Australian Road Rider

I’ve been riding bikes for more than 40 years, yet in that time Harley-Davidson has never sold a small bike. Sure, the Street 500 was Learner Legal in Australia and sold well here, but when most of us were kids, 500cc was also the capacity of the mos

Motorcycles aren’t typically thought of as life-saving transport, but that’s exactly what the riders in Bloodbikes do. Volunteers who use their own bikes to transport anything from plasma to medication and, of course, blood from where it is to where

Harley-Davidson has been trying to re-invent itself for decades, with the Street 500 and 750, LiveWire electric bike project, the Pan America adventure tourer, an all-new Sportster model and, featured in this issue of ARR, the Nightster. Some project

The induction roar was filling my helmet with a glorious howl as the engine revs shot up toward redline while Yamaha’s CP4 engine was propelling the MT-10 toward an arrestable speed in just seconds. Despite the enjoyment of hard acceleration and the

Great roads are created by bitumen following the paths of rivers and winding their way up and down mountains, which makes Corsica — effectively the top of a mountain sticking out of the Mediterranean Sea — a rider’s paradise. Those great roads have l

The ancient, overloaded cattle truck hurtled along, swaying from side to side as it tried to maintain momentum for the next hill with a trail of foulsmelling, yellowy brown slop in its wake as its load showed its displeasure at the wild ride. I was s

The Grand America doesn’t have a lot of competition. On paper the Grand American Tourers (Harley-Davidson and Indian) are alternatives, however we’ve observed many riders interested in these machines are culturally locked to the “big twin, made in th

Kosovo. The very name conjures images of genocide and ethnic cleansing, of a small, landlocked country in the heart of the Balkans that fought a brutal war of independence to free itself from Serbian control between 1998 and 1999. More than two decad

The Nightster might just be all you need in a motorcycle: a pair of wheels, handlebars, V-twin motor, brakes, seat and an American soul. It’s the second liquid-cooled machine released in Harley’s Sport category, but it’s not a Sportster: that name ha

This is part 2 of the editor’s story about touring the Himalayas. For part 1, see issue #170 or roadrider.com.au After a few days of air travel, acclimatisation and riding in the Himalayan mountains, we started heading out across tougher terrain. Our

Brace, brace, brace. The words flashed through my head as I crested a hill at speed — a badly damaged section of road presented itself over the brow of the hill. There was no avoiding it and no time for defensive action. All I could do was hang on an

You don’t have to spend a fortune to get a great bike. While your dream bike might be north of 40k, the reality is you can probably afford a new bike that will be great to ride and will provide years of reliable service without breaking the bank. We’

We were back in Saigon with its crazy scary traffic. Broken footpaths covered with parked scooters, bags of litter and kindergarten-sized plastic chairs everywhere. A city officially known as Ho Chi Minh City where people ebb and flow in traffic like

Rally: "to bring or come together in order to provide support or make a shared effort" (Cambridge). Or "to bring into order again; gather organise or inspire anew" (Collins). There are other interpretations of the word "Rally" including political gat

Here at Australian Road Rider we find we’re using devices more and more — especially phones, but also dedicated GPS units as well. Once your phone is mounted on your handlebars, you’ll find the convenience of having access to everything from maps to

With a little over 4000km ridden on the Avon Spirit ST tyres fitted to my Yamaha FJ R1300, I thought it was time for a midusage update. Measuring the tread depth has indicated the tyres are only about a third worn, so theoretically they could be good

Staying dry while riding has been a challenge for those of us on the east coast for the last couple of years, so the appeal of a two-year warranty on waterproofs strikes us a very good thing. Two-piece suits have some big advantages over one-piece ov

For the Himalayan odyssey I rode a few months ago, I sourced one of the new RXT Safari modular adventure helmets, and it was an excellent choice for the trip. Affordable, convenient and fully featured, the Safari breaks the rules by offering features

My old man used to have a saying when luck wasn’t going his way: if it was raining virgins, he’d be washed down the gutter with a porcupine. He didn’t actually say porcupine, he used another word, but you get my drift. Luck for most people comes and

o wned by a plumber we’ll call Mike, this Ducati 950 Hypermotard is much loved and spoilt like a favoured grandchild. “I bought it new and it goes like a cut snake,” Mike told Australian Road Rider. Finished in Ducati Red and running the Testastretta

It’s been four years since I took possession of the editor’s chair at Australian Road Rider, and what an interesting ride it’s been so far. Many regular readers have let me know the team here is doing a good job. Highlights of my time as editor inclu