Your adventure. Our policy.

As a motorcyclist, you know that bike riders are different. It’s the open road, how it
feels to be at one with your machine and the freedom to go your own way.
QBE shares your love of motorcycles. It’s why riders across Australia have trusted
us for over 35 years to look after themselves and their bikes.
QBE Motorcycle Insurance policies aren’t just packed with benefits, they are highly
competitive. Call our specialist team on 1800 24 34 64 and ask for a ‘Price Beat
Guarantee’ quote today, or visit qbe.com/au

We guarantee to beat our competitors price on motorcycle insurance policies excluding our Platinum Cover. The guarantee also applies to existing QBE motorcycle insurance policies that are on renewal.
Price guarantee is based on our standard price compared to competitors price for policies with the same type of insured events. Offer valid for the first 12 months of insurance, after this premium will be
charged at the competitive QBE standard rate. We only guarantee to beat the price of APRA authorised insurers who hold an AFSL issued by ASIC. Guarantee does not apply to any free offers of insurance.
Insurance is issued by QBE Insurance (Australia) Ltd. ABN 78 003 191 035. AFSL 239545. To decide if a policy is right for you please carefully read the PDS which is available at qbe.com/au or by phoning us
on 1800 24 34 64. Price beat guarantee only available on full comprehensive motorcycle insurance. Not available on CTP.
 A NEW HAT IS AS GOOD AS FRESH RAIN – MEGA NEW HELMET LISTING

R U A R Y 2020
FEB
EL MAP
O R C Y C L E T R AV
N M OT
STRALIA
O U T AU
E I N S I D E: TEAR-
FRE

DIVE
TRIUMPH ON IN
IT’S TIME TO
RESTORE
Triple RS THAT
JJUS HOW GOOD CA
CAN CLASSIC
THE STREET GET!
YAMAHA LET’S
NIKEN GT SCOOT
WHAT MAKES AROUND
A GOOD PEUGEOT
TOURING BELVILLE
BIKE? 200
CFMOTO
650GT
AUS $9.95 (Inc GST)
NZ $10.95 (Inc GST)
GET MORE FOR LESS
0 2

TRAVEL: GET ROUTED ON YOUR OWN / TRAVEL: MASCHINE

340798 000228

DOES THE ADRIATIC / TRAVEL: THAI EXPLORING / POTM: THE

GODFATHER AT DENNY / MAP: EURO INSPIRATION FOR 2020
BORIS: LOOKING INTO THE CRYSTAL BALL / BEAR: GOOD TIMES / STUART: BANG!
9
 “NO ONE KNOWS YOUR

Shannons insurance is for motoring enthusiasts just like you, with features like:
„ Choice of repairer „ Agreed value „ Multi-Vehicle & Multi-Policy discounts
„ Flexible coverage for bikes that are laid up, being restored, or at club events
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Call Shannons on 13 46 46 for a quote on your special bike, special car, daily drive, or your
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Join the Shannons Club today! Get connected and

share your passion - shannons.com.au/club

INSURANCE FOR MOTORING ENTHUSIASTS |

Shannons Pty Limited ABN 91 099 692 636 is an authorised representative of AAI Limited ABN 48 005 297 807, the product issuer. Some benefits only apply to comprehensive vehicle cover.
PASSION LIKE SHANNONS.”

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CALL 13 46 46 FOR A QUOTE | SHANNONS.COM.AU

Shannons has not taken account of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Read the Product Disclosure Statement before buying this insurance. Contact us for a copy.
CONTENTS
“My hats did give me an
identity. In fact, if I had
a dollar for every time
someone has seen me
bareheaded and said, ‘I
almost didn’t recognize
you without a hat on’, I
could have bought the
Cowboys myself.”
TOM LANDRY

14
SPECIAL FEATURE IT'S LOVE,
BABY!
HELMETS
40 Get recognised by your
new helmet

TESTING

14 TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE RS

-XVW VR JRRG LW·V ORYH DW ÀUVW VLJKW

52 CF MOTO 650 GT
More for less

64 YAMAHA NIKEN GT
Tours just like a touring bike

80 PEUGEOT BELVILLE 200

Fun scooting

TRAVEL

24 ADRIATIC DELIGHTS
All aboard the Maschine

PUB OF THE MONTH FLY LIKE

56 Edward River Hotel at Denny
A BIRD IN
A NEW HAT
72 THAILAND TOURING

40
Magical wonders await

GET ROUTED
84 As a Euro virgin

TEAR-OUT MAP

50 COL DE TURINI
Some inspiration for 2020

TECHNICAL
CUSTOM
68 Busted Knuckles are good

COOL BIKES

24
91 Sweeping across the country

6 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
 64
A TOURER ON
THREE WHEELS

92 USED & ABUSED

Oh yes, oh yes!

97 RESTORING TIME
Dive in and get that
beauty looking like new

MORE GREATNESS

08 EDITORIAL
No oil means, bang!

NEWS
10 Stick your nose into it

WHAT SAY YOU?

105 Xmas cheer

NEW BIKE PRICES

109 Nothing better than a shiny new bike

BEAR FACED
112 Good times

BORIS
114 The future

97 BARNFIND,
NOW RESTORE IT!

Australian Motorcyclist

Australian Motorcyclist Magazine

Australian Motorcyclist Magazine

@AusMotrCyclist

50
Please enjoy Australian MOTORCYCLIST
A EURO Magazine responsibly and add this issue
MAP! 2020 to your collection. MOST BACK ISSUES ARE
STILL AVAILABLE; just visit the website
INSPIRATION www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au or drop us
a line to contactus@ausmotorcyclist.com.au

www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 7
 EDITORSPEAKS
Roll on

Editor Stuart Woodbury
Contributing Editor J Peter Thoeming
Sales Manager Ralph Leavsey-Moase
ralph@ausmotorcyclist.com.au
Photo Editor Nick Wood
Designer Amy Hale
Photographers Nick Wood
Photography, Half-Light Photography
Contributors Robert Crick, Jacqui
Kennedy, Robert Lovas, Boris Mihailovic,
Chris Pickett, The Possum, Colin
Whelan, Bob Wozga
Editorial
contactus@ausmotorcyclist.com.au
Subscription enquiries
www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
info@ausmotorcyclist.com.au
Printer
PRINTED IN AUSTRALIA
Distributor Gordon and Gotch
Australian Motorcyclist Magazine is published by
Australian Motorcyclist Magazine Pty Ltd.
Suite 4b, Level 1, 11-13 Orion Rd, Lane Cove West
NSW 2066 Phone 0412 220 680.
This publication is copyright. Other than for
the purposes of research, study, criticism, review,
parody or satire and subject to the conditions
prescribed under the Copyright Act 1968, no part
of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted without the prior
written permission of Australian Motorcyclist
Magazine Pty Ltd. Opinions expressed within this
publication do not necessarily represent those
of Australian Motorcyclist Magazine Pty Ltd. No
responsibility is accepted by Australian Motorcyclist
Magazine Pty Ltd or the editor for the accuracy of
any statement, opinion or advice contained in the
text or advertisements. Readers should rely on
their own enquiries in making decisions tailored to
their own interest.
I
HOPE EVERYONE has
recovered from the busy
Christmas and New Year
FHOHEUDWLRQV,DOZD\VÀQGLWFUHHSV
XSVRIDVWHYHU\\HDUDQGLW·VWKHQD
mad rush to get everything organised.
For those who bought or received
DQHZPRWRUF\FOHIURP¶6DQWD·²
congratulations, for those who have a
QHZPRWRUF\FOHRQWKHKRUL]RQ²,EHW
\RXFDQ·WZDLW
Did you get out for a ride over the
Xmas/New Year break? I got out
IRUDOLWWOHSOD\LQWKHGLUWDV,ZDV
ULGLQJWKH<DPDKD6XSHU7HQHUH,W
ZDVQLFHWRJHWRXWIRUD¶VFHQLF·ULGH
and not worry about anything too
much. Riding out in the bush with
no one else around seems to have
that calming effect.
)RUPHLVTXLWHH[FLWLQJ,KRSH
WRGRDELWRI WUDYHOOLQJÀQLVKWKH
Z900 A4 restoration and I certainly
FDQ·WZDLWWRULGHPDQ\RI WKHQHZ
motorcycles that were shown in the
last issue from EICMA and let you
NQRZZKDWWKH\·UHOLNH
From my last editorial I told you
KRZWKHHQJLQHLQWKHUDFHELNH7KH
Beast) decided to go bang. I have since
SXOOHGLWDSDUWDQGWKHFDXVHLVDUHDOO\
ZHLUGRQH7KHPHVKVFUHHQRQWKH
RLOSLFNXSIRUWKHVXPSVRPHKRZJRW
VXFNHGXSLQWRWKHKROHDQGVWDUYHG
the engine of oil. Number three
conrod got hot and let go.
As you can imagine this has caused
quite a bit of damage internally, but in
DZD\,·PNLQGRI OXFN\DVWKHGDPDJH
LVQ·WDVEDGDVZRXOGEHH[SHFWHGZLWK
WKLVW\SHRI OHWJR7KHHQJLQHFDVHV
survived but the crank and barrel are
ÀQLVKHGDVLVQXPEHUWKUHHSLVWRQDQG
number three set of valves.
,VWXPEOHGDFURVVDEORNHLQWKH$&7
ZKRKDVDKHDSRI )=5HQJLQHV
VR,SLFNHGXSPRVWRI ZKDW,QHHGDQG
VRPHVSDUHVDVWKHSULFHZDVWRRJRRG
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where I can get hold of a money tree it
ZRXOGEHDSSUHFLDWHG/2/
I now have to get onto Crower Cams
LQWKH86DQGSXUFKDVHWKHFRQQHFWLQJ
URGDQG:LVHFRIRUWKHSLVWRQ6KDXQ
DW'0RWRKDVVRPHQHZSODQVXSKLV
sleeve to make the engine even better
WKDQLWZDV²WKLVKDVVWDUWHGZLWK
WKHVSDUHFUDQN,DOUHDG\KDGEHLQJ
lightened in a different design to what
ZDVLQWKHHQJLQH,FDQ·WZDLWWRKDYH
it back in the bike and running. Its
next outing will be the International
)HVWLYDORI 6SHHGLQ0DUFK
(QMR\
Cheers, Stuart.

*Recommended retail price

Copyright © Australian Motorcyclist Magazine Pty
Ltd ACN 161 432 506 ISSN 2201-5442

We encourage you to keep or

recycle this magazine.

8 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
 find out more at:

mvagusta.com.au
*Promotion applies to dealer in-stock models only, not applicable on forward orders, limited edition or demonstrator models, promotion not
valid in conjunction with any other offer. Units must be delivered between 01/01/2020 – 29/2/2020. “free on roads” includes dealer delivery,
stamp duty, and registration costs only. Models available will vary between MV Agusta dealers. For further information contact your local dealer.
news
TO THE EXTREME
Getting your hands on a Metzeler
calendar can be quite difficult to put
it mildly, but when you do it’s like
receiving gold, only better. For 2020,
Metzeler offers the “Extreme 2020”
calendar paying homage to those mad
men involved in the world of extreme
enduro. There is also the “Classic 2020”
calendar which showcases images of
yesteryear rarely if ever seen before.
The print run is limited to 5000 copies,
so you’ll have to beg, steal or borrow to
get your hands on either one.
BE CONNECTED
Triumph introduces a whole new
generation of motorcycle connectivity
designed to deliver an enhanced rider
experience with a host of class-
defining connectivity features. The
new My Triumph Connectivity System
is available now for the Scrambler
1200 XC, Scrambler 1200 XE, Rocket
3 R, and Rocket 3 GT.
The core functionality of the
‘My Triumph’ app includes the
following features:
• Records your route, at the end of
your ride displays a summary of
your journey and allows for it to
10 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
be shared with friends.
• Allows for live navigation, built
with Google, on the Triumph
motorcycle’s TFT instruments.
• Monitors the status of the bike,
presenting key information
such as odometer, average fuel
consumption and time/distance to
service.
The accessory My Triumph
Connectivity System includes: My
Triumph Connectivity module,
software update for the My Triumph
Connectivity module, and software
update for the TFT instruments.
Price of the module will be $295
plus fitment kit and installation cost -
installation takes about 60 minutes.
See your local Triumph dealer now and
get connected.
LORD HUMUNGUS
WOULD BE PROUD
Those crazy Pols at Game Over
Cycles have created a Yamaha Niken
that would fit right into a Mad Max
movie. Rather than give the bike a
name as GOC usually do, they wrote
“Courage to set higher goals without
fear of failure” (失敗を恐れず、もう一
段高い目標に取り組む). This is located
on the radiator. The work gone into
transforming the ugly into the weird
took quite a bit of work – all the plastic
parts, bodywork and so on were formed
out of aluminium and most of the bike
polished, plus loads more. Check it out
at www.gameovercycles.com
TWO TIMES THE FUN
For 2020, the fifth year of ‘KTM
Australia Adventure Rallye’ will see
two events take place – with the
“Queensland Ranges” from May 23rd
to 29th and then “South West WA”
from October 9th – 15th 2020.
Both rallies will feature a 6-day format
that will focus on offering riders a
truly remarkable experience exploring
either South East Queensland and the
Wide Bay / Burnett regions or the
Southern Forests region of Western
Australia – for both states it is the first
time they will host a KTM Australia
Adventure Rallye.
Open to Orange Adventure Riders
with the following KTM adventure
bikes eligible: 390 Adventure, 640,
690, 790, 790R, 950, 990, 1050,
1090, 1090R, 1190, 1190R, 1290 and
1290R models. The Rallye is tailored
to suit a wide range of rider abilities,
from those in their first few years
of adventure riding up to seasoned
NEED HELP WITH
INSURANCE?

CALL NEIB ON
1300 812 877
NEW ENGLAND INSURANCE BROKERS PTY LTD
ABN 82 071 530 839 AFS LICENCE NO 244247
NEWS

7KHNLWFRPHVZLWKHYHU\WKLQJ
you need to mount the Atlas
on many different motorcycles.
3ULFHGDWMXPSRQWRZZZ
URFN\FUHHNGHVLJQVFRPDXWRSXUFKDVH

LUXURY AT ITS FINEST

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WRXFKWRVHFXUH\RXUVSRWKWWSV
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‘LOCK’ IT IN
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LVWKH$WODV7KURWWOH/RFN&ODLPHG
to be the most universal and intuitive
throttle lock ever made, it is designed
by motorcyclists for motorcyclists.
It is made of hardened stainless
steel and will last the life of
your motorcycle.
So, what is this black chunk
RII PHWDO"O" :HOOLW·VD
mechan nical cruise
contro ol, more
comm monly known
as a thhrottle lock.
´7KURWWOHORFNµ
caan be a little
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m
ecause this
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acctually “lock”
e throttle of
youur motorcycle.
If you missed out on securing one of
$*9·VDPD]LQJ/HJHQGVKHOPHWV\RX
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luxurious leather helmet bag. Priced
at $90 it is designed for the AGV
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the throttle from rotating freely.
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and the throttle housing. It has two
buttons, one to engage the unit the
other to disengage it.
You can override the Atlas at any time.
When you have it engaged you can
LQFUHDVHRUGHFUHDVH\RXUVSHHGE\
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ZLOOXVHWKH%RWWRP.LWEXWVRPH www.linkint.com.au .
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work exactly the same way, the only ROLL ON
difference is where it mounts on the Fresh news just in is the historic
WKURWWOHWXEH²5RFN\&UHHN'HVLJQV LPSRUWODZVKDYHMXVWEHHQFKDQJHGLQ
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any throttle tube diameter, Now, what bike would look good
IURPµWRµ in the garage? D

12 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
LaUnCH

TRIUMPH
Street Triple
Three layers of goodness
WORDS RALPH PHOTOS IKAPTURE

14 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 15
laUncH

M
y firSt bite into the
Street Triple cake was in
its 2007 675cc form. It was
known as the mini-me version of the
bigger bore Speed Triple and both
became solid identities in the naked
hooligan market. I sold my Daytona
675 (moving on to something bigger)
and I remember some fantastic rides
as I reacquainted myself in 2014
with the peppy Street Triple. The
underslung muffler replaced the dual
underseat version and the fantastic
curvy roads of Tasmania beckoned
on a press junket. It seemed perfect
for the job at the time, apart from
some much-needed extra mid-range
drive, which would have been nice to
have down on the island’s roads.
The next layer of the gateaux, with
the 765cc engine, ran from 2017 until
now and didn’t fall into my hands. To
be honest, after owning a couple of
Speed Triple 1050s the ‘little’ engine
and smaller size weren’t on my radar.
With the 2020 version, Triumph
has spent an obvious amount of
developmental time, and more
importantly has linked the engine
with the Moto2 effort where it is
the exclusive powerplant supplier
to the class. That means, and you

16 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
laUncH

can certainly feel, this Gen-2 765

is both powerful and extremely
refined in fuelling, as well as having
a near-perfect clutch, gearbox and
final drive operation. Triumph runs
its own variation of the engine
modes with settings for Road, Sport,
Track, and Rain. There is also a
Rider mode which offers some
personalised tuning of the modes
and settings although there is no
hope of switching off the ABS to
the excellent front Brembo M50’s. All
this is controlled via a mode button,
the joystick placed on the left-hand
switch-block, and the new TFT dash.
I wasn’t the only one frowning while
trying to work out the dash layout
and small, pretty graphics. Did I hear
someone mutter ‘get your eyes tested,
hippy’? Did someone else say ‘it’s
infinitely adjustable once you learn’?
For the tenth time this year - did I not
request a primary school kid to be at
these presentations for advice?
Still, by the time you wrap it out in
2nd and use up all of the available
121hp (90kW) the Triumph message
will be loud and clear. With its light
weight and instant response, the
compact Street RS is like bringing
a lithe world champion kickboxer
to a street brawl. It punches power
and seamless drive from off idle to
its maniacal top end. Apart from

18 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 19
laUncH

the insane amount of acceleration,

your helmet will be filled with one
of the best aural crescendos ever.
The triple makes more of a shriek
than a V-Twin or a V4, even more
forcefully. Blend in the quality quick-
shifter (works better than most in the
upshift) and there were moments of
pure ecstasy. Triumph said it is much
louder for the pilot compared to the
last model. My tinnitus agrees.
Torque is the thing on the road,
especially on the twisty route our
ride leader, Steve Martin, took us on
day one. The advantage the last 765
had over the 675 was around a 12%
increase in punch. The MotoGP
inspired refinement has increased
the figure an extra 3% but the real
gains have been from new exhaust
cams and improvements to the inlet
ducts. The factory also spent time
and resources on reducing rotational
inertia by precision machining and
mass reduction.
Results? Another 9% right where
you need it in the mid-range and
again you can feel it. I did a quick
swap over to the ’19 model and the
performance and ride were chalk
and cheese. For no added increase
in sticker price it’s amazing. The
available and added drive out of
tight 2nd and 3rd gear corners
demonstrates the improvements.
As good as the engine is, the real
value for money and the highlight
of the bike is in the handling. Top
shelf Showa BPF (Big Piston Forks)
suspend the front and an Öhlins
STX40 shock controls the rear. I
don’t recall a more stable, intuitive,
put-it-where-you-want-it and take-
whatever-you-throw-at-it road bike
ever. Every Ducati, Aprilia, BMW or
Japanese bike I remember were either
compromised by weight, too much
power or some quirkiness in the
handling. Triumph has the balance
just right. Even the upgraded seat was
great for our 400-kilometre first day.
As a naked road bike, the Street
Triple RS is the recipe for enjoying
an engaging ride, relying on you to
try and extract the very best out of
yourself and the machine. It doesn’t
take too much input to be rewarded

20 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
LAUNCH

ZLWKDVXSHUHDV\IDVWRUVORZULGH of the RS. Under heavy braking

,WLVQ·WIDLUWRVD\WKHWULSOHEX]]HV or maximum throttle out of the
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does a small amount if you are SDVVDEOHLQVXUIDFHRUWHFKQLFDOLW\
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is a little on the short side, since
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bike there is no need to chase 260+
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middle size streetfighter. At 20km/h
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track with ease.
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you get through a whole day without
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task, holding its own against all but TRIUMPH STREET
UDFHSUHSSHGPDFKLQHU\(YHQVR TRIPLE 765 RS
it was still the fastest (just for a few
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ZD\WRJRIURPWRWRSVSHHG WKHWUDFN7KHXSULJKWULGLQJSRVLWLRQ PRICE: $18,050 (plus on roads)
<RXFDQFRQÀGHQWO\OHDYHWKH ZLWKWKHUHDVRQDEO\KLJKUHDUVHWSHJV WARRENTY: Two years,
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will take care of most indiscretions. WUDFNVOLNH:DNHÀHOG,WKLQN3KLOLS SERVICING INTERVALS: Every
I did a monster wheelie which I Island would be a windy struggle.
10,000km or 12 months
ZDVQ·WH[SHFWLQJRQWKDWVHWWLQJDQG 7RFORVHWKHGRRURQWKH7ULXPSK
7ULXPSKZDVDGDPDQWFRXOGQ·WEH 6WUHHW7ULSOH56LVWRDGPLW\RXQR ENGINE: Triple cylinder, 4-stroke,
done. Maybe there was a little Moto2 ORQJHUHPEUDFHWKHSRVVLELOLW\RI D liquid-cooled, DOHC, 4-valves
channelling going on but it did motorcycle that goes around corners BORE x STROKE: 78mm x 53.4mm
WHPSHUP\VWUDLJKWOLQHHQWKXVLDVP ZLWKDOOWKHSRLVHRI DQ2O\PSLF DISPLACEMENT: 765cc
'LGQ·WVWRSDQDEVROXWHEUDLQVRXW J\PQDVWDQGVWLOOSURYLGHVWKHLQVDQH COMPRESSION: 12:5:1
ULGHXS0W*ORULRXVIURPWKH fun of a larrikin comic. POWER: 90.4kW @ 11,700rpm
ZHVWHUQ6RPHUVHW'DP/DNH ,W·VQRWGLIÀFXOWWRVHHWKHYDOXHRI D TORQUE: 77Nm @ 10,800rpm
:LYHQKRHVLGH,KDYHQ·WULGGHQWKDW new motorcycle that is easy to tootle TRANSMISSION: 6-speed, wet
VHFWLRQRI URDGEHIRUH,WZDVDPRMR LQWUDIÀFWRRIIHUDQDEVROXWHEODVW
multi-plate assist/slipper clutch,
making ride in which I discovered on scratcher roads and even to be a
trust in the chassis, electronics and belting good thing on the racetrack. chain drive
WKH3LUHOOL6XSHUFRUVDV :LWKD9HQWXUDUDFNDQGSDFN, SUSPENSION: Front, 41mm USD fork,
ZRXOGQ·WKHVLWDWHWRKDYHDEODVWGRZQ fully adjustable, travel 115mm.
WRWKH6XSHUVIURPDQ\LQWHUVWDWH Rear, Monoshock, fully adjustable,
TRACK TIME VWDUWLQJSRLQW,WKLQNQRWKLQJFRPHV travel 131mm.
‘Drive, drive drive and brake, brake close to it in the under $20,000 mark DIMENSIONS: Seat height 825mm,
EUDNH·VXPVXSP\WLPHRQWKHWUDFN, (on road) when you factor in the weight 166kg (dry), fuel capacity 17.4
GLGQ·WVSHQGDOOP\WLPHSRXQGLQJP\ 6WUHHW7ULSOH·VWRSVKHOI HTXLSPHQW litres, wheelbase 1405mm
XQGHUXVHGNQHHVOLGHUVLQWRWKHWUDFN and quality build. It is a tight, good
TYRES: Front, 120/70/ZR17.
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QRUGLG,DVNIRUDQ\SUHIHUULQJWKH FKDUDFWHU7KHLFLQJRQWKHFDNHLV Rear, 180/55/ZR17
VZLWFKWR7UDFNPRGHDQGFOLFNLQJWKH that your imagination can run wild FRAME: Twin spar aluminium beam
front master cylinder adjuster to the DQG\RXFDQZLQD0RWRUDFH with a two-piece die-cast subframe
VOLJKWHUELJJHUERUHVHWWLQJ7KLVJDYH Naked. See, you can have your BRAKES: Front, dual 310mm discs
ÀUPHUEUDNLQJLQWRWKHÀUVWPDMRU cake and eat it. D with four-piston radial monobloc ABS
WXUQDW/DNHVLGH7KHVSHHGQHHGHG calipers. Rear, 220mm disc with single
WREHZLSHGRII IURPNPKWRD piston ABS caliper
UHDVRQDEOH7KHVWHHULQJGDPSHU
takes care of the second gear wheelies
Fresh L A M FUEL CONSUMPTION: 5.5 litres per
100km, premium unleaded
across the elevation change out of the
THEORETICAL RANGE: 320km
EXVVWRSDQGWKHUDSLGJHDUFKDQJH Exciting news is there will also be a
leading on the main straight. COLOURS: Matt Jet Black/Yellow or
new LAMS version in 660cc form, Silver Ice/Red
'HVSLWHWHQVHVVLRQVLQ&KHDW
DWRI P\ROGWUDFNSDFH,ZDV coming soon.
KDSS\ZLWKWKHFRPSRVXUHDQGDELOLW\ VERDICT: BEST OF EVERYTHING

22 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
traveL

Maschine
InTellIgence
sharing the love on an adriatic
adventure WORDS/PHOTOS MASCHINE

24 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 25
T R av e l
W
e love europe. We
love riding bikes off-road.
We love riding bikes on
narrow twisty bitumen roads. We love
exploring new places. We love eating
good food. We love seeing places of
great natural beauty. We love sharing
good times with good people.
With this in mind, our 2019
Maschine Adriatic Adventure tour
along the Adriatic coast of Europe
was promising to be a smorgasbord of
good times. Highlighting our “to do”
list on the 15 day tour was attending
the KTM Adventure Rally Europe
26 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
which for 2019 was based in Bosnia
and Herzegovina. Now, as for most
Aussies, our knowledge of Bosnia &
Herzegovina as a country was pretty
limited and most of us would be hard
pressed to point to it on a map of the
globe. Nonetheless we were keen for
adventure and going to the KTM Rally
seemed like a damn good excuse to
check out some new countries.
MUNCHEN IN MUNICH
Our tour was to begin in Munich,
Germany. We had a group of five
riders joining us with Trudi being
the organiser of men and amazing
accommodations and myself acting as
chief navigator and lead rider.
Our first dinner in Munich was
taken at an awesome beer garden,
Hofbraukeller. The meal, as expected
in Germany, consisted of meat and
potatoes with one single tomato as
sole contribution to non-carbohydrate
or protein food source. Our waitress,
dubbed “Euro Rachel”, was rather
forceful as she tried to stuff Jeff ’s
mouth with his uneaten potatoes. It
would appear leaving potatoes on your
plate is a sin in Germany!
SADDLE UP TO SALzBURG
Roberto our trusty driver arrived on
schedule in front of our Munich hotel
at 9am to transport us and our gear
bags to Austria. For anyone who has
not been on a German Autobahn it
can be somewhat surreal seeing cars
racing along at 200km/h or more.
What can be even more surreal is
being in a Mercedes Sprinter van
loaded up with 7 riders and all their
luggage barrelling along at 160km/h
without a problem!
Gunter is our man in Austria and
once again he had our fleet of KTM
rentals primed and ‘Ready To Race’
when we arrived at his workshop.
Two riders would be 1290R mounted
with most of us choosing the new
790 Adventure R and Trudi on the
790 Adventure.
Try as we might to organise a KTM
factory tour through our contacts
we came up short. Never mind, the
newly opened Motohall in Mattighofen
served our purpose well and satisfied
our lust to learn about the orange
brand. KTM Motohall is an incredible
new building dedicated to showing
off KTM’s heritage. There was a
fantastic display of race bikes and
accompanying mannequins of riders
wearing their full race suits including
Toby Price and his 2016 Dakar
winning 450 Rally.
In amongst the great display of
production bikes I came across an
interesting one which was the “KTM
Ponny II”, being the largest selling
bike for KTM in its history. A scooter!
It rolled off the production lines for
25 years and for many years it was
built in Rome.
Arriving in Salzburg that evening
we arranged a dinner to catch up
www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 27
T R av e l
with a couple of staff from KISKA,
KTM’s design partner. It was great
opportunity to chat with them
about the development cycle of
the 790 Adventure.
INTO THE ALPS
It’s a long way from Austria down
south to Bosnia and Herzegovina and
we had some rather large mountains
to cross before we would glimpse the
azure waters of the Adriatic Sea.
Our first mountain pass was a
stunner too with a beautiful road
out of Salzburg over Kehlstein near
Eagle’s Nest. Eagle’s Nest was one
of Hitler’s hideouts during WWII
and commands stunning views. This
road was so smooth it would spoil us
a little but was a great introduction
to the twisting roads to come over
the following days.
One of the most famous mountain
passes in the European Alps is
the run over Großglockner, which
was windy (and windy!) but warm.
Although riders must pay a toll to
enjoy this road, it is so worth it with
beautiful smooth tarmac and great
views. Sadly, no cute little marmots
were around this year.
Traversing over Plocken Pass into
Italy our one night in the country
would be spent nestled in the eastern
end of the Dolomites mountains
in the little village of Sappada. It
sits at an attitude of 1,250m but is
surrounded by peaks towering up to
heights of over 2,400 metres.
Being out of their busy ski season,
this village didn’t have much open, but
barkeep Andrea was an excellent host
and fed us grappa after our couple
of starter beers. “Gianduia” which
is made with sweet chocolate spread
was my favourite grappa, tasting like
Nutella! We promised Andrea we
would be back after dinner if he kept
the bar open for us.
Our walk to the restaurant was
reasonably long but was made
considerably longer by the staggering
going on from some riders. This was
going to be a tough tour if this pre-
dinner drinking pace was going to
be sustained! Food helped to get us
straight again.
28 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
True to his
word Andrea
kept “Enoteca d
Franz” open for
us. Andrea runs
the family bar
and a couple of
mates Eddi and
Stefano dropped
in too. A series
of local grappas
was subsequently
sampled,
working our
way up through
the alcohol
percentages (or
“degrees” as
Andrea termed
it) until we
arrived at the
mother of all
rocket fuels. “Bin Laden” was the
name given to the lethal shot served
Join in
out of a massive oversized AK47
bullet casing. It was quoted as being 70 Maschine is an Australian-based tour
“degrees” and after one “taste” no one
operator which runs a variety of tours.
could deny the strength. Sore throats
and rough voices were the norm for If you like the sound of what the great
the next morning! folk there have to offer, get in touch and
ADRIATIC BOUND join their next tour. www.maschine.
After making our way out of the com.au . Trudi: +61 414 844 984 or
steep-sided mountain valleys towards
Nick: +61 428 023 057
Tolmezzo in Italy’s north and crossing
the flats of the Tagliamento river,
we headed back into the mountains
towards the Slovenian border. This
was a very interesting tight little road It was decided over the intercom
that progressively got tighter and before arriving in Tolmin that a lunch
narrower, with an almost non-existent stop should be in order. On the way
border crossing greeting our arrival into town we passed over a bridge with
into our fourth country of the tour. stunning iridescent blue water below
This road would have been great fun tumbling over rocks that beckoned
in a go-kart but was equally fun on our strongly to us. A sign advertising food
KTM adventure bikes! was the clincher that sealed the deal
Our first road section into Slovenia and a quick multi-bike u-turn was
bought us out into a lovely valley performed with precision and back
before climbing up along the Kolovrat over the bridge we went.
Mountain range to some war ruins The turquoise blue water of Tolmin
from the Isonzo Front of 1915. A river was frigid cold having not long
series of trenches and tunnels was melted off the nearby mountains.
scattered along the hillside creating In spite of the bracing cold it was
refuges for soldiers defending their irresistible and stunning. So clear. So
country. Certainly, the mountain top blue. This would be the first of many
afforded brilliant views down to both swims on our tour.
Slovenia and Italy. Once the chills turned into the
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T R AV E L

feeling of stabbing needles on

our legs, we decided it was time
for lunch. Now that we were in
Slovenia and moving into the
Baltic country meat must be on the
PHQX&HYDSLFLLWZDV0DWFKHG
beautifully with French fries and
Coca Cola it went down a treat
right next to the river.
7KHZHOFRPHVLJKWRI WKH$GULDWLF
6HDVLJQDOOHGRXUDUULYDOLQWKH.UN
Island region of Croatia with an
amazing bridge across the waterway.
Many said our stay at Villa Margaret
ZDVWKHLUIDYRXULWHRI RXUWULS$
VPDOOERXWLTXHKRWHOSHUFKHGULJKW
on the Adriatic Sea with nothing
EXWDVZLPPLQJSRRODQGDQROLYH
grove to distract us from the view
of the Adriatic.

GAME OF THRONES
TERRITORY
Yugoslavia is a country name that
H[LVWVQRPRUHRQZRUOGDWODV·DV
a result of the ethnic war that was
waged in this region during the
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that have not been rendered over.
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*RVSLFDQGDSSDUHQWO\LWVWLOOKDVQ·W
fully recovered.
:HZRXQGRXUZD\XSWKURXJK
a lovely beech forest and into an
DPD]LQJNDUVWPRXQWDLQSDVV
As we were climbing through
WKHURFN\ODQGVFDSHDPLOLWDU\
DWWDFNKHOLFRSWHUZDVKRYHULQJ
DQGÁ\LQJRYHUKHDGVRPHZKDW
disconcertingly. We checked that
RXUSDVVSRUWVZHUHFORVHDWKDQG
MXVWLQFDVHWKH\ODQGHG
:RZ'XEURYQLNLPSUHVVHG7KH
Croatian city has been written about
in glowing words many a time,
and for good reason. Its ancient
walled old city is a delight for any
tourist, and we were no different.
7KDQNIXOO\7UXGLGLGPDQDJHWRJHW
WKHSKRWRVKHZDQWHGRI WKHFLW\
IURP´WKDWVSRWµWKDWKDVIHDWXUHG
LQVRPDQ\SURPRWLRQDOLPDJHV

30 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 31
T R av e l
BOOGY ON TO BOSNIA
It became blatantly obvious after we
had crossed over the border that we
had passed into another country as
Bosnia somehow felt a little more
like the Wild West. Bosnia and
Herzegovina is not part of the EU and
it kind of shows. Cars were suddenly
coming at us on the wrong side of
the road. The roads were quite a
bit rougher. Some of the towns we
passed through had far too many
men hanging around the bars in the
middle of the day.
Nevertheless, it is a country
of great natural beauty with the
stunning gorge we passed through
a tall testament to that.
We rode the final few kilometres
to Bjelasnica, a ski field just out of
Sarajevo which would be the home
of the KTM Adventure Rally for the
next four nights. We rolled into the
village which looked not unlike an
Australian ski village, except there
was a horde of bright orange vehicles
clearly marked KTM in town. It
has buzzing with activity as a cool
RedBull truck housing a DJ and
sporting massive speakers was belting
out the metal. With riders from so
many countries speaking so many
languages it was an assault on our
senses and a buzz to be part of.
KTM ADvENTURE RALLY
With 150 riders in attendance from
21 countries it is a hive of different
cultures. Our group of 7 Australians
(plus one Adam Riemann from
Motology Films) made our country
the third-highest represented behind
Germany and Italy. We were pretty
proud to make such a statement from
afar! Thankfully for us, the English
language is the standard spoken at the
Rally and so it was easy for us to get
the hang of what was going on.
Our route for Day 1 was only
about 138km but it delivered some
wonderful terrain and scenery. We
rode through a small village with
huts straight out of a ‘Lord Of The
Rings’ film. We went off-piste in a few
sections and simply rode across, and
up the mountain slopes. It certainly
gave a feeling of freedom being able
32 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
to
pi
ri
th
B
we saw along the trails that reminded
us of where we were included a
pair of naked mannequins perched
up on a stone wall absolutely
riddled with bullet holes.
As I stopped to take my photo a
creepy thought came through my
head and I looked over my shoulder
just to double check the gunmen
weren’t still perched across the other
side of valley waiting to get a more
challenging shot. Thankfully, all was
clear, so I quickly grabbed my photo
and got the hell outta there!
We were told earlier in the morning
we would be visiting a canyon and
soon we descended into a deep valley
that had sheer drops of what looked
like a few hundred metres pretty much
straight down. At the bottom of the
valley was the stunning Rakitnica River
Canyon with the water running crystal
clear over boulders. An ancient stone
bridge at the bottom of the valley was
the perfect place to stop, strip off and
try out the frigid water.
Day 2 of the KTM Rally would take
us south-east of Sarajevo towards
Nacionalni Park Sutjeska. More
sublime landscapes were to greet us
and probably the gnarliest section of
the Rally with a rocky bastard of a
track that was mostly 1st gear, with the
perched in a spectacular grassed valley
with a massive tarn at the bottom. We
took a few photos at the top before
riding off-piste down the hills towards
the RedBull truck which was again
pumping out the metal tunes over
lunch. As unnecessary as the music
was, it didn’t overpower the vibe with
big long tables laid out on the alpine
meadow giving us a beautiful natural
amphitheatre to enjoy our lunch.
Our final Rally day had just 156km
planned, taking us to the northern
side of Sarajevo but what a surprise
day it turned out to be! Sarajevo was
the host city for the 1984 Winter
Olympics and it was amazing to see
how much infrastructure still lay
around the hills.
During my research for this trip I
had read about an old bobsled track
that existed in the hills just outside
Sarajevo. I was determined to see it
during our time here, so I had asked
our guide Alberto about it earlier
in the week. He told me to keep it
quiet, but we would be visiting it
later in the Rally. That satisfied me
and I didn’t give it another thought,
until we got to a stunning lookout
over a Sarajevo where I saw a sign
with an image of a bobsled.
Some pointing and waving by
 It’s not where you’re going ...
It’s how you get there.

The modular luggage

system for all motorcycles.

Photo by Barnabas Imre

VENTURA is available from your favourite motorcycle store. For more information about VENTURA
products visit www.kenma.com.au email: sales@kenma.com.au PH : 1800 251 145
T R av e l
Sarajevo police and one KTM staff
member directed us towards the
concrete chute where the KTM staff
had formed a dodgy looking ramp
made of timber pallets up over the
sides of the luge channel and down
into the groove. It suddenly sunk
in. I was going to ride a KTM 790
Adventure R, up a bobsled track, in
Bosnia! Surreal.
Do a YouTube search for
“bobsledding KTM” and you’ll see
what a laugh it was!
SLOG TO SLOvENIA
The KTM Rally was over but our
Adriatic Adventure was only half done.
Our group size had increased by one
for this next leg of the trip as Christoph
from KISKA was joining us for the trip
back to Austria. Christoph is a product
planner with KISKA in charge of the
adventure segment, so he was keen
to hear input direct from a group of
Aussie riders.
We fitted the pannier boxes back onto
our bikes and made our way north-west
out of Sarajevo with our overnight
destination all the way across Bosnia
and Herzegovina back in Croatia.
34 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
We were up extra early the next day
at 5.30am. Not for a walk, but for a
ride into the unknown. Zeljava is the
location of a former Yugoslavian air
force base that now lies abandoned,
as there is no more war to fight. Sadly,
there is no more Yugoslavia either.
After the war it was decided to
make the base inoperable by blowing
up both the runways and the tunnel
network. In spite of 56 tonnes of
explosives being detonated inside the
hangars the tunnels buried deep in the
mountain remained largely intact.
This Baltic region of Croatia and
Bosnia and Herzegovina is well
known for still being home to an
extraordinary number of unexploded
land mines. The road ran out into the
end of a runway where we turned left
and passed through thick growth on
the side of the roads, which did a great
job of hiding some sizeable buildings.
As tempting as it was to wander
off the road and explore through
the buildings, the posted reminders
about land mines were plenty enough
warning to stick to the sealed surfaces.
Off to our left the runway stretched
out over several kilometres into the
morning mist, blending out of sight.
To our right the runway disappeared
into the mountain with an oddly
shaped concrete entrance. The reason
for the oddly shaped entrance with its
tall triangular peak in the centre was
to allow the tail of aircraft to pass
through into the hangar tunnels.
The allure of riding into the tunnels
was irresistable but once inside it
quickly became rather eerie and
daunting. Just inside the entrance
the atmosphere was thick with
mist. Scanning the tunnel lit by our
headlights revealed a chamber of solid
concrete. The floor was broken in
places leaving gaping metre wide holes.
The roof was mostly smooth except
where the oddly shaped blast doors
had been blown apart by explosives
in an attempt to collapse the tunnels.
All the explosives had succeeded in
doing though was making the steel
reinforced concrete into a warped and
twisted wreck that looked like an alien
was coming out of the ceiling.
We made our way towards the light
and out one of the other entrances
which revealed another runway
stretching out well into the distance
T R av e l

with trees encroaching in on the sides.

The length of the runway was
something like 2.5km and this clear
distance was far too tempting for us,
so a series of speed runs and wheelie
practice ensued. We figured it was
time to clear off the base before
the local constabulary was called to
investigate the source of noise from
the airbase. Maybe locals might have
thought the strip was being used by
military aircraft again!

BREAKFAST IN SLOvENIA,
LUNCH IN ITALY, DINNER
IN AUSTRIA
Today was the day that made us all
vow to return to Slovenia. It’s simply
stunning. A mix between the neat
ordered prettiness of Austria and
the relaxed rustic charm of Italy.
Somehow Slovenia achieves a great
balance in between. Many riders in
our group said that Slovenia was the
hidden gem of Europe.
Soca River is a super popular
Slovenian rafting spot in summer and
the water looked so damn inviting.
Absolute postcard pretty stuff. We
will definitely be coming back to Soca
Valley on future tours. Just beautiful.
Our Austrian friend Christoph took
us to an Italian trattoria for lunch
in Travisio that he had promised
to take his girlfriend to. Instead he
got to share a romantic lunch with
a ravenous group of meat hungry
Aussies! Trudi was the one female
consolation for him. The food was
amazing with beautiful antipasti of
local salami & cheeses.
After lunch Christoph said “Auf
Wiedersehen” to make his way back
home to Salzburg but not before
telling us about “Nockalmstrasse”, a
wicked piece of Alpine road just over
the border in Austria. It is a favourite
stretch of road for KISKA staff and
in fact the original 790 Adventure
photo shoot was done there. The
12 Euro price of admission to
Nockalmstrasse was well worth it.
Considering it has a beautiful smooth
surface and there was something like
40 hairpins curves to negotiate that
calculates out to .30 euro per hairpin.
Money well spent!

36 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
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T R av e l
After the twisty good fun, we did a
short blast up the motorway towards
Salzburg before peeling off to the
ski fields region of Wagrain. Trudi
once again excelled in her choice
of accommodation with a luxury
ski lodge perched on the side of a
mountain looking down a pretty valley.
Everyone in our group vowed we
would return to our hotel in Wagrain
for some winter skiing action with 25
ski runs accessible with the one ticket,
38 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
and it’s basically ski in – ski out.
Our last day on tour but we still had
many adventures ahead. We took a
transport up the motorway to Salzburg
as we had an appointment to visit
KISKA headquarters. To explain
KISKA is a challenge. They research
& design product then define and
execute the marketing messages for
this new product. The interesting thing
is, KISKA is a third party company
separate from KTM that also does
work for many other brands on
various products such as alpine skis,
binoculars, cars, bicycles, lawn mowers
and even water bottles!
Last year we were super fortunate in
being able to tour through the design
studio downstairs where the clay
models are carved out and sketches
become three-dimensional reality.
Sadly, this year the studio was out of
bounds because there were too many
sensitive products being worked on.
 Our time in Austria was nearing the
end so we said our goodbyes to our
KISKA friends and headed north out
of Salzburg to return our rental bikes.
A check of the odometer revealed we
had travelled over 3,000km through
Europe and my 790 Adventure R had
performed faultlessly.
BEERS IN THE BUS
We shook hands with Gunter our rental
man and said “so long” until 2020
and then climbed back in the bus with
Roberto our driver. A quick stop off
around the corner at a roadhouse and
we were stocked and ready for the drive
back to Munich. It’s really handy when
service stations sell 500ml cans of beer
and bottles of Captain Morgan!
By the time we rolled back into our
hotel in Munich we were well and truly
primed for dinner. In fact, so well
primed that none of us finished the 1
litre steins of beer we ordered to go
with our sausage and schnitzel dinner.
We said our goodbyes, but for Jeff
and ‘The Captain’ the European
adventure was only halfway done, as
they would be joining Nick and Trudi
again in four days’ time for our Pinnacle
Passes tour of Italy and France. One
could get used to this lifestyle!
Our Adriatic Adventure was an
awesome one. As one rider said, “I
did things that weren’t even on my
bucket list”! D
www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 39
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road ahead.
GT-AIR II – from $949.90
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42 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
ILEUHIOLSXSKHOPHWZLWKLQWHJUDWHG
communications and featuring
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Rainbow Iridium, making this helmet
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SCHUBERTH ,I \RX·UHORRNLQJIRUD´-HWµRSHQ
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C4 PRO CARBON - $1200 modern design, look no further.
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www.agvhelmets.com.au

C4 PRO
Swipe Yellow

C4 PRO
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K-5 SV BIRDY - $399
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helmet which is sure to be a hit with riders who Voted Best Helmet – 12 years in a row!
want to be noticed.
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SPORT MODULAR LAYER - $1099
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www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 43
S P E C I A L F E AT U R E
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race helmet, the Pista GP R, and
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includes both the shell and the
chin, results in a modular helmet
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linings on this helmet have also
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designed with a Shalimar fabric
on one side to be used during
the cooler months and a Ritmo
fabric on the other side which
is great during the hot Aussie
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cool. Brand new for 2020 is the
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of the helmet.
44 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
Helmets
PISTA GP RR – from $1699
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GP race helmet Pista GP RR has
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new Pista GP RR exceed the FIM
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racers all over the world.
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standards the Pista GP RR also
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further negating the weight of
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with the ability to create that
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further customise the individual
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Neckroll, Crown Pad and Cheek
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AX9 - $799
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helmet, the AX9, combines
lightness, comfort and
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regardless of the adventure,
the AX9 has you covered. A
design focus for the AX9 was
its modularity, which allows
four different configurations
to suit any riding conditions
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and visor for long days in
the saddle touring on the
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visor to be used without the
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highest safety standards, and
the Integrated Ventilation
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large front intake vents and 2
rear extractors, which ensures
the rider can ride in comfort
regardless of the conditions.
Stunning new colourways
released for 2020 includes the
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www.nitrorider.com.au
X562 Uno - $109
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comfort lining that is removable
and washable, and also features
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F350 ANALOG SATIN BLACK
GUNMETAL - $219
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SELECT EDGE
MOTORCYCLE
ACCESSORIES
AUTHORISED CORBIN DISTRIBUTOR
“The Corbin name is synonymous
with quality, handcraft
motorcycle saddles worldwide”
N2300 Rogue Junior - $149
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N2300 gets twin integrated front
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micrometric buckle for ultimate VKHOOZLWKDQWL89SDLQWDQG
sales@selectedge.com.au
www.selectedge.com.au
(03) 9467 7622
www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 45
S P E C I A L F E AT U R E
dynamic air regulation system,
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resistant visor, internal sun visor
and removable nose guard.
Micrometic retention system
with removable and washable
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ECE homologation. Available
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Race colourways.
FULL FACE HELMET –
MULTIROAD - $329
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resin shell. Double Visor with
clear external visor & retractable
internal sun visor. Emergency
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ECE homologation. Available
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KLIM
www.adventuremoto.com.au
KRIOS – $845
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and unrivalled acoustical and
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TK1200 – $945
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helmet design and setting a
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$PHULFDWRLQWHJUDWH.RUR\G
materials and construction.
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E30 - $179.95
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for every riding occasion with the
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DUCATI
www.ducati.com.au or your
local dealer
CORSE SPEED 2 - $1365
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2 helmet designed by Drudi
Performance exclusively for Ducati
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unmistakably Ducati DNA.
CORSE SBK 4 - $919
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sturdy and lightweight, the VAS
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to the face, and the removable
and washable interior offers great
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Drudi Performance exclusively for
www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 47
s P e c I a l f e aT U R e
Ducati, immediately recalls the
atmosphere of the racetrack and
the colours that make the hearts
of Ducatista around the world
beat faster.
DUcATi 77 - $949
The Ducati 77 line, which takes
its name from the year in which
Giorgetto Giugiaro created
the iconic logo for Ducati that
appears on the apparel, is a
contemporary reworking of the
style of that time. The Ducati
77 helmet designed by Drudi
Performance based on the Arai
Renegade V is specific for use
on naked bikes with an upright
riding position. The outer shell
is made of SFL fibre while
the inner shell is made of EPS
with differentiated density. The
interior in antibacterial, washable
fabric, the VAS visor with a
wide field of vision, and a high-
performance ventilation system
combine to offer high levels of
comfort and safety.
DARK RiDeR V2
ece - $665
The Dark Rider V2 helmet,
based on AGV’s K-5 model,
offers a design that is minimalist
yet always current and
appreciated in the Ducati
collection. The fiberglass and
carbon shell guarantees both
48 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
Helmets
durability and lightness, while the
removable, washable, and
antibacterial-treated inner liner
provides great comfort. Extremely
comfortable and practical thanks
to the internal sun visor. Its
dimensions reduced to a
minimum, the aerodynamic and
slender shape of the shell and
the integrated ventilation system
ensure great stability even at
high speeds. Designed for
sport touring.
X-liTe
www.ronangel.com.au
X-903 Ultra carbon -
$699 > $849
X-Lite’s X-903 has a carbon fibre
shell with a multi-density EPS
damping system for low weight
and high safety. It is compatible
with Nolan’s integrated N-Com
Multi-Media systems, and features
a 5-year warranty, VPS Tinted
Internal Visor with an Ultra-Wide
eye port and a Pinlock Anti-
Fog insert, Eyewear Adaptive
padding, and NERS cheek pads
for emergency removal. The LPC
Liner Positioning Control lets you
to easily adjust the height of the
helmet liner.
iNDiAN
mOTORcycle
www.imcaustralia.com or
our local dealer
ADVeNTURe
HelmeT - $380
100% fiberglass outer shell; EPS
inner shell, fixed lining, weighs
1250g, detachable cheek pads
and sun peak, D-ring closure,
goggle fastener at back, Bluetooth
compatible and available in
sizes S-2XL.
ReTRO FUll FAce - $350
A retro-look full face helmet
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WITH
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M1 PRO

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SUZUKI
www.suzukimotorcycles.com.au or your local dealer

M1 PRO
Glossy White

M1 PRO
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curtain included, ERS (Emergency Release System) and a
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www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 49
t e a r o U t m a p #8 4
cOl De TURInI
How the french do it
T
hiS iS our firSt
international map if you don’t
count occasional excursions to
New Zealand, and I thought I’d
choose one of my favourite roads to
conclude Volume 7 of our – and your
- magazine. The Col de Turini was
nominated as the best road in the
world by the Top Gear team until
they drove the Transfăgărășan in
Romania, but they were on four
wheels so that doesn’t count. To me,
this road exemplifies everything I
love about mountain roads: a
selection of exciting and varying
corners, spectacular scenery, a decent
road surface, somewhat marginal
safety to keep you on your toes and a
50 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
WORDS/PHOTOS THE BEAR
pleasant destination at the top.
You can ride the pass going down,
but as usual I prefer the uphill run
which in this case is south to north.
There’s plenty of interesting
downhill riding when you get to
the other side, mind you, so that
run and the reverse are hardly
a disappointment.
COL DE TURINI
At the top of the pass, a little group
of hotels caters to the traveler and
to the crews and drivers of the
regular car rallies. My choice would
be the outstandingly motorcycle-
friendly Hotel des Trois Vallees,
which offers not only pleasant,
modern rooms but also walls
plastered with amazing photos from
the Monte Carlo rallies. The food is
good and not unreasonably priced,
and I can vouch for the wine list.
There isn’t anything else up here,
but an evening in the hotel bar is
not a hardship.
SOSPEL
The town also has a couple of
motorcycle-friendly hotels, but also
lacks other facilities. It’s probably
best used as a coffee stop where
you’re likely to meet any number
of other riders.
MENTON
A major Mediterranean tourist centre,
Menton is everything the quiet
mountain roads of the Col de Turini
and its feeder routes isn’t: massively
built up, insanely fast and crowded.
There is some relief in the old town, le
Vieux Menton, with its active
pedestrian area, with the long Rue St
Michel running the length of it and
the Rue Piéta joining. Full of shops of
all sorts and terrace cafés. The real
heart of le Vieux Menton are the
medieval style buildings grouped
around the Eglise St Michel and the
Chapel de Pénitents Blancs at the top
of the hill. Viewed from the sea front
at the east, this area has the appearance
of a hilltop perched village. The streets
are narrow, with long step-streets and
many very colorful old buildings.
Thieves and especially pickpockets are
common here during the summer, they
use the coast train from Italy or Spain
to work their way along the coast.
They will take even an empty tank bag
left unguarded, they’ll take anything
and everything so leave nothin
unguarded. I say this to stress
the fact that you need to watch
your bike very carefully. Gangs
will lift it and ship it out via
Marseilles or Italy, within 24hrs
it will be halfway to north
Africa or Albania, so it’s
best to be paranoid with
your bike’s security.
LA BOLLèNE-
véSUBIE
This is an extremely old
village with many stepped
streets and houses built
straight onto the rock. The
outstanding attraction is the
baroque Church of St
Lawrence, ‘Sancto Laurentio’ with a
mellow yellow square archway. It SAINT MARTIN- véSUBIE
is a holiday resort both in summer Named after the local river, like La
and in winter, which means relatively Bollène, the medieval village of Saint
high prices for accommodation Martin is less touristy but does cater
and everything else, but it’s a for both summer and winter
thoroughly pleasant place. recreation as well. D
www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 51
test

cfMOTO
always look on

GT 650
the bright side
of life (apologies
to Monty Python)
WORDS/PHOTOS RALPH

52 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
I
n the oft repeated
words of Month Python, ‘He’s not
the Messiah, he’s ,just a naughty
boy!’ Which will soon to be repeated
as, ‘The CFMoto 650 is not really a
GT, it is just a really good motorcycle
with a hard seat that doesn’t get any
worse after the first five kilometres’.
The matt yet shiny blue parallel twin
won’t be knocking down the doors
of Munich or stealing sales off the
Honda Goldwing, yet I can guarantee
it will be on the shopping list for
anyone thinking about cost-effective
commuter/touring with a budget well
under $9000. Or it should be.
What the 650 will do is (if you were
allowed to do this) sit all day long,
chewing up a measly 4.6L/100 km, at
140km/h turning over at a stress-free
6000rpm. The Chinese built twin will
throb a little at idle and then smooth
out to what you could call a gentle
pulse right through the rev-range. It’s
the same as your accountant. They are
there working away steadily on your
behalf, always telling you they are
worth the money and playing the
‘I’m not costing you a fortune’ card.
What your accountant will also do
is lump income, spend and
deductions into nice neat ‘silos’.
Let’s do something similar.
In the compartmentalise way of life,
the silos of effectiveness look like this.
The silo of ‘it will do everything
you ask’:
The GT will get along surprisingly
well. In fact, even better than you
might expect. It will handle well and
look good on the road, especially
with the modern LED daylights.
You can expect the 650 to handle
as well if not better than anything
under ten grand. Ease of riding is
up there with any Japanese bike and
in my time, we commuted, toured
up and down the highway loaded (I
had 30kg of riding kit to fly off for
the Triumph launch on the back) and
soloed with ease. The cockpit and
riding experience works well.
The silo of ‘not a chance in hell’:
The TFT dash is really bight and in
fact was miles more impressive to use
and view than that of the Triumph
765 I was riding in the same week.

www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 53
TEST
:KDW,FRXOGQ·WGRZDVFKDQJHWKH
brightness, which was annoying at
night on the freeway home. If you
DUHORRNLQJIRUWKHEUDNLQJSDFNDJH
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UHDVRQDEOHSRZHUEXWUHTXLUHDJRRG
squeeze. Without a centre stand, chain
adjustment and general cleaning and
servicing will be the equivalent to a
few minutes in Hades.
7KHVLORRI ¶VXVSLFLRQ· ,DFWXDOO\HQMR\HGULGLQJWKH*7,W
Your accountant, if like mine, will
DOZD\VDGYLVH\RXWREHKRQHVWSD\
\RXUWD[HVDQGÁ\XQGHUWKHUDGDU+H
or she might even say buy Chinese,
DVWKH$72ZLOOÀJXUHLWRXWLQ
WKHLUDOJRULWKPVWKDW\RXUVSHQGLQJ
matches your taste (and budget). Yes,
LQH[SHQVLYHELNHVKDYHDSXUSRVH
DQGÀWLQWKHODQGVFDSHHYHQLI WKH\
DUH&KLQHVHPDGHDQG\RXDUHQ·W
54 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
QHFHVVDULO\FKHDS:KDWZLOOVXUSULVH
you is how much the manufacturing
RI RXUODUJHVWWUDGLQJSDUWQHUKDV
LPSURYHGLQÀYH\HDUV$VP\GRFWRUV
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TXLWHDELWE\WKHWLPH¶EUDQGOR\DOW\·
and CFMoto will be in the same
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Hyundai a generation.
,WLVQ·WVRPHWKLQJWKDW,·PJRLQJ
WRVD\LQSXEOLFDSDUWWRWKH
thousands of you reading this) so I
ZLOONHHSWKLVWRP\FORVLQJUHPDUNV
LVQ·WWKH0HVVLDKRUVDYLRXURI RXU
PRWRUF\FOLQJQHHGV,WLVQ·WDQDXJKW\
ER\LQDQRQVH[XDOO\GHVFULSWLYHZD\
7KH*7LVWKHVDPHDVJHWWLQJDQ
XQH[SHFWHGELJJHUWD[UHIXQG<RX
get more for less.
*A big thank you to Graeme Morris
Motorcycles of Newcastle for supplying
the test bike D
Specs
CFMOTO GT650
PRICE: $8490 ride away
WARRANTY: Two years,
unlimited distance
SERVICING INTERVALS: Every
10,000km or 12 months
ENGINE: Liquid cooled parallel twin
cylinder, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4-valves
BORE x STROKE: 83mm X 60mm
DISPLACEMENT: 649.3cc
COMPRESSION: 11.3:1
POWER: 41.5kW @ 9500rpm
LAMS restricted
TORQUE: 62Nm @ 7000rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed, wet
multi-plate clutch, chain drive
SUSPENSION: Front, 38mm telescopic
fork, travel 120mm. Rear, monoshock,
semi-adjustable preload, travel 140mm.
DIMENSIONS: Seat height 795mm,
weight 226kg (wet), fuel capacity
19 litres, wheelbase 1415mm
TYRES: Front, 120/70/ZR17.
Rear, 160/60/ZR17
FRAME: Tubular steel diamond
BRAKES: Front dual 300mm discs with
four piston ABS calipers. Rear 240mm
disc with single piston ABS caliper
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 4.6 litres per
100km, premium unleaded
THEORETICAL RANGE: 412km
COLOURS: Concept Blue,
Nebular Black
VERDICT: FORGET THE BADGE,
REMEMBER THE CAPACITY
 CFMOTO.COM.AU

GRAND

$
8,4

ENJOY THE ROLLING HILLS, TWISTING COASTAL ROADS OR SIMPLY GO FOR A BLAST
WITH YOUR MATES. THE 650GT ABS IS THE ULTIMATE GRAND TOURER PACKAGE AT
AN AFFORDABLE CFMOTO PRICE.
650cc parallel twin Bosch EFI KYB Suspension Spanish J.Juan hydraulic disc brakes Continental ABS
Metzeler tyres Adjustable sports screen Large TFT colour display USB & 12 volt power ports
2 year, unlimited km warranty Available in concept blue or nebula black Optional panniers available

LAMS
APPROVED
pUboftHemontH

RATED 4 OUT OF 5 HELMETS

Edward River Hotel

6 Davidson St, Deniliquin NSW 2710
Phone: 03 5881 2065
https://edward-river-hotel.business.site/
www.facebook.com/Edwardriverhotel/

56 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
THe
edward River Hotel, Deniliquin
dfather
WORDS/PHOTOS COLIN WHELAN

www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 57
P UB Of THe MOnTH
S
o get thiS: no town in
Australia is more firmly based
on bad brandy, terrible hotel
service and a scarcely-scrupled
Godfather figure than Deniliquin, a
town so self-deluded it won’t even
accept it’s on a bloody island.
It straddles the Edward River,
which no-one’s much heard about,
and the main part of the town,
with a beautiful but closed-down
pub on pretty much every corner, is
across the river as I come in from
Hay, in what used to be known as
Deniliquin South.
The original settlement was to
the north of this anabranch of the
Murray and back in the 1850’s things
were progressing well. Then a bloke
named John Taylor turned up.
He started out young and he started
out savvy. He was one of several
shepherds working for a squatter and
when one of his work mates left,
Taylor offered to take over the second
flock as well, but on double pay
and double rations. When a second
58 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
shepherd also quit, Taylor again stuck
his hand up and again demanded
the full entitlement. So now he was
getting triple money, which he could
save, and triple rations which he
couldn’t eat.
So he stored the surplus flour.
When drought hit after a couple of
years in early 1850/51 Taylor sold the
flour back to his boss - for 300 quid,
around 10 times what he’d paid for it.
That was serious money.
With the £300 Taylor bought a
couple of blocks of land on the
south side of the river and when he
saw how well the local Highlander
Inn was doing, built up his abode
with its ceilings not much higher than
2 metres from the floor, and obtained
a license for it in 1855. He called his
pub the Royal Hotel.
Meanwhile back over the north side,
a bloke named McKenzie was earning
a decent quid running the Wanderers’
Inn, the biggest building in the joint
and the venue for local meetings
and functions. Even the visiting
magistrates would stay in house and
conduct their hearings in the main
bar. Made it easy to stagger home
from work.
But with a beast like Taylor now
a publican in the town, no other
Boniface could sit comfortable and as
a paper later wrote:
“The magistrates … met in the
Wanderers Inn … (and) their worships,
after dispensing justice one morning at the
hotel … took offence at the inferior brandy
… and the want of courtesy of the then
landlady, so in a fit of high dudgeon the
magistrates … appointed an hotel on the
south side, at which they would henceforth
hold their courts, so from that day the north
township was doomed to be a village.”
The new venue was Taylor’s
Royal Hotel.
(So next time you think you’ve done
well by getting a free meal or drink
after complaining about the food
or the service, just remember these
guys who moved a complete town in
retaliation for some bad brandy!)
Anyway, Godfather Taylor worked
P UB OF THE MONTH

Australia’s
biggest island
The Edward River splits from the
Murray at Mathoura (well, Picnic Point
on getting every branch of the
government and law enforcement
LQWRKLVGHEW7KH3DVWRUDO7LPHVUDQ
a commentary:
PUBLIC OFFICES –
ROYAL HOTEL
32672)),&(²)LUVWZLQGRZRQ
right of hall between Parlour and
Coffee room.
7(/(*5$3+,&2)),&(²WKLUG
GRRURQULJKWGRZQWKH\DUGSDVWEDU
and Dining Room.
32/,&(683(5,17(1'(17·6
2)),&()LUVWÁRRUWXUQULJKWWZLFH
1RRQOHIWDWERWWRPRI SDVVDJH
32/,&(%$55$&.6²*URXQG
ÁRRUGRZQWKH\DUGEHWZHHQNLWFKHQ
and the stables
32/,&(&2857%HWZHHQWKH
EDQNDQGWKHORFNXS7D\ORUV+DOO
+HXVHGWKHFDVKÁRZIURPWKH
SXEWRH[SDQGDQGVRRQKH·G
RSHQHGDVDZPLOOVRPHEULFNNLOQVD
EODFNVPLWK·VDQGERWKEXWFKHU·VDQG
EDNHU·VVKRSV
-RKQ7D\ORUZDVLQFRXUWDOPRVW
ZHHNO\DVDSODLQWLIIDVDZLWQHVVDQG
usually as the defendant. When facing
60 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
a charge he would stand before
magistrates who were staying free
of any cost at this hotel, listen to
HYLGHQFHIURPSROLFHZKRZHUH
VWDWLRQHGRQKLVSURSHUW\DQG
call witnesses who were, in the
PDLQKLVHPSOR\HHV+HGLGQ·WJHW
convicted much.
2QHWLPHZKHQWKHSROLFH
hierarchy in Melbourne decided it
judicious to remove the barracks
IURPWKH5R\DO+RWHO7D\ORU
UHVSRQGHGE\VLPSO\PDNLQJWKHLU
QHZODQGORUGDQRIIHUKHFRXOGQ·W
refuse and bought him out.
/LNHDWUXH¶'RQ·7D\ORUNQHZ
WKHLPSRUWDQFHRI WKHIDoDGHRI 
UHVSHFWDELOLW\VRKHKDGEXLOWWKH
Anglican Church, the Catholic
Church, the Masonic Hall and
the Court House, all of which
are still standing.
6RZKHQ,·PGRQHSRNLQJ
around the main town, I head
back across the bridge and on
P\ULJKW·VZKDW·VRIÀFLDOO\QDPHG
as the Edward River Hotel, but
which is known across the land
VLPSO\DV´7KH%XQFKDµ,W·VD
ORZVOXQJSODFHEDFNDELWIURP
WKHURDGDQG,·PSUHWW\EHPXVHG
to see a stencil on the window
RI %UDQGRLQ*RGIDWKHUDQG
the wording, “Home of the
Godfather Challenge.”
DFWXDOO\DQGÁRZVIRUNLORPHWUHV
through Deniliquin, Pretty Pine,
Moulamein and Kyalite before re-
entering the Murray as the Wakool
River opposite Chislett Farms.
So all the land south of the Edward
River and north of the Murray is
surrounded by water, and that, for me
makes it Australia’s biggest island.
Except no-one else thinks so. If you can
explain why, please drop Stu a line –
he’s always looking for stuff to do!
Deniliquin is a graveyard of pubs, the
streets in the south section have
wonderful old hotels crumbling on
pretty much every intersection, so the
success and the growth of the Buncha is
as gratifying as it is deserved.
Having now been to every pub on the
Murray and its anabranches, I can say
that this one’s comfortably in the river’s
top ten probably top 5.
For unique character it was off the scale
so it’s getting 6 out of 5.
For value for money it rated 145 where
100 is good
2YHUDOORQO\DODFNVSHFLÀFSURYLVLRQV
for riders stopped it getting top marks
so 4 solid helmets.
Full Disclosure: We’d had a couple of false
starts to this adventure and Chris refused
payment for the Godfather. It was an
offer I couldn’t refuse and it didn’t
colour my ratings.
P UB Of THe MOnTH

62 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
 Been a long day - don’t tell me I
have to sleep with a horse head in
my freaking bed.
Chris, who’s obviously got a poor
mirror and an even more ordinary
hairdresser is behind the bar. With
his partner, Taron, he took over the
Buncha in 2016. It’s their first pub
and, with their 4 kids in tow, he’s
happy with the way it’s going.
He grew up in Hobart and, “when
I was 18 there was a pizzeria and it was
called the Godfather Pizzeria. They had
this dinner-plate sized hamburger that
they used to serve. It was a monster and on
Friday nights we’d order one and take it
home and eat half and then go out. Then
when we got home if we were in a state to
eat it, we’d finish it off, otherwise we’d have
it for breakfast.”
Chris thought it’d be an idea to have a
food challenge at his new hotel.
I didn’t want to make it unfinishable, I
wanted to make it a bit better presented
than the one we used to get. It took us 12
different tries to get the nine inch bun just
right and then we just filled the baby up.”
Equalling about 5 standard with-
the-lot burgers, and with sides of
chips and onion rings, the burger is
the challenge. It has to eaten by one
person with no limits on time or the
amount of water or soft drink taken
to wash it down. Get through it and
not be in a food coma, you only pay
10 bucks and your next two drinks
are on the house. If you fail, it’s $40
which is very reasonable if you just
buy it to share.
Down it all fast enough to break
into the top three, and you’ll pay
nothing, but be paid $50 instead. To
do that, as it stands, you’ll need to be
licking the plate pretty close to half
an hour of starting.
I cut mine into quarters – finish
the first, plus a handful of chips
and rings in just on 4 minutes. I’m
on championship pace! The second
quarter takes me almost 10 minutes
and damn, I’m DONE! Can hardly
finish my glass of red.
Too stuffed to talk, I mumble about
wanting to know the origin of the
pub’s nickname.
“Back in the 70’s the town drunk used
to drink here and he would turn up, get
drunk, play up get kicked out. Happened
every day. Every day the same thing.
This one time he came in and pulled a
bar runner when a bloke down the bar was
about to grab his drink and the drink fell
over and so he got kicked out and as he was
walking out he grabbed a big burning log
out of the fire and threw it onto the bar and
turned around on his way out and said, ‘you
mob are nothing but a buncha…’
So no-one saw him for a couple of years,
they think he went to another town maybe.
Anyway in those days they had about
maybe 40 or 50 regular drinkers all day
every day and a couple of years later
someone saw him outside walking past the
pub and he suddenly swung around and
came down and opened the front door and
shouted, “You mob are STILL nothing
but a buncha………”, closed the door
and walked off.
Everyone in the bar had a great old laugh
and a lot of them went home and told
their families and then their friends and
the story got passed down and so the place
just became known as “The Buncha”. Been
called that ever since.”
I take the bike around the back
where it can be locked up for the
night, and head to my room, one of 5
shared bathrooms places to lob here,
two with a Queen and single, the
other 3 with just the Queen double.
It’s 60 bucks for mine, $20 more for
the rooms with two beds.
All rooms have their own kettle,
brew makings, toaster and a mini-
bar fridges plus ceiling fans and
convection heaters. It’s all well
cleaned and maintained.
If you need to gamble, and lack the
guts to back yourself at the burger
challenge, there’re three pinball
machines and a pool table.
Every local in the place was up for a
chat and as the afternoon slid on, the
place filled with workers, families with
kids and regulars from out of town.
Had a great feel to it.
Apart from the challenge, there’s
a full a la carte menu for lunch and
dinner every day in the Red Room
around the side of the place.
I can vouch that the Buncha’s
hospitality and its Godfather won’t
tempt you to leave town – and the
brandy? That’s up to you. D
www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 63
test

YaMaHa
iken GT
is, as touring does
WORDS STUART PHOTOS NICK WOOD CREATIvE

64 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 65
TesT
L
et’S get thiS straight out
of your mouth – yes, the Yamaha
Niken is weird, ugly and whatever
else you might be thinking. Now, let’s
take a look at what the latest three-
wheeled version, the Niken GT has to
offer as a touring motorcycle.
What is it that you want from a
“touring” motorcycle? Comfort would
have to be the main thing I reckon
and the Niken GT has this in spades.
Fitted with a protective touring screen
(not adjustable, though), upright
seating position and comfortably
spaced and placed handlebar, heated
grips, wide and supportive Comfort
seat and a relaxed seat to peg height
ticks all the comfort boxes you could
think of. Even the relatively small
fairing (for a tourer) offers some
protection from the elements.
Next up on the wish list would have
to be a motorcycle that can cover big
distances easily. The Niken GT is fitted
with the delightful MT-09 derived in-
66 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
line three-cylinder engine. It’s torquey
and perfectly suited to all day touring.
Combined with an 18-litre fuel tank
and being reasonably frugal you can
bank on at least 350km which is about
as long as you want to do in the saddle
at one time. Those who say they want
to ride further without stopping are
just missing out on all those great
cafés. Also throw in cruise control
and you’re starting to get the picture:
the Niken GT is all about travelling to
those places you always wanted to go.
A centre stand is always a great item
to have on a touring motorcycle – it
makes loading and unloading panniers
easier and spraying some lube on the
chain is easy. Although it would be
nice to have shaft drive.
The next big ticket item you want on
a tourer is luggage capacity. The Niken
GT is fitted standard with 25 litre
(each) soft panniers, which are easy to
clip on and take off. Hard panniers like
the ones fitted to the Tracer GT would
have been nicer; the soft panniers give
the look of a parts bin raid. A strong
looking rear carrier is also standard
and will fit the genuine accessory
topbox or an aftermarket item. There
are useful tie down points and if you
need more space, accessory tankbags
are available.
Handling of the Niken GT will
take you all of a handful of rides
to get used to. Once above 30km/h
you won’t notice any difference to a
two-wheeled motorcycle apart from,
maybe, some more grip if you push
over the limit. Under 30km/h you
do feel the two front wheels but only
slightly, it feels a little ‘mechanical’
versus a sharper feel of a single
wheel – don’t think about it and
you’ll never know.
Although there are four KYB fork
legs, they aren’t what they seem. The
front 41mm fork leg on each side is
empty except for some lubrication
(oil) inside - so it is not technically

VXVSHQVLRQ7KHIURQWIRUNVDUH
there for stabilisation, alignment,
DQGVXSSRUW7KHWUDLOLQJPP
forks are traditional fully adjustable
VXVSHQVLRQXQLWVZLWKDVSULQJLQVLGH
Also, it is worth remembering that
the articulation system offers bonus
ZKHHOWUDYHO²H[FHOOHQWIRUWRXULQJDQG
XQHYHQVXUIDFHV
Gadgets are the next item on the
WRXULQJPRWRUF\FOHFKHFNOLVW7ZR
9SRZHURXWOHWVDUHÀWWHGWR
WKH1LNHQ*7DQGWKHIURQWRXWOHW
ÀWWHGWRWKHOHIWKDQGVLGHRI WKH
LQVWUXPHQWSDQHOLVSODFHGZHOOWR
ÀWD*36RU\RXU6PDUWSKRQHWR
WKHKDQGOHEDUWRNHHSFKDUJHG7KH
VHFRQG9RXWOHWLVQHDUWKHVHDW
7KHFRPSDFW/&'LQVWUXPHQWSDQHO
has all the info you want for a tourer
DQGGHSHQGLQJRQ\RXUSUHIHUHQFH
WKHUHDUHWKUHHSRZHUPRGHVDQG
traction control settings to choose
from. I found Power mode 2 the
smoothest.
A matt metallic blue is the only
FRORXUDYDLODEOHIRUWKH1LNHQ*7DQG
even with it getting covered in bugs
and road grime it was easy to wash
and look after.
If you like the quirky side of life
RUVLPSO\MXVWZDQWWRUHOD[PRUHRQ
a touring motorcycle, the Yamaha
1LNHQ*7WLFNVWKHER[D
Specs
YAMAHA NIKEN GT
PRICE: $26,449 (ride away)
WARRANTY:Two years,
unlimited distance
SERVICING INTERVALS: Every
10,000km or 12 months
ENGINE: Liquid-cooled in-line three
cylinder, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4 valves
per cylinder
BORE x STROKE: 78 x 59.1mm
DISPLACEMENT: 847cc
COMPRESSION: 11.5:1
POWER: 84.6kW @ 10,000rpm
TORQUE: 87.5Nm @ 8500rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed, wet
multi-plate assist/slipper clutch,
FKDLQ ÀQDO GULYH
SUSPENSION: Front, quad 41/43mm
inverted forks, adjustable preload,
compression and rebound, travel
110mm. Rear, monoshock, adjustable
preload and rebound, travel 125mm.
DIMENSIONS: Seat height 820mm,
weight 267kg (wet), fuel capacity
18 litres, wheelbase 1510mm
TYRES: Front, 120/70/R15.
Rear, 190/55/R17
FRAME:Tubular steel
BRAKES: Front, twin 298mm discs with
four-piston ABS calipers. Rear, 282mm
disc, single-piston ABS caliper.
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 4.74 litres per
100km, premium unleaded
THEORETICAL RANGE: 379km
COLOURS: Phantom Blue
VERDICT: RELAX AND ENJOY
www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 67
CUstom

68 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
 BUsT
Knuckles
Till they bleed WORDS/PHOTOS ROYAL EN
19
z

www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 69
cUsTOM
R
oyal enfield dealerships
across Australia & New Zealand
were given the challenge to
transform a model from the all-
conquering 650 Twins platform into
their own build.
With a ‘no limits and no restrictions’
approach to each dealer project,
they were encouraged to use their
imagination as they brought each
unique build to life.
At the end of the competition
period, dealer builds were unveiled
at the 2019 Australian Motorcycle
Festival in Wollongong NSW and
70 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
showcased to the public. It’s fair
to say the public response was
extraordinary as the dealer builds
were the star of the expo.
Final builds have now been judged
by the voting public and an expert
panel of judges from Royal Enfield
management from across the globe.
After considerable debate, the
winners that get the chicken
dinners for “Peoples Choice” and
“Experts Choice” are…
The ‘People’s Choice Award’ was
determined via an online poll, with the
winner being Wanaka Powersports in
NZ with their custom flat tracker, the
‘Intertracker’ - a custom version of
the 650cc Interceptor.
An expert panel of Royal Enfield
staff from across the globe judged
the final “Expert’s Choice” award.
The overall winning entry was from
the team from MotoMAX in Perth
WA and their stunning streetfighter
entry “Royal Steel”.
We here at AMM love both of these
bikes and reckon RE Aus/NZ should
continue Busted Knuckles to see
what else great custom builds various
dealers can do. D
 y
ride awa
from $9,990

y
90 ride awa
fro m $9,7

g e- i n spired
t he herita r 650 and
cing epto
Introdu nfield Interc, with an all
Royal Eental GT 650 ngine.
Contin ralell twin e
new pa
yo ur play.
So pick

*some accessories are not standard fitment

traveL

72 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
THe ManY
wOnD Rs
of hailand
When you’re n
WORDS SHARI JOHNS
, have your teeth fixed
S MAGIC MOTORCYCLE TOURS

www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 73
T R av e l
T
hey Say travel broadens
the mind, so why not have a
holiday in Northern Thailand?
Or better yet, do what I did and have
an epic adventure with tigers, elephants,
tuk-tuks, scooters, mouth-watering
food, shopping, world class dentistry,
motorbikes and roads that are built
with the beautiful curves of a 1950’s
supermodel. I joined Karel Pavich
and Howard Mansell from Magic
Motorcycling Tours on their 10-day tour
and they exceeded all expectations.
The tour is very well planned. Karel
and Howard provide sound advice
based on years of experience. They are
engaging and fun touring companions
who go out of their way to make
everyone feel welcome and to help them
enjoy the experience.
Accommodation is high quality. The
motorbikes are solid, reliable and well
suited to the local conditions. I wouldn’t
have said no to an extra 20hp, a 7th gear
and Brembos but that could have led to
a sticky end! Words cannot express how
much fun it was to beat up on those
masochistic wee motorbikes, ruthlessly
flogging them through their gears and
throwing them into corners at pace.
Though this was only my first visit, I
feel confident you can find a little bit of
everything that is Thailand in Chiang
Mai. I met the local lady boys, getting
photos with them and cheering their
cabaret show as they lip synched and
danced their way through well-known
songs. I watched artisans creating silk
cloth, fine jewellery and traditional
umbrellas, shopped in large luxury malls
with big local and international brands
and then shopped at the local weekly
street market under makeshift tarpaulins
and at open-air tables.
I had a tailor make some silk clothes.
I had the best dentistry experience
I’ve received to date, getting several
crowns fitted at significantly reduced
cost compared to NZ. I visited Kerchor
Elephant Eco Park, hung out with the
herd and received a fun and rather wet
elephant blessing. It was amazing to
watch them walk freely among us getting
treats of banana and sugar cane.
Another fantastic experience was
visiting Tiger Kingdom and going into a
cage with two adult male Bengal tigers. I
74 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
stood in front of a crouching Tiger and
fed it chicken on a piece of bamboo.
On our first night in Chiang Mai
before starting our tour we enjoyed
a lively meal at Cowboys bar, a local
institution. The Cowboys tradition is
to use one of the Sharpies to make
your mark – on a table, chair, picture,
or wall, basically anywhere visible to
future patrons! I balanced precariously
on tiptoe atop a wobbly table and wrote
on a clear patch of wall (coincidentally)
near a bunch of dodgy looking live
wires and left my mark so that other
IMOC’ers would know that yes,
someone from the club has been there.
Happily replete, with a double,
double of liquid margarita courage, I
approached the two tuk-tuk drivers
waiting nearby to negotiate a lift back
to the hotel:
Me: Hi, can you take me to BP
city hotel please?
ttd: yes.
Me: but…. can I drive *big smile*?
ttd: ha ha ha *walks away and sits
down on the curb side*.
Me: *sits next to him on the curb, pulls
out international driver’s license* it’s
okay, I have my motorbike license, see!
ttd: ha ha ha *shakes his head at
the crazy tourist*
Me: *whips out phone and shows
a picture sitting on purple Aprilia
motorbike* look, this is my motorbike I
ride back in NZ! That’s me!
ttd: looks, then pauses to look at
me sideways* no, ha ha ha! *shakes his
head again*
Me: *frantic scrolling to find photo on
my Vespa with my dog on the back*
look, this is what I ride to work
every day!
ttd: *looks, then stares intently
into my face*
Me: *calmly looked back, didn’t blink*
ttd: Okay, but we go Sol
Me: Alright!! *Vespa for the win!*
He drove us a couple of streets away
to a deserted, dimly lit Sol (lane) which
sounds dodgy but wasn’t. He took a
photo of me before we got down to
tuk-tuk driving 101. His tuk-tuk had
motorbike handlebars for steering, the
clutch was by my left foot, brakes were
by my right foot, throttle was right hand,
indicators were mid-way along the left
handle bar, gears were the stick shift
between my legs and the hand brake –
actually I never spotted the hand brake.
He showed me the ropes, including
where all six gears were as I laughed and
assured him we weren’t going to need
them all, since I’d take it gently. Well, I
tried to be gentle with the tools of this
gentleman’s livelihood, but after stalling
it for the fourth time I decided gentle
wasn’t doing me any favours and it was
time to get serious before he changed
his mind. I started it up, gave it some
berries, rode the clutch a little and we
were off! While the start was more
exuberant than I would have liked, I did
manage to get a rhythm going changing
gears properly and before I knew it,
we were fanging along in fourth gear,
hooting with laughter together. Sadly, we
ran out of simple turns and when we
came to a proper intersection, I pulled
over to let him take over. When we
arrived at my hotel, I realised we hadn’t
agreed on a price! He asked for triple
the normal rate and as I was still fizzing
from the experience I agreed, then we
took a selfie together (how very 2019).
If you go to Thailand, try your luck, tuk-
tuks are such an odd combination it’s
like learning to drive all over again and
they’re really fun.
The journey from Chiang Mai to
Thailand’s highest point at Doi Inthanon
was our first opportunity to hit the
open road and get a feel for our bikes at
motorway speeds.
Within 24 hours of leaving Chiang
Mai, most of us had experienced several
scenarios we were warned about in our
very comprehensive pre-tour briefing.
And by the end of the tour we had
experienced every scenario, including
some interesting new ones of our
own creation!
Car drivers taking the fastest line
through corners (regardless of which
lane they entered the corner by), dogs
asleep on the road, dogs wandering on
the road, dogs running across the road
to chase other dogs, two oncoming
vehicles side by side (one in your lane)
when the road is wide enough to fit,
vehicles moving to the right side in
our lane so we can under-take them on
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T R av e l
the fog line, oncoming vehicles cutting
left hand blind corners, oncoming
vehicles overtaking vehicles on right
hand corners on your side of the road,
overloaded utes and other assorted
farm vehicles that move very slowly,
overloaded farm vehicles moving to the
left and using their indicators to signal
when it was safe to overtake them, big
trucks moving slowly up a tight winding
road, big trucks moving slowly down
tight winding roads, oncoming big trucks
moving slowly up and around a steep
corner on your side of the road, vehicles
running red lights, motorbike tourists
from NZ running red lights, impatient
76 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
utes tailgating vehicles (including
motorbikes) at 120km/h in the right
hand lane on motorways, and vehicles
routinely overtaking other vehicles on
blind corners. Did I mention dogs?
There were lots and lots of dogs.
I admit it was a little off-putting initially.
Dogs asleep in the middle of the road,
in the middle of nowhere? Surely that
cannot be a real thing? Why on earth
would a dog choose to sleep on a hot
road in the full sun where vehicles
routinely travel? I can’t explain it, but
trust me, they do. I must have avoided
running over at least 80 dogs during six
days of riding. Fortunately, if you attack
the horn with enthusiasm, they quickly
move out of harm’s way.
The drivers in Thailand are significantly
more courteous than most NZ drivers.
They actually share the road; they
expect to encounter motorbikes and
scooters and they leave space for us
on the left. They merge ‘positively’ but
slowly so there is time to accommodate
them or be accommodated. They don’t
seem offended at being overtaken by
motorbikes and move over to let you
pass safely. They also use their indicators
to let you know when it’s safe to pass.
Our friendly support vehicle driver
and Thai guide, Lowey Suksabai, offered
everyone the opportunity to try Meang.
Meang looks like a block of dried
fermented kale and it’s a Thai delicacy,
like “chewing gum for the locals”
apparently. If you don’t try it, you’re a
wuss, if you do try it, you’re gullible.
Sadly, I think it’s an acquired taste that my
palate is not ready to fully appreciate yet.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Being a little ‘misplaced’ en route from
the Golden Triangle to Chiang Rai.
Noticing that Howard has stopped to
check the GPS a couple of times, yet
the roads are getting smaller, rougher
and quite rural. Discovering a brand-

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new motorway that isn’t on the GPS

from one of those small rural roads.
Concluding that the reason it doesn’t
exist on GPS is probably because they
are still building it. Getting a big smile
and cheery wave from all the road
workers (especially the exuberant chap
on the steam roller) as we calmly ride
past them toward the spot where we can
clearly see the ‘motorway’ abruptly ends
in a muddy field. Doing a U-turn on the
pristine tarmac to receive another round
of big smiles and cheery waves as we
backtrack to the section that connects
the unfinished motorway to another
brand-new motorway and bonus, it is on
the left-hand side! Travelling a couple of
kilometres to discover there is a crucial
piece of road missing and although we
can see the fully functioning motorway
up ahead, there is no way to get onto
the left-hand side of it. We re-group,
check fuel levels and make the decision
to use the section of motorway we can
access to connect to a road that Howard
is familiar with and can see on the GPS.
Being one of 13 motorbikes riding down
the very left-hand side of a motorway
towards oncoming traffic that calmly
moves over to their left so that we have
the whole lane to ourselves. Nobody
dies, nobody gets arrested, none of the
oncoming vehicles beeps, gesticulates,
flashes their lights or react in any way
and we manage re-join the correct
side of the road to turn onto the road
Howard was aiming for. It was priceless!

TOUR LOWLIGHT
Riding down from the viewpoint
on highway HW1148 with ‘poorly
performing front suspension’. Can
you imagine feeling the need to go
slow on the road touted to be the
best motorcycling road in Thailand?
It was sacrilege! At the next re-group
stop it was discovered I had a flat
rear tyre *face palm*. Fortunately, the
men of our group outdid themselves
and immediately jumped into action,
lifting my bike up on a block of wood
scavenged from nearby, finding the hole
and helping Howard with the repair.

GREAT THINGS
The great thing about going on a group
tour is meeting other like-minded people

78 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
with a passion for riding motorbikes. Though from different
backgrounds and cultures, we bonded over our collective
Thailand experience. In particular it was lovely spending time
riding and chatting with Fiona Healey, the other woman rider
on our tour. Blokes are great and all that, but it’s wonderful
to spend time with another wahine toa (strong woman) and
trade ‘did you see that?!’ moments. I was to discover Fiona
is a solid rider, takes great lines, rides sensibly and is basically
bomb proof. After only 10 minutes riding behind her I knew
she was never going to be a cause for concern and nothing
would stop her. Spoiler alert: neither of us dropped our bikes,
but ours were the only ones meticulously checked over by the
C r oa t i a n To u r
Magical
rental staff on our return. Talk about taking one for the team.
Thailand petrol stations are like going back in time to when
life was civilised and full service was the norm. Though
lovely, it did cause a bit of a delay when 13 motorbikes This spectacular combination of rugged mountains
pulled in to fill up. I could tell you a story about re-fuelling, and stunning coastal roads will satisfy the real rider
but I won’t tattle because you know, what happens on in you, giving you some of the most invigorating
tour stays on tour. Let’s just agree: you should always close riding in Europe. Breathtaking scenery, roads to
your petrol cap before moving your bike and never offer
assistance at a petrol station when you’re mid cigarette. And die for and rich history will make this trip a truly
while we’re talking reminders, just like in NZ, only the RIC magical experience.
or tail end Charlie are supposed to attempt to retrieve a 11 Day Adventure 15 - 25 May 2020 NZ $7,500
lost rider. I won’t tattle on the IMOC rider who broke this
cardinal rule – but I do have a photo of a person getting Attend MotoGP Mugello, Italy on 29-31 May
pointed at by a group of riders who melted in the sun for 20
minutes while the rescuer was himself rescued.
Howard pointed out another Thailand petrol peculiarity in
the Golden Triangle: a self-service petrol vending machine
(feed in your money and then hold the hose in your vehicle);
and an old school pump-by-hand bowser - amazing.
One of many interesting stops on our tour were the
markets at the border between Myanmar and the Northern
most point of Thailand. It’s the first time most of us had
ever ridden through a large covered marketplace avoiding
shoppers and other vehicles to get to the parking area – what
a hoot! The markets themselves are quite large with plenty
of unique things on offer to see or purchase.
Thais are an amazingly humble and welcoming people and
being a tourist in Thailand leaves one feeling incredibly spoilt
and grateful. They’re hard working, growing crops on of
a i l a nd Tou r
steep hillsides that NZer’s would only throw sheep or goats
on. The food is nom, nom, nom good and I’m not the only Terrific Th
one who indulged a little too much resulting in snug fitting
motorbike gear! Join us for the ride of a lifetime in northern
What about the riding, how are the roads you ask? They Thailand. Experience the most incredible, scenic
are everything. Thrilling, wet, dry, tight and twisty, straight, and challenging motorcycle riding you’ll ever have!
steep, flat, dusty, encroached by jungle, long sweepers, Our tour on sealed back roads will satisfy the most
steep gradients, switch backs, potholes, pristine chip seal,
sometimes winding through little villages like a pretty grey ardent corner loving road rider. Come and have a
ribbon surrounded by scorched earth. Thailand comes blast with us!
at you full throttle, ready or not, but it’s the kind of fun
challenge that makes you want more. Ooh, you gave me a 13 Day Adventure 2-14 July 2020 NZ $4,795
fright Thailand, but I liked it - give me more! I could write
a novel about the roads and how much fun they are on a
10 Day Adventure 19-28 July 2020 NZ $3,995
motorbike, but it still wouldn’t do them justice. The only way
to understand is to go and do it. D
magicmotorcycling.com
magictoursnz@gmail.com Tel: 027 699 8089

www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 79
LaUnCH

PeUge
Belville
good town scooting WORDS THE BEAR P
0
A

80 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
 Hello, sailor: the Belville 200
RS cuts a fine figure down by
the harbor in Melbourne.

www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 81
laUncH

I
well reMeMber My second
attempt to ride a scooter. The
first went well; it had been back in
Germany when I was about 10 (years,
not stone), once around the farmyard
on my big cousin’s Strolch scooter,
avoiding geese, dogs, pigs and the
liquid manure pit. The second was in
the back streets of Camperdown in
Sydney. I had been riding motorcycles
for quite a while, but that had not
prepared me for the way the tiny
front wheel of the Vespa I was riding
dropped into the drain running across
the road. I did an involuntary stoppie
and swore off scooters for ever. 1
Times have changed. I’ve now
ridden many different scooters and
have become used to them. I even
bought a Vespa once. But I’m still
down on those small wheels. The
Belville (‘Good Town’) overcomes that
disadvantage with 16” wheels; that’s
no different from some motorcycles. I
can recall riding a GSX-R Suzuki with
wheels that size. To me, wheels this
size make the Belville 200 much more
of a proposition, at least until the State
Gummint fixes the roads. For which
occurrence I will not hold my breath.
The Belville is practical in other ways
as well. Unlike a lot of other scooters
which can have problems getting
away from the traffic at the lights, the
Peugeot’s air cooled 169cc four-stroke
engine whips you out into the lead
quite comfortably with its constantly
variable transmission. It squeezes 2
8.3kW at 8000rpm and 12Nm at 6000
out of that capacity. It helps that the
engine is a new design, which also
means Euro 4 pollution compliance
and low fuel consumption at a claimed
2.7 litres per 100km. In case you get

1. Braking is via discs front and back with ABS;

the RS scores (sorry) a flash petal disc shape.

2. Dash is simple but adequate, and the

digital speedo is useful in this day of speed
persecution, er, control.

3.The seat is pleasantly low and the overall

appearance is sharp.

3
82 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
a little too enthusiastic, or Old Mate
decides he can’t see you, it also has
disc brakes front and rear with ABS to
stop its 130kg (plus you) safely.
Seat height is a reasonable 790mm,
made even more accessible by the
tapered seat. Other standard fitments
include the usual like a bag hook (one
of the most useful accessories on any
scooter, in my humble opinion) and a
lockable glove compartment, as well
as an LED headlight, a USB charge
socket and under seat storage which
can hold a full-face helmet. The scoot
also offers a 24-month warranty with
roadside assistance.
Peugeot Scooters, recently renamed
Peugeot Motocycles, must be one
of the most international firms uni
around. The name is of course hig
French; Peugeot was the world’s all h
first motorcycle manufacturer. The soli
scooters, and now motorcycles, are still wit
designed in France. But the owner of T
the brand is Indian, and they’re made 200, the standard in white, black and Peugeot’s lion now roars in
in China. Not that there’s anything blue at a ride away price of $5490 and French, Sanskrit and Mandarin.
wrong with that; the quality of the the sportier-looking grey RS at the
Peugeot scooters I’ve seen has been same price for a limited time. D

www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 83
readerstraveL

84 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
g eT
uted
in WORDS/PHOTOS DANIEL SARGENT

www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 85
R e a D e R s T R av e l
M
y firSt experienCe
in the UK and Europe was
six years ago, and it blew me
away. The sheer beauty, the history,
it was amazing! Our method of
transportation, a coach, was the only
letdown. While travelling, I saw quite
a lot of people strapping all their gear
on the back of a bike and exploring
in freedom, without a tour group or a
set itinerary, avoiding the over-touristy
places and enjoying the back roads. I
instantly knew that’s what I wanted to
do next time.
Five years later, after countless hours
of research about how to do it, I
decided that shipping my bike over
was the cheapest and most reliable
option; as I already knew its condition,
this seemed a smarter choice than
86 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
taking a punt and ending up with a
lemon over there. One foggy morning
in March, I set out for Melbourne
to drop my bike off for its voyage
across the high seas. I would meet it
in Felixstowe, England, just under two
months later. Dave Milligan from Get
Routed was great to deal with, leading
up to and during my trip, and takes
all the stress out of shipping your
bike halfway around the world and
back. With Get Routed’s involvement,
all that’s left for you to do is make
sure the bike’s clean, disconnect the
battery, pack all your riding gear in the
panniers, drop it off on a certain date
and you’re all set.
After flying to London in late April
and spending a few days taking in the
sights, my girlfriend Tessa and I caught
the train to Felixstowe, via Ipswich.
The following morning we got a taxi
to the docks where we sorted some
paperwork, and labelled our suitcases
and loaded them onto a pallet for
storage. Then we connected the
battery, loaded our luggage onto the
bike, put our gear on and off we went.
At first, riding in a different country
is a surreal experience. Although
England is very similar to Australia, it
is still quite different in certain road
rules and mannerisms on the road,
which had me quite nervous for the
first few miles, but 10 minutes in I
had the biggest grin on my face! I
was here, riding my bike on the other
side of the world for the next five
months, with no set plans, only a few
places that I had to be on certain dates
(mainly the Isle of Man TT), without a
care in the world.
The next few weeks flew by in a
blur of green English countryside.
After touring through the south of
England and Wales, it was time to go
to Ireland! I had been looking forward
to this for quite some time, and after
landing in Dublin, some of the first
stops were the Jameson Distillery and
the Guinness Brewery, leaving the
bike at the hotel first, obviously. We
headed west in the Emerald Isle: I had
seen so many pictures of the Wild
Atlantic Way but to see it in person,
and ride the majority of it, was so
overwhelming for just how beautiful,
and for the most part empty, it was.
The Ring of Kerry was very crowded,
but luckily if you’re on a bike and not
stuck on a tour bus, you have the
option of the Dingle Peninsula or
the Ring of Beara, to the North or The details
South respectively, of the Ring of
Kerry. These two options are far
29,000kms, 1650ltrs of fuel, 2 rear tyres,
more beautiful and have barely any
tourists so you can take your time 1 front tyre, front and rear brake pads,
and enjoy yourself. 1 oil change and 5 months of absolute
After our time in Ireland it was finally
time to catch the ferry from Belfast to bliss. It’s as easy as that. Contact
Douglas for the most important event Dave at Get Routed – www.getrouted.
of my life: the Isle of Man TT! I will
com.au dave@getrouted.com.au
admit that in booking the ferry I may
have made a small mistake. I thought Ph: 03 5625 9080.
it was 2pm when it set sail, however it
was 2am when it left, which luckily I
noticed before the day. This did make
for a long night waiting in queues and
on the docks that I was dreading, but it
was a fantastic atmosphere, there were
www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 87
R e a D e R s T R av e l
bikes everywhere all waiting to get
on board and the Australian number
plate on my bike was a very good
conversation starter.
After arriving in Douglas and sorting
our accommodation out, it was time
for a lap of the circuit. Even after
hearing for so long that it is almost 38
miles long, you don’t quite understand
just how far that is until you’ve done a
lap. You will appreciate how hard it is
for the riders to get to know the track.
After a ridiculous amount of rain we
eventually got to see some action on
the track with practice going ahead.
You can watch as many YouTube
videos as you like, but until you stand
on the edge of the track, feel the
wind and hear the noise as they fly
past, you can never imagine just how
fast they are going. It is truly insane,
but I was hooked after seeing the
first bike go past. If it were possible,
I would be there every year. The
atmosphere of the whole island is
electric; it is one of those things that,
as a motorcycling fan, you simply
88 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
have to experience in your life!
With the magic of the TT over it was
time to head back to the mainland and
up to Scotland. Along with Ireland,
this was a place that I had not visited
before and was very excited to explore.
When you’re in Scotland you must
expect the inevitable rain and boy, did
it rain! We spent a couple of days on
the Isle of Skye and spent much of
that time cooped up in a tent praying
that it wouldn’t be blown away.
After that, the North and East
coasts were perfectly dry, sunny
and stunningly beautiful. Dunluce
Castle was quite a surprise to come
across, it was one of the grandest
estates that I have ever seen, and
even though nursing a hangover
(after our Airbnb host invited us to
the local pub for “just a couple”), it
was amazing to visit. The falconry
display there was unforgettable and a
highlight of our trip.
After meandering our way back to
Dover over the next few weeks it was
soon time to face my fear of swapping
to the right-hand side of the road.
After leaving the ferry at Calais the
road takes you straight onto a freeway,
which is easy enough to manage. After
a while, however, we hit the back
roads and a few towns, and this was
where it got tricky. For my whole life
I had been entering a roundabout and
turning my head to the right and now
I had to force my neck to move the
other way which was quite a weird
feeling but after a couple of days it
didn’t worry me at all.
After all we had experienced, that is
the French Riviera and Monaco, we
headed due north for the Route des
Grande Alpes up to Switzerland, and
this is a ride which should be on every
biker’s bucket list. The alpine passes
just go up and up for kilometres and
then it’s all the way back down to start
climbing the next one. You need to
allow yourself at least a couple of days
for this ride; you will not regret it.
We spent the next few weeks
travelling through Switzerland,
Northern Italy, Austria and Slovenia,
 doing so many mountain passes that
I almost wished for a straight road
just to relax a little. But you can’t
relax because you spend the whole
time looking around at the scenery,
pinching yourself that you are riding
your bike through one of the most
stunning regions of the world, with so
much excitement for what’s around the
next bend! I had saved the best road
for later though and after a couple of
days on the motorway we had arrived
in Romania.
The Transfăgărășan Highway has
been described numerous times as
the best road in the world. It was
very high up on my list of things
that I absolutely had to do. In
my experience it exceeded all the
reviews; the road just flowed so easy
that you could carry a fair bit of
pace up the whole climb and it was
nowhere near as crowded as some
of the main roads in the Alps. As
Jeremy Clarkson described it, “It’s
as if every great corner from every
great race track around the world
has been knitted together to create
one grey ribbon of automotive
perfection.” I enjoyed every second
On your marks!
JOIN US FOR THE 2020 MANX GP & CLASSIC TT
Ride your own bike, shipped securely by Get Routed from Australia, taking in not only the races on the TT Mountain
Course, but a prior two-week tour through Britain that visits The Ace Cafe,London Motorcycle Museum,
Sammy Miller Museum, visits to the Triumph and Morgan factories, and much more
For full details of this fantastic tour opportunity, contact Dave at Get Routed now
Ph: (03) 5625 9080 or email: dave@getrouted.com.au
of the whole ride so much that we
did it all again the next day.
Turning back to the West, we
made our way across the continent,
through the Czech Republic
and Bavaria, across to Spain and
Portugal. Here we spent a couple of
weeks living it up, as the end of our
trip was fast approaching. Feasting
on Tapas and Sangria, tasting
Ports, snoozing on the beach, and a
massive tomato fight soon filled up
our last taste of Europe, and with
the overnight ferry from Bilboa,
we were back in England where we
spent a couple of days with friends
before it was back to Felixstowe.
The return journey was just as
easy: just thoroughly wash your
bike, disconnect the battery, put
your riding gear in the panniers
and wrap them up, chuck all your
luggage back into your suitcases, fill
in some paperwork and get a taxi to
the train station. Dave and his team
of helpers at Get Routed, both at
home and in England, make sure
that everything runs smoothly and
you don’t have any of the hassles of
trying to organise it yourself. D
www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 89
 Special Feature

TOUR OPERATOR The guide to the stars - The who’s who in the
zoo of motorcycle travel worldwide is what you’ll find here.

DIRECTORY We’ve travelled with many of them and know them all, so they
come highly recommended. In alphabetical order, they are:

ADRIATIC MOTO TOURS
Europe & Asia
www.adriaticmototours.com
info@adriaticmototours.com
CENTRAL OTAGO
MOTORCYCLE HIRE AND
TOURS – New Zealand
www.comotorcyclehire.co.nz
Info@comotorcyclehire.co.nz
COMPASS EXPEDITIONS
- North and South America, Europe,
Asia, Australia and Africa
www.compassexpeditions.com
EDELWEISS BIKE TRAVEL
Worldwide tours*
*
Guided, Self-Guided + Rental
www.edelweissbike.com
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Cafe directory motorcycle vibe

D D D D D
food & coffee

INLINE4 CAFE ThE ShAggY CoW grEY guMS CAFé

Best café and fully licensed
restaurant on the way to Philip
Island Circuit
I Vista Place, Cape Woolamai
Philip Island, Victoria
0427 475 681
Exceptional food and service from
‘Best in NSW Cafe’ winner
112 Main St Mittagong
02 4872 2966
Really the Centre of the Universe
if you are travelling up The Putty
8679 Putty road, Putty NSW
02 6579 7015

D D D D D
York LANE
City Laneway cafe/bar run by the
original Ducati riding ace racer.
York Lane behind Clarence St
02 9299 1676
D D D D D
PITSToP AT MT MEE CAFE
A great ride to a beautiful location
north of Brisbane
2070a Mt Mee rd, ocean View,
Queensland 07 342536520
D D D D D
ChuBBS
Definitely a haven for people
interested in classic motorcycles
and filling their bellies!
42 Windbourne rd,
Brookvale 0420 546 477

D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
CUSTOMISING

WHAT &
COFFEE?
PHOTOS PAUL CROFT

E
VERY YEAR, THE North Shore Sporting
Car Club presents Cars & Coffee (also known as
Auto Brunch) at the St Ives Showground, 450
Mona Vale Road. It’s a static display of cars and bikes,
running from 8am to 11am and it usually brings to
light some interesting and even spectacular vehicles.
This year, Paul Croft who runs the Snap print shop
around the corner from our office in Lane Cove
West, was there with camera in hand. He’s a bike
enthusiast himself, and he managed to snap a couple
of custom bikes which looked as if they must have
taken their builders years of painstaking hard work.
Bodywork on both bikes is hand-formed aluminium,
and I can’t even imagine how tough it must have
been to complete the details.
Brilliant stuff. We intend to be there ourselves this
year; it’s on the first Sunday morning in June. D

www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 91
used&ABused

DOES IT GET ANY

BETTER THAN THIS?
Shoei GT Air ii ‘inSiGniA’ II for a while and waited for the new easy to use and not clunky like most
& SenA SrL2 2020 range to be released. There other helmets that use a ratchet.
are many new graphics available and It’s also not a plastic item and is
Price – Insignia graphic: $1099.90 I liked the new Insignia version in made from metal.
Tinted visor: $119.95. SRL2: $429.95 the matt black/grey/white – check Next feature I noticed is the visor
out premiumhelmets.com.au for can be cracked just open, which is
THE HELMET the full range. something I really like to do in the
It’s amazing how good a premium I have previously worn the original warmer months. Airflow is good and
helmet feels when you wear it. It GT Air which was very comfortable isn’t noticeable, which seems kind of
makes anything else feel weird on your but a little heavy if I must say. For the weird but I guess the way to describe
head. Shoei helmets have always been GT Air II the weight has gone and the it is the air flows smoother and isn’t
a favourite of mine as their fit, feel, features even better. directed to one part of the head or
features and style are what I class as I like a traditional D-ring strap face and is spread evenly throughout.
the leading helmet range available. I’d but the GT Air II has the new mini Aerodynamics are excellent – the GT
been after the relatively new GT Air ratchet styled strap. It is smooth and Air II is very stable at low and high

92 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
speeds, even behind a screen, which
at my height tends to buffet my head
around wearing other helmets. This
also makes the GT Air II reasonably
quiet – another added bonus!
I’ve never been a fan of the internal
drop-down visors as they never seem
to drop down enough for my liking,
but I give a massive tick here as the
visor in the GT Air II appears (or
feels) to drop down further than any
other internal visor I’ve used. I still
opted for a dark tint normal visor but
if I had to use the clear external visor
and drop down the tinted internal, I’d
be happy using it every day. I did ride
for a couple of weeks using it this way
and became quite used to it. I found
the only time you’d look through
the clear part of the external visor
was viewing the speedo and the side
mirrors. This is probably a good thing
as you have clearer vision this way.
Interior comfort and fit are supreme,
Shoei really do know how to make the
best helmet lining. Of course, the liner
is completely removable and washable

www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 93
used & abused

once it gets stinky.

As I mentioned, I opted for a tinted
external visor and fitted the Pinlock
EVO anti-fog insert that comes with
the helmet. The beading around the
eye port features a channel to reduce
or eliminate water from entering the
helmet if you’ve got the visor just
open. Vision is also very good on sit
up and lean forward motorcycles.

SENA SRL2
The GT Air II is Sena SRL2
communication system ready, I got
the SRL2 with my helmet and fitment
took around 20 minutes. All of the
wires have recessed channels to fit
into and the mic is also recessed
into the chin piece. The included
instructions are pretty easy to
follow but if you can’t get the gist
of them there is an online installation
video available.
Features of the SRL2 include
Bluetooth intercom, eight-way group
intercom, audio multitasking, music
sharing, voice command, advanced
noise control, smartphone app,
water resistant, built-in FM radio,
firmware upgradable and an optional
remote control. I haven’t given the
SRL2 a complete workout as yet but
having played music from my iPhone
the sound quality is beyond what I
expected. It sounds like a home sound
system – it’s that good. Talking to
someone on the phone is clear and
when telling them you’re on the bike
the reaction of, “no, you’re shitting
me” is quite funny. Anyone I’ve
spoken to mentions they have no idea
I’m riding and my voice is as clear
as if I was driving a car and using
Bluetooth calling. Communication
systems for helmets have come a
long way since I last used one a
couple of years ago.

LOVE IT
The Shoei GT Air II has replaced a
Shoei RYD as my every day helmet
and I must say I really do love wearing
it. The features suit everything I
could have asked for if I’d want to
design a helmet myself, I’ve even
come to love the mini-ratchet strap
– convenience, comfort, ease of use

94 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
and premium features, it’s hard to pass
up. Check out the full range of Shoei
helmets at your local bike shop or
premiumhelmets.com.au

BAGGING IT

HARLEY-DAVIDSON WAXED
CANVAS MESSENGER BAG
Price - $248.12

Yes, okay, let’s dispose of the obvious

reaction straight away. Nearly 250
bucks is a lot of money to pay for
a messenger bag, no matter how
convenient it is. And this one certainly
is, see below. To me, the price is
justified by both the design and the
obvious quality of the bag. The design
is simple; a long zipped [pocket at the
front, oddly without rain protection;
a roll top for the main compartment,
secured with two straps and buckles;
and a laptop compartment inside that,
big enough to take a 15-inch laptop.
Isn’t it weird that we still use inches
to measure computer screen sizes?
T
bag
is l
in
ora
is i
loo
you re carrying. I suppose if the shopping with it
you shop at Squiggle and buy your admittedly I shop every day.
gear in bright orange that might be The outside material is strong canvas,
a problem, but I suspect you don’t. waxed for water resistance, which
That liner is also water-resistant. The helps the roll top to keep the inside

www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 95
USED & ABUSED
dry. I don’t have to tell you that
I haven’t had a chance to try the
bag out in the rain, but I did run
the hose over it and it works. The
sewing is excellent, and the buckles
are brass, not clip-close plastic. I like
the thick, strong leather base with its
embossed H-D logo.
The bag measures 45 by 33 by 15cm,
which makes it quite large but not
unhandy. You can strap it to the sissy
bar if your Harley has one (practically
all models) or you can carry it the
usual messenger bag with, with the
strap across your shoulder.
I like it a lot, and it’s especially useful
if the jacket you’re wearing doesn’t
lend itself to using a backpack. See
your Harley dealer.
GOT TO GLOVE THESE
KLIM INDUCTION GLOVES
Price - $215
This is beginning to read like a
commentary on our weather – the
bag, above, has never felt rain but
these gloves have felt some horrific
heat. I’ve worn them in 40 degrees,
and while no gloves can protect you
completely against those kinds
of temperatures, these Klim gloves
do a sterling job.
By the way, I used to think the
name was pronounced ‘klimm’, but
it’s ‘clime’.
Back to the gloves. Designed
specifically as summer gloves, they are
96 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
mad
of
seri
per
and
goa
max
The
on both the top and bottom of the
fingers, which looks a little odd at first
but keeps the seams away from your
fingers for extra comfort.
Other features include – and I’m
just going to quote straight off
Klim’s product description, “Kwik-
Access Dual Adjustment Entry; Ykk
Autolock Zipper; Hard Knuckle Matte
Carbon Fiber Protector; Poron Xrd
Knuckle Protection; Poron Xrd In
Palm Pad With Kevlar-Reinforced
Schoeller Overlay; Accordion Stretch
On Back Of Hand; Mult-E-Touch
Smart Device Functionality; 3M
Scotchlite Reflective Material For
Bio Motion Recognition; Index
Seams On Palm And Outseams On
Fingers; Klim-Engineered Rider Grip
Articulation; and Entry Assist Pull
LoopBomber Performance.
Did you read that? I only read it
because I had to; these days I tend
to assume that reputable major
manufacturers get this kind of
thing right. Nevertheless, “Mesh In
Fourchettes”? If you know what that
is, do let me in on it.
What it boils down to is that the
gloves are well made from appropriate
materials, and sewn in such a way that
they are very comfortable even in
extreme heat. I’ve even gone so far as
to choose the light grey version – the
gloves also come in black and brown
– to increase heat reflection.
Summer can be an annoying time
to wear gloves as they first heat up
your hands and then get all sticky
and resist being taken off. The Klim
Induction Gloves don’t do either of
these things, and I expect to wear
them all summer. And who knows,
the way temperatures are rising,
maybe all year…
The gloves are available in sizes
from small to 3XL and if you
can’t find them at your local bike
shop, get in touch with importers
AdventureMoto on 02 9651 3355 or
at info@adventuremoto.com.au. D
 teCHniCaL

DIve right in Restoring that classic

WORDS STUART

S
o, you’ve got that old
classic bike tucked away in the
back of the shed gathering
dust, or you’ve found a bike you’ve
always wanted for a great price but
it needs some kind of restoring.
Where do you start, how far do
you take it and what sort of coin
will you most likely be shelling
out? These and many more are
questions will run through your
head over and over again when
deciding on whether to do a
restoration. The following is a
very basic skim off the top about
doing just that…
PRICE
If you plan to restore any
motorcycle you need to work out
the cost. If you buy the bike for
top dollar and then restore it,
you’ll more than likely be losing
money as your spend exceeds its
actual value (that might or might

www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 97
TecHnIcal

not change your mind). As a rough

guide (depending on make and
model of bike of course) for a full
restoration you’re looking at $6000
plus. If you need to send the motor
away to be stripped, cleaned, vapour
blasted or painted and rebuilt you’re
looking at least $3000 plus alone.
This can push the total cost of the
restoration up very quickly.

HOW FAR DO YOU GO?

If you’ve got a bike that looks pretty
good but is a little rough in the odd
place you can do what’s called a,
‘sympathetic restoration”. This can
be anything from a simple clean up,
1
to replacing some parts or actually
restoring some parts. The full-on end
of the scale is to complete a full strip
and full restoration of everything. At
the end of the day it all depends what
you want out of the finished product.

PARTS
Before you plan any kind of
restoration you need to do A LOT
of research to see if parts are
available, because when you dive in
you’ll sink pretty fast if those hard
to get parts aren’t available.

HOW ORIGINAL DO
YOU GO
This can be a very personal decision,
but for me if you want to make
money – keep it as original as you
can, most bikes are worth more as 2 3
they came off the production line.
However, this can be a little different
with some bikes as a rare exhaust or
a set of fancy carbs and a set of rare
wheels can put the price up above or
level with an original restored bike.

WHICH BIKE TO CHOOSE

It’s up to you. Don’t listen to your
mates – YOU pick the bike you’ve

1. Get original photos to assist with rebuild

2. Soaking seized parts is ‘fun’

3. A polishing wheel can reduce costs

4. How good is that!

98 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
 4
always lusted after and restore it
how you like. If that means you
buy a 50cc Yamaha 2-stroke from
the ’70s or you sell your house to
buy a Brough Superior, it’s up to
you what bike you buy and restore.
Remember, you’re more than likely
living out a dream you’ve had all
your life of a bike you had a picture
of on your wall as a kid.
STRIP IT
Get yourself a good work space.
If you’re working in a garage make
sure you have plenty of space and
if possible, park the car outside.
It’s also a good idea to have two or
three of those big plastic tubs you
can get from Bunnings and some
shelving to store the tubs and other
parts is also a good idea.
PHOTOGRAPH AND BAG
EvERYTHING!
Get your smartphone or a good quality
camera and take one million photos
of everything before you take it apart,
and as you take it apart. You might not
need every photo when it comes time
to put it back together but it’s the time
you haven’t taken a photo that you’ll
need to know how it was put together
www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 99
TecHnIcal

or where it was placed.
Also, get yourself some of those
resealable plastic bags from the
supermarket, preferably ones you
can write on and label and bag
EVERYTHING (I can’t stress this
enough). Even if it’s one single
cotter pin, or the tiniest nut – bag
and label everything!
NEW TECHNOLOGY
The paint and process of painting
bikes of the ‘60s, ‘70s and mostly
the ‘80s has mostly gone. Powder
coating has come a long way and is
about as original a finish as you can
get (so long as you have the right
powder coater). 2 Pak paint tends
to be far glossier than acrylic paints
as used back in the day so if you’re
looking for ‘original’ on the frame
and so on, powder coating is a good
option. 2 Pak paint is excellent for
the colour and is more durable than
acrylic. Chroming and anodizing
will cost you a bomb and there are
a few good places around but do
your research to get the right one.

Ride New Zealand and live the dream!

Motorcycle Rental • Fully-guided Tours • Independent GPS Tours

www.motorbiketours.co.nz
100 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
 3

It’s no good taking it to anyone
and then all of a sudden the prized
date stamps are filled in with new
chrome.
FORUMS
Bike specific forums and bike
specific Facebook groups offer a
world of advice, I can’t describe
the amount of amazing help I’ve
received while restoring the Suzuki
1100 Katana, and now the Kawasaki
Z900 A4, from these types of
groups. This includes searching for
rare parts – someone, somewhere
has that part lying around their shed
and will more than likely be willing
to sell it to you.
1. Take photos!
2. Restored Katana engine in the frame
3. Schematics are very handy to have
PLACES TO GO
Mechanics who know old bikes are
getting harder and harder to find

adriaticmototours.com

Tuscany
HIGHLIGHTS Sardinia
Riding in Sardinia,
Mountains of Corsica,
Venice, Florence,
Corsica
Siena, Leaning Tower
in Pisa, Chianti region,
Bonifacio, Cinque
Tour
Terre

TOUR DATES
COUNTRIES DURATION ROUTE LENGTH
APR 18 - MAY 3, 2020 Italy, France 16 days / 14 riding days 2.700 km (1.700 miles)
SEP 20 - OCT 5, 2020

www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 101
TecHnIcal

nowadays, word of mouth has always
worked for me for some stages of
restoring bikes but I also have a
great friends at D Moto Motorcycle
Engineering who provide a wealth
of knowledge and technical skill.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE
This all depends on how much
time and money you have. I did my
Suzuki 1100 Katana in six months,
but the Z900 will probably take
around 18 months.
SHOWTIME
The most exciting day of any
restoration is when you put the
rego plate on and take the bike for
its first ride. I highly recommend
taking your ‘new’ bike to a local

D Moto QUA
L
Motorcycle GEA ITY
Engineering MAD R
AME E IN
RICA
!
Technical Skill - Personal Service
Comprehensive or minor servicing
Performance engine mods
Cylinder head reconditioning
Welding and machining service
Fuel injection specialists
Race and track bike preparation
Tyre supply and fitting Photo of Dave Roper by Bill Burke ©2019

Ducati spares
REXXER ecu tuning
Although our background is Ducati we will happily service 308 Page
any motorcycle brand!
Print (!) Catalog
Unit 4, 3-5 Harbord St, Clyde NSW 2142 + more specials online!
02 8677 9120 aerostich.com/aus
www.dmoto.com.au Most imported goods are subject to Australian Customs duties and 10% goods service tax. There are many different
regulations and sometimes complex duty rates applicable to imported cargo. Consult your local laws for details.

102 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
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TecHnIcal

show ‘n’ shine so that others can

admire your beautiful machine. I
also recommend getting professional
photos of your restored beauty
done. The smiles this will bring you
are immeasurable.

WHAT ELSE?
There is so much more I could delve
into with restorations but this basic
outline is plenty to get you on the
road to enjoying a classical beauty.
Do you have any recommendations
you’d like to share with your fellow
readers? Send me an email –
stuart@ausmotorcyclist.com.au D

Time to enjoy!

104 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au

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will print your email address instead. Please address letters to contactus@ausmotorcyclist.com.au or
Australian Motorcyclist Magazine, Suite 4b, Level 1, 11-13 Orion Rd, Lane Cove West NSW 2066.
All opinions published here
ere are those of the writers and wee do
LETTER OF THE MONTH
S
EAN IS OUR WINNER
of the amazing Nelson Rigg
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month. He sent in this awesome
&KULVWPDVSRHP:HOOGRQHPDWH
6HQGPH\RXUWVKLUWVL]HDQGSRVWDO
address. SW
A BIKER XMAS
Hi Stuart,
,IRXQGWKLVJUHDW&KULVWPDVSRHP
online and thought it was worth
sharing. A great Christmas and
WHATSAYYOU
d not vouch for their accuracy
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when all through the garages
Not a motorcycle was rumbling,
H[FHSWIRU6DQWD&ODXV·
7KHOHDWKHUZDVKXQJLQWKH
closet with care
,QKRSHVWKDWQLFHZHDWKHUVRRQ
would be there
2XUELNHVZHUHDOOQHVWOHGVQXJLQ
their covers
:LWKYLVLRQVRI EODFNWRSDQG
EXUQLQJXSUXEEHU
With momma in her bandana and I
accurac or even their sanity.
sanity
anity
LQP\VNXOOFDS
We had settled down for a long
ZLQWHUVQDS
When out on the lawn, arose
such a rumble
,VSUDQJIURPWKHEHGDV,
started to grumble
When what to my wondering
H\HVVKRXOGDSSHDU
:DVDSDFNRI PRWRUF\FOHV
with riders and gear,
With one old driver so lively
and quick
I knew in a moment it must
be biker St. Nick
He was dressed all in leather,
from his head to his foot
His clothes were all tarnished
with bugs and road soot
A bundle of chrome he had
ÁXQJRQKLVEDFN
Down the chimney he came,
carrying a big red sack
+HVSRNHQRWDZRUGEXWZHQW
straight to his work
$VKHÀOOHGDOOWKHULGLQJERRWV
then turned with a jerk,
$QGOD\LQJDÀQJHUDVLGH
of his nose,
$QGJLYLQJDQRGXSWKH
chimney he rose
+HVSUDQJWRKLVPRWRUF\FOH
to his team gave a sign
As they cracked their throttles
and got into line,
Now Honda, Now Harley,
1RZ7ULXPSKDQG7ULNH
2Q.DZDVDNL2Q6X]XNL
2Q<DPDKDDQG,QGLDQ
But I heard him exclaim as
he roared out of sight
.HHSWKHUXEEHUVLGHGRZQ
and have a good ride.
Merry Christmas to all and
WRDOODJRRGQLJKWµ
Regards, Sean Fitzsimmons
Northmead NSW
www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 105
w H aT s aY Y O U

THE GOOD GEAR

G’day Gents
I have just finished reading your
January 2020 publication and was
particularly drawn to Bear’s article
titled “Modern Matches Medieval”,
where the low volume specialist
parts builder was introduced. After
owning BMW K100LT & K1100LTs
over a collective 27 years, and
having found them comfortable but
getting a bit heavy as I age (now 66
yrs), I decided to buy a new 2017
R1200GS Tour.
I knew before buying the bike that
the footpegs on the ‘R1200GS Tour’
were inadequate and not remotely
touring-oriented compared to my
earlier bikes, and I replaced them
with excellent pegs from the USA’s
Black Dog Cycle Works (BDCW).
The slight lean forward to the
handlebars made my back ache, so I
bought bar-risers from Wunderlich,
and also invested in their ERGO true all-day riding proposition. move until they had slaked their
Screen and Bike Lifting handle, as I I’m really looking forward to your thirst, at times we were riding at
found the R1200GS wind protection up-coming customising work. 30km/h. Of course the Road Trains
could be improved, and putting the Thanks for a great read. can’t slow down so then not only
tallish bike on its centre-stand was Cheers, alan evans were we dodging living Roos but
somewhat precarious for someone farrer, aCt hundreds of their dead companions.
with a stuffed right leg from an old I stopped at a several Mechanics
1973 CB450 altercation with a We’ll let you know what the Wunderlich seeking help, all to no avail, on we
power-pole. Each new part was of seat is like, Alan – The Bear rode into the freezing cold (lucky
excellent quality, fitted easily, and for us), still no warning light.
did what it promised. Eventually we reached Port Augusta,
The BMW R1200RT would have GOOD STUFF cutting the engine at every red light,
been great but is still too heavy, so Stuart/Bear, the always helpful staff at Northern
my priorities were lowest possible My wife and I recently rode to Motorcycles had a look at the bike.
weight, with shaft drive, excellent Tasmania, our eighth time across the They suggested that it was probably
frontal wind-protection, and Nullarbor. All went well until we hit the fan sensor switch and suggested
combined front/back wheel braking the WA / S.A Border where we were that as it was so cold I should keep
due to my disabled right leg. As a stopped at what seems to be a on going until I got to a Kawasaki
result, I added another $1,000 to an permanent breath test station. While dealer, on we rode.
already $30,000 bike, but those sitting in the queue waiting, a red Riding to Port Melbourne was a tad
changed parts turned a bike with warning light came on, on stressful, again cutting the Engine at
real limitations for me, into the investigation I realised that the every Red light to avoid idling the
virtual equivalent of an RT for a cooling fan was not working, engine, at last onto the Ferry and
40kg weight saving. Wunderlich, obviously a sensor switch problem. into a Lager Frenzy to celebrate.
BDCW, & others, really do add a As luck would have it, it was I had already rung Spreyton
value in customising the freezing cold and I realised that Motorcycles near Devonport to
shortcomings of both the bike & its sitting at Idle was the reason for the book my bike in, we arrived at
rider to an individualised red light, time to roll the dice, we Spreyton Motorcycles at 730 am,
accommodation. had a Ferry to catch. Anthony Shaw (the owner) was on
Now I’m weighing up the cost of a So on we rode, still freezing cold. At hand to diagnose the bike, fan
Wunderlich or Corbin bike-seat Cocklebiddy it poured with rain, sensor switch gone.
replacement to overcome the last hundreds of thirsty Roos lined the Anthony had to order the switch, he
comfort issue for me to generate a road drinking their fill refusing to had us up and running in 2 days, oh

106 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
well 2 days in a hire car. Anthony
and his team offered amazing
service I would not hesitate to
recommend them.
It was all worth it, the ride around
7DVPDQLDZDVDPD]LQJWKHULGHEDFN
across the Nullarbor was more
UHOD[LQJWULDOVDQGWULEXODWLRQVLVQ·W
this why we ride?
What is it with the road safety mob
LQ9LFWRULD"7KH\VSHQGPLOOLRQVRI 
GROODUVRQZLUHURSHFKHHVHFXWWHUV
while the road surface that they
FRUULGRUDUHDEVROXWHO\DSSDOOLQJLQ
P\RSLQLRQWKH\UHDOO\GRQHHGWRGR
a rethink on road safety.
.HHSXSWKHJRRGZRUN
Best Wishes for the New Year
to all at A.M.M
Peter and Diane Simmonds
Margaret River W.A
CHICKEN DINNER
Hi Stuart,
,XQZUDSSHGP\-DQXDU\FRS\RI 
Australian Motorcyclist and was
EASILY THE
BEST BOOKS
ABOUT RIDING
BIKES EVER
WRITTEN
o t www bik e.tv/index.php/shop/
Or email Borrie directly on Boris@bikeme.tv
O PLUS POSTAGE
chuffed to read that I had been
DZDUGHGWKH/HWWHURI WKH0RQWK
I would like to thank the Judging
3DQHOP\3DUHQWVZKRSUHSDUHG
me for life, my wife who has
EHHQDFRQVWDQWVXSSRUWP\
teachers lalalalalalala.
7KDQNVPDWHUHDOO\DSSUHFLDWHG
Best wishes to you and all the
WHDPIRUD+DSS\ UHOD[HG
Christmas break.
Cheers, Tony Gray.
THANKS, AMM
Hi Stuart and Bear,
Just wanted to say thanks for
SURPRWLQJMXVWVRPHRI WKHILUH
affected areas in your last issue
(#83). Every dollar that can be
VSHQWLQWKHVHDUHDVLVHVVHQWLDOWR
NHHSLQJWKHFRPPXQLWLHVJRLQJ
Have a great New Year.
.LQGUHJDUGVJulia
Lithgow, NSW
AMAZING PUBS & AMAZING STORIES
$
20
EACH
I’ve just been up to see Kim at Grey Gum
Café, Julia, and I’d like to add my voice to
your appeal – The Bear
EICMA LOVE
Hi Bear,
I must say I love reading each year
about all the new bikes from
EICMA, and the other things you
find at the shows that no one else
VHHPV WR UHSRUW RQ :HOO GRQH DQG
have a great New year.
7KDQNV Jason
FIRE UP
*·GD\ $00
It is good to see your intention for
JHWWLQJ SHRSOH LQWR WKH FRXQWU\VLGH
WR KHOS FRPPXQLWLHV DIIHFWHG E\ WKH
ILUHV DV SUHVHQWHG LQ PDJD]LQH
number 83. I have sad thoughts
when I see the devastation by fires
WDNLQJ SODFH LQ WKH (DVWHUQ 6WDWHV
0\ SDUWQHU DQG , URGH WZRXS IURP
Brisbane to Adelaide in November,
via the Great Divide to Batemans
Bay, then along the coast from there.
:H PDGH HYHU\ HIIRUW WR VXSSRUW WKH
local communities, utilising local
DFFRPPRGDWLRQ DQG ORFDO SURGXFH DW
DOO SODFHV ZH YLVLWHG
We went through the devastation at
'UDNH DQG 7HQWHUILHOG DQG DJDLQ
near Gloucester, then a fire started
DW :RRGIRUG WKH GD\ SULRU WR RXU
GHSDUWXUH IURP 0HGORZ %DWK
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the beauty of the land and the
SHRSOH WKURXJKRXW WKH HQWLUH WULS
was awesome. It was touching to
KHDU WKHLU VWRULHV RI WKH SULGH LQ
WKHLU FRPPXQLWLHV DQG WKH KDUGVKLS
THE NEW BOOK
FROM COLIN
WHELAN
COMING
AUG 2020
register your
interest today!
SEARCH "NOTHING BUT
THE PUB" ON FACEBOOK
www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 107
w H aT s aY Y O U

of the current environmental anyone have caused such loss, they be Hi Richard,
conditions they face. given appropriate focus to ensure it Great to see you out there helping
Although I have only attached a never happens again. out. Yes, the devastation is
couple of photo’s from the trip This is a great country, with great shocking to say the least. I hope
showing areas of devastation at that people. Let’s be sure it always is many more of our readers get out
time, there are many more of the that way. to fire affected areas and spend up
countryside before the burn, Thanks AMM. big in these communities.
including those in our memories. One richard deturt Cheers, Stuart. D
photo is at the Lunatic Hotel in
Drake, with some liquid supplied by
an ironic provider. Another one is
from Gloucester, while the remainder
show the route we rode.
Whilst we saw so much beauty that
has now turned black, I’m sure that
all will return to the beauty to be
appreciated again, with the right
support and care. There is much
sorrow, heartache, and exhaustion,
even anger, I guess, at the moment. I
can only hope that everyone sees the
strength within themselves, and
accepts the support from each other.
I also hope that those who have been
given so much by the communities,
now return that gratitude by
supporting those in need. And should

108 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
 newbikepriCes

M
F 750 GS $13,590 Monster 1200 R Red $30,190
ost prices exclude dealer and F 750 GS Tour $17,305 Diavel 1260 $29,790
on road costs and some are F 750 GS Low Susp $13,840 Diavel 1260 S $34,890
F 750 GS Tour LS $17,005
ride away prices – ask your local F 850 GS $17,990
X Diavel $30,190
X Diavel S Black $35,490
dealer for the best possible price! F 850 GS Rallye $18,390
X Diavel S White $35,790
F 850 GS Rallye X $22,305
F 850 GS Tour $21,805 Panigale V4 $31,390
F 850 GS Low Susp $18,240 Panigale V4 S $39,990
F 850 GS Rallye Low Susp $18,640 Panigale V4 S GP $42,790
APRILIA F 850 GS Tour Low Susp $21,505 Panigale V4 Speciale $63,190
www.aprilia.com.au F 850 GSA $TBA Panigale V4 Speciale Mag $68,190
R 1250 GS $23,490 Panigale V4 R $63,190
ROAD R 1250 GS Rallye $24,940
Shiver 900 ABS $15,190 $63,190
R 1250 GS Rallye X $29,890
Dorsoduro 900 ABS $15,790 R 1250 GS Exclusive $28,140 ADV TOURING
Tuono V4 1100 RR $22,490 R 1250 GS Spezial $31,390 MTS 950 Red $20,990
Tuono V4 1100 Factory $27,190 R 1250 GSA $25,490 MTS 950 S Red $23,490
RSV4 1100 Factory $33,990 R 1250 GSA Rallye $26,390 MTS 950 S Grey $23,790
SCOOTERS R 1250 GSA Rallye X $31,590 MTS 950 S Red Spokes $23,750
SR MT 125 $3390 R 1250 GSA Exclusive $30,790 MTS 950 S Grey Spokes $23,990
Scarabeo 200 ie $5190 R 1250 GSA Spezial $30,540 MTS 1260 Red $26,490
SCOOTER MTS 1260 S Red $31,190
C 650 Sport $14,150
BENELLI C 650 GT $14,990
MTS 1260 S Wht/Gry
MTS 1260 S T-Pack
$31,390
$33,190
www.benelli.com.au
MTS 1260 S Pikes Peak $38,490
ROAD CAN-AM (BRP) MTS 1260 Enduro Red $31,990
TnT 125 $3250 www.brp.com MTS 1260 Enduro Sand $32,190
BN 302 $5690 MTS 1260 End Red T-Pak $34,690
402 S $TBA Spyder F3 $TBA MTS 1260 End Sand T-Pak $34,890
Imperiale $TBA Spyder F3-S $TBA
Leoncino $7990 Spyder F3-T $TBA
Leoncino Trail $8690
Leoncino Sport $TBA
Spyder F3 Limited
Spyder RT
$TBA
$TBA HARLEY-DAVIDSON
752 S $TBA Spyder RT Limited $TBA www.harley-davidson.com
ADV TOURING * All Harley-Davidson prices are ride away
TRK 502 $7890
TRK 502 X $8490 CRUISER
CF MOTO Street 500 $9995
www.cf-moto.com.au Street Rod $12,995
BMW SuperLow 883 $15,495
www.bmwmotorrad.com.au ROAD Iron 883 $15,495
150NK $3290 Iron 1200 $16,495
ROAD 250NK $3990
G 310 R $5790 650NK $6490 Forty-Eight $18,995
F 800 R $12,990 650TK $7990 Forty-Eight Special $18,995
F 800 GT $16,300 650MT $7990 Custom 1200 $19,250
S 1000 R $19,390 650GT $7990 Roadster $19,495
S 1000 R Sport $21,690 Street Bob $23,495
S 1000 RR $21,990 Low Rider $24,250
S 1000 RR Sport $23,990 Slim $26,250
S 1000 RR Race $25,690 DUCATI Fat Bob $27,495
R nineT $22,490 www.ducati.com.au Fat Bob 114 $30,250
R nineT Pure $17,690 *All Ducati prices are ride away
R nineT Scrambler $18,750 Sport Glide $27,750
R nineT Racer $19,150 ROAD Deluxe $29,495
R nineT Urban G/S $18,750 Scrambler Sixty2 $13,490 Fat Boy $30,995
R 1250 R $21,240 Scrambler Icon $13,990 Fat Boy 114 $33,995
R 1250 R HP $27,040 Scrambler Full Throttle $17,540 Breakout $31,250
R 1250 R Exclusive $26,065 Scrambler Café Racer $18,990 Breakout 114 $33,995
R 1250 R Spezial $26,765 Scrambler Desert Sled $19,290 FXDR 114 $35,495
R 1250 R $22,540 Scrambler 1100 $16,990 Heritage Classic $31,750
R 1250 RS Sport $28,215 Scrambler 1100 Special $18,990
R 1250 RS Exclusive $27,215 Heritage Classic 114 $33,995
Scrambler 1100 Sport $19,990
R 1250 R Spezial $28,065 Monster 659 $12,490 Road King $34,250
R 1250 RT $32,290 Monster 797 $13,490 Road King Special $35,250
R 1250 RT Sport $33,190 Monster 821 $17,500 Road Glide $36,495
R 1250 RT Elegance $33,465 Monster 821 Stealth $18,590 Road Glide Special $37,495
R 1250 R Spezial $34,215 Hypermotard $20,790 Street Glide $36,495
K 1600 B $36,490 Hypermotard SP $25,990 Street Glide Special $37,495
K 1600 GT $36,490 Supersport $17,790 Ultra Limited $39,995
K 1600 GT Sport $36,990 Supersport S $20,250 Freewheeler $40,250
K 1600 GTL $37,990 Panigale 959 Red $22,490
K 1600 GTL Elegance $40,490 Tri Glide Ultra $50,995
Panigale 959 White $22,990
ADV SPORT Panigale 959 Corse $25,990 CVO
S 1000 XR $22,190 Monster 1200 $22,990 Street Glide 117 $49,750
ADV TOURING Monster 1200 S Red $26,990 Road Glide 117 $49,995
G 310 GS $8090 Monster 1200 S Grey $27,190 Ultra Limited 117 $52,995

Your adventure. Our policy.

Call our specialist team on 1800 24 34 64 or visit qbe.com/au
Conditions apply. QBE Insurance (Australia) Ltd. ABN 78 003 191 035.
AFSL 239545. Consider the PDS to see if a product is right for you.

www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 109
new BIke PRIces

HONDA Ninja 400 SE

Z650L
$6749
$9799 MOTO GUZZI
www.honda.com.au Ninja 650/L $9999 www.motoguzzi.com.au
ROAD Ninja 650/L KRT $10,299
Grom $3490 Ninja ZX-6R 636 $14,799 ROAD
Monkey $5399 Ninja ZX-6R 636 KRT $14,799 V7 III Stone $12,990
CB125E $2399 W800 SE Black $11,999 V7 III Special $13,990
CB300R $5999 W800 Café $13,999 V7 III Racer $16,490
CB500F $7599 Z900 $12,599 V7 III Anniversario $16,990
CBR500R $7699 Z900RS $16,499 V9 Bobber $15,190
CBR600RR $14,999 Z900RS Café $16,799 V9 Roamer $15,190
CB650F $9799 Z1000 $15,599 CRUISER
CB650R $9999 Ninja 1000 $16,399 Cali Audace Carbon $23,990
CBR650F $9999 ZX-10R $23,700 Cali 1400 Eldorado $23,990
CBR650R $10,299 ZX-10R KRT $23,900 Cali 1400 Touring SE $25,990
CB1000R $16,799 ZX-10R SE $30,300
CBR1000RR Fireblade $18,086 MGX-21 $35,000
ZX-10RR $27,300
CBR1000RR Fireblade SP $28,499 ZX-10RR Lime Green $35,500
Goldwing DCT $35,999 ZX-14R Brembo Ohlins $22,099
Goldwing Tour $41,999
Goldwing Tour Premium $42,999
H2 SX SE
H2 SX SE+
$29,290
$33,000
MV AGUSTA
CRUISER H2 Carbon $41,900 www.mvagusta.com.au
CMX $8099 CRUISER
ADV TOURING Vulcan S $10,099 ROAD
CRF250R Rally $7299 Vulcan S SE $10,299 F3 675 $20,490
CB500X $7999 Vulcan S Café $10,499 F3 675 RC $26,990
NC750XA $9999 Vulcan 900 Classic $12,499 Brutale 800 $20,490
Africa Twin $17,499 Vulcan 900 Custom $12,499 Brutale 800 RR $23,490
Africa Twin Adv Sports $19,699 ADV TOURING Brutale 800 RR Pirelli $28,990
Africa Twin Adv Sport DCT $19,999 Versys X $6399 Brutale 800 RR America $26,990
VFR1200X Crosstourer $18,299 Versys X SE $6499 Brutale 800 RR RC $30,880
SCOOTER Versys 650/L $10,599
NSC110 Dio $2799 Brutale 800 Dragster RR $26,390
KLR650 $8199 Brutale 800 Dragster RC $30,880
MW110 Benly $3349 Versys 1000 SE $22,499
C125 Super Cub $5199 Brutale 800 RR Hamilton $36,880
SH150 $4999 RVS #1 $49,990
PCX150 $4599 F3 800 $22,490
NSS300A Forza $7999 KTM F3 800 RC $28,990
www.ktm.com.au Turismo Veloce $22,490
Turismo Veloce Lusso $25,990
HUSQVARNA ROAD Turismo Veloce RC $29,880
www.husqvarna-motorcycles.com/au 390 Duke $7295 Turismo Velo Lusso SCS $29,990
790 Duke $14,995 Turismo Velo Lus RC SCS $33,990
ROAD 790 Duke R $15,495 Brutale 1090 $21,490
Vitpilen 401 $11,592 1290 Super Duke R $25,995
Svartpilen 401 $11,592 Brutale 1090 RR $24,990
1290 Super Duke GT $26,995 F4 $26,990
Vitpilen 701 $18,337 ADV TOURING
690 Enduro R $17,595 F4 RR $36,990
790 Adventure $21,195 F4 RC $58,880
INDIAN 790 Adventure R $22,695 F4 Lewis Hamilton $89,880
www.indianmotorcycles.com.au 1090 Adventure R $24,295
*All Indian Motorcycle prices are ride away 1290 Super Adv S $28,395
1290 Super Adv R $29,195
CRUISER PIAGGIO
Scout Bobber $18,995 www.piaggio.com.au
Scout $19,495 *Some Piaggio prices are ride away
FTR1200 $20,995 KYMCO
FTR1200S $22,995 kymco.com.au SCOOTER
FTR1200S Race Rep $24,995 Typhoon 125 $2790
Chief Dark Horse $28,995 ROAD Fly 150 3V $3490
Chief Vintage $32,995 CK 125 $2095 Liberty S 150 3V $3790
Springfield $33,995 CRUISER Medley 150 $5290
Springfield Dark Horse $34,995 Venox 250 $5295
Chieftain Dark Horse $35,995 Yourban 300 $9790
SCOOTER BV 350 Sport Touring $8190
Chieftain Limited $36,995 Super 8 125 $2595
Roadmaster $40,995 X10 350 $9490
Like 125 $2995
Roadmaster Elite $49,995 X10 500 $9,990
Espresso 150 $2799
Like 200 $3395
Downtown 300i ABS $7495
KAWASAKI PEUGEOT
www.kawasaki.com.au www.peugeotmotorcycles.com.au
LAMBRETTA
ROAD www.lambrettaaustralia.com.au Tweet 125 $3790
Z125 Pro KRT $4249 Django 150 Evasion $4990
Z300 $5999 V125 Special Fix $4290 Django 150 Sport $4990
Z400 $6299 V125 Special Flex $4290 Django 150 Allure $5190
Ninja 400 $6499 V200 Special Fix $4990 Belville 200 RS $4990
Ninja 400 KRT $6749 V200 Special Flex $4990 Metropolis 400 $13,490

Your adventure. Our policy.

Call our specialist team on 1800 24 34 64 or visit qbe.com/au
Conditions apply. QBE Insurance (Australia) Ltd. ABN 78 003 191 035.
AFSL 239545. Consider the PDS to see if a product is right for you.

110 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
ROYAL ENFIELD V-Strom 650
V-Strom 650 XT
$10,990
$11,990
ADV TOURING
Tourist $23,760
www.royalenfieldaustralia.com
ROAD V-Strom 1000 XT $16,490 Retro/M70 $24,970
Classic 350 $5590 SCOOTER Ranger $24,970
Classic 350 Redditch $5590 Address $2490
Rumbler 350 $5790 Burgman 200 $5490
Bullet 500
Classic 500
$7690
$7990
Burgman 400 $10,490 VESPA
www.vespa.com.au
Classic 500 Redditch $7990 SCOOTER
Classic Stealth $7990 SWM Primavera 125 3V $5590
Classic Gunmetal Grey $7990 www.swmmotorcycles.com.au Primavera 150 3V $6290
Classic Desert Storm $7990
Classic Battle Green $7990 Sprint 150 3V $6390
ROAD
Classic Squadron Blue $7990 Sprint 150 3V SE $6490
Gran Turismo $7490
Classic Chrome $8190 Silver Vase 440 $7490 GTS 150 3V $6290
Continental GT $8690 Gran Milano 440 $7990 PX150 $6490
650 Interceptor Classic $8440 SM 500 R $8990 PX150 Touring $6790
650 Interceptor Custom $8640 SM 650 R $9490 946 Bellissima $12,490
650 Interceptor Chrome $8940 946 Armani $14,990
ADV TOURING
650 Conti GT Classic $8640 GTS250ie FL $7890
Superdual $9990
650 Conti GT Custom $8840 GTS300 Super $9190
650 Conti GT Chrome $9140
GTS300 Super Sport $9490
ADV TOURING
Himalayan $5990 TRIUMPH
www.triumphmotorcycles.com.au
*Some Triumph prices are ride away YAMAHA
www.yamaha-motor.com.au
SOL INVICTUS ROAD
www.solinvictus.com.au Street Triple S 660 $12,800 ROAD
Street Triple S $13,800 YZF-R15 $4299
ROAD Street Triple R $15,850 MT-03 $5799
Mercury 250 Café Racer $3999 Street Triple RS $17,550 R3 $6299
Nemesis 400 Classic $5899 Bonneville Street Twin $13,700 R3 SP $6399
Nemesis 400 Scrambler $5999 Bonne Street Cup $15,600 YZF-R6 $17,499
Street Scrambler $15,900
MT-07 LA $9999
Bonne T100 $15,300
MT-07 HO $10,699
Bonne T100 Black $15,300
SUPER SOCO Bobber $18,000 XSR700 LA $10,999
www.supersoco.com.au Bonne Bobber Black $19,500 MT-07 Tracer $12,299
Bonneville T120 $17,200 MT-09 $12,299
ROAD Bonneville T120 Black $17,200 MT-09 SP $13,999
TS $4990 Speedmaster $19,500 XSR900 $12,999
TC $TBA MT-09 Tracer $15,499
Thruxton $18,700
Thruxton R $21,100 MT-09 Tracer GT $18,199
Speed Twin $18,000 Niken $21,999
SUZUKI Tiger Sport
Speed Triple RS
$17,550
$22,700
Niken GT
MT-10
$23,999
$18,999
www.suzukimotorcycles.com.au
CRUISER MT-10SP $21,999
ROAD Thunderbird Storm $22,800 YZF-R1 $23,999
GSX-S125 $3390 Thunderbird Commander $23,800 YZF-R1M $31,999
GSX-R125 $3490 Thunderbird LT $25,000 FJR1300AE $27,999
TU250X $5990 Rocket Roadster $23,990 CRUISER
DR-Z400SM $8990 Rocket Touring $26,490 Virago $6799
GSX-R600 $14,990 ADV TOURING V Star 650 Custom $8799
SV650 $8990 Scrambler 1200 XE $21,700 V Star 650A Classic $9299
SV650X $9490 Scrambler 1200 XC $TBA Star Bolt C-Spec Cafe $8699
GSX-S750 $11,490 Tiger 800 XRx/L $18,550
GSX-R750 $15,990 Star Bolt R-Spec $11,999
Tiger 800 XRt $20,700
GSX-S1000 $15,190 V Star 950 $13,999
Tiger 800 XCx/L $19,650
GSX-S1000F $15,990 XVS1300 Stryker $15,499
Tiger 800 XCa $21,350
GSX-S1000 Katana $18,990 ADV TOURING
Tiger 1200 XRx $24,200
GSX-R1000 $21,990 Tiger 1200 XCx $25,600 XT250 $6299
GSX-R1000R $25,490 Tiger 1200 XRt $27,600 660 Tenere $13,999
GSX1300R Hayabusa $19,290 Super Tenere $19,999
Tiger 1200 XCa $29,300
CRUISER Super Tenere ESP $21,999
Boulevard S40 $7990 SCOOTER
Boulevard C50T $10,990
Boulevard C90 $15,490 URAL D’elight 125 $3399
Boulevard M109R $19,490 www.imz-ural.com.au NMAX 150 $3999
ADV TOURING ROAD Tricity 150 $5099
V-Strom 250 $6190 cT $21,780 XMAX 300 $6999
DR650SE $8090 cT Dark Force $24,850 TMAX 530 SX $14,499

Your adventure. Our policy.

Call our specialist team on 1800 24 34 64 or visit qbe.com/au
Conditions apply. QBE Insurance (Australia) Ltd. ABN 78 003 191 035.
AFSL 239545. Consider the PDS to see if a product is right for you.

www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 111
BEARFACED
FOR THE
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112 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au

ADVERTISERS LISTING
IFC, 3 – Shannons Insurance
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IBC – WSBK Phillip Island
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13 – Triumph Motorcycles
17 – Shoei
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33 – Ventura
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90 – Tour Operator Directory 113 – Zinio
www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au 113
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114 www.ausmotorcyclist.com.au
will also cease to exist.
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www.hemamaps.com.au
 HOW THE FRENCH DO IT

PURPLE ROUTE

T his is the one to take if you want to have it all!

Heading west from Menton on the coastal road
(skip the motorway) through the outskirts of Monte
Carlo, turn right at Èze and take the D2204 through
La Turbie. This takes you over the spectacular Col de
Braus to Sospel, where the Col de Turini road, the
D2566, starts to your left.
From here on it’s pretty much just a straight-line
north up the wonderful pass road. Watch out for
dmap road under the tress and rubble from the
protective stone wall which have been chopped up
by the cars from the Monte Carlo rally! And keep
your eyes on the road; the scenery is spectacular,
but it will still be there when you take another run
at the mountain.
After the top of the pass at the Hotel de Le Trois
Vallees, the fun does not stop although it opens
up somewhat as the road leaves the forest. That’s
just the tree cover – the corners stay just as tight.
Watch out for local traffic in the villages, but
otherwise just enjoy!

GREEN ROUTE
Should you be in a hurry (something I definitely
advise against in this area) then you could take
the Sospel road north from Menton. This is the
D2566a. It is also enjoyable, so you’re not losing out
completely! From Sospel, proceed as above.

DISTANCE: Sospel – Col de Turini top: 35km

FUEL: To be honest with you, I simply didn’t
notice. But if you fill up in Menton or Sospel,
you should be fine.

TEAR-OUT MAP #84 COLLECT THEM ALL

ƒ
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PHILLIP ISLAND SUPERBIKE

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
FEB 28 - MAR 1, 2020
worldsbk.com.au