over. It’s a self-balancing concept that was shown at the last Las Vegas CES show, and utilises technology from various other platforms including the famous ASIMO robot and the UNI-MO self-balancing scooter. Unlike a lot of gimmicky motorcycle concepts we’ve seen, this one, if it works as well as it seems to, could make navigating slow traffic much easier. The Honda will stay completely upright on its own, at standstill and at low speeds, and is said to achieve this without using heavy gyroscopes. The bike automatically enters what’s known as “balance mode” when moving slower that 5km/h. By extending the forks and front wheel, the…

No discussion of great motorcycle touring roads would be anywhere near complete without mentioning the Great Ocean Road (GOR). It is probably the iconic road for riders looking to tour in Victoria. The Great Ocean Road offers a permanent memorial to those who died while fighting in World War I. Carved in rock and built by returned servicemen, it winds around the rugged southern coast. It was a huge engineering feat ending decades of isolation for Lorne and other coastal communities. Almost 3000 returned soldiers worked on building the Great Ocean Road during the 13 years of its construction between 1919 and 1932, living in camps set up in the bush. It’s an incredible piece of construction and well worth investigation. There are many references and signpostings indicating how it…

Ride a Royal Enfield through the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, the Land of the Thunder Dragon, with ARR and World On Wheels in March 2017. We’re fulfilling a dream by booking a trip to Bhutan and we’d love you to join us and be part of the story. We’re teaming up with World On Wheels again, after riding with them many times when they were still called Ferris Wheels. We’ve ridden an Enfield in the Himalayas with them before, into Ladakh and Kashmir, and have wanted to return to this awe-inspiring part of the world ever since. The tour starts in Kathmandu with a scenic one-hour joyflight to view Mount Everest, and then the first few days are spent exploring Nepal. We cross the border into northern India to discover…

 “ Yet another Triumph in ARR” I canhear you say. Yes, it’s true that we have featured quite a few in recent times. There’s a very solid reason for that. The Hinckley (the reborn Triumph brand) mob have actually gone berserk lately, releasing no fewer than 10 new models in the last 12 months. Yep. 10. And the smart word in the corridor suggests there are more to come. “The place is bike-touring nirvana, and I ain’t talking the Cobain kind” Triumph is certainly in the game in a big way, recently expanding its Bonneville range, which now covers the new T120 and T120 Black, the Street Twin, the Thruxton 1200 and Thruxton 1200 R, the Street Scrambler and the Bobber. Now you can toss in the T100, T100 Black…

Shoei NXR Beaufighter TC-2 Lids. You’ll get people that swear by brands and never move from them. After all, if you are onto a good thing, stick to it, right? And, so it goes with Shoei. The brand has rusted-on buyers. And that’s mainly because it produces good product. Up there in the Shoei range is the NXR. The lid is available in a whole bunch of graphics and styles. Features include a fully washable and removable 3-D Max-Dry System interior, EQRS, which is an exclusive Emergency Quick Release System that allows emergency personnel to easily remove cheek pads from an injured rider’s helmet, and Pinlock Shield and insert. I like the Beaufighter graphic. When I got the thing, I was regularly riding my Norton. The target motif similar to…

“The Greeks are hospitable, love their food and, to top it off, are hosts to some of the best riding roads in the world” Workers must stand up for their rights. Unite and fight, I say. Really. So if the Greek ferry workers have to strike to protect their pensions from the ravages of government austerity and international banking profits, let them strike. And if their strike leaves me stuck on Crete for another day, I’ll suffer it. It’s a hardship I’ll endure for the sake of the workers. So I didn’t bitch about it when they cancelled my ferry back to the Greek mainland, delaying my departure by 24 hours. I simply booked another Airbnb house at the other end of the island, packed the Ducati and went for…

As the multi-millionaire publisher of Forbes magazine, Malcom Forbes (1919–1990) was derided by China and the USSR as a “Tool of the Capitalists”, even as he embraced motorcycling with his heart and soul. Malcolm came late to the party. He was in his late 40s when he first threw a leg over a bike. He’d fought in WWII at the Battle of Aachen, and received a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. He dabbled in politics, went hot-air ballooning, collected Fabergé eggs, threw killer parties and ran the family magazine. But his life was not complete until he bought a motorcycle dealership in New Jersey, which he turned into one of the most successful in the country. And so he became one of motorcycling’s greatest ambassadors. He went in to…

RIDDEN Honda’s Africa Twin has a lot to live up to. It’s an icon brand designation for the big H. Is this one the bike we all want it to be? Leechy jumps aboard to answer that very question. Also, our man Nigel Crowley puts Yamaha’s big sports tourer, the FJR1300 through the wringer, and we’ll give Indian’s Chief Vintage a thorough going over. A nice mix, right there. ON THE ROAD Isaac Oosterloo takes us on a big solo ride, filling us in on the stuff you need to think about when going on your own. There’s a tonne of good info there for those considering the long-distance trip. AND … A heap of other good reading from those who really know the game. Let us filter out the…