Table of contents for Issue 338 in Motorcycle Trader

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your road-riding ability? Sure, track days, participating in various other motorcycling disciplines, advanced rider training and general riding frequency all help keep you sharp and on top of your game as does good physical and mental health. We all want to ride faster, safer and more confidently, but we understand there’s always room for improvement. Motor magazine recently ran an online poll asking its readers to rate their driving ability and, unsurprisingly, 90 per cent of the 1000 respondents rated themselves seven or above (10 being the best score). Yeah, right. I doubt defensive driving techniques, spatial awareness, driving according to road conditions, being predictable, general behaviour or a sense of mortality played much part in their self-appraisals – all the…

Motorcycle Trader contributor Stewart Howard has died due to deteriorated lungs. The Scotland-born Cairns resident passed away peacefully on Thursday, August 23, at Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane. Stewart was 61. His editorial contributions were colourful and enthusiastically written. These included Shed Masters features on the Blast from the Past Museum and Cairns Performance Motorcycles; a historic feature on Cairns’ stunt rider Rusty Rees; several ‘Your Story’ articles detailing his early motorcycle travels; the charitable Ellis Beach Bike Show as well as a ‘Reader Resto’ on his Harley-Davidson while recovering from a double-lung transplant. A past president of the Cairns Motorcycle Restorers Club, Stewart’s bike collection included a 1993 Harley-Davidson Softail Custom (aka ‘The Drug Mule’), a candy red 1968 BSA 650 Lightning and, more recently, a Triumph Scrambler. Stewart is…

How do the IoM organisers decide on machine eligibility given the huge variation in age and technology of the race bikes? It all starts with accepting that original machines probably couldn’t finish four laps these days and the bikes are so rare and valuable that the risk of damage would stop owners from entering. The result is ‘re-creations’ of the original bikes that look right for the period they represent but have the safety features of modern bikes, including better brakes and tyres. The Chief Eligibility Officer this year was Mark George. “At the Classic TT, our overall aim is to have racing that’s as close as possible with as many bikes as possible crossing the finish line. We design the regulations in such a manner as to encourage bikes…

Once upon a time… or that’s how the story should start, I guess. There was a fabulous production motorcycle race called the Castrol Six-Hour, run by the Willoughby Motorcycle Club out of Sydney. It ran from 1970 through to 1987. Back in the early days, it was televised by the ABC with enthusiasts such as Will Hagon and John Smailes doing commentary. This was a major event. It started as an extraordinary endurance test around Amaroo Park, and then moved to Oran Park for the final three years. It became a hugely influential challenge, much like the (then) Bathurst 500/1000 for cars. The rules were intended to highlight showroom motorcycles, running street tyres. Motorcycle manufacturers fought over honours and, for several years, it was as much about the tyres as…

DUCATI SCRAMBLER 62 $11,990 (PLUS ORC) 399cc V-twin; 30kW (40hp) at 8750rpm; 34Nm at 7750rpm; 183kg wet; 14L fuel tank (MT #308) SUZUKI SV650X LAMS $9490 (PLUS ORC) 45cc V-twin; 35kW (47hp) at 8500rpm; 56Nm at 4000rpm; 198kg wet; 14.5L fuel tank (MT #333) SWM GRAN MILANO $7990 (PLUS ORC) 445cc single; 22kW (29hp) at 6800rpm; 36Nm at 5300rpm; 145kg dry; 22.5L fuel tank (MT #321) YAMAHA XSR700 $10,999 (PLUS ORC) 655cc parallel twin; 39kW (52hp) at 8000rpm; 57Nm at 4000rpm; 186kg wet; 14L fuel tank (MT #314)…

ENGINE: TYPE: Liquid-cooled, DOHC, eight-valve parallel-twin CAPACITY: 500cc BORE & STROKE: 69 x 66.8mm COMPRESSION RATIO: 11.5:1 FUEL SYSTEM: EFI with 37mm throttle body PERFORMANCE: POWER: 35kW (48hp) at 8500rpm TORQUE: 45Nm at 5000rpm TRANSMISSION: TYPE: Six-speed FINAL DRIVE: Chain CLUTCH: Wet, multi-plate CHASSIS & RUNNING GEAR: FRAME TYPE: Tubular-steel trellis and plates FRONT SUSPENSION: Marzocchi inverted 50mm fork, non-adjustable, 145mm wheel travel REAR SUSPENSION: Sachs monoshock, adjustable for preload, 172mm wheel travel FRONT BRAKES: Twin 320mm discs with twin-piston floating calipers, Bosch ABS REAR BRAKE: Single 260mm disc with single-piston caliper, Bosch ABS WHEELS & TYRES: WHEELS: Wire-spoke wheels. 19-inch front, 17-inch rear TYRES: 110/80-19 (f), 150/70-17 (r), Metzeler Tourance DIMENSIONS & CAPACITIES: DRY WEIGHT: 215kg SEAT HEIGHT: 840mm WHEELBASE: 1505mm FUEL CAPACITY: 20L OTHER STUFF: PRICE: $8490 ($NZ9990…

ENGINE: TYPE: Liquid-cooled SOHC parallel twin CAPACITY: 998cc BORE & STROKE: 92 x 75mm COMPRESSION RATIO: 10.0:1 FUEL SYSTEM: EFI PERFORMANCE: POWER: 70kW (95hp) at 7500rpm TORQUE: 99Nm at 6000rpm TRANSMISSION: TYPE: Six-speed automatic DCT FINAL DRIVE: Chain CHASSIS & RUNNING GEAR: FRAME TYPE: Steel, semi-double cradle FRONT SUSPENSION: Showa 45mm inverted fork, adjustable, 252mm travel REAR SUSPENSION: Pro-Link monoshock, adjustable, 240mm travel FRONT BRAKES: 310mm wave discs, four-piston Nissin calipers, switchable ABS REAR BRAKE: 256mm wave disc, single-piston Nissin caliper, switchable ABS DIMENSIONS & CAPACITIES: WHEELBASE: 1580mm SEAT HEIGHT: 900/920mm TANK CAPACITY: 24.2L WET WEIGHT: 253kg WHEELS & TYRES: WHEELS: 2.15 x 21 (f), 4.0 x 18 (r), wire-spoke, aluminium rims TYRES: 90/90-R21 (f), 150/70-R18 (r), Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR OTHER STUFF: PRICE: From $19,999 ($19,499 manual) plus on-road…

Mike took out a $20,000 bank loan to buy his 1993 Daytona from an iconic dealership in Redfern called Forcycle, which got it from Australian importer Ted Stolarski in WA. Stolarski was a favourite of the Guzzi factory and is credited with racing the first factory four-valve engine in a Magni frame at Daytona in 1990. That racer is still in Australia and is regularly ridden on the track. It was the inspiration for the Magni Australia, which was created by Arturo Magni to honour Ted’s achievements.…

ENGINE: TYPE: Liquid-cooled, four-valves-per-cylinder, 90-degree V-twin CAPACITY: 999cc BORE & STROKE: 100 x 63.6mm COMPRESSION RATIO: 10.8:1 FUEL SYSTEM: EFI PERFORMANCE: POWER: 100kW (134hp) at 9500rpm (102kW at 10,000rpm) TORQUE: 105Nm at 8000rpm TRANSMISSION: TYPE: Six-speed, constant-mesh FINAL DRIVE: Chain CHASSIS & RUNNING GEAR: FRAME TYPE: Aluminium twin-spar FRONT SUSPENSION: USD 43mm cartridge fork, full adjustment REAR SUSPENSION: Fully-adjustable monoshock FRONT BRAKE: 320mm discs with four-piston calipers REAR BRAKE: 220mm disc with single-piston caliper DIMENSIONS & CAPACITIES: DRY WEIGHT: 199kg (194kg) SEAT HEIGHT: 813mm (820mm) WHEELBASE: 1409mm (1420mm) FUEL CAPACITY: 18L WHEELS & TYRES: FRONT: 120/70-17 REAR: 190/50-17 OTHER STUFF: PRICE NEW: $19,690 plus ORC ($19,990)…

For more information on these recalls, visit www.ProductSafety.gov.au and follow the links to ‘motorbike’ recalls. Bikes listed for recall will always be fixed at the distributor’s expense. HONDA CRF250R PROBLEM: If you ride this model at high speed continuously, the generated heat may cause the clutch basket to break, which may result in a gearbox seizure and potentially a rear-wheel seizure. ACTION: Make contact with your local Honda dealer to arrange for the bike to be collected and have replacement parts fitted. SPANNER SAYS: Really Honda? I get it that manufacturing your bikes outside of Japan makes economic sense, but what’s happening to quality control? Your bikes still have ‘Honda’ on the side of the tanks, but it used to mean well-designed and reliable. The recall notice says the fault…

The 175’s release coincided with a boom in motorcycle sales, with more than three million motorcycles over 50cc were sold in Italy during 1956. With a theoretical production capacity of 200 motorcycles per day, Ducati was well equipped to meet demand. The 175 Sport’s immediate success (Ducati 175s accounted for 25 per cent of 175cc sales in Italy during 1957) saw a proliferation of overhead-cam models over the next few years. Coinciding with the 175 Sport’s release was a higher-performance 175 Super Sport. This had a higher 9.5:1 compression ratio and hotter camshaft. The engine output was a claimed 17hp while top speed was 150km/h. In England, the 175 Sport was called the 175 Silverstone, and with the tuning kit was known as the 175 Silverstone Super. The success of…

Big chest, tiny bum. That was it for first impressions on BMW’s R NineT. That and a nagging feeling that everybody who called this ‘retro’ must be too young to remember what real bikes looked like. C’mon, retro? Retro what? Rocketship maybe? Good, bad, indifferent or couldn’t give a shit, old BMWs never looked like this. They had seats for instance. Big comfortable ones, with enough padding to have your pillion come back for more. And they usually came with suitcase-like panniers so Mr and Mrs BMW could travel with more than a spare pair of undies and a toothbrush. Mr Charris is saying nothing. He wants my opinion apparently, without prejudice. He hands a single key over attached to what might be a rubberised sex toy for a very…

It’s like having a naked Taylor Swift under the cover, I just want to pick up a corner and have a gawk “Jeez, that’s a fresh resto! Looks beaut, eh?” It was dark and badly lit outside the pub at Woodburn but resto? Honestly? We were bringing the latest bike home from Grafton, a six-hour round trip that turned to seven after a late dinner in the pub. The plan included ‘The Squeeky Gate’, Gibbo and Cheryl’s fabulously bike friendly B&B on the river behind McLean, but I’d forgotten to book hadn’t I? Yet another plan cut short by lack of planning. That was the first time I heard the ‘resto’ line, but not the last. It’s one of those bikes that can draws a line between those of us…

The banker looked coolly across the desk and asked, “Why don’t you ride one of the other ones?” Dammit. Life would be a whole lot simpler if I just hung on to motorcycles, instead of selling them. What’s got muggins on to this particular hobby-horse is a long-term itch to go out and buy another Valkyrie Interstate. You may not have seen one in the flesh, but if you think something along the lines of a cross between a Goldwing and a 1961 Chevrolet Impala Bubbletop, you’ll be pretty close. They’re about as subtle as a smack in the head with a Ferris wheel. Somewhere along the way the good folk at Honda correctly surmised that the Goldwing, while a very effective tool for travelling long distances, was not the…

Testing is one thing, but jumping into a hotly contested Superbike series mid-season is another Fresh from finishing the 24-Hour Trial in South Australia, I’ve been enjoying every moment since returning to two-wheeled competition. My time road racing for a living is full of happy memories. Kaz and I often chat about the years spent road tripping around Europe, the places we visited and people we met along the way. The other side of it included the constant pressure to perform, battling through injury and trying to make enough money to pay the bills. Thankfully, though, these are the things we tend to forget. The 24-hour event represented all the things I started racing for in the first place: the fun and excitement of testing my ability on a motorcycle.…

1. In which country does Honda produce its corporate jet, the HA-420 HondaJet? a). Japan; b). US; c). Britain 2. What is the small jet’s unusual feature? a). It has a carbon-fibre fuselage; b). It’s comparatively cheap; c). It provides a low cabin altitude (pressure) for maximum passenger comfort. 3. Which of these manufacturers’ engines have been used as a power source in aircraft? a). BMW; b). Harley-Davidson; c). Moto Guzzi 4. What was the original manufacturer’s list price of Ducati’s Desmosedici RR? a). $99,900; b). $129,990; c). $149,990. 5. What does ‘Tuono’ translate to in English? a). Tornado; b). Thunder; c). Rain; d). Hail. 6. True or false: In the first half of this year, Yamaha Australia sold more off-road bikes than road bikes. 7. How about Kawasaki? 8.…

The BMW Motorrad Track Day Experience invites punters the opportunity to thrash an S 1000 RR, S 1000 R or S 1000 XR on tracks in QLD, NSW and VIC. At the recent event at Queensland Raceway, there was also a rare opportunity to experience BMW’s carbon-fibre race thoroughbred: the HP4 Race, priced from a cool $115,000. But there was a catch. Riders had to submit a written application detailing their motorcycling experience and bikes owned. Once approved, they were then subjected to a practical test under the watchful eye of MT’s Cam Donald (pictured) who assessed each rider’s suitability before they were given the go-ahead to let rip on an HP4.…

ENGINE: TYPE: Liquid-cooled, 50-degree V-four reed valve two-stroke with rotary exhaust valve CAPACITY: 499cc BORE & STROKE: 56.4 x 50mm COMPRESSION RATIO: 6.6:1 FUEL SYSTEM: 4 x 26mm Mikuni PERFORMANCE: POWER: 64kW (86hp) at 9500rpm TORQUE: 68Nm at 8500rpm TRANSMISSION: TYPE: Six-speed, constant-mesh FINAL DRIVE: Chain CHASSIS & RUNNING GEAR: FRAME TYPE: Perimeter square-section steel FRONT SUSPENSION: Conventional 37mm telescopic fork, air-assist, spring preload adjustable, anti-dive REAR SUSPENSION: Monoshock with spring preload and rebound damping adjustment FRONT BRAKES: 267mm discs with twin-piston calipers REAR BRAKE: 245mm disc with twin-piston caliper DIMENSIONS & CAPACITIES: DRY/WET WEIGHT: 180/199kg SEAT HEIGHT: 780mm WHEELBASE: 1375mm FUEL CAPACITY: 22L WHEELS & TYRES: FRONT: Cast aluminium 120/80-16 REAR: Cast aluminium 130/80-18 OTHER STUFF: PRICE NEW: $5200 plus ORC…

ENGINE: TYPE: Liquid-cooled, inline four-cylinder, four-valves-per-cylinder CAPACITY: 999cc BORE & STROKE: 80 x 49.7mm COMPRESSION RATIO: 13.1 FUEL SYSTEM: EFI PERFORMANCE: POWER: 195hp (at rear wheel) at 13,500rpm (Standard RR: 146kW (199hp) at crank) TORQUE: Not given (std: 113Nm at 10,500rpm) TRANSMISSION: TYPE: Six-speed with up/down quickshifter CLUTCH: Multi-plate, wet, anti-hopping FINAL DRIVE: Chain CHASSIS & RUNNING GEAR: FRAME: Aluminium composite bridge frame with semi-stressed engine FRONT SUSPENSION: USD fork, 46mm, 120mm travel, compression and rebound adjustable REAR SUSPENSION: Aluminium double-sided swingarm, monoshock, compression and rebound adjustable, 120mm travel (DDC optional) FRONT BRAKES: Twin 320mm discs, floating radial four-piston Brembo calipers, Race ABS REAR BRAKE: Single 220mm disc, single-piston floating Brembo caliper, Race ABS WHEELS & TYRES: WHEELS: 3.5 x 17-inch (f), 6.0 x 17-inch (r), aluminium cast TYRES: F:…

ENGINE: TYPE: Liquid-cooled, DOHC, eight-valve parallel-twin CAPACITY: 500cc BORE & STROKE: 69 x 66.8mm COMPRESSION RATIO: 11.5:1 FUEL SYSTEM: EFI with 37mm throttle body PERFORMANCE: POWER: 35kW (48hp) at 8500rpm TORQUE: 45Nm at 5000rpm TRANSMISSION: TYPE: Six-speed FINAL DRIVE: Chain CLUTCH: Wet, multi-plate CHASSIS & RUNNING GEAR: FRAME TYPE: Tubular-steel trellis and alloy sideplates FRONT SUSPENSION: Benelli inverted 50mm fork, nonadjustable, 135mm travel REAR SUSPENSION: Sachs monoshock, adjustable for preload, 138mm travel FRONT BRAKES: Twin 320mm discs with twin-piston floating calipers, Bosch ABS REAR BRAKE: Single 260mm disc with single-piston caliper, Bosch ABS WHEELS & TYRES: WHEELS: 19 x 3.0-inch (f), 17 x 4.25-inch (r), wire-spoke alloy rims TYRES: 110/80-R19 (f), 150/70-R17 (r), Metzeler Tourance DIMENSIONS & CAPACITIES: WET WEIGHT: 196kg (measured) SEAT HEIGHT: 825mm WHEELBASE: 1456mm FUEL CAPACITY: 13.2L…

AIR-COOLED 600CC FOUR-VALVE 1983: First generation (34L) Launched at the Paris motorcycle show in October 1982 with now-iconic colour schemes: white with red ‘chainblock’ graphics and blue with black chain blocks, which are both shown in this image. Headline features included a front disc brake when drum brakes were common, and Yamaha’s ‘Monocross’ suspension with aluminium swingarm for 235mm wheel travel. The 41mm fork offered 255mm travel. The 595cc engine (a bored-out version of the XT550) delivered 43hp for a 160km/h top speed. There was no electric start and only a small headlight cowl, but a huge 30-litre fuel tank. 1986: Second generation (1VJ) Electric start introduced. Fuel tank reduced to 23 litres, which was partly due to the air filter being moved from under the seat, to under the…

Motorcycle businesses recommended by MT and MT readers. If you have a new recommendation or would like to give one of the businesses below an extra star, tell us why at mct@TradeMotorcycles.com.au NEW SOUTH WALES CC Bikeworks, Long Jetty. Repair centre and tyres Ph (02) 43 339 884 Ballina Motorcycles, Ballina. Yamaha, BMW, general service/repairs www.BallinaMotorcycles.com.au Mick Cole Motorcycles, Bega North. Honda, Yamaha www.MickColeMotorcycles.com.au Taree Motorcycles, Taree. Honda/agricultural www.TareeMotorcycles.com.au Sydney Motorcycle Wreckers and Workshop, Hornsby. Servicing and repairs (older models included) www.SydneyMotorcycleWreckers.com.au Vince Strang Motorcycles, Inverell. Suzuki (DR & DR-Z specialist), Honda, Can-Am www.VinceStrangMotorcycles.com.au Cash and Co, St Marys. Repair centre and wrecking Ph (02) 9623 3699 WESTERN AUSTRALIA Thunderbike Motorcycles, Bassendean. Moto Guzzi sales and service www.ThunderBikes.com.au Munich Motorcycles, Myaree. BMW parts www.MunichMotorcycles.com.au BM Bikes, Myaree. BMW service and…

1. b). The HondaJet is built in Greensboro, North Carolina, US. 2. a) and b). Yours for just $A6.23m. 3. All of the above. 4. a). $99,900. We saw one on the used market going for $83,000 with 12,000km. Good on him! 5. b). Thunder. 6. True. According to official FCAI figures, Yamaha sold 4740 off-road bikes (up 2.7%) compared with 3014 road bikes (up 5.2%). 7. False. Kawasaki road bike sales were up 11.5 per cent, outselling off-road bikes in the first half of the year. 8. b). The little G 310 GS takes the Bavarian brand’s bronze medal, with 112 sales year to date, just ahead of the S 1000 RR (108), which has four times the power output, by the way. 9. c). Street Triple R (133),…

Ducati has issued a recall on several models due to a risk of rear brake failure whereby the Brembo brake pads may come off the backing plates. The report affects the Hypermotard 939, 959 Panigale, 1299 Panigale, 1299 Panigale Final Edition models as well as the recently launched Panigale V4. Owners will be sent a letter requesting them to contact their nearest Ducati dealer or service agent for inspection. For further information, email info@ducati.com.au The Italian marque has recently suffered several faults and recalls. It was involved in the major international recall over faulty Brembo front brake master cylinders; an issue with the Panigale V4 bursting into flames, photos of which went viral; and the Supersport S melting its fuel tank overflow hose as a result of it being positioned…

Right from the get-go, the Leoncino Trail had the upper hand. When it was time to play, the assembled journos couldn’t hide the fact that one bike was hot and the other was not. In fairness, Benelli’s more rugged-looking but comparatively placid TRK 502 X (see page 46) was the go-to for the open road, better insulating the rider from the cold Victorian country morning elements. But when the road got interesting, the Leoncino Trail was it. And it wasn’t hard to see why. Welcome the arrival of ‘Baby lion’ number two – a close follow-up act from the original modern Leoncino, launched in March. A third member, the Leoncino Sport, is due early-ish next year. The differences between the first two cubs are fairly minor, despite a $700 step…

It’s not until the bitumen becomes a dirt or gravel road that the 502 X show its cards Well, there’s good news and there’s not-so-great news. The first bit of good news is there is no bad news. The not-so-great news is there is no hiding that top-heaviness off-road, and the stand-up ergonomics aren’t exactly what you’d call ‘perfect placement’ for most of us. We’re talking about Benelli’s off-road oriented TRK 502 X that’s landed with a sharp price of $8490 (plus on-road costs). That’s $600 more than the road-going TRK 502 (MT #331), and for that you get more than just tougher wire-spoke wheels and a 19-inch front to venture beyond the tarmac. Given its mass and mature, modern presence, the TRK 502 X begs the question whether it’s…

RaceCo UK developed a monster four-valve engine for UK Battle of the Twins racing in the ’90s. The Mandello factory produced 20 stroker cranks for the British company that, along with 100mm pistons, took the standard 992cc Daytona to 1288cc. It is believed to be the only modern-era team to receive direct factory support, and the brains behind the British development work was Amedeo Castellani. In Mike’s eyes, Amedeo is right up there with Dr John Wittner as a legend of Guzzi racing and development. Western Australian Frank Wright built and raced RaceCo 1288s, with one rumoured to have circulated Wanneroo only a second outside the Superbike lap record with well-known WA racer Mark Watt at the helm. Coates met Mark at this year’s International Island Classic and he had…

Around 20 years ago, I was getting a lot of mail from life-long riders experiencing repetitive strain injury (RSI), usually in their throttle arm. I wondered at the time why this condition should emerge out of the blue given that we’ve been riding since 1896. It coincided with the ready availability of reliable bikes and the fashion of the time to put up really big distances. We’d ride across Australia to go to a rally and think nothing of it. The truth was nobody in the history of the world had ever spent that long riding motorcycles. It stood to reason that if you open and close the throttle a few million times with your right arm, you body might eventually object. As the rally scene declined, the RSI letters…

ENGINE: TYPE: Liquid-cooled, four-valves-per-cylinder, inline four CAPACITY: 1092cc BORE & STROKE: 70.5 x 70mm COMPRESSION RATIO: 11:1 FUEL SYSTEM: Bosch Motronic injection PERFORMANCE: POWER: 73kW (98hp) at 7500rpm TORQUE: 107Nm at 5500rpm TRANSMISSION: TYPE: Five-speed, constant-mesh CLUTCH: Dry, automotive type FINAL DRIVE: Paralever shaft CHASSIS & RUNNING GEAR: FRAME TYPE: Steel tube space frame FRONT SUSPENSION: Conventional telescopic fork REAR SUSPENSION: Monoshock with preload adjustment FRONT BRAKE: 305mm discs with four-piston caliper, ABS REAR BRAKE: 285mm disc with twin-piston caliper, ABS DIMENSIONS & CAPACITIES: WET/DRY WEIGHT: 290/270kg SEAT HEIGHT: 810mm WHEELBASE: 1450mm FUEL CAPACITY: 22L WHEELS & TYRES: FRONT: Cast aluminium, 120/70-17 REAR: Cast aluminium 160/60-18 OTHER STUFF: PRICE NEW: $20,350 (plus on-road costs)…

To make it onto the wall of the Maison d’Groff, you need to have ridden a bike Oh no, a poster sale. Look down and walk straight ahead, Groffster – you don’t need this. Try to reduce your peripheral vision. Squint. Hurry. “Hey Grant!” Jeez, it’s Peter the Posterman. Pretend you didn’t hear him. Under no circumstances engage in conversation. “Uh, g’day Pete…” “Good news! You know that out-of-print Steve McQueen poster from The Great Escape you’ve been after? We just got a fresh batch.” “Uh, how much?” “Only 20 bucks.” Beads of sweat have broken out on my forehead and my throat has gone dry. Mercifully, I think I’m broke. I slide my hand into the pocket and make contact with a banknote. There’s no point in pulling it…