Indice dei contenuti per Issue 344 in Motorcycle Trader

Probably like you and your motorcycling mates, Guido and I have this prospecting game going where we predict which seemingly benign and dormant bikes are likely to go up in value one day. We’re getting half good at it, too, but we excluded Groff long ago because his authority on the second-hand market is stuck in the ’70s. Credit where credit is due, however, he is Australia’s leading expert on bikes worth up to $1500. Meanwhile, Guido, being Guido, goes and does at least one of two things: writes about said bike and/or puts his money where his mouth is and buys one – usually while writing the story and convincing himself in the process. I enjoy the hunt but, after that, the experience is purely vicarious. If there’s but…

While there are a few professional importers still shipping in classic motorcycles, the business is not as good as it was a few years ago. For private importers, the costs and paperwork required (for example, when it comes to asbestos checks) have risen enormously. It’s now at a point where you’d be well-advised to seek a pro who can jump through the hoops for you. Another issue is the exchange rate, which has very much swung against us over the last few years. Buying locally may look more expensive at first, but the reality is often very different once you factor in all the costs.…

OLD BLOKES RULE Just a quick line to let you know I enjoyed Groff’s offerings last month (#343) and I don’t know which would have been scarier to write about: musing on a religious bent or a technical article on oils. Anyway, I enjoyed both, as I do most of your content. I still have a chuckle over the story with the bloke and the identikit picture of the horse. I normally get the current issue and sit down with my wife over a coffee and read the Spannerman and Roothy article to her with all the theatrics and inflections. I’m roughly the same vintage as both of them and have lived irreverently in my own way. I started riding when I was 12 in 1965 and can’t see giving…

Yes, BMW did produce a three-cylinder version of the Ks, effectively the same bike with the front cylinder lopped off. There were three main versions: K75C, K75S and K75RT. The C had a mini handlebar fairing and a reputation for being a little flighty in the front end. That problem was addressed with a ‘fluidblock’ steering damper. Meanwhile, the S was a slightly more ‘together’ effort with a frame-mounted sportstourer fairing unique to that model. Finally, there was the RT, a full tourer. The triples ran a counter-balancer and tended to be smoother than the fours. Local sales were very modest.…

My excuse for buying a Royal Enfield Himalayan was that my wife doesn’t really have a bike of her own, and I thought this would suit her. Peel away this thin layer of deceit and you arrive at the fact that I really like riding the Himalayan but I needed some credible reason for having one in my garage. She does love riding it but, at 5’6” (168cm), she finds it a tad tall. In its standard form it’s fine for my 6’2” frame so her situation isn’t entirely unexpected. I suppose what I was thinking was she’s ride it a few times, be a bit uncomfortable balancing it when she stopped and then just leave it in the workshop for me to enjoy. What I wasn’t expecting was she’d…

The Island Classic is now a fixture on the calendar of thousands of Australian riders. They may not make the journey to Phillip Island for the World Supers or MotoGP, but they plan all year with their mates for a weekend of riding, camping and basking in the glory of best classic racing in the bottom half of the world. While the program caters for just about all classes across 56 races, the emphasis is on post-1960 bikes up to New Era machines made before 1990. The bikes eligible for the four-race International Challenge series need to have been manufactured between 1973 and 1984. How fast are the International Challenge bikes from the Japanese ‘Big Four’? The current lap record is held by Jeremy McWilliams in the 1:36 bracket along…

There are six classic categories – Periods 1 to 6. Within each category there are a number of capacity classes including 125cc (Ultra Lightweight), 250cc (Lightweight), 350cc (Junior), 500cc (Senior) and 1300cc (Unlimited). These classes fill Periods 1-5. Period 6 is for bikes in the 1000cc class. Period 1 and 2 – Pre-War: Up to December 31, 1945. You’ll see AJS, Ariel, H-D, Indian, Norton, Rudge and Velocette in this group. Period 3 – Classic: January 1, 1946 to December 31, 1962. Watch out for BSA Goldstar, Bultaco, early Honda, Matchless 650, Manx Norton, Triumph, Velocette and Vincent. Period 4 – Post Classic: January 1, 1963 to December 31, 1972. Typical brands and models include Aermacchi 350, Bultaco TSS, Honda CB750, Kawasaki H1 500 and H2750, Laverda SFC, Norton Commando,…

ROOTHY: I don’t know how you do it, old mate. There was a time I could recognise almost every bike that shot past, when it only took a glance to go “Oh yeah, another Honda” or “That’s gotta be a Kwaka” or “Wow, an MZ!” But up at the cafe at Mount Glorious the other day, there was a line of bikes and I wouldn’t have had a hope of knowing what half of them were this side of reading a badge. One of son Tom’s mates had this red sportsbike jobbie that turned out to be a Honda 350 V-twin when I had a close look. I didn’t even know they made anything like that although the young fella seemed to think it might have been a grey import…

There’s a little piece of Italy in the nondescript backblocks of the bush 30 minutes east of Melbourne’s inexorable suburban sprawl, out past Dandenong. We’re not telling you any more than that. As Lance Smith says, “I don’t have the internet, this is how modern I get.” He opens a flip phone that I’m surprised is not analogue, such is its retro charm. “But, I bloody know about Google Earth.” Savvy. Not prepared to get involved in what he perceives as ‘the fad of the day’, but he knows enough to protect his shed and all it contains. “You’ve got three bevel gears there that have all got to mesh super-correctly, or they’re a piece of shit” Meet, the Bevel Wizard. Lance peers expectantly and affably from the door of…

MT’s collectable expert Ian Falloon is the world’s foremost authority when it comes to all things Ducati. Here’s his take on the bevel variants: Despite their foibles, the bevel drive family of Ducati twins has come to epitomise the finest attributes of Italian motorcycles of the 1970s and early 1980s. This was an era when Italian motorcycle manufacturing usurped a faltering British industry, and was yet to be overwhelmed by the onslaught of Japanese bikes. For some, the Italian motorcycles of this time were unsurpassed in their representation of form following function. As the production reality of engineer Fabio Taglioni’s vision, the bevel drive Ducatis were, arguably, the finest of all. These bikes formed the basis of some astonishing racing successes, and still provide a combination of sufficient power and…

BMW K100RS/ K1100RS ENGINE TYPE: Liquid-cooled, two/four-valves-per-cylinder, inline four CAPACITY: 987/1092cc BORE & STROKE: 67/70.5 x 70mm COMPRESSION RATIO: 10.2/11:1 FUEL SYSTEM: Bosch Jetronic/ Motronic fuel injection PERFORMANCE POWER: 67kW (90hp) at 8250rpm/73kW (100hp) at 7500rpm TORQUE: 86Nm at 6000rpm/107Nm at 5500rpm TRANSMISSION TYPE: Five-speed, constant-mesh, FINAL DRIVE: Shaft in single-sided Paralever swingarm CHASSIS & RUNNING GEAR FRAME TYPE: Steel space frame with engine as stressed member FRONT SUSPENSION: Conventional telescopic fork REAR SUSPENSION: Monoshock FRONT BRAKE: 285/305mm discs with two/four-piston Brembo calipers (ABS on K1100) REAR BRAKE: 285mm disc with single-piston caliper DIMENSIONS & CAPACITIES WET WEIGHT: 250/268kg SEAT HEIGHT: 810mm WHEELBASE: 1516mm FUEL CAPACITY: 22L WHEELS & TYRES FRONT: Cast alloy with 100/90 V18 or 170/70 ZR17 REAR: Cast alloy with 130/90 V17 or 160/60 ZR18 OTHER STUFF…

YAMAHA MT-03A (2016-18) AND YZF-R3A (2015-18) PROBLEM: There was insufficient curing during manufacture, resulting in the possibility of cracks developing in the radiator coolant hose. This can cause it to leak coolant onto the road surface. ACTION: If you have either of the models affected, contact your nearest Yamaha dealer for an inspection and a replacement. SPANNER SAYS: The glycol in most coolants can be very slippery and it’s something you might notice yourself when you attempt a high-speed exit from the traffic lights, but it won’t be nice either for the unsuspecting riders pulling up behind you. YAMAHA YZF-R3A (2015-16) AND MT-03LA (2016) PROBLEM: There’s a defective shift mechanism torsion spring in some of these models, which could mean you may not be able to change gears when you…

It’s one of those things that can creep up on you. Slowly, over time, various aspects of the bike’s performance slide bit by bit – it’s almost as if the whole thing is slowly going out of focus. The funny thing is, with modern motorcycles it seems the engine is the last thing to go. Nope, it’s all the other stuff that might actually save your life, like brakes, which seems to give up first. This has slowly been happening to several toys in the fleet and the latest one to get my attention was the first-model Fireblade. I hopped aboard recently to go for a spin and was a little alarmed to discover the front brake lever coming about halfway into the handlebar. Not good. It’s probably deteriorated bit…

1988. McKinnon’s flown the coop and left me in the Editor’s chair at Two Wheels. Years of professional journo types filling said chair and suddenly there’s an oafish opal miner squatting on the biggest property in Australia’s motorcycle media at the time. It’d be like replacing Mr Charris with a barrel monkey. Maybe the typewriter I’d inherited from Brian Cowen said it best: “F*ck them if they can’t take a joke,” he’d written on the frame. The motorcycle industry had no choice, the joke was on them. Fortunately, Seddo and McIlwraith were working magic on the editorial and ‘Woggy’ Waugh was out having lunch with everybody who mattered. Like a seven-year-old on a throne surrounded by experienced courtiers, it was best to stay out of sight. Then the joke backfired.…

I pride myself on being mechanically sympathetic to the motorcycles I ride. Being ‘easy on the bike’ is something most modern-day riders wouldn’t know the meaning of – modern-day machinery is close to bulletproof so the need to nurse a bike home is rare. Dad, being a mechanic, taught me from a young age that to make a bike last, it needs regular maintenance. And not to flog it. Unfortunately, my results at the recent Island Classic would have you believing I’m anything but easy on my bikes. For three years, I’ve struggled to record a result while representing Australia in the International Challenge. Sure, there has been a bunch of wins aboard the 500cc Egli and Grey Flash Vincents but, in the Forgotten Era (pre-1982) Superbikes, it’s been dry…

1. At a recent Barbers Motorsports Museum auction, in Alabama, US, a 1928 Windhoff four-cylinder motorcycle sold for: a). Less than $100,000; b). $100,000-$200,000; c). $200,000-$300,000; d). More than $300,000. 2. An immaculate 1959 Vespa VBA sold at a Shannons auction for: a). $8000; b). $10,000; c). $12,000; d). $14,000. 3. During the 1970s, the industry norm for a motorcycle concept to production was said to be about three years, but Ducati chief designer and engineer Fabio Taglioni and his team did it in an unusually short timeframe. How long did it take them to design and built their own complete bike, which comprised the company’s first V-twin engine? a). Less than three months; b). Within six months; c). 12 months. 4. Name the model. 5. What motorcycle has Roothy’s…

Okay, he had two kids with him so he probably isn’t technically a virgin but this was the first time Wycheproof-based teacher and barista Chris Duffy had entered the Island International Classic. Chris is back to racing having finally acknowledged age might finally become an issue in his football career. In some ways Chris is typical of many in the classic racing scene. Classic racing is something you can get into without having to sell the family jewels and the entry point for Chris was the $3000 he spent on his 1990 Honda CBR250RR on which he can race in the 250 New Era Production class and also try his hand in 500 New Era events. He did superbike schools to hone his skills and is now confidently punting his…

Last year’s motorcycle sales figures made sobering reading – not just because of the decline in raw numbers but because of what we actually bought. Australia’s top-selling road bike was a 125cc single that owes almost all of its technology to 1969. How far haven’t we come in 50 years? Bike sales dropped 8.7 per cent compared with a drop in car sales of just three per cent. Traditionally, bikes have around 10 per cent of the car market: there’s one bike sold for every 10 cars. Something’s going on with bikes, however, and the world we currently live in is changing and will certainly change more in the near future. The brand order is shaking itself out and there should be plenty of red lights flashing at Honda HQ.…

ENGINE TYPE: Liquid-cooled, four-valves-per-cylinder, inline triple CAPACITY: 847cc BORE & STROKE: 78 x 59.1mm COMPRESSION RATIO: 11.5:1 FUEL SYSTEM: EFI PERFORMANCE POWER: 85kW (113hp) at 10,000rpm TORQUE: 87.5Nm at 8500rpm TRANSMISSION TYPE: Six-speed, constant-mesh FINAL DRIVE: Chain CHASSIS & RUNNING GEAR FRAME TYPE: Aluminium diamond type FRONT SUSPENSION: KYB USD fork, 137mm travel, full adjustment REAR SUSPENSION: Monoshock, 141mm travel, preload adjustment FRONT BRAKE: 298mm discs with four-piston calipers REAR BRAKE: 245mm disc with single-piston caliper DIMENSIONS & CAPACITIES WET WEIGHT: 227kg SEAT HEIGHT: 850-865mm WHEELBASE: 1500mm FUEL CAPACITY: 18L WHEELS & TYRES FRONT: Cast alloy with 120/70-17 tyre REAR: Cast alloy with 180/55-17 tyre OTHER STUFF PRICE: $18,199 (plus on-road costs) COLOURS: Black WARRANTY: 24 months, unlimited kilometres www.Yamaha-Motor.com.au…

When it comes to collectable Ducatis, it’s impossible to go past a green-frame 750SS (below), according to Lance. Created to celebrate the dominance of the 750cc race bikes, the Supersport has become the streetable icon. Devoid of electronics, slipper clutches, big brakes, sophisticated suspension or even modern tyre technology, exactly what Paul Smart did to triumph at the 1972 Imola 200 is quite amazing. The green-frame 750 Supersport was intended as a tribute, but was a tremendous success in its own right. Lance clearly loves the whole Green Frame phenomenon, but global prices will probably never see one in his stable. “A Green Frame replica might be worth 60 grand when a genuine green framer is now $200,000.” In fact, an original 750SS recently sold for $US225,000, making the model…

NEW SOUTH WALES CC Bikeworks, Long Jetty.Repair centre and tyres Ph (02) 43 339 884 Ballina Motorcycles, Ballina.Yamaha, BMW, general service/repairswww.BallinaMotorcycles.com.au Mick Cole Motorcycles, Bega North.Honda, Yamahawww.MickColeMotorcycles.com.au Taree Motorcycles,Taree. Honda/agriculturalwww.TareeMotorcycles.com.au Sydney Motorcycle Wreckers andWorkshop, Hornsby.Servicing and repairs (older modelsincluded)www.SydneyMotorcycleWreckers.com.au Vince Strang Motorcycles, Inverell.Suzuki (DR & DR-Z specialist), Honda,Can-Amwww.VinceStrangMotorcycles.com.au Cash and Co, St Marys.Repair centre and wrecking Ph (02) 9623 3699 WESTERN AUSTRALIA Corse Motorcycles, Bayswater.Service and repair of all makesand models, specialising in Ducati,MV Agusta as well as customs andrace/track-bike preparation.www.CorseMotorcycles.com.au Thunderbike Motorcycles, Bassendean.Moto Guzzi sales and servicewww.ThunderBikes.com.au Munich Motorcycles, Myaree.BMW partswww.MunichMotorcycles.com.au BM Bikes, Myaree.BMW service and repairwww.BMBikes.com.au Planet Honda, Melville.www.PlanetHonda.com.au Western Edge Motorcycles, Dixon Road,Rockingham. Kawasaki and Suzuki,sales and servicewww.WesternEdgeMotorcycles.com.au QUEENSLAND The BM Shop, Stafford, Brisbane.BMW P&A, repair, used bikeswww.BMShop.com.au RJ’s BMW Motorcycle Service,Cunungra. BMW service, accessories Ph (07)…

KRIEGA DUO SADDLEBAGS 36 Factory hardcase panniers are great but, let’s face it, lighter is always better. That’s where soft panniers come in. These Duo Saddlebags are from Kriega, which means they’ll be practically bombproof, top-notch and designed to cleverly integrate with other products from the UKbased motorcycle accessories and luggage specialist. As the name suggests, the pair has a 36-litre total capacity (18L each bag) and are the largest offering in their Saddlebag range. If you’d prefer something smaller, there’s the Duo 28 or the solo 14 and 18, which are sold separately. Adventure riders might go the burger with the lot with the OS-32 soft pannier system, which is different and taller again. Kriega says the throw-over Saddlebags are a universal fit and aesthetically intended for nakeds and…

When the waitress asked how we’d like our steaks cooked, Mole said, “Blue”. I’d never heard the expression before. Apparently, it involves throwing the meat at the frypan, turning it over just before it hits the surface and then whipping it onto the serving plate. The distinction between ‘raw’ and ‘blue’ is tenuous. We shared a litre of house red and enjoyed dinner. It was now pitch-black outside. “What are we going to do?” Mole enquired. “Well, the lights on your bike still work so I’ll just ride behind you.” “It’s 150 kilometres through twisty forest roads. Do you really think that is a good idea?” Maybe not, but none of my other ideas that day had been any good so at least it was consistent. The motorcycle trip pre-departure…

By some weird mix of circumstances, my meal ticket these days is running a classic car mag, aka Unique Cars. Okay, so now I feel as though I’ve ‘outed’ myself. Mum and Dad, I’m not a real motorcyclist, I’m a car mag writer. (Bursts into tears, runs off to the bedroom.) In truth, these things are not mutually exclusive. There are five cars in the yard at Chateau Desperation and 20-ish bikes. And both fleets are a weird mix: Australian, American, Japanese and Euro for the cars, and English, German, Japanese and Italian for the bikes. Okay, I’m a tart – if it has an engine and wheels, I’m up for it. Just as an aside, it’s probably just as well my two-decade-long passion for flying light aircraft has cooled…

* denotes prices are rideaway NB: This list of Learner Approved Motorcycle Scheme (LAMS) bikes excludes most scooters, trailbikes and enduros. All prices are Manufacturer List Prices (MLP) and exclude dealer and statutory charges. The LAMS system operates in all Australian states and territories, but legislation varies from state to state – check with your dealer to ensure a model complies with your local LAMS regulations.…