Australasian Dirt Bike Magazine Issue 509

THE FIRST THING I WANT TO SEE A RETURN OF IS SHOOTOUTS IT FEELS LIKE an age since I wrote this editorial and that’s because it has been! Well at least in publishing terms it’s a while. The two months I took off was much needed. It gave me the opportunity to recharge my batteries and to come out swinging in 2022. Stephen Tuff had the reigns while I was gone and he did a bang-up job! The Christmas Special was fantastic in #508 with plenty of ideas for Chrissy gifts for all people and the Bike Build special for issue #507 was a great read for those of us who were still locked down. Now that I’m back in the big chair with Australia finally opening up, and bike supply slowly…

THE BIG ADVENTURE bike boom continues with the Benelli TRK 800. The iconic Italian manufacturer revealed this striking 754cc parallel twin-cylinder at Eicma igniting plenty of big adventure interest. The double overhead cam engine features four valves per cylinder and 43mm dual throttle body. Suspension is beefy with 50mm Marzocchi USD fork offering adjustable rebound, compression and preload with 170mm of travel. Rear suspension utilizes a monoshock with adjustable pring preload and rebound damping. Wheel size is 19-inch and 17-inch and stopping the whole show is a powerful Brembo braking system with double 320mm discs at the front and a 260mm disc on the rear. The cockpit features an intuitive dashboard with high-resolution 7-inch colour TFT display. With 21-litre fuel capacity, the Benelli TRK 800 is equipped for long-distance adventure.…

THE NEW TUAREG 660 made an impact at Eicma with a few bold laps of the moto arena with the test rider launching a double jump and surfing whoops. The new Tuareg 660 is not a supercross bike but it is bound to make an impact on the adventure market. Featuring a twin-cylinder engine based on the Aprilia RS 660, the Tuareg comes equipped with an 18-litre fuel capacity, switchable ABS and traction control, Brembo brakes, KYB suspension and reportedly weighs in at 204kg (wet). This new adventure rocket from Aprilia could provide some serious competition to the Yamaha Tenere 700 and the KTM890 Adventure R. Pricing is $24,200 ride away in Australiato and $24,995 in New Zealand. They will be here mid-2022.…

THE ALL-NEW TRIUMPH Tiger 1200 is out and available in four different versions. The GT is the road-focussed adventure machine equipped with 19-inch front and 18-inch rear cast aluminium wheels available in Pro or Explorer versions that are set apart by fuel capacity with the GT Pro offering 20-litres and the GT Explorer offering 30-litres. The more off-road focussed Tiger 1200 Rally is fitted with 21-inch front and 18-inch rear spoked wheels and is also available in Pro and Explorer versions with the 20-litre and 30-litre tanks. All models sport a bunch of upgrades that include a huge 25kg weight reduction over the previous generation Tiger. The frame and subframe is new as is the new tri-link swingarm. Further updates include new Brembo brakes, new rider ergonomics with a slimmer design…

THE 2022-MODEL Kawasaki Versys 650 is yet another offering in the highly competitive adventure market. Although geared towards the softer end of spectrum with 17-inch wheels and a LAMS approved 649cc parallel twin-cylinder four-stroke, the Versys is a capable and easy-to-ride machine. New features on the 2022-model include an adjustable windscreen, colour TFT instrumentation with smartphone connectivity, LED lighting and KTRC traction control. The Versys 650 is expected to arrive in Australian dealerships soon.…

KTM HAS UPPED the adventure game with upgrades to the 2022-model 390 Adventure. The single-cylinder four-stroke machine is equipped with adjustable WP APEX suspension, 14.5-litre fuel capacity, BYBER brakes with two-channel ABS and now with upgraded electronics with new STREET and OFFROAD mode for traction control. The OFFROAD mode giving a degree of rear wheel slip which can assist with control and steering on loose and wet surfaces. Best of all, the OFFROAD TC mode stays activated in the event of a brief stall or stack so there is no need to re-set the mode. The 2022 KTM 390 Adventure is expected in Australian dealerships in May 2022.…