Indice dei contenuti per Issue 345 in Motorcycle Trader

CALLING ALL CUSTOM car and bike builders and their respective fans: the 2019 ‘Six One’ exhibition is for you. To be held at Melbourne’s Seaworks Precinct in Williamstown on April 27, the Six One exhibition is open to all vehicles that have been built and customised in Australia to showcase the skill, passion and creativity of local artisans rather than style, model or era. Six One is an invitational event, but there are no restrictive themes or rules limiting which vehicles are chosen for display. Instead, it will bring together a diverse mix of genres, styles and disciplines from all walks of the Australian custom automotive scene. The one-day event will play host to more than 50 custom-built vehicles including hot rods, Euro classics, JDM, drift racers, scramblers, cafe racers,…

Singles, parallel twins, V-twins, triples, inline fours, flat fours, V-fours and sixes are as diverse as they are great but, as far as instant brand association goes, none are as recognisable as BMW’s boxer. Sure, niche maker Ural uses the horizontally opposed twin layout and history shows others have too but, really, the boxer belongs to BMW, and has so for almost 100 years. From ‘airheads’ and ‘oilheads’ to the more recent water-cooled version, the iconic engine has changed enormously in capacity, character and sophistication, while maintaining its own appeal and core characteristics. And to think BMW was allegedly going to scrap it altogether when production ceased for a few months back in 1986. Now we have the R 1250 range, headlined by a displacement increase (from 1170 to 1254cc)…

If there’s one thing BMW unquestionably excels in, it’s building top tourers – something it’s been doing for decades. With their cocooning bodywork and upright riding position, these things eat big miles for breakfast. Even the older versions. No wonder Roothy couldn’t pass up a mint R100LT recently (see page 98). Things started to change in 2014 for the ‘Riese Tourer’, or Travel Tourer, which brought about partial liquid cooling while being sportier, smarter and safer than its predecessors. Going from the traditional air-/oil-cooling to part liquid for the 1170cc boxer allowed for more precision engine temperature control and closer tolerances, thus better fuel economy and increased performance. Specifically, livelier low- and mid-range response. But let’s call a spade a spade. The swollen RT still has a strong whiff of…

It almost seems cruel to put the least-experienced off-road rider of the group on the biggest bike for the longest, sketchiest day of the launch. But I wasn’t worried. I had my trusty sidekick: the R 1250 GS Adventure. Starting in Merimbula, our 470km off-road route crossed the historic McKillops Bridge (“the most hazardous and dangerous roads to drive on in the country”, according to DangerousRoads.org) and the Snowy River to link up with the beautiful Barry Way. Dry and dusty conditions paved the way for skatey surfaces and reduced visibility if travelling too close on cliff-edge roads that double-back onto themselves. There were plenty of booby traps to keep you alert, too, especially as fatigue crept in. Therewas a sense of deja vu for me, having ridden many the…

Father-and-daughter team Mark and Kelly Schuppan were big winners at the 2017 event and repeated the effort this year. However, their distinctive sidecar dates back to last century. “It was built for the 1992 re-enactment, and that was before Kelly was born,” Mark said. It wasn’t a grand debut for the ESO-powered outfit. “She broke,” Mark said bluntly. The ESO single-cylinder engine was a fairly common alternative to expensive and unobtainable Manx Nortons for vintage racers in Australia in the 1980s. The history of this Czech brand makes fascinating reading. Founded by a motorcycle racer in 1949, it made JAP-influenced pushrod, single-cylinder engines for speedway, motocross and ice racing. When Jawa took it over in 1964, it had experimented with a fibreglass-bodied, two-seater micro-car concept. The Schuppan family has had…

There are a lot of reasons why BMW’s S 1000 RR is special, but from the point of view of its corporate history, it was the company’s first truly competitive outright sport road bike in decades. Sure, the firm had produced competitively fast motorcycles before, but this effort was something else again. Initially pitched to compete in the World Superbike series, it stepped into the proverbial nest of vipers where the likes of the far more experienced Aprilia, Ducati, Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha would be very happy to deal with the upstart. Those early track experiences weren’t entirely happy but, in the process, the company produced a truly gobsmacking sportsbike for the road. It was, at launch, not only competitive with anything offered by all the big makers, it was…

The orange colour scheme was definitely the one to have There’s just a bit of history of flat-tracker replicas from various makers across the years, though it’s surprisingly thin. Surprising because the US has been such an abundant motorcycle market across the years and flat-tracking has been a major part of the scene for so long. Like any sport, it’s had its booms and troughs. Without question the best thing to happen in recent times is the revitalisation of the Harley-Davidson versus Indian rivalry. Some early success has inspired Indian to produce the FTR1200 – can we expect H-D to respond? While we wait for any news on that front, we can at least comfort ourselves with the thought of owning H-D’s most recent crack at the sector, the XR1200.…

It’s likely someone crunched the numbers and decided the Serie wouldn’t be a viable proposition. What a pity You need to remember back to 1997, when the stories of the revival of legendary marque MV Agusta became a reality in the form of motor show model – the F4 750. This, hopefully was the return of the glory days for a company that had been out of business for nearly two decades. Even long after the doors were shut, examples of its legendary 750S America four-cylinder street bike were selling for breathtaking numbers. And we’re talking of a company that literally owned the World 500GP Championship from 1958 to 1974. Clearly, the brand still had traction. In 1991 Cagiva obtained the rights to the marque and set the father of…

BMW R NINET Classic end of the air-cooled era for the venerable boxer twin. I know they made plenty but they continue to sell well and will surely be sought after in the future. – Falloon HONDA VFR750 (1994-97) Obviously not as exotic or as collectable as its spiritual RC predecessors but, as a result, I reckon a Gen IV model (the last of the 750s), with its obvious NR750 styling cues, will enjoy some form of ripple-effect. – Charris KTM 950 SUPER ENDURO R I’m tempted to suggest the 950/990 Adventure R models here, but the 950SE is more extreme, more radical and more niche (twin carbs, no electronics and 3000 made). That’s a guaranteed recipe for future appeal, the limited Erzberg Replica (100 units) even more so. Rose-tinted…

RACE BIKES Racing motorcycles have been taking a serious hit, but none more so than Ducatis. Alan Cathcart’s 1987 851 Factory Superbike was offered at Bonhams’ 2018 Spring Stafford auction with an estimate of £35,000-£45,000. Passed in, it was then shipped to Barber in the US where Bonhams expected $US45,000-$55,000. Passed in again, they were third-time lucky at Las Vegas 2019 when it sold for $US22,000, or about the same as a new Panigale V4. And this isn’t an isolated case. Ex-Sydneysider Michael Kiernan of Michael’s Motorcycles in St Louis bought a 1956 Mondial 250 Twin Cam F2 racer at Mecum in 2016 for $US35,000 and has subsequently entered it in three Mecum auctions. It continues to be passed in, most recently at $US21,000. BRITISH Apart from the Jack Ehret…

Among a range of aftermarket classic products MDA Motorcycle Engineering stocks is this UK-made self-generating ignition system. Made by Electrix World Ltd, it replaces the alternator, rotor, coils, rectifier and other parts of a typical classic motorcycle ignition. “It’s self-contained, easy to set up and calibrate, doesn’t rely on a battery and is very affordable,” Martyn says. Here it is fitted to a 1960s BSA A65 twin. MDA carries a comprehensive stock of new spare parts for many of the British marques, along with a sale or exchange service on reconditioned Smiths chronometric instruments.…

So far every time I’ve sat down to write an ‘Our Bikes’ yarn it’s been to detail some operation in the shed. I love machinery, and the older I get the more I’d rather work on the bikes. Comes a time your back can’t be bothered plucking gearboxes out of four-wheel-drives... But this 1993 BMW R100LT deserves more than a quick turfing through her internals. Actually, I did record the shed time required to bung her back on the road, but in the hazard that is computerised photography, I’ve managed to lose the nudie shots. Somehow that suits, because this bike’s story is about her old owner and the open road. LOVE YOU LONG TIME Now it’d be silly to say I’m new to airhead love having had old Hilda…

BMW IS DECLARING war on Harley-Davidson by returning to the cruiser market, head of BMW Motorrad Markus Schramm has revealed – and we can expect to see concept versions as soon as late this year ahead of a 2020 production debut, according to our sources. The biggest revelation to come from the Bavarian bombshell, however, is that BMW’s Harley beaters will be powered by the largest-ever iterations of the company’s iconic air-/ oil-cooled boxer, displacing 1800 and 2000cc. This solves the mystery of the big, unidentified boxer engine BMW teased late last year, which powered the Japanese-built ‘Zon’ custom bike (pictured). Instead of the familiar 1170cc capacity, the all-new heavyweight boxers will need to pack enough punch to knock out Harley-Davidson’s Milwaukee-Eight 117 V-twin (1923cc) and Indian’s Thunder Stroke 116…

In case you haven’t noticed, Triumph is not mucking around. The British brand has gone from producing a range of soft, retro models to building bikes that pay homage to the past but with beautiful finish, sharp handling and serious street cred. Still not satisfied, it’s now introduced a 1200cc retro machine with serious dirt cred. Believe it or not, the Scrambler 1200 XE can talk the talk, walk the walk and, err, squirt the dirt. From carving through picture-perfect curves on the Great Ocean Road to roosting whooped-out sandy bush trails, the Scrambler 1200 XE can do it all. It dips its little round headlight to the Triumph, BSA and Harley-Davidson desert sleds that hammered across the Nevada sand in the 1960s, but the 1200 is bigger, better and…

Hot on the heels of launching the all-new F 750 and 850 GS models, BMW now brings us the F 850 GS Adventure with a larger-capacity fuel tank for off-road-oriented riders who go further off the beaten track. A 23-litre tank (up from 15L and back in the conventional position, not behind the seat) for a 550km theoretical range, paired with a 21-inch front wheel and plenty of suspension travel sees to that. There’s no ShiftCam technology for the F 850 to speak of or any mechanical changes for the super-new 853cc parallel twin, which delivers 70kW (95hp) at 8250rpm and 92Nm at 6250rpm. Its engine might be manufactured in China by Loncin Motor (not Rotax of Austria), but there’s plenty to love about it, especially if you take the…

How hard can it be? A quick run up the beach, turn right around a plastic drum and run back down again. It might be a doodle in bare feet and budgie smugglers in the parents’ race at your local surf carnival, but try doing it at 160km/h on a wheezy old motorcycle with road tyres. Even the top riders, several of whom compete at the Finke Desert Race, struggled with the 800m run up and back at South Australia’s Sellicks Beach Historic Motorcycle Races in February. A strange ebb tide undermined the firm pebble base that has underpinned the success of the Sellicks race since its inception way back in 1913. But it didn’t lessen the enthusiasm of the more than 130 riders, many of whom had raced at…

“It flies when I can keep the carbs on,” Ben Fraser said of his crisp-sounding 1962 Triumph twin. “But then we only finished it two days ago and there aren’t many places at Roxby Downs to test a race bike.” Fraser and his helper and mate Damien Wilson live and breathe Triumphs. “It was my dad’s passion in the UK,” said Fraser as the pair hunkered down over the big twin to solve another niggling issue. Fraser raced at Sellicks in 2017 on a lightweight twin with clip-on handlebars. “It was a Monard replica,” he said, referring to the famous Monty-Ward racers of the British 1960s short-circuit scene. A desert-sled replica made much more sense for a return and the new bike features all the old tricks of the trade,…

The lunchtime parades were brought alive by demo runs that included this bizarre piece of sidecar history. Built in the 1960s, it is powered by a 1350cc Ford Cortina engine that somehow doesn’t overcome its BSA gearbox and Ariel clutch. A Renault R4 car radiator keeps the water temperature down while a period refrigerator coil has been modified as an oil cooler. The wheels and brakes are a mix and match of Cortina, EK Holden and Morris Minor components. The outfit won SA titles and was clocked unofficially at 240km/h at Lake Gairdner.…

For what was then a cheeky manufacturer, with few runs on the board when it came to credibility in the performance end of the motorcycle showroom, the RS250 was an instant reputation-builder. Based around Suzuki’s liquid-cooled reed valve V-twin two-stroke powerplant, they ran a massive aluminium frame and swingarm that screamed race heritage and were works of art. With around 73 horses (53kW) pushing a 140kg (dry) package, they were quick, if somewhat peaky. Running an instrument cluster that could remember up to 40 lap times, this model quickly became the darling of two-stroke production-class racers and anyone who wanted to emulate them. They were dynamite on the track. In reality, this is a 1990s motorcycle, as it was launched in 1995. However, it squeaks into this line-up as it…

It’s the 998R that our Ducati expert and motorcycle historian Ian Falloon reckons you should look out for, if you can find one If you need any proof that motorcyclists are suckers for a curvaceous body, look no further than Ducati’s experience with the transition from the Massimo Tamburinidesigned 916-998 series to the Pierre Terblanchedesigned 999 series that followed. While reviewers loved the advances represented by the latter bike – MCN in the UK described it as “the best V-twin on the planet” – punters stayed away in droves. Why? The looks. Where the Tamburini machine was widely lauded as one of the most beautiful motorcycles, ever, the 999 copped a roasting it probably didn’t deserve. It wasn’t that the 999 was ugly, the problem was poor Terblanche had a…

What’s that old saying? If you can’t beat them join them. Let’s just say for a moment that you’re running Honda Race Corporation and the World Superbike Championship is becoming a serious thorn in your side. There’s really only one issue: Ducati. You see, big V-twins at that stage had an engine-capacity advantage – 1000cc max, compared to 750 for a four. So Fred Merkel got you the title in 1988 and 1989 on the RC30 V4. Then John Kocinski did it for you on an RC45 V4 in 1997. Some bloke called Scott Russell did it for Kawasaki in 1993. To say it was a success would be an understatement But the other years. Du-bloody-cati! That’s right, eight wins out of 12 possible and, worse, sometimes three on the…

I have a confession to make: I have a mild addiction to watching live streaming of motorcycle auctions. It’s akin to watching live sport. There’s a sense of theatre and unpredictability that provides intoxicating entertainment. Thanks to people like me, motorcycle auctions have grown considerably over the past few years. There are now about a dozen pure motorcycle auctions annually in Europe and the US, with many more worldwide sharing cars with bikes. The largest motorcycle-only auctions are those run by Mecum and Bonhams. Mecum is purely US-based, running five or six motorcycle-only auctions a year, while British house Bonhams presents a similar number of auctions spread across both sides of the Atlantic. Mecum took over Woods Mid-America auctions in 2013. Woods was one of those institutions that catered for…

As the late summer heat climbs towards 38 degrees Martyn Adams opens the door of his large, well-equipped workshop. The super-heated Adelaide Hills in South Australia are a world away from chilly Yorkshire in northern UK where Martyn established a reputation in the classic motorcycle world for his engineering expertise. Back in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Martyn was a go-to-person for UK classic enthusiasts wanting to build reliability and durability into their motorcycles. His love of trials riding and Triumph Cubs in particular has him credited with turning this little single-cylinder learner bike into the backbone of classic trials. His exquisite ‘squarebarrel’ Triumph 500cc Triton and other similar projects also resulted in major UK magazine feature articles. The zenith of national recognition came in…

Is it just me, or is the Sprint the forgotten motorcycle of the Triumph range? It kind of died out locally, though its GT successor is still marketed in the UK. What’s significant about the model is that, in its prime, it did the unthinkable and knocked the almighty Honda VFR series off its pedestal as the world’s most capable sportstourer. That was a major feat. But before we go too far down that path, let’s have a quick look at the potted history of the nameplate. When Triumph relaunched as a serious player in the early to mid-1990s, it revived all sorts of interesting names, such as Trident, Tiger, Daytona, Trophy and eventually Bonneville. Even the ‘speed’ theme was revived, albeit as Speed Triple rather than Speed Twin. There…

The vision of the metalflake blue Norton Commando 750 Street Scrambler roaring past my Kawasaki GA2A 90cc two-stroke as it struggled up a hill in 1973 remains indelible. Not only did that Norton look fantastic, it sounded wonderful, and it was fast. From that moment on, I lusted after a Commando, and in due course a 750 Combat graced my shed. Unfortunately, however, the prickly Combat wasn’t the perfect mount for a young rider not that well versed in the finer details of maintenance, and the relationship was a difficult one. Despite this, ownership of a Commando was beguiling. The brilliant handling and brutal torque could charm a rider and lull him into a fit of forgetfulness. He could forget that he kicked the motorcycle to life, forget that only…

1938 TRIUMPH 500CC 5T SPEED TWIN This lot has three strengths: historical significance, provenance and association with a celebrity. When Edward Turner introduced the Speed Twin in 1938 it opened up a new direction for Triumph motorcycles. Most half-litre bikes on the market were single cylinders, which made the new model stand out from the crowd. More importantly, the Speed Twin was fast, smooth and nimble. This engine configuration would prove a market strength for Triumph and remained at the centre of the range for decades. The Bonneville and Thunderbird of the 1950s and ’60s were developments of the original inline twin. Steve McQueen was an A-list Hollywood actor of the 1960s and ’70s, and used his considerable wealth to buy cars, motorcycles and other memorabilia that interested him. McQueen…

YAMAHA HAS STOLEN KTM’s thunder by announcing a $15,499 price (plus on-road costs) for its long-awaited Tenere 700 adventure bike – just days after the Austrian giant announced its mid-size adventure rival, the 790 Adventure and higher-spec R version, will have ride-away prices of $21,195 and $22,695 respectively. The KTMs will beat the Yamaha in the race to showrooms by six months, however, with a delivery date of June. The all-new Tenere 700 is powered by a 689cc parallel twin from the MT-07HO naked bike delivering 54kW (72hp) at 9000rpm and 68Nm at 6500rpm. Key data includes a 16-litre fuel capacity for a 350km-plus claimed range; fully adjustable suspension with 210 and 200mm travel front and rear; 240mm ground clearance; a seat height of 880mm; 21-/18-inch wheels; and ABS that’s…

Just when you thought the smart money is on the F 850 GS, you take the R 1250 GS for a good gallop and your decision-making process goes back to square one. Especially when you’re talking about the off-road-focussed – and lavishly equipped – Rallye X hero model (from $30,240 plus on-road costs). Dammit. The R 1250 GS fits like a glove, and it feels good. Even if it’s 5kg heavier than its predecessor (now 249kg wet). The ergonomics, seated or standing, are spot-on for big days, whatever the terrain. The bigger boxer and its new dual personality mightn’t take top honours in the horsepower race, but you’re never left feeling shortchanged let alone cursing it to get going. With 143Nm of Bavarian brawn and a willingness to now rev…

“She cost me 200 bucks, mate,” Paul Dempsey said as he prepared one of his stable of pre-unit Triumphs for action. Dempsey, a died-in-the wool pre-unit Triumph enthusiast, fronted up last time around with two Thunderbirds and a Tiger 110. This year, Team Dempsey brought four Triumphs and the sidecar he bolted together a month before the event. He didn’t have to go far from his Riverland property to get a suitable swinger. “My neighbour, Carey Deschamps, is a bike nut. We did a couple of practice runs in the paddock and here we are.” The pair quickly adapted to the circuit and was involved in some titanic scraps with Victorian sidecar identity Max Hooper on his stroked Harley-Davidson Sportster outfit. When Hooper’s Harley expired, the way was clear for…

One expects old guys to own old bikes, but that certainly wasn’t the case at Sellicks. Ben Keys, his younger brother, Philip, and friend Mark Barber brought their pre-war bikes down from Queensland just for this event. “I own eight flat-tankers from the 1920s and ’30s,” Ben said as he explained the bikes the trio was tending. Pride of place went to an immaculate 1937 BSA 500cc M19, an overhead-valve sports model. What looks like a catalogue restoration conceals some clever modifications that make this a potent classic racer. The crankshaft assembly is from Dutch BSA specialists ABSAF. Combined with an adjustable vernier camshaft and Empire Star barrel, what was once a 350cc slugger has been turned into a long-legged 500cc fire-breather. Mark, a former Finke Desert Race competitor, put…

A big difference between this year’s Sellicks and the 2017 event was the number of early 1960s Honda twins entered. Several were being raced by riders who also compete in historic racing on later models. One example was James Doddrell. A month before Sellicks, he took his Honda RC30 to third overall at the Island Classic’s New Era Formula 750 class. Doddrell brought out an original-looking 1962 305cc twin (left) for Sellicks and showed an immediate ability to conquer the sand with a modern dirt-riding style. His vintage racing is sponsored by Shingleback Wine, one of the major supporters of the meeting.…

It took a while, but over the last five-or-so years, early BMW enduro bikes have become very collectable. Now, you could argue there are all sorts of things wrong with the idea of a ‘dirt bike’ that’s the size and weight of a two-up tourer, but there’s no denying the popularity of this market segment. And it’s here to stay, partly because the long-legged brigade make excellent long-haul tar tourers, even if their reputation was made in the far more testing Paris-Dakar raids. Central to the package is BMW’s signature boxer twin configuration, which has changed enormously in sophistication and character over time, while maintaining its own appeal. However, the one question that went begging for years is how come the bikes never had the same M-division hotrod treatment enjoyed…

Delving in to your history can be a double-edged sword, particularly if you’re a vehicle manufacturer. The thing is, while we greatly admire the looks of the bike of the past, the reality of riding those same machines now can be bleak. They may have been good for their time, but things have changed. Take Ducati’s “Green Frame” 750 Super Sport from the early 1970s, for example – the one Paul Smart took to victory at Imola in 1972. It was part of a legendary team effort that seemed to be pulled together with optimism as much as skill. And the machine itself was beautiful. Just 2000 were to be built and the price was going to be a major slug to the wallet – think around $39,000! So building…

In some respects, this has to be one of the most circular and ridiculous stories in motorcycling. Way back in the mid-1950s, the now little-known Japanese make Meguro started producing a licensed copy of BSA’s A7 500cc parallel twin. As time rolled along, 1960 to be exact, Meguro found itself in financial trouble and accepted investment from Kawasaki to develop an upgraded 650 version of the machine. In three years, Kawasaki owned the company outright and Meguro morphed into the Kawasaki W1. This was a light, undemanding motorcycle that just put a smile on your face A considerable amount of re-engineering was undertaken along the way and, remarkably, the Kawasaki W series lasted until 1974. It was sold directly against the British twins it emulated, though not in sufficient numbers…

CELEBRITY ASSOCIATION There’s nothing hotter in the motorcycle auction market than something owned by Steve McQueen. This is unpredictable, but over the past six months it has escalated beyond even the most optimistic expectations. Beginning at the Bonhams auction at the Barber Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham, Alabama, in October, a McQueen 1970 Husqvarna 400 Cross fetched $US230,500. The estimate was $US75,000-$100,000. A Vincent Comet that was owned briefly by McQueen managed $US62,250 – more than double what most Comets bring. Riding equipment also brings big dollars if it has provenance. McQueen’s 1970 Bell helmet hammered at $US21,875 and Mike Hailwood’s 1971 Daytona 200 leather suit managed $US16,875. The estimation was $US6000-$8000. The most astounding McQueen result was for a 1938 Triumph Speed Twin at the recent Bonhams Las Vegas. As…

A BETTER WAY Attention Guido. When replacing fork seals, which you covered in a recent issue of MT, it’s a good idea to give the chrome a light going over with 800 wet and dry soaked in WD40. This removes any light oxidation and varnish deposits, which will extend seal life and improve performance. Also, when you serviced the Postie, you overlooked the centrifugal clutch adjustment. It takes less than a minute to do but can make a big difference. Finally, I have 17 bikes of my own so I know what you mean by maintaining the herd! Glenn Besso, glennbesso@gmail.com That’s great advice and you’re spot-on, Glenn. The wet and dry sanding is something I definitely should’ve done on those fork legs. That’s what happens when you’re in a…

Young Phillip White’s words were ringing in my ears. He’d just returned Winston the 1947 Sunbeam S7 with the warning, “Don’t forget to re-tighten the head after you’ve ridden it a few times.” Righto. It’s not an unusual requirement on older designs. Of course, the lead-up to this has been long, complicated and reads like an overblown soap opera. I bought Winston, my first proper classic bike, purely on the basis of looks and completely oblivious to the fact the dreaded ‘early ones’ were notorious for requiring deep pockets to own. That was over a decade ago. All sorts of little dramas and fixes occurred along the way – once it even caught fire in a workshop – until the big one, when a conrod let go, fired through the…