Australian Road Rider

Sports bikes never went away, they just got more radical. Going fast on a motorcycle is one of the joys of riding. Feeling the wind, hearing the noise, enjoying the rush of endorphins as you wind the throttle on, driving the bike forward, tipping it hard into turns, finding the edge of your tyres, performance and ability. It’s not really about outright speed – you’ve gone faster in an aeroplane. Airbus, however, is a very well named company, because it never set out to get its passengers’ heart rates up, despite traveling at hundreds of kilometers an hour. Second gear through a racetrack hairpin can be a lot more heart pumping, although chance are you’ll be doing less than 80km/h. 20-odd years ago sportsbikes were morphing into race bikes. The process actually started before…

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Have your say by letting the editor and the ARR readership know what you think about any article or motorcycle-related topic. There are numerous letters already there, mostly relating to articles in recent issues Being a bi-monthly, the lead times are too long for publishing letters in the magazine, so we’ve created a space for your feedback, which is welcomed and encouraged. Scan the QR code or go to links.roadrider.com.au/letters on your computer. KTM SUPER DUKE RR Check out our three videos – unboxing, predelivery and accessories. links.roadrider.com.au/DukeRRvids1 GARDNER & KABUTO Remy Gardner is a Kabuto Helmet ambassador. links.roadrider.com.au/FBGardnerKabuto AUSTRALIA’S NO.1 MOTORCYCLE TOURING WEBSITE! www.roadrider.com.au…

MORE INFO links.roadrider.com.au/165DesertX With its 8-valve Testastretta engine, Paris-Dakar styling, dirt bike features and adventure bike capabilities, the new DesertX looks like being an incredible bike for those talented enough to throw such a big, powerful bike around sand dunes. Surprisingly affordable at $24,200 ride away, this 110hp machine might give away some power to the bigger adventure bikes, but this is more dirt bike than adventure tourer. It reminds us more of the KTM 950 Super Enduro of 20-odd years ago than anything currently available, although Ducati is offering such an array of accessories it looks like it’ll make a very handy off-road tourer and would have to be a frontrunner for the right bike to ride around the world. It’s got around nine inches of wheel travel in the trick Kayaba suspension,…

Triumph obviously has a lot of faith in its new 1200 Tiger range, now with a three-year warranty. These machines are taking on Japanese, American and other European brands in the most hard-fought category of all – adventure. The design is modern, adventure-focussed and compact. The bodywork is all new, as are the graphics and colour schemes. And you will be able to get one for under 30K. Just. Compared to the bikes they replace, the new-generation Tigers are lighter, more powerful, better suspended and more comfortable. Indeed, Triumph claims the new bikes are more than 25kg lighter than the previous generation and up to 17kg lighter than the closest shaft drive competition (based on a comparable specification). So lighter and more powerful than the BMW twins, but not trying to…

Sometimes, in the fantasyland we know as high fashion, exclusivity means a lot more than price: value becomes an abstract where people are willing to pay ridiculous amounts of money to have something because, well, someone else doesn’t. So when a famous fashion house like Christian Dior decides to collaborate on a project with an iconic brand like Vespa the result is likely to be spectacular and the price eye-watering. Thus we have the very rare, very limited edition, no expense spared, beautiful and unique Vespa 946 Christian Dior. Yes, the 946 was first shown as a limited edition model back in 2012, one described by Vespa as ‘devoted to aesthetic and technological perfection’, has been ‘re-interpreted’ by Maria Grazia Chiuri, Creative Director of Dior’s women’s collections. Thus we had a made-in-Italy collector’s item.…

ENGINE TYPE: Aprilia forward-facing twin-cylinder, 4-stroke, 659cc, liquid cooled, dual overhead cam (DOHC) with silent chain drive on the right side, four valves per cylinder. 6-speed gearbox. APRC SUITE THAT INCLUDES: ATC (traction control), AEB (engine brake), AEM (engine maps), ACC (cruise control). Four riding modes (Urban, Explore, Off – road, Individual). CHASSIS: Steel tube frame built-in subframe, screwed aluminium plates connecting the frame to the engine. SUSPENSION: Fully adjustable 43mm upside-down Kayaba fork, progressive linkage single rear Kayaba shock, fully adjustable. 240mm wheel travel at both ends. BRAKES: 300mm twin front discs with 4-piston calipers. 260mm rear disc with single-piston caliper. WHEELS: spoked with aluminium drop centre, Front: 2.15×21-inch, Rear: 4.25×18-inch. WHEELBASE: 1525mm, seat height: 860mm, rake: 26.7°, trail: 113.3mm, weight: 204kg kerb weight (187kg dry weight), fuel tank 18L. COLOURS: Indaco Tagelmust, Martian Red, Acid…