Innholdsfortegnelse for #363 19-09 i Just Bikes

Building on the success of their Mercury 250 and Nemesis 400 models, Sol Invictus Motorcycle Co. have released a new addition to their LAMS-approved family – the Apollo Café Racer. “Since our inception in 2013, Sol Invictus have been committed to developing and delivering LAMS approved, classically styled motorcycles to the Australian market,” said Sol Invictus Brand Director, John Benton. “The Apollo Cafe Racer represents the next step for us and heralds the next phase of the company.” That “next phase” includes the use of EFI and selectable ABS on the Apollo, both of which are firsts for bikes in the Sol Invictus range, with the new model also featuring a disc rear brake and electric-only starting. While elements like the 400cc air-cooled motor and cradle frame from the Nemesis…

An all-new and all-cool motorcycle event - the ‘Dirt Daze Weekend’ – is set to make its debut in Victoria this April. The brainchild of the Kustom Kommune, Melbourne’s community motorcycle workshop, Dirt Daze Weekend combines anything-goes motorbike racing with beers, bands, camping and good times. Event founder Jimmy Goode said Dirt Daze Weekend will be the moto-festival the Victorian motorcycle community has been dreaming of. “We’re aiming to relive the days of blasting around the park on our BMXs – popping wheelies, doing terrible burnouts and just running amok,” Goode explained. “Dirt Daze Weekend will create an atmosphere that takes us back to those glory days, with an exciting but safe atmosphere that screams ‘have a crack’, while bringing together like-minded people to have a rad time.” A genuine…

After being out of motorcycle manufacture for almost three years, Erik Buell is back, lending his name – sort of – to ‘Fuell,’ a new “electric mobility brand.” A joint venture between Buell, Alfa Romeo F1 team principal and founder of Spark Racing Technology Frederic Vasseur, and entrepreneur Francois-Xavier Terny, Fuell is described as a “new urban mobility brand that brings back the pleasure of city riding.” The founding idea of Fuell is to offer a complete selection of what the company calls innovative, electric and attractive two-wheelers that cover the needs for urban “macro-mobility” - city journeys that require a personal vehicle to cover distances greater than three miles-replacing cars and public transportation. Unveiled in March, the initial Fuell range is split between the ‘Fluid’ and ‘Flow’ models. The…

Two bikes deserve two opinions, right? That’s why I asked Jimi Swan for his take. Jimi’s a Royal Enfield tragic and runs the RE Bullet enthusiast site (reb500.com), so he has lots more knowledge on the brand, its bikes and its history than I do, so over to you, Jimi… FIRST IMPRESSIONS The first thing I noticed about the new twins was their size. The frame looks to be an extension of the incumbent RE Continental GT 535, but around 10 per cent bigger. The instrument cluster, bars and tank are a modern acknowledgement of the Interceptor and Continental GTs of the 60s and look amazing. Both models have high quality seats and controls, and the chrome finishes are on point. There is absolutely nothing that says ‘Oh hang on,…

An annual institution for British bike fans and the largest all-British motorcycle rally in the southern hemisphere, the All British Rally is set for another big year in 2019. Presented by the BSA Motorcycle Owner’s Association, this year’s 43rd All British Rally (ABR) will follow the formula of past ABRs, with Newstead in country Victoria (approx. 140km northeast of Melbourne) to be the hub for the weekend-long campout, massive British bike display, regional rides, swap meet and the chance to win a classic Matchless G80! This year’s ABR runs from Friday 26 to Sunday 28 April, with gates opening at the rally hub - the Old Newstead Recreation and Racecourse Reserve – from 12 Noon on the 26th. There’s plenty of campsite space at the racecourse reserve, with showers and…

After adding more and more features and more and more tech to their range, Harley-Davidson have taken a step back with their latest release – the Electra Glide Standard – that strips some of the tech and uses traditional colours and finishes to create a tourer that’ll be more familiar to older riders. Described as “a salute to the authentic Harley-Davidson touring experience,” the Electra Glide Standard is essentially a Street Glide Special that retains that model’s overall bagger-style look, but removes some of the standard features of that model and adds some styling elements from the more traditional Road King. The main change is the removal of the Boom! Box GTS infotainment system. Losing that package - that includes a full-colour TFT screen, dual 6.5-inch Boom speakers, USB outlet…

When this bike, a 1938-model BMW R51, was delivered new to Australia, we were less than a year away from war with Germany. It’s a sobering thought, and given the sentiments of the time, it’s surprising this bike survived. But survive it has and that survival is only part of this bike’s story. 32 TO 51 BMW – Bayerische Motoren Werke – is best known today for their cars and motorcycles, but the Munich-based firm started as an aircraft manufacturer, specifically military aircraft for what was then Kaiser Wilhelm II’s Imperial German Flying Corps. After the end of World War One, the Treaty of Versailles barred BMW and other companies from manufacturing aircraft, so alternatives were sought and BMW – eventually – settled on motorcycles. Their first attempts failed, but…

Even before this year’s opening round of the FIM Motul World Superbike Championship kicked off, there were plenty of changes to look forward to and talking points to discuss. The new three-race format for World Superbike was the major change, with new Superpole rules coming in to effect for both World Superbike (WSBK) and World Supersport (WSS) this year, too. There were new bikes lining up on the WSBK grid and new faces joining both categories, as well as familiar faces popping up at new teams. Of course, all these changes would debut at Phillip Island, with the international categories joined by a national support programme that included Australian Superbike, Australian Supersport and Australian Supersport 300. In what proved to be perfect weather conditions, a three-day crowd of 53,633 saw…

In a Shannons auction that included classic and collectable cars, heritage number plates and more than a dozen motorcycles, a classic Vincent Black Shadow was the top-selling bike. Held on 4 March, Shannons Sydney Autumn Auction attracted a diverse range of bikes, including a rare veteran, as well as post-war British classics and iconic BMW and Honda models. The Vincent on offer was a 1953 Black Shadow Series C. As has been well documented, the Black Shadow was the fastest production motorcycle of its time, with 125mph (200kph) speeds achievable from its 998cc air-cooled v-twin. That performance saw the Black Shadow achieve a number of speed and endurance records, both nationally and globally. The Black Shadow on offer in Sydney was complete and, presumably, in running condition. Described as having…

Owners of Kawasaki’s classic Z1 900 and Z2 (aka Z750) may soon be able to buy reproduction cylinder heads, thanks to a “heritage parts” initiative announced by the motorcycle manufacturer’s parent company, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (KHI), in March. While the four-cylinder 900cc/1000cc Z1 is one of the great classic motorcycles and enjoys a devoted following globally to this day, the Z2 is much less well known, being a 750cc, Japanese market-only model. To support the ongoing popularity of these models, Kawasaki will start remanufacturing cylinder heads to suit both. The initial commitment is to produce just 1,000 copies of these cylinder heads and only offer them to the Japanese market, but this total may increase and overseas sales may be added if the demand is there. A dedicated sales…

In the Bullet, Classic, Continental and Himalayan that Royal Enfield have released here to date, the growth in the model range has reflected the evolution of the brand, but the common thread running through all the “new” Royal Enfields has been the single-cylinder engine. That’s now changed, with the first twins in the modern, Indian-owned era of Royal Enfield finally released locally after first breaking cover in 2017. The switch to a multi-cylinder engine, as well as a larger capacity bike in general, is a change Royal Enfield needed to make. Based on my impressions at the recent launch test for the ‘Interceptor 650’ and ‘Continental GT 650’, it’s a change that’s been executed with exceptional success. TWIN ORIGINS OK, brand purists will know that a twin-cylinder bike bearing the…

So here I was, with a disassembled bike in Ceduna, five days into a trip that was only supposed to last five days in total. But here I was still 1,300km short of my goal. I was having one of those ‘seemed like a good idea at the time’ moments - ride my 67-year-old Triumph T100 from Western Australia to the All British Rally in Victoria – but all I could think of at the time, with a broken bike and an almost broken spirit, was that Ceduna was HOT! THE IDEA… AND MAKING IT A REALITY To backtrack a little and explain how this crazy idea started, my first plan wasn’t to actually ride my 1951 Triumph T100 from Perth to Newstead for the 2018 All British Rally (ABR),…

1 MACNA ‘TRACE’ MEN’S GLOVE Link International linkint.com.au Another new addition to Macna’s summer glove range, the Trace features a combination of premium neoprene and spandex construction for maximum comfort and functionality, while still offering good levels of protection. Padded knuckle and finger sections, a R.I.S.C. polyurethane wrist slider and an ergonomically-designed one-piece thumb and forefinger panel feature, as does a Velcro fastening strap. The Trace can be had in black/grey or distinctive black/white with red detailing. Available in sizes S-3XL, the Macna Trace men’s glove is $69.95 RRP from good bike gear retailers. 2 IXON SPRINTER AIR JACKET Ficeda Accessories ficeda.com.au Suitable for Aussie summers, Ixon’s Sprinter Air textile jacket features extensive ventilation and great breathability, but to cope with sudden summer downpours, there’s also a removable waterproof membrane.…