Australian Road Rider Issue 156

"IT’S A LOT EASIER TO PLAY FOOTBALL THAN IT IS TO RIDE A MOTORCYCLE LEGALLY" The barriers to becoming a road-riding motorcyclist these days are huge: onerous licensing requirements, years of restrictive rules and costs which many youngsters can’t bear, along with about a million other popular activities which didn’t exist when us oldies started riding. To attract more youngsters to riding, the industry needs to remove some of the barriers. We can do this by improving access to machinery, experience, advice and other riders. You have to be pretty committed to bother putting up with three years on P-plates, the inability to carry a pillion passenger, no access to your phone while riding, and multiple days of enforced training just for the right to spend heaps of dosh on a bike. Sure,…

KTM is further developing its sub-1000cc parallel twin range with its biggest, toughest model yet, the 890 Duke R, and it’s at a very keen price: $17,195+ORC, so well under 20K on the road. That’s Supersport pricing for a 121hp machine with top-shelf suspension, brakes and components, which could make it the bargain of the year, at least for new-model releases. A naked sportsbike built for both street and track, KTM is claiming the new bike has the performance to put the frighteners up many bigger bikes thanks to its decent power output pushing a dry weight of just 166kg. R IS FOR RACE… KTM doesn’t stick the R moniker on every bike it builds, leaving it for special race-developed machines. Currently there’s only the 1290 Super Duke R and the Supermoto 690SMC R…

"IN 2021 THERE WILL BE NEW VERSIONS OF THE 750s AND 850s IN NEW COLOURS…" Late this year you’ll be able to buy the 2021 BMW 40th Anniversary BMW GS models. It was way back in 1981 when BMW kick-started the adventure bike trend with the R80G/S and today the GS models make up more than half of BMW Australia’s motorcycle sales across a huge range, from 650s to 1250s. In 2021 there will be new versions of the 750s and 850s in new colours — including 40th Anniversary colours — with upgraded standard equipment and new optional equipment. All models now have new LED flashing turn indicators as standard and a USB charging device at the front right of the cockpit. ABS Pro and DTC (Dynamic Traction Control) are now also standard…

With sporty styling, a Variable Valve Actuation-equipped motor and a price drop to just $4799 ride away, the new Yamaha R15 deserves to make lots of youngsters into motorcyclists. The compact machine, weighing in at just 138kg, is small, light, easy to ride and stylish, yet inexpensive to buy and cheap to run. Powering the machine is a simple 155cc single-cylinder four-stroke motor. The engine, airbox and muffler have all been extensively updated for 2020, with the engine producing 18 per cent more power from just a three per cent increase in capacity. It produces enough power to easily keep up with traffic flows while sipping fuel slowly — Yamaha claims around 45km per litre! There’s also an assist and slipper clutch standard. The chassis will provide good handling thanks to the…

Australia’s unprecedented summer of bushfires had a devastating impact on many thousands of people, matched only by the unprecedented financial and other support from the rest of the country. As a nation, we’re good at helping out folk who really need it. It happens at the micro level too. Four months ago I was diagnosed with lung cancer, perhaps not unexpected after a lifetime of heavy smoking. I had a tumour the size of Tasmania in my left lung and the initial prognosis was not great. But I’ve always been a lucky guy and the good news after countless tests was that the cancer had not spread to any other part of my body. A plan was hatched to undergo nine weeks of chemotherapy in an effort to reduce the tumour to…

BMW has combined heritage with technology to create its new cruiser platform for the future, all based around the biggest horizontally-opposed motorcycle engine ever built. Priced from $26,890, the first batch should be arriving around the time you read this (September), although the first batch will be better featured and priced from $31,690. The new motor is not only the biggest twin from BMW, it’s the biggest motorcycle twin from Europe, coming in at 1802cc and only eclipsed by the three-cylinder Triumph Rocket III. Heritage features include classic styling typical of BMWs from the ‘50s and ‘60s, an exposed shaft drive, hidden suspension and laced wheels. High-tech features include reverse assist, so pushing your bike around the garage might become a thing of the past. There’s grunt, too — 150Nm of torque from…