Inhaltsverzeichnis für Issue 352 in Motorcycle Trader

Just based on the raw sales figures, Australia’s motorcycle industry is in a bit of trouble. Sales aren’t exactly in free fall but they’re consistently down on previous reporting periods. Riding today is just as joyous as it’s always been, so what’s going on? Harley-Davidson CEO Matt Levatich was in Australia for the recent launch of the Low Rider S and he included the motorcycle media when he said the industry had to work harder at communicating what it’s like to ride. “Why should people ride? What is it that people get from riding? Why is it worth the trip?” he asked. “It’s hard. It takes a lot of energy. It takes a lot of commitment. It takes a lot of time and it costs a fair bit of money…

America’s current flat-track craze is heading our way with the Sultans of Slide – a three-round NSW dirt-track series that kicks off in Wagga Wagga on November 23. With a prize pool of $10,000, the series sees Indian Motorcycle leverage its flat-track history as title sponsor while showcasing its recently launched FTR 1200 street tracker – a road bike derived from the FTR 750 racer Jarred Mees rode to victory in the 2017 and 2018 AMA Flat Track Championships. Motorcycling NSW chief executive Dave Cooke says the series is already stirring plenty of interest with entries filling fast. “We’re trying a lot of new and exciting initiatives within Sultans of Slide, and it’s great to see companies like Indian Motorcycle recognising that the spotlight will be on the sport,” he…

While WWII saw volumes of military motorcycles that were previously unthinkable, the trend began with World War I and went on to ‘make’ the reputations of some manufacturers. There’s no better example of this than Triumph’s Model H, which was launched in 1915. Running a side-valve 550cc single powerplant, it was sophisticated for the day in having a three-speed Sturmey-Archer transmission, and a kickstarter instead of pedals. Several thousand saw war use and some 57,000 were made by the end of the model run in 1923 – a huge number for the period. Triumph’s own advertising referred to it as the Trusty Triumph, which was its nickname – although whether its owners would have come up with that handle is up for debate.…

The launch was held in one of my favourite bits of motorcycling Australia: the northern NSW hinterland. Our meeting point was the future premises of Salt Creek Motorcycles and Adventures. This venture, still in its formative stages, is the brainchild of local enduro nuts Garry Boomer and Ian Burrell. Eventually they’ll be combining rental Enfields and catered tours with a shared workshop, bike storage/ maintenance facilities for riders who want to fly in, and a Royal Enfield dealership too. We’ll keep you informed on their operation because any chance to ride this part of the world with people who know the best roads, tracks and cafes is not to be missed. Chuck in Garry’s partner Paula’s incredible Caju Brazilian catering and hanging with these guys is a slice of motorcycle…

BENELLI TNT 135 ENGINE TYPE: Air-cooled, SOHC, four-valve, single cylinder CAPACITY: 135cc BORE & STROKE: 54.0 x 58.8mm COMPRESSION RATIO: 9.8:1 FUEL SYSTEM: EFI PERFORMANCE POWER: 9.5kW (13hp) at 9000rpm TORQUE: 10.8Nm at 7000rpm TRANSMISSION TYPE: Five-speed constant mesh CLUTCH: Wet, multiplate FINAL DRIVE: Chain CHASSIS & RUNNING GEAR FRAME: Steel trellis FRONT SUSPENSION: Inverted 41mm fork, 120mm travel REAR SUSPENSION: Monoshock, adjustable for preload, 100mm wheel travel (approx) FRONT BRAKE: 210mm disc with radial-mount, twin-piston caliper REAR BRAKE: 190mm disc with single-piston caliper WHEELS & TYRES WHEELS: 3.5 x 12-inch (f), 5.5 x 12-inch (r), alloys TYRES: 120/70 ZR12 (f), 130/70 ZR12 (r), Cordial DIMENSIONS & CAPACITIES WEIGHT: 124kg wet SEAT HEIGHT: 780mm WHEELBASE: 1215mm FUEL CAPACITY: 7.2L OTHER STUFF PRICE: $3990 rideaway WARRANTY: Two years plus two years…

HARDLY A SPORT I read with interest in the 350th edition about Guido’s angst at having to buy bikes suggested or shown to him by the Editor. I therefore have one more burden for him to bear. A good mate has an Aprilia Futura he wants to sell. This won Touring Bike of the Year, I believe, when they were released in the UK. It’s got a great Rotax V-twin; the extra panniers; a Staintune twin exhaust; it’s bound to be collector’s item … Should I keep going or is he hooked already? Reasonable offers will be considered to get such a wonder of our biking history. C’mon Guido, you know you can’t resist… Stuart (the poor salesman) carpeugeot@bigpond.com You blokes are getting lazy. Seriously, I might be weak, but…

Back at the turn of the century, which to some of you might seem like the Jurassic period still roamed the Earth, Kawasaki launched what it expected to be the king hit in the hyper-sportstourer class. Up to then, there had been a couple of clear leaders. First came the Honda Blackbird, launched in 1996, which just edged out Kawasaki’s ZZ-R1100 as the max-speed champ in production motorcycles, with a top end nudging 290km/h. Next say hello to Suzuki and its Hayabusa, which took the number over 305km/h, months before the motorcycle industry adopted a 299km/h agreed top-speed limit. Exactly how this was going to save anyone or the reputation of the industry as a whole is up for debate – it probably seemed like a good idea at the…

1 BSA, or Birmingham Small Arms, was once the largest motorcycle manufacturer in Britain. During the 1950s, 75,000 motorcycles left the factory at Small Heath in South Birmingham each year. 2 BSA was known primarily for producing ‘bread and butter’ machines, largely for the British Army and many police forces around the world. 3 The A65 Lightning was launched into stardom when it appeared alongside James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 in the 1965 film Thunderball. 4 A factory-prepared Spitfire finished third in the 1968 750cc Production TT at the Isle of Man and was timed at more than 210km/h on a section of the Mountain course. 5 For 1971 the A65 twins were updated with a new oil-in-the-frame chassis. Much higher and wider than before, they only lasted until 1972.…

Accurate response from a direct slide instead of a vacuum chamber, increased performance across the range, better fuel economy, ease of tuning and more foot room. And you’ll never get invited to boring BMW club events again! Idle and mixture screw is on the inner side of LH carburettor and a jiggle to get to, manifold has to be adapted, cables run different lengths and nipples. Easier to drop fuel bowls (one clip as opposed to four screws), better access to idle mixture and heights, uses expensive BMW cables for people who can’t solder. Potential to use the vacuum rubber as an emergency contraceptive device. Antiquated pieces of expensive, over-complicated crap that kill the potential of a big-bore flat twin! Replacing them with Japanese units could result in being kicked…

From the third day I got into the habit of ambling each morning to the only bookstore in Singapore that carried Motorcycle Trader. Didn’t last very long, did I? There were a dozen copies on the shelves of an issue I’d already read. Over my 17-day stay, I watched the number dwindle to about four, while hoping before each visit that the new issue would have arrived. I wanted a Cam test with images shot in the Dandenong Ranges, some stories about blokes riding from Perth to Sydney, some pictures of deserts or national parks. I wanted to find out what Charris, Guido, Sandy, Falloon and Roothy were up to. I wanted my environment of choice back. It wasn’t homesickness – it was a reaction to the density of living…

A bike usually grabs my attention before I decide I need it in my life Fresh from the BMW GS Safari Enduro it appears my riding buddies have adventure-bike fever. In fairness, the ball was already rolling when one of the lads turned up to a group ride with his new R 1250 GS Rallye X. He told us he decided to consolidate his fleet – a dirt bike, a supernaked and a cruiser – to one bike that could ‘do it all’. As he rattled off the places his new GS could take him, the sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) among us started to spread. Updating them with pics of breathtaking scenery and remote locations from the Safari Enduro only added fuel to the fire. A potential…

1 c) CHIPs didn’t always ride Harleys. 2 b) Rubber mounting. 3 d) The tasty MGX-21. 4 a) Sorry to get your hopes up,it’s just the pipes. 5 All of them. 6 c) Victorian Environmental Assessment Council. 7 d) The six-speed, cassette-style gearbox. 8 c) Tamburini was one of the founders of Bimota but 13 He only mentioned b) and c). 14 c) Just 1000, while Honda’s RC30 went to 4782. 15 d) “Flying” Fred Merkel. 16 a) 7.5 acres was the quoted floor space, which we’d call 30,000 square metres. Told you Indians were big. 17 c) Uncle Wolt’s kids do that. 18 b) Five. worked for Cagiva after that and retired in 2008, soon after it changed its name to MV Agusta Motor. 9 b) 12-volt electrics. 10…

SWM super price drop SWM has dropped $1500 from the price of its Superdual T dual-sport, which retails for $8990 (plus on-road costs) until the stock is sold or November 30 – whichever comes first. Its regular retail price is $10,490. The Superdual T is the adventure-touring version of the more dirt-focussed Superdual X, the main difference of which is in wheel sizes – 19- and 17-inch for the T and 21/18-inch for the X, front and rear respectively. Both models are powered by a 41kW/54Nm 600cc liquid-cooled single and mated to a six-speed gearbox. Vespa goes super tech Vespa owners rejoice! The iconic Italian scooter brand’s most high-tech and powerful offering has arrived with a rideaway price of $11,790. The flagship scooter, dubbed the GTS Super Tech 300 HPE,…

The regular Low Rider is a more sedate affair to its latest ‘S’ sibling, with pullback ’bars, a relaxed riding position, cool AMF-inspired graphics and traditional, heavy-chrome styling while taking inspiration from the Super Glide from the early ’70s. It’s also $3500 more affordable, at $24,295 rideaway. Powering it is the regular Milwaukee-Eight 107 while other relaxed differences include a 30-degree steering rake, traditional fork and single front disc. You can also take a pillion.…

Study the pre-event instructions, checklist and recommendations carefully as you could be a long way from a shop if you’ve forgotten something essential.I made the effort to get away soon after the allowed departure time and tried to bank a decent distance before lunch. This leaves a more relaxed afternoon for stops and sightseeing, while still arriving at camp with some daylight to spare. If you drag your heels in the morning, something as simple as a puncture could find you pushing to stay ahead of the sweep vehicle.›…

The story of the WLA featured in our studio photos typifies the experience of many families with these machines. Owner David McMillan says he’d been hunting this model for more than a year when he finally tripped over this example. There was no hesitation. “I wasn’t up for doing a restoration and I wanted it in army green. When I saw it and bought it, I was out of the shop in five minutes,” he explains. What started him down that path? He remembered his father Alan (aka ‘Squarey’, right) had one he bought long before kids turned up. “He bought it out of the army surplus auctions at Bandiana [near Albury],” David says. “He and a mate also bought a General Grant tank each. He sold his, but his…

ROYAL ENFIELD HIMALAYAN ENGINE TYPE: Air/oil-cooled, SOHC, two-valve single CAPACITY: 411cc BORE & STROKE: 78 x 86mm COMPRESSION RATIO: 9.5:1 FUEL SYSTEM: EFI TRANSMISSION TYPE: Five-speed, constant mesh FINAL DRIVE: Chain CLUTCH: Wet, multi-plate PERFORMANCE POWER: 18kW (24hp) at 6500rpm TORQUE: 32Nm at 4250rpm CHASSIS & RUNNING GEAR FRAME: Duplex split-cradle frame FRONT SUSPENSION: 41mm fork, 200mm travel, non-adjustable REAR SUSPENSION: Monoshock with linkage, 180mm travel FRONT BRAKE: 300mm disc with twin-piston floating Bybre caliper, ABS REAR BRAKE: 240mm disc with single-piston floating Bybre caliper, ABS WHEELS & TYRES WHEELS: 21 x 1.85-inch (f), 17 x 2.75-inch (r) wire-spokes TYRES: 90/90-21 (f), 120/90-17 (r), Pirelli MT60 DIMENSIONS & CAPACITIES WET WEIGHT: 191kg (claimed) SEAT HEIGHT: 800mm WHEELBASE: 1465mm FUEL CAPACITY: 15L GROUND CLEARANCE: 220mm OTHER STUFF PRICE: $7490 (rideaway) COLOURS:…

SPANNER: The jury’s probably in on this one: the best riding in Australia is in Victoria. It’s arguably true but I’ve just spent a bit of time in your backyard and Queensland is a bit surprising. Read all about it in the next issue but I’ve just done 500km in the Sunshine Coast hinterland and it was a shock to find corners, good roads and scenery. Why didn’t you tell me about this earlier? ROOTHY: Truth is I’m still finding great roads up here. There’s thousands of miles of hinterland country to explore. Some of the back roads up around Biloela are just uncrowded fun. And then there’s the Atherton Tablelands, surely some of the best bike roads in Australia. Seeing as most of the population is in the south-east…

KEEP A HANDLE ON THINGS I must congratulate you on achieving your 350th! I’ve recently rediscovered your magnificent magazine after several decades of rarely purchasing any mags apart from having been an avid reader of Two Wheels in the 1970s and ’80s. Imagine my surprise at recognising several familiar names from the dim and distant past! Could those guys still be alive? How?! To say I appreciate the combined memories and experience (not to mention journalistic acumen) of certain individuals is a serious understatement, especially these days when ‘in-depth’ usually means two full-page photos instead of one. I’ve been repeatedly delighted to find articles on bikes I’ve owned and thrashed daily in the past, and usually astonished at what they now sell for (I mean, they were a good bike,…

KAWASAKI ZX-12R 2000 (ZX1200-A) ENGINE TYPE: Liquid-cooled, four-valves-per-cylinder, inline four CAPACITY: 1199cc BORE & STROKE: 83 x 55.4mm COMPRESSION RATIO: 12.2:1 FUEL SYSTEM: 46mm EFI PERFORMANCE POWER: 130kW at 10,500rpm static, up to 141kW with ram air TORQUE: 134Nm at 7500rpm TRANSMISSION TYPE: Six-speed, constant-mesh FINAL DRIVE: Chain CHASSIS & RUNNING GEAR FRAME TYPE: Monocoque alloy FRONT SUSPENSION: USD telescopic fork, 43mm, full adjustment, 120mm travel REAR SUSPENSION: Unitrak Monoshock, full adjustment , 140mm travel FRONT BRAKES: 320mm discs with six-piston Tokico calipers REAR BRAKE: 230mm disc with two-piston caliper DIMENSIONS & CAPACITIES DRY WEIGHT: 210kg SEAT HEIGHT: 810mm WHEELBASE: 1440mm FUEL CAPACITY: 20L TYRES FRONT: 120/70-17 REAR: 200/50-17 OTHER STUFF PRICE NEW From $19,390 (plus on-road costs) Fast Innovative design Kawasaki brand Mixed reviews Not many out there Major…

YAMAHA YZF-R3 AND MT-03 (2019) PROBLEM: The front brake lever may break when a strong gripping force is applied, resulting in the loss of all brake functionality at the front of the motorcycle. ACTION: Contact your nearest Yamaha dealer and a replacement brake lever will be fitted. SPANNER SAYS: The worrying thing here is that if you’re squeezing the front brake lever hard enough to snap it, you obviously really, really need to stop in a hurry. It’s the perfect storm, so if you have a 2019 R3 or MT-03, get ye to your nearest dealer ASAP. HONDA CBF300N (2019) CBR300R (2018) CRF250L (2017) PROBLEM: The groove on the main gearbox shaft was incorrectly manufactured and is oversized, which could result in circlips loosening and causing damage to the gears.…

Dammit – I need a warehouse. You see, one of the numerous challenges of squeezing some 20-something vehicles on to a suburban house block is you’re inevitably forced into making compromises. And one of them is you end up stacking rather than parking the sodding things. The impact of that is, every now and then, something gets forgotten and doesn’t get out for a run. Enter one sidecar – aka Dr Gange, named after the bloke who did all the cosmetic work on it such as paint, upholstery and chrome. It’s a 1980 Suzuki GS1000G that I bought as a solo back in 1985 and later fitted an R&B sidecar to. Like a lot of outfits, it’s been through all sorts of iterations and traumas over the years and now…

Put your stopwatch away and grab your calendar because an old G/S – complete with saddlebags and knobbies for goodness sake – has been let loose on a racetrack. It seems silly but the opportunity was there, it wasn’t a conventional track day per se, and it would’ve been rude to refuse. Why not ride Broadford’s undulating and off-camber corners to test the new Wilbers suspension? Of course, a smooth racetrack hardly represents the lumps and bumps of the real world, but it does reveal plenty about a bike’s steering and stability under load while also getting a good feel for what’s happening beneath you. There’s also the benefit of testing any incremental changes in a controlled well, a messy handful with a heap of wallowing, fork dive and an…

Leave your bike on a stand with both wheels off the ground when parked in the shed. A mousse can develop flat spots if left on a concrete floor for long periods. Always select the correct size insert for your specific brand/size tyre. Unless you’re handy with the correct tyre levers and tools, I’d strongly suggest paying the extra to have your workshop fit them –it’s an art in itself. The Nitromousse website has some video links showing how to fit them though they make it look easier than it really is.…

We don’t give a fig what we ride as long as it’ll get us to the pub Here on the Wynnum Mudflats, sorry, ‘The Manly Esplanade’ since Floppy Dunn changed the name and bunged a zero on the price of fibro shacks. We know youse lot down in Vicbloodytoria look down your noses at us. You reckon we’re all uncultured scum who ride old and battered CX500s with extended forks and reo sissy bars down to Centrelink. Meanwhile, you lot in the communist state are all mighty entrepreneurs, tech industry specialists or savvy political commentators who commute on roundcase Ducatis. You’ve got Jeff’s Shed, we’ve got Jen’s Jetty. You think work involves 24/7 commitment and a level of political correctness that’d save a gay whale. We think work is what…

Not content with upgrading its heavyweight models, Indian Motorcycle is marking the Scout’s 100th anniversary with two new models: the Scout Bobber Twenty and the Scout 100th Anniversary, a model limited to 750 units globally. The company has also introduced a range of touring and performance accessories for its mid-size cruiser. The anniversary Scout edition (pictured above) takes styling cues from the original Scout, with its historic red and gold livery, while other details include a tan leather solo seat, black wire wheels, ‘Beach’ ’bars, luggage rack and chrome finishes. The Bobber Twenty (below), meanwhile, pays homage to the original 1920-model Scout and is distinguished by its Pirelli MT60 tyres, 10-inch ape-hanger handlebars and floating saddle for an old-school bobber style. Rideaway prices are $21,995 and $22,995 for the Bobber…

ENGINE TYPE: Air/oil-cooled, SOHC, four-valves-per-cylinder, 45-degree V-twin (Milwaukee-Eight 114) CAPACITY: 1868cc BORE & STROKE: 102 x 114mm COMPRESSION RATIO: 10.5:1 FUEL SYSTEM: EFI PERFORMANCE POWER: N/A TORQUE: 155Nm at 3000rpm TRANSMISSION TYPE: Six-speed CLUTCH: Wet, multi-plate FINAL DRIVE: Belt CHASSIS & RUNNING GEAR FRAME TYPE: Tubular steel FRONT SUSPENSION: 43mm inverted fork, non-adjustable REAR SUSPENSION: Monoshock, adjustable for preload FRONT BRAKES: Twin 300mm discs with four-piston calipers, ABS REAR BRAKE: 292mm disc with twin-piston caliper, ABS WHEELS & TYRES WHEELS: ‘Radiate’ cast alloy – 19-inch front, 16-inch rear TYRES: 110/90 B19 (f), 180/70 B16 (r), Michelin Scorcher 31 DIMENSIONS & CAPACITIES WET WEIGHT: 308kg SEAT HEIGHT: 690mm WHEELBASE: 1615mm RAKE: 28 degrees TRAIL: 145mm FUEL CAPACITY: 18.9 litres OTHER STUFF PRICE: $27,995 rideaway COLOURS: Vivid Black or Barracuda Silver ($345)…

It’s one of life’s little principles that there is a wealth of ‘stuff’ in society that goes through a weird lifecycle. It starts off as shiny, new and useful, then it progressively becomes worn and outdated. If it doesn’t end up in the tip, one day (decades later) it’s pulled out of a cupboard or shed and once again becomes a treasured possession. The whole classic vehicle movement is based around this idea. If you were to go out and seek the most extreme version of this whole treasure-to-trash-to-treasure journey, none works better than military motorcycles. These, after all, were the ultimate consumable. Intended to tackle anything from relatively safe behind-the-lines courier work to frontline duty, they were designed to be tough and reliable, but there was absolutely no glamour…

The picture of Natalie in the red jacket was taken on the day we discovered the real lonely planet. The series of travel guides by that name had been a constant companion which, of course, meant all the places we visited or stayed were full of ’Straylians, Yanks and Europeans all searching for the joy the author had experienced. But there isn’t much genuine Africa in that. The book described an amazing retreat, but the road to get there was declared dangerous. Dangerous why? Because the author said your safety couldn’t be guaranteed. Nor was a room, apparently, because the place was pretty much reserved for the President of Zaire (now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo), who flew in by chopper at will. It was like a…

I spend as little time as possible on social media, but I have a few favourites. One of them is a bloke named Geoff Ross who I’m mates with on Facebook. His observational humour and whimsy are first class. Here’s an example he posted just before the last school holidays in NSW. “On the radio this morning they issued a warning that the boys in blue would be throwing everything at the public during the school holidays and would be targeting ‘The Fatal Five’. I believe the Fatal Five is as follows: speeding; low-level speeding downhill; low-level speeding uphill; low-level speeding on a road with a ridiculously low limit; low-level speeding on a road that’s recently had the speed limit reduced; and low-level speeding just the wrong side of a…

You would think that since closing its doors almost 50 years ago BSA would be long forgotten but, somehow, the Birmingham Small Arms Company has defied all odds to the point where the opposite has occurred. BSAs are currently enjoying a remarkable resurgence. At a recent Shannons auction, a side-valve 500cc single-cylinder wartime BSA WM20 was estimated to go for between $7000 and $10,000 but it fetched $20,000, which is an incredible price considering the WM20 was neither rare nor sporting – the two criteria for collectability. This got me thinking about undervalued BSAs, in particular the sporting versions of the twin-cylinder A50/65 series. While BSA had certain success with the 350 and 500cc Gold Star singles, apart from the Rocket Gold Star, BSA twins never enjoyed the same reputation…

Last issue you may have read about the problems I’d been having getting Hilda to run right. Having finally shelled out the kid’s inheritance on new barrels and pistons, rebuilding her with reconditioned cylinder heads, new gaskets and a Red Centre ignition sourced by my mate John Olive, you think she’d reward me with some fuss-free fun? Strooth, if I’d have spent the same on the wife I’d be smiling for a month. But no, even with a bunch of new bits in the Bings she kept on coughing and farting and refusing to idle. Pull her wick and she’d take off like a rocket but any sort of civilised rumbling around just wasn’t possible. Finally, I rode over to MMM’s Mark and Paul for some expert advice. Mark dumped…

I’ve never been a fan of mummification or open-casket funerals The chances of Muggins ever spending $US89,000 (about $A130,000) on an old motorcycle that doesn’t run are slim in the extreme. Think snowball’s chance in hell. Though perhaps, if I had any financial brains, it would actually be the smart thing to do. One of the inventions that really should be banned is list emails, because it can’t be good for you. I’m thinking those wonderful things sent out by assorted people trying to tempt you with the latest transports of delight that have graced their showrooms. Whether it’s a manufacturer, an auction house, a broker or dealer, they’re all dangerous. Some days I wonder if it would make more sense to take up drinking as a hobby. Like a…