Innholdsfortegnelse for #376 20-09 i Just Bikes

The popularity of Harley-Davidson’s Softail Standard in the Australian motorcycle market defied trends and confounded critics. Years after the basic Softail model was discontinued from the US and other countries, local devotion to the model ensured it remained part of the Australian range. Last offered here in 2015, the Softail Standard was essentially replaced by the Softail Slim from 2016 onwards; its departure no doubt felt by longtime Softail fans. When the Dyna models were merged into the Softail range for 2018, most of those same fans probably figured the Softail Standard was gone forever, but now it’s back. Announced in February, the MY20 Softail Standard (FXST in Harley speak) doesn’t mess with what was a winning formula for Harley-Davidson in the past, with a simple package that’s ripe for…

The long-running fight between ATV importers and the federal government over safety standards for quad bikes has resulted in Polaris announcing they’ll stop selling ATVs locally from 11 October, 2020. The October date marks the introduction of Stage 1 of the ‘Consumer Goods (Quad Bikes) Safety Standard 2019’, which will see new ATVs subject to labelling and testing ahead of Stage 2 of the Safety Standard, which comes into effect from 11 October 2021 and requires all new ATVs to be fitted with Operator Protector Devices (OPD) – essentially a roll bar in the style similar to what was mandated for tractors several years ago. Originally drafted by the ACCC, the safety standards were challenged by Polaris, as well as Yamaha and Honda, who said the science behind the draft…

Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) will host an “art exhibition” with a difference later this year when ‘The Motorcycle: Design, Art, Desire’ comes to the gallery. Modelled on the hugely successful ‘Art of the Motorcycle’ exhibition first held at New York’s Guggenheim Museum in 1998 and subsequently held in Chicago, Las Vegas and Bilbao, The Motorcycle will bring a similar combination of motorcycling history and culture to GOMA this November. Curated by Professor Charles M. Falco and Ultan Guilfoyle (both of whom curated The Art of the Motorcycle), in collaboration with GOMA, The Motorcycle will feature more than 100 motorcycles, drawn from private and public collections around the world. Queensland Art Gallery / Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) Director, Chris Saines, says the exhibition will cover more than 150…

After 30 years of operation, the Binalong Motor Museum is set to close this April. While the closure of the museum isn’t a good thing, it will see most of the display vehicles go to market in an auction event conducted by Donington Auctions & Sales. PURPOSE BUILT If you’ve never heard of it, the Binalong Motor Museum was founded in 1990 by Stuart Sanders, a retired surgeon, and John Fitzpatrick, a retired solicitor, and was borne from their shared interest in vintage and classic cars and motorcycles. Located 35km north-west of Yass in central NSW, the purpose-built museum housed the shared collection, a restoration workshop and was augmented by well-kept outdoor grounds. It may have been small, but the museum packed a lot in, with a focus on British…

With all the rules we have to endure, as well as the prospect of nearly getting squashed by phone distracted drivers, I start getting bored of riding on the road every now and then. I think about starting a new hobby, but just can’t seem to stray away from riding a motorcycle, so giving trail riding a go seemed to revitalise my love of bikes. And I’ve found the perfect beginner’s bike to do it on - the Kawasaki KLX230. JOINING THE FAMILY Kawasaki’s current off-road range spans a dozen different models, from the KLX110 automatic all the way up to the KLR650 that’s been the steed for countless long-distance adventures. Combine Kawasaki’s offerings with the off-roaders from other manufacturers and it can get a bit confusing to uncover what…

Following Polaris Industries’ decision in January to switch to an entirely independent dealer network and close their four company-owned Indian Motorcycle dealerships in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, that network has now been expanded. On 13 February, Polaris announced they had entered an agreement with publicly-listed company MotorCycle Holdings Ltd to retail the Indian Motorcycle brand through six dealerships in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Australia’s largest motorcycle dealer group, M/C Holdings Ltd owns more than 30 dealerships, mostly under the ‘TeamMoto’ banner, in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and the ACT. In 2017, M/C Holdings purchased several Harley-Davidson dealerships, as well as motorcycle accessories wholesaler Cassons and their MCAS retail operation. “We are very excited to be partnering with Australia’s premier retailer of motorcycles, MotorCycle Holdings, as we write the…

In response to the coronavirus outbreak, the season-opening MotoGP race at Qatar was cancelled, with the second round at Buriram postponed to October for all classes. Qatar already had travel restrictions in place in February, which MotoGP officials were trying to negotiate exemptions for, but when the country’s first case of the coronavirus was reportedly announced on 29 February, those restrictions were immediately expanded, meaning anyone flying direct to Qatar from Italy (and other countries) or having spent time in Italy in the past fortnight would be subject to an automatic 14-day quarantine period. Obviously, the new restrictions made the round unfeasible for MotoGP, as all Italian arrivals would still be in quarantine on the round’s 8 March race date, even if they left Italy on the day of the…

While not part of the Binalong Motor Museum collection, another consignment has been added to this auction in the form of a rare 1934 Harley-Davidson Model R. Introduced in 1932, the Model R replaced the Model D from 1929 and was offered in low-compression (R), sidecar (RS), Sport (RL) and high-compression Special Sport (RLD) forms, all powered by an improved version of the same 45ci ‘flathead’ v-twin that had been introduced on the Model D, matched to a three-speed hand-shift transmission. When the Model R arrived, Harley and the US motorcycle industry in general was at its lowest ebb. The Great Depression saw motorcycle sales plummet, with Harley-Davidson sales hitting their lowest point in 20 years. Fortunately, the Model R could be produced relatively cheaply and priced accordingly, which proved…

Custom choppers based on BSAs, indeed any British bike, are a rare sight. Café racers, yes, bobbers, sometimes, but choppers, no. As such, when a BSA-based chopper pops up, it attracts attention. Such was the case with the example pictured – Hard Luck - a BSA Thunderbolt 650 twin that was spotted by JUST BIKES at the 2019 All British Rally. KERANG RESCUE Although this bike was purchased by Dave North in 2016 and the build completed only last year, its history as a custom chopper goes back much further – back to the 1970s, in fact. Dave’s a product of Kerang in northern Victoria and it turns out this bike was, too. “A local guy I knew had it in town 42 years ago,” Dave explained. “It was parted…

A new option from Harley-Davidson for 2020 is a factory-installed custom paint scheme that combines a two-tone finish with the classic Harley ‘Number One’ logo on the fuel tank. The ‘Patriot Special Edition Two-Tone’ is available in Billiard Red and Stone Washed White or Billiard Blue and Stone Washed White. Each combination features a wide white central stripe down the fenders, fairing and fuel tank, with the classic ‘Number One’ logo in red and blue on the tank, rising out of a white base. The tank itself is in the style of the latest CVO models. Subtle Harley-Davidson identification features on the lower section of the saddlebags, while the saddlebag latches are colour-matched to the paint. The Road Glide Special’s standard gloss black ‘Prodigy’ spoked wheels are unchanged. Backed by…

The 2020 version of Yamaha’s MT-03 naked has arrived, with new-look styling, all-new instrumentation and revised suspension. As previewed in JUST BIKES #371, the MY20 MT-03 is the most altered version of Yamaha’s entry-level, LAMS-legal maximum torque model since it debuted here in 2016. Leading the raft of changes is the styling - which Yamaha call ‘Dark Lightning’ – that’s a big departure from the 2019 model, but follows changes applied to the larger models in the MT range. The most obvious difference is the headlight, which replaces the existing angular shape with a ‘mask’ that features LED DRLs as ‘eyes’ above the LED main headlight ‘mouth’. The shroud for the instrument display is now more closely integrated into the headlight surround, too. The fuel tank and air intakes have…

The classic bike community has lost one of its champions in Tony Blain, who passed away on 20 February after a brief battle with cancer. A stalwart of the classic motorcycle – and particularly classic Harley-Davidson – community, Tony’s love of antique bikes started in his youth. In the years that followed, he would amass a collection of bikes, parts and memorabilia, with that passion leading him to a related venture in semi-retirement. For many in the classic Harley fraternity, Tony is best known as the man behind Redfern Motor Parts. Tony started as a regular customer (of what was ‘Redfern Motorcycles’ back then), visiting on a weekly basis seeking parts for his antique bikes. That sparked a friendship with the owners that led Tony to purchase the business and…

Before the start of the 2020 MotoGP season, Marc Marquez re-affirmed his commitment to Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) by signing to race the RC213V for four more years. The new deal will see Marquez remain with Honda to the end of the 2024 season. In an era when single and two-year signings are the norm, Marquez’s four-year contract is unusual, but reflects he and Honda’s determination to continue what’s been the most successful association in the modern MotoGP era. “I am very proud to announce my renewal with Honda Racing Corporation for the next four years,” Marquez said in announcing the new deal on 20 February. “Honda gave me the opportunity to arrive in the MotoGP class with a factory bike in 2013. Since the first year we have achieved…

An annual institution for British bike fans, the All British Rally® is set for another big year in 2020. Presented by the BSA Motorcycle Owner’s Association (BSAMOA), this year’s 44th annual All British Rally® (ABR) is scheduled for 24 – 27 April and will continue the successful formula that has made it the largest all-British motorcycle rally in the southern hemisphere. For British bike buffs, every ABR® is heaven, but this year’s 44th rally is tipped to be a special one, as the BSAMOA are introducing new elements aimed at giving rallygoers more bang for their buck. NEWSTEAD BASE As with past ABRs, Newstead in country Victoria (approx. 140km northeast of Melbourne) will be home base for the event. The Old Newstead Recreation and Racecourse Reserve will be the hub…

NSW APRIL, FRIDAY, 3RD, 2020 INVERELL MOTORCYCLE RESTORERS CLUB INC. RALLY Open to Veteran, Vintage, Historic & Classic Bikes. Contact Garry 0431 190 964 or email Judy greeks54@bigpond.com MAY, SATURDAY, 2ND, 2020 GLOUCESTER MOTORCYCLE EXPO 2020 Gloucester Motorcycle Expo is a small community based Expo put on by the local Rotary Club to raise money to go towards motorcycle safety in the area and other community related things. There will be Trade Stands, a Show & Shine and a Swap Meet, Vintage Motocross racing, Band Saturdy night. Website: www.gloucestermotoexpo.com MAY, SUNDAY, 10TH, 2020 16TH ANNUAL SWAP MEET Hosted by Rotary Club of Leeton Inc. Gates open to site holders 6.00am. Outdoor sites $15.00 6m × 6m. General Public from 7.30am, gold coin donation. All enquiries to Lindsay 0437 710 141…