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We send petrol-head Wattie out to do a Zero SR/F real-world test. Here’s what he thinks of it… Call me old fashioned, but I’m not convinced by all the EVs out on the road these days. I mean, they can be useful to some people but they still don’t seem to solve the problem of travelling distances or touring. Rolling into the dealer to pick up the Zero, I have the PlugShare app for finding public chargers, the Zero Next Gen app for monitoring settings, and my best AC/DC playlist queued up on Spotify ready to go. My emotions are mixed at this point. I’m always excited to try something new but essentially my mind is a blank canvas. On paper, the Zero SR/F has all the ingredients for a good time; Showa suspension, J.Juan brakes similar to those found on a KTM Duke, decent tyres, heated grips – although they’re optional – and a reported range of 283km on a single charge. Power and torque figures are kind of meaningless on an electric bike, but the air-cooled brushless Z-force 75-10 motor puts out peak quoted figures of 84kW (112.6hp) and 190Nm – that’s more torque than a 131ci Screamin’ Eagle crate motor they race in MotoAmerica’s King of the Baggers series. After getting the rundown on the bike by Zero Australia’s general manager Chris Walton, I’m feeling more at ease that the Zero is just like a regular bike, but quieter and cheaper to run. As long as you have the charging under control, that is. The SR/F has a full suite of electronics, including ride modes, throttle maps, regenerative braking maps, traction control and ABS. Walton suggests I start off on Rain mode and move up through the modes once I get comfortable. Rolling out and into peak hour traffic is a bit of an eye opener. All the controls are the same, except for the lack of clutch and gear lever. I’m sitting at the lights in silence, wondering if the bike will go when I hit the throttle. That’s not a petrol tank, mate. Zero calls it a frunk! The green light on the five-inch TFT dash assures me it will, and it does. With just a slight whirring noise that steadily builds into a bit of a whine as speed increases, faster than the regular traffic but far from invigorating, we are away. This Rain mode can go to hell. I need more. There is Rain, Eco, Standard, Sport and Custom to choose from, so I engage Standard for the rest of my trip home. The ride modes are all adjustable inside the Zero Next Gen app and via the dash if you are stopped. Once downloaded, you can flick through them on the go. The Standard mode moves along with ease, beating the traffic away from a standing start, and when I close the throttle I can feel the regenerative braking slowing the rear wheel and then increasing when I touch the brakes. The regenerative braking has two stages; when the throttle is closed the neutral regeneration begins applying drag to the rear wheel and feeding power back into the battery. Then once the brakes are applied, stage two kicks in and applies more regen. In Eco mode, for example, you have almost maximum regen as soon as you close the throttle, so much so that if you keep your eyes on the road ahead you can ride without braking. The Bosch stability control keeps an eye out for potential locking of the rear wheel under regen braking – kind of like a slipper clutch on a regular bike – so you don’t need to fear the back locking when you shut the throttle. Changing to the modes with more power and torque won’t necessarily use more battery power if you are sensible with the throttle but, hey, we aren’t here to put socks on centipedes. If I’ve got full power available, I’m going to use it. A decision that will soon bring regret as I watch the range calculation plummeting through the floor faster than regen can ever build it back up. Launching the Zero off the line is super fun, if a bit too easy. You simply mash the throttle wide open and hold on tight. I keep reaching for a gear lever as the electric whine increases but there is nothing there. The acceleration is relentless. There are no dips or humps on the torque curve, it just goes and goes and goes some more. I got it to max out at 200km/h on the drag strip, after running a flat 12-second quarter mile. No, 12 seconds isn’t overly fast in the scheme of things with a swarm of BMW S 1000 RR’s running low 10s on the same day, but its no slouch. Final drive is via a kevlar belt One of the biggest surprises is the way it launches around cars when overtaking. It simply rockets away from a rolling start not dissimilar to a Triumph Rocket 3 at full noise but without the fuss. I’m sure it shocks a few car drivers when it whizzes past. Wheelies? Yeah, nah, not really going to happen. I’m not a fan of clutch up-wheelies anyway, but that’s one option that is missing here. My usual timed dab of the brakes and snapping the throttle open does not bear the usual fruit either. The Zero, while having oodles of torque, doesn’t quite have the snappyness to pop it up any more than about 200mm off the ground. The handling is quite good. The bike feels long and low when you sit on it and reach for the handlebar and the feeling reflects this on the road. The bulk of the weight is in the battery and it sits reasonably low in the chassis, which keeps the centre of gravity pretty low. The Zero tips into corners willingly and holds a line okay when the road is smooth. Mid-corner bumps do upset it a little, making it feel kind of nervous like the chassis is flexing. I can’t help but think the lack of rotating mass in the centre of the bike may be partly to blame here. There is no flywheel effect from a petrol engine spinning at 5000rpm or so to keep the bike stable. I’m no engineer, but that’s the best I can justify it to myself. Quality rear suspension is easy to adjust The 43mm Showa fork is a fully adjustable Big Piston Separate Function item similar to what’s found in 600cc sportsbikes. I find it suits the Zero SR/F really well with plenty of adjustment for fine tuning. At the rear, the Showa shock is a direct-mounted item rather than a linkage type, and also is fully adjustable. I added some damping to try and slow it down and give a bit more feel. The throttle connection is flawless and I could wind the power on hard and feel the rear tyre fighting for grip exiting corners. The brakes are more than capable. Up front the four-piston J.Juan brakes are the same as you will find on a KTM 990 Duke. It’s a two-finger deal here. The bike weighs in at 227kg, which isn’t light, but the front brakes are strong and accurate. They seemed a little bit noisy but I blame the disc noise solely on the fact that the rest of the bike is almost silent. The rear brake isn’t great and I had to put a heap of pressure on the pedal to even feel them working but with regen I don’t miss it. The nitty gritty. The charging and range. The quoted range of the 17.3kWh motor is 283km on the SR/F. But this is stop and start city riding at low speeds. Electric bikes use less battery in these situations than they do riding at a constant high speed. The quoted range on the highway is 188km. You are not meant to charge lithium-ion batteries to 100 percent all the time as it reduces battery life, so the bike was set to charge to 95 percent only. The Zero will allow you to charge to 110 percent capacity if you have a particularly long distance to cover between charging, but there is no regenerative braking available until the battery dips below 100 percent. Rear shock is direct-mount rather than using a linkage My normal commute sees me travelling about 100km with average speeds of around 90km/h with plenty of traffic lights along the way. Not ideal conditions for the Zero to shine and it shows; I would arrive home with just 30 percent battery remaining with a predicted range of another 50km. So, for me, we are looking at a 150km range. I generally charged the Zero at home using the supplied wall charger. It took about five hours to charge from 30 percent back up to 95 percent after a day’s commuting. When I stopped by a friend’s house who owns a Tesla, we plugged the Zero in for a top-up from his 70A three-phase Tesla power supply utilising the optional built in 12.6kW fast charger – and it was much faster! The Type 2 charging cable supplied with our testbike allows you to use one of the public power supplies and sees the battery replenished at double the speed of the standard 6.6kw charger– approximately two percent per minute – so this will charge from 0 to 95 percent in just 70 minutes. The kicker here is that if you don’t have a setup like this at home, most public-use fast chargers require you to bring your own charging cable, which means you need to either get it in your backpack or fit some sort of tail bag as there is nowhere on board to store it on the bike. I found it easier to just charge the bike at home, which takes longer and only costs a few dollars if you program it to take place during periods of off-peak rates. The Zero’s fit and finish seems pretty good. The TFT screen is beaut and even when it is in full sun it stays nice and clear. There are LED lights all round and two USB charging ports are found under the lid where a fuel tank would normally be. The heated grips have three different levels of burn to choose from, which probably doesn’t help range, but it’s not like I can rest my hands on the side of the engine for warmth while commuting in peak winter. Digital dashboard got a big tick of approval, its display unaffected by direct sunlight Cruise control is standard and uses the button normally reserved for starting a bike. Our testbike was equipped with parking mode, which is very handy as it allows you to reverse the bike with the throttle at walking pace and then select forward and move at a walking pace by using that same cruise control button to change direction. For the record, I tried to ride it backwards down my driveway, but I’m not Toprak Razgatlioglu and eventually had to put my feet down. The Zero SR/F’s buy-in price is $41,800 in standard guise, which includes heated grips and parking mode, which seems fairly steep to me for a bike with a fairly narrow focus. But you need to keep in mind the maintenance costs are almost nothing as the only serviceable items are the drive belt at 40,000km, tyres and brake pads. The ‘fuel’ costs are almost zero (excuse the pun) in comparison to a regular bike, even less if you can charge it off your solar at home or make use of free charging stations. Am I convinced? To me, I would use it to commute as it’s very comfortable, easy to ride and fast enough to have fun on. But as I live in a more rural area, I couldn’t see myself going for rides out into the country for fear of getting stuck without charge. So this limits it to being a second bike for me. By no means is that the bike’s fault but in Australia the infrastructure isn’t available right now to charge wherever I want to go and ride. One day it should be, and then it might be a different story. PROS: Surprisingly quick, low running costs and it’s good for the planet. CONS: Lack of charging infrastructure, no phone connectivity and cost of initial outlay. There’s an app for that The Zero Next Gen app is the key to unlocking the full potential of the Zero SR/F. With the app installed and linked to your bike, you can make changes to all your settings, including customising your ride modes and monitoring battery performance during charging and during rides that you have recorded. I set up my own mode with full power, full torque, no traction control, bulk regen braking and maximum top speed. You can also customise the dashboard layout to prioritise the information you want displayed while riding. Via this app you can buy upgrades to your bike using the Cypher system. You can buy and unlock some features direct from your mobile phone, although some will need hardware installed on the bike by your local dealer. I would have thought that a bike in this price category and tech level would have navigation and phone integrations but there is no such feature at this stage. Maybe a future update will make this an option. The phone already connects via Bluetooth, so all the required hardware is in place. The next app that is a must-have is the Plugshare app. This is the bible for finding public charging locations, their suitability to charge the Zero and their current availability. SPECIFICATIONS MOTOR Type Permanent magnet, brushless Controller IGBT Cooling Air Transmission Single speed Clutch Not applicable Final drive Belt BATTERIES Type Lithium-ion Capacity 17.3kWh Recharge time 6kW charger: 20-80% 1 hour 12kW charger: 20-80%: 30 mins Level 2 charging to 95%: 2 hours PERFORMANCE Power 84kW (claimed) Torque 190Nm (claimed) Top speed 200km/h (measured) Range City: 283km, Highway: 188km, Combined: 199km (claimed) ELECTRONICS Type Bosch Advanced MSC Rider aids ABS, traction control, drag torque control and regenerative braking Rider modes Rain, Eco, Standard, Sport and Custom CHASSIS Frame material Steel Frame layout Tubular trellis Rake 24.5˚ Trail 94mm SUSPENSION Showa Front: 43mm USD Separate Function Big Piston fork, fully adjustable, 120mm travel Rear: Monoshock, fully adjustable , 140mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Cast aluminium Front: 17 x 3.5 Rear: 17 x 5.5 Tyres Pirelli Diablo Rosso III Front: 120/70ZR17 (58W) Rear: 180/55ZR17 (73W) Brakes J.Juan, Bosch ABS Front: Twin 320mm discs, four-piston radial calipers Rear: Single 240mm disc, two-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 227kg (kerb, claimed) Seat height 787mm Max width Not given Ground clearance Not given Wheelbase 1450mm SERVICE & WARRANTY First service 1000km Minor: Annual Major: Not applicable Warranty Two years, unlimited km (five year warranty on power pack) BUSINESS END Price From $41,800 (ride away) Colour options Thermal/Black or Jet Black/Gold Contact www.zeromotorcycles.com.au The post ZERO SR/F REAL-WORLD TEST appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

We sent Roothy to the Aussie launch of the Indian Scout. This is what he thinks of it… A tribe of new Indian Scouts on the Gold Coast? Wow, I haven’t been so excited about a new model launch since my first one; Harley’s new Softail in 1984! And that finished with a sausage sizzle out the back of Frasers, not a Japanese restaurant on the Goldie. Things have changed in the last 40 years, huh? Which reminds me, I bought a new Softail after that release. Will I soon be thinking I need a new Indian? The buzz started when I read Kel’s very comprehensive world launch report (AMCN Vol 73 No 21) back in May. That’s because it read exactly like the bike much of the world needs – a motorcycle for just about everybody. More than that, the specs promised handling, power and looks in a bike that wasn’t huge. In fact everything I could see had me thinking the pendulum had finally swung away from purpose-built bikes to bikes that could do it all. Which was about where we were in 1984, come to think of it… The real excitement was the Indians themselves. Take into account the last Scout I’ve ridden is the 1942 741 model I bought Karen for our 20th anniversary. Now, apart from being a shifty way to add to the collection, it’s also a hand-shift three-speed with the road manners of a pig on a rope. Amazingly there are design cues in the new models that were developed way back then, the ‘Indian’ look. On a gentle curve in the GC hinterland it just kinda looks right What surprised me was that while the look is there, the new MY25 Scout (yes it’s still 2024 but Indians get out of bed earlier apparently) is a totally modern motorcycle. And best of all, it’s a motorcycle that fits. Oh sure, I know there’s plenty of room for big barges out on the highway and I’ll never give up my trailbike around town, but if I had to own one bike to do it all? Yep, I reckon it might be a new Indian Scout. Probably the Classic, with floorboards, bags and a pillion seat… in Sunset Red. Then I’d take it home, bung on a hot exhaust to grab more of that V-twin burble, and ride the beejeesus out of it. Because that’s what these babies are, rider’s bikes. It starts with the engine. Harley’s traditionally used a 45-degree V twin. Ducati’s favoured angling their cylinders at 90 degrees. Indian’s Scout runs a 60 degree vee and, while that number alone wouldn’t do it, the engine itself fits between those two beautifully. The cadence is smooth, the exhaust note rumbles and, most importantly to this old bush mechanic, it feels and sounds like it’s going to last. Interestingly, Harley’s Revolution Max 1250 engine, as used in the Pan American, packs a whole lot of the same specs but somehow manages to sound remarkably less robust. You can hear and feel the difference a decade’s worth of evolution has made to the new Speed Plus engine. The 1250 Scout runs dual overhead cams, four valves per cylinder, a 12.5:1 compression ratio, liquid cooling and a constant-mesh six-speed gearbox. Indian says this engine is ‘all new’ but it’s really the second development of the 1133cc Scout first introduced in 2014, which featured liquid cooling and an aluminium frame. That engine was reincarnated as the 1133cc Power Plus but still ran the big radiator and alloy frame. The MY25 Scouts see it upped to 1250cc with plenty of internal changes that make for a 17 percent overall power increase at 78kW (105hp) and a new name, the Speed Plus. Torque’s impressive at 109Nm at 6000rpm but it’s the way the new engine flattens the torque curve across the range from a tad over idle that’s really impressive. Deep red paint harks back to the era when Indian used Dupont’s best products on its models after they merged way back in the 30s First gear’s pretty high thanks to noise rules or something, but the clutch is light and this engine handles lift off without any dramas. The six-speed ’box isn’t as smooth as the mainstream Japanese but it’s a world away from the clunk fest over at Harley. There’s no complaints here at all; shifting’s easy and the ratios beautifully spaced. Get a load of the new girl’s radiator! The styling people have done a wonderful job melding what used to be the ugliest part of an exposed engine into the front frame area to the point where it’s not obtrusive at all. This is the essence of the MY25 models; constant evolution with an eye on performance as much as style. ‘Not obtrusive’ describes the Scout’s overall feel, actually, which is the opposite of its eye-catching looks. First, it’s easy to chuck a leg over the seat (around 650mm) and paddle around a tight parking space. At 237kg (dry) it’s on par with a new Triumph Bobber, and a pub meal bigger than a Kwaka nine or a Honda four for those old enough to remember when they were the duck’s nuts. Add in the natural low centre of gravity and narrow nature of a V twin and there’s nothing daunting here despite making twice the power of said old dungers. This is where motorbikes used to be before the ‘size is everything’ race took over. It’s also beautifully balanced with 16-inch wheels back and front (although the Sport and 101 get 19-inch front rims) and ‘normal’ tyre sizes compared to the balloons some manufacturers fit. Such a low seat height means you’ll be scraping pretty early but the super stiff frame, a heap of development on those ‘lay down’ rear shocks and the 41mm fork means that when you do, it’s predictable and easily managed. I scraped plenty during our day’s ride but then I was following Isle of Man TT winner Cam Donald. Or trying too… The Scout tips into corners naturally and feels confident all the way. This could be the easiest riding motorcycle I’ve ever tried so I’m going to give the handling as stock a big tick. Same with the brakes. The single 298mm discs back and front – with a dual piston caliper up front – are perfectly matched to the weight of the bike and then there’s ABS on top of that anyway if you’re pushing limits. The special Scout 101 is a class above again – can I interest you in some pre-scraped knee sliders? On the ride we had about 20 bikes to choose from, covering all five models and all fitted out to different specs. All manufacturers offer options these days, but what Indian has done that’s really clever is make everything fit right across the Scout range. The last models we got in Australia, the MY23 bikes, used the alloy frame which limited the interchangeability of parts and accessories. Thanks to the steel frame everything fits everything now. They have seats that sit you farther back, offer more padding, drop the seat height or leave the pillion at home. Similarly there’s so many variations in handlebars and risers that if you can’t make a Scout fit you might consider auditioning at the circus. The first Scout I hopped on was a Bobber with forward ’pegs and low ’bar; great for cruising GC’s Cavell Avenue but with all the comfort of a prayer mat. By lunchtime I’d tried out mid-mount ’pegs, forward controls and good old floorboards with a range of handlebars and riser heights. Apparently there’s over 30 ergonomic options out of the 100 accessories available already. There’s a ‘build your own’ thing going on here which is perfectly suited to where Indian itself sees the Scout heading. LED lighting looks cool with the flyscreen fairing Where’s that apart from out of the showrooms? To the customisers. That’s the given excuse for trading the old aluminium frame – untouchable with a torch – to the new steel-tube job and, personally, I’m happy with that. Customising is huge business in the US of A where people will do anything to look different within the fashion guidelines of whatever frolic they’re in to. But fashion guidelines bring me to the quibbles I have with the new Scout, at least the Aussie versions anyway. The American Scouts with bobbed mudguards (all models except the Scout Classic) feature a side mounted number plate bracket that suits the bobber look. Possibly it’s not legal in Australia because the models on release all had a bar set back from the chopped guard that mounts the plate – and immediately makes it look like something’s missing. No worries, if you’re into customising, you’ll sort that quick. And while the front guard might look cool, it offers no protection for that radiator tucked neatly between the front frame tubes. Under most circumstances that’ll just mean the odd rock chip but a clay road on a wet day and you’ll be clogging fins faster than a sous chef in a Japanese restaurant. Please note this is from a bloke who drills his front mudguards to take a rubber flap… Then there’s the ’bar-mount mirrors. For some reason all the bikes on the launch – except the Classic – had ’bar mounts with mirrors swung down. No doubt someone thinks this looks cool but you can’t see a bloody thing without looking down. Mirrors need to be in the rider’s field of vision. It’s easy to swap them to upright. I just didn’t have any tools on the day… Licence holder looks like a compromise for Aussie compliance Ah, tech. As a bloke first schooled with a nib and ink pot – I kid you not – I’m not strong on the tech stuff but I’m not sure you have to be because the models I rode with the Tech Pack were easy to navigate. All the info – speed, odometer, GPS, fuel gauge, tacho – plus more were on the neat, round speedo, which cycled through a host of different-looking screens. The GPS and trip info stuff is accessed through Indian’s Ride Command app and a demo of that showed it was idiot proof. Given the number of bikes we had on test, what wasn’t idiot proof was the old ‘who’s got the fob?’ thing. At least the yanks had them zip-tied under the seats at the world launch… In Australia ignition keys, an analogue speedo, fuel gauge and non switchable ABS come with the base model (standard) while the top-of-the-range Limited Plus Tech pack (we don’t get the middle ranked ‘Limited’ model) gets the touchscreen dash, GPS navigation and keyless ignition. But, thanks to the fact that everything’s interchangeable, I can have a key ignition and a touch screen dash with connectivity. And wire-spoked wheels instead of alloys, a full back guard instead of a bobbed job, high ’bars and a plush seat. Naturally there’s a few fittings required and the expense of the accessories but it’s great that anything’s possible. When she came back from San Francisco, Kel called the new Scouts ‘an American cruiser for just about anybody’. I’ll take that a step farther, I reckon the Scout range with its custom potential has given us motorcycles for just about everybody. If you’ve got some lingering doubts about American motorcycles, try a Scout. Welcome to the future – American-made motorcycles that are nimble, fast, handle and stop and still come loaded with heritage. Bloody lovely. PROS: The new 1250cc engine’s brilliant, compact size and true customising potential. CONS: Awkward number-plate bracket and fuel capacity is only 13 litres across the range. THE LINE-UP SCOUT BOBBER The entry point to the Scout platform, its chopped fenders, single seat and ’bar-end mirrors epitomise the moniker. It rolls on 16-inch wheels at both ends, features an all-black engine and exhaust and there’s only 51mm of travel in the rear end. From $22,995. SCOUT CLASSIC Aimed at the traditionalists, the Classic’s long fenders, pulled-back ’bar and chrome exhaust and engine accents match the bike’s chrome wire wheels and conventional mirrors. Like the Bobber, it rolls on 16-inch wheels but the rear shocks get 76mm of travel. From $23,495 SCOUT SPORT Speaking to the custom scene, the Scout Sport gets 150mm ’bar risers, a machined triple clamp and a slightly higher seat back. There’s a quarter fairing, a 19-inch front wheel with machined highlights and 76mm of rear suspension travel. From $23,995 SUPER SCOUT With a quick-release windshield and panniers as standard, the Super Scout is aimed at the touring end of the cruiser scene. It has 16-inch wire-spoked wheels, 76mm of rear travel, provision for a pillion and with your choice of tech pack. From $26,995 SCOUT 101 The cream of the crop, the Scout 101 gets more horsepower dialled in, fully adjustable suspension at both ends, a twin-disc Brembo front end and premium paint. There’s 150mm black ’bar risers, a custom-stitched solo seat and a full-fruit electronics package. From $27,995 Top of the pops! Hubba hubba. What d’ya get when you take a Scout, add an inverted cartridge fork, dual piggyback shocks, twin Brembo calipers, pump the engine up to 111hp and add a sports fairing? Well, Indian reckons it’s good enough to recycle one of their most famous racing names from the 1920s and call it the ‘101 Scout’. Given I didn’t get a chance to play with the suspension’s adjustability I was blown away by how good the 101 felt straight out of the box. The formula’s easy enough – take a quick, nimble and stable motorcycle and juice it right up with a skinnier, 19-inch front hoop shod with stickier rubber, as well as premium suspension and brakes. Pretty much what the fast crew have done to everything since day one. Sure the 101’s still limited by ground clearance, but if you hanker for something different to stay in front of the troops, the 101 is it. SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Capacity 1250cc Type 60° V-twin, DOHC, four valves per cylinder Bore & stroke 104mm x 73.6mm Compression ratio 12.5:1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI, 60mm throttle bodies Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate Final drive Belt PERFORMANCE Power 79kW (105hp) @ 7250rpm 101: 82kW (111hp) @ 7250rpm (claimed) Torque 108Nm @ 6300rpm 101: 109Nm @6300rpm (claimed) Top speed 185km/h (est) Fuel consumption 6.5L/100km (avg) ELECTRONICS Type Not given Rider aids ABS. 101 & Super Scout: ABS, Traction control and cruise control Rider modes Not applicable 101 & Super: Sport, Standard & Tour CHASSIS Frame material Tubular steel Frame type Double cradle Rake 29° Trail 123mm Bobber: 125mm Wheelbase 1562mm SUSPENSION Type Indian Front: 41mm fork, 120mm travel 101: 43mm USD fork, fully adjustable, 150mm travel Rear: Dual shocks, preload adjustable, 76mm travel (Bobber: 51mm travel 101: Dual piggyback shocks, fully adjustable, 76mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Classic & Super Scout: 40-spoke wire; Bobber & Sport: 8-spoke cast; 101: 5-spoke cast Front: Classic, Bobber & Super Scout: Front: 16 x 3.5 Rear: 16 x 3.5 Sport & 101: Front 19 x 3.5 Rear 16 x 3.5 Tyres Classic: Pirelli Night Dragon Bobber: MT60RS/Night Dragon Super Scout: MT60RS Sport & 101: Metzeler Cruisetec Front: 130/90-16 101 & Sport: 130/60-19 Rear: 150/80-16 Brakes Front: Single 298mm disc, twin-piston caliper 101: Twin 320mm discs, four-piston Brembo calipers Rear: Single 298mm disc, single-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight Classic: 243kg, Bobber: 237kg, Sport :239kg, Super: 259kg, 101: 240kg (dry, claimed) Seat height 654mm Width Not given Height Not given Length Not given Ground clearance 113mm Bobber:109mm Fuel capacity 13L SERVICING & WARRANTY Servicing First: 1000km Minor: 8000km. Major: 16,000km Warranty Two years, unlimited km BUSINESS END Price From $22,995 (ride away) Colour options 18 options CONTACT indianmotorcycle.com.au The post AUSSIE LAUNCH | INDIAN SCOUT appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

The Ducati Scrambler Full Power was playing mind games with me with me. You know what it’s like when you have a bike in your garage and you find it hard to focus because all you want to do is ride it? Far from the most powerful or best handling bike I have tested in recent months, when it comes to the pure joy of riding, the Ducati Scrambler Full Power is right up there. Whether it’s a blast up a favourite mountain or just a quick run down to the servo to pick up a carton of milk, the Scrambler is a bike you want to jump on every time… and then take the long way home. Small and light, the Scrambler is almost as easy to push around the garage as a bicycle. But throw a leg over the narrow seat, reach for the wide handlebar and hit the starter, and you soon know this thing means business. At first the Desmodue 803cc air-cooled L-twin is reluctant to lumber into life; it’s almost as though the battery barely has enough juice to crank the engine over, but when it eventually fires up, there’s a satisfying bark from the stubby little Termignoni silencer that just begs you to blip the throttle… over and over. The Scrambler is no high-end, super high-tech machine like so many others in the Ducati range. In fact it could be described as the simplest of all Ducatis, and it is certainly most affordable, with the base-spec model starting at $18,200 ride away, and this Full Throttle variant selling for $20,300, but that doesn’t mean it’s been stripped of all modern rider aids. Standard kit includes Bosch cornering ABS and cornering TC, and the Full Power model tested here also scores a two-way quickshifter and that Termignoni muffler, along with a host of aesthetic enhancements including a big ‘62’ on the side plates to commemorate the year the original Ducati Scrambler was launched. Of course, this modern interpretation of the Scrambler is intended to have a retro look and it achieves that not only through the design of the bodywork but also through the use of the air-cooled Desmodue V-twin engine that has previously seen service in the Hypermotard 796 and the Monster 797. It pumps out a claimed 53.6kW (72hp) at 8250rpm and 65.2Nm at 7000rpm, which might seem like a whimper in this day and age of 200hp/100Nm nakedbikes, but there is still more than enough punch to easily see the front wheel loft skywards when you crack the throttle wide open in first. Wheelies are so easy on the Scrambler even Deano can do ’em… For most of this test I ran the Scrambler in Sport mode with the power delivery level set to max and the TC level set for minimal intervention. It took me a while to get used to the late engagement of the clutch on this testbike but once away from standstill there’s good throttle response from low revs and then an immensely enjoyable midrange, with the engine really on song between 6000rpm to 8000rpm. Of course, you could keep revving it to the 9000rpm redline, but power tapers off pretty quick up high so upshifting well before then yields the best results. The six-speed gearbox has a nice spread of ratios and decent shift quality, and the Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) works well both up and down when you’re riding hard, but like many such systems it can be a bit recalcitrant at partial throttle openings. You might think that the Scrambler’s 18-inch front wheel would slow the steering somewhat but the bike’s light overall weight, steepish head angle and wide handlebar mean not a lot of effort is required to change direction. In fact the Scrambler tips into corners willingly, and once you get your head around the fact the chunky block-pattern Pirelli MT 60 RS tyres offer decent on-road grip, you can crank it right over in corners thanks to an abundance of ground clearance. You can really crank the Scrambler over on the blacktop despite the chunky rubber Having said that, the front end of the Scrambler doesn’t inspire confidence like, say, a Monster’s does, so rather than late braking into corners and throwing the Scrambler onto its side, a gentler approach is called for; go in a bit easier and then get on the throttle hard out of corners making the most of the engine’s midrange torque and the excellent Bosch cornering TC, which has four tailorable levels of intervention or can be switched off altogether, independent of what ride mode is selected. The Kayaba suspension is basic by Ducati standards, with a non-adjustable 41mm USD fork up front and a preload adjustable monoshock at the rear, but it works well enough, with controlled fork dive when braking and decent compliance. In a nod to the Scrambler’s potential for playing in the dirt, there’s 150mm of travel at both ends. Although I stuck to the blacktop on this test, it certainly soaked up big bumps without getting upset. Preload adjustment at the rear is made with a C-spanner, but now the shock has been moved to a central position (on the previous model it was on the left side), access to the adjustment collar looks difficult. I left it on the standard setting, which felt well suited to my 76kg plus riding gear. The air-cooled Desmodue ‘L-twin’ makes more than enough power in this application Once you get the hang of it, toggling between the two ride modes is a simple affair, as is delving deeper into the tailorable settings, with a mode and enter button on the left switchblock (which is also the turn signal button), along with an up-and-down button, and info displayed logically on the Scrambler’s small-ish 4.3-inch colour TFT display. As well as TC intervention, you can select the power mode, play around with the light settings (auto-cancelling turn signals and DRL), select what info is displayed on the main screen and more. A single 330mm disc up front gripped by an effective radial-mount four-piston Brembo monobloc caliper looks after most of the braking duties. It offers excellent feel at the span-adjustable lever and it never felt wanting. At the rear a single-piston caliper grips a 245mm disc, and it also offers decent performance and feel. That aforementioned cornering ABS keeps everything in check on slippery surfaces. Brakes offer good stopping power and feel, and include cornering ABS You sit in a neutral, upright riding position on the Scrambler that is reminiscent of a 1970s dirtbike. After a couple of hours in the saddle, the seat also reminded me of a 1970s dirtbike, and I had to shift my butt around to relieve the ache. If you’re riding solo, there is plenty of room to do this, and taller riders who will be sitting farther back on a wider section of the seat will likely find it more comfortable. Anyway, the 14.5-litre fuel tank is only good for a tad over 250km before the fuel light comes on, so on long rides you will need to stretch your legs every couple of hours. Although it looks like there’s nothing to hang on to, pillions can actually get a decent grip on the rails under the seat. There aren’t a lot of options for tying a bag onto the back though (although there is model-specific luggage available) so I ran a tankbag on test… but stupidly let one of the securing straps hang down on the right side of the bike when fueling up, which melted on the exposed exhaust header pipe. D’oh! Switchgear is simple and easy to use, with turn-signal button doing double duties as mode/enter selector As this test took place mid-winter, I didn’t have any complaints regarding heat off the air-cooled engine. In fact it was nice to warm my hands when stopped at traffic lights – but I reckon it might get a bit toasty in stop-start traffic in summer. You’d have no such issues on the open road without a fairing or screen to get in the way of airflow, and that wide handlebar ensures you catch plenty of breeze. When it comes to fit and finish, the Scrambler is a quality bit of kit, from the beautiful welds on the trellis frame to the graphics on the tank, seat and side plates. The headlight looks trick too, especially with the DRL lit up, as do the minute LED indicator housings and the small aluminium engine guard. The 4.3-inch TFT display is on the small side, and some of the info can be difficult to read, but the main stuff like speed, engine revs and mode selected is clear to see. On a practical front, there’s a small amount of storage under the seat and a USB port for device charging. Funky looking headlight features switchable DRL The low 795mm seat height makes the Scrambler very accessible. For super shorties there’s an optional low seat that drops height to 780mm, while taller riders can go for the optional 810mm raised seat. There are a heap of other accessories too (see sidebar), from luggage options to billet bits and everything in between. Service intervals are reasonable at 12,000km but that includes valve clearance adjustment for the air-cooled Desmodue, which on the liquid-cooled Testastretta V2 used in the Monster, for example, isn’t required until 30,000km, so factor that into your servicing costs. But hey, you’ll forget about servicing costs every time you throw a leg over the Scrambler. Far from the prettiest bike in Ducati’s range, I still found myself gazing it after every ride simply because I had so much fun riding it. PROS: Simple and lightweight fun with a capital F! Sounds great, just the right amount of tech and excellent midrange punch. CONS: Would get a bit warm in summer, the TFT display is on the small side and it has 12,000km valve clearance checks. THE COMPETITION DUCATI SCRAMBLER FULL POWER 53.6kW (72hp) and 65.2Nm 176kg (wet) $20,300 (ride away) HUSQVARNA SVARTPILEN 801 77kW (103hp) and 87Nm 181kg (wet) $15,990 (ride away) TRIUMPH SCRAMBLER 900 47.8kW (64hp) and 80Nm 223kg (wet) $19,190 (ride away) CFMOTO 700 CL-X ADVENTURE 55kW (73.7hp) and 68NM 204kg (wet) $11,490 (ride away) GEARED TO GO The accessories list for the Scrambler Full Power is extensive… LUGGAGE Soft side panniers $372.84 Brackets for soft side bags $373.75 Urban Enduro rear bag $247.73 Classic side panniers $505.74 Handlebar bag $142.70 Soft tank bag $498.32 Top case subframe $634.24 Aluminium top case $793.45 EXHAUST Complete exhaust assembly $4525.66 Racing silencer $3394.25 Side body panel $113.26 HANDGRIPS Heated handgrips $529.84 LEVERS Clutch lever $358.02 Brake lever $358.02 MIRRORS Aluminium mirrors From $275.22 (ea) Handlebar mirrors From $204.75 (ea) TECH Navigation software $121.19 Multimedia system $499.41 OTHER KIT Tank protector $52.57 Lowered seat $430.38 Raised seat $543.63 Rear plastic fibre mudguard $226.51 Spoked rims $2305.78 High numberplate support $611.58 Touring screen $566.28 Aluminium oil-cooler guard $181.21 Sport headlight fairing $294.47 Base plate for stand $16.05 Scrambler indoor bike cover $301.05 BILLET BITS Tank cap $498.46 Footpegs $126.15 Handlebar weights From $103.22 Oil filler plug $91.47 Brake and clutch Master cylinder covers $332.73 SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Capacity 803cc Type 90° V-twin, Desmodromic, 2 valves per cylinder Bore & stroke 88 x 66mm Compression ratio 11.1 Cooling Air/oil Fueling EFI, 50mm throttle body Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate, slipper Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 53.6kW (72hp) @ 8250rpm (claimed) Torque 65.2Nm @ 7000rpm (claimed) Top speed 200km/h (est) Fuel consumption 5.2L/100km (measured) ELECTRONICS Type Bosch Rider aids Cornering ABS, cornering TC Ride modes Road, Sport CHASSIS Frame material Tubular steel Frame type Trellis Rake 24° Trail 108mm Wheelbase 1449mm SUSPENSION Type Kayaba Front: 41mm USD fork, non-adjustable, 150mm travel Rear: Monoshock, adjustable preload, 150mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Cast aluminium Front: 18 x 3.0 Rear: 17 x 5.5 Tyres Pirelli MT 60 RS Front: 110/80R18 Rear: 180/55R17 Brakes Nissin Front: Single 330mm disc, four-piston radial-mount caliper Rear: Single 245mm disc, single-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 176kg (wet) Seat height 795mm Width 893mm Height not given Length 2103mm Ground clearance 174mm Fuel capacity 14.5L SERVICING & WARRANTY Servicing First: 1000km Minor: 12,000km Major: 12,000km Warranty Two years, unlimited kilometres BUSINESS END Price $20,300 ride away Colour options Red GP19/Dark Stealth CONTACT www.ducati.com The post DUCATI SCRAMBLER FULL POWER appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

What do you get when you cross one of motorcycling’s most iconic engines with some very convincing retro-cool styling? The BMW R 12 nineT, that’s what… Every now and then, all the elements of a motorcycle will harmonise, elevating it from a bundle of bolted-together parts that form a vehicle into a bike that comes to life with character and temperament, and the whole package just resonates with you. All variants of BMW’s now decade-old R nineT series have been some of those bikes for me. Over the years I’ve spent time on the Pure, I’ve ridden the Racer and even packed up the Urban G/S and rode it almost 1000km in the middle of winter to the 50th anniversary Alpine Rally in 2019. There’s something about that 1170cc boxer engine mounted in a long and low chassis and topped off with on-point styling that really speaks to me. It’s modern, but not over the top. It’s quick, but not stupid. It’s a big bike, but has a low seat height. And the styling is on-trend, but won’t date. It’s a decision you can make with your head and heart in equal measure. For 2024, the R nineT gets slotted under BMW’s R 12 banner and so is called the R 12 nineT. There are three variants, but more on that later, as well as a heap of optional accessories to complement the retro custom theme. Despite the newish name, the 2024 model uses the same engine as the decade-old range, albeit with a few tweaks to pull its emissions socks up to today’s standards and in a different state of tune to the R 12 cruiser. There’s a new chassis that’s said to be both lighter and simpler – a one-piece tubular-steel affair instead of a two-piece unit. The intake which was used as a styling feature along the base of the tank on the outgoing models is now tucked away under the seat. And as well as radial-mounted calipers now replacing the axial-mounted Brembos of the past, a new beefier fork also now offers full adjustability. So basically, where the old R nineT needed to speak to both the cruiser set and the cafe-racer set, the new R 12 platform covers the full spectrum, meaning the R nineT can be specced – and priced – a little bit higher than its laidback equivalent. Sit astride the 795mm high seat and you’re met with a long aluminium tank, a wide, one-piece handlebar and a pair of analogue clocks. Fire the big boxer into life and you feel the whole bike shudder, as if someone just walked over its grave, before it settles into that familiar sounding idle. The bike I’m riding has the optional but still road-legal Akrapovic fitted, which amplifies the boxer’s exhaust to a more distinguished but in no way obnoxious note. The otional $1519 Akrapovic exhaust adds a fruity tone without being too loud for everyday use Actuate the hydraulically operated single-disc dry clutch and select first gear. The gearbox is loud and clunky but it suits the retro focus and I can’t help a grin as I roll off down the street, relieved the latest iteration has lost none of the qualities I loved about the R nineT models of old. Even on the move, the gearbox is noisy, reminding you just how far back this engine and gearbox combo dates. There’s a quickshifter fitted as standard on the version I’m testing, which should hide the gearbox’s shortcomings, but while it’s great on downshifts I can forget about using it in the first couple of gears. In first and second gear, regardless of the revs the engine is carrying, the cut to the ignition is harsh and the gear change so jerky it’s embarrassing. Okay, maybe the clunky gearbox can hide behind the retro mask but the quickshifter on the R 12 cruiser I tested (AMCN Vol 74 No 01) was faultless, so there’s no reason why the R nineT’s shouldn’t be, too. Because the quickshifter has been added, and given how perfect I found it to perform on the R 12, I’m sure it’s an issue that can be fixed. I do love that you can move through the gears without affecting the very excellent and well-sorted cruise control system. It didn’t matter how steep the incline or decline I found myself on, the cruise-control system kept the selected speed perfectly, so top marks there. The horizontally opposed engine is good for 80kW (107hp) at 7000rpm and a healthy 115Nm 500rpm earlier at 6500rpm and is where so much of the bike’s character comes from. Fueling off the bottom is sharp and builds in a way that only BMW’s iconic air-cooled boxer can, but it’s closing the throttle on the R 12 nineT that takes some getting used to. Because, just as I experienced on the R 12, as you’re approaching a turn or an intersection and you shut the throttle and reach for the front brake, deceleration isn’t instant. It’s not far off it, the engine’s probably off throttle by the time your fingers have reached the lever, but those couple of milliseconds are really off-putting. Testbike had the $899 Option 719 cylinder head covers The engine braking is really pronounced on the big boxer, and especially in Dynamic mode, meaning there are times when you need a very small throttle opening where the pick-up is quite abrupt, so I would tend to keep a small but constant throttle opening and temper my speed by dragging the rear brake rather then doing so with the light-switch-like throttle. Of course it’s less noticeable in one of the two softer riding modes of Rain and Road, but where’s the fun in that? Like the R 12, the three-tiered range starts with the $26,465 (ride away) base model. The version I tested was the $26,990 (ride away) R 12 nineT HL, which gets the Comfort Package (adding cruise control, heated grips, the two-way quickshifter and hill-start control) as well as headlight pro, tyre-pressure monitoring and phone connectivity (including the SC universal phone holder). My testbike also had the $1519 Akrapovic exhaust plus the $899 Option 719 cylinder head covers which, once you pay for labour to fit them, takes the price to somewhere in the region of $30k. The top-tiered model is the R 12 nineT Option 719, which adds all the goodies from the HL plus wire-spoked wheels, a host of billet gear, including an aluminium windshield and rear seat cowl, as well as the aluminium bodywork and red frame colour scheme, setting you back $32,990 (ride away). The long 1511mm wheelbase and relaxed steering geometry strike a calm balance between stability and agility. It takes more input to muscle it through a quick section of twisty road than say, a S 1000 R, but its 220kg is carried low in the frame and it’s planted and predictable rather than flighty and agile. There is a steering damper fitted as standard, and it’s pushing on less-than perfect backroads where its inclusion is justified. The original Roland Sands concept of 2013 inspired BMW’s design team and lives on in the latest version of the nineT In these conditions, the radial-mounted Brembo calipers are, again, predictable rather than powerful, but are well suited to the bike’s design brief. And it was only out on a quick ride through some of South Gippsland’s beautiful but bumpy backroads that I found I needed to back off the preload slightly, which is done easily via the remote adjuster just below the rider’s seat. To my eye, the stand-out design elements are the single-sided swingarm, which incorporates the shaft final drive – also responsible for so much of that aforementioned character – the exposed brushed-aluminium knee insets on the 16-litre tank and the chromed collector box that sits under the engine. BMW didn’t need to bother extending the chrome to the underside of the collector box – not many bikes do – but it’s that attention to detail that I really like on the R nineT and, let’s be honest, details you’d expect on a relatively low-tech bike that costs as much as it does. The dash is an analogue affair, albeit with two small LCD insets which you can set up to display which pieces of info are always shown and which bits you need to scroll through to find. It’s old-school, but still very informative. The left-hand grip includes BMW’s multi-controller wheel, for reasons unknown to me, as it doesn’t operate anything on the analogue dash. And while there is a small 3.5-inch TFT screen in the options catalogue, it was fitted to the R 12 I tested, and the wheel didn’t control anything on the dash in that application either. The retro segment has long been a hard-fought and lucrative one for many brands, especially as the average age of motorcyclists increases year by year, but in terms of large-capacity retro offerings I’m not actually convinced there’s any better, certainly when it comes to timeless design. Kawasaki’s Z900RS probably tugs at the heart strings with as much force, but the inline-four cylinder powerplant has nothing on the iconic air-cooled boxer – mind you, it’s nearly half the price. The left-hand grip includes BMW’s multi-controller wheel but there was some confusion on the testbike about what it was actually controlling And even though Triumph’s Thruxton RS is only a few hundred dollars less expensive, the price really is the elephant in the R nineT’s room. It’s clear I’m a big fan, but whichever way I look at it, I can’t help but feel that it is overpriced. Yes, it’s a gorgeous big-bore retro from a premium brand, but it runs analogue clocks, while cornering ABS and traction control are the only gadgetry to speak of. Add to the fact that the new chassis – said to be lighter and simpler – would also translate as less expensive to produce and you and I both know that engine wouldn’t owe the firm a cent after all of these years in production… Even in base-model trim, I do find the $26,465 (ride away) hard to take, especially when seven years ago the simplest R nineT Pure was $17,690. Yes, there are now better brakes, higher-spec suspension, a cleaner engine and that new chassis, but even with inflation and rising costs, a near $9k increase is a big ask. With high-quality Chinese offerings knocking on the doors of the Australian market, I believe so-called premium brands are going to be forced to rethink their strategies in the the next decade. But if I had the money to buy a 2024 R 12 nineT HL would I spend it? There’s no question, I absolutely would, although I would swap the $899 cylinder-head covers for a set of $835 wire-spoke wheels and pocket the change. Because sometimes some bikes just resonate with you and allow you to feel something that money just can’t buy. PROS: A hugely successful execution of an authentic retro nakedbike. CONS: It lacks gadgetry for the asking price and the quickshifter needs tweaking. THE ROAD TO NOW In 2013 BMW was celebrating its 90th birthday, and so collaborated with renowned designer Roland Sands to reimagine a modern interpretation of the brand’s hugely popular R 90 S. Unveiled at Italy’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este that same year, the so-called Concept Ninety was the forerunner to the first R nineT unveiled later that year and put into production for the first time in 2014. It became an instant sales hit. In January 2014, Jon Urry tested the bike for AMCN in Europe ahead of its Australian release and noted, “believe it or not, demand is so high that even the factory workers who build the nineT have to wait until May 2015 until they can even get one!” THE COMPETITION KAWASAKI Z900RS 948cc inline four-cylinder ABS & traction control $16,909 (plus on-road costs) Triumph Thruxton RS 1200cc parallel-twin ABS & traction control $26,690 (ride away) BMW R 12 nineT HL 1170cc boxer Cornering ABS & traction control $26,990 (ride away) SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Capacity 1170cc Type Horizontally opposed twin, four valves per cylinder Bore & stroke 107mm x 73mm Compression ratio 12.0:1 Cooling Air Fueling EFI Transmission Six-speed Clutch Dry, single-disc Final drive Shaft PERFORMANCE Power 80kW (107hp) @ 7000rpm (claimed) Torque 115Nm @ 6500rpm (claimed) Top speed 225km/h (est) Fuel consumption 5.4L/100km (measured) ELECTRONICS Type Not given Rider aids Traction control and Cornering ABS Rider modes Rain, Road and Dynamic CHASSIS Frame material Tubular steel Frame type Trellis Rake 27.7° Trail 110.7mm Wheelbase 1511mm SUSPENSION Type BMW Front: 45mm USD fork, fully adjustable, 120mm travel Rear: Monoshock, fully adjustable, 120mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Cast aluminium Front: 17 x 3.5 Rear: 17 x 5.5 Tyres Continental ContiRoad Front: 120/70ZR17 Rear: 180/55ZR17 Brakes BMW Front: Twin 310mm discs, four-piston calipers Rear: Single 265mm disc, twin-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 220kg (wet, claimed) Seat height 795mm Width 870mm Height 1070mm Length 2130mm Ground clearance Not given Fuel capacity 16L SERVICING & WARRANTY Servicing First: 1000km Minor: 15,000km Major: 30,000km Warranty Three years, unlimited kilometres BUSINESS END Price From $26,465 (ride away) Colour options Blackstorm Metallic, San Remo Green or Opt 719 CONTACT www.bmw-motorrad.com.au The post TESTED | BMW R 12 NINET appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

This is the Ducati Panigale V2 Bayliss. In 2001 Troy Bayliss rode the wheels off a 996R to win his first of three WorldSBK titles and then continued on to become one of the most successful Ducati racers ever. He is the only Ducati rider to have won three world titles on three different models (the 996R, the 999 and the 1098R). Ducati has celebrated that first world title with a 20th anniversary Bayliss inspired, individually numbered, V-twin powered Panigale. It features several high-end components also found on the recently released Panigale V2 Superquadro Final Edition, including race-spec suspension and brakes. Superbikes have come a long way since 2001; back then, the World Superbike rules allowed a 1000cc twin to compete with 750cc 4-cylinder motorcycles. These days, Troy’s youngest son Oli is racing a Panigale V2 in World Supersport, where 1000cc twins race against 600cc four-cylinder machines, with some performance balancing to keep things even. So while the 955cc Panigale V2 is a similar engine spec to the 2001 Superbikes, it is not in the same league as the current Panigale V4 bikes racing in the Superbike category. But let’s be honest, a slightly tamer version of the Superbike might be just what the doctor ordered for buyers looking for something that they can exploit more than a 210hp+ superbike. Starting off with a base model Panigale V2, which is already a great bike, the Bayliss edition gets extra performance parts to make it worthy of carrying the number 21 plate. The main performance boost comes from the up-spec Öhlins NIX30 fork and TTX36 rear shock. The Swedish equipment is fully adjustable front and rear and stands out from the base model with its gold titanium-nitride coated fork stanchions. A non-performance accessory (although some might argue it adds 50hp), is the beautiful green-and-white accented paint job to replicate the memorable Infostrada livery complete with Shell logo and 21 numbers. The bike also comes in single-seat configuration with a lithium battery to reduce weight 3kg. Other nice touches are a carbon muffler cover to make the stock exhaust system look a bit more trick, a grippier seat with 21 stitched into it, an adjustable Öhlins steering damper, grippy track-spec hand grips, Bayliss signature on the fuel tank and a beautiful billet-aluminium yoke complete with laser-etched special edition number. These add-ons attract a $4000 price increase. The Panigale V2 is powered by a 955cc Superquadro V-twin engine with desmodromic valve operation. Putting out 114kW (153hp) and 104Nm of torque, it performs best higher in the rev-range. Yes, it’s a twin, so it is torquey, but the low-down hit isn’t what I was expecting. The V2 will hoik its front wheel towards the sky but, unless you forced the issue, not until the revs rise significantly. I feel the 937cc Testastretta engine found in the Superport 950 has more grunt off the bottom of the rev-range but obviously can’t hold a candle to the mid to top-end surge of the Superquadro. The power piles on all the way to the redline without any hesitation. Muffler looks race-spec but is road legal while still emitting that stirring V-twin blast as you wind up through the gears The sound is simply glorious as you rev it out through the gears using the excellent quickshifter. Nothing compares to the sound of a Ducati twin at full noise, even if it is muffled to adhere to Euro 5 emission standards. Tech-wise, the V2 Bayliss is identical to the standard Panigale V2. It uses a six-axis IMU to monitor riding conditions and make appropriate decisions faster than you can blink an eye. The ABS Cornering Evo has some adjustability built in, too. You can opt for ultra-safety, or you can allow some sliding at the rear, trim it to allow the rear end to lift with ABS still active or turn the rear-end ABS completely off. The Traction Control Evo is the same tech that the Panigale V4 R receives and can be adjusted by eight levels of intervention, while the wheelie control has three levels, as well as off. Quick Shift Evo is a two-way system that takes into account lean angles, engine RPM and throttle position. It works beautifully. Engine Brake Control Evo is also adjustable, while also clocking your lean angle, braking pressure, gear selection and throttle position to ensure optimal engine braking into corners. The bike is ready to accept the Ducati lap timer GPS system and also the Ducati Data Analyser + GPS plug-and-play system to really take your track riding to the next level by logging all your bike’s data for review after a session. There are three ride modes, Road, Sport and Race, to choose from. Unsurprisingly, each one is fully customisable for engine/throttle map, traction control, quickshifter, ABS, wheelie control and engine brake control. Once you set up the modes to your liking, you can select them on the fly by holding the blinker-cancel button down and selecting the desired map then closing the throttle for a couple of seconds once instructed to do so on the dash The dashboard is a very familiar item to Ducati riders; the same 4.3-inch TFT can be found on the Monster, Hypermotard and others in the range. It is simple to use and gives all the desired info without being complicated, although a fuel gauge might be nice. Especially if, like me, your old habits die hard. You see, I occasionally click the blinker cancel button to make sure my blinker is off. But if you have the trip meter selected on the V2’s display, one click of the blinker-cancel button (while the blinker is off) begins the process to reset the trip meter before a second click actually resets it. With no fuel gauge, I had been resetting my trip meter which meant I’d lost track of how far I’d ridden on a tank of fuel. Not the end of the world in built-up areas, but it could certainly catch someone out on a longer jaunt. As well as looking as cool as a cucumber, the Öhlins suspension is excellent. The feedback through the fork and stiff chassis is precise and gives bulk confidence in the front end. One needs to carry the right-size Allen key to make the adjustments, however, as the onboard Allen key doesn’t fit the Öhlins clickers. Armed with the right tool, I could make changes and get a feel for the different settings. I ended up a few clicks stiffer than the standard settings as the front and rear springs were working overtime with my 100kg frame on the bike. Rolled gold… race-spec Öhlins NIX30 front fork with Brembo M4.32 calipers Once I stiffened things up, I enjoyed the ride a lot more because the V2 Bayliss simply loves corners. It feels light and agile and throws itself into them with next to no effort. Before you know it, you’ve apexed and can wind the power on and let the thing sing. I can see why the steering damper was added. On some sketchy roads it can get a little bit animated up near the redline, but settles itself pretty quickly. I wish I could have taken the V2 Bayliss to the track as it is what the bike is built for but the stars didn’t align this time. On the road and in twisties it is an epic ride but its capabilities are impossible to explore fully. The Brembo M4.32 calipers are perfect for the job. While they aren’t the top-spec Brembos, they do have a great feel to them and are super strong. I felt at ease running right into the corner trailing the front brake. They suit the bike perfectly. Comfort is certainly considered well after performance; it’s no Multistrada that’s for sure but a racebike with lights and should be treated as such. There is weight on your wrists, the reach to the ’bars is a small stretch, the mirrors are almost useless and the footpegs are mounted high. Riding to and from your favourite roads can be a bit punishing, but once there it all makes sense and I wouldn’t have it any other way. In traffic, there aren’t any unpleasant vibrations and the clutch feels nice and consistent. It does run a bit warm. On a cold winter’s evening I thought the heated seat was nice – but that’s not a heated seat, it’s the exhaust underneath it. Nice in winter, but summer would be agony. The fuel tank holds 17 litres and with a measured consumption of 5.8L/100km, it should be capable of over 250km before refuelling, which is quite reasonable for a sportsbike. At $30,400 (ride away), the V2 Bayliss is far from cheap, but does that mean it’s good value? Well, you get what you pay for. It is oozing with quality componentry and, to my eye at least, the Ducati simply can’t be matched in the looks department. There is billet alloy, carbon, Öhlins and Brembo everywhere. It is a droolworthy proposition for anyone keen on a bit of a collector’s item that you can enjoy on the road or the racetrack or maybe just the local coffee shop. Eccellente! PROS: Looks fantastic, has high-level performance and is a fitting tribute to an icon. CONS: Hard-edged for road use, not limited in build numbers and runs hot. A TIP OF THE LID The bike Troy Bayliss rode to the 2001 Superbike World Championship was a full-factory Ducati 996R. Powered by a short-stroke 998cc Testastretta engine producing about 99kW (133hp) in road trim, it would become one of the most iconic Ducati roadbikes thanks to our Aussie mate. The V2 Bayliss styling was chosen to mimic the 996R that he raced to that first world title, with the green on the side fairing inspired by the Infostrada sponsorship of the day, as well as the small Shell logo – Shell still partners with the Ducati factory today. Only 500 of the original 996Rs were built and they sold in Australia for $52,000. When you think about it, it makes the V2 Bayliss feel like an absolute steal at $30,400, considering inflation and all the technology crammed into today’s bikes. RIVAL RACERS MV Agusta F3 RR 798cc triple 108kW/147hp $37,695 ride away Honda CBR600RR 599cc inline-four 89kW/119hp $29,418 ride away Kawasaki ZX-6R KRT Edition 636cc inline-four 95kW/129hp $17,946 ride away Ducati Panigale V2 Bayliss 955cc V-twin 114kW/153hp $30,400 ride away SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Capacity 955cc Type V-twin, desmodromic, four valves per cylinder Bore & stroke 100mm x 60.8mm Compression ratio 12.5:1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI, 2 x injectors per cylinder Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate, slipper Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 114kW (153hp) @ 10,750rpm (claimed) Torque 104Nm @ 9000rpm (claimed) Top speed 280km/h (claimed) Fuel consumption 5.8L/100km (measured) ELECTRONICS Type Magneti Marelli Rider aids Cornering ABS, Ducati Traction Control Evo2,Quick Shift Evo, Ducati Wheelie Control Evo and Engine Brake Control Evo Rider modes Street, Sport or Race CHASSIS Frame material Aluminium Frame type Monocoque Rake 24° Trail 94mm Wheelbase 1436mm SUSPENSION Type Öhlins Front: 48mm NIX30 fork, fully adjustable, 120mm travel Rear: TTX30 monoshock, fully adjustable, 130mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Cast aluminium Front: 17 x 3.5 Rear: 17 x 5.5 Tyres Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa IV Front: 120/70R17 (58W) Rear: 180/55R17 (75W) Brakes Brembo Front: Twin 320mm discs, four-piston M4.32 calipers Rear: Single 245mm disc, twin-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 190kg (no fuel, claimed) Seat height 835mm Width Not given Height Not given Length Not given Ground clearance Not given Fuel capacity 17L SERVICING & WARRANTY Servicing 1000km Minor: 12,000km Major: 24,000km Warranty Two years, unlimited km BUSINESS END Price $30,400 (ride away) Colour options Bayliss First Championship 20th Anniversary edition CONTACT www.ducati.com/au/en The post DUCATI PANIGALE V2 BAYLISS appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

There’s no doubt the Kawasaki Eliminator has a big job ahead of it; the LAMS sales battleground is more competitive than ever with new riders able to select from a huge range of bikes covering just about every market segment, including dirtbikes, sportsbikes, nakeds and, of course, cruisers. In the 500cc cruiser segment alone there are several options to choose from including the Benelli 502C, the Harley-Davidson X500, the CFMoto 450 CL-C and the Honda CMX500. These have now been joined by the Kawasaki Eliminator and Eliminator SE models, the latter of which is tested here. The Eliminator costs $9009 plus on-road costs while the SE is $500 more at $9509 plus ORC. For comparative purposes, the CFMoto 450 CL-C is a bargain at $8790 ride away, the ‘base-spec’ Eliminator equates to around $10,400 ride away, the Benelli 502C is $10,590 ride away, the Eliminator SE comes in at about $11,200 ride away, the Honda CMX500 is about $11,400 ride away and the Harley-Davidson X500 is $11,495 ride away. So what do you get for your money? The Eliminator is a pretty basic bit of kit but that is part of the cruiser appeal and, to my eye, it’s one of the better looking bikes in the segment. It’s powered by the same liquid-cooled 451cc parallel twin used in the Ninja 500, which has a strong enough bottom-end and midrange that Kawasaki saw no need to mess around with the state tune for use in a cruiser application, so claimed peak output remains at 33.4kW (44.8hp) at 9000rpm and 42.6Nm at 6000rpm. The engine is mounted in a steel tube trellis frame and is a stressed member, with the swingarm mounting plate bolted directly to it. There’s a conventional 41mm fork up front and twin rear shocks with preload adjustment. Brakes consist of a single 310mm disc up front and a 240mm disc at the rear, both gripped by twin-piston calipers, while the wheels are 18-inch front and 16-inch rear, with 130/70-18 and 150/80-16 IRC Grand High Speed rubber. There is, of course, ABS front and rear, but that’s it for electronic aids, and while there’s LED lighting all around, the speedo is a simple LCD affair, albeit with Bluetooth connectivity that allows you to monitor vehicle info and a riding log on your phone, and see phone calls and messages on the bike’s LCD display. The $500 premium for the Eliminator SE adds an old-school-cool headlight cowl, rubber fork gaiters, a USB-C power outlet, a slightly different seat and special Metallic Matte Carbon Gray/Flat Ebony or Candy Steel Furnace Orange/Ebony colour schemes; the base model comes in Pearl Robotic White. Engine has enough pep for the freeway and traffic light GP Riders are greeted with a super accessible 735mm seat height and the Eliminator SE has a light 177kg kerb weight (1kg up on the base model). For mega-shorties there’s an optional low seat that drops height to 715mm, while taller riders can opt for a higher seat at 765mm. The standard seat is wide and well padded, although there’s not a lot of room to slide backwards. Although it looks quite high, the reach to the handlebar is not a big stretch and the riding position is upright and comfortable, and ideally suited to threading your way through traffic. The handlebar itself is surprisingly narrow and the mirrors do not extend beyond the ’bar’s width, making this little cruiser one of the best lane-splitters on the market. You could throw a pillion on the back, but the seat is small and not particularly comfy, with nothing to grab hold of, so short trips around town would be about it for two-up riding. There’s nothing of note to tie luggage to, either, so you’ll need to run a backpack or tank bag, or opt for the accessory grab bar or rear carrier. My ride on the Eliminator SE started off with a run through heavy traffic and, as mentioned, lane splitting was a breeze thanks to the bike’s narrow handlebar and short mirror arms. The engine delivers ample urge from down low so you don’t have to work the gearbox to get along at a decent clip. Having said that, the six-speed ’box is buttery-smooth and the clutch is light and progressive, making shifts both up and down the ratios a delight. The engine gets a bit buzzy around the 5000rpm mark, which is where it’s at when cruising at 100km/h in top gear. But it’s not a deal breaker and you only need to give it a few more revs, or back off a bit, and it soon smooths out. There’s enough grunt on tap to easily overtake at highway speeds without dropping down from sixth, but if you want to drop a couple of cogs the engine will willingly rev beyond 10,000rpm. The Eliminator has a certain cool street cred, amplified by the nose cone fairing Incidentally, at highway speeds I experienced minimal buffeting around my helmet, which I thought was pretty good for a cruiser with no fairing or screen, and this had me wondering if the headlight cowl had something to do with it. Regardless if it did or not, it definitely gives the SE a sportier look than the base model Eliminator. One thing I don’t like the look of is the matt-black muffler, which scuffs easily, looks like a cost-saving exercise and is not as attractive as the rest of the exhaust system. It also strangles what engine note there is. I reckon many owners will seek out an aftermarket alternative. Despite the 18-inch front and the relatively rangy geometry (30° rake and 121mm trail) changes of direction don’t have to be forced; just a bit of a weight shift and a gentle nudge on the ’bar is enough to have the Eliminator pointed where you want it. Ground clearance is decent for a cruiser and the IRC rubber never gave any cause for concern despite the typically wet weather I encountered on test. The suspension is impressive despite the lack of adjustment and the Eliminator rides well over bumpy surfaces. There’s only 90mm of travel at the rear but the progressive rate shocks rarely bottomed out on test and I had no need to adjust preload from the standard setting. Likewise, the brakes offer more than adequate stopping power and decent feel, and the ABS has good calibration, only doing its thing when I braked hard in the wet to test it. Front brake is a single 310mm disc gripped by a twin-piston caliper. It works well for a cruiser and the ABS has good calibration, important for Learner riders Fuel consumption on test was 4.1L/100km, so despite the small 13-litre tank you could still see around 300 clicks between refills. Other than the muffler, fit and finish is top notch on the Eliminator, and the Candy Steel Furnace Orange/Ebony paint scheme looks trick. There is no adjustment on the levers, the switchgear is basic, the USB-C outlet looks like an afterthought and the LCD display is a bit meh, but all of that is made up for by the bike’s overall appearance and the enjoyable riding experience. The Eliminator is a fun and easy bike to ride that is perfectly suited to the new riders it is aimed at. It offers enough performance that I reckon many riders will hang on to it once they have an full licence. In SE trim it’s at the more expensive end of the 500cc cruiser segment, but it’s good enough that it still represents value for money. PROS: Decent performance, slick gearbox, easy to ride, fantastic lane-splitter and it looks fab. CONS: The muffler looks like a cost-saving exercise and the USB-C outlet like an afterthought. THE COMPETITION KAWASAKI ELIMINATOR SE $9500+ORC (approx. $11,200 ride away) 33.4kW (44.8hp) at 9000rpm 42.6Nm at 6000rpm 177kg (kerb) BENELLI 502C $10,590 ride away 35kW (47hp) at 8000rpm 45Nm at 5000rpm 217kg (dry) CFMOTO 450CL-C $8790 ride away 30kW (40hp) at 8000rpm 42Nm at 6250rpm 181kg (kerb) HARLEY-DAVIDSON X500 $11,495 ride away 35kW (47hp) at 8500rpm 46Nm at 6000rpm 208kg (kerb) HONDA CMX500 $9349+ORC (approx. $11,400 ride away) 33.3kW (45hp) at 8500rpm 43.3Nm at 6000rpm 190kg (kerb) SPECIFICATIONS KAWASAKI ELIMINATOR SE ENGINE Capacity 451cc Type Parallel-twin, DOHC Bore & stroke 72 x 58.6mm Compression ratio 11.3 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI, 2 x 32mm throttle bodies Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate, slipper Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 33.4kW (44.8hp) @ 9000rpm (claimed) Torque 42.6Nm @ 6000rpm (claimed) Top speed 170km/h (est) Fuel consumption 4.1L/100km (measured) ELECTRONICS Type Not given Rider aids ABS Ride modes Not applicable CHASSIS Frame material High-tensile steel Frame type Tubular trellis Rake 30º Trail 121mm Wheelbase 1520mm SUSPENSION Type Not given Front: 41mm fork, non-adjustable, 120mm travel Rear: Twin shocks, adjustable preload, 90mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Cast aluminium Front: 18 x 3.0 Rear: 16 x 4.0 Tyres IRC Grand High Speed GS-23F Front: 130/70-18 Rear: 150/80-16 Brakes Nissin Front: Single 310mm disc, twin-piston caliper, ABS Rear: Single 240mm disc, twin-piston caliper, ABS DIMENSIONS Weight 177kg (wet, measured) Seat height 735mm Width 785mm Height 1140mm Length 2250mm Ground clearance 150mm Fuel capacity 13L SERVICING & WARRANTY Servicing First: 600km Minor: 7600km Major: 22,800km Warranty Two years, unlimited kilometres BUSINESS END Price $9509 +ORC (approx $11,200 ride away) Colour options Candy Steel Furnace Orange/Ebony, Metallic Matte Carbon Grey/Flat Ebony CONTACT www.kawasaki.com.au The post KAWASAKI ELIMINATOR SE appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

We ride the track-only KTM RC 8C to get an insight into the tech that will be on offer when the Austrian manufacturer returns to the pure sportsbike segment with its upcoming 990 RC R. If you love your trackdays or want to step into racing and have a few dollars lying around, KTM’s RC 8C is a dream machine as it is the most focused and uncompromised production motorcycle that has ever been built for the racetrack. Why is it so good? As a track-only model, it was never planned to be homologated for the road. Free of the compromises necessary to build a road-compliant sportsbike, the Austrian manufacturer, working in partnership with race specialist Kramer Motorcycles, could focus on one design intention: cutting awesome lap times around a MotoGP track like Phillip Island. Every aspect, right down to its adjustable steering head angle and special aero wings, exists to make it quicker apex to apex. This makes for a ride unlike anything you can experience on a homologated, Euro5+, road-legal sportsbike. With pre-warmed slicks there was no need to pussy-foot around on the first lap at Portugal’s Portimao Even if track-only weapons aren’t your bag, this updated RC 8C has taken on a wider significance since KTM recently outlined details of the 990 RC R that will go on sale in 2025. The 990 will be KTM’s first pure road-going sportsbike since the withdrawal of the RC8. While the two models’ engine capacities will differ and many of the RC 8C’s race details will be exchanged for required road equipment, both bikes will share similar power and torque outputs, chassis design, dimensions and geometry. AMCN headed to one of the wildest tracks in the world, Portimao in Portugal, for a test of not only the most focused production bike in the world but the bike that will reinforce KTM’s re-entry into the sportsbike market. Let’s have a short history lesson. The first-generation 2021 KTM RC 8C (AMCN Vol 72 No 24) featured a version of the eight-valve LC8c parallel twin normally found in the 890 Duke, albeit with a different airbox and exhaust. That original RC 8C made 95kW (128hp) and 100Nm of torque and was 6.6kW up on the standard Duke. Hyper Pro steering damper adds to top-speed stability The 2024 iteration uses the same 890cc engine with a tune that nudges peak power up to 100kW (135hp) and, more importantly, revs to 12,000rpm instead of 10,500rpm. One press of the race starter button on the right handlebar and the compact and sweetly balanced LC8c barks into life. The race switchgear isn’t labelled, so there’s a brief moment of adjustment while the barely silenced full titanium Akrapovic exhaust drenches the pitlane in racy vibes. Note to trackday riders visiting circuits with noise testing: KTM offers a noise-cancelling insert and an even quieter exhaust that drops the measured noise level to 98db. Up on the reverse-pattern race shift into first gear and the clutch is now redundant thanks to a standard two-way quickshifter and auto-blipper. Cruising down Portimao’s pitlane, a quick look down at the new dash (complete with GPS and data logger) reveals the settings of the new-for-2024 rider aids. Lean-sensitive traction control has nine levels plus an off, and there’s wheelie control, which for my first session was active. On pre-heated Pirelli slicks we could attack from the pitlane exit. Immediately you feel the RC 8C’s lightness and sharpness you won’t find on even the more focused road-going sportsbike. The KTM has a wide spread of torque and in the softer fuel map – there’s only two – the power delivery is reasonably easy going. It’s not super-soft, just forgiving, allowing you to ride that smooth and urgent midrange rather than immediately having to switch on the more manic revs and power. Exhaust is loud but quieter options are available Exiting the last fast turn in fourth gear, however, I dabbed down on the seamless race-pattern quickshifter into fifth before crossing the famous start-finish line and grabbing top. This is where you feel the difference of the new, higher-revving engine and its extra serving of power. The new bike is more willing to rev than the old; you can hold on to the gears longer, rev the engine harder – and on open sections of track the new RC 8C is noticeably faster. It’s not crazy arm-stretching power like a 200+hp Ducati Panigale or BMW M 1000 RR, but with only 142kg (dry) to accelerate, it’s certainly lively. Both engine maps feel similar once the throttle is beyond 30 percent open – it’s the initial pick-up that changes – and the second map is sharper in this regard. The new over-rev facility and the map’s aggressive power delivery allow you to push for lap times, driving harder between apexes as you hold on to gears longer. The LC8c unit is slim, light and, above all, flexible. Usable drive lower down and through the midrange makes it easy to ride when you are learning a track or riding tired at the end of a trackday, and its free-revving top-end delivers when you’re hunting down those superbikes or chasing a lap time. Harnessing all this urgency is a Marcus Kramer-inspired, multi-adjustable chassis that’s race-ready from the crate. The fuel tank is where you’d expect to find the rear subframe and an air-box is where there’d normally be a fuel tank. Almost every part of the chassis is adjustable to optimise and personalise either frame geometry or rider ergonomics, including the steering head angle and fork offset, as well as the high-end WP Apex Pro suspension. The Kramer chassis has a level of adjustment that matches any superbike racer Both seat height and ride height can be changed, along with the handlebar position and even the brake-lever bite point. A ‘Ready to Race’ spec also includes Brembo Stylema calipers and 290mm discs, which are a smaller-diameter than many roadbikes’ as they only have to stop a light bike – and they are among the strongest brakes I have ever used. Lightweight forged aluminium Dymag wheels and Pirelli slicks are standard along with lightweight fibreglass bodywork – used instead of carbon fibre because it’s cheaper to replace. You might expect that a bike weighing the same as a road-legal 125cc commuter will be tiny, but it isn’t. It’s light but also spacious. The adjustable ’bars are wide and racy but not radical. There is enough room between the ’pegs and the seat to stop knees seizing. The screen is tall enough to get in behind and the whole cockpit is roomier than a conventional supersport 600’s, perhaps even roomier than some superbikes. Crucially, the RC 8C is 30kg lighter than the race-ready Yamaha GYTR YZF-R6 and around 50kg lighter than a road-legal Panigale V2. Those are impressive figures and on the move you immediately feel that lightness. Those undersized discs and light Dymag rims minimise both unpsrung mass and steering inertia to help make the bike flickable in a way no road machine can match. Until you re-calibrate to its lightning rate of turn, it’s very easy to tip in way too early. But don’t be fooled into thinking the RC 8C is a flighty beast because it’s as stable in high-speed corners as much heavier sportsbikes I’ve ridden at Portimao – and far more accurate. A complete package of light weight, useful power and superb handling makes the RC 8C the ultimate trackday bike. Those distinctive aero wings probably contribute, so too the adjustable Hyper Pro steering damper. Despite my best efforts to destabilise the RC with my clumsily shifting bodyweight, I couldn’t provoke a moment of protest from the unflappable chassis. The first-generation RC 8C didn’t come with rider aids but now lean-sensitive traction control is standard. There’s a wet setting optimised for wet tyres, and another setting designed specifically for slick rubber, while you also have the option to turn off the TC entirely. With only 100kW on tap and a chassis that feeds you with so much feel and grip, TC is a bonus rather than a necessity. For the final session of our test, though, I switched it on and enjoyed tailoring its intervention level to the changing needs of wearing tyres and how I wanted to ride. For club and national racers, the adjustability of the chassis and the electronics will be invaluable. For simply enjoying the RC 8C on a sunny trackday, however, it’s far less critical as the rider is given such forensic feel. There’s no vagueness or moments of uncertainty. The bike tells you exactly what the tyres are doing. The anti-wheelie control is either on or off, and around the undulations of Portimao it was a helpful tool. The combination of torque and lightness meant the front Dymag wanted to lift over the track’s rollercoaster crests. As with the TC, when the system intervenes, it’s soft and tapered. Anti-wheelie control is either on or off The RC 8C is one of those rare bikes that builds your confidence with every lap. It helps you push harder and feel what the tyres are doing in relative safety. I made a slight change to the rear shock’s setting via the remote preload as I’m a little on the heavy side, but otherwise I wouldn’t want to touch anything. As you’d expect from such a high-end motorcycle, the level of finish is high and quality components are used throughout. The five-inch TFT display comes with an integrated data recording and GPS function. Live lap times are displayed, meaning you can see if you are down or up on sectors as you ride your real-life video game. Speed, lines, lap times, throttle and other engine data can be logged and later analysed. What helps makes the RC 8C special is a level of attention to detail you normally only find on a well-sorted racebike. Oil and fuel drain screws, for example, are lockwired, as are the oil filter and even the caliper bolts, and there’s a covering of crash protection on the spindles, frame, fuel tank – even the swingarm has small protector plates behind the race ’pegs so the ’pegs don’t dig into it in a crash. Rubber steering stops prevent the frame getting damaged on full lock, a brake-lever guard is standard and there is even a one-touch rain light at the rear. The 16-litre fuel tank is at the rear and is accessible via the cap just below where a conventional pillion seat would be. Sixteen litres should be enough for a few track sessions, 130-odd kays, and for those who want to go racing there’s a clever drain plug at the bottom of the tank, which allows you to drain the fuel completely and therefore measure the precise amount of petrol before each race. Sadly this is a site you won’t see in pitlane at Phillip Island or SMSP The RC 8C stops, turns and goes like a factory-built racebike because it is a factory-built racebike. The steering is blissfully light and accurate, you can get on the power incredibly early, and the corner speeds and lean angles it can carry are breathtaking. Thankfully, it doesn’t require the skills of Jack Miller. It’s easy to ride, has a forgiving chassis, an easy power delivery and an abundance of helpful midrange torque. There’s now extra safety from the new lean-sensitive rider aids, and the relatively roomy riding position means it can accommodate a variety of sizes. Racers will welcome the increase in rpm and performance, especially on fast tracks. They will also dive deep into the multi-adjustable chassis to create a track weapon that meets their specific demands. Its European price of around $A70k means the RC 8C is only for the wealthy or extremely committed. None are coming Down Under but 10 of the 2023 RC 8C, as seen on display at the Sydney Motorsport Park round of ASBK, are available to order for $59,900. If you can wait a while the road-going 990 RC R is due next year. So, to sum up, the RC 8C gives us an indication of what to expect from KTM’s first sportsbike for many years. And we cannot wait. WHO IS KRAMER MOTORCYCLES? Created by Marcus Kramer, Kramer Motorcycles started production in Germany back in 2009 building prototype racebikes using KTM engines. The company went public in 2014, with the EVO-1 followed by the EVO-2 using the KTM single-cylinder engine as its basis. It still produces the single-cylinder 690 EVO2-R, which weighs just 125kg and makes 63kW (85hp). But it also has two twin-cylinder models in its line-up, the GP2-R and the GP2-RR, the latter the sister bike to the RC 8C. The Kramer is essentially the KTM RC 8C without the wings and different fueling, allowing racers to personalise the mapping further. SPECIFICATIONS KTM RC 8C ENGINE Capacity 889cc Type Parallel-twin, DOHC, four valves per cylinder Bore & stroke 90.7mm x 68.8mm Compression ratio 11.5:1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI, 48mm Dell’Orto throttle body Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate, anti-hopping Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 100kW (135hp) @ 12,000rpm (claimed) Torque 100Nm @ unknown rpm (claimed) Top speed 265km/h (estimated) Fuel consumption 10.5L/100km ELECTRONICS Type Bosch Rider aids Cornering traction control, anti-wheelie and braking strategies Rider modes Two maps CHASSIS Frame material Tubular steel Frame type Trellis Rake Adjustable Trail Adjustable Wheelbase 1400mm SUSPENSION Type WP Front: 43mm XACT Pro 7543 USD fork , fully adjustable, 120mm travel Rear: Apex Pro 7746 monoshock, fully adjustable, 120mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Dymag Front: 17 x 3.5 Rear: 17 x 6.0 Tyres Pirelli SC1 slick Front: 120/70R17 Rear: 180/55R17 Brakes Brembo, no ABS Front: Twin 290mm discs, four-piston Stylema calipers Rear: Single 230mm disc, twin-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 142kg (dry, claimed) Seat height 820mm (adjustable) Width Not given Height Not given Length Not given Ground clearance 191mm Fuel capacity 16L SERVICING & WARRANTY Servicing Minor: 30 hours Major: 60 hours Warranty Legal only BUSINESS END Price Not applicable (AU/NZ couldn’t secure units) Colour options White/orange CONTACT www.ktm.com/en_au The post TRACK TEST! KTM RC 8C appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

Back in the 90s when 400cc four-cylinder sportsbikes were the thing, I was busy avoiding homework and school detention. Then when I got my licence in 2002 I was too busy putting road tyres on my XR600 to get involved with sportsbikes. Looking back, it was a golden age of racing and tearing up twisty mountain roads. The 400s were weapons on a tight track or road but then they sadly went the way of the Dodo. When the re-invented Kawasaki ZX-4R and higher-spec ZX-4RR were released, I was keen to get my butt on one to see what I had missed out on all those years ago. AMCN had already tested it on the racetrack, so it was time to see how it handles life on the road. Rolling into Kawasaki HQ, I spotted a nice ZX-10R out the front. I parked next to it and as I took my helmet off I spied the ZX-4RR sticker on the side fairing. I couldn’t believe that I had been fooled by the big bike looks. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill LAMS 400cc twin or single cylinder; it is a real-deal four-pot screamer that is not LAMS approved and its appearance reflects that. It simply looks fantastic. It has twin front discs, a proper-looking exhaust system, a stiff WorldSBK-inspired frame and a trick-looking swingarm. Kawasaki has also fitted it up with sport-focused tyres, good suspension, a two-way quickshifter and a go-fast colour scheme. It is a dream come true for an aspiring racer or trackday enthusiast. But most owners will need or want to ride it on the road regularly also, so let’s hit it. Switching on the key brings the full-colour TFT dash into life, a dash that wouldn’t look out of place on the top-spec ZX-10RR or even one of the H2 models. It is functional and beaut to look at while providing all the necessary information. Hit the starter button and the tiny 57mm pistons start doing their thing. It is pretty quiet even though it idles at 2000rpm. It’s hard to fathom just how small the internal engine parts are but those pistons only move 39mm from top to bottom. It makes me think of the inside of an analogue watch. Bear in mind there was once a four-cylinder ZXR250R with 49mm pistons, so Kawasaki wouldn’t have batted an eyelid at the 400’s during design. Engage first gear and the baby Ninja will pull away slowly with surprisingly little throttle input. But if you want to move away at any sort of traffic-beating pace, you will need to dial up a few more revs, in the vicinity of 8000rpm. Which takes a little getting used to after riding big bikes. I find myself cruising the suburbs at 40km/h in sixth gear and it is as smooth as silk with zero protest from the engine – it just purrs along – but don’t bother trying to accelerate quickly from those revs. There is simply nothing on offer from the rev-happy engine in the low end of the tacho. Digital dash is brilliant and can record all your racetrack efforts Letting the 400 spread its wings and rev out, however, is an aural delight. It sounds just like a ZX-6R but without the police sirens as you rev out second gear on the road. The induction wail from the ram-air intake is trademark Kawasaki and just awesome. Using all the rev range soon becomes addictive as the torque peaks at about 12,500rpm. You can feel the torque die off after that while the revs happily keep rising all the way to 15,500rpm. To get the most out of the engine you need to disengage your mechanical sympathy and just send it. It doesn’t do anything unpredictable like pull wheelies etc., it just makes noise and builds speed progressively. I can’t help but feel a little self-conscious as pedestrians turn and look at what is screaming its head off expecting a bike doing warp speed, but there’s me barely breaking the speed limit getting ahead of the cars from the lights. I think the little Ninja attracts more attention than just about any other bike I’ve ridden thanks to the screaming induction noise. People must hear it a mile away. While taking some happy snaps a couple of kids even came over and asked to hear it rev. I let them give the throttle a twist and it made their day. I can’t even imagine how it would sound with a full titanium racing exhaust system. It would be criminal. Tucking in and ripping down backroads feels like I’m racing in the North West 200 but barely breaking the national speed limit while clicking up and down through the gearbox with the standard-fitment quickshifter. Styling is a chip off the old block of the championship-winning ZX-10RR Superbike Commuting to and from work, the 400 slices through gaps like a Ninja, if you are in the right gear. Best not to get caught napping low in the rev range if you want to jump into a gap as you will be disappointed with the 400’s available torque. But if you keep the revs up over 8000rpm it’s smooth sailing. The 400 is super chill at highway speeds with no bad manners. I am delightfully impressed. The quickshifter isn’t perfect but it’s not far off. I feel that I could shift quicker up through the gears without it as the ‘cut’ time is a bit too long when high in the rev range. But cruising lower in the revs it’s pretty good. Downshifting is bliss at any speed. A firm click down on the shifter and the engine blips the perfect amount to engage the lower gear. The little Ninja also has a slipper clutch but it’s hardly noticeable besides a gentle pulse through the clutch lever if you are resting your fingers on it. The clutch is a cable-operated slip-and-assist type, making it very light to operate with good feel. Bonus points are awarded for span-adjustable levers, too. But don’t make plans on backing it in supermoto style as the ABS is non switchable. As you would expect from a small sportsbike, the handling is swift and precise as the chassis geometry is derived from the multiple world championship winning ZX-10RR. It isn’t really as light as you might expect at 188kg wet, but it doesn’t feel like it’s carrying excess baggage. the 400 tips into corners almost as fast as you can think about turning and holds a line ferociously – the way it hugs a turn is just epic, I have to recalibrate my brain to keep up my momentum and simply chuck it into corners to try and push its limits. It just keeps asking for more as it loves corners. Fully adjustable Showa BFRC Lite Rear shock is race quality With the high-revving engine you get the most out of the package by keeping corner speeds up and the revs high flowing from one corner to the next. The suspension is up for it, too. The ZX-4RR is equipped with a preload-adjustable, 37mm separate function, big-piston Showa fork and a horizontal rear linkage with a BFRC lite Showa shock. That stands for Balance Free Rear Cushion. The same spec equipment as found on a ZX-10RR, it has adjustable preload, rebound and compression damping. While I am way above the weight the little Ninja is designed for, I find the suspension more than capable of coping with my antics. Yes, it is a bit squishy, but I’m safely 25kg heavier than the weight of the expected rider. The suspension is designed for sporty performance above comfort, and I think it is a good balance between the two. Braking performance is exceptional. Dual 290mm discs up front are grabbed by four-piston monobloc calipers that wouldn’t be out of place on a 1000cc bike. Rubber brake lines are utilised, which I usually detest, but in this case with a light and nimble bike it takes the edge off what could be some pretty aggressive brakes. One finger braking is all that is needed. The electronics suite is impressive for a 400cc machine with four modes available in Sport, Road, Rain and Rider. Rider is a customisable mode where you can choose from three throttle maps and three traction control settings as well as off. There is no option for ABS switching, which is a bit of a bummer for a track-focused bike. I spend most of my time in the Sport mode as it gives full power with the best throttle response and, let’s face it, the power output isn’t aggressive enough to warrant softening. The traction control is very unobtrusive as the bike doesn’t wheelie or break traction generally. I only noticed it kick in once with a heavy throttle hand across some poor quality bitumen while leant over causing the rear to skip a bit and the TC to cut in. So it is nice to know it is there if you need it. Don’t even think of putting a race canister on this, it’s loud enough as it is The ZX-4RR is surprisingly roomy. It feels similar in size to a 600cc Supersport machine but a little lower to the ground and, of course, it’s lighter. An 800mm seat height makes it really accessible and the reach to the ’bars isn’t too long so there isn’t a heap of weight going through your wrists, even though the riding position is quite sporty. I did bump my knee on the handlebar while doing a feet-up full-lock U-turn. There is no way in hell I can tuck in behind the tiny screen but it is a nice gesture by Kawasaki to have it clear in case someone else can get down that low on it and still see where they are going. Aside from the tiny screen, I can’t get past how comfortable it is given my 100kg and 178cm chassis. The Ninja has full LED lighting. Normally sportsbike headlights are form over function but I found while commuting in the dark that these are excellent. Fuel range is pretty good at over 300km per tank, in theory. I got 260km and only put 11.9L in to the 15L tank, so range is more than enough for commuting or a decent day out in the country in search of deserted twisty roads. As you can see, the ZX-4RR isn’t your average small-capacity sportsbike. It is built from the ground up with quality components and a focus on performance rather than price. It’s a case of horses for courses and this little ripper won’t suit everyone. But if you’re keen to have a trackday-capable bike with world championship-winning pedigree you will see the value in the $15k price tag. It is not a learner bike, it is a pint-sized superbike. PROS: Nimble handling, screaming four-cylinder engine and it’s surprisingly comfortable. CONS: No LAMS option for newbies, no class to race it in and expensive for the capacity. WORDS: DAVID WATT PHOTOS: JOSH EVANS DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS The 4.3-inch TFT colour dash takes pride of place in the cockpit. Worthy of much higher-spec bikes, it displays a magnitude of information. In track mode it focuses on lap time and the tacho between 10,000rpm and 15,000rpm. It self-adjusts for brightness and can run either a white or black background. The ZX-4RR is also Bluetooth compatible out of the box. Hook up your smartphone with the Kawasaki Rideology app and track your rides and maintenance information. The data log of your ride shows RPM, gear position, water temp and speed. It lays it over a map or by graph. When your phone is hooked up you can receive notifications and answer calls through the bike’s dash. Under the passenger seat there is a USB power outlet for charging on the go. COUNTING YOUR ARGHS If the thought of shelling out $15,000 to ride away on the RR has you a little apprehensive, the entry-point ZX-4R can be had for about $13,500 ride away. Obviously you miss out on a few trick bits but the fun level will still be high. The ZX-4R doesn’t have the KRT-inspired green paint and is available in metallic black only. The front fork is the lower-spec unit without preload adjustment, while the rear shock is non-adjustable. The R also misses out on the two-way quickshifter. For most, these are not deal-breaking items, so save yourself some dollars for new gear to hit the track with if you like. SPECIFICATIONS – KAWSAKI NINJA ZX-4RR ENGINE Capacity 399cc Type Inline-four, four valves per cylinder Bore & stroke 57 x 39.1mm Compression ratio 12.3:1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate, slipper Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 56.7kW (76hp) @ 14,500rpm (claimed) Torque 37.6Nm @ 12,500rpm (claimed) Top speed 210km/h (est) Fuel consumption Not measured ELECTRONICS Type Kawasaki Rider aids ABS, traction control, quickshifter Rider modes Track, Sport, Rain or Rider CHASSIS Frame material Steel Frame type Trellis Rake 23.5° Trail 97mm Wheelbase 1380mm SUSPENSION Type Showa Front: 37mm Showa SFF-BP USD fork, preload adjustment, 120mm travel Rear: Showa BFRC Lite monoshock, fully adjustable, 124mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels five-spoke alloy Front: 17 x 3.5 Rear: 17 x 4.5 Tyres Dunlop GPR300 Front: 120/70ZR17 Rear: 160/60ZR17 Brakes Kawasaki, ABS Front: Twin 290mm discs, four-piston calipers Rear: Single 220mm disc, single-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 188kg (kerb, claimed) Seat height 800mm Width 765mm Height 1110mm Length 1990mm Ground clearance 135mm Fuel capacity 15L SERVICING & WARRANTY Servicing First: 1000km Minor: 12,000km Major: 24,000km Warranty Two years, unlimited kilometres BUSINESS END Price $13,194 (plus on-road costs) Colour options Lime Green/Ebony CONTACT www.kawasaki.com.au The post 2024 KAWASAKI NINJA ZX-4RR appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

Who better to test the new CFMoto 450MT than four-time King of the Desert Finke Desert Race winner Ben Grabham? We sent Grabbo into the freezing Victorian High Country immediately after this year’s Finke Desert Race in which he won the Masters 35 to 44 Years class. “I am not generally one to shy away from the opportunity to test a new motorcycle, however I wanted to a few weeks ago when I was in sunny Alice Springs,” said Grabbo of AMCN’s invitation to ride CFMoto’s first 450cc adventure bike to see how it copes in the Aussie bush. “I was only hours away from lining up for the 48th running of the Finke Desert Race when I got the call to see if I could make it to Melbourne the week after to test the new CFMoto 450MT. Straight away I wanted to blurt out ‘not a chance’ – I knew CFMoto was a Chinese brand and the last time I rode a Chinese-made enduro bike, for Australasian Dirt Bike, I was very disappointed, so I was pretty set on politely turning down this opportunity. “But that test was quite a few years ago now and intrigue had got the better of me, so as soon as the red dust settled on Aputula, I was on a plane to Melbourne.” “During the short taxi ride to CFMoto’s Australian HQ, I had a quick look at the specifications and price tag and started to regret my decision. The three pieces of information that made me want to jump back on the plane was the 175kg dry weight, 450cc engine and $9490 price tag, which my experience suggests makes for a bike that’s going to be heavy, slow and cheap. And worse, I was going to be stuck on it for three days. “I jumped out of the taxi to be met with 14 new 450MTs and was immediately surprised by the level of the finish. It’s a standard I’d expect to see on a motorcycle with double the price tag… ” Hit the video link above for a taste of what Ben Grabham thought of the CFMoto 450MT or pick up a copy of AMCN Vol 74 No 01, on sale now, for the complete story. The post BEN GRABHAM ON THE CFMOTO 450MT appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

The Road Glide Limited is built for touring on the open road, not for poking around town, but to get out of town most of us need to crawl through the ’burbs, and so it is when I pick up this hefty hunk of American iron from Harley-Davidson’s HQ in Sydney’s north. First up there’s the off-camber right-hander as soon as I exit Harley’s driveway, and then there’s the crappy roadworks all along the Warringah Freeway on the approach to the Harbour Tunnel, with multiple lanes of traffic funnelling into just two for the underwater run. And then there’s the stop-start traffic as I fight my way to escape the ever-expanding urban sprawl. It’s in conditions like this that being fully aware of the Road Glide’s size and weight is vitally important. While you can still weave your way through traffic, you have to make sure there’s plenty of margin for error, as its overall length (2595mm) approaches that of some small hatchbacks, and it feels almost as wide. Forget about lane-splitting. This Limited variant is a substantial 43kg more than a ‘base-spec’ Road Glide, thanks in part to its huge topbox, super-comfy pillion backrest and two additional speakers for the sound system. Yep, it’s no commuter, but for Harley riders who want to traverse continents with a pillion on board this is the weapon of choice. So just how hefty is it? The Road Glide Limited tips the scales at 423kg ready to ride. You can feel that weight as soon as you hoik it off the sidestand but once moving, even at low speeds, it’s surprisingly agile and easy to ride thanks to a low seat height, a wide handlebar and forgiving geometry. In fact, the only time I struggled with the Limited’s size and weight was when trying to turn it around in a confined garage. Bear in mind that there’s no reverse gear, so it pays to put some serious thought into where and how you park it. Once out of town, the Road Glide Limited is in its element, loping along at highway speeds without raising a sweat. At the heart of the beast is Harley’s 114ci (1868cc) Milwaukee-Eight V-twin, which makes a claimed 65kW (87hp) at 5020rpm and 160Nm at a lazy 3000rpm. No, the Limited isn’t yet endowed with the new 117ci engine found in the ‘base-spec’ Road Glide (as tested by Roothy in AMCN Vol 73 No 23). As a result peak power and torque is down 15kW (20hp) and 15Nm respectively, but even with its additional weight the Limited is still no slouch. Crack the throttle wide open at almost any revs and the 114 gets up and boogies, pulling hard (and cleanly) from down low and offering up a meaty midrange, with a tantalising bellow from the twin exhaust system. I’ll forgive the six-speed gearbox for feeling bit clunky and slow considering it has to handle a truckload of torque, but the fact it can be reluctant to slip into neutral from time to time can be frustrating. The clutch is on the heavy side but offers progressive engagement. It might not be fitted with Harley’s latest big bruiser 117ci V-twin but the smaller version packs a mighty punch of torque Harley claims a maximum lean angle of 32° for the Limited allowing you to hustle it through bends at a decent clip. The wide ’bar makes it easy to tip it into corners and it holds a line beautifully once cranked over, but sudden changes of direction aren’t its forte. You simply can’t overcome the physics of a 170mm trail, a 1625mm wheelbase, 18-inch wheels and half a tonne of bike and rider. Braking performance is decent with four-piston calipers gripping twin 320mm floating discs up front and a fixed 320mm disc at the rear. Front brake feel lacks a little in initial bite, but squeeze it hard and it gets the job done. The rear brake works well and is ideal for tightening your line mid-corner. The suspension is quite basic – a non-adjustable 49mm fork and twin rear shocks with preload adjustment – but it is well set up and offers a good blend of compliance and control. The rear shocks didn’t bottom-out on test, even when riding two-up, although I didn’t have much weight in the panniers or topbox. While the Limited is a big bike, the reach to the swept-back handlebar is relaxed, the footboards allow plenty of options to position your legs how you want, and the seat height is a low 735mm so, despite the girth, it’s not a stretch to plant both boots flat on the ground. The seat itself is so, so comfy, with a wide base, supple and supportive cushioning and a decent turn-up at the rear. Even more comfy is the pillion seat with its supportive backrest and armrests, and generous footboards. The large frame-mounted fairing offers decent weather protection although I would have preferred a slightly lower screen as I found myself looking through it rather than over it, right where there’s some distortion due to its curved shape; taller riders won’t have this problem. There’s a closable flap beneath the screen that allows you to adjust the airflow, but it’s either open or closed and nothing in between. Twin front disc brakes lack initial bite but we’re talking about a claimed wet weight of 423kg before you add rider, pillion and any luggage Switchgear is your typical high-quality Harley kit and it’s all easy to operate once you’re familiar with it. Instruments are presented in the form of a 6.5-inch colour touchscreen accompanied by a pair of analogue gauges for speed and tacho. No, the Limited doesn’t get the big 12-inch touchscreen as fitted to the base model Road Glide, but it’s still a decent size and is easy to read and navigate. The four-speaker sound system is a ripper, and you can easily hear tunes when wearing earplugs and a full-face lid, and barrelling along at 110km/h-plus. There’s a USB cable in the right-side storage box that you can plug your phone into and satnav is included standard. There’s another storage box on the left. The top-opening lockable and weatherproof panniers offer plenty of space for gear, while the topbox is simply huge… it accommodates two helmets, is lined and includes a 12V power outlet. If there’s anything you can’t fit in the panniers and topbox, there’s a luggage rack so you can strap down the kitchen sink. As you’d expect of a big touring Harley, build quality is top-notch. Fit and finish is excellent, the trim is superb and the paint is lustrous. On test fuel consumption was 5.6L/100km so you should get more than 350km out of the 22.7L fuel tank. The Limited will set you back $47,750, which is $1255 more than the base-model Road Glide. Essentially you’re paying more for a smaller engine, less power, less torque and a smaller TFT screen… so you might wonder why anyone would buy it? I can only think of one reason: load carrying. If you’re going to be doing big miles with a pillion and luggage, not much comes close to the Road Glide Limited in terms of capacity and comfort. And sure, $47,750 is a lot of money, but the Road Glide Limited is a lot of bike. PROS: Supremely comfortable for rider and pillion, loads of luggage space, great fit and finish. CONS: Smaller engine than base Road Glide, smaller TFT screen, and it’s bloody big and heavy. WORDS & PHOTOS: DEAN MELLOR AN ACRONYM FOR THAT THE ROAD GLIDE Limited has a heap of safety kit including electronic linked braking (ELB), cornering ABS (C-ABS), cornering traction control system (C-TCS), cornering drag-torque slip control system (C-DSCS), vehicle hold control (VHC) and a tyre-pressure monitoring system (TPMS). SPECIFICATIONS – HARLEY-DAVIDSON ROAD GLIDE LIMITED ENGINE Capacity 1868cc Type 45º V-twin, four valves per cylinder Bore & stroke 102mm x 114.3mm Compression ratio 10.5:1 Cooling Twin-cooled Fueling Electronic sequential port injection Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate, slipper type Final drive Belt PERFORMANCE Power 65kW (87hp) @ 5020rpm (claimed) Torque 160Nm @ 3000rpm (claimed) Top speed 190km/h (est) Fuel consumption 5.6L/100km (tested) ELECTRONICS Type Not given Rider aids Cornering ABS, traction control, drag torque slip control and vehicle hold control Rider modes NA CHASSIS Frame material Tubular steel Frame type Backbone Rake 26° Trail 170mm Wheelbase 1625mm SUSPENSION Type Showa Front: 49mm non-adjustable upside-down fork, 117mm travel Rear: Dual shocks, preload adjustable, 76mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Cast aluminium Front: 18 x 3.5 Rear: 18 x 5.0 Tyres Dunlop D408F & D407T Front: 130/70-18 Rear: 180/55-18 Brakes Front: Twin 320mm discs, four-piston calipers Rear: Single 320mm disc, four-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 423kg (wet, claimed) Seat height 735mm Width 930mm Height 1425mm Length 2595mm Ground clearance 130mm Fuel capacity 22.7L SERVICING & WARRANTY Servicing First: 1600km Minor: 8000km Major: 16,000km Warranty Two years, unlimited kilometres BUSINESS END Price From $47,750 (ride away) Colour options Billiard Grey, Vivid Black (+$750), Sharkskin Blue (+$1465) CONTACT harley-davidson.com/au The post HARLEY-DAVIDSON ROAD GLIDE LIMITED appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

Despite prolific success both on track and in showrooms, Honda pulled the plug on the CBR600RR in Europe in 2017. A maturing and fast-changing market allied to tightening emissions regulations made the decision relatively easy for the Japanese manufacturer, but sportsbike fans from Madrid to Melbourne were gutted because the CBR was a fantastic bike. A highly evolved, mass-centralised RC213V for the masses; a pocket rocket that oozed HRC thinking and quality. By 2021, however, there was hope on the horizon when Honda reintroduced the 600cc inline four to the Japanese market, and bikes started to appear in racing – notably in WorldSSP and on the roads at the Isle of Man TT. And now Honda has reintroduced it, with this MY24 model set to land in Australia in the third quarter. There was a lot of work required to bring it up to modern standards. The old CBR had no electronic rider aids, no clever six-axes IMU, no aero package – it didn’t even comply with the now-obsolete Euro 4. But that’s all been achieved and it’s now Euro 5+ compliant while preserving its legendary high-revving performance, delivering it to the street and track with state-of-the-art electronics on a par with the 2024 Fireblade (AMCN Vol 73 No 21). I rocked up to the very fast and demanding Portimão track in Portugal to put the reborn screamer through its paces. The inline four-cylinder layout remains, as does the same over-square 67 x 42.5mm bore and stroke and 12.2:1 compression ratio. The throttle bodies, however, are 4mm larger to 44mm, cam timings are revised and a new exhaust system does much of the heavy lifting in terms of hitting Euro 5+. Honda say more than 50 prototype systems were tried before its engineers were happy. Improved gas-flow at (very) high rpm was the main performance goal. Despite the strangling effect of those emissions regs, peaks of 89kW (119.4hp) at 14,250rpm and 63Nm at 11,500rpm are similar to the far less restricted 2017 model, which is impressive indeed. Controlling that frenzy of revs and horses is a huge array of electronics and rider aids: nine levels of traction control (HSTC), five riding modes, five power modes, engine brake control, wheelie control, rear lift control, cornering ABS some 2.4kg lighter than the non-cornering ABS hardware on the 2017 model, and a two-way quickshifter with three levels of adjustment. It should also be noted that the 2024 model gets the six-axis IMU similar to that installed in the new Fireblade and not the five-axis IMU used in CBR600RRs sold on Japan since 2021. That familiar looking aluminium twin-spar frame remains as before, although the wheelbase is shortened 5mm to 1370mm, while rake and trail go out from 23 degrees and 98mm respectively to 24mm and 100mm. The swingarm is 150g lighter than before while Showa suspension, a CBR hallmark for decades, is fully adjustable with its 41mm diameter Big Piston fork now 15mm longer than before to allow riders to experiment with front-end set up. Twin 310mm discs and four-piston Tokyo calipers up front Brakes are Tokico and use twin 310mm discs and four-piston calipers at the front and a 220mm disc at the rear. Honda is quoting a mass of 193kg including fuel, 3kg lighter than the 2017 model. Those distinctive wings tell everyone you have a 2024 CBR600RR, but the new fairing is not just about downforce: Honda claims the CBR has the lowest drag coefficient in this class and the wings are more for stability than wheelie control. The fuel tank is mounted 10mm lower which means, in theory, it’s easier to get tucked in. We didn’t have the best of riding conditions in Portugal. Heavy rain stopped just long enough to create a drying line before heavy rain returned. But this did give us a real-world trackday test of the new CBR600RR, particularly its new suite of electronics. When the heavy rain hit, my CBR – shod with full-wet Pirelli race rubber – was set up with a power reduction and extra traction control with, of course, cornering ABS in support. Signature underseat exhaust If this had been the old bike, it would have been a case of biting the screen and hoping for the best. Now, with the lean-sensitive rider aids working in the background, I could concentrate on the line while riding safely and enjoying the CBR. Yes, you can still crash it, but jumping on the stoppers for the challenging Turn 1 at the end of the main straight without worrying about washing out the front felt like progress to me. Riding in the wet and tricky conditions also allowed me to get a feel for the new CBR at a less than flat-out pace. In many ways, it feels just like the old bike, which is a huge compliment, with a familiar, poised riding position, matched to a compact and lightweight chassis, with plush suspension that gives forensically good feel in the wet. The power delivery in the lower-power mode felt user-friendly – dare I say, a little too soft – but the quickshifter was as fast and effortless as a racebike’s. As the laps rolled by, the CBR encouraged me to push towards knee-down levels of lean, despite the heavy rain. As it always has, the chassis feedback gives you the confidence to push, to generate heat in the tyres, the difference being that there are now rider aids ready to rescue you. These really are a game changer for the CBR in tricky conditions. A drying line that was dry enough to tear up the Pirelli wets appeared for sessions two and three of our test, allowing me to turn the traction control to its minimum setting, switch off the wheelie control, select full power mode and explore more of the CBR’s potential. Now it felt like a supersport racebike with headlights. The free-revving inline-four is a joy to thrash to its peak power point just beyond 14,000rpm. That super-quick quickshifter ensures the rpm doesn’t drop out of the hot zone between 9000rpm and 14,500rpm. Allow the revs to fall below 8000rpm and the CBR still pulls but feels flat and fractionally off the pace. Better to be brutal: to change up only when the shift lights blink and keep that jewel of an engine spinning on back shifts. It’s so much fun once you click into this racer mentality. Yes, the CBR’s been away for a while but dropping your chin on to the fuel tank, body tucked in behind a small screen, revs approaching 14,000rpm in fifth gear at the end of the main straight and then sitting up and jumping on the stoppers, never gets old. The CBR is rapid, its corner speed as high if not higher than a Fireblade’s, but with 119hp instead of 215, it’s a less-physical experience with more time to plan and be accurate. The steering is light, predictable and easy. I’m unsure if it’s the added wings, HESD electronic steering damper or revised chassis geometry making the biggest difference but for such a lightweight bike, the new CBR feels even more planted than the old. It remained completely unfazed by the demanding undulations of Portugal’s rollercoaster racetrack. In fact, with the wheelie control turned off, the CBR produced effortless and controlled wheelies over the circuit’s famous crests. Another enduring CBR600RR quality is its excellent feedback. There’s so much of the stuff on the new bike that I could push a little harder each lap as conditions improved. Sometimes a little guesswork is necessary in the damp – you react to slides and try and control the bike – but on the CBR I knew precisely where the limits were and just gave myself a small safety margin. Coming from the UK and having raced at tracks like the North West 200, I’m accustomed to the wet. Some bigger riders simply don’t fit 600cc sportsbikes, of course, and the Honda is no exception. I’m 170cm tall so the compact riding position of the CBR didn’t bother me. But even as a short rider, it’s evident that the screen is extremely low and the rider triangle is tight. It’s not a small bike per se, but those over six feet tall might need to change the handlebar position and possibly the ’pegs too. And even I would like a taller screen, just to make life easier, especially on a fast track like Portimão. Sadly, we didn’t get a perfectly dry track to push the CBR’s handling limits, but if a bike works in the wet, that usually translates to the dry. However, while we know the Tokico brakes are strong, we don’t know whether the ABS-assistance will kick in too early when there’s loads of grip. And we didn’t get enough time to play around with the multiple rider aids or experiment with the engine brake assist. The set-up options are countless and deserve the time we did not have. Despite the engineering challenges created by Euro5+, the 2024 CBR600RR’s wicked inline-four engine still revs like a maniac and, power-wise, feels as strong as ever. Here is a bike that doesn’t pamper to the midrange or try to impress with its off-idle grunt but instead simply loves to be thrashed. And now shorter gearing and a slick quickshifter allow you to eke out every last horse. The chassis is forgiving, predictable, stable and light. It’s such an easy bike to push to the limit, certainly far easier than a 1000cc superbike and in many ways more rewarding. The rider aids set the new CBR above the old bike, especially in damp and tricky conditions. What can’t be measured is the sheer fun of riding the CBR600RR, especially around a challenging circuit like Portimão. Fast and absorbing without being intimidating or scary, even more so now knowing you have a network of electronic rider aids to straighten things out should you get carried away. Thrashing a 2024 CBR on track is simply one of the most enjoyable experiences you can have on two wheels. PROS: Lighter and still a screamer, in most conditions it is more rewarding to ride than a full-on superbike. CONS: Could do with a taller screen and the rider triangle of ’pegs,’bars and seat won’t suit the very tall. WORDS: ADAM CHILD PHOTOS: HOND EUROPE, ZEPI GORI, CIRO MEGGIOLARO HONDA CBR600RR RACING The new Honda CBR600RR made its racing debut at Navarra, Spain, for the opening round of the 2024 British Supersport Championship. Honda Racing UK re-entered the championship for the first time since 2013 with an official factory entry in the hands of Jack Kennedy. The former British champion qualified fourth on the bike’s debut. Race 1 ended with a credible third position, followed by a fifth in Race 2. Honda is also planning to campaign the Supersport class at the upcoming Isle of Man TT and North West 200. The same bike will now be in the hands of three-time TT winner Dean Harrison. SPECIFICATIONS – 2024 HONDA CBR600RR ENGINE Capacity 599cc Type Inline four cylinder, DOHC, four valves per cylinder Bore & stroke 67mm x 42.5mm Compression ratio 11.2:1 Cooling Liquid Fueling PGM-FI Transmission Six-speed Clutch Dry, single disc Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 89kW (119.4hp) @ 14,250rpm (claimed) Torque 63Nm @ 11,500rpm (claimed) Top speed 265km/h (est) Fuel consumption 5.5L/100km (claimed) ELECTRONICS Type Not given Rider aids Cornering ABS, traction control, wheelie control and engine brake control Rider modes Track (1), Sport (2), Rain (3) plus two User modes CHASSIS Frame material Aluminium Frame type Twin spar Rake 24° Trail 100mm Wheelbase 1370mm SUSPENSION Type Showa Front: 45mm USD fork, fully adjustable, 120mm travel Rear: Monoshock, fully adjustable, 128mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES|Wheels Aluminium Front: 17 x 3.5 Rear: 17 x 5.5 Tyres Dunlop Roadsport 2 Front: 120/70-17 Rear: 180/55-17 Brakes Tokico Front: Twin 310mm discs, four-piston radial calipers Rear: Single 220mm disc, twin-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 193kg (kerb, claimed) Seat height 820mm Width 735mm Height 1140mm Length 2030mm Ground clearance 125mm Fuel capacity 18L SERVICING & WARRANTY Servicing First: 1000km Minor: 12,000km Major: 24,000km Warranty Two years, unlimited kilometres BUSINESS END Price $27,599 +ORC Colour options Grand Prix Red CONTACT motorcycles.honda.com.au The post 2024 HONDA CBR600RR appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

Triumph is embarking on one of its biggest challenges since John Bloor rescued the company from receivership in 1983. The launch of its first motocross racer is its first step in creating a family of all-new motocross and enduro models. Triumph’s TF 250-X has arrived at the same time Ducati has released its first motocross racer, the Desmo450 MX. Both companies are strangers to motocross but in a period of sales growth. Triumph is set to sell more than 100,000 units globally this calendar year while Ducati is experiencing record sales. Can they shake up motocross like they have roadracing? Recently both brands have assumed important roles in motorcycle racing. In 2019 Triumph went all-in on the racing world, winning the contract to be the sole engine supplier for the Moto2 world championship using its 765cc triple. In 2022 Ducati took the unprecedented step of becoming the sole supplier of bikes competing in the 2023 MotoE World Cup, the electric class of MotoGP. Then in 2021 Triumph shocked the motorcycle world by announcing an off-road racing venture it had never attempted before. Ahead of the technical game but can Triumph stay ahead of the pack on the track? Sure, back in the 1950s and 1960s road Triumphs had been converted for scrambles, desert and ISDE racing but a track-only MXer was a completely new direction for a brand dating back to 1902. To its credit, Triumph realised it couldn’t go this alone so it enlisted some of the best in the business, including seven-time AMA motocross and five-time AMA supercross champ Ricky Carmichael and five-time enduro champ Ivan Cervantes as test riders. Triumph admits this project took way longer to reach fruition than it had initially planned but acknowledges it couldn’t release a motorcycle it wasn’t completely happy with. I can understand that attitude because the fact Triumph had never built a competition-based dirtbike before gave it a free pass to get a few things wrong. Yamaha, Honda and the rest have decades of development behind them to get where they are at today. The acid test is riding this new MXer in its natural environment and, after spending quality time with the new TF 250-X, I believe Triumph has developed a motorcycle in four years that doesn’t just meet its rivals, but even puts a few of them to shame. It leaves me to wonder if Triumph engineers really are that good or if the established manufacturers are resting on their laurels and only doing what they have to? The engine is a top-end powerhouse that in standard form suits fast, open tracks The Triumph has its own feel. The footpeg and handlebar positions are comfortable but unique – something it obviously worked hard on to achieve. The cockpit doesn’t feel alien, even though it feels very different to anything else on the market. A high-quality Pro Taper handlebar with a carbon core and lock-on grips is fitted as standard – things you generally need to upgrade on a new motocrosser when you get it home. Its KYB front and rear suspension is regarded in the motocross and enduro scene as being some of the best production units available. The standard suspension is a little on the soft side for my 95kg frame but Triumph has different weight springs available and was able to pair me with a bike that had springs fitted suitable to my weight. Of course a professional motocross racer is going to like a certain type of set-up, but for the masses the suspension is compliant and set up well. The action is smooth and gradual, but most of all predictable – there is nothing worse than the back end kicking out on you when you aren’t expecting it. The frame, I was told, was what was holding up the planned release. The test riders weren’t totally happy with it and Triumph needed more time to produce that final percentage of compliancy. The frame geometry gives the stability and compliance you need to go fast. There’s good rider feedback through the footpegs but it still flexes enough to be comfortable and not make the ride feel rigid. The 249.95cc single-cylinder engine is a top-end monster with a rev ceiling so high you think you’re never going to reach it. Open the taps and the engine revs far past where you think it should but also produces power right through to the end with no sign-offs. The quarter-litre single had no problem getting me over some big jumps. In fact I had to get comfortable revving the bike more and getting used to an engine that can rev. Stepping off a 450cc machine, where you short shift and use the engine’s torque rather than the rpm, meant I had to spend some time training my brain to use the gearbox to keep the engine above the 8000-9000rpm mark. This is the way all manufacturers are tuning 250cc four-stroke machines these days. They sacrifice low to mid-rpm torque for higher peak rpm to produce higher horsepower. This is all well and good for European or US tracks, that are much bigger and faster, but tracks in Australia are slower and tighter so we still need bottom-end torque. I reckon Australian-market Triumphs will do better with a 50-tooth rear sprocket instead of the standard 48-tooth ring. The optional Akrapovic exhaust system, with additional maps accessible through the tuner app, also drastically improves midrange power. Standard exhaust is fine but accessory version adds midrange The brakes are just as strong as you would expect from Brembo, although I got some squealing from them when they got hot. It didn’t bother me because the performance remained high and I still had firm pressure at the lever. The clutch has a nice responsive action and the addition of a map switch beneath the bank of buttons to control the switchable electronic rider aids is a neat touch. As well as the ability to switch between the high and low power modes, there’s also individual launch control, traction control and quickshifter buttons which can be accessed on the fly. Much like it was in the roadbike world a decade or so ago, the introduction of electronic riders aids to the motocross sector is ultimately a good thing that will progress the breed. I can see them becoming popular and the current generation of riders becoming reliant on them. But for me, I＊m old, and I grew up controlling my traction to the rear wheel with the clutch and throttle so when that manual control is taken from me it feels like I’ve lost something. I guess it’s messing with my instincts and I would need more time to retrain my brain before I could extract the most benefit from them. Twin Air dual-layer filter shows Triumph means business I can assure you the TF 250-X has been worth the wait. It fits into the class well and is loaded with quality parts so you don＊t need to go spending thousands of dollars on engine or suspension upgrades. My only criticism is I would like to see a 50-tooth rear sprocket fitted as standard, or at least included, and the gains to the bottom-end power of the Akrapovic system is so great, that a higher performing standard exhaust should be a no brainer. A lighter rider is likely going to get their arms stretched by this thing as is, but for me as a larger rider on a 250 I need a little more torque down low. I’m really looking forward to seeing how this bike is taken up in the Australian market. The old adage of ‘win on Sunday, sell on Monday’ is still really relevant in the off-road world. Even though Triumph says it’s going to open “specialist motocross and enduro centres”, I suspect it’s going to be a steep learning curve for the established dealers. Experience has taught me it takes a lot more than simply producing a hugely capable machine to translate into a sales success. The $14,250 asking price is bang-on, in my mind, but for this bike to sell in big numbers here, Triumph needs to go racing and be a consistent podium finisher in premier classes. That’s not only going to cost money, but it’s also going to take a lot of know-how that its rivals have built up over many decades of experience; things like engine and suspension tuning, and how to manage a race team. I’m not saying Triumph can’t be a sales success here in the short-term, because the bike has the credentials to do extremely well. But the steps Triumph take in order to ensure the TF 250-X can enjoy the success it absolutely deserves will be fascinating to watch. PROS: High-quality execution that outdoes its rivals in some areas, complete with a unique British tank badge. CONS: More bottom-end grunt (via 50-tooth sprocket/exhaust) will help stand it farther apart from its rivals. WORDS: MATT BOYD PHOTOS: DEAN WALTERS WANT MORE? The TF250X comes loaded with high-end equipment from standard but there’s an extensive list of aftermarket accessories available to make it even more race ready. A full titanium Akrapovic exhaust system improves midrange power and throttle response significantly. $2150.01 The XTrig holeshot device locks the front suspension down lower off the start to prevent wheelstanding off the startline. $131.93 Athena LC-GPA launch control module with rider-selectable enhanced traction control and launch control settings and LED engine speed indicator. It allows you to adjust the launch control mode, which retards the ignition timing so the bike will get less wheel spin off the start. $394.16 MX Tune Pro wifi module enables you to connect with the bike’s ECU through a downloadable phone app so you can select from a range of pre-programmed maps to customise the bike’s power delivery. $321.59 Performance gripper seat and seat cover. $379.33 Because the standard bodywork has graphics imprinted in the plastics, there’s a replacement set of panels so you can have your own custom stickers made and fitted. $288.61 SPECIFICATIONS TRIUMPH TF 250-X ENGINE Capacity 249.95cc| Type Single cylinder, DOHC, four valves Bore & stroke 78mm x 52.3mm Compression ratio 14.4:1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI, Dell’Orto throttle body Transmission Five-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate, belleville spring Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 35kW (47hp) @ 13,500rpm (claimed) Torque 28.6Nm @ 9000rpm (claimed) Top speed 95km/h (est) Fuel consumption Not measured ELECTRONICS Type Not given Rider aids Traction control, launch control and quickshifter Rider modes High and low CHASSIS Frame material Aluminium Frame type Backbone Rake 27.4° Trail 116mm Wheelbase 1492mm SUSPENSION Type KYB Front: 48mm upside-down fork, adjustable rebound and compression, 310mm travel Rear: Monoshock, adjustable rebound and high- and low-speed compression, 305mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Spoked aluminium Front: 21 x 1.6 Rear: 19 x 1.85 Tyres Pirelli Scorpion MX32 Front: 80/80-21 Rear: 100/90-19 Brakes Brembo Front: Single 260mm disc, single-piston caliper Rear: Single 220mm disc, single-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 104kg (wet, claimed) Seat height 960mm Width 836mm Height 1270mm Length Not given Ground clearance Not given Fuel capacity 7L SERVICING & WARRANTY Servicing First: 1 hour Minor: 15 hours Major: 30 hours Warranty 30 days BUSINESS END Price $14,250 Colour options Triumph Racing Yellow/Black/White CONTACT www.triumphmotorcycles.com.au The post TRIUMPH TF 250-X appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

There are (at least) two ways to look at the striking new retro Yamaha XSR900 GP. It either ships you back to the 1980s and 1990s when Yamaha’s Marlboro-liveried YZR500 V4 won world titles in the last great two-stroke era of grand prix racing, or it doesn’t. I suppose it depends on your age… For those who lived and breathed sportsbikes through the 1980s, when mullets were fashionable the first time around, it’s impossible to separate the emotively styled machine we see before us from the deeds of Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey who, on their fiery red-and-white factory YZRs, delivered multiple world championships. For those of slightly more tender years, any stirring of the soul is likely to be less pronounced, but still strong. For me, aged 48, the XSR generates memories of a misspent teenage youth – of a succession of Yamaha FZs and FZRs and TZRs, all those fast and fine handling Yamahas with the same signature flat-top petrol tank and YZR500-derived styling. Either way, such is the power and execution of the XSR900 GP’s retro styling, it’s easy to foresee some customers heading, cash-in-hand, to Yamaha showrooms soon – the buying decision made on appearances alone. We should highlight, however, that this bike is much more than just a styling exercise to stir the emotions of riders who remember when Kylie Minogue was on Neighbours. Yamaha has taken the excellence of the base XSR900 triple and blended it with some hot tech from the Yamaha MT-09 and MT-09 SP sports nakeds to produce what the Japanese manufacturer hopes will be something unique. But does it work? Is the XSR a superficial styling exercise or a convincing fusion of the past and present? For the record, my old FZ600 traction control was the right wrist, and having cornering ABS would have blown my mind in the 90s, so you can probably sense my eagerness to find out. We headed to Portugal to try the new XSR900 GP on the road, followed by a spin around Estoril, the famous old GP track on the Iberian west coast. Knee-down on the road? Yes, the XSR900 GP is that good We have to begin with its appearances and nostalgic appeal. Some may debate that it’s just a dressed up XSR900, but Yamaha has added some loving touches to give it a rich retro feel. The top fairing, for example, is secured with good old fairing stays and racy R-clips and wears the distinctive handguards of the legendary YZR too. The digital dash has an analogue theme, drilled fork caps look spot-on for the 80s styling and, from its flat tank, complete with distinctive sculpted knee pockets, to boxy rear single-seat cover, the overall effect is convincingly YZR500, FZR400SP or TRX850 depending on your likes. The Deltabox-style frame has an authentic period finish, and even the alloy spin-forged wheels come with holes in the hubs just like the ones I had on my Yamaha FZR1000 EXUP. Personally, I would have preferred twin round headlights over the standard single compact light, but others will appreciate the uncluttered yellow nose, which replicates the yellow number boards carried by 500cc grand prix racebikes. Some might also miss a conventional exhaust and end can (although they are a factory option) but the Marlboro-themed branding is faultlessly on point and, devoid of any actual Marlboro lettering, reminiscent of the very early 1990s when certain countries banned explicit cigarette advertising at their grands prix. In fact, the XSR GP is so retro I felt out of place in full airbag race leathers and wished instead that I’d dragged out my old jacket, jeans, Dr. Martins and 1992 Iron Maiden T-shirt for the ride ahead. The Euro 5+ compliant, 890cc CP3 inline triple engine has instantaneous response and drive It’s a little strange when you throw a leg over the GP for the first time. You feel a wave of nostalgia, memories of Rainey, Lawson or Niall Mackenzie (who rode with us on the launch) come flooding back, but then you’re greeted by a thoroughly modern five-inch dash and switchgear, including cruise control as standard. This equipment isn’t lifted from the base XSR: it’s all new for the GP. There’s even a neat five-way joystick and unusual ‘see-saw’ indicator switch. There are now three riding modes – Sport, Street and Rain – plus two custom maps. Within those modes, the XSR GP has four power modes, three levels of traction control, three-level slide control, wheelie control and cornering ABS which can be turned off, adjustable two-way quickshifter and the new brake slip regulator which is always on. These are all linked to a six-axis IMU. All this might look complicated but isn’t. I opted for either Sport or Street mode with the wheelie control removed because I wanted to pull near-vertical 90s-GP-style wheelies. Quite unusually, when you remove the wheelie control it’s switched off in all riding modes, including Rain, and remains off when you turn the bike off and on again. Alloy spin-forged wheels come with 80s-style holes in the hubs while the Bridgestone tyres were developed especially for this model It was immediately apparent the GP is more radical than the standard XSR as your bodyweight is positioned much farther forward. The stance is certainly sportier than the base XSR but well-balanced and still mindful of day-to-day riding. Yamaha says the ’bars, which are mounted above the yokes, are higher and less radical than the R7’s and nothing like as racy as an R6 or FZR400RR SP. However, as a short rider, I did notice the taller seat compared to the standard bike. For reference, the standard adjustable footpegs were set in the high position. For those initial miles ridden at low and legal speeds, I preferred the softer and smoother throttle response of Street mode over the more aggressive Sport mode. Yamaha has a habit of making its Sport throttle response a little too harsh. Later, on the racetrack, I used Street. As we made our way to Estoril, there was the odd occasion where we could let the triple sing. The third generation quickshifter is effortless and as crisply set up as any racebike’s, which allows you to quickly throw gears at the triple as it accelerates hard. The Euro 5+ compliant, 890cc CP3 inline triple makes a quoted 93Nm at 7000rpm and 87.5kW (117hp) at 10,000rpm, which feels like the perfect balance on the road for this type of bike. Ride its torque curve through the midrange and the GP retro delivers instantaneous response and drive. It is urgent, strong and quick. Alternatively, tuck in behind the sporty screen, chin kissing the tank, hold on to each gear as the revs build and the power flows. The exhaust may look odd and sound a little muted but a lovely induction noise from the airbox adds vital bark and character. Retro fairing mounts contrast with the modern TFT digital dash Yamaha’s CP3 engine is highly praised for its combination of power, torque, sound and character – it’s a sweetly blended engine that works well in every road scenario imaginable. Never too much but always full of energy, it can hold its own on the racetrack, too. Like many I find it impossible not to have fun when the throttle I’m holding is working this particular triple. That said, while the CP3-powered MT-09 and XSR900 are both fantastic wheelie bikes, the GP is less lively in this department, mainly due to having more weight over the front and a longer wheelbase. Yamaha is claiming that the GP isn’t a sportsbike but has nonetheless given it higher-spec KYB suspension than its base XSR stablemate. Now both ends are fully adjustable, with both high- and low-speed compression damping. Due to that new weight distribution, the front end is a little stiffer and the rear softer, while the latest Bridgestone S23 rubber, a single-compound version of the sports tyre developed in partnership with Yamaha, hugs lightweight aluminium spin-forged wheels. It feels up for fun – poised but easy going – while the racy imagery of the GP encourages you to attack corners, knee slider hunting for apexes. Initially, I thought the suspension set-up was a little firm as the fork wasn’t as plush as it is on the base XSR, but on a closed stretch of road that allowed us to push the chassis harder, the KYB units worked with effortless control and gave great feedback. We had perfect conditions but even so the Bridgestone S23 rubber warmed up quickly and gave confidence inspiring edge grip and feel. Seat cowl can be removed to allow pillion accommodation The 900 GP isn’t razor sharp like, say, the R6; instead it’s much more planted, stable and easier to ride. Yamaha quotes its wet weight at 200kg, 7kg more than the naked XSR, but it’s weight carried well. Despite the headstock position being 5mm higher and trail being increased from 107mm to 110mm, the steering feels very similar as the fun-as XSR. Certainly, you’d have to ride the two bikes back-to-back to notice any difference. We didn’t get full laps of Estoril, but we did get the opportunity play on track in safety for pictures. This meant taking its long, final, fourth-gear corner high in the revs, ’pegs almost touching the historic racetrack. Even when you start pushing the limits of both the GP’s chassis and the grip of the Bridgestones, it’s apparent there is more to come. This retro racer will excel on twisty circuits, carrying swathes of natural corner speed and using its spread of torque, supported by its full complement of lean-sensitive rider aids, to harass peakier 600 supersports. Fit some trackday race rubber, tweak the fully adjustable suspension to save the ’pegs and away you go. Yamaha hasn’t overhauled the brakes massively. There’s a new 16mm Brembo radial master cylinder, but the 298mm front discs and four-piston calipers remain. Their performance is hard to fault on the road and perfectly matches the easy but sporty attitude of the GP. Several times on track I jumped on the stoppers from high speed to zero, just to give the unobtrusive ABS a workout. You can’t turn off the ABS but you can remove its lean-sensitive functionality, although I’m unsure why you would ever want to. The new Brake Slip Regulator stops the rear from locking under braking but we would have needed some fast laps of Estoril to test it in a meaningful way. It is worth noting, though, that the GP is incredibly stable on the brakes, which is also probably due to its relatively long wheelbase. The KYB suspension is higher spec than the GP’s base XSR stablemate Leaving the track on melted rubber and heading on to the freeway highlighted the versatility of the new GP. With the standard-equipment cruise control activated it was a case of relaxing and churning out some kays. Yamaha chucked a phone under the seat for the test to allow full map navigation via the Bluetooth connectivity. Meanwhile the new switchgear made it easy to flick between the standard display and the full navigation. Taller riders on test started to complain about the weight on their wrists after a long day in the saddle but I was comfortable throughout – and don’t forget the ’pegs are adjustable. If I was to own a GP – and I must admit it would look great in my garage – I’d probably soften the fork a little, just to give it a plusher feel at normal road speeds. I’d also probably blow the family’s holiday fund on the optional Akrapovic exhaust and tank protection, which looks neat, while giving the optional lower fairing a miss, as I prefer the raw, half-faired look. You don’t have to be a genius to work out I have fallen for the XSR900 GP and confidently predict that I will be one of many. In Europe dealers were taking orders before prices were released. It ticks all the right nostalgia boxes, blends brilliantly the analogue past with the digital present and fuels the common desire for a sporty and versatile roadbike that can excel everywhere. I might be a tad biased as I have such fond Yamaha-based memories from the 1990s. Certainly, some of my Suzuki-loving mates who had GSX-Rs and RGVs won’t give the Yamaha a second look, and some younger riders may not get the nostalgia. But even if the retro styling does nothing for you, the GP is still an excellent roadbike. It combines the excellent qualities and rider aids of the MT-09 SP with the fun of the XSR900 in a retro style. Yamaha couldn’t go wrong. Okay, it’s not a FZ750 or TZR250, but for a 2024 production bike it oozes history and character as well as performance – and I want one. PROS: It brilliantly blends the analogue past with the digital present, ticking all the right nostalgia boxes. CONS: Honestly, there’s not a lot to complain about except the Sport throttle response is a little too harsh. WORDS: ADAM CHILD PHOTOGRAPHY: ANT PRODUCTIONS SPORTY HERITAGE YOU COULD argue that Yamaha’s Sport Heritage line-up started back in 2015, with the retro XJR1300 and SR400, but it wasn’t until 2016, for me anyway, that the company came up with truly convincing heritage offerings in the XSR700 and XSR900, both with obvious design features of the past. In 2019, Yamaha launched the XTributes which I really liked, the XSR125 – which didn’t come to Oz – followed in 2021, before the updated XSR900 in 2022, which we rode on the world launch in Italy. Two years on we have the XSR900 GP, but I don’t think it will end there and I can’t wait to see where Yamaha goes with this. Can we have a TZR125 replica based on the XSR125 next? That, too, would look great in my garage… THE COMPETITION KAWASAKI Z900RS $16,909 (plus on-road costs) DUCATI SCRAMBLER NIGHTSHIFT $20,100 (ride away) TRIUMPH THRUXTON RS $26,690 (ride away) SPECIFICATIONS | YAMAHA XSR900 GP ENGINE Capacity 890cc Type Inline three-cylinder, DOHC, four-valves per cylinder Bore & stroke 78.0 x 62.1 Compression ratio 11.5:1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI, Mikuni throttle bodies Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate, slipper-type Final drive chain PERFORMANCE Power 87.5kW (117hp) @ 10,000 rpm (claimed) Torque 93Nm @ 7000 rpm (claimed) Top speed 250km/h (est) Fuel consumption 5.0L/100km (claimed) ELECTRONICS Type Yamaha Rider aids Power modes, TC, slide control, lift control, cornering ABS, back slip regulator, quickshifter Modes Sport, Street and Rain, plus two User modes CHASSIS Frame material Aluminium Frame type Diamond Rake 25º Trail 110mm Wheelbase 1500mm SUSPENSION Type KYB Front: 41mm USD fork, fully adjustable, 130mm travel Rear: Monoshock fully adjustable, 131mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Aluminium spin-forged Front: 3.5 x 17 Rear: 5.5 x 17 Tyres Bridgestone S23 Front: 120/70ZR17 (58W) Rear: 180/55ZR17(73W) Brakes ADVICS/Brembo Front: Twin 298mm discs, four-piston calipers Rear: Single 245mm disc, single-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 200kg (wet, claimed) Seat height 835mm Width 810mm Height 1180mm Length 2160mm Ground clearance 145mm Fuel capacity 14L SERVICING & WARRANTY Servicing First: 1000km Minor: 10,000km Major: 20,000km Warranty: Two years, unlimited km BUSINESS END Price $21,499 (ride away) Colour options Legends Red or Power Grey Contact yamaha-motor.com.au The post YAMAHA XSR900 GP appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

There are (at least) two ways to look at the striking new retro Yamaha XSR900 GP. It either ships you back to the 1980s and 1990s when Yamaha’s Marlboro-liveried YZR500 V4 won world titles in the last great two-stroke era of grand prix racing, or it doesn’t. I suppose it depends on your age… For those who lived and breathed sportsbikes through the 1980s, when mullets were fashionable the first time around, it’s impossible to separate the emotively styled machine we see before us from the deeds of Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey who, on their fiery red-and-white factory YZRs, delivered multiple world championships. For those of slightly more tender years, any stirring of the soul is likely to be less pronounced, but still strong. For me, aged 48, the XSR generates memories of a misspent teenage youth – of a succession of Yamaha FZs and FZRs and TZRs, all those fast and fine handling Yamahas with the same signature flat-top petrol tank and YZR500-derived styling. Either way, such is the power and execution of the XSR900 GP’s retro styling, it’s easy to foresee some customers heading, cash-in-hand, to Yamaha showrooms soon – the buying decision made on appearances alone. We should highlight, however, that this bike is much more than just a styling exercise to stir the emotions of riders who remember when Kylie Minogue was on Neighbours. Yamaha has taken the excellence of the base XSR900 triple and blended it with some hot tech from the Yamaha MT-09 and MT-09 SP sports nakeds to produce what the Japanese manufacturer hopes will be something unique. But does it work? Is the XSR a superficial styling exercise or a convincing fusion of the past and present? For the record, my old FZ600 traction control was the right wrist, and having cornering ABS would have blown my mind in the 90s, so you can probably sense my eagerness to find out. We headed to Portugal to try the new XSR900 GP on the road, followed by a spin around Estoril, the famous old GP track on the Iberian west coast. Knee-down on the road? Yes, the XSR900 GP is that good We have to begin with its appearances and nostalgic appeal. Some may debate that it’s just a dressed up XSR900, but Yamaha has added some loving touches to give it a rich retro feel. The top fairing, for example, is secured with good old fairing stays and racy R-clips and wears the distinctive handguards of the legendary YZR too. The digital dash has an analogue theme, drilled fork caps look spot-on for the 80s styling and, from its flat tank, complete with distinctive sculpted knee pockets, to boxy rear single-seat cover, the overall effect is convincingly YZR500, FZR400SP or TRX850 depending on your likes. The Deltabox-style frame has an authentic period finish, and even the alloy spin-forged wheels come with holes in the hubs just like the ones I had on my Yamaha FZR1000 EXUP. Personally, I would have preferred twin round headlights over the standard single compact light, but others will appreciate the uncluttered yellow nose, which replicates the yellow number boards carried by 500cc grand prix racebikes. Some might also miss a conventional exhaust and end can (although they are a factory option) but the Marlboro-themed branding is faultlessly on point and, devoid of any actual Marlboro lettering, reminiscent of the very early 1990s when certain countries banned explicit cigarette advertising at their grands prix. In fact, the XSR GP is so retro I felt out of place in full airbag race leathers and wished instead that I’d dragged out my old jacket, jeans, Dr. Martins and 1992 Iron Maiden T-shirt for the ride ahead. The Euro 5+ compliant, 890cc CP3 inline triple engine has instantaneous response and drive It’s a little strange when you throw a leg over the GP for the first time. You feel a wave of nostalgia, memories of Rainey, Lawson or Niall Mackenzie (who rode with us on the launch) come flooding back, but then you’re greeted by a thoroughly modern five-inch dash and switchgear, including cruise control as standard. This equipment isn’t lifted from the base XSR: it’s all new for the GP. There’s even a neat five-way joystick and unusual ‘see-saw’ indicator switch. There are now three riding modes – Sport, Street and Rain – plus two custom maps. Within those modes, the XSR GP has four power modes, three levels of traction control, three-level slide control, wheelie control and cornering ABS which can be turned off, adjustable two-way quickshifter and the new brake slip regulator which is always on. These are all linked to a six-axis IMU. All this might look complicated but isn’t. I opted for either Sport or Street mode with the wheelie control removed because I wanted to pull near-vertical 90s-GP-style wheelies. Quite unusually, when you remove the wheelie control it’s switched off in all riding modes, including Rain, and remains off when you turn the bike off and on again. Alloy spin-forged wheels come with 80s-style holes in the hubs while the Bridgestone tyres were developed especially for this model It was immediately apparent the GP is more radical than the standard XSR as your bodyweight is positioned much farther forward. The stance is certainly sportier than the base XSR but well-balanced and still mindful of day-to-day riding. Yamaha says the ’bars, which are mounted above the yokes, are higher and less radical than the R7’s and nothing like as racy as an R6 or FZR400RR SP. However, as a short rider, I did notice the taller seat compared to the standard bike. For reference, the standard adjustable footpegs were set in the high position. For those initial miles ridden at low and legal speeds, I preferred the softer and smoother throttle response of Street mode over the more aggressive Sport mode. Yamaha has a habit of making its Sport throttle response a little too harsh. Later, on the racetrack, I used Street. As we made our way to Estoril, there was the odd occasion where we could let the triple sing. The third generation quickshifter is effortless and as crisply set up as any racebike’s, which allows you to quickly throw gears at the triple as it accelerates hard. The Euro 5+ compliant, 890cc CP3 inline triple makes a quoted 93Nm at 7000rpm and 87.5kW (117hp) at 10,000rpm, which feels like the perfect balance on the road for this type of bike. Ride its torque curve through the midrange and the GP retro delivers instantaneous response and drive. It is urgent, strong and quick. Alternatively, tuck in behind the sporty screen, chin kissing the tank, hold on to each gear as the revs build and the power flows. The exhaust may look odd and sound a little muted but a lovely induction noise from the airbox adds vital bark and character. Retro fairing mounts contrast with the modern TFT digital dash Yamaha’s CP3 engine is highly praised for its combination of power, torque, sound and character – it’s a sweetly blended engine that works well in every road scenario imaginable. Never too much but always full of energy, it can hold its own on the racetrack, too. Like many I find it impossible not to have fun when the throttle I’m holding is working this particular triple. That said, while the CP3-powered MT-09 and XSR900 are both fantastic wheelie bikes, the GP is less lively in this department, mainly due to having more weight over the front and a longer wheelbase. Yamaha is claiming that the GP isn’t a sportsbike but has nonetheless given it higher-spec KYB suspension than its base XSR stablemate. Now both ends are fully adjustable, with both high- and low-speed compression damping. Due to that new weight distribution, the front end is a little stiffer and the rear softer, while the latest Bridgestone S23 rubber, a single-compound version of the sports tyre developed in partnership with Yamaha, hugs lightweight aluminium spin-forged wheels. It feels up for fun – poised but easy going – while the racy imagery of the GP encourages you to attack corners, knee slider hunting for apexes. Initially, I thought the suspension set-up was a little firm as the fork wasn’t as plush as it is on the base XSR, but on a closed stretch of road that allowed us to push the chassis harder, the KYB units worked with effortless control and gave great feedback. We had perfect conditions but even so the Bridgestone S23 rubber warmed up quickly and gave confidence inspiring edge grip and feel. Seat cowl can be removed to allow pillion accommodation The 900 GP isn’t razor sharp like, say, the R6; instead it’s much more planted, stable and easier to ride. Yamaha quotes its wet weight at 200kg, 7kg more than the naked XSR, but it’s weight carried well. Despite the headstock position being 5mm higher and trail being increased from 107mm to 110mm, the steering feels very similar as the fun-as XSR. Certainly, you’d have to ride the two bikes back-to-back to notice any difference. We didn’t get full laps of Estoril, but we did get the opportunity play on track in safety for pictures. This meant taking its long, final, fourth-gear corner high in the revs, ’pegs almost touching the historic racetrack. Even when you start pushing the limits of both the GP’s chassis and the grip of the Bridgestones, it’s apparent there is more to come. This retro racer will excel on twisty circuits, carrying swathes of natural corner speed and using its spread of torque, supported by its full complement of lean-sensitive rider aids, to harass peakier 600 supersports. Fit some trackday race rubber, tweak the fully adjustable suspension to save the ’pegs and away you go. Yamaha hasn’t overhauled the brakes massively. There’s a new 16mm Brembo radial master cylinder, but the 298mm front discs and four-piston calipers remain. Their performance is hard to fault on the road and perfectly matches the easy but sporty attitude of the GP. Several times on track I jumped on the stoppers from high speed to zero, just to give the unobtrusive ABS a workout. You can’t turn off the ABS but you can remove its lean-sensitive functionality, although I’m unsure why you would ever want to. The new Brake Slip Regulator stops the rear from locking under braking but we would have needed some fast laps of Estoril to test it in a meaningful way. It is worth noting, though, that the GP is incredibly stable on the brakes, which is also probably due to its relatively long wheelbase. The KYB suspension is higher spec than the GP’s base XSR stablemate Leaving the track on melted rubber and heading on to the freeway highlighted the versatility of the new GP. With the standard-equipment cruise control activated it was a case of relaxing and churning out some kays. Yamaha chucked a phone under the seat for the test to allow full map navigation via the Bluetooth connectivity. Meanwhile the new switchgear made it easy to flick between the standard display and the full navigation. Taller riders on test started to complain about the weight on their wrists after a long day in the saddle but I was comfortable throughout – and don’t forget the ’pegs are adjustable. If I was to own a GP – and I must admit it would look great in my garage – I’d probably soften the fork a little, just to give it a plusher feel at normal road speeds. I’d also probably blow the family’s holiday fund on the optional Akrapovic exhaust and tank protection, which looks neat, while giving the optional lower fairing a miss, as I prefer the raw, half-faired look. You don’t have to be a genius to work out I have fallen for the XSR900 GP and confidently predict that I will be one of many. In Europe dealers were taking orders before prices were released. It ticks all the right nostalgia boxes, blends brilliantly the analogue past with the digital present and fuels the common desire for a sporty and versatile roadbike that can excel everywhere. I might be a tad biased as I have such fond Yamaha-based memories from the 1990s. Certainly, some of my Suzuki-loving mates who had GSX-Rs and RGVs won’t give the Yamaha a second look, and some younger riders may not get the nostalgia. But even if the retro styling does nothing for you, the GP is still an excellent roadbike. It combines the excellent qualities and rider aids of the MT-09 SP with the fun of the XSR900 in a retro style. Yamaha couldn’t go wrong. Okay, it’s not a FZ750 or TZR250, but for a 2024 production bike it oozes history and character as well as performance – and I want one. PROS: It brilliantly blends the analogue past with the digital present, ticking all the right nostalgia boxes. CONS: Honestly, there’s not a lot to complain about except the Sport throttle response is a little too harsh. WORDS: ADAM CHILD PHOTOGRAPHY: ANT PRODUCTIONS SPORTY HERITAGE YOU COULD argue that Yamaha’s Sport Heritage line-up started back in 2015, with the retro XJR1300 and SR400, but it wasn’t until 2016, for me anyway, that the company came up with truly convincing heritage offerings in the XSR700 and XSR900, both with obvious design features of the past. In 2019, Yamaha launched the XTributes which I really liked, the XSR125 – which didn’t come to Oz – followed in 2021, before the updated XSR900 in 2022, which we rode on the world launch in Italy. Two years on we have the XSR900 GP, but I don’t think it will end there and I can’t wait to see where Yamaha goes with this. Can we have a TZR125 replica based on the XSR125 next? That, too, would look great in my garage… THE COMPETITION KAWASAKI Z900RS $16,909 (plus on-road costs) DUCATI SCRAMBLER NIGHTSHIFT $20,100 (ride away) TRIUMPH THRUXTON RS $26,690 (ride away) SPECIFICATIONS | YAMAHA XSR900 GP ENGINE Capacity 890cc Type Inline three-cylinder, DOHC, four-valves per cylinder Bore & stroke 78.0 x 62.1 Compression ratio 11.5:1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI, Mikuni throttle bodies Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate, slipper-type Final drive chain PERFORMANCE Power 87.5kW (117hp) @ 10,000 rpm (claimed) Torque 93Nm @ 7000 rpm (claimed) Top speed 250km/h (est) Fuel consumption 5.0L/100km (claimed) ELECTRONICS Type Yamaha Rider aids Power modes, TC, slide control, lift control, cornering ABS, back slip regulator, quickshifter Modes Sport, Street and Rain, plus two User modes CHASSIS Frame material Aluminium Frame type Diamond Rake 25º Trail 110mm Wheelbase 1500mm SUSPENSION Type KYB Front: 41mm USD fork, fully adjustable, 130mm travel Rear: Monoshock fully adjustable, 131mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Aluminium spin-forged Front: 3.5 x 17 Rear: 5.5 x 17 Tyres Bridgestone S23 Front: 120/70ZR17 (58W) Rear: 180/55ZR17(73W) Brakes ADVICS/Brembo Front: Twin 298mm discs, four-piston calipers Rear: Single 245mm disc, single-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 200kg (wet, claimed) Seat height 835mm Width 810mm Height 1180mm Length 2160mm Ground clearance 145mm Fuel capacity 14L SERVICING & WARRANTY Servicing First: 1000km Minor: 10,000km Major: 20,000km Warranty: Two years, unlimited km BUSINESS END Price $21,499 (ride away) Colour options Legends Red or Power Grey Contact yamaha-motor.com.au The post YAMAHA XSR900 GP appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

In the past 25 years Harley-Davidson has sold around 2.5 million touring bikes, fair dinkum mile eaters like the Road Glide, the Ultra and the Street Glide. These are the bikes Harley calls its Grand American Touring line and, while sales are somewhat less than half Harley’s total, the price point means they’re a major part of its profitability. Where the money goes, the good shit engineering-wise flows. So at the release of the 2024 Road and Street Glides held on the Gold Coast last month I wasn’t expecting too many surprises. After all, gradual evolution based on customer feedback is what we’ve come to expect from Harley. What blew me away was I had no idea the company had progressed the touring ideology so far. That has to be put in context. I’m old; the last time I was invited to a Harley release was for the Ultra in 1989 and it amounted to a sausage sizzle out the back of Frasers and the keys to Warren’s private bike for the next month. It came home on a trailer, possibly why he didn’t talk to me for a decade. Since then I’ve ridden a few to get a taste of what’s happening but figured it is what it is and that’s about as good as it’ll get. And the 5200km I did on that first Ultra was bloody brilliant. Bang, all that went out the door once I’d put a few kays up on the new tourers. Street Glide is equipped with ’bar-mounted Batwing fairing Every part of these bikes has been tweaked and tweaked again in pursuit of touring excellence to the point where even Harley is seemingly struggling to come up with updates. Or maybe not, because the 2024 models boast changes over the 2023 models like a revised and flatter torque curve (3 percent more power, 4 percent more torque) for the 117 cubic-inch, eight-valve engine. This comes from smoothing out the intake manifold and tweaking the ECU. Harley’s also revised the CVO’s liquid-cooled cylinder-head system and made it standard across the range. There’s been a whole lot of simulated wind-tunnel testing that’s brought about a bunch of tweaks to the bodywork but none of that has resulted in too much departure from ‘the look’ that so many owners love. That’s typical of Harley though; don’t rock the traditional boat, especially in a year when it’s hit hard with the high-tech stuff. Yep, the people who invented the iPhone have developed motorcycling’s most incredible infotainment interface. Excuse me, gurgle, I’m severely out of my tech depth here so there’s the possibility of total arse about face. Most obvious is the 12.3-inch touchscreen that you can use wearing gloves – catch up iPhone – which gives riders a bunch of options for the overall look while adding in the map and trip details you dialled in on the Harley app. It also gives full information on the bike itself to the point where I couldn’t even find the widget for telling me tyre pressures. Road Glide riding position is more laidback If that all sounds overwhelming for someone who hasn’t bothered with a neutral light for 20 years, here’s where the real sophistication comes in. For the first time ever in my motorcycling career I managed to use the app and mapping functions and find all the controls I needed and some I didn’t. None of it through the touchscreen though. While I’m sure that works fine, the handlebar button controls are intuitive and easy to use without taking your hands off the ’bars even for part fossilised fingers. Top marks to Harley in the tech management department. Normally about now there’d be a long prattle about the rider modes and how effective they are at changing the whole bike’s character. Harley’s are as good as anyone’s – probably better – and when combined with a whole alphabet’s worth of electronic rider aids I’m sure it’s all mega wonderful for people who like gizmos. Unfortunately it’s all above my pay grade. If you give me a button that says ‘press to go faster’ I’m going to press it every time. When we swapped bikes on the release first thing I did was punch Sports mode. The second thing I did was nearly drop the first one in the carpark – that’s the Gold Coast Rydges Matho, if you’re reading this – but once adjusted to the clutch action and balance there weren’t any more issues. The steering geometry uses the old Electra Glide frame style, which has the fork trailing behind the steering head. Combine that with the low stance and centre of gravity and these tourers are really easy to peddle at low speeds. That big brute of a V-twin started out as a limited-edition CVO powerplant This is where, incidentally, the big difference between the Road and Sport Glides is first apparent. The Sport Glide uses Harley’s traditional Batwing fairing, which mounts directly to the handlebar and has done so since 1969. It uses a lower handlebar (although lots of options here) which brings the riders’ hands behind the fairing wings and pokes the mirrors out each side. That, and a very useful drawer for phones, keys and chewy means you’re swinging up to 15kg straight off the ’bars. Because the Batwing runs so close to the handlebar – and the fairing weighs 9kg less than the Road Glide’s – it’s not as noticeable as you’d think, but is noticeable. The Road Glide’s fairing, with its big shark’s nose, is mounted directly to the frame giving lots more space behind the screen itself. Given that lifts the airflow, the Roady uses a six-inch higher handlebar that sits the rider more upright to take advantage of the excellent seat support and puts your hands in the breeze. The seat’s built up a bit although they’re both so comfortable I didn’t pay any attention to differences. The best thing about any seat is if you can sit all day and not notice it. Harley has been running the fixed and handlebar-mounted fairing options –always designated Road and Sports – against each other for a lot of years making choice between the two the touring rider’s biggest option. Mounted up and travelling the Road Glide feels like a bigger bike with its higher fairing sitting farther upfront and a back angle heading towards ape hanger angles. The rider’s isolated a bit more from the road but the big difference is when you hit a crosswind or cop a racing truck going the other way. The Road Glide hardly notices, tracking straight as an arrow… maybe that should be tracking straight as a torpedo. You feel changes in the wind more on the Sport Glide’s ’bar-mounted Batwing – yes, the original fairing came out around the same time as Batman on the telly – but it comes with the advantage of feeling like you’re hovering over the action. I reckon all the aerodynamic efforts Harley has put into both models really just brought them closer together. They’re both superbly stable. Proof of that work is in the buffeting flaps under the mini screens, which can be adjusted for airflow or shut off completely. These give riders the option to direct air exactly where they want it helmet wise, which is a useful bit of fine tuning given we’re all different heights and wear different style helmets. I tried closing the flow off on both fairings before finding my chosen setting was a tad open and aimed above the eyes. The Street Glide also gets fork-mounted deflectors and, according to the tech handout, it’s got ‘Willi Wings’ too. Not really sure what these are but I guess if you’re facing a long and lonely outback ride you might have time to play with them too. That’s the truth of it. There are so many features on both these bikes – plus a truckload of accessory options – that it’d take a lot longer than a couple of days to find everything. The point is eventually you’ll tailor the bike to suit you and still have something to play with when the next corner’s 100 kays away. They don’t have heated grips though, and for us older hands in the colder weather that’s a real omission. It made sense that the release for such high profile and fully featured weaponry would be the Gold Coast – not just so I could rub it in, Matho – but when I saw the route I figured someone had slipped up. It’s beautiful riding up behind Murwillumbah through sugarcane country and plenty of twisty roads, but the old backroad to Brisbane, the Numimbah Valley, copped so much flooding last season it’s loaded with surprise potholes and gravel traps. I mean, a bloke can make good speed through here on his DR650, but a fully fledged tourer? Wrong, again. This is where all that work on suspension and frame geometry over many years has really paid off. Even with the floorboards touching occasionally, the big Americans hold their line on bad roads so well you, er, like the seats, don’t notice it. Bloody amazing and easy to ride hard without fear. The touring Glides offer way more confidence than most of the cruisers in Harley’s range, especially the Breakout, which always felt one degree off break out and spin when I rode it. Getting back to the coast after a day’s backroad punting and a vineyard stop for lunch – sorry, Mick – most of us were in fine fettle and ready to rev. This is where these big bikes surprise again as the six-speed transmission backed by a lovely slipper clutch bringing in all that torque makes for instant action at the lights. Now I see why everyone’s excited by bagger racing! My choice? Hmm, pretty easy really. After riding both stock Road and Street Glides up to the lunch break – did I mention the foie gras, Matho? – I grabbed a black Street Glide with the optional Screamin’ Eagle titanium mufflers and free-flow air cleaner kit for the ride back. It looked and felt traditional Harley but came with extra sting and a whole new soundtrack. Yep, Harley’s tourers are great standard but, like Scottish soldiers cresting a hill, it’s still all about the pipes. PROS: Tuning of the 117 cube M8 engine for this application is spot-on, awesome yet predictable braking, and big panniers with proper hinged lids. CONS: Harley’s version of weight loss is like mine; starts after the next cheeseburger. And both models need louder exhausts before you leave the dealership. WORDS: JOHN ROOTH PHOTOS INCITE IMAGES H-D ELECTRONICS Today’s touring range gets a choice of four selectable riding modes. There’s Rain mode, which softens the whole deal substantially and feels like you need two hands on the throttle to wind her up. There’s Road, which is the setting you got before modes were invented, there’s high levels of traction control and ABS cutting in. There’s my favourite, Sport, because if someone says ‘push this and you’ll go faster’ you push it, right? It makes fast easy. And then there’s Custom, which lets you program your own riding mode. This one’s for serious geeks who spend a lot of time in the shed. As for the other electrickery, there’s C-ELB (Cornering Electronically Linked Brakes), A-ABS (Cornering ABS), C-TCS (Cornering Traction Control), C-DSCS (Cornering Drag Torque Slip Control), VHC (Vehicle Hold Control), TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring) and then there’s my favourite JRTF-OOI (Just Ride The F*** Out Of It). CVO ROAD GLIDE ST CVO is Harley-Davidson’s Custom Vehicle Operation and after 25 years it’s usually where you see the stuff that’ll come out on ‘standard’ models farther down the track. The higher-spec CVO Road Glide looks like it’s designed to impress bagger racers with a 121 cubic-inch high-output Milwaukee Eight engine, a lower final-drive ratio (output sprocket is 30 teeth, stock is 32 teeth) to punch harder out of corners and reduced weight/more performance thanks to a titanium exhaust and some carbon fibre bits. It also adds more modes – Track and Track Plus – which sound exciting! SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Capacity 1923cc Type 45º V-twin, four valves per cylinder Bore & stroke 103.5mm x 114.3mm Compression ratio 10.3:1 Cooling Twin-cooled Fueling Electronic sequential port injection, 58mm throttle body Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate, slipper type Final drive Belt PERFORMANCE Power 78kW (105hp) @ 4600rpm (claimed) Torque 176Nm @ 3250rpm (claimed) Top speed 195km/h (est) Fuel consumption 5.3L/100km (claimed) ELECTRONICS Type Not given Rider aids Cornering ABS, traction control, drag torque slip control and vehicle hold control Rider modes Sport, Road, Rain or Custom CHASSIS Frame material Stubular steel Frame type Backbone Rake 26° Trail 173mm Wheelbase 1625mm SUSPENSION Type Showa Front: 49mm non-adjustable upside-down fork, 117mm travel Rear: Dual shocks, preload adjustable, 76mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Cast aluminium Front: 19 x 3.5 Rear: 18 x 5.0 Tyres Dunlop D408F & D407T Front: 130/60-19 Rear: 180/55-18 Brakes Front: Twin 320mm discs, four-piston calipers Rear: Single 300mm disc, single-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight Road Glide 364kg; Street Glide 351kg (dry, claimed) Seat height Road Glide 720mm ; Street Glide 715mm Width Road Glide 745mm ; Street Glide 975mm Height Road Glide 1315mm ; Street Glide 1350mm Length 2410mm Ground clearance Road Glide 145mm ; Street Glide 140mm Fuel capacity 22.7L SERVICING & WARRANTY Servicing First: 1600km Minor: 8000km Major: 16,000km Warranty Two years, unlimited kilometres BUSINESS END Price From $46,495 (ride away) Colour options Billiard Gray, Vivid Black, White Onyx Pearl, Whiskey Fire, Blue Burst, Alpine Green, Atlas Silver Metallic or Sharkskin CONTACT harley-davidson.com/au The post 2024 H-D STREET GLIDE & ROAD GLIDE appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

Since stunning the motorcycling world with a record-breaking 2300cc engine back in 2004, the Triumph Rocket 3 has been the embodiment of motorcycling brawn, with more testosterone than a Mr Olympia line-up. In this era of political correctness and tightening emissions regulations it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Rocket 3’s giant donk consigned to the history books but, to mark 20 years of sales success, Triumph has doubled down on its iconic power cruiser concept with the introduction of the wild new Rocket 3 Storm. Somewhat confusingly the Storm is not a variation from the base model – all 2024 Triumph Rocket 3s are Storms and there are two versions available. The $39,890 (ride away) Storm GT features a more relaxed, cruiser-based riding position with forward-mounted foot controls, higher ’bar, pillion backrest and a lower, more padded seat. The less-expensive $38,890 Storm R variant is the hard-edged muscle-roadster with lower ’bar, mid-mounted ’pegs and an overall more agro riding position. Apart from that, the R and GT are mechanically identical, though the GT gets hand-grip warmers as standard equipment. Triumph Rocket 3 Storm R Triumph Rocket 3 Storm GT The sheer scale of the Rocket 3 is striking, from its immense, longitudinally-slung, straight-triple powerplant, to the huge 240-section rear Avon tyre, to the 300mm rear brake rotor, and massive single-sided swingarm, which incorporates the drive shaft. This level of power and torque requires big drivetrain engineering, and the Storm exudes sturdiness and strength like an Abrams tank. That’s not to say it’s ungainly or rudely crafted though. The fit and finish are top notch and there’s exacting attention to detail everywhere you look, such as the pillion ’pegs that fold away invisibly into the bodywork when not in use, sharp LED lighting and the circular digital TFT dash arrangement that’s both classy and clear. No motorcycle of this calibre would be complete without a comprehensive suite of electronics and there are plenty of rider aids to keep all that power in check. Four riding modes are available – Rain, Road, Sport and Rider – which work with the digital throttle and a six-axis IMU to offer progressively more liberal traction control and throttle map settings. Rider mode can be fully customised for personal preference. It’s easy enough to change between modes on the fly operating the dainty joystick with your left thumb, with the caveat that the throttle must be closed for safety reasons. It isn’t the most intuitive infotainment interface I’ve sampled, but scrolling though the menus is relatively fuss free once you’re familiar with it. There’s also hill hold, cruise control and a keyless ignition, while Bluetooth connectivity for features such as music control and turn-by-turn navigation is available via the optional connectivity module. Not the most intuitive infotainment interface but easy enough to navigate Not even a NASA engineer would dare suggest the Rocket 3 needed more thrust, but that didn’t stop the boffins at Triumph’s Hinkley HQ fettling the monstrous 2458cc triple-cylinder powerplant to produce an extra 11kW. In now spits out 134kW (179hp) at 7000rpm and a scarcely believable 225Nm of torque at just 4000rpm – that’s almost 80 percent more torque than the Ducati XDiavel – a bike most people would agree is pretty punchy. The Storm also receives new cast-aluminium wheels, reducing weight to 317kg. But aside from that, all other changes are purely cosmetic, with dark, brooding colour schemes and blacked-out details to enhance its menacing stance. Despite the Rocket 3’s steroidal appearance, it isn’t astronomically heavy for a cruiser in this category and handled impressively well when we threw it at some squiggly roads in the Adelaide Hills. Those enormous tyres and lengthy 1677mm wheelbase mean it doesn’t exactly fall into corners, but changes of direction don’t require a lot of muscle, and there’s a neutral feeling through the handlebar and competent mid-corner dynamics. The Storm R’s more forward riding position makes it a more natural corner carver, but the GT was no slouch through the loopy sections either. The suspension offers plenty of support and feedback, and it turns so well I would probably make use of the 15mm-adjustable footpegs to give it some extra ground clearance. Slinging the hefty, hard-hitting Rocket 3 down a winding road feels bizarrely graceful, like dancing the foxtrot with George Foreman. Through more rutted bends you eventually arrive at the limits of what the Showa fork and rear shock can iron out properly, but a machine of this size is not pretending to be a sportsbike. I found it more fun to adopt a slow in/fast out approach, where the Rocket’s planet-turning torque has the rear tyre madly scrambling for grip as the triple growls like Chewbacca and propels you down the road as if you’ve been fired from a bazooka. The best cornering technique is a slow in, fast out approach In Sport mode the traction control intervention was barely perceptible and allowed some slip, to the point where I could feel the rear Avon being smeared across the road with even moderately provocative throttle applications. The long, stable wheelbase makes it feel fun rather than butt-clenching, but getting the throttle wide open on a twisty road is still basically impossible. While the Brembo brakes offer effective stopping power and feel, it pays to remember just how rapidly that huge powerplant converts fuel into kinetic energy. While it handles better than any motorcycle this big ought to, the open road feels like more natural territory. Considering there are three sledgehammer-sized pistons firing away at speed between your legs the triple is very smooth, with just enough vibes to let you know you’re riding something very potent. At highway speeds the engine ticks away at just over 2000rpm and overtaking is hilariously effortless in any gear, at any point in the rev range. It’s also ridiculously flexible, pulling easily from near idle revs in sixth gear. Even in Rain mode it felt like there was enough torque on tap to tow a B-double, and straight-to-jail speeds appear on the digital dash almost instantaneously if you slap the go-grip open. All that prodigious stomp makes gear changes pretty much redundant on the open road but when you do need to swap cogs the lever feel is light and precise, once again belying the Rocket’s thuggish demeanour. On rural South Australia’s interminably straight stretches of bitumen the GT’s more laid-back riding posture allowed me to settle in for a comfortable cruise, although the low screen didn’t deflect much wind blast. The forward-mounted ’pegs are nicely positioned and, although my outstretched calf was resting slightly against the engine, the heat shields ensured nothing got roasted. My posterior was also well catered for by the lovely, plush seat, although I did find the suspension tune to be pretty firm over more poorly maintained country roads. Where the taut damping was a boon when dragging ’pegs through Adelaide’s scenic hills, for touring duties the Showa suspension transmits road undulations through to the ’bar and seat with unnecessary diligence. Dialling back the rebound and compression helped somewhat, but the Rocket still felt a bit heavily sprung for my 80kg ballast. At the end of the day we arrived at the Shell V-Power Motorsport Park at Tailem Bend, where Triumph had booked a session on the new drag strip with instructions to not be overly concerned with tyre life. It was slightly intimidating sitting at the starting beam on the Rocket 3, with the entire machine swaying slightly with the force of the crank rotation as the revs built. The 2.5-litre engine is a monster The strip curator assured us that a recent event had laid down plenty of grippy rubber, but when the lights dropped and I let the clutch out the rear tyre spectacularly unglued itself from the tarmac. A fat, smoky strip of fried Avon was left behind as the Rocket arced sideways across the strip, the rear tyre squealing forlornly into second gear as it tried to contain the monumental grunt it was being force-fed. By the time it eventually regained some composure in third gear, it was clear that some adjustments in technique would be needed to make better use of the insane torque. Over the next few runs I experimented with my clutch-release point and the Rocket began to hook up better, resulting in absolutely relentless acceleration, the force of the wind blast quishing my visor back into my face. The Storm R’s ride position allowed me to place my bodyweight over the tank to ensure the front tyre stayed down, although the chassis stability meant it was far more likely to barbecue the rear than loft the front. For the last run I indulged in a preparatory burnout to get more temperature in the tyre, and that finally did the trick. The Rocket launched hard off the line, with just a whiff of wheelspin, before it dug in hard and blasted me down the chute like I’d been shot from a catapult. The final pass resulted in an 11.3 second 400m elapsed time and a terminal speed of 205km/h – impressive for a motorcycle that’s as aerodynamic as a brick and weighs over 300kg. With some set-up adjustments and a bit more practice, a 10 second quarter-mile is surely feasible. The optional quickshifter might also help shave off a tenth or two. It takes a special technique to get that rear tyre hooked up on the drag strip, but it’s fun to try When the smoke cleared and my heart rate returned to something approaching normal, I attempted to wrap my head around what it would be like to own the new Rocket 3, which in some ways occupies a motorcycling niche. In R spec it makes an extremely big, heavy, muscle-roadster, while in GT trim the suspension and screen aren’t ideal for touring, although of course it’ll churn out the kilometres no problem when required. The claimed 6.6L/100km economy figure equates to a range of only around 260km from a full 18-litre tank and, at nearly 40 grand, I reckon tyre pressure monitoring, Bluetooth connectivity and a quickshifter should be standard fitment rather than optional extras. But all that kind of misses the point, because the Rocket 3 Storm is playing in a league of one, with a behemoth engine that makes comparisons to other machines seem preposterous. Nobody ‘needs’ a motorcycle with 225Nm of torque, but that feeling of being shoved in the back by a maglev train whenever you flex your right wrist would never, ever stop being outrageously entertaining. If you like the idea of a refined muscle cruiser that corners fantastically but can also set its rear hoop on fire on the way to a 10-second quarter mile, then the Rocket 3 is for you. The Rocket 3 Storm feels like a big, bold triple exclamation mark in the story of internal combustion motorcycles. In years to come it will surely be a revered icon. ROCKET POWER THE ROCKET 3 Storm’s 2458cc powerplant stands as the world’s largest mass-produced motorcycle engine. A major upgrade in 2018 increased capacity by 152cc while simultaneously massively reducing engine weight, with an 18kg saving achieved through strategic enhancements to the crankcase assembly, adoption of a dry-sump lubrication system with an integral oil tank, and the introduction of new balancer shafts. The innovative hydro-formed, three-header, exhaust system also optimises exhaust gas routing for enhanced sound and performance. Generating a peak power output of 134kW (179hp) at 7000rpm, the new Rocket 3 Storm straight triple is eight percent more powerful than the previous model. Torque output has also been increased by 4Nm, to a mind blowing 225Nm at 4000rpm. PROS: This big brute plays in a league of its own with stupendously addictive and entertaining engine thrust. CONS: Fuel range around 260km and, for the price, tyre pressure monitoring, Bluetooth and quickshifter should be standard. WORDS: DAMIEN PELLETIER PHOTOS: DEAN WALTERS THE COMPETITION Ducati XDiavel 1262cc Testastetta V-twin Power 112kW @ 9500rpm Torque 126Nm @ 5000rpm Kerb weight 247kg $33,300 (ride away) Harley-Davidson Fat Bob 114 1868cc air-cooled V-twin Power 69kW @ 5020rpm Torque 155Nm @ 3000rpm Kerb weight 306kg $33,750 (ride away) Indian Chief Dark Horse 1890cc air-cooled V-twin Power Not quoted Torque 162Nm @ 2900rpm Kerb weight 304kg $28,995 (ride away) SPECIFICATIONS – TRIUMPH ROCKET 3 STORM ENGINE Capacity 2458cc Type In-line three-cylinder, DOHC, four-valves per cylinder Bore & stroke 110.2 x 85.9mm Compression ratio 10.8:1 Cooling Liquid-cooled Fueling EFI Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multiplate Final drive Shaft PERFORMANCE Power 134kW (179hp) @ 7000 rpm (claimed) Torque 225Nm @ 4000 rpm (claimed) Top speed 225km/h (est) Fuel consumption 6.6L/100km (claimed) ELECTRONICS Type Continental Rider aids Cornering traction control, cornering ABS, four ride modes, hill hold control, cruise control, keyless ignition Modes Rain, Road, Sport and Rider configurable CHASSIS Frame material Aluminium Frame type Backbone Rake 27.9° Trail 134.9mm Wheelbase 1677mm SUSPENSION Type Showa Front: 47mm USD fork with compression and rebound adjustment, 120mm travel Rear: Monoshock, fully adustable, 107mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Cast aluminium Front: 3.5 x 17 Rear: 7.5 x 16 Tyres Avon Cobra Chrome Front: 150/80R17 V Rear: 240/50R16 V BRAKES Brembo Front: Dual 320mm discs, radial four-piston Monobloc calipers Rear: Single 300mm disc, dual-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight R: 319kg GT: 320kg (kerb, claimed) Seat height R: 773mm GT: 750mm Width 920mm Height R: 1125mm GT: 1183mm Length 2365mm Ground clearance Not given Fuel capacity 18L SERVICING & WARRANTY Servicing First: 1000km Minor: 16,000km Major: 32,000km Warranty: 24 month, unlimited km BUSINESS END Price R:$38,890 GT:$39,890 (ride away) Colour options Carnival red/Sapphire black, Satin Pacific blue/Sapphire black or Granite/Sapphire black CONTACT triumphmotorcycles.com.au The post TRIUMPH ROCKET 3 STORM appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

It took me a couple of days to understand the approach towards the all-new 2025 Indian Scout. As the entry point to Indian’s range, in its various forms the Scout has accounted for more than 100,000 sales since its launch in 2015, which is more than half of all Indians made during that period. Kel gets in the groove on the Sport, her favourite in terms of appearance but with a slightly underwhelming braking package So when the covers came off the first significant model update in almost a decade to reveal a 1250cc Scout whose biggest news was the addition of ABS – no digital dash, no ride modes, no traction control – I really couldn’t understand Indian’s approach to what product director Ben Lindaman called “the largest product launch in the history of Indian Motorcycle”. But what I eventually came to understand during the three-day launch in northern California was the person who’s buying an American V-twin cruiser has very different needs, wants and motivations than the person who’s perusing the sportsbike, adventure touring or nakedbike segments, for example. And it was through eight months of thorough customer research, where Indian engaged with thousands of customers, dealers and customisers, that the brand understood exactly how it needed to approach the update because, as Lindaman told me, “it’s really easy to go too far”. Given the bike plays a vital gateway role for the historic marque, it was crucial to get it right. The biggest takeaway from all of that research was that people really loved the current Scout, which is why the new entry-point Scout Bobber doesn’t stray all that far from the current model. The Bobber was fun to hustle through the corners, despite its claimed 237kg dry weight The brand also understood that the custom cruiser market couldn’t be ignored, which was the motivation behind switching from an aluminium chassis to a tubular-steel frame, which is far less daunting to work on. And while this update was prompted by the newest Euro 5+ emission standard, Indian needed to create a platform that can be refreshed and added to for another 10 years, hence features like the all-new plug-and-play electrical architecture. Of course there’s a lot more to the updated platform than the relatively featureless Bobber. Four more models in fact, whose various appointments, ergonomic options and tech packages speak to a wide variety of would-be customers. To recap, the outgoing range consisted of three models; the $22,995 (ride-away) Scout Bobber, the $23,495 Scout and the $24,495 Scout Rogue. Replacing these three respectively is the Scout Bobber, the Scout Classic and the Scout Sport, with two higher-end models, the Super Scout and the flagship 101 Scout, also joining the stable for the new model year. The 101 Scout has the best rear suspension with 150mm of travel. In fact it has the best of everything in the range Common to all bikes is the new tubular-steel chassis and an all-new 1250cc 60-degree V-twin engine. Called the SpeedPlus 1250, the engine replaces the outgoing 1133cc PowerPlus, with the 10 percent capacity increase resulting in a 17 percent increase in power to 79kW (105hp) as well as a 14 percent hike in torque to 109Nm. The 101 Scout gets another six horses again to 82kW (111hp), but this is achieved only through calibration, so the 101’s engine remains mechanically unchanged. The new subframe is now common to all five models allowing for all racks, seats and luggage options to be interchangeable, while the 2025 fuel tank can accept 375ml more fuel which, thanks to Euro 5+ efficiencies and the tweaked final-gear ratios, Indian says provides 32km more range than the outgoing trio. There’s also a fuel gauge where there wasn’t one before, and an oil-level sight glass, while servicing has been made more efficient thanks to the valve covers now able to be removed from the side of the bike, rather than having to pull the thing apart in order to access them as on the older models. Kel found heaps of confidence from the Bobber’s front hoop There are quite of lot of differences between the models (see sidebar) but the Bobber, Classic and Super Scout all roll on a 16-inch front wheel, while the 101 and Sport both opt for a 19-inch front, with all five models using a 16-inch rear. The Super Scout and the Classic’s ergonomics are nearly identical thanks to employing the same pulled-back handlebar, while the Bobber, the Sport and the 101 all use a shorty-style ’bar which forces you into a more aggressive riding position. I found the riding stance on all five to be a bit of stretch for my 164cm frame, but Indian says as many as 30 different ergonomic options can be achieved through accessing some of the more than 100 different accessories that will be on offer. Indian says mid-mounted ’pegs are a must-have option, according to that extensive customer research, but the part wasn’t ready in time for the launch. A shame, because those, as well as a seat which pushes me closer to the handlebar, would have definitely made for a more comfortable couple of days for me. All four lower models share the same suspension and braking package, while the 101 gets higher-spec running gear, more powerful lighting, premium paintwork, a machined triple clamp, six-inch risers and that extra power. In terms of tech, the three base models are available in a trio of trim choices; Standard, Limited and Limited+Tech (see sidebar), while the Super Scout and 101 Scout come only in full-fat Limited+Tech form. According to the project’s lead engineer Shana Slettedahl, who not only led the team of 120 engineers involved in the Scout revamp but also researched and wrote the project’s entire design brief, once the five target customers were identified and their corresponding models decided on, the platform development began with the top-spec 101 Scout, before then being pared back and tweaked to suit each customer segment. Northern California has some of the best riding roads in the world. Put it on your bucket list “There’s a lot of people who like mid-weight cruisers, and we set out to appeal to all of them,” she said. My Scout experience started with the chrome-laden Classic. It was fitted with the top-tiered Tech+ package, which meant instead of the standard keyed ignition and analogue dash, I was met with a full-colour touchscreen display, a push-button ignition and handful of other aids such as switchable traction control, three selectable riding maps, turn-by-turn navigation and cruise control. Selecting first gear came with that all-too familiar American clunk. As we left the hotel and picked our way south through San Francisco in search of more appealing forest and coastal roads, my first impressions were average at best. Not helped, of course, by unfamiliar and poorly maintained city roads punctuated by steel plates, potholes and manhole covers, the 76mm of rear suspension travel made itself very well known, first gear was extremely tall and the fueling in the middle Standard ride mode I’d selected seemed fluffy off the bottom. Some bikes feel like you own them the second you jump on them – for me, the Indian Scout was not one of those bikes. Twenty minutes later, though, I was feeling far more at home. The road surface had improved, I’d realised Sport mode’s throttle feel was far more direct, and now we were through the hustle and bustle of downtown San Francisco the ratios in the higher gears became far more predictable. Easy-to-remove screen on the Super Scout The pulled-back ’bar of the Classic (and the Super Scout) offered the most relaxed ergonomics, although it was still a decent stretch for me, especially when hooking a u-ey at full lock, but not to the point where I ever felt vulnerable or not in complete control. The Scout is the entry point to the Indian brand, and even relatively inexperienced riders will feel comfortable on it. Off the Classic and on to the Bobber, I switched it into Sport mode and adjusted its ’bar-end mirrors, immediately appreciating the excellent vision the Classic’s conventional mirrors provided. We headed into a heavily forested section where the now-quieter road turned tight, twisty and hot-mix smooth. Not generally a fan of a wide, 16-inch front tyre, I was immediately surprised by the amount of feedback I was getting from the 130-section front hoop, helped no doubt by the extra weight I had over it thanks to the hunched riding position of the Bobber. Buoyed by the front-end confidence, I quickly found the clearance limits of the forward-mounted footpegs, but adjusted my style to suit. Yes, it takes some decent muscle to hustle the 237kg (dry) Bobber through twisty sections of roads at a decent clip – and you do need all the help from both the twin-piston front and single-piston rear calipers biting 298mm brake discs either end – but as long as the surface is in good shape (it only has 51mm of rear suspension travel), the Bobber is more than capable of it. And the torque delivery of that 1250cc V-twin means you can spend less time dancing through the gearbox, instead relying on the hard acceleration to slingshot you between apexes. There is some transmission snatch if you get your gear selection a little bit wrong, but it’s an otherwise forgiving delivery. The Classic looks, well, classic and has a lot of old-school features when it comes to the riding experience Now out of the forest, we took a break in a carpark on the coast where the waves smashing against the rocks indicated the run down Highway 1 to Santa Cruz will be more exposed to the elements. I made a beeline for the only bike in the line-up with a windshield fitted as standard, the Super Scout. As well as non-lockable and water-resistant panniers, it gets wire-spoked wheels, while the windshield itself is a quick-release removable affair – perfect for those riders tossing up between it and the Classic. The screen itself wasn’t tall enough to keep wind off my helmet. In fact my shorter stature meant it directed any air coming off the screen directly at it but I suspect taller riders would feel the benefits of the screen in keeping the wind off their chests and I’d be certain there will be a bevy of taller or shorter options in the accessories catalogue. The following morning, we headed inland towards California’s iconic Redwood forests and the hundreds of kilometres of twisty roads that traverse them. The Classic and Super Scout get wire wheels I was both grateful for and lamenting the fact that I was on the Sport, one of two 19-inch front wheel Scouts that make up the 2025 range. I was pleased because it took far less inputs from me to flick the bike from side to side – but having the ability to ride fast with more ease meant I didn’t get as much time as I’d like to take in my surroundings, which are some of the oldest forests in the world. I was on the all-black Sport, which is probably my favourite in terms of appearance. It combines the chopped rear fender and ’bar-end mirrors of the Bobber with a quarter fairing, handlebar risers, mag wheels and blacked-out everything. As the ancient trees towered above me and the tight twisties opened up into longer more open sweepers I became really aware that the Sport would benefit from a stronger braking package – it’s okay but probably not befitting of a bike employing the Sport moniker. Which is why I was really glad I left the 101 Scout until the very end. The non-adjustable right-way-up 41mm fork in the previous four models are replaced with a fully-adjustable upside-down 43mm unit with 150mm of travel on offer, 30mm more than its stablemates. Likewise, where the Bobber, Classic, Sport and Super Scout get a single 298mm disc and a no-name twin-pot caliper front set-up, the 101 gets a pair of Brembo monoblock four-piston calipers gripping 320mm discs. The difference is stark. It’s only one kilogram heavier than the Sport, too, and 19kg lighter than the Super Scout, so between its superior suspension and braking packages and its increased engine performance, you really do notice that you’re on the cream of the crop. There’s a heap of confidence afforded by the Metzeler Cruisetec hoops which adorn the 101 (and the Sport) and the five-spoke mags feel lighter than the Sport’s eight-spokers, just in the ease in which it turns. Aimed, I suspect, at the rider who wants the bells and whistles of the FTR, but the characteristics of a cruiser, I would have liked Indian to have dialled a little bit more ground clearance into the 101 just so those higher quality appointments could be better exploited. Because as Shana explained to me, “101 wouldn’t have been 101 without extra everything”. The Super Scout is the most touring-oriented of the five variants Despite the extra suspension travel, all five seat heights are quoted to be the same 654mm, which really underlines just how accessible the Scout platform is. For those who are wondering about its name, the 101 is a tribute to the 101 Scout that debuted in 1928 as the first update to the much-loved original Scout. With a longer wheelbase, increased rake and lowered seat, it was said to have exceptional handling with some even referring to it as the best motorcycle ever made. The latest iteration is not perfect. It, and in fact all of the bikes I rode with the digital dash, suffered a few gremlins on start-up – a software glitch Indian assured me will be fixed by the time the production models hit dealer showrooms in Australia this July. The tall first gear (used to help navigate ever-tightening ride-by noise standards) is hard work in congested areas and I found the routing of the rear cylinder’s header pipe unsuited to my seating position, with an uncomfortable amount of heat being thrown on to my right thigh, especially when stationary. But after riding the 2025 101 Scout, experiencing its extra everything, I was now even more perplexed why the largest product launch in the history of Indian Motorcycle stuck with a featureless analogue dash as standard and mandatory ABS as the sole rider aid on the brand’s all-important entry point. Because if there’s one rider who’s looking for the safety benefits of traction control and a softer ride mode, surely it’s the entry-level rider. Of course I understand the cost benefits but I put the question to a lot of Indian personnel involved in the project. It was Shana who made it clear. “Many customers buying an American motorcycle are purists; they don’t want the tech, they want their bike to be raw,” she said. “Those riders don’t get on their bike to be in this world of tech – that’s why we ended up with the tech packages. We didn’t want to take away that raw just you and the wind and a motorcycle – and it’s those purists who we need to keep around.” So what I initially dismissed as an oversight is in fact a well-researched and conscious decision to appeal to all midsize cruiser owners. And hats off to Indian for the convincing execution. Simple and clean The design team, lead by the legendary Ola Stenegard, put a lot of work into achieving a clean timeless design. Stenegard said he took a lot of inspiration from what he calls “American surfacing”, which appears on classic American cars. Less cool The switch to a tubular-steel frame has been made possible in part to a new radiator that’s 22 percent smaller than before, which now allows it to hide between the frame’s down tubes. The less prominent cooler adds to that cleaner, simple look. Talent scout At the heart of the Scout is the all-new 1250cc SpeedPlus 60-degree V-twin engine that, in standard form, produces 79kW (105hp) of power and 109Nm of torque. The calibration of the 101 Scout gives it another six horses to 82kW (111hp). Open tank The fuel tank’s capacity has increased by 375ml for 2025, which Indian claims will get you a further 32 kays down the road thanks to the more efficient engine. None of the five models use a lockable fuel cap and the tank capacity is quoted at 13L. Wide appeal When the accessories catalogue is made available, Indian says between the different options of seats, footpegs, handlebars and risers, there’ll be no less than 30 different ergonomic options available to Scout owners. PROS: The power delivery of the SpeedPlus 1250 is smooth and engaging and there’s a Scout model to suit all tastes and, I assume, budgets. CONS: The tall first gear can be hard work, the standard ergonomics more accommodating and the rear header pipe needs a better heat shield. TEST: KEL BUCKLEY PHOTOGRAPHY: INDIAN MOTORCYCLE THE LINE-UP Scout Bobber: $22,995-$24,995 ride away The entry point to the Scout platform, its chopped fenders, single seat and ’bar-end mirrors epitomise the moniker. It rolls on 16-inch wheels at both ends, features an all-black engine and exhaust and there’s only 51mm of travel in the rear end. Scout Classic: $23,495-$25,495 ride away Aimed at the traditionalists, the Classic’s long fenders, pulled-back ’bar and chrome exhaust and engine accents match the bike’s chrome wire wheels and conventional mirrors. Like the Bobber, it rolls on 16-inch wheels but the rear shocks get 76mm of travel. Scout Sport: $23,995-$25,995 ride away Speaking to the custom scene, the Scout Sport gets 150mm ’bar risers, a machined triple clamp and a slightly higher seat back. There’s a quarter fairing, a 19-inch front wheel with machined highlights and 76mm of rear suspension travel. Super Scout: $26,995 With a quick-release windshield and panniers as standard, the Super Scout is aimed at the touring end of the cruiser scene. It has 16-inch wire-spoked wheels, 76mm of rear travel, provision for a pillion and comes with the Limited+Tech pack as standard. 101 Scout: $27,995 The cream of the crop, the 101 Scout gets more horsepower dialled in, fully adjustable suspension at both ends, a twin-disc Brembo front end and premium paint. There’s 150mm gloss black ’bar risers, a custom-stitched solo seat and the full-fruit electronics package. MR PRESIDENT Mike Dougherty has been at Polaris for 26 years and was appointed President of Indian Motorcycle in 2019 Where are the bikes being manufactured? All the heavyweights and all bikes for North America are produced in our Spirit Lake Iowa facility. We have a factory in Poland where all the mid-sized – so FTR and Scout – for Europe and Eastern Africa are built. Polaris had a factory there already, so it helps not only with logistics, but also when we had some trade disputes. We’re opening up a factory in Vietnam where Scouts will be built for all of the Asian markets plus Australia. We’ve been building bikes there now for a couple of years but the Scout line opened on 16 April. How important is the Scout in Southeast Asia? Scout is the highest volume in Asia. Half of our volume for Scout is outside the US, and I would say one third of that volume is in Asia. But we need it to be more. We’ve been exporting them from Iowa, while all of our competition has a Thai factory or an Indian factory, and we’ve been paying 25 percent duties. Also the time and the freight is expensive. Is a joint venture on the radar? We’ve had a joint venture with VPIC, in Vietnam, for components for a while; chassis, for example. Metal stamping, forging, welding… that’s their thing. We’ve had partnerships in the past, but we’ve never been able to find that perfect partner. We think Indian is super special and finding a partner – they always want more than we want to give, so it’s hard to find that strategic alignment. We have enough scale now that we can do it ourselves. Polaris is big and we think Indian is going to be big. And so we’re going to do it our way. We don’t have to compromise. Would a small-capacity Indian make sense in the Asian market? Trying to grow businesses in Asia in particular, having a smaller capacity motorcycle would be really great. The problem for us is being able to get the volume and the price point to compete against excellent competitors – the Bajas, the Heros – their operational excellence is really impressive. So no small-capacity offering in the short or medium term? Probably not in the 300-500cc category, I don’t know how we’d compete in that. But something smaller than a 1250 or 999 makes sense to me. Where it’s still premium, it’s still an aspirational spot. Does Polaris still own electric brand Brammo? We dissolved that. No, that didn’t work out. We made that Victory Empluse. I think people enjoyed the bike but it cost us $20k to build it and people bought it for $12k, so it’s just not a business. We partnered with Zero Motorcycles for [Polaris] off-road vehicles and we’ve looked at it on the motorcycle side, but it’s just such a small market right now. We’re always monitoring it, but when you look at where you’re going to spend your next dollar on product development, we don’t see electric motorcycles as being the next great thing for us. THE TECH OPTIONS Standard Aimed very much at the purists, the standard package consists of an analogue dash with a fuel gauge and economy counter, non-switchable ABS and LED lighting. Bobber, Classic and Sport owners can choose between all three tech trims. Limited The Limited tech package adds switchable traction control and cruise control to the electronic rider aids, as well as three switchable engine maps in Sport, Standard and Tour. The Limited options adds a USB outlet, but not phone connectivity. Limited+Tech Standard fitment on both the Super Scout and the Scout 101, the Limited+Tech pack adds a coloured touchscreen dash to the mix, turn-by-turn navigation, configurable gauges, ride stats and keyless ignition. Connectivity is available through Indian’s Ride Command app. SPECS ENGINE Capacity 1250cc Type 60º V-twin, DOHC, four valves per cylinder Bore & stroke 104mm x 73.6mm Compression ratio 12.5:1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI, 60mm throttle bodies Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate Final drive Belt PERFORMANCE Power 79kW (105hp) @ 7250rpm 101: 82kW (111hp) @ 7250rpm (claimed) Torque 108Nm @ 6300rpm 101: 109Nm @6300rpm (claimed) Top speed 185km/h (est) Fuel consumption 6.5L/100km (avg) ELECTRONICS Type Not given Rider aids ABS. 101 & Super Scout: ABS, Traction control and cruise control Rider modes Not applicable 101 & Super: Sport, Standard & Tour CHASSIS Frame material Tubular steel Frame type Double cradle Rake 29° Trail 123mm Bobber: 125mm Wheelbase 1562mm SUSPENSION Type Indian Front: 41mm fork, 120mm travel 101: 43mm USD fork, fully adjustable, 150mm travel Rear: Dual shocks, preload adjustable, 76mm travel Bobber: 51mm travel 101: Dual piggyback shocks, fully adjustable, 76 mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Classic & Super Scout: 40-spoke wire; Bobber & Sport: 8-spoke cast; 101: 5-spoke cast Front: Classic, Bobber & Super Scout: Front: 16 x 3.5 Rear: 16 x 3.5 Sport & 101: Front 19 x 3.5 Rear 16 x 3.5 Tyres Classic: Pirelli Night Dragon Bobber: MT60RS/Night Dragon Super Scout: MT60RS Sport & 101: Metzeler Cruisetec Front: 130/90-16 101 & Sport: 130/60-19 Rear: 150/80-16 Brakes Front: Single 298mm disc, twin-piston caliper 101: Twin 320mm discs, four-piston Brembo calipers Rear: Single 298mm disc, single-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight Classic: 243kg, Bobber: 237kg, Sport: 239kg, Super: 259kg, 101: 240kg (dry, claimed) Seat height 654mm Width Not given Height Not given Length Not given Ground clearance 113mm Bobber:109mm Fuel capacity 13L SERVICING & WARRANTY Servicing First: 1000km Minor: 8000km. Major: 16,000km Warranty Two years, unlimited km BUSINESS END Price TBC Colour options 18 options Contact indianmotorcycle.com.au The post 2025 INDIAN SCOUT appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

If it’s a retro vibe and an air-cooled swagger you want, the latest R 12 nineT might be the last bike you ever buy. Creating a retro motorcycle is a tricky business. Nostalgia must blend with modernity. The past must be celebrated while designing for the fast-changing needs of today’s markets. And whatever balance of old and new the manufacturer comes up with, for every person who applauds its looks and style, another half dozen will fold their arms and say, no, that’s wrong. Enter the BMW R 12 nineT. The first serious update of the decade-old R nineT boxer twin, and perhaps the most satisfyingly blended retro yet to come from the German manufacturer. There’s a new, lighter chassis and thoroughly updated electronics, a sleeker look and generous scope for customisation too. The price is $26,495 – a fraction more than the older model’s – although most owners will undoubtedly bloat that figure by adding a few pricey accessories. Amidst all this change and demand for customisation is the small matter of an 1170cc air-cooled boxer engine which, with BMW celebrating its centenary year, can be traced all the way back to 1923. On start up, there’s still that timelessboxer rocking movement at idle as the venerable shaft-driven twin warms its cooling fins, followed by a trademark bark when the throttle is blipped. It makes you realise how refined and smooth modern, liquid-cooled BMW boxers have become and also appreciate the character and mechanical feel of the older design. Peak power remains at the R nineT’s 80kW (107hp) but arrives 250rpm earlier, with peak torque now 115Nm at 6500rpm, which is 1Nm less and 500rpm higher in the rev range. Changes to the four-valves-per-cylinder, DOHC engine are minimal, although a new airbox is positioned under the seat to eliminate the air intake duct that ran down the right-hand side of the R nineT’s tank and the exhaust has also been redesigned. Can’t get more old school than megaphone silencers Once on the move, the age and character of the boxer continue to show. There’s a slight pull from the shaft drive under heavy acceleration and, despite having an optional quickshifter fitted for the first time, the gearbox is hardly quick or slick by modern standards. The fueling, however, is perfect – soft and sweetly metered in Road and Rain modes, with Dynamic mode adding urgency to throttle inputs without being overly aggressive – while improvements to low and midrange drive make a noticeable difference to the older bike. The drive from as low as 2000rpm is now as clean as it is enormously strong. Even short shifting at 4000rpm results in an old-school Bavarian surge that straightens arms in a very special way. Hustling the R 12 nineT through mountain passes was a torque-fuelled joy. I left the new quickshifter alone and ran a couple of gears too high, the rich and all-enveloping torque making life so easy. The R12 likes a few revs, too, and can deliver a decisive turn of speed for a fast overtake. Switch off the traction control (do-able on the move) and it will happily pop the front wheel up with nonchalant ease. If this all sounds familiar, the same can’t be said of the chassis, which is fully refreshed for 2024. The frame is lighter, although at 220kg wet the R 12 nineT is only 1kg lighter. Wheelbase goes out to 1511mm from 1487mm, and the steering relaxes a little with a new rake angle of 27.7 degrees compared to the R nineT’s 26.8 degrees. The front suspension features a similar but smaller-diameter 45mm upside-down fork while the directly connected rear shock is now mounted at an angle rather than upright. Twin-disc brakes have plenty of stopping power and the cornering ABS isn’t intrusive BMW’s cornering ABS Pro is standard while the brakes themselves are four-piston radial monobloc calipers and twin 310mm discs at the front, with a two-piston caliper and 265mm disc at the rear. On the road, the chassis mirrors the languid feeling of the engine. It’s not pin-sharp or fast steering, instead it rolls into corners and finds a natural flow. Stability is as absolute as you’d expect from a long-wheelbase machine with relaxed steering geometry, while the weight distribution and balance feel spot-on for a spirited but controlled ride. Don’t be fooled into thinking this heritage Beemer is exclusively for sensible folk though because, like its engine, the chassis is capable of delivering a surprisingly sporty ride. Unlike some other bikes in this class, ground clearance is good and while the suspension is set for a comfortable ride, it is certainly not too soft or lacking control. At 220kg (wet) there is a fair amount of weight for the brakes to manage but they have loads of feel and stopping power, while intervention from the cornering ABS is minimal, no matter which of the two dry-weather riding modes is selected. Talking of weight, 220kg might sound a little intimidating to smaller riders but the R 12 nineT’s mass is carried typically low in the chassis, giving a lovely low-speed feeling and balance. At 795mm the seat is lower than the old model’s 805mm, while the reshaped tank is also 30mm shorter and places the rider closer to the 870mm-wide handlebar, enhancing the rider’s connection with the front tyre. I felt instantly at home and was comfortable for several hours in the saddle. Tick the optional comfort extras on the configurator and, with cruise control especially, there’s no reason why you couldn’t take on 500 kays in a day or more. On test, our bike returned 4.7L/100km meaning it should get more than 300km between fuel stops if speeds are kept legal-ish. As mentioned, the factory options are seemingly limitless. Our testbike came with the optional 3.5-inch TFT dash ($185), but I’d prefer the standard analogue clocks for a retro machine of this type. While the R12’s keyless ignition is useful you still need to use a key for the fuel cap.] The testbike came with the optional 3.5-inch TFT dash ($185), but many buyers will prefer the standard analogue clocks Overall the standard of equipment is very high, the level of finish is superb and, of course, while other manufacturers in this class work hard to try to disguise their bikes’ radiators, BMW does not. The look is clean. Admittedly, some potential customers are not going to enjoy the R 12 nineT. The rocking movement of the engine, the pull of the shaft drive and a gearbox that isn’t the quickest won’t impress everyone. But, for many, a little personality, just like we had in the old days, will only be a good thing. Furthermore, once you adapt to its quirks, it’s an easy bike to ride. Superbly fueled, it’s enriched with torque from the very bottom of the rev range and can give much ‘faster’ bikes a scare when let off its ultra-cool retro leash. Meanwhile, the revised chassis makes shorter riders welcome, ensures it hustles like all the best boxers, and does so without dragging its ’pegs or pipe on the road. Our tester found the R12 nineT had plenty of ground clearance and an engine displaying that “old-school Bavarian surge” Yes, the R 12 nineT is an expensive motorcycle. Personalise it with a few options – and let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to? – and you are into serious money. But at least you can see where the money has been spent. Some won’t get it – that’s the nature of the retro beast – but in a class where authenticity is the most valuable commodity of all, the quality, character and mechanical intimacy of this air-cooled boxer will be exactly what many want from a retro. Down and out The 2024 bike’s wheelbase is up from 1487mm to 1511mm and the overall length is up from 2105mm to 2130mm. Longer and lower, the seat height has dropped 10mm to 795mm. Breathe deeper The airbox has moved under the now-lower seat, which removes the side air duct that ran down the right-hand side of the old bike. The cleaner design shows the air-cooled boxer. Finned twin The air-cooled boxer twin remains from the previous model, with 80kW arriving at 7000rpm. Peak torque is a fraction down by 1Nm, but still an impressive 115Nm at 6500rpm. Switch hitter Three riding modes, Road, Rain and Dynamic, which deliver different throttle maps and are connected to the lean-sensitive traction control. TC can be switched on and off on the move. Needles and pins Standard clocks are traditional analog items, speedo, and rev counter, with a small digital display to select menus and give a gear position. There’s an optional smaller TFT item. PROS: Authentic, beautifully finished retrobike with big-bike performance. CONS: It’s pretty expensive given the lack of engine development. TEST: ADAM CHILD PHOTOGRAPHY: SUPPLIED SPECS ENGINE Capacity 1170cc Type Horizontally opposed twin, four valves per cylinder Bore & stroke 107mm x 73mm Compression ratio 12.0:1 Cooling Air Fueling EFI Transmission Six-speed Clutch Dry, single-disc Final drive Shaft PERFORMANCE Power 80kW (107hp) @ 7000rpm (claimed) Torque 115Nm @ 6500rpm (claimed) Top speed 225km/h (est) Fuel consumption 4.7L/100km (measured) ELECTRONICS Type Not given Rider aids Traction control and Cornering ABS Rider modes Rain, Road and Dynamic CHASSIS Frame material Tubular steel Frame type Trellis Rake 27.7° Trail 110.7mm Wheelbase 1511mm suspension Type BMW Front: 45mm USD fork, fully adjustable, 120mm travel Rear: Monoshock, fully adjustable, 120mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Cast aluminium Front: 17 x 3.5 Rear: 17 x 5.5 Tyres Continental ContiRoad Front: 120/70ZR17 Rear: 180/55ZR17 Brakes BMW Front: Twin 310mm discs, four-piston caliper Rear: Single 265mm disc, twin-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 220kg (wet, claimed) Seat height 795mm Width 870mm Height 1070mm Length 2130mm Ground clearance Not given Fuel capacity 16L SERVICING & WARRANTY Servicing First: 1000km Minor: 15,000km Major: 30,000km Warranty Three years, unlimited kilometres BUSINESS END Price From $26,495 (ride away) Colour options Blackstorm Metallic, San Remo Green or Opt 719 Contact www.bmw-motorrad.com.au The post 2024 BMW R 12 NINET appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

The hulking, matt black, anti-social, licence-shredding Indian Sport Chief is the most recent player in that oversized hooligan bike sector perhaps started by the Yamaha V-Max back when Super Mario Brothers hit gaming consoles for the first time. It’s a sector where the language is in Newton metres rather than kilowatts and whose participants get invited to the Christmas parties of their local tyre retailer whom they’ve made wealthy thanks to their frequent custom. The Sport is the, well, sporty version of Indian’s updated Chief line-up, which came out a couple of years ago and sits among the Dark Horse, Bobber Dark Horse and Super Chief Limited. These models are the brand’s boulevard-bashing cruisers and are a big-engined step up from the 1133cc Scout range. They are minimal in equipment when compared to the pannier and bodywork Bagger and Touring Indians, and share the air-cooled 1890cc twin of all but the highest specced in the range. Case in Chief The Sport was launched mid last year and differentiates itself from the other Chiefs with uprated suspension and brakes, slightly sharper steering geometry and a footpeg position which sits somewhere between the ergonomics of highway ’pegs and rearsets. The bikini fairing is another individual touch in a platform which includes the air-cooled Thunderstroke 116 (1890cc) twin engine, fancy-pants four-inch touchscreen and more kilograms than are safe in some elevators. At 311kg wet, it’s not the lightest Chief (the Bobber is 304kg) but, to put things into perspective, it is 100kg lighter than the full-dress Indian Pursuit Limited. Choice of displays on the TFT screen that has a hint of Old School style but impessed Stretch In spite of, or perhaps because of, its pork, the Sport looks damned cool. Its sweeping, low-slung profile is cruiser art and the designers have done a great job of marrying the bikini fairing angles to match the lines of the teardrop petrol tank to create a visual flow back through the subframe to the rear axle. The high handlebar, which sits on six-inch risers, in my view detracts a little from that aesthetic, which is best expressed in Indian’s Scout Bobber with its lower ’bar. You can go even higher with a 10-inch riser kit to nudge it towards that apehanger look if that’s your bag, but I’d be dispensing with the risers altogether and opting for the shorter screen accessory just to accentuate that old-school stance. It’d also be matt black (Black Smoke), which is one of the 2023 model’s three colour choices – the matt red (Ruby Smoke) is less subtle and the glossy grey (Stealth Grey) is a bit meh. If you don’t like these last two options, there are new colours coming soon. Tried and true, that 1890cc (116 cu in) V-twin engine punches all the way from 2000rpm to the redline, chirping the rear tyre along the way You’re on your own The solo seat was a disappointment to my wife, who was equally impressed by the styling when the bike arrived at home. Were we to invest in such a machine, pillion ’pegs and the Chief Syndicate Seat option would be among the accessories we’d opt for. ‘Syndicate’ is an odd name for what appears to be a miserly effort at pillion comfort as there doesn’t appear to be room for more than one other let alone a syndicate of people. Perhaps the suggestion is that more than one is a crowd on the Sport as all the other options are solo as well, including a ‘Reduced Reach’ seat for “inseam-challenged riders” (Indian’s words, not mine). As the name suggests, the seat makes it easier to reach the wide ’bar but, in stock configuration, this is a Stretch-sized ’bike and my 193cm frame fits nicely. The footpeg position is nice and neutral, and after four hours in the saddle I didn’t suffer any unusual aches and pains from the riding position. When tackling the bends, I felt relaxed and in control with the ’bar close enough to allow positive input without feeling like I was reaching, although I’d love to give it a go with the lower ’bar accessory option. Commander in Chief Hit the bike’s ‘On’ button (it’s keyless and PIN-enabled if you forget your fob) and the touch-sensitive TFT command centre displays a dramatic start-up animation and warning about getting distracted by all the wondrous digital magic it promises while operating the motorcycle. With good reason. The system not only provides the basics like speed, tacho and fuel, but has inbuilt navigation and Bluetooth enabling control of what tunes play in your helmet, if you had such an option. Flick through the various screens (it works with gloves on) and you will find controls to switch between the three engine performance settings, trip details including elevation and fuel economy information, and even a rear cylinder deactivation option designed to make things marginally less sweaty ’twixt the thighs when stopped at the traffic lights. Stretch would have liked to get rid of the handlbar risers Much of this can be controlled by the trigger switches on the back of the switchblocks where your high-beam flasher might be on other bikes. So, without taking your hands off the ’bar, you can take phone calls, control the music and scroll through screen options. Among those options is the choice of two speedo dashes, one with pretty much all the information in a bright and neat analogue style layout, the other primarily a tacho with large speed numbers in the middle, presumably for when exploring the outer reaches of 162Nm when any other information would be superfluous. Crack addict There is no question that acceleration will win this stonking 1890cc V-twin beasty many fans as there is nothing like the fluttery feeling in your gut when you crack open the throttle (select Sport mode for extra ‘crack’, not Touring which is more plumber’s crack) and storm down the tarmac with the rear hoop scrabbling for grip. It verily punches from 2000rpm through peak torque at 3200rpm all the way to the 5000rpm redline with the cam coming on in a wondrous sonnet through the pipe until the fear of sirens and flashing lights tempers the urge for more. Rear shocks worked surprisingly well on rough roads So can a 311kg cruiser, whose natural habitat is cruising beach roads on warm days, really have Sport in its name? If the sport was weightlifting, then yes! It’s got enough grunt to haul caravans (not recommended), but even the first roll out of the distributor’s carpark insisted that Indian’s chassis engineering department had created much more than a straight-line missile. Master Chief Using the Chief range for reference, at 28 degrees, the Sport’s rake is one degree steeper than the other three and trail has been reduced from 132mm to 111mm. It shares the 19-inch front and 16-inch rear wheel of the Bobber (the other pair of Chiefs get 16s front and rear) but, oddly, the 1640mm wheelbase is 14mm longer than all the others, which seems to go against the effort to make it more nimble, if you can use such a word to describe this brute. A familiarisation tour of the carpark revealed that the Sport changes direction surprisingly well and doesn’t have that heavy flop at low speed which was an annoyance of older cruisers. At the first roundabout the Sport demonstrated a sure-footed ease as it changed direction, helped by the low centre of gravity between the cases. So what else was there to do but go barrelling into tight corners on winding backroads to explore the limits of ground clearance? You’ll leave big chicken strips on the rear tyre thanks to the cornering clearance Sorry, Chief The first scrape was unexpected and gave me a moment causing me to instinctively stand the bike up, but I was able to get back into the corner without getting luridly out of shape or running wide. That’s largely due to the dual Fox piggyback rear shocks and 46mm KYB inverted front fork keeping all that weight floating nicely over the Pirelli Night Dragons and everything pointing in the right direction. Fork dive is present under heavy braking but it’s minimal, while bumps and humps are well absorbed so only a muted jolt is transferred through the seat rather than a more jarring spine compression. In this environment it’s never a wrestle to change direction. It’s not sportsbike sharp and requires positive input but holds its line with enough in reserve to allow alteration if required. Yes, the corner clearance means there is wasted potential here, as told by the width of the chicken strip on the rear tyre, but it serves to remind us that the simple laws of physics mean you can’t have great corner clearance and maintain that cool cruiser stance at the same time. It’s not a long journey, sadly. The stubby hero knobs on those mid-set ’pegs are drawing lines on the tarmac just when you start to imagine embarrassing the pilots of sportier steeds. Whoa up The days of crappy US cruiser stoppers are a distant memory and twin discs squeezed by four-piston calipers have become de rigueur. The Sport goes a step farther by employing Brembo four-piston calipers and 320mm discs and, by crikey, I’m glad they did because hauling up some 410kg of cruiser and Stretch in Sport mode takes some hauling up. A firm squeeze invokes instant and progressive deceleration and I didn’t notice fade even after 25km of assertive bend bashing. The unbranded rear twin-piston caliper on 300mm disc also provides decent braking force so it never feels like you don’t have a fighting chance to bail out if things go pear shaped. Incidentally, the rear brake fluid reservoir is mounted next to the foot lever with the brake line feeding down under the front of the chassis. There must be some sensible reason for this, other than the opportunity to get the word ‘Indian’ in clear view on the bike for the 22nd time, as it potentially exposes the line to stone damage. Seat options were a matter of robust discussion in the Stretch household Chief commuter While docile commuting work might not be the best use of the Sport Chief’s time, it does the job well enough. I preferred to be in Standard engine mode as Sport can be too aggressive in that environment and Touring took away too much of that gorgeous throttle response. The gearbox responds best to firm and deliberate use of the foot lever, especially on upshifts when any hurry up will be met with stubborn resistance and a sore toe. Not that there’s any great need to explore the ratios, given the great globs of torque. Short-shifting up to third gear is pretty much all you need to do until you get on the highway. When getting up it for the rent on a winding road, again firm but well-timed upshifts are most rewarding, and who doesn’t love stomping the lever on the way back down? On a 35°C day during a long ride through town, I tried out the rear cylinder deactivation feature, which (when activated) shuts down the rear pot when the throttle is closed at idle and engine temperature is high. The idea is to reduce the heat coming off the rear cylinder head positioned just below your reproductive organs, presumably to promote the propagation of more Indian motorcycle fans, if not for comfort. I gotta say I didn’t notice a whole lot of difference in temperature – the cylinder and header pipe still chuck out plenty of heat – but some people swear by it. LED lighting means you can have Old School styling with effective, long-life illumination Time’s up, sport Dealing with engine heat and a lack of corner clearance are compromises we have become prepared to accept when venturing into the world of big-bore V-twin hooligan bikes. The reward for doing so is to be in possession of iconically cool styling and drag strip performance that is expressed well by the Indian Sport Chief. That low-slung cruiser stance finished in matt black is gorgeous and there is little compromise in the attention to detail, which was a niggle of older models. I also like the modern touches, such as the clear and functional display and cruise control. Even the LED headlight, which is a horizontal strip in low beam, adds to the overall aesthetic. It’s comfortable, oh-so powerful and just as at home on a weekend backroad scratch as it is posing on a beach boulevard making it a true sport cruiser. PROS: Hair-on-fire acceleration; handles much better than it should; easy-to-read and informative display screen. CONS: Party-pooping ground clearance; hot thighs from the rear cylinder; exposed rear brake reservoir. TEST: JUSTIN ‘STRETCH’ LAW PHOTOGRAPHY: ROB MOTT Rear cylinder deactivation Keeping the inner thigh on your right leg from becoming bacon on a warm day is the thinking behind the rear-cylinder deactivation system switchable on the dash. It didn’t seem to make a whole lot of difference, but some riders love it. Touchy subject The lightly spring-loaded footpegs, which are in a comfortable mid-chassis spot, could perhaps be a bit shorter to give just that little bit more clearance the performance of the Sport cries out for. Rear brake reservoir It’s difficult to understand if the idea of putting the rear brake reservoir next to the foot lever was for styling or because it wouldn’t fit anywhere else. It does look kinda cool, but it doesn’t look like it would take much of a rock hit to do some expensive damage. Who needs Netflix? Indian’s four-inch thin-film-transistor touchscreen display features a butt-load of information from very useful things like fuel range and speed to less useful things like elevation. When hooked up to the app, it will control your tunes and smartphone as well. Top-spec stoppers Brembo looks after the four-pot front calipers each side of the 19-inch front wheel. Indian has gone to one of the big brands on brakes to help sell the Sport title and has chosen well, given the solid feel and stopping power. SPECS ENGINE Capacity 1890cc Type V-twin, hydraulic lifters, two valves per cylinder Bore & stroke 103.2mm x 113mm Compression ratio 11.1:1 Cooling Air Fueling EFI, ride-by-wire Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate Final drive Belt PERFORMANCE Power Not given Torque 162Nm @ 3200rpm (claimed) Top speed 180km/h (est) Fuel consumption 5.1L/100km (measured) ELECTRONICS Type Not given Rider aids ABS, rear-cylinder deactivation Rider modes Sport or Touring CHASSIS Frame material Tubular steel Frame type Cradle Rake 28° Trail 111mm Wheelbase 1640mm SUSPENSION Type KYB/Fox Front: 43mm non-adjustable USD fork, 130mm travel Rear: Dual piggyback shocks, preload adjustable, 100mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Cast aluminium Front: 19 x 3.5 Rear: 16 x 5.0 Tyres Pirelli Night Dragon Front: 130/60-19 Rear: 180/65-16 Brakes Brembo Front: Single 320mm discs, four-piston calipers Rear: Single 300mm disc, twin-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 311kg (wet, claimed) Seat height 686mm Width 842mm Height 1270mm Length 2301mm Cornering clearance 29.5° Fuel capacity 16.1L SERVICING & WARRANTY Servicing First: 1000km Minor: 8000km Major: 15,000km Warranty Two years, unlimited kilometres BUSINESS END Price From $32,995 (ride away) Colour options Black Smoke, Ruby Smoke, Stealth Gray Contact www.indianmotorcycle.com.au The post INDIAN SPORT CHIEF appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

There’s a new 2024 Yamaha WR450F in town and AMCN sent two-time AORC E3 champ Geoff Braico to see if it lives up to Yamaha’s claims that it’s the ‘master of all trades’. Here is his verdict: Based on Yamaha’s latest YZ450F platform, the Japanese company is claiming the new WR450F is slimmer, lighter and lower, while the 2024 engine is said to be more tractable with longer and stronger pulling power. The reverse-facing engine remains at the helm of the Yamaha WR450F but a lot of focus has been put on reducing weight and lowering the centre of gravity. The engine has had a significant refresh, including larger 39mm-diameter intake valves, a new piston, crankshaft and balancer, while the model has adopted a dry sump for 2024. Engine is a full 1.5kg lighter than the previous model as well as having upgraded internals and a dry sump A lot of the engine components have been lightened, contributing to the fact that the 2024 engine is a full 1.5kg lighter than the outgoing one. Improvements have also been made to the five-speed transmission, which now features wider-ratio gears more suited to enduro duties, while the cable-operated clutch is lighter and more compact – again for more feel and less weight. There’s a new ECU, aimed at making the WR more useable and rider friendly than its harder-edged YZ brother. The free Yamaha Power Tuner app is also there if you need it, benefitting from the recent updates it received as part of the YZ’s refresh (see sidebar), and the new muffler is shorter – again, good for centralising the mass – and it finishes off the overall look of the bike nicely in my opinion. Robust and foldable levers and ’pegs The chassis is carried over from the new YZ450 and is 15mm lower at the steering head than the previous model. The new fuel tank sits lower in the frame, as does the pump inside the tank. Like the engine, all is manufactured to be more compact. Compared to the YZ, the WR’s seat height is 10mm lower thanks to 10mm less suspension travel at each end (more on that shortly), while the seat itself has had some comfort tweaks. The overall width of the bike is now 50mm less than the outgoing WR thanks to more integrated plastics, which not only allow for better movement for the rider, but are also said to improve airflow to the radiators for improved cooling. As well as less travel, for 2024 the 48mm KYB SSS fork gains tool-less adjustment – meaning you don’t need to get off the bike to tweak the compression settings, although Yamaha says the fork’s base setting has been tailored to better suit the WR’s design brief. The less travel (there’s still 300mm) might seem counterintuitive on an enduro machine, but it all works towards that goal of lowering the centre of gravity, meaning the bike can get through a corner quicker and more predictably, while having more intuitive low-speed manoeuvrability. Cable-operated clutch now has a lighter action Like the fork, the KYB rear shock gets updated dampings settings specific to the bike’s genre, with 306mm of available travel. Jumping on the bike, I could immediately feel that it was more compact and comfortable. While the new engine still feels every bit the big 450cc thumper, it’s super friendly. Happy to be revved and ridden aggressively, it’s also more than happy to chug along at slower speeds. The adjustability via the app is a great feature really allowing you to tailor the bike to your exact needs, abilities or riding conditions. As I’ve come to expect on Yamaha enduro bikes, the suspension package is fantastic, offering a great compromise for the WR’s design brief. It’s plush and confidence inspiring, meaning there’s plenty of feel as it soaks up the terrain, yet its speed-sensitive damping means it’s firm enough that you can hit things at a decent clip and it won’t spit you off. Brakes passed the test on a hectic Aussie launch With a new wet weight of just 117kg, the single 270mm front and 240mm rear disc brakes are well and truly up to the job of pulling the WR450 up, and there’s more than enough feel at the lever too. All up, I was really impressed with the new 2024 Yamaha WR450. Yamaha has produced a bike that’s just easy and enjoyable to ride. It has a lot of power but is very useable. The improved app makes it even easier to tailor it to your needs. For me, the KYB suspension is the standout. Between it and the overall lower and more compact package, more riders will now be able to hop on this bike and ride with confidence. PROS: More compact and confidence inspiring than ever thanks to well considered changes that didn’t prioritise performance output. CONS: It’s only available in an all-blue option, which is a bit bland and $18k is a lot of money to throw on a chook chaser. SPECS YAMAHA WR450F ENGINE Capacity 450cc Type Reverse-fed single-cylinder, DOHC, four valves Bore & stroke 97mm x 60.8mm Compression ratio 13.0:1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI Transmission Five-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power Not given Torque Not given Top speed Not measured Fuel consumption Not measured ELECTRONICS Type Yamaha Rider aids Power Tuner app Rider modes Customisable CHASSIS Frame material Aluminium Frame type Bilateral beam Rake 27° Trail 121mm Wheelbase 1470mm SUSPENSION Type KYB Front: 48mm, USD fork, fully adjustable, 300mm travel Rear: Monoshock, fully adjustable, 306mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Wire-spoked alloy Front: 21 x 2.0 Rear: 18 x 3.0 Tyres Dunlop Geomax EN91 Front: 90/90-21 Rear: 140/80-18 BRAKES Front: Single 270mm disc, twin-piston caliper Rear: Single 240mm disc, single-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 117kg (wet, claimed) Seat height 955mm Width 825mm Height 1265mm Length 2170mm Ground clearance 330mm Fuel capacity 7.4L SERVICING & WARRANTY Servicing First: 1000km Warranty Three months, parts only BUSINESS END Price From $17,999 (plus on-road costs) Colour options Team Yamaha Blue Contact www.yamaha-motor.com.au TEST: GEOFF BRAICO PHOTOGRAPHY: IKAPTURE The post 2024 YAMAHA WR450F appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

‘You get what you pay for’ is one of those sayings we comfort ourselves with when the compromises in something that didn’t cost a lot of money become glaring on close inspection. Then you ride the new Triumph 400 models, the sub-$10k Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X, and the narrative switches to, ‘What’s the catch?’ The Scrambler 400X Thing is, there doesn’t appear to be a catch – at least not in the short term. These new Triumphs are, well, triumphs of the rare engineering feat of creating an excellent riding experience with few compromises in build quality for less than $10k ($8990 ride-away for the Speed, $9990 for the Scrambler). Sure, many of its rivals have a lower retail price, but it’s still kind of hard to fathom how Triumph has managed to keep these 398cc single-cylinder, LAMS-approved hybrids of naked streetbike/off-road adventure and old-school styling so cheap. Perhaps the unbranded non-adjustable 43mm fork? Others in this category have adjustment options, but the ones on these Triumphs are pretty good and may have taken a few design cues from a well-known gold-coloured brand. The Speed 400 Is it the ByBre four-piston brakes? These are Brembo’s cheaper option (think Squire if you’re a Fender guitar fan) pinching a 300mm (320mm for the Scrambler) fixed disc. Yes, others offer twin discs but, again, these work just fine. Surely the dash features a simple A and B tripmeter with analogue speedo and tacho? Analogue speedo, yes, and no full-colour TFT to speak of, but the LCD dash arguably suits the genre and displays fuel gauge, range-to-empty, service indicator, clock, average and current fuel consumption, and the switchable traction control. Yes, these bikes even have traction control and ABS, and the Scrambler goes a step farther with anti-lock brakes which you can disable for off-road fun. Then there’s an immobiliser, LED headlights with daytime running lights and a USB-C socket on the side of the instrument cluster. Even the fasteners are the same as the three-times more expensive Tiger. LCD dash displays fuel gauge, range-to-empty, service indicator, clock, average and current fuel consumption, and switchable traction control It seems extremely unfeasible that any manufacturer in their right mind would put all this into a bike and expect to make a margin at the price point Triumph has squeezed it into. The clue is where they’re built – Bajaj Auto in India, a mega factory which churns out a motorcycle every 29 seconds. While Triumph is quick to point out that cheap manufacturing doesn’t mean low standards when you have your best engineers handling quality control, it’s clear that volume is where the money is (see breakout). Just to bring it back a bit, the new 400s are priced at the upper end of the burgeoning sub-400cc LAMS market, but not by much and this sector will make for a very interesting comparo in the future. Anyway, build quality is one thing, but how do they go? Oh, boy. It feels wrong to be gushy when objectivity is your only currency, but from the first 100m to the end of a 190km round trip, it was hard not to be downright impressed by both models’ power characteristics and handling. Whatever black magic Triumph’s engineers weaved into the liquid-cooled, fuel-injected engine and tubular steel chassis with bolt-on subframe and cast-aluminium swingarm has conjured up a package which has more urge and manners than you might expect at this level of the market. It’s worth mentioning that KTM’s RC390, with its 373.2cc single-cylinder engine, comes out of the same factory and this point was raised by a colleague during the launch. But we were assured that there are no shared components between the two brands – Triumph’s 89mm bore x 64mm stroke four-valve DOHC single is all its own. Triumphs 400s Classy-looking flat-track-inspired stacked mufflers on the Scrambler Triumph Australia’s tech guy Cliff Stovall says the engine’s internals look like you’d simply cut two cylinders off the brand’s famous inline-triple. Seat of the pants, it feels like it, too, such is its vibrationless torque up to about 5000rpm. This unlikely smoothness was instantly surprising, as was the urge, the lightness of the ‘torque-assist’ clutch and the responsiveness of the ride-by-wire throttle, which helps facilitate the switchable traction control. Get it up to freeway speeds and the buzz is much more noticeable, but it’s not overly offensive. All this rideability means the design brief of urban commuter has been nailed and a dip into the accessories bin for a topbox ($437.12 which includes mounting kit and luggage rack, but not fitting) means you’d be happily zipping through the traffic on your way to work with ample space for a laptop, gym gear and a cut lunch. Adding to the Speed 400’s commuter chops is the narrow ’bar and light handling thanks to a lively steering geometry and a 17-inch front wheel. The Scrambler gets a 19-inch front wheel (and a few extra accessories) as its major point of difference, and is fitted with Metzeler Karoo ‘all-road’ tyres while the Speed gets Pirelli Rossos. Where are the savings here again? It’s also worth mentioning that I’m 193cm tall and I weigh 100kg so you’d think the Scrambler, with a 835mm seat height (the Speed is 790mm), would be the natural choice. It does feel more like I’m sitting ‘in’ the Scrambler’s cockpit, but the Speed 400 wasn’t too small. The footpegs are set back so they don’t drive my knees up into the handlebars, and there’s plenty of room on the seat to move around. Still, the Scrambler does feel more Stretch size and I like the headlamp cage, handguards (no, they don’t have aluminium reinforcement) and twin mufflers which, along with the bigger front wheel, add an extra grand to the price. The larger front wheel on the Scrambler, longer wheelbase and 20mm extra suspension travel means it’s less willing to turn into corners and change direction. Not hugely – we’re not talking top-heavy first-generation Speed Triple here – it just takes a little more of an ask of the inside of the ’bar when you want to turn in. Some riders on our launch found that to be preferable as it inspired a little more confidence, but I loved the Speed 400’s willingness to change direction and hold its line. This was tested on some of the twisty backroads north of Melbourne where I reckon I had the most fun on a motorcycle under $9000 that I can remember (early-onset dementia notwithstanding). Firstly, that peach of an engine (which can rev all the way to 11,500rpm!) has a perceptible surge of power from just before peak torque (37.5Nm) kicks in at around 6500rpm to when the kilowatts top out at 8000rpm. This ‘powerband’ fairly launches the bike out of corners and gives you around 2000-3000rpm of performance which encourages further exploration. Throw the Speed at a corner and it becomes a dance with the front and rear brakes. Grab a fist full of brake lever and the front-end dives on that non-adjustable 43mm fork, but a little dab of that floating-caliper 230mm rear brake levels things out and the bike rails around corners beautifully. It inspires loads of confidence and the generous cornering clearance makes for a competent Sunday scratcher. What it also means is that there is enough in this bike to keep newer riders interested as their ability improves so they may be kept long after the P-plate comes off the back. Not that we tested this, but I reckon the Scrambler would be just as much fun on dirt roads with those Karoos and torque punch. So, if you were aspiring to the adventure bike market, this is a very good entry point. Which is why these bikes exist. Before these new 400s, Triumph didn’t really have a learner friendly introduction into its brand, aside from its Trident 660 and LAMS approved Daytona 660, which new riders perhaps found a little intimidating. It was a glaring gap in a market which has become insanely popular, so it made sense for Triumph to go hard at its first foray into the sector with a platform that looks set to be at the pointy end in sales. What it has achieved is a quality entry point, not only into its range of motorcycles but motorcycling itself, with a pair of bikes that look set to find a solid following in Australia. PROS: Great value for money. Smooth ’round towner. Good spread of power. CONS: Lack of fork adjustability. Engine vibration at freeway speed. More colours please! TEST: JUSTIN ‘STRETCH’ LAW PHOTOGRAPHY DEAN WALTERS Volumetrics Bajaj Auto sold 3.6 million motorcycles in 2023 and is one of many Indian manufacturing conglomerates that have partnerships with savvy, well-known car and motorcycle brands. These major brands are cashing in on low manufacturing costs and the ravenous Indian market to make volume rather than margin the profit generator. Triumph’s partnership with Bajaj Auto was announced in 2020 and the phrase “aspiration and affordable” was used to describe upcoming models, giving clues to the arrival of these new 400s. It was clever thinking for Triumph to launch its first real learner model into a market where bikes sell like iPhones. Judging by the boyish glee of Triumph Australia staff during the Melbourne launch, they are on a winner with international sales exceeding expectation since they were first launched in July last year. Meanwhile, Triumph is making moves in other sectors. The TF 250-X motocross bike (pictured, right) is expected to shove the Hinkley brand firmly into the competitive off-road space and the purchase of Oset electric off-road bikes means they’ll get even dirtier. SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Capacity 398cc Type Single cylinder, DOHC, four valves Bore & stroke 89mm x 64mm Compression ratio 9.5:1 Cooling Liquid Fueling EFI Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate, slip-assist Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 29.4kW (39.4hp) @ 7250rpm (claimed) Torque 37.5Nm @ 6850rpm (claimed) Top speed 180km/h (est) Fuel consumption 2.9L/100km (claimed) ELECTRONICS Type Bosch Rider aids ABS & traction control Rider modes Not applicable CHASSIS Frame material Steel Frame type Backbone Rake: 24.6°. Scrambler: 23.2º Trail 102mm. Scrambler: 108mm Wheelbase 1377mm. Scrambler: 1418mm SUSPENSION Type Not given Front: 43mm, non-adjustable USD fork, 140mm travel. Scrambler: 150mm travel Rear: Monoshock, preload adjustable, 150mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Cast aluminium Front: 17 x 3.0 Rear: 17 x 4.0 Scrambler Front: 19 x 2.5 Rear: 17.3.5 Tyres Pirelli Rosso Scrambler: Metzeler Karoo Street Front: 110/70-17 Rear: 150/60-17 Scrambler Front: 100/90-19 Rear: 140/80-17 Brakes ByBre, ABS Front: Single 320mm disc. Scrambler: 320mm disc, four-piston caliper Rear: Single 230mm disc, single-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 170kg. Scrambler 179kg (wet, claimed) Seat height 790mm. Scrambler: 825mm Width 795mm. Scrambler: 825mm Height 1075mm. Scrambler 1190mm Length Not given Ground clearance Not given Fuel capacity 13L SERVICING & WARRANTY Servicing First: 1000km Minor: 16,000km or 12 months Major: 30,000km Warranty Two years, unlimited kilometres BUSINESS END Price $8990 Scrambler: $9990 (ride away) Colour options Phantom Black, Carnival Red, Caspian Blue. Scrambler: Phantom Black and Silver Ice, Matt Khaki Green and Fusion White, Carnival Red and Phantom Black Contact triumphmotorcycles.com.au The post RETRO COOL TRIUMPH 400 MODELS appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

We sent Justin ‘Stretch’ Law along for a ride on the 2024 Royal Enfield 650 twins, and he came back with some interior decorating tips… and a comprehensive summary of the model updates: My wife loves mid-century modern stuff and has decked out our apartment accordingly. If it was somewhat larger, the updated Royal Enfield Interceptor with the Cali Green teardrop tank might well take pride of place in the living room. Perhaps beneath a Slim Aarons print depicting a California beach in the 1960s, such is the bike’s steadfast adherence to the era. An easy ride for suburban seaside cruising It would be the Interceptor (rather than the Continental GT 650 café racer) because the gorgeous metallic Cali Green only adorns the Interceptor’s tank and we both love that colour. On the other hand, I do like the Conti café racer’s clip-on ’bars, rear-set ’pegs and solo seat cowl. But rather than risk a divorce-threatening argument about which one we would hypothetically settle for, the good news is that all the parts on each model are interchangeable so we could feasibly have both. But making either of these freshened up 650s mere living room ornaments would be a disservice to motorcycles which stop and go much better than their sub-$12k price tag would suggest. When launched in 2018, Royal Enfield created a disturbance with its reimagined parallel twin, doing such a good job with it that the brand single-handedly instigated this midsized-capacity push the market’s currently found itself in. Here was the engine configuration originally designed to power the equivalent of superbikes back in the 1960s and was enormously popular before Honda revolutionised performance with the four-cylinder Honda CB750 in 1969. Stylish exhaust is begging for a bit of modification to get the classic parallel-twin sound out With a bit of modern engineering, Royal Enfield fettled a new 648cc, air/oil-cooled, fuel-injected twin to pump out a respectable 35kW (47hp) and 52.3Nm, and neatly slotted it into a tubular-steel, double-cradle frame designed by legendary chassis fettlers Harris Performance, which RE bought out to work exclusively on its bikes. When selecting the identities for these new offerings, RE went to the natural choice of the Interceptor, which was the last of their big-bore muscle bikes in the Sixties. The other was more inspired. The Continental GT 250 was launched in 1963 as the first café racer to roll off a production line at a time when café racers were being cobbled-together by poor students. It was an enormously popular stroke of marketing genius (see breakout). In 2018, these revitalised models were bestowed upon us as a pair of sexy-as-all-get-out, functional new bikes that seem to be finding their way into more than a few bike journos’ garages. So, you smash open the market with a couple of rippers and the customisers are going nuts because, well, what a great platform, right? And then someone at RE HQ wonders whether a few upgrades might help boost sales or something. Interceptor 650 – petrol tank colour options are a key to model variation And as a result, powder coating, alloy wheels (no more inner tubes!) and a USB port are among the goodie bag of extras which also includes a bunch of fresh colours and an LED headlight. Adherents to tradition will be pleased to know that in keeping with the old-school-cool vibe of the thing, the USB is the older USB-A version, which is just enough to keep your phone or Navman charged. I’ve gotta say, though, the single USB port does look like a bit of an afterthought screwed under the left handlebar. Perhaps they could have taken some cues from popular aftermarket options such as the Hitchcocks Motorcycles unit. It has a fork-mounted bracket and looks like a bought one. Anyway, good on ’em, and quite frankly, if you go looking for electro tech on a Sixties-inspired Royal Enfield, you won’t find much more than an LCD odometer (with A and B trip meters) and fuel gauge… a bloody clock would be nice. But it all helps keep the price under $12k, which is pretty much dirt cheap for such a capable and cool motorcycle. The stealth look, with the powder-coated engine cases and cooling fins, is a matter of taste and will no doubt find a place. Royal Enfield’s marketing department calls it Dark (as in Continental GT 650 Dark) and these options come with unique fuel tank designs reminiscent of the California surfer/beach culture. Perhaps that’s where marketing thought an extra $700 would not be considered too much of a stretch. There are also sundry factory aftermarket bits coloured to match if you really want to blow your budget, which is still well within the realms of most Aussie battlers. Continental GT 650 Anyway, the blacked-out bits are one thing, but the real eye candy is in the range of new fuel tank (and solo-seat cowl for the GT) colours. Each model gets a unique colour palette, with the Interceptor getting the Cali green and the equally gorgeous orange, red and blue as its single-colour options. There are also two-tone vertical and horizontal offerings – I’m also a fan of the black and white with red highlights Black Pearl – while it’s always hard to go past chrome. The options for the Continental GT’s moulded tank are also a mix of solid and two-tone designs – the red is the pick if you want that original café racer style, while the Dark offerings are very much inspired by 1970s surfer culture. Customisation is at the heart of Royal Enfield’s mass appeal and don’t they know it, offering a range of extras to tart things up a bit. The flyscreen, which on its own looks like something you might have worn on your head when invading England in 1066, is an essential to achieve that café racer look, as is the cowled solo seat. Engine protection bars, screw-in “finisher” bits, a taller screen, a touring seat for the GT, heel guards, covers for various engine components and rear-axle bobbins to hoist the bike onto a stand are among the other options. As are soft panniers, which are the size of small courier satchels (they have straps to make them so) and slip on to chrome mounts. They might be adequate for a long weekend away, but you’d be going on your own, because if your pillion is anything like my wife, there’s barely enough room for her toiletries. Instead, these panniers are more suited to an office commute with room for a laptop and a sandwich. Blacked-out styling follows current retro trends If romantic weekends away are part of your thinking, then one option could be to encourage your partner to get one as well. They are learner-approved after all. Finally, the LED headlight and the aluminium switchblocks should not go unmentioned. The switchgear for the starter/kill switch and high beam is still Royal Enfield’s go-to setup of rotating dial arrangement that sits flush with the block and is simple and stylish – I am a fan. As for the LED headlight with the minus sign dividing the high and low beam, it casts a good spread of light, but I wonder how many old-school pedants will replace it with the older quartz halogen unit just to keep with the vintage vibe. You could probably do that without too much hassle, such is the interchangeability of the marque. In its natural habitat of inner-city commuting roads, the 650 is a peach. Tractable and solid through the rev range, from about 2500rpm to the peak power spot at 7150rpm, it chugs along without having to row through the six-speed gearbox. The real surprise came on a strop up through the twisties with a couple of Speed Triple-mounted mates. At the start of the ride, they carefully told me where the planned stops were along the way, just in case we got separated. It was their nice way of saying, you won’t keep up with us, but we’ll wait for you here, here and here. Not only did the Interceptor keep up with them, I nearly overtook one on a corner, such was the clearance and spread of torque and power in the 5000-7000rpm range. The high, wide ’bar made changing direction quick and easy, and the chassis inspired deeper lunges in corners until the suspension stepped in to spoil the party – for context, I’m 100kg. The transition from yanking hard on the single-disc, twin-piston 320mm front brake (the 240mm rear brake didn’t wow me in this environment) to picking up the throttle sometimes induced an unsettling hinging sensation thanks to the fork’s softness and perhaps a little less rebound than is desirable. The collar-adjustable coil-over rear suspension seemed pretty good, so if you’re keen on turning your Interceptor into a back-road scratcher, investing in aftermarket fork internals would be a good start. I sampled the clip-on-fitted GT during the launch and it felt a lot more planted, thanks to the fact that you are hunched more over the front wheel, but I didn’t get to push it as hard, so I can’t make too much of a comparison. By the end of my time with the Interceptor, I started to understand the burgeoning RE customiser community. The possibilities for what I might do with it for not a ridiculous amount of money seemed easily achievable – sharper handling with a fork kit and straight-through exhaust to amplify that parallel-twin burble would be good starts. But I could easily settle for one of the many colour options (okay, the Cali Green), and the ’bar-end mounted mirrors. And that’s the spirit of this fine offering – not so much a blank canvas, but more painting by numbers with a mix of their own well-thought-out touches mixed with a few ideas of my own. Priced between $10,990 (Interceptor 650) and $11,790 (GT 650 Dark) it’s more a question of why wouldn’t you? All I need now is a bigger living room. TEST: JUSTIN LAW PHOTOGRAPHY TOM FOSSATI & MATT HAYMAN + Interchangeable old-school cool on a fantastic engine/chassis platform at great price. – Soft front suspension not suited to pushing beyond the design parameters. THE ORIGINAL CAFÉ RACER While the Interceptor was ponderously slugging it out in the British big-bore stakes, the 250cc single Continental GT was helping to define a whole new genre – the café racer. Design cues came from racebikes of the time, with clip-on handlebars, long, sleek fuel tanks held on with rubber straps, a hump at the rear of the seat, fly screens, exposed-spring rear suspension and rear-set footpegs. Royal Enfield’s clever R&D department saw an opportunity and, after consulting with its young apprentices, developed the first production-built café racer – the Continental GT 250 launched in 1963. It was the fastest 250 of the time, hitting 85mph (137km/h), and became so popular it helped the British company eke out a few more years until its eventual demise in 1971. Meanwhile, RE’s Indian subsidiary was plugging away in the background, pumping out 350cc and 500cc Bullets, and would revitalise the model in 2013 with the Continental GT 535. The single-cylinder café racer retained the styling of the original 250 down to a replica of its jelly-mould tank. SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Capacity 648cc Type Parallel-twin, SOHC, four valves per cylinder Bore & stroke 78mm x 67.8mm Compression ratio 9.5:1 Cooling Air/oil Fueling EFI, with dual throttle bodies Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 34.6kW (46.3hp) @ 7150rpm (claimed) Torque 52.3Nm @ 5650rpm (claimed) Top speed 180km/h (est) Fuel consumption 4.2L/100km (measured) ELECTRONICS Type Bosch Rider aids ABS Rider modes Not applicable CHASSIS Frame material Composite steel Frame type Double cradle Rake 24° Trail 106mm Wheelbase 1400mm SUSPENSION Type Gabriel Front: 41mm, non-adjustable right-way-up fork, 110mm travel Rear: Twin shocks, five-step preload adjustable, 88mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Forged aluminium Front: 18 x 2.5 Rear: 18 x 3.5 Tyres Pirelli Phantom Sportcomp Front: 100/90-18 Rear: 130/70-18 Brakes ByBre, ABS Front: Single 320mm disc, twin-piston caliper Rear: Single 300mm disc, twin-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 202kg (oil, no fuel, claimed) Seat height 804mm Width 789mm Height 1165mm Length 2122mm Ground clearance 174mm Fuel capacity 13.7L SERVICING & WARRANTY Servicing First: 1000km Minor: 5000km Major: 10,000km Warranty Three years, unlimited kilometres, roadside assist BUSINESS END Price From $10,990 (plus on-road costs) Colour options (Interceptor) Cali Green, Orange Crush, Canyon Red, Ventura Blue, Black Pearl, Downtown Drag, Baker Express, Sunset Strip, Mark Two; (Interceptor Dark) Black Ray, Barcelona Blue; (Continental GT) Dux Deluxe, Ventura Storm, Racing Green, Rocker Red, Mister Clean; (GT 650 Dark) Slipstream, Apex Grey. CONTACT royalenfield.com.au The post 2024 ROYAL ENFIELD 650 TWINS appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

The launch of the 2024 Honda GB350 will be no surprise to anyone who kept a close eye on the goings on at last year’s EICMA motorcycle expo in Milan, Italy, with Honda quietly running a renaming broom through its roadbike line-up, presumably to streamline the current model platforms and to make way for new ones. It started with last year’s CB500 line-up; the CB500 nakedbike got shuffled under the Hornet umbrella for 2024 after the CB750 Hornet was added to the stable, while the soft-roader CB500X became the NX500, presumably to form the start of a road-biased adventure touring range – à la NX650 Dominator – while the CB1000R, CB650R and CB300R assumed the sophisticated neo-retro role. So even though an all-new authentically retro-styled 350cc nakedbike would be the perfect platform to tug at the heartstrings of those old enough to fondly recall the huge sales hit Honda had in the late 1960s and early 1970s with the original CB350, it simply no longer fits into the new naming regime for 2024. Designed for city riding, fifth gear is almost like an overdrive, perfect for freeway commutes Enter the GB350. First unveiled in Japan at the start of 2021 as a domestic-only model, the launch of Royal Enfield’s not-dissimilar Hunter 350 saw it exported to India the following year. And at the end of 2023, it landed in Australian dealerships as the latest in an increasingly long list of retro-styled learner bikes, complete with a largely achievable price tag of $6999 (plus on-road costs). Physically larger than I was expecting, the accessible but substantial nakedbike has enough bells and whistles to hold its own in 2024, but not enough to lose its authentic retro patina. Important safety features, such as two-channel ABS, traction control and a slipper clutch, are included while LED lighting, a centrestand and a really informative instrument cluster further sweeten the deal. Power comes from what Honda assures me is an all-new purpose-built 348cc air-cooled single-cylinder engine which, on one hand, tells me there must be more models in the pipeline. Honda isn’t going to go to the trouble of designing an engine for a single model. It does make me wonder though why it doesn’t meet Euro 5 emission standards, let alone the Euro 5+ which is taking effect as we speak. But perhaps the authentic retro naked thing isn’t as popular in Europe as it is in our region, so why spend the R&D dollars required to jump through the hoops, if the CB300R is doing the business over in Europe. All-new 348cc engine doesn’t meet Euro 5/Euro 5+ but is a big seller in the Asia-Pacific region It’s a strong engine and sounds far better than a 2024 model should (probably thanks to not abiding by Euro 5 noise restrictions), but the real accomplishment is the ratios in the gearbox the engine is matched to. These do a good job of convincing you there is more than 15kW (20hp)of power at hand. Geared quite tall, it’s only a five-speed gearbox, but instead of often searching for the phantom sixth gear, I rarely found a need to click into fifth, which in this case is like an overdrive gear. First gear is quite short, which means you can get off the line in front of the traffic easily and safely, but second, third and fourth are quite tall and really usable. There’s no tacho to refer to but there is an eco function on the dash which lights up to let you know when the engine’s spinning at a rate that’s consuming the fuel most efficiently. The eco light was illuminating when I was sitting on 80km/h in third gear – fourth was too high for 80km/h zones and was really only usable at highway speeds. The wide ratios meant I wasn’t wasting time dancing up and down the gearbox negotiating inner-city traffic, which is nearly always the case for a small-capacity bike. I was just using the 29Nm of torque from the single-cylinder engine to accelerate cleanly from either second or third gear in nearly all urban situations. The roominess of this naked bike will make it appeal to a wide range of riders. The large wide seat offers plenty of support and allowed test riders of all shapes find a comfortable arrangement atop the 800mm-high perch. The mid-mounted footpegs are wide and don’t get in the way when your foot is heading to the ground, while the flat, single-piece handlebar sits you in an upright and relaxed position. The brake lever is span-adjustable, however the clutch isn’t, but it’s so light that it really doesn’t matter and that’s coming from someone with child-sized hands. The 800mm high seat is large and wide, and offers plenty of support The braking and suspension performance is more than acceptable for a bike at this price point. There’s a single 310mm disc at the front and a 240mm disc at the rear and, given the ultra low mileage the testbikes had on the clock, the already-decent braking performance is bound to improve as the pads bed in. A pair of preload-adjustable shocks at the rear are matched to a right-way-up 41mm fork at the front. Both ends were well suited to my weight and the type of urban riding the GB is designed for. In saying that, there’s a refreshing amount of tie-down points so a weekend away is definitely not out of the question, and it’ll give you a good excuse to stretch its legs, click that tall fifth gear and take in the surroundings. The version we get in Australia is the exact same specification as that offered to the Japanese market. This means a 19-inch front and an 18-inch rear wheel, a heel-toe shifter – which can feel a little strange for the first 20 minutes until you get used to it – a centrestand and a traction control system that can be switched off on the fly – not that you’d want to. Okay, so some people might be inclined to seek out some gravel and pull a skid like you did on your BMX as a kid, but once you’ve got that out of your system, I’d expect most riders would – and should – leave it switched on. And the non-switchable ABS system is well refined, as you’d expect from a brand like Big Red. The simple circular dash is punching well above its weight in terms of the information on offer. Nothing more than a conventional analogue speedo with a small inset LCD screen and a handful of warning lights with two buttons on the topside of the unit to scroll through the information. As well as an odo and two trip meters – often the sum of available info on similarly priced machines – you get average fuel consumption of both trips, kilometre range until empty, battery voltage meter, a fuel gauge, a gear position indicator and a clock. As for the warning lights, they consist of traction control (on or off), ABS, eco mode, indicator lights, a neutral light, high beam and an engine light. Looks pretty retro but that speedo binnacle houses a large range of information For the $16 price, the optional fork gators should be standard fitment, as should the $85 USB outlet, but other than that it’s hard to fault. Put it all together and it’s a lot of motorbike for the asking price. Convincing retro looks, great performance, Honda reliability and just enough bells and whistles. Oh, and it’s made in Japan, too, which is rare for a bike at this price point these days. The GB350 is a two-tiered range in Japan, with a sportier GB350S sold alongside the base model. The S version gets a pair of 17-inch wheels over the 19/18-inchers of the standard model, a blacked-out header pipe and silencer, as well as a sportier-looking seat, GT stripes on the side covers and fork gaiters as standard. Assuming the GB350 does well on the Australian market, I wouldn’t be surprised if the S gets the nod to be sold in Aussie dealerships. But, if indeed there is a new GB platform in the works, surely the likes of Royal Enfield’s hugely popular 650 Interceptor needs a rival, and who wouldn’t love a GB750 parked in their shed? It’s hard to believe this year marks 55 years since the iconic CB750 broke cover at the Cologne Show. Really, the timing couldn’t be better. + Well priced, well made and feels bigger than a 350cc – A USB charging point would be a practical inclusion LED headlight doesn’t detract from the overall retro vibe TEST: KEL BUCKLEY PHOTOGRAPHY: ROB MOTT & MATT HAYMAN SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE Capacity 348cc Type Single-cylinder, DOHC, two valves per cylinder Bore & stroke 70 x 90.5mm Compression ratio 9.5:1 Cooling Air Fueling EFI Transmission Five-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate, slipper Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 15kW (20hp) @ 5500rpm (claimed) Torque 29Nm @ 3000rpm (claimed) Top speed 125km/h (est) Fuel consumption 2.56L/100km (measured) ELECTRONICS Type Not given Rider aids ABS and traction control Rider modes Not applicable CHASSIS Frame material Steel Frame type Semi-double cradle Rake Not given Trail Not given Wheelbase 1441mm SUSPENSION Type Honda Front: 41mm telescopic fork, non-adjustable, 106mm travel Rear: Dual shocks, adjustable preload, 120mm travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Cast aluminium Front: 19 x 2.5 Rear: 18 x 3.5 Tyres Dunlop Arrowmax GT 601 Front: 100/90-19 Rear: 130/70-18 Brakes Nissin Front: Single 310mm disc, twin-piston radial caliper Rear: Single 240mm disc, single-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 181kg (kerb, claimed) Seat height 800mm Width 800mm Height 1107mm Length 2163mm Ground clearance 166mm Fuel capacity 15L SERVICING & WARRANTY Servicing First: 1000km Minor: 6000km Major: 12,000km Warranty Two years, unlimited kilometres BUSINESS END Price $6999 (plus on-road costs) Colour options Navy or black CONTACT motorcycles.honda.com.au The post 2024 HONDA GB350 appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

Riding through Skid Row, past lines of tents erected on some of Downtown Los Angeles’ grubbier sidewalks, seemed a strange introduction to the new Royal Enfield Shotgun 650. But I shouldn’t have been surprised. Since its big push onto the global stage with a brace of new models, including the Himalayan in 2016 and the Interceptor and Continental GT 650s around a year later, Royal Enfield has always danced to the beat of its own drum. And so it was with the recent international launch of this new model. Why LA? And why the grungy Downtown area? Royal Enfield Chief of Design Mark Wells explained it was the ideal place to experience the Shotgun 650 in a range of environments, including what turned out to be sometimes messy urban riding, a loop through a run-down industrial precinct, a multi-lane freeway experience and a blast through canyon country on some fabulous twisty roads. And the fact that LA has a big custom-bike-building scene played a part in the choice of launch location, with Royal Enfield describing the Shotgun 650 as a blank canvas for custom-bike builders. In fact, Wells says Royal Enfield looked to the work of custom builders when it came to penning its design of the Shotgun 650. “What you will see with the Shotgun is this really interesting fusion of our brand heritage, our background, our story,” he starts. “But then also bringing in the influence of customs, looking at how other people design bikes, and how people take our bikes and modify them and create new products around them… that’s now influenced what we do, and I think Shotgun for us is a really exciting product because it gives us the opportunity to do something that’s an interesting twist on what the Royal Enfield DNA is.” The Shotgun 650 is largely based on Royal Enfield’s Super Meteor cruiser that was launched around 12 months ago. You can easily spot the familiar steel tube open-cradle frame housing the familiar air/oil cooled 648cc eight-valve parallel-twin engine used as a stressed member. It also runs the Super Meteor’s non-adjustable Showa 43mm big-piston USD fork, and five-step preload adjustable twin rear shocks. There are, however, significant differences between the two models that go beyond a simple restyling exercise, including chassis geometry, with the Shotgun running a steeper 25.3° rake and 101.4mm trail (compared to 27.6° and 118.5mm for the Super Meteor) and a shorter wheelbase of 1465mm, down from 1500mm. It wears an 18-inch front and 17-inch rear wheel instead of the Super Meteor’s more cruiser-like 19/16-inch combination, and has more rear suspension stroke, up to 90mm from 81mm. The result of the chassis changes is a sportier feel that matches the Shotgun’s more upright riding position, which sees you perched on a slightly higher 795mm seat, more hunched over the front ’bar, and with feet positioned farther back on lower, mid-bike positioned footpegs. On the styling front, the Shotgun 650 scores the blacked-out treatment big time, with frame, fork, engine, pea-shooter exhausts, wheels, handlebar, mirrors, levers, headlight surround and more all finished in a combination of gloss and matt blacks. The Shotgun also has a reshaped and slightly smaller 13.8-litre fuel tank, and a unique floating seat that seemingly hovers over the clean rear guard. If you want to carry a pillion (or luggage) there’s an optional pillion seat that sits on a mount that in turn bolts onto the Shotgun’s frame, leaving the rear guard untouched. While the styling of the Shotgun gives it an aggressive look, its low profile means it’s not an intimidating bike when you walk up to it. Mark Wells says this is vitally important. When a potential customer looks at the Shotgun, Wells wants them to think: “I can manage this, I can ride this, I’m not scared by this, I’m not intimidated by this…” Royal Enfield Chief of Design Mark Wells At 240kg (wet) the Shotgun isn’t exactly light but, thanks to its low seat, narrow waist and wide handlebar, it’s easily manageable at low speeds. This becomes apparent when poking along in heavy morning traffic in Downtown LA. In fact, everything about the Shotgun feels manageable, from the progressive clutch engagement and the linear power delivery to the planted feeling over potted road surfaces and the adequate, rather than aggressive, feel of the braking package. As with all twin-cylinder Royal Enfields, the engine is a highlight. Sure, peak output is a modest 34.6kW (46.4hp) of power at 7250rpm and 52.3Nm of torque at 5650rpm, but you don’t have to rev it hard to extract decent performance. The generous spread of torque throughout the rev range means you can be lazy with the six-speed gearbox. Let revs drop to just above idle and wind on the throttle in taller gears, and the Shotgun gradually picks up the pace, with the well-sorted fueling ensuring there are no hiccups or snatchiness. The other thing I like about the twin is its tasty exhaust note, which tempts you to open and close the throttle just to listen to it, especially when riding between tall buildings or through tunnels. As well as smoking pot, lane-splitting is perfectly legal in California and, as our convoy of Shotguns worked its way east through heavy traffic on LA’s multi-lane freeways, the sweet smell of marijuana mixed with the bitter exhaust fumes ensured I kept a close eye on the behaviour of the cars and trucks around me. Thanks to the upright riding position and effective (optional) ’bar-end mirrors, spotting unpredictable traffic on the Shotgun is a breeze. A couple of times I had to brake heavily as gaps between cars and trucks quickly closed, and while not offering astounding performance, the single 320mm disc up front with its twin-piston ByBre caliper offers good feel at the span-adjustable lever, and is well aided by the rear 300mm disc. The canyon area up in the hills behind LA is a scratcher’s paradise; the winding roads are mostly smooth with a predictable surface, and there’s a combination of fast open sweepers and tight lefts and rights that have you braking hard into corners and getting on the gas as early as possible on the way out. Hardly the territory for a bobber-style bike like the Shotgun 650, right? Well, as I said earlier, Royal Enfield dances to the beat of its own drum… and, in this case, just as well. The Shotgun 650 is an entertaining companion through the twisty stuff. The main limiting factor when cornering is a lack of ground clearance; with the ’pegs mounted farther back and lower than on the Super Meteor, you don’t have to crank it over far before the hero knobs grind away on the blacktop. Hang off the inside of the bike to keep it as upright as possible through corners, however, and you can still punt the Shotgun along at a decent clip. It feels eager to turn into corners and it holds a line well. The CEAT rubber – a 100/90-18 up front and 150/70-17 down the back – offers decent grip and the braking performance is a match for the speeds you can achieve on the Shotgun. Sure, a twin-disc set-up at the front would be better, but the single 320mm disc does a decent job, while the rear brake is handy if you need to tighten a line mid-corner. The brakes never feel as though they are lacking. Although non-adjustable, the Showa fork is set up in such a way that it offers a good compromise between ride quality and control. There isn’t excessive fork dive when braking hard and yet there’s enough travel and compliance to handle big bumps and potholes. Even the twin-shock rear-end, with its limited 90mm of suspension stroke, isn’t the bone-jarring experience over crook surfaces that you might expect. I had it on the lowest of the five preload settings, which seemed to suit my 78kg weight well, and it only bottomed out a couple of times on big hits. The slightly hunched-over riding position is well suited to open-road riding, and the wind blast at highway speeds takes all the weight off your wrists. Despite the low seat height there is surprisingly good leg room thanks to the low-mounted ’pegs. After a full day in the saddle I felt as fresh as a daisy by the time we returned to our digs as the sun dropped below the horizon. My only complaint regarding comfort is the firm seat, which had me moving around on the freeway sections to avoid that numb-bum feeling. There is an optional seat that looks as though it would offer a better level of cushioning. Other than dual-channel ABS, there are no trick traction aids or selectable ride modes on the Shotgun 650. This simplicity is refreshing when you first jump aboard an unfamiliar bike and don’t have to spend half a day trying to figure out how everything works – just jump on and ride. For those who want turn-by-turn navigation, the Shotgun is equipped with RE’s Tripper navigation system in the right-side gauge, while the main gauge on the left provides a large analogue speedo and a small LCD display for fuel, odo, trips and clock etc. There’s also RE’s Wingman app that offers bike location, fuel and engine oil levels, service reminders and more, as well as a USB port for device charging. Fit and finish is excellent and all those bits that are nowadays plastic on most other bikes are still made of steel on the Shotgun 650, including the tank, mudguards and even the side covers. The Shotgun is available in four colour options – Stencil White, Plasma Blue, Green Drill and Sheetmetal Grey – each of which come with their own graphics and all of which look trick. A centrestand is standard fitment and there are more than 30 genuine accessories on offer including items such as wheels, sump guards, engine guards, lights, ’bar-end mirrors and more. At this stage pricing details are yet to be confirmed but our guess is the Shotgun 650 will undercut the Super Meteor by a smidge and cost a bit more than an Interceptor 650. So it will probably come in at around $11,490 ride away. And Aussie distributor Urban Moto Imports (UMI) is still waiting confirmation regarding an on-sale date, but you can bet it will be soon. UMI Marketing Manager Tom Fossati reckons the Shotgun 650 is going to be a bit of a dark horse in terms of its sales success, and after spending a day with it I reckon he’s on the money. It looks great, it’s a bag of fun to ride and there’s very little doubt it will be priced attractively. But perhaps its most valubale asset is that it will appeal to those who want to ride it as is, throw a handful of accessories at it or customise the hell out of it. Stencil White Green Drill Plasma Blue Sheet Metal Grey SPECIFICATIONS Engine Capacity 648cc Type Parallel-twin, SOHC, four valves per cylinder Bore & stroke 78mm x 67.8mm Compression ratio 9.5:1 Cooling Air/oil Fueling EFI, with dual throttle bodies Transmission Six-speed Clutch Wet, multi-plate, slip-assist Final drive Chain PERFORMANCE Power 34.6kW (46.3hp) @ 7250rpm (claimed) Torque 52.3Nm @ 5650rpm (claimed) Top speed 175km/h (est) Fuel consumption Not measured ELECTRONICS Type Bosch Rider aids ABS Rider modes Not applicable CHASSIS Frame material Composite steel Frame type Open-cradle duplex spine Rake 25.3° Trail 101.4mm Wheelbase 1465mm SUSPENSION Type Showa Front: 43mm Big Piston fork, non-adjustable, 120mm travel Rear: Twin shocks, five-step preload adjustable, 90mm shock travel WHEELS & BRAKES Wheels Forged aluminium Front: 18 x 2.5 Rear: 17 x 4.5 Tyres CEAT Zoom Cruz Front: 100/90-18 (56H) Rear: 150/70-17 (69H) Brakes ByBre, ABS Front: Single 320mm disc, twin-piston caliper Rear: Single 300mm disc, twin-piston caliper DIMENSIONS Weight 240kg (with 90% fuel, claimed) Seat height 795mm Width 820mm Height 1105mm Length 2170mm Ground clearance 140mm Fuel capacity 13.8L SERVICING & WARRANTY Servicing First: 1000km Minor: 5000km Major: 10,000km Warranty Three years, unlimited kilometres BUSINESS END Price TBC Colour options Stencil White, Plasma Blue, Green Drill and Sheetmetal Grey CONTACT royalenfield.com.au The post ROYAL ENFIELD SHOTGUN 650 appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.

For three hours I’d been battling my way through Sydney traffic, the first couple of those heading north in pissing-down rain on a small and light single-cylinder nakedbike on the way to Harley-Davidson’s Sydney HQ, and the third heading back south to the Illawarra under clearing skies on the new Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide… which is anything but small, light or naked. Of course, the lane-splitting antics on the trip north could not be repeated on the ride south, but with damp jacket and jeans, I was thankful for the Road Glide’s generous fairing (and its heated grips) even if it meant that most of the gaps in traffic were too tight to squeeze through. I was also thankful for the CVO Road Glide’s pleasant low-speed manners and its low seat height. Sure, it weighs in at almost 400kg ready to ride, but most of that weight is down low and as a result it feels surprisingly agile and well balanced at slow speeds, allowing for easy cornering and fuss-free feet-up U-turns. But it’s once you escape the urban jungle and the tin-tops begin to thin out that the CVO Road Glide is truly in its element. The CVO Road Glide, along with its sibling the CVO Street Glide, is the latest offering from Harley-Davidson’s Custom Vehicle Operations, and it packs the biggest and most torque-laden V-twin in the H-D catalogue. A huge 121 cubic inches in a grand tourer that tips the scales at 391kg ready to ride. It is a limited-edition model with a hefty price tag of $62,495 ride away. Rather than take the freeway down to the Gong, I peeled off onto the old Princes Highway, eager to see how much muscle would be required to punt this generous serving of Milwaukee metal through a series of familiar lefts and rights. A few hundred metres before the bends, I cracked the throttle open and let the big V-twin do its thing… which is essentially to thrust the CVO Road Glide at the horizon in whatever gear it’s in, without raising a sweat. With a stonking 183Nm torque peak, the Road Glide rarely needs a downshift to quickly pick up the pace, and in this case it did so much quicker than I expected, momentarily tempting me to grab a handful of front Brembo before I hooked into the first corner but instead I just dabbed the rear brake, hung off the side in a vain attempt to impersonate a King of the Baggers racer, and waited for the inevitable footboard grounding. And yes, while the CVO Road Glide will drag its footboards without too much effort, it has more cornering clearance than you might expect (a claimed 32° of lean angle) and as a result you can push it through a series of sweeping bends at a decent clip. Tipping into a corner requires much less effort than expected; just a gentle nudge on the wide ’bar is enough to have it cranked over on its side, and once there it holds its line nicely… so long as the road surface is relatively smooth. The Showa 47mm USD fork might not offer anything in the way of adjustment, but it feels well sorted for a variety of conditions and handles uneven surfaces with a minimum of fuss, with minimal deflection over big bumps, while dive when braking is also well controlled. The dual-shock setup at the rear, however, can feel harsh by comparison; the right shock has threaded preload adjustment to make big changes to suit different loads, and can only be accessed by removing the right-side pannier, while the left shock has an easy-to-access remote adjuster for finer preload tweaks that a rider might make depending on road conditions. While it’s certainly not the worst cruiser rear-end I’ve sampled, with just 76mm of travel there’s only so much the CVO Road Glide can do when it comes to soaking up the big hits. With twin 320mm floating discs up front gripped by Brembo four-piston radially-mounted monobloc calipers, there’s plenty of stopping power on offer. The brake system is linked, and it also features cornering ABS, inspiring confidence when braking hard and late into corners. But when you’re not pushing hard and you just want to brush off a little speed, or adjust the Road Glide’s line mid-corner, the rear brake is the one to go to, and its huge car-like brake ‘pedal’ is perfectly positioned for easy access. But forget cornering and braking; the real fun on the CVO Road Glide happens when you twist the grip exiting corners, riding the V-twin’s tsunami of torque, and knowing a comprehensive suite of clever electronic rider aids have got you covered if you let loose too much mumbo. Those rider aids include cornering traction control, cornering drag slip control and linked cornering ABS. The CVO also offers a wide array of selectable and customisable ride modes including Rain, Road, Sport and Custom A and B, all designed to help you get the most out of that monstrous 1977cc water-cooled V-twin that punches out a claimed 86kW (115hp) of power at 5020rpm overshadowed by a stump-pulling 183Nm of torque at just 3500rpm. There’s no doubt the 121c.i. V-twin is the jewel in the CVO crown, producing effortless acceleration that belies the bike’s size and weight, and while it might be an ‘old school’ OHV design, it’s a seriously high-tech one (see boxout: ‘Milwaukee-Eight VVT 121 Engine’), with liquid cooling, variable valve timing and Euro 5 compliance. Although heavily muffled, the exhaust note is deep and gruff, and coaxes you to wind on the throttle at every opportunity. The six-speed gearbox can feel a bit clunky but it delivers positive shifts and I never once found a false neutral. And selecting neutral has been made easier than on the previous 117 model thanks to a revised shift drum with a ‘redesigned neutral pocket geometry’. The cable-operated clutch feels quite heavy and unlike the front brake there’s no adjustment at the lever, but it has a smooth and progressive engagement. There’s a button on the right switchblock for ride mode selection, which is then clearly displayed on the massive 12.3-inch full-colour TFT display. Each ride mode provides a specific combination of power delivery, engine braking, cornering ABS and cornering TC settings. Road mode, for example, has a less aggressive throttle response than Sport mode and a higher level of ABS and TC intervention. In Sport mode, full power is available, and the quickest throttle response is provided, TC intervention is at the lowest level and engine braking is increased. Conversely, Rain mode tones down throttle response and power output while upping ABS and TC intervention. The two Custom modes allow riders to set their own combination of torque delivery characteristics, engine braking, throttle response, and ABS and TC intervention. As mentioned, the CVO runs a huge TFT screen that clearly displays just about every conceivable bit of information you could ever require. In the Cruise display, it shows large analogue-style speedo and tacho, and fuel and engine-temp gauges, along with gear position indicator, odo and ride mode. The Sport display shows a central tacho with digital speedo and more space to display widgets with other information, while the Tour display shows a centred satnav map and turn-by-turn navigation when Apple CarPlay is enacted. The big digital display has a touchscreen that can be operated while wearing gloves. While full Android Auto connection is not yet available, Harley says it’s not far off; in the meantime, those with an Apple iPhone can connect CarPlay wirelessly or via a USB-C cable, the latter located in one of two small storage bins (the right-side one) in the fairing. For those with a wireless headset, there’s Bluetooth connection for phone and audio, and for those without there’s an impressive four-speaker Rockford Fosgate 500W sound system. And when I say impressive, I mean bloody loud, with fantastic audio quality that makes music perfectly audible through a full-face helmet at highway speeds. Overall gearing is tall and the V-twin ticks over at around 2250rpm in top gear at 100km/h; as a result, the CVO Road Glide is more economical than you might expect. Harley claims a combined-cycle fuel consumption of 5L/100km, and on test we bettered this recording 4.6L/100km, which means you could theoretically get a touring range in excess of 450km from the 22.7L fuel tank. As you would expect of a grand tourer like the CVO Road Glide, ergonomics are spot-on for big miles in the saddle and the handlebar is adjustable through a range of 27 degrees, so most riders should be able to find a comfortable setting. The seat is wide and well padded, the reach to the handlebar places you in a neutral riding position and the big footboards allow you to move your feet around. As mentioned, the rear brake pedal is well positioned, but I didn’t like the position of the heel-and-toe gear lever, and other than sampling it a couple of times, I gave up on using the heel shifter as I felt it was set too high. The Harley designers obviously put a lot of work into ensuring the CVO Road Glide’s fairing provides the ideal combination of wind protection and cooling. There’s an adjustable wind deflector just below the screen and no matter what your height, you should be able to find a setting that will virtually eliminate buffeting around your helmet. There are also adjustable wind deflectors just in front of your knees that can be set to keep wind off your legs or to allow for ample airflow when desired. All are easy to adjust while riding and all are very effective. Also noteworthy are the heated grips, which are operated and adjusted via a button on the end of the left grip; it’s such a simple and easy to use setup you’d think that all other manufacturers would follow suit. The panniers are nicely integrated into the design of the Road Glide with flowing lines that match the rear guard, and their width is around the same as the handlebar, making it easy to calculate what gaps you’ll be able to squeeze into when riding around town. They offer ample luggage space and feature a simple lever that allows you to lift the lid of each, the underside of which are home to the rear speakers, which don’t consume too much of the available luggage space. The panniers can be locked/unlocked using the key fob. The pillion seat is small compared to the rider’s comfy pew but it’s well-padded and the footpegs are situated at a comfortable height. As you’d expect on a bike at this price point, the fit and finish is next level. The paint is deep and lustrous, the chrome bits are faultless and the black bits look glossy and special. The exhaust system has a Scorched Chrome finish and it looks oh so trick… And what about those wheels?! A combination of aluminium rims and laced spokes, which are affixed in such a way that the CVO can run a TPMS (tyre pressure monitoring system). The CVO Road Glide has a keyless ignition, although you’ll need to pop out the physical key on the fob to operate the steering lock. All the switchgear is quality stuff; sure there are a lot of switches and buttons on both switchblocks, but with a bit of familiarisation it all starts to make sense quickly, and the important switches are clearly marked and straightforward. The CVO Road Glide is a hell of a lot of motorcycle, but it’s also a bloody expensive one at $62,495 ride away. It will only be imported into Australia in limited numbers and, according to H-D, most examples have already been accounted for, so if you simply must have the latest CVO model with the biggest Milwaukee-Eight V-twin engine around, you’d best get your chequebook out pronto. Whether the CVO Road Glide is good value for money depends entirely on where your priorities lie, but I do need to point out one notable omission. I reckon any bike that weighs close to 400kg should be equipped with a reverse gear; sure, the CVO Road Glide is manoeuvrable at low speeds, but once parked and needing to be pushed around in tight spaces like, say, your garage, or if you park it pointed downhill towards a kerb and you need to back it up, you’re going to struggle. Of course, if you put a bit of forethought into parking, you’ll be able to get by without reverse… and if big open-road miles are your thing and you simply must have the latest, greatest and most exclusive Harley, then this example is one of the finest (a lot of) money can buy. Test Dean Mellor + Photography Incite Images The post HARLEY-DAVIDSON CVO ROAD GLIDE appeared first on Australian Motorcycle News.