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september 2010 Contents 

30 38 

launCh 

KawasaKi 

Kx250f 

46 52 

TesT 

yamaha 

xT660r 

36 

TesT 

honDa vT750s 

TesT 

laro CouGar 

125 

66 

TesT 

Torino 

Terra 

400 

KawasaKi Kx250f 

PosTer 

fEaturES 

56 - TOURING TRaNsylvaNIa 

62 - PROjecT DayTONa 

rEGuLarS 

3-13 News 

14 eDITORIal 

16 GUNTRIP 

18 Race TORqUe 

20 BIke sTUff 

22 UseD & RevIeweD 

24 e-TORqUe 

26 DIRTy TORqUe 

28 leTTeRs 

42 BOOk RevIews 

44 BOOk sales 

CyCLE torquE: 02 4956 9820 

fuLL dEtaiLS paGE 6 

Cover images: Ducati by Paterson, TGB by Pickett. 

NEWS torquE 

new, cheaper harleys for 2011 

HARLEY-DAVIDSON, after a couple of tough years - 

especially in its home market - is introducing new 

models for 2011 at both the inexpensive and top-ends of 

its range. 

For those looking to get into a Harley without spending a 

fortune there will be the SuperLow at just $11,495 and the 

Forty-Eight at $14,995. 

At the other end of the 

pricing spectrum are CVO 

models which start at an eyewatering 

$39,995 (all prices 

are plus on-road costs). 

The CVO Street Glide has a 19inch 

front wheel, ventilated 

fairing lowers and a 100-watt 

six-speaker audio system 

with integrated iPod Nano 

and dock. 

The CVO Softail Convertible 

also features the iPod Nano and dock with its audio system, 

mini ape-hanger ’bars, Electronic Throttle Control (ETC), 

cruise control, keyless ignition and ABS. 

The CVO Ultra Classic Electra Glide has a new suspended, 

heated, two-up seat with leather inserts. Dual mufflers 

feature new chrome billet end caps with black spears and 

new mirrors are finished in mirror chrome. 

Other big news from the iconic 

American brand include ABS being 

standard on all Softail models, the 

touring range being upgraded 

to the 103 cubic inch powerplant 

and new colours and graphics for 

many models. 

The new bikes are available 

from September 1. See your 

Harley-Davidson dealer or www. 

harley-davidson.com for more 

information. n 

SEPTEMBER 2010 - 3

NEWS torquE 

nsw CTP 

ProTesT 

THE Motorcycle Council of NSW (MCC of NSW) is running 

a protest about the changes to the Compulsory Third 

Party (Green Slip) system for noon on Tuesday, 31 

August in front of NSW Parliament House. 

“I am calling on anyone who has ever enjoyed the freedom of 

a motorcycle or scooter to join us as we let the government 

of NSW and the insurance companies know we will not be 

their CTP cash-cows any longer,” said the chairman of the 

NSW Motorcycle Council, Rob Colligan. 

“I am also calling on all car drivers for support as we all 

know drivers are also getting ripped off,” Mr Colligan 

continued. “For too long, the legislation that governs CTP 

, which is a wretched legacy from the Carr Government in 

1999, has been letting the insurance companies do as they 

please without any transparency in what is a compulsory 

insurance scheme.” 

The event will not be a ride on Parliament - police, traffic 

and parking issues make that essentially impossible – so 

motorcycle parking has been arranged in Hospital Road, 

and if you aren’t riding to work, the MCC of NSW would 

encourage you to wear your helmet on the train, bus or 

ferry to show your support. 

The MCC is also asking all motorcycle businesses to close 

their doors from 11am until 2pm in a display of unity. 

“August 31st will become the day that the people of 

NSW, led by motorcycle and scooter riders, tell the State 

Government and the Insurance Companies, that we have 

had enough of paying too much,” Mr Colligan stated. 

“A compulsory scheme should not be making insurance 

companies rich.” n 

Bmw To TaCKle DaKar 

BMW will be represented by German based Team BMW Speedbrain in the 2011 Dakar desert race and is expected to be a 

contender first time out in the world’s toughest off road event. 

Frenchman David Fretigne, Dutchman Frans Verhoeven and the Portugese duo of Paulo Goncalves and Pedro Bianchi Prata will 

spearhead the riding talent for the BMW outfit racing with speedbrain technology. 

Speedbrain have been operating the offroad factory team for 

BMW Motorrad Motorsport for the last couple of years and have 

recently developed a distinctive rally bike based on the BMW G 

450 X. 

David Fretigne is excited about his prospects on the beemer. 

“I signed with speedbrain with the clear goal of winning the 

Dakar. The decision didn’t come easy after 14 years of riding for a 

different brand. I see the co-operation with speedbrain as a major 

opportunity. Together we’re bringing a lot of experience to the 

table as we both know a thing or two about bike development, 

setup, fine-tuning and equipment in general. I’ve waited a long 

time for this moment. My ambition for many years has been to 

win the Dakar, and I’ve used all my abilities to work towards that 

goal. I’m highly convinced that it will now become reality.” 

Team manager Wolfgang Fischer adds: “The experience and 

know-how gathered through the collaboration with BMW 

Motorrad Motorsport has given speedbrain the perfect 

foundation to enter the Dakar with a modified BMW 450 X. The 

bike allows for an excellent weight distribution and provides an 

incredibly nimble feeling.” 

– Darren Smart 

4 - SEPTEMBER 2010 

NEWS torquE 

maa defends CTP restructure 

COMPULSORY Third-Party insurance, the cover you must 

have if your bike is registered, varies widely in the way it’s 

administered and its cost, depending on the bike you ride, 

where you live and numerous other factors. 

In most states, it is paid for basically as part of your vehicle 

registration, but in NSW, you have to buy the insurance separately 

before you can pay your registration, and what you’re buying is 

called a Green Slip. 

Until June 30 there were only three classes of motorcycle, based 

entirely on capacity – 0-100cc, 101-300cc and over 300cc. 

On July 1 the system changed to five classes – 0-225cc, 226-725cc, 

726-1125cc, 1126-1325cc and above 1325cc. 

The Motor Accidents Authority has told Cycle Torque: “The 

changes in the motorcycle groupings mean that motorcycle 

owners are now paying a Green Slip price which better reflects 

the actual cost of injuries and compensation from claims against 

Green Slip policies held by riders within each of the motorcycle 

categories.” 

The MAA claims the new categories were arrived at in consultation 

with the Motorcycle Council of NSW, a rider lobby group, but 

since then the MCCNSW has organised a protest for August 31, so 

we can’t imagine that organisation is happy with the outcome… 

The MAA also went on to claim many riders can expect to see 

lower Green Slip prices, but that’s certainly not the experience 

of many irate riders who have written to Cycle Torque about the 

issue. 

“There are 172,000 motorcycles registered in NSW, of these, 

owners of bikes in the following categories can expect a reduction 

in their Green Slip if their other risk rating factors such as driving 

or claims record remains unchanged.” 

The MAA claims the following number of riders should be in for 

cheaper Green Slips: 

– 101 to 225cc, up to $49 less for 23,000 owners 

– 301-725cc, up to $220 less for 39,000 owners 

– 726 to 1125cc, up to $75 less for 43,000 owners 

– over 1325cc, up to $53 less for 5,000 owners 

Even if the above is true – something which remains to be seen – 

there’s one-third of bike owners who will have to pay more for their 

Green Slips, and a big chunk of them are owners of 250cc machines – 

often learners. And our testing of the MAA Green Slip Price Calculator 

indicates many of them will be paying a lot more - up to 100% - than 

in the past. 

Cycle Torque asked the MAA why engine capacity was still being 

used as the method to determine CTP categories instead of other 

factors, such as LAMS compliance, scooter, off-road etc, which in 

many ways would be fairer. The response was: 

“Engine capacity continues to be used for the time being as there 

were concerns about the effectiveness of the LAM Scheme as a CTP 

category as there are no reliable means of verifying the restrictions 

placed on low-powered bikes suitable for learner riders. While LAMS 

remains an option for motorcycle categories, it must be stressed that 

a new category may not necessarily result in lower Green Slip prices 

for LAMS motorcycles, however, the MAA is continuing to work with 

the MCC to find the fairest method for relativity categories. 

“The MAA continues to work with the Motorcycle Council of NSW 

to ensure the fairness of Green Slip prices for motorcycle owners as 

well as working together on other initiatives to benefit motorcycle 

owners and riders. The MAA and MCC have recommenced regular 

meetings, with the most recent meeting being on 3 August 2010.” 

– Nigel Paterson 

last drinks for smith 

LAST drinks will be held for legendary motorcycle journalist and raconteur, Peter Smith, at the 

Tambar Springs Hotel in north-western NSW at midday on Saturday, September 25. 

Mr Smith died of a heart attack in mid-December, 2009. He had revealed in one of the 180 

columns he wrote for 2Wheels magazine between 1985 and 2009 that he wanted to be 

remembered at Tambar Springs because it contained everything he admired in a country 

town, including, of course, a pub. 

All who knew him or admired his writing are invited to attend. Following a short ceremony, 

everyone is invited to adjourn to the Moonbi property of his close friend, Wendy Spooner, for a 

Saturday night rally-style party and barbecue. Smith stories will be told. 

Wendy’s place is approximately an hour-and-a-half’s ride from the Tambar Springs Hotel on 

roads Peter knew well from his time in Quirindi. 

At Wendy’s, plenty of undercover sleeping space will be available in an industrial-sized shed 

(which also has a bathroom) but guests will need to bring their own bedding and make a small 

donation to cover the cost of the food provided. 

To help Wendy with the planning and to alert the Tambar Springs Hotel regarding the number 

of counter meals it will need to provide, please RSVP to Wendy on (02) 6760 5481 before the 

event. 

There is also a liquor store/takeaway joint at Moonbi (shuts at 7.30pm). There is no petrol 

available at Tambar Springs, but there is at Mullaley (30km into the ride to Moonbi) and 

Gunnedah (65km). The ride will then turn off the highway at Somerton (halfway to Tamworth) 

and go to Attunga via Lower Somerton Rd, thence to Moonbi via Davidsons Lane and the 

Moonbi Gap Rd. 

For more details, contact Wendy on (02) 6760 5481 or Grant Roff via the SR500 Club of Australia 

website on www.sr500club.org. n 

SEPTEMBER 2010 - 5

mation Guide 

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NEWS torquE 

australians on safari 

ACCORDING to event organisers, competitors in the 2010 Australasian Safari course is off-road, and much on private and Crown 

Australasian Safari will experience diverse, remote and dramatic land. But at the end of each day, the competitors meet up with their 

terrain when they travel 3600km from Perth through historic teams and families and camp at overnight stops in local towns. 

gold-fields to Esperance in September. 

This year, the Safari will visit four outback towns for the first time and 

But they won’t be taking the usual tourist route. The majority of the one old favourite. 

Following the ceremonial start at Hillarys Boat Harbour on Friday 17 

Membership Badge September, formats competitors will for depart the next day on their Prologue 

leg, travelling 370km east to Southern Cross. 

After over-nighting in wildflower country, the first leg of the race will 

Cycle Torque 

travel north east overland to Leonora. This will be the third successive 

year this historic town will welcome back the Safari. 

On Monday 20 September the leg starts and finishes in Leonora, and 

the following day, competitors take off for Coolgardie, once the third 

largest town in Western Australia at the height of the gold rush. 

Maximise the value of your CAB membership From Coolgardie, the and event audit travels south using to Norseman, the eastern 

gateway to Western Australia at the end of the Nullarbor’s Highway 

the CAB Membership Badge. 

1. Competitors enjoy two overnight stops in the town named after a 

horse that discovered gold in 1894. 

The CAB brand which has been servicing the advertising For and Leg publishing 6, everyone industries packs up camp since and 1957 heads is to Esperance on the 

synonomous with credibility and accountability. southern coast, known for its huge stretches of white sand beaches. 

After a day of battling sand dunes, competitors finish in town on 

As a member of the CAB you too can take advantage of the Saturday benefits 25 September. of this prestigious brand by 

including a CAB Member Badge on all promotional material Considered including one publisher of the panels, world’s great media endurance kits, events, the 

sales flyers and newsletters. 

Australasian Safari is this year attracting international entries from 

countries including Brazil, Sweden, China, South Africa, Japan, and 

Using the badge will reinforce your commitment to New a credible Zealand. and accountable industry. 

If you are tech savvy you can follow the event on Facebook, Twitter-@ 

This badge has been created for Cycle Torque for use in the publishers panels, media kits and 

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NEWS torquE 

laro Goes larGe 

FOLLOWING on from the success of its 250 Cruiser, Laro 

Motorcycles will shortly release a number of new models 

including the SPT 350 sportsbike and a 350 Custom Cruiser, 

both with EFI. These units are sourced from the same factory 

as the Laro 250 Cruiser and will come with 2 year warranty. 

Pricing is expected to be very competitive . 

Laro has also just released two new road trail units . The V Retro 

250 and TR 250 which will retail at $2,990 and $2,890 respectively 

(plus on road costs). The Cougar 125cc and 50cc Scooter completes 

its current range (see page 52 for test ride review). 

Tony Elliot (of Tonelli Motorcycles & Accessories) has opened a new 

store at 1/267 Harbord Rd, Brookvale NSW, where he will stock a 

large range of Laro bikes, scooters, leathers and accessories. 

“We have worked with Laro for a number of years and are 

impressed with the quality and price of their products as well as 

their commitment to customer service.” Tony said. 

Clarification 

LAST month’s human interest story on Frank Hocking of 

Lake Macquarie receiving his new BRP Spyder sparked some 

inquiries from people who may have mistakenly believed 

that his receipt of the vehicle was a charity presentation. 

Just to clarify that Frank and Astrid paid over $46,000 for their 

“We are proud to become a Laro dealership on the north side and 

I am excited about the opportunity to showcase their products 

alongside the Tonelli range.” 

Tonelli Motorcycles and Accessories can be contacted on (02) 

99398128. 

Also, Rick Smith from Queensland plans to open four “Highway 

Laro” shops, the first in Toowoomba in September. 

“I was introduced to Laro through their sponsorship of the Wintersun 

festival in Coolangatta earlier this year and was impressed with 

their products, pricing and management,” Rick said. 

Laro acquired the operations of Arqin Motorcycles one year ago and 

has since consolidated its position in the industry with dealerships 

Australiawide and expects rapid expansion to continue in the year 

ahead. n 

machine, modified and on the road, which included a $500 

goodwill discount from Brisan’s Motorcycles of Newcastle. 

Brisans also transported the vehicle to Hornsby and back for the 

$3990 worth of modifications to be done by PME Hornsby. 

The Can-Am Spyder distributor, BRP, supplied Frank and Astrid 

with a touring suit each, valued at $1660, at no charge. 

SEPTEMBER 2010 - 7


NEWS torquE 

reed to lead oZ mxon 

K AWASAKI’S Chad Reed and the 

Honda duo of Dean Ferris and 

Brett Metcalfe will represent 

Australia at the 2010 Red Bull 

Motocross of Nations in 2010 

to be held in Colorado, USA on 

the 26th of September. 

Chad will be our MX1 rider, 

Ferris MX2 and Metcalfe MX3. 

The Australian team will go 

head to head with the world’s 

best riders in Colorado and if all 

riders per form to the maximum 

capabilities it could well be our 

strongest showing in many years. 

It is a true indication of the depth 

of Australian motocross when 

Jay Marmont and Kirk Gibbs are 

picked as the reser ves in case 

any of the three selec ted riders 

are injured bet ween now and 

September 26. 

Marmont was reduced to the 

reser ve list af ter the recent 

announcement by the FIM 

stipulating that in 2010 the 

maximum age for the MX2 class 

rider is 23 years, meaning that 

riders born before 1 Januar y 1987 

were not able to be selec ted for 

the MX2 class. 

Australia will be looking for a 

bet ter result than its seventh 

place f inish at last year’s MXoN. 

For more information regarding 

the event visit the event website 

at w w w.redbullmxon.com. n 

K n i G h T j o i n s e v e r T s 

DAVID Knight will return to the World Enduro 

Championship for the 2011 and 2012 seasons 

competing for K TM Farioli and will start a consulting 

role much like Stefan Everts to help with the 

development of the K TM enduro range. 

K TM has once again seen the value in having a world 

class competitor like Knight working hand-in-hand 

with K TM’s R&D exper ts and his contribution in the 

development of the nex t generation of K TM’s Enduro 

machines will ensure that K TM can provide the racing 

fraternit y with true state - of-the -ar t racing machines. 

2010 has already been a solid year for Knight with the 

big Brit currently leading the E3 World Championship 

standings by 30 points and has yet to be pushed 

of f the podium in the f irst f ive rounds of this year’s 

championship. 

If Knight manages to wrap up the 2010 E3 World 

Championships the trophy will have to pushed beside 

a plethora of awards that include eight national titles, 

double World Enduro Championships, t wo GNCC 

championships, GBXC champion 2008, AMA Endurocross 

champion 2007, t wo Erzberg E x tremes, the U. S. Red 

Bull Last Man Standing and the ISDE overall winner in 

2005. 

– Darren Smart


NEWS torquE 

rossi/Ducati ink finally dry 

Rossi talking Burgess into going red? 

THE worst kept secret in the MotoGP paddock has been finally 

confirmed, with Italian superstar Valentino Rossi admitting he 

has signed with Ducati for the 2011 season. The nine time World 

Champion and the Italian manufacturer have signed a two year 

deal that was officially announced following the Czech Grand Prix. 

After four World Titles and 45 race victories to date, the relationship with 

Yamaha will come to a close after the Valencia Grand Prix. 

The pairing of Rossi and Ducati is what many believe to be a ‘dream team’, 

with Ducati president Gabriele Del Torchio expressing his excitement. 

“We are delighted to announce that Valentino Rossi will be with us from 

2011”, commented Del Torchio. “He is a paragon of excellence in the 

world of motorcycling, coherent with our Italian company which is a 

standard bearer for ‘made in Italy’ excellence.” 

There’s little doubt Yamaha’s M1 would never have become the force it 

is without Rossi’s influence, a fact which Yamaha readily admits. Rossi 

also remembered his time with Yamaha with much emotion. 

“It is very difficult to explain in just a few words what my relationship 

with Yamaha has been in these past seven years. 

“Many things have changed since that far-off time in 2004, but especially 

‘she’, my M1, has changed. At that time she was a poor middle-grid 

position MotoGP bike, derided by most of the riders and the MotoGP 

workers. Now, after having helped her to grow and improve, you can 

see her smiling in her garage, courted and admired, treated as the ‘top 

of the class’. 

“The list of the people that made this transformation possible is very 

long, but I would like to thank anyway Masao Furusawa, Masahiko 

Nakajima and ‘my’ Hiroya Atsumi, as representatives of all the engineers 

that worked hard to change the face of our M1. Then Jeremy Burgess 

and all my guys in the garage, who took care of her with love on all the 

tracks of the world and also all the men and women that have worked 

in the Yamaha team during these years. 

“Now the moment has come to look for new challenges; my work here 

at Yamaha is finished. Unfortunately even the most beautiful love 

stories finish, but they leave a lot of wonderful memories, like when 

my M1 and I kissed for the first time on the grass at Welkom, when she 

looked straight in my eyes and told me ‘I love you!’” 

We can only imagine the celebrations in Italy if the golden one wins on 

a red bike. n 

OPPORTUNITY 

KNOCKS! 

A limited number of low km 

demonstrators are now available! 

SAVE OVER $7000 

Only at your participating 

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12 MONTHS PREMIUM ROADSIDE ASSIST 

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©2010 BRP Australia Pty Ltd. (BRP). All rights reserved. ® are registered trademarks and TM and the BRP logo trademarks of Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. or its affiliates. Products are distributed in Australia by BRP Australia Pty Ltd. Limited offer while stocks last at participating Can-Am dealers on 2009 SM5 demonstrator models 

only. Private buyers only. BRP reserves the right to extend or modify these offers. Not available with other offers. ± RIDE AWAY PRICE (Manual $19,990) includes 12 months registration, Compulsory third party insurance, Stamp duty, Dealer delivery and freight to dealer. 1 YEAR ROADSIDE ASSIST is provided by NRMA and its state and territory 

affiliates. For full terms and conditions please contact your local participating Can-Am dealership. Printed in Australia.


NEWS torquE 

aussie eleCTriC suPerBiKe ProjeCT 

SYDNEY firm Intercad has joined forces 

with Triple Eight Race Engineering to 

design and build an electric superbike 

style motorcycle. 

Intercad is calling on designers and 

engineers to become involved in the 

project which will be auctioned off when 

completed to raise funds for Red Dust 

Role Models, a charity for disadvantaged 

youth in remote areas. 

Triple Eight race driver Craig Lowndes has 

put his name behind the project, and will 

be the official test rider. 

Some frame designs have already been 

entered by fledgling designers. 

“It’s not often people have the opportunity 

to step outside their usual realm of 

expertise and be part of a larger project 

which challenges and extends their skills,” 

said Intercad CEO Max Piper. “The Electric 

Superbike initiative is being managed by 

experienced Intercad engineers to ensure 

the bike is structurally sound, road tested 

and can be registered. The end result will 

actually be something tangible to which 

those involved can attach their names.” 

Lowndes says the project is a great 

opportunity for designers and engineers 

in Australia and New Zealand. 

“When I heard about the concept of 

the Electric Superbike I was definitely 

excited,” he said. “This is the bike of the 

future and I’m really interested to ride the 

winning design. It’s certainly going to be 

THE MotoGP paddock will be two-stroke free in 2012. It was only 

a matter of time before the smallest class would become the 

domain of four-strokes, especially after the 250cc two-strokes 

were replaced by the Moto2 class this year. 

The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) released 

details of the 2012 rules which say the engine should be a 250cc 

four-stroke single with a maximum bore size of 81mm. It goes on 

to say engines must last a minimum of three races and cost no 

more than €10,000. Also each manufacturer should be able to 

supply at least 15 riders with these little hand grenades. 

Even though the rules don’t mention anything about chassis 

design we have to guess the motorcycles will be a full prototype. 

We expect you will also see a number of chassis designers being 

supplied by engine manufacturers. n 

australia out of 

world mx 

YOUTHSTREAM, FIM and all of the major motocross team 

managers have agreed to the basis of the calendar for the 

2011 World Motocross Season, with Australia’s planned 

round being canned until at least 2012. 

For 2011 there will be 15 rounds on the world tour that will 

feature two overseas events, one in the USA and Brazil while in 

2012 there will be three overseas events and in 2013 there will 

be four overseas events. 

Japan and Australia are targeted as key rounds earmarked for 

something different and it will be great 

to see the end result of a creation that 

could potentially change the future of 

motorcycles.” 

Entries are now open, with part one of the 

design phase, the frame design, kicking 

off the project. Entrants can submit a 

design in SolidWorks for any of the parts 

of the motorcycle – the frame, mechanics, 

electronics and batteries, fairing and 

styling, and accessories – or a complete 

design. To ensure safety in design, 

contestants are required to download 

a file with the structural parameters to 

create their own design. 

If you are up to the challenge go to www. 

theelectricsuperbike.com.au. n 

moto3 to replace 125s in 2012 

the future of the world motocross scene but it was agreed that 

the FIM Motocross World Championship will start and finish in 

Europe. The traditional FIM Motocross of Nations will always be 

staged after the last event of the World Championship. 


NEWS torquE 

Go yellow for sx 

IT MAY may be a good idea to be riding an RMZ250 or RMZ450 in 

the 2010 SuperX season with Suzuki Australia offering their Suzuki 

Support Riders (SSR) a contingency program. 

At each Australasian Supercross round Suzuki Support Riders will be 

eligible for the following contingency payments: 

• Highest placed SSR Privateer (Within overall Top 20) $500 

Inclusive of GST 

• Second highest placed SSR Privateer (Within 

overall Top 20) $250 Inclusive of GST 

• Third highest placed SSR Privateer 

(Within overall Top 20) $125 Inclusive of 

GST 

Suzuki Support Riders are also 

eligible for race price discount on 

ONE Industries race wear as worn 

by Team Rockstar Motul Suzuki. 

Registration to the Suzuki Support 

Rider program is free, with forms 

available at Suzuki dealers or 

online at: www.suzukimotorcycles. 

com.au/racing/suzuki-supportedrider. 


searle and anstie Back To mxGP 

AFTER two seasons racing in the AMA 

Championships, Tommy Searle and 

Max Anstie have been lured back to 

the World Motocross Championship 

by Team CLS Kawasaki Pro Circuit 

to compete for the 2011 World MX2 

Championship. 

With their current rider Steven 

Frossard forced to move to the MX1 

class next year due to the age limit 

rule the CLS team not only wanted to 

replace Frossard but to also expand 

their rider line up and with Searle 

being the runner-up in the 2007 and 

2008 MX2 World Championship he 

became the obvious choice. 

Searle will have the unique 

opportunity to race the 

AMA`Supercross and the World 

MX2 Championships in 2011. “I’m 

very excited and happy about 

this opportunity to join Team CLS 

Kawasaki and Pro Circuit, they have 

proved on both continents how 

competitive they are. They offered 

me the possibility to race the US 

Supercross on the West Coast and 

then compete again in the MX2 

World Championship next year; 

that’s a fantastic program that I will 

prepare closely with the team this 

winter.” 

Max Anstie, another of the best 

young British motocrossers will 

focus on the GP scene in 2011 

and 2012 after signing a two year 

contract with the CLS Kawasaki Pro 

Circuit team. 

Team owner Jean Jacques Luisetti 

has this to say. “Our venture with 

Pro Circuit has further upped our 

status in the World Championship; 

it’s exciting to have such a great 

connection with Mitch Payton. We 

are proud to see Tommy racing for 

us next season on both sides of the 

Atlantic, and with Max we will have 

one of the fastest kids on our bikes; 

I’m convinced that they will come to 

the GPs even stronger after racing 

two years in the US, and the team 

is ready for this great challenge 

in the World and French MX2 

championships.” 

Owner of Pro Circuit Mitch Payton is 

confident for next season. “I am very 

excited to have Tommy in the team, 

and I think we have a good chance 

to win the world title with him. It 

is great to see how we are working 

together with the CLS people in 

Europe to make this project work. 

During our first year of cooperation 

we have already got great results, 

and for sure we’ll be even stronger 

in the future.” 


SEPTEMBER 2010 - 13

EditoriaL 

The traveller 

WHEN you speak to people about their travelling 

aspirations you get many and varied responses. 

Some of my friends want to see everything, where others 

are happy to stay in their own dunghill, so to speak. 

I’ve been overseas a few times now but the most recent 

trip was to Transylvania. You’ll see Part II of this story 

in this issue of Cycle Torque, and on our website www. 

cycletorque.com.au. I can’t say I had a burning desire to 

tour Transylvania by bike but I’m so glad I did the trip. My 

wife Kerrie and I used to do loads of two-up riding before 

our kids were born, and while this had not stopped it had 

come pretty close to it over the years since. As the trip 

loomed closer I had doubts as to whether she would enjoy 

it. I hoped she would because I knew it would mean more 

riding in the future for us as a couple. 

We had two friends with us also, Glen and Sue. Neither 

had anywhere near as much riding experience as Kerrie and 

I but they were keen as mustard. I made sure Kerrie was 

well equipped with the right gear so whatever the weather 

dished out she would be as comfortable as possible. 

I’m glad to say we all had a blast, made possible by great 

guides, good bikes and excellent company. 

What it has done is light the fire which I think has been 

smouldering inside me for years. Sure, I’ve done plenty of 

Pickett getting another perspective. 

touring in Australia but there are some countries I want to 

check out as well, but only by motorcycle. 

Vietnam probably sits at the top of the list. I’ve had this 

desire for at least a decade and I hope it will become a 

reality in the near future. I’m keen to experience the culture 

first hand, not via a local restaurant or hot bread shop. I 

want to see the beauty of the country personally, not via a 

flat screen TV. I want to smell it, eat at a little cafe, swim in 

the ocean, and see the hustle and bustle. To do it all while 

riding a ‘big’ motorcycle would seem just wrong. I want to 

do it on a moped. 

Kerrie, Glen, Sue and I have already hatched plans to do 

this in 2012, and the girls are keen to ride themselves. Now, 

as neither of them have ever held a motorcycle licence I’m 

not sure I’m keen for that to happen but we’ll see. 

I’ve been to the Isle of Man before, to see the 2006 TT. I 

couldn’t hire a bike on the island and had to do a lap of the 

circuit in a Citroen people mover. This, readers, can never 

happen again. I do plan to visit the IOM again, this time by 

bike. It’s not all about the bike racing though. The IOM is 

a stunningly beautiful place with castles, greenery and the 

view over the Irish Sea is...well, you just have to see it for 

yourself. 

Another place I’d like to see is Cuba. I can imagine 

cruising through downtown Havana on an old Pommy 

single, checking out the old cars, run down buildings and 

sipping a coffee while watching the world go by. 

For some reason I have no desire to visit America, most 

of Asia or Africa. Some would tell me I’m crazy. Maybe I 

am but I think we all have places which hold no allure. One 

man’s meat and all that stuff... 

My good mate Billy spent two months touring New 

Zealand with his wife Narelle. Being retired they had all 

the time in the world. It was as easy as shipping their trusty 

Ducati Multistrada over with Get Routed, then swanning 

around both islands. They had a fantastic time, and 

probably partly because of this Narelle is in the process or 

organising a similar trip, this time to the British Isles. 

All Billy has to do is jump on the plane and ride the bike 

wherever they want to go. Oddly though he’s not keen. The 

thought of flying that far – he’s an old airline pilot – doesn’t 

light his fire, and he doesn’t want to be that far from home. 

I’ll hold him down and we can all take turns at slapping 

some sense into him. 

– Chris Pickett 

20 - SEPTEMBER 2010 www.cycletorque.com.au 

E-TORQUE 

PICKETT was blown away. It’s not often 

Cycle Torque’s luddite editor is impressed 

by technology, but when he saw the footage 

from the GoPro HD Hero wearable camera 

I’d bought, he was gobsmacked. 

He mumbled, “I can see us owning a few 

of these…” 

I’m more than impressed with the little HD 

GET YOUR MX 

GEAR ONLINE AT 

Hero, too. Starting at round $400, it shoots 

really good quality footage, especially if 

you’ve got good light. 

So far there’s two Cycle Torque videos 

up which use Hero footage, and both give 

a great impression of what it’s like on the 

bike – the rst one we did was the Kawasaki 

KLX250SF, which just happened to be in the 

GoPro HD Hero 

Cycle Torque garage when the camera arrived. 

Ad man Dennis Penzo was throwing a leg 

over to go to the local shops, so I used the 

suction cup attachment and sent him off 

with the GoPro on the side of the bike. What 

came back was great footage of him hooking 

through suburbia on the Kawasaki’s neat 

Supermoto. 

The next thing was to attach the GoPro 

to my car and have Dennis hook in, getting 

some shots of the bike on the move. Add in a 

soundtrack and some still images and it was 

one of the quickest videos we’ve ever made. 

Next up was the Kawasaki KX250F launch. 

The onboard shots are from rider Todd 

Reed’s helmet and again, they 

look great. We also captured the 

slow-motion jump with the camera 

panning the bike, which I think is 

the best scene in the whole show. 

The GoPro also shoots 5mp still 

photos, but I haven’t really tried 

that out yet. 

The specs show it can shoot 

1080p at 30fps (frames per second), 

but we nd the wider-angle view 

(170-degrees versus 127) and 60fps 

(which is better for slow motion) 

suits on-board bike action better. 

The extra wide angle eld of view 

means the focussing is xed and 

depth of eld is huge. 

There are many ways to mount 

the Hero, including adhesive 

mounts, straps, suction caps and 

tripod adaptors. 

Here at Cycle Torque we’re very 

happy with the videos, podcasts and eMags 

we’ve been producing, but we are pretty 

new to the electronic media lark. If you’ve 

got any comments, suggestions, brickbats 

or bouquets, don’t be afraid to let us know - 

publisher@cycletorque.com.au. 

To see the videos mentioned in the story, 

go to http://www.cycletorque.com.au/ 

vodcastList.php (if you’re reading the eMag 

version, just click on the link). 

For more information about the GoPro 

camera, check out www.gopro.com - for 

the details of how to get one, call Lusty 

Industries on 02 4953 7667. 


The latest on 


(Live links if you’re reading the eMag) 

• Kawasaki KX250F video 

and special edition eMag 

• Motocross interviews on video 

Marmont, Boyd, Simmonds 

• Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Lo video 

• Kawasaki KLX250SF video 

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14 - SEPTEMBER 2010 SEPTEMBER 2010 - 15 

PHONE: 02 4322 7100 

THE 5 WAYS ROUND-ABOUT 

WYOMING. CENTRAL COAST 

imagemotorcycles.com.au 

will@imagemotorcycles.com.au

GuNtrip 

Triumphs and, well, bungles 

EVEN today, more than 

30 years after the event, 

I’m still bewildered at my 

decision to buy a Honda 

CB400F rather than a 

Yamaha RD400. 

I know why I chose the 

one over the other – I’d 

swallowed the family 

propaganda, ground 

down to a nicely blunt, 

bludgeoning edge after 

decades of not knowing any 

better, that two-strokes were 

things for scooters, mopeds 

and the horrors fashioned 

by Eastern Bloc nations to 

masquerade as motorcycles. 

But even allowing for 

that and the fact that a 

short series of Suzukis 

had temporarily sated my 

appetite for strokers I’m 

still a bit foxed at having 

toed the party line quite so 

readily. 

But perhaps my decision 

had something to do with 

romance as well, springing 

from a desire to become a 

small part of our lot’s great 

two-wheeled continuum 

that stretched back flat 

caps and Halcyon Mk 8s, 

to ex-War Department G3 

Matchlesses and the delight 

of discovering telescopic 

forks for the first time. 

All of which might go 

some way to explain why 

such a vast number of 

oddities appear in so many 

lists of all-time great bikes. 

My choice, as you’ll see in 

the list below, contain no 

such errors of judgement, 

no quirks of fancy; the 

baker’s dozen bikes listed 

A Honda CB77. 305cc, OHC, 28.5HP… and electric start that worked. 

each embody most if not all 

of the motorcycling virtues 

and can claim the credit of 

having established more 

than a few. 

1948 Vincent-HRD 

Series C Rapide – the 

50-degree engine and more 

ingenious design features 

than you could dream 

of, including a cantilever 

rear end, quick-detach 

wheels (and reversible 

rear), Girdraulic forks. The 

genius of the two Phils was 

never more apparent. 

1956 BSA DBD34 Gold 

Star – Along with the 

’74-spec Laverda SFC and 

the Ducati 916, perhaps 

the best-looking bike ever 

made and certainly one of 

the toughest. A genuine 

clubman racer powered 

by a raw, men-only 499cc 

single that could propel 

you to the far side of 

110mph (as long as you 

could take the vibration). 

And that exhaust note, 

when the bike had a Goldie 

silencer – Ducati owners, 

eat your hearts out. 

1959 Triumph T120 

Bonneville – Yes, children, 

there was magic before 

Harry Potter, and this was 

its finest manifestation. 

Sublime looks, sound and 

performance from 40 wellnourished 

horses. The best 

development of Edward 

Turner’s famed parallel 

twin. Last I heard there 

were still half a million 

650cc Triumphs in the USA. 

1961 Honda CB77 – Big 

Red’s early parallel twins 

were things of rare beauty (check 

the lines, the shape of the tank, the 

instrument nacelle), and the 305 had 

the performance to see off much 

bigger opposition. All this, and an 

overhead camshaft! Most 305s went 

to the US, where other markets 

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 60 

tended to get the 250cc CB72. Oh 

yes, there was the small matter of 

an electric start that worked, as 

well. Some manufacturers couldn’t 

manage that a dozen years later. 

1970 Yamaha R5 – Serious 

performance from one of the first 

and finest of Yamaha’s big twostrokes 

and, like the Honda, a 

trim masterpiece that looked a 

million bucks parked. The start of a 

wonderful dynasty. 

1973 Kawasaki Z1 – Big Daddy 

arrives. What can you say? This one 

really pinned our ears back, and 

which had some sand and some jumps. You have 

coming hot to remember on the the heels bike was of only the wearing H2, road/ 

trail tyres but I was pleasantly surprised with 

cemented Kawasaki’s place as the 

big-performance stuff. The only marque. y in the ointment ‘Let here the is the soft 

suspension set-up. I had the front and rear ends 

good times roll’ indeed. 

taking it easy on the Terra. 

1980 Yamaha RD350LC – The first 

Good enough? 

of the water-pumpers was the pick 

new found freedom – because it was a beautiful 

of Yamaha’s 350s. The power-valve 

model that followed somehow looked 

cheap yet still took itself too seriously 

by comparison. The hooligan device 

of its time, delivering miles of smiles 

to the rider’s face – between petrol 

pumps, anyhow. 

1985 BMW R80 Monolever – Why 

didn’t I buy one? Why didn’t I buy 

one? Why didn’t I buy one? Why 

didn’t I buy one? Why didn’t I buy 

one? 

1985 Suzuki GSX-R750 – The 

modern era began with this little 

oil/air-cooled masterpiece, which 

boasted a claimed 100 horses and 

less weight than most 500s of the 

time. The start of some serious 

performance and the beginning of the 

end for the 240kg luxo-barges that 

were then somehow blighting most 

manufacturers’ catalogues. 

1986 Honda VFR750F – With a 

afternoon. I think that’s where a bike like this is 

at luscious, home. The more torquey established V-four brands have powerplant, 

it 

over the Torino Terra, at the moment. But for only 

$4,999 solid + ORC handling, (with a full 12 striking month warranty) looks and on 

it does give you a cheaper brand new option to 

get later out there models and have that some fun. single-sided During my test swingarm 

nothing went wrong or broke on the Terra, apart 

from the bum the bag Honda zipper, and France I used it as endurance you boys, 

expect a bike like this to be ridden. 

the You can VFR see more set about a mark this bike for if you sports-tourers 

go to 

www.torinomotorcycles.com.au. 

that 16-year-old still stands. Alex Pickett may A genuine be a learner on the classic. road 

but he also rides Cycle Torque’s Triumph Daytona 675 in 

the FX Pro Twins class. 

1994 Ducati 916 – When the 


CYCLE TORQUE TEST – TORINO TERRA 400 

how the bike tracked through the sand and how it 

coped with me giving it a hard time in the rougher 

bottoming out on the guards but to be fair I wasn’t 

After I ripped it up in the sand I went for another 

20 kilometre ride – I’ve just got my bike Ls and my 

Italians get it right, their brilliance is 

unsurpassed. The lucky and wellheeled 

few are still riding the 916 

or its children and are, no doubt, in 

heaven. The sound, the performance, 

the looks. It was also the start of 

Ducati’s reign as a fashion icon. So 

not even Ducati at the top of its game 

can get everything right. 

1998 Yamaha R1 – Yamaha has 

started plenty of revolutions in 

its time and none has been more 

impressive than this, the first of the 

21st-century megasportsters. Wild 

and a touch scary, it gave the world 

its first taste of two-wheeled warp 

speed of the racetrack. 

2007 Triumph Bonneville – Yes, 

the first of the range was released 

in 2001, but the 865cc engine was 

worth the wait. Tiny, reliable and 

sturdy, the new Bonnie is hardly the 

cutting-edge performance unit its 

predecessor could claim to be, but the 

new bike is a timely reminder of how 

much fun a motorcycle with a decentdiameter 

front wheel, upright riding 

position and comfortable seat can be. 

– Bob Guntrip 

Right: It would be nice to have a tacho 

in the instrument pod. 

Below left: Handy rack comes 

standard. 

Below centre: Engine is built by Lifan. 

Below right: Rear disc looks like a saw 

blade but works fi ne. 

DESIGNED FROM THE GROUND UP AS THE MOST INNOVATIVE RETRO 250 CUSTOM 

FULL SIZE PRODUCTION CHOPPER EVER CREATED. 

More custom FEATURES than any Japper :- Classic “California Old School” slim chopper style - absolute quality 

throughout with outstanding attention to every detail - adjustable 21 / 24 inch ride height - Raked front end 

with 21”front wheel - wide 16” alloy rear wheel - fuel tank centre mounted ignition switch & speedo / instrument 

console panel - “Bates” style headlamp - Alloy custom forward controls - Dual front discs & rear disc with twin 

piston calipers - Drag bars with hidden wiring - OHC Vertical Twin cylinder Liquid Cooled, twin carby performance 

4 stroke electric start engine - 5 speed, Slash cut exhaust pipes 

16 - SEPTEMBER 2010 SEPTEMBER 2010 - 17

aCE torquE 

GuTs & olD Glory 

24 - AUGUST 2010 www.cycletorque.com.au 

CYCLE TORQUE TEST - DUCATI 796 HYPERMOTARD 

– Continued from previous page 

Twists and turns 

During my time with the Hypermotard I tackled a number 

of different types of road. On expressways it’s easy to stay 

within legal-ish limits, there is no bodywork to protect 

you from the wind blast and 110/120kmh is a reasonable 

compromise. Try harder and the format of the bike forces 

you into that elbows out, head down, supermoto position. 

Very obvious to other road users you are perhaps offending 

the provisions of the Act (speeding), but enormous fun 

nonetheless. 

Get onto the bumpy backroads and it’s clear she feels at 

home. Change direction, late brake, and charge through the 

hills and it’s very tempting to apply for a road closure and get 

out the stop watch. If there is a factory ‘hill climber’ or ‘road 

crosser’, this is it. 

All the time the integrated balance of the design smiles at 

you, and shrugs, “...well, what did you expect?” Finally on 

dirt, awesome fun at slower speeds, makes me wonder about 

the potential for a 21-inch front wheeled version, and Ducati’s 

recent Pikes Peak hillclimb successes (with the 1100, but check 

this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5le-azyOB98). 

The Hypermotard extends sportsriding on a Ducati. 

The passion 

The 796 makes it accessible/affordable, and user friendly, 

without seriously compromising the end product in order to 

achieve the result. I feel the whole HM model range is capable 

of calling for a better rider, but the 796 is closer to most real 

world riders than the 1100s which feel as if they are on serious 

amounts of steroids! 

I am reminded of the footage of the HM launch (http:// 

tinyurl.com/35ks5v6) at Sardinia a while back, where 

Ruben Xaus tortured and twisted the new bike, and that 

famous photo was taken (see www.cycletorque.com.au/ 

galleryPic.php). One hand off the bars, saying ‘hi’ to the 

camera, knee down, rear wheel trying to overtake the front, 

which is seriously opposite 

locked… Wow! (he did it SPECIFICATIONS: 

repeatedly)… and the audio DUCATI 796 HYPERMOTARD 

WHEN revealing it the came shrieking to guts, Wayne Engine Type: Gardner Air-cooled V-twin 

screams of protest from the 

Capacity: 803cc 

While we are mainly looking 

at the 796 in this test, I also 

had a run on the $19,990 1100 

race track. 

Hypermotard, and not that 

long ago spent some extended 

 

 

never tyre left package, anything heard above out on the track, and Gardner time with it. on In Nicky my opinion Hayden: 

the velvet boom of the down Transmission: Six speed/chain drive most people would probably 

the changing same goes engine. for the forthrightness Fuel Capacity: of 12.4 his Litres “Nicky’s dismiss the HM had as a his hoon moment bike, in the sun and 

Like all Ducatis the 

something for short runs and 

Frame Type: Tubular trellis 

opinions Hypermotard on the is about current crop of GP riders. I don’t insanity think type fun. his That results would are going to get any 

passion, the passion for Seat Height: 825mm 

be a mistake however. Sure, the 

Wayne’s riding, the weekly whole visceral op-eds have Wet been Weight: picked 167kg better. 1100 I has think enough he horsepower reached his peak at Honda 

experience. Now, I can’t 

Front Suspension: 43mm USD to be great fun and blur scenery 

up by ride US ‘em like weekly Ruben Xaus, Cycle News, and his views a few pronto, years but its ago very design and allows I think he’s definitely 

but this bike is one hell of a Rear Suspension: Monoshock 

it to lope along without fuss, 

on American lot of fun, and riders would be has an got Brakes: a few Twin of 4-piston the calipers front, reached eating mile his after peak mile. The as riding far as getting results on 

excellent starting point for single twin-piston rear. 

position might look more trail 

locals such hopping a journey. mad. American fans, and the bike Ducati than tourer is concerned. but once again, He’s a second tier 

Tyres: 120/70-ZR17, 180/55-ZR17 

With a new knockdown 

the US motorcycle press, have Price become (RRP): $15,990 

price of $15,990, the 796 

quite rider - always has been and always will be. He 

protective Hypermotard of their is good www.ducati.com.au 

riders who have attracted puts the hard work in, but I just think he lacks 

buying, especially if you are 

CALL FOR A QUOTE 

a certain after a fun amount bit of gear. of ■derision 

in recent 1800 years 24 34 64the 

aggression and skills to really succeed. He 

WE’LL BEAT ANY PRICE GUARANTEED* 

for not delivering where it counts - on the just lacks that last two or three percent that 

it’s quite a comfortable machine to spend a day in the saddle on. Proof in the pudding for me was a trip 

last year down to Bright and back. I travelled around 3000 kilometres or so in four days, including one 

1000 kilometre run on the last day. The bike was equipped with factory tank panniers which looked very 

cool and held enough gear to get us through the trip. The set up had the panniers sit either side of the 

tank and even worked well enough to keep some of the cool air off my lower regions. 

Overall a very nice, and usable machine. The 1100 Evo SP is currently on sale for $20,990. 

Ben Spies on his way to his Superbike World 

Championship title in 2009 (photo 2snap. 

com). 

10 per cent more power! 

Space-age instruments… 

guys like Stoner and Vale have got.” 

Handguards integrate mirrors and 

Here’s two responses to Wayne’s indicators. appraisal 

of Hayden: 

‘Nicky Hayden has just as many 

MotoGP/500 Championships as you Wayne, 

and if Dorna had not switched to 800s in 2007, 

I have no doubt he would have won more on 

the 990s. The switch from 990s to 800s hurt 

Nicky the most, because the 800s need to be 

ridden like 250s, and Nicky never raced 250s. 

Honda did not help him much by building 

the smallest and the slowest 800 on the grid 

Storm range in store July www.horneejeans.com 

in 2007. Honda finally increased the power of Colin Edwards: Years ago I would’ve said 

its 800 at the end of 2008, and Nicky led Indy, a 600 then a Superbike, then MotoGP. But 

and at Phillip Island set the lap record that still I’m beginning to understand that there’s a 

stands; not bad for a guy with no talent.’ problem. If you’re racing a 600 then Superbike, 

‘I wish Nicky could win the championship you’re not in the eye of the decision makers in 

again, but I have to agree with Gardner on MotoGP, and that’s key. The 125 guys that are 

this one. Nicky is a big engine, no traction young and finishing top three, top four, the 

control kind of guy. To be champion again, his MotoGP paddock have got their eye on ‘em. 

best shot is World Superbike. And the same They see ‘em every weekend, they see their 

may apply to Ben too. We’ll have to wait till weaknesses and strengths and see what they 

next year to see how he does on the A-team overcome. The factories and the sponsors are 

bike. And while Gardner won only one calling the shots, and they see the kids coming 

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THESE carbon bre muf ers are made from pre-formed composite carbon 

Slight – all champions in their own right. What 

bre Q: sleeve What and high progression grade 304 stainless of classes steel. All hand would welded you with a 

careful attention to detail. They have a removable baf e system, each 

makes it tougher to beat the GP guys? 

silencer map weighs out for under a 16-year-old 2kg with baf e removed. rookie No on jetting the or road re-mapping 

required. There is a 12-month warranty. 

CE: Fogarty, Corser, Gobert and Russell, 

P R I C E : From $369 AVA I L A B L E F R O M : Direct from Planet Moto 

to MotoGP? 

we all wanted to win just as bad, but it didn’t 


M O R E I N F O : 1300 457 878, www.planetmoto.com.au. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

seem quite as cut-throat. We did some pretty 

crazy stuff, but grand prix seems more over 

the edge in that aspect. The first three laps of a 

race, if you can survive that, you’re doing well. 

It can get crazy in those first few laps. 

In Superbikes, you had two races. You knew 

you had two starts, you knew everyone would 

sort themselves out, and you had time to make 

up some spots. In MotoGP, there’s one race 

and that start is mighty important. 

America’s biggest hope Ben Spies, therefore, 

needs to overcome a Superbike career path to 

conquer MotoGP. Gardner is optimistic. 

Wayne Gardner on Ben Spies: 

2 

“Ben’s done a great job in his first full 

season of MotoGP. He’s struggled a bit for 

consistency, but this is only because he still 

doesn’t know all the tracks or how to extract 

the best from his bike in a short period. He’s 

managing to learn a lot without making too 

many mistakes. I think his main strength has 

been his calculating approach. He understands 

what he’s looking for and he’s prepared to 

work hard at it. It’s just a matter of time before 

4 

we see him at the front on a regular basis.” 

If he does get to the front, Superbike Spies 

will need to defy a decade’s old orthodoxy 

of tucking behind a 125 screen on the way to 

the top. 

– Darryl Flack

INfORMaTION fROM OUR aDveRTIseRs 

1 BooTs of CaliBre 

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panel and elasticised topline for comfort. We love the way they open with a zip on either 

side of each boot. 

P r i C e : Tall - $239.95, short $229.95 

ava i l a B l e f r o m : Good bike shops, online or ring for stockists - 

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2 Tour in sTyle 

TIME-OUT Trailers, the largest selling camping and cargo trailers in the USA and 

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range which can be colour matched to your bike. The camper-trailer can be fully rigged 

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chairs. P r i C e : Dependent on model. 

ava i l a B l e f r o m : Time Out Trailers Australia 

m o r e i n f o : 0412 766 449 

3 GeT seaTeD 

Brisbane’s leading leather repair and accessory store Hi-Side Leathers has 

expanded it’s current operations to re-foaming, re-shaping, recovering and 

repairing seat covers. There is a large range of exotic vinyls to choose from and the 

straight talking Phil will put you on the straight and narrow regarding what can be done 

to enhance the look and comfort of your current seat. P r i C e : Prices vary 

ava i l a B l e f r o m : Hi-Side Leathers m o r e i n f o : 0417 723 799 

4 CarBon PerformanCe 

THESE carbon fibre mufflers are made from pre-formed composite carbon fibre sleeve 

and high grade 304 stainless steel. All hand welded with a careful attention to detail. 

They have a removable baffle system, each silencer weighs under 2kg with baffle 

removed. No jetting or re-mapping required. There is a 12-month warranty. 

P r i C e : From $369 ava i l a B l e f r o m : Direct from Planet Moto 

m o r e i n f o : 1300 457 878, www.planetmoto.com.au. 

4 

3 

1 

2 

7 

5 

6 

5 roller ProTeCTors 

THIS set of two roller protector/frame sliders help 

protect the frame and bodywork on a low-side fall. 

Black anodised aluminium brackets with black highimpact 

nylon rollers which have FZ8 etched in white 

on them. For 2010 FZ8 N & S models. 

P r i C e : $272.24 incl GST 

ava i l a B l e f r o m : All good Yamaha dealers 

m o r e i n f o : www.yamaha-motor.com.au 

6 relaxeD in hornee 

THESE Burnt Blue Hornee Jeans are in the Relax Fit 

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and off the bike. Made of cotton and with a 100 per 

cent Kevlar liner. Double-stitched seams provide for 

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P r i C e : $239.95 

ava i l a B l e f r o m : Good bike shops. 

m o r e i n f o : www.horneejeans.com 02 47222637 

7 maTaDor for all seasons 

THE Fresco jacket here shows a cut-away look so 

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P r i C e : Front $79.95, rear $99.95 

ava i l a B l e f r o m : Lusty Industries 02 4953 7667 

m o r e i n f o : www.blackrock-tyres.com.au 

8

CauGhT ouT in The ColD 

JUST occasionally, you really get caught out: for me, 

getting snowed on in France during the launch of the 

Yamaha Super Tenere was just that sort of occasion. 

Luckily I wasn’t completely unprepared, my new 

MotoDry Adventurer Jacket and Shoei Hornet DS 

helmet both doing a great job to keep me warmer, 

dryer and a lot more comfortable than I would have 

expected. 

Starting from the top, the new Shoei Hornet DS was 

a snug comfortable fit, as I’d expect from a top-ofthe 

line manufacturer. The quality of finish is simply 

superb, and the combination of good-sealing visor 

under the integral peak is perfect for adventure bikes 

like the Super Tenere. The peak keeps the sun out of 

the eyes in the trees and the visor is what you need on 

a freeway, so it’s a versatile combination. If you decide 

to get serious off road you can swap the visor for a 

pair of goggles, and you could also remove the peak 

and run the helmet as a standard full-face lid, too, so it 

is a bit like getting two helmets for the money. 

The MotoDry Adventurer jacket is also very versatile. 

It was supplied with two liners, one a warm and plush 

inner, the other less designed to keep you warm but 

still making the combination 100 per cent waterproof. 

With no liner the Adventure jacket can breathe, the 

exterior being a strong mesh. 

Features abound: built in hydration pack, body 

armour, zip-off sleeves, ventilation panels, numerous 

pockets, all adding up to one awesome jacket. 

With the lining removed, the Adventurer provides 

crash protection and air flow: to be able to use the 

same jacket on a freeway when it’s is snowing and still 

come away impressed makes me really, really happy 

I took the MotoDry to France. Available in sizes up to 

6XL. Three colour schemes. 

P r i C e : Helmet - $899.90, jacket - $349 

ava i l a B l e f r o m : Leading bike shops 

m o r e i n f o : Helmet - www.mcleodaccessories.com. 

au, jacket - More info: www.motonational.com.au 

T H E T W I N S H AV E G R O W N . 

For fans of big cans, all 2011 Touring models now feature the Twin Cam 103” engine - or 1690cc for you metric 

heads. It’s a new level of performance delivered via meatier torque. Head to h-d.com.au to immerse yourself.

GoPro hD hero 

PICKETT was blown away. 

It’s not often Cycle Torque’s 

luddite editor is impressed 

by technology, but when he 

saw the footage from the 

GoPro HD Hero wearable 

camera I’d bought, he was 

gobsmacked. 

He mumbled, “I can see 

us owning a few of these…” 

I’m more than impressed 

with the little HD Hero, too. 

Starting at round $400, it 

shoots really good quality 

footage, especially if you’ve 

got good light. 

So far there’s two Cycle 

E-torquE E-torquE www.cycletorque.com.au 

SEPTEMBER 2010 - 55 

Torque videos up which use 

Hero footage, and both give 

a great impression of what 

it’s like on the bike – the 

first one we did was the 

Kawasaki KLX250SF, which 

just happened to be in the 

Cycle Torque garage when 

the camera arrived. Ad man 

Dennis Penzo was throwing 

a leg over to go to the local 

shops, so I used the suction 

cup attachment and sent 

him off with the GoPro on 

the side of the bike. What 

came back was great footage 

of him hooking through 

suburbia on the Kawasaki’s 

neat Supermoto. 

The next thing was to 

attach the GoPro to my car 

and have Dennis hook in, 

getting some shots of the 

bike on the move. Add in a 

soundtrack and some still 

images and it was one of the 

quickest videos we’ve ever 

made. 

Next up was the Kawasaki 

KX250F launch. The 

onboard shots are from 

rider Todd Reed’s helmet 

and again, they look great. 

We also captured the 

slow-motion jump with the 

camera panning the bike, 

which I think is the best 

scene in the whole show. 

The GoPro also shoots 

5mp still photos, but I 

haven’t really tried that out 

yet. 

The specs show it can 

shoot 1080p at 30fps (frames 

per second), but we find 

the wider-angle view 

(170-degrees versus 127) 

and 60fps (which is better 

for slow motion) suits onboard 

bike action better. 

The extra wide angle field 

of view means the focussing is fixed and 

depth of field is huge. 

There are many ways to mount the Hero, 

including adhesive mounts, straps, suction 

caps and tripod adaptors. 

Here at Cycle Torque we’re very happy 

with the videos, podcasts and eMags we’ve 

been producing, but we are pretty new 

to the electronic media lark. If you’ve got 

any comments, suggestions, brickbats or 

bouquets, don’t be afraid to let us know - 

publisher@cycletorque.com.au. 

To see the videos mentioned in the story, 

go to http://www.cycletorque.com.au/ 

vodcastList.php (if you’re reading the 

eMag version, just click on the link). 

special time. 

For more information about the GoPro 

camera, check out www.gopro.com - for 

the details of how to get one, call Lusty 

Industries on 02 4953 7667. 


The view at the top of the Trans Fagarasului Highway. The Merry Cemetery. 

a laugh out of his antics. Maybe I shouldn’t have Turda for a farewell dinner supplied by the local 

sledged his riding so much. 

town council which is promoting tourism. 

We check out the ‘Merry Cemetery’ which is It was sad to say goodbye to the Transylvania 

very colourful and each gravestone tells the story Live crew. We were treated with great respect and 

in rst person of the deceased person’s life story. 

It is all about celebrating the person’s life, but one 

they went out of their way to ensure we had a 

little girl who died after being hit by a car had me The trip was exotic, humorous, sobering, wild, 

in a sombre mood for a while. 

breathtaking, and visually spectacular. To say 

It’s not hard to notice the change in people’s this is one of the greatest things I’ve done on a 

looks in this area. You see many with blond hair motorcycle is a major understatement. It’s hard 

and blue eyes, almost Nordic in looks. This town to describe the region’s beauty but there’s many 

is much like the others but Bogdan says we need areas in Australia just as beautiful. I found the 

to make up time so a slightly frantic ride through culture and the way of life of the Romanian 

the heart of Sighetu Marmatiei leaves us laughing. people the special part of the trip. It might be a 

Even Glen is coping, bipping his horn so drivers cliché but it’s truly a country of contrasts. Every 

know there’s a madman on the loose. 

country in the world is to a degree but I found 

We take a detour due to the ooding, nding the differences between old and new, and the 

a bumpy but almost deserted road, and enjoy a communist architecture an intoxicating mix. 

‘spirited’ strop. Bogdan tells us it’s a poor area Our friends Glen and Sue had a blast as well, 

and people either stop and stare or wave to us. and considered it money well spent. Each day 

We nally arrive at Cluj Napoca to drop our was around 200 kilometres or so and with the 

kit off, and continue back to our starting point in walking tours, and the generally slow pace of 

The latest on 


(live links if you’re reading the emag) 

• Kawasaki Kx250f video 

and special edition emag 

• motocross interviews on video 

marmont, Boyd, simmonds 

Romanian traf c it will take you most of the day 

to get to your destination. The 650 Glen and Sue 

• harley-Davidson were on was ne two-up, Sue even fell asleep fat on Boy as part of lo a longer video 

trip. 

the back a few times during the trip. 

Prices and other stuff 

Transylvania • Kawasaki Live don’t just do Klx250sf motorcycle video 

tours, also on the menu are cultural tours, 

historic tours, vampire tours, pretty much 

whatever you’d like to check out in Transylvania 

the team at TL can organise it. 

On the bike side of things the eet is mostly 

BMW F650 GS single cylinder go anywhere 

machines, with a couple of 1200 GS adventure 

tourers as well. These types of bikes are perfect 

for negotiating the mainly poorly maintained 

roads, and TL is looking to continually update 

its eet. 

You can do the full tour like we did, or you 

can hire a bike off TL with a written guide and 

tips of where to go for the best Transylvanian 

experience. You can also bring your own bike if 

you like, so getting it shipped over to Europe by 

Get Routed is an option, especially if you do this 

You can also opt for an enduro tour which is 

mostly off road. If it’s by bike, by horse or even 

by helicopter it can be done by TL. 

The guided tour we did costs around AUD 

$1400, pillion an extra $550, and bike hire for 

seven days $700. This is subject to exchange 

rates. This also covers all accommodation and 

some meals. Food and alcohol is pretty cheap. 

You can’t y direct to Cluj Napoca. We decided 

to spend a night in Munich, and then the ight 

into Romania was a short hour and a half from 

there. 

Check out Transylvania Live – Adventure 

Motorcycle Tours, www.motorcycle-tours.travel, 

(02) 8005 7337. 

Do yourself a favour, a riding tour of Vlad’s 

old stomping ground is something you’ll 

thoroughly enjoy and cherish forever. 

– Chris Pickett

dirty torquE 

Pain For Glory 

YOU will go through pain. 

It is as simple as that. If you 

want to race a dirt bike in 

anger and succeed at almost 

any level you will have to 

go through a certain amount 

of pain. Put simply, this 

is not a sport for the faint 

hearted so if you think that 

racing motocross is all about 

the prize money, the glory 

and the trophy girls… you 

are dreamin’. 

The thing is, I am not 

only talking about crashing. 

Riders – at least those with 

a bit of ticker – race through 

all sorts of barriers to get to 

the finish line. Becoming a 

good, great or a champion 

racer is about single-minded 

commitment, desire, mental 

toughness and (believe it or 

not), a high pain threshold. 

If you have any of the 

above you will have raced to 

the point of exhaustion, you 

will have raced though flying 

roost and rocks with no 

goggles, pushed through arm 

pump until your hands bled, 

raced with severe leg cramps, 

wrenched knees, twisted 

ankles, sprained wrists… 

well, not all at the same time 

but nothing is surer: racing 

a moto will throw up a 

plethora of painful problems. 

And despite all of these 

problems any rider worth 

their salt has crashed, 

got up and kept charging 

Mick Hansen winning recently despite blood steaming down his leg. 

through the pack completely 

oblivious to the pain. 

My most painful day of 

racing was in 1984 when 

Mt Isa hosted the North 

Queensland Championships. 

I won every race on the 

Saturday and in my infinite 

wisdom I decided to go out 

on Saturday night with all 

my mates and as per usual 

we got into a bit of a stoush. 

I belted some yobo with 

a beautiful straight left and 

you guessed it, broke two 

bones in my hand. Yeehaa! 

So, with nine races to go on 

Sunday (three each 125, 250 

and 500cc) I had to put my 

hand in an ice bucket right 

up to the five second board 

each race before throwing the 

glove on and letting it rip. 

You can’t imagine the pain 

I went through to complete 

every race that day and to 

win all but a couple to wrap 

up the NQ1 plate… and to 

tell the truth, I didn’t think 

twice about it (you machine 

Smarty – Ed.). 

I have told the story before 

about Mackay legend Mick 

Hansen. At last year’s annual 

beach race Mick’s left leg 

was struck by another rider’s 

bike and he crashed. Initially 

he felt that his left leg was a 

little sore but what he didn’t 

know was that a four inch 

long bolt protruding from 

the other rider’s bike had 

sliced a huge hole in his lower leg. 

While Mick’s mates were fixing his 

bike for the next race he thought he 

GUNTRIP 

better go and get the leg checked by 

the ambulance man. Well, the Ambo 

reckons it is the worst wound he has 

ever seen but Mick convinced the by 

EVEN today, more than 30 years after the 

now green Ambo to push all of the raw 

event, I’m still bewildered at my decision 

meat to buy a back Honda into CB400F the rather hole than and a wrap it 

Yamaha RD400. 

up I know tight why enough I chose the to one shove over the it other back in the 

– I’d swallowed the family propaganda, 

boot. ground down to a nicely blunt, bludgeoning 

edge after decades of not knowing any better, 

that That two-strokes done, were Mick things went for scooters, out and 

mopeds and the horrors fashioned by Eastern 

won Bloc nations the beach to masquerade race as final motorcycles. with blood 

But even allowing for that and the fact that a 

streaming short series of Suzukis down had his temporarily left leg sated and in 

my appetite for strokers I’m still a bit foxed at out. 

immense having toed the pain party (see line quite photo so readily. of Mick doing 

the But victory perhaps my lap). decision Unreal... had something love that stuff. 

to do with romance as well, springing 

from Of a Australia’s desire to become greatest a small part motocross 

of our 

lot’s great two-wheeled continuum that 

legends stretched back Anthony at caps and ‘Grunt’ Halcyon Gunter Mk 8s, 

to ex-War Department G3 Matchlesses and 

recently the delight of told discovering me about telescopic his forks most painful 

for the rst time. 

day All of at which the track. might go Here some way are to the words 

explain why such a vast number of oddities 

from appear the in so man many lists himself. of all-time great 

bikes. My choice, as you’ll see in the list 

below, “I think contain the no such main errors one of judgement, that comes to 

mind no quirks was of fancy; the the 1977 baker’s Mr dozen Motocross bikes Grand 

listed each embody most if not all of the 

Final motorcycling at Amaroo virtues and Park. can claim I had the broken four 

credit of having established more than a 

bones few. in my left foot at Jilliby Park four 

1948 Vincent-HRD Series C Rapide – 

weeks the 50-degree prior. engine and more ingenious 

design features than you could dream of, 

“In one of final races I was dicing with 

Gally [Stephen Gall] and had a step off 

and the bike landed on my foot and 

crushed it. I couldn’t put weight on it 

for two weeks then got heaps of physio 

to get it moving again leading into the 

Amaroo race and somehow managed 

to race through the Mr Motocross final 

and retain the title.” 

In his usual modest dynasty. manner Anthony 

Gunter wrapped up his story with, 

“there were probably others but that 

was the one that I remember most as 

times roll’ indeed. 

there was a lot at stake with the title.” 

Thanks Grunt... 

I was recently talking to Darryl King 

about the same thing and he mentioned 

a time when he raced anyhow. two 40 minute 

motos on a KX500 with a completely 

wrecked shoulder from Why a didn’t crash I buy the one? 

week before. 

“It was one of the GPs in the early 

’90s. I rode both motos holding my left 

arm against my body the best I could to 

minimise the pain and catalogues. did most of the 

work with my right arm, I just wanted 

to score a few points before a small 

break in the calendar, crazy stuff.” 


Triumphs and, well, bungles 

including a cantilever rear end, quick- 

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detach wheels (and reversible rear), 

Girdraulic forks. The genius of the two 

Phils was never more apparent. 

1956 BSA DBD34 Gold Star – Along with 

the ’74-spec Laverda SFC and the Ducati 

916, perhaps the best-looking bike ever 

made and certainly one of the toughest. A 

genuine clubman racer powered by a raw, 

men-only 499cc single that could propel 

you to the far side of 110mph (as long as 

you could take the vibration). And that 

exhaust note, when the bike had a Goldie 

silencer – Ducati owners, eat your hearts 

1959 Triumph T120 Bonneville – Yes, 

children, there was magic before Harry 

Potter, and this was its nest manifestation. 

Sublime looks, sound and performance 

from 40 well-nourished horses. The best 

development of Edward Turner’s famed 

parallel twin. Last I heard there were still 

half a million 650cc Triumphs in the USA. 

1961 Honda CB77 – Big Red’s early 

parallel twins were things of rare beauty 

(check the lines, the shape of the tank, 

the instrument nacelle), and the 305 had 

the performance to see off much bigger 

opposition. All this, and an overhead 

camshaft! Most 305s went to the US, where 

other markets tended to get the 250cc CB72. 

Oh yes, there was the small matter of an 

electric start that worked, as well. Some 

manufacturers couldn’t manage that a 

dozen years later. 

1970 Yamaha R5 – Serious performance 

from one of the rst and nest of Yamaha’s 

big two-strokes and, like the Honda, a 

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trim masterpiece that looked a million 

bucks parked. The start of a wonderful 

1973 Kawasaki Z1 – Big Daddy 

arrives. What can you say? This one 

really pinned our ears back, and 

coming hot on the heels of the H2, 

cemented Kawasaki’s place as the 

big-performance marque. ‘Let the good 

1980 Yamaha RD350LC – The rst of the 

water-pumpers was the pick of Yamaha’s 

350s. The power-valve model that followed 

somehow looked cheap yet still took itself 

too seriously by comparison. The hooligan 

device of its time, delivering miles of smiles 

to the rider’s face – between petrol pumps, 

1985 BMW R80 Monolever – Why didn’t 

I buy one? Why didn’t I buy one? Why 

didn’t I buy one? Why didn’t I buy one? 

1985 Suzuki GSX-R750 – The modern 

era began with this little oil/air-cooled 

masterpiece, which boasted a claimed 

100 horses and less weight than most 

500s of the time. The start of some serious 

performance and the beginning of the end 

for the 240kg luxo-barges that were then 

somehow blighting most manufacturers’ 

1986 Honda VFR750F – With a luscious, 

torquey V-four powerplant, solid handling, 

striking looks and on later models that singlesided 

swingarm from the Honda France 

endurance boys, the VFR set a mark for sportstourers 

that still stands. A genuine classic. 

DK mentioned that he and brother 

Shayne rode ‘tonnes’ of times with 

injuries and because they were racing 

each week to pay the bills they really 

had no choice. 

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is 

what Real Motocrossers do. Nothing 

comes from no effort, you have to 

push the boundaries to succeed in any 

sport but in motocross pushing those 

boundaries usually means that things 

A Honda CB77. 305cc, OHC, 28.5HP… and electric start that worked. 

aren’t always going to go to plan... 

1994 Ducati 916 – When the Italians get 

And guess it right, what their plan brilliance B entails, is unsurpassed. riding The 

lucky and well-heeled few are still riding 

in pain. To the succeed 916 or its children at motocross and are, no is doubt, to in 

heaven. The sound, the performance, the 

forget the looks. glamour It was also and the prepare start of Ducati’s for reign 

tough times as a ahead. fashion icon. So not even Ducati at the 

top of its game can get everything right. 

Sure, the glory 1998 Yamaha is great R1 – Yamaha and we has are started all 

plenty of revolutions in its time and none 

happy when has been we more get our impressive share than of this, the the rst 

of the 21st-century megasportsters. Wild 

prizemoney and and/or a touch scary, trophy it gave girls the world but its to rst 

taste of two-wheeled warp speed of the 

get there we racetrack. knew that there would be 

2007 Triumph Bonneville – Yes, the rst 

sacrifices and of the there range was is nothing released in 2001, surer but that the 

865cc engine was worth the wait. Tiny, 

riders with reliable the same and sturdy, desire the new as Bonnie Mick, is 

Grunt and hardly the King the cutting-edge brothers, performance to sacrifice unit 

its predecessor could claim to be, but the 

for glory is new something bike is a timely done reminder gladly. of how much 

fun a motorcycle with a decent-diameter 

front wheel, upright riding – Darren position Smart and 

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MORE MODELS ARRIVING SHORTLY • 5 YEAR WARRANTY ON SOME MODELS • ASK YOUR NEAREST MOTORCYCLE SHOP TO ORDER ONE IN FOR YOU *EXCLUDES ON ROAD COSTS - CHECK WITH YOUR STATE 

DEALER ENQUIRIES: SALES@TORINOMC.COM.AU • EMAIL: INFO@TORINOMC.COM.AU • TEL: 1300 GO TORINO (1300 468 674) 

www.torinomotorcycles.com.au 

#00260 

#01308 

comfortable seat can be. 

– Bob Guntrip 

#10134 

#10134

torquiNG BaCK LEttErS 

Great service 

I RECENTLY had a situation with my Honda VFR that 

required a phone call to Staintune Exhausts. 

The service was fantastic. I sent my exhaust system 

to them for a small change I requested. Staintune 

took care of everything and returned the exhaust to 

me in record time. 

It has been a pleasure to deal with an Australian 

owned and operated business with pride and service in 

their workmanship. I have quite a few friends with 

Staintune exhausts on their bikes and they are all 

very happy with the quality and the exhaust note they 

produce. 

Well done Staintune. 

Iain McDermid 

Cowra 

BMW Honour 

I purchased my 1st BMW motorcycle from Brisans in 

Newcastle, a K 1200 R. 

Recently my bike suffered a very uncharacteristic 

failure of the rear differential assembly. My bike was 

out of warranty. 

The mileage was not excessive, and it had an up-todate 

service history with Brisan Motorcycles. 

A completely new differential assembly was fitted to 

my bike at no expense to me for which I am very 

grateful. 

Special thanks to mechanic Clint, Dale and Chris at 

Brisans, and also Scott from BMW Australia. 

Tony Graham 

Mt Olive 

Dear Chris 

Re: your whinge about lemons and the ’82 Darmah you 

owned [Editorial, Aug 2010]. I have owned three bevel 

drive Ducatis amongst 23 motorcycles over the last 38 

years and currently own a 1984 S2 Mille. The problems 

you experienced could all have been fixed on the side 

of the road with basic tools that any mechanically 

minded rider would have had with them. 

The gear shift only changing down was the result of 

the countersunk allen head bolt securing the gear 

shift drum coming loose, an easy fix. This should 

have been seen to by centre popping the edges of the 

bolt at the pre-delivery service. Other problems 

you described were related to the fuse box and the 

propensity for the plastic fuses to melt and not 

make contact, another easy fix. The carby bowls should 

have been drained and filters fitted to the lines, 

another easy fix. Also after washing, the plugs to 

the ignition modules should have been removed and any 

water drained as well as replacing the metal Bosch 

spark plug caps with plastic ND caps. 

I have ridden these bikes for many thousands of 

kilometres including one trip from Newcastle to 

Mackay and return in the pouring rain the whole way. 

Once sorted they are a treat to ride and reward the 

rider like no other machine I have ever owned. They 

are as reliable as the person who rides them. 

To pronounce them as lemons merely shows your lack of 

knowledge and mechanical ability. 

Yours sincerely Brad Smith 

Sorry to assault your sense of Ducati reliability 

Brad with my slightly tongue in cheek column. I owned 

that bike when I was 21, and yes I realised what 

caused the gear shift problem when I removed the side 

cover at home later that day. Since then I’ve gone on 

to own a number of bevel drive Ducatis, raced a round 

case 750SS for years and currently own an 851 Ducati. 

Maybe I’ve accumulated some knowledge and mechanical 

ability since those heady days of my misguided youth. 

You wouldn’t be a card carrying Ducatisti by any 

chance? 

Cheers 

Chris Pickett 

Nanny state 

LIKE everybody else I am totally sick of the powers 

that be hitting honest hard working tax payers with 

additional cost rises. These range from electricity, 

rego, CTP, council rates and the list goes on. Now we 

have the CTP rises for motorcycles. 

I have recently purchased a 850cc motorcycle, going 

up from a 250cc. When I first did so I thought extra 

cost for rego etc for going to a larger machine. 

Well how funny is it that had I kept the 250cc my 

CTP would have been a bigger increase. What type of 

country are we living in? 

Also are all motorcyclists aware of the new weight 

tax that is applying to our tin tops. The RTA says no 

plans to add this to motorcycles. Let’s see how long 

this lasts. Someone will come out with another lame 

excuse to slug motorcyclist all in the name of saving 

our poor lives as we enjoy a dangerous past time… 

riding. 

I think the best we could do is sell our enginepowered 

machines and go back to the horse and cart, 

but wait that won’t work either as we would all have 

to pay a tax on excrement from the horse. Well we may 

not be paying an excrement tax on our powered machine 

but there is certainly excrement getting thrown 

around. 

Mark Robinson 

Shameless self promotion 

JUST a quick note to say love the mag and keep up the 

fine work. You don’t get anything for nothing anymore 

and we all can’t afford to buy the $10 - $15 a month 

magazines that certainly have more advertising than 

yours. A big thanks to you guys, sponsors and the 

advertisers that make this magazine possible. 

I am a bike fan in general no specific discipline, 

another reason why your magazine is such an enjoyable 

read. 

Keep up the great work. 

Regards 

Jason 

Write A Letter! 

Win A GreAt priZe 

This month Mark Robinson has won a 

Copy of Charley Boorman’s Sydney to 

Tokyo By Any Means DVD. 

Available wherever great videos are sold. 

Send your letters (and/or great bike 

pictures) to The Editor, Cycle Torque, PO 

Box 687 Warners Bay, NSW 2282 or email 

chris@cycletorque.com.au.

Kawasaki’s 

engineers have 

been hard at 

work improving 

an already great 

motorcycle. 

TEST BY Todd REEd PHoToS BY NigEl PaTERSoN 

lauNcH REPoRT – 

2010 KawaSaKi 

KX250F 

RIDING GEAR: Troy Lee Designs 

helmet, One Industries nylons, 

Alpinestars boots. 

Perfectune 

Continued over>

Perfectune Headlining 

lauNcH REPoRT – 2010 KawaSaKi KX250F 

claimed to increase fuel flow by 

at least 20 per cent over its previous 

injector design which is featured on the 

current model KX450F. 

A nice touch which is available as 

an option on the KX250F is the KX FI 

calibration kit. It is an aftermarket plug 

in kit that enables the rider or mechanic 

to log onto the DFI system and make 

modifications to both fuel and ignition 

settings. The pack comes pre-set with 

seven optimised fuel and ignition 

curves which were developed by the 

Kawasaki engineers. You can also play 

and fiddle as you like and create your 

own fuel and ignition settings using the 

software provided with the kit. 

suspension 

In 2011 the Kawasaki engineers have 

introduced their revolutionary new 

Showa Separate Function front Fork 

system (SFF). The new front suspension 

system is vastly different from any 

other 250cc four stroke on today’s 

market. In years gone by both damping 

and springs were housed together in 

the same fork. Not any more, the left 

hand fork now houses the damping 

assembly only and the right hand fork 

takes control of the spring assembly. 

This allows for dramatically reduced 

friction and a much smoother, more 

predictable ride. Kawasaki’s new fork 

design also saves significant weight 

over the previous system, the SFF setup 

sheds the kilos by dropping parts 

which were previously needed twice. 

Now there is only one fork spring and 

damping system instead of two. It was 

also evident that after watching the 

Kawasaki technicians, the new Separate 

Function front Fork system is quite 

easy to adjust and simple to work on. 

All the normal clickers that we are 

used to seeing were still there, however 

there is now an added clicker adjuster 

on the top right hand fork to increase 

or decrease the amount of preload the 

rider/mechanic would like on the front 

fork spring. The Uni-Track rear shock 

and linkage setup remains relatively 

unchanged from 2010. The Showa 

shock gets revised damping settings to 

match the new fork setup and keep the 

green machine under control. 

The rest 

The moment you hop on the KX250F 

you feel comfortable and ready to go. 

the cockpit are 

Renthal 7/8” handlebars, 

we know they aren’t the 

oversize ’bars some riders 

expect but it’s pretty 

tough to bend a set of 7/8” 

Renthals. The bend is very 

comfortable and is actually 

the same handlebar that 

comes on one of its close 

competitors, the CRF250R. 

The standard footpegs 

get the job done, however 

with the latest trend going 

towards platform widestyle 

footpegs it would be 

nice to see the KX with a 

big chunky set of ’pegs. 

Kawasaki has opted to 

fit out the new KX with 

Bridgestone tyres; the 403 

front and 404 rear have an 

excellent reputation, they 

offer excellent grip in most 

conditions and don’t wear 

out too fast. The black 

wheels also make the KX 

look pretty trick. 

The overall look of the 

bike hasn’t changed from 

2010 with the exception of 

the Bold New Graphics. 

Considering the KX has a 

slick and modern new look, 

SpecificationS: 

2011 KAWASAKI KX250F 

Engine Type: Liquid-cooled single 


Transmission: Five speed/chain drive 

Fuel Capacity: 7.2 Litres 

Frame Type: Alloy 

Seat Height: 945mm 

Wet Weight: 105.7kg 

Front Suspension: 47mm USD SFF. 

Rear Suspension: Uni-Trak 

Brakes: Twin-piston caliper front, 

single-piston rear. 

Tyres: 80/100-21, 100/90-19 

Price (RRP): $10,999 

www.kawasaki.com.au 

and that most 250F riders 

are going to kit their bikes 

out with new graphics and 

stickers anyway, having 

a similar look to last year 

can’t be a bad thing. 

on the track 

So what does all of the 

above mean on the track? 

It means the 2011 bike is 

considerably improved 

over the 2010 bike. When 

you first kick over the little 

green Kawie you notice 

the DFI has cleaned up 

the annoying splattering 

that you get under warm 

up on a carburettered four 

stroke. DFI also loses the 

fuel on/off switch as the 

need is gone, however there 

is still a choke knob for 

those cold early morning 

race-day starts. Once the KX 

is all warmed up and you 

take to the track the feel at 

the throttle is much more 

predictable and gone is any 

evidence of a miss or flutter. 

We took it easy to begin 

with and got used to the 

set-up of the new fork and 

shock as well as the DFI. 

The Showa SFF suspension 

does an excellent job of 

soaking up the bumps and 

feels nice and plush at the 

top of the stroke. Once we 

began to tackle some of 

the bigger jumps the SFF 

forks and Uni-Track shock 

held up very well as we 

took on the big hits with 

confidence. The motor was 

very punchy and lively for 

a small bore thumper. The 

little green machine pulls 

very strong off the bottom 

and doesn’t let off through 

the mid and top end. Once 

you spin a few laps on the 

KX250F it’s quite easy to see 

why this is a class leading 

engine. 

verdict 

There is no doubt the 

2011 KX250F is going to 

be a winner, especially at 

$10,999. Straight off the 

showroom floor this thing 

is in race-shape. With over 

30 improvements to the 

2011 model, Kawasaki has 

proved it isn’t resting and 

has taken its new machine 

to the next level. n 

SFF stands for Single Function Forks. 

We like good suspenders… 

… and short skirts. 

Simple to use, half the adjustments. 

Kwaka’s 250cc KX engine surely 

punches above its weight. 

Continued over>

Watch Cycle Torque’s video preview of the KX250F 

Click Here 

Read the Special Edition eMag, with heaps more information, 

photographs and specifications 

Click Here

cYclE ToRquE TEST - HoNda VT750S 

TEST BY dENNiS PENzo PHoToS BY NigEl PaTERSoN 

RIDING GEAR: RXT Helmet, WileyX eyewear, 

Laro Retro jacket, gloves by Five Gloves, 

Hornee Jeans, Thomas Cook ‘Calibre’ boots. 

NAKED 

BArgAiN 

We’ve seen plenty 

of retro-styled 

machines, but the 

VT750S comes 

with a retro price, 

too… 

Continued over>

NAKED BArgAiN 

AT $8990 (plus on-road costs) 

this is a great price for such 

a good machine. A few years 

ago the earlier VTs were 

priced well above 10 grand. 

on the stand 

And if you like a slightly 

retro look then the VT750S is 

going to make you smile. 

Those wire wheels with 19 

inches up front and 16 down 

the back, that traditional aircooled 

look of the cylinders 

and those sporty twin pipes 

do have a nice pulse to them. 

I wouldn’t quite call the 

tank a peanut style job, but 

it’s getting there. The centrally 

mounted analogue speedo, the 

slightly pulled back ’bars and 

the stylish cut of the seat all 

add to the appeal of this bike. 

The pearl white model 

we tested looks good with 

the black cylinders and just 

enough chrome splashed 

around the place. 

on the road 

The three-valve per cylinder 

liquid cooled 745cc 52-degree 

V-twin is not going to break 

any performance records with 

42hp (31kW) at 5500rpm and 

92 Nm at 3250rpm but then it 

doesn’t need to. 

The engine packs sufficient 

punch with good torque down 

low and the slightly tallish 

gearing gives it plenty of 

credentials for light touring 

duties. 

Fuelling is via Honda’s 

PGM-F1 fuel injection. 

Exhaust is Euro 3 compliant 

and the standard pipes 

actually do have a nice note. 

The bike’s ergonomics are 

good with that upright cruiser 

riding posture and a nice barpeg-seat 

geometry. 

The VT750S has good lowspeed 

manoeuvrability so it 

cuts the mustard in getting 

around city traffic as well. 

It’s a shame that it’s not 

LAMS approved as it’s a very 

confidence inspiring bike to 

ride and the performance 

wouldn’t intimidate a 

newcomer, although, having 

said that, a more experienced 

rider would not be 

disappointed with the VT750S. 

During the ’80s I owned 

a string of Japanese V-twin 

cruisers, mostly 750s and 

1100s, and I grew to love that 

engine configuration as I 

put huge kilometres on their 

clocks without hint of any 

drama. 

Kerb weight is 232kg and 

the seat height of 750mm 

is not going to cause any 

problems for too many people. 

A double cradle steel tube 

frame keeps it all in shape 

while a five-speed gearbox 

delivers the goods through the 

chain drive. 

Suspension up front is 

handled with non-adjustable 

41mm tubes that have 118mm 

of travel while rear suspension 

is via twin shocks with fivestep 

preload adjustment and 

have 90mm of travel. 

We tore around our local 

’burbs and managed to fit in 

some freeway time and found 

the suspension is typically 

underdamped, but it’s not too 

bad. Pillion accommodation 

is pretty average though, but 

at least they’ll get plenty of 

breaks: the fuel tank only 

carries 10.7 litres, so range is 

pretty limited. 

The speedo is the only instrumentation and carries within it all the requisite 

lights for blinkers, high beam etc you’d expect and is easy to read on the run. 

As well as looking good the wire wheels were shod with Metzeler Marathon 

tyres which will cope with most anything you throw at them. 

The other thing we really liked was the clutch action. It was really light and 

springy and a joy to use. 

Front brake is 296mm hydraulic disc with two piston caliper and sintered 

metal pads and the rear is 180mm drum. We were a bit surprised to see that, but 

considering you’re not going to be riding this style of bike like a scalded cat, 

then it’s not really going to be a problem. It also sort of enhances that retro kind 

of appeal that his bike plays on. 

We thought the VT750S handled well and has pretty decent ground clearance 

for this style of machine, depending on how hard you want to push it, of course. 

on the wallet 

$8990 (plus on roads) and two year unlimited kilometre warranty, what can 

we say? We had to double check - twice. This kind of price for the sort of quality 

you expect from Honda, well, it’s hard to beat isn’t it? n 


2010 HONDA VT750S 

Engine Type: Liquid-cooled V-twin 



Fuel Capacity: 10.7 Litres 

Frame Type: Steel cradle 


Wet Weight: 232kg 

Front Suspension: 41mm telescopic. 

Rear Suspension: Twin shock 

Brakes: Twin-piston caliper front, 

drum rear. 

Tyres: 100/90-19, 150/80-16 

Price (RRP): $8,990 

www.hondampe.com.au 

Call For a quote 

1800 24 34 64 

We’ll Beat any PriCe GuaranteeD*

Book Reviews The 

Race Tech’s Motorcycle 

Suspension Bible 

MOST people think of motorcycle suspension tuning as a 

“mysterious black art.” 

In this book Paul Thebe hopes to take some of the mystery out 

of motorcycle handling and suspension set-up. 

Paul is the owner and chief engineer of Race Tech, one of the largest suspension 

modifications companies in the world. In 1994 he created the first Technical Edge 

Suspension Seminar and has taught more than 100 seminars and thousands of students 

around the world. 

Co-author Lee Parks is the best-selling author of Total Control, which is based on his 

internationally renowned Total Control Advanced Riding Clinics. 

Between them the joint authors have a world of experience when it comes to issues 

relating to motorcycle handling and suspension. 

This book is well set out with many step-by-step guides, including extensive photo 

sequences, that shows riders how to make their bikes handle like the pros. 

Thebe gives the lowdown on all types of suspension including cartridge and noncartridge 

forks as well as dual chamber and nitrogen charged shocks. 

He explains the three forces of suspension, testing procedures even the black art of 

chassis geometry. 

There is also a detailed troubleshooting guide for dirt, street and track as well as a 

great appendix which includes a Race Tech tool list a suspension testing log and even a 

glossary of terms. 

The book is well set out, particularly the photo sequences, and should take some of 

the mystery out of motorcycle handling and suspension issues. 

A valuable addition to any motorcyclist’s library. 

Race Tech’s Motorcycle Suspension Bible by Paul Thebe and Lee Parks, Illustrated by 

Alan Lapp. Published by Motorbooks. 

– Dennis Penzo 

WHAT an absolutely brilliant book. 

This is the English language edition 

of Bernt Spiegel’s original German 

literary work which is currently in its 

third edition and ninth printing. 

European motorcyclists have hailed 

Spiegel’s work for more than a decade 

because of its provocative approach to 

improving motorcycle riding skills. 

What makes Spiegel’s work so 

fascinating is that he brings his 

unique perspective as a behavioural 

psychologist to the subject of 

motorcycling. 

He draws on related topics in the fields of anthropology, 

biology, physics and numerous other disciplines to look at how 

we as motorcyclists integrate with our machines. 

As Spiegel says, skilful motorcycling involves a lot more than 

just balance, turning and stopping: it requires a sophisticated 

self-awareness than can anticipate, monitor and react to an everchanging 

set of potential hazards and variables. 

His view of motorcycling as a multi-disciplinary and uniquely 

complex activity is what we all understand as being “part of the 

machine” when we ride our bikes. 

The author starts by exploring how the human brain was 

Motocourse 

2009-2010 

MOTOCOURSE is the iconic MotoGP book: for 34 

years the book tells the tale of what happened - and 

more importantly, why it happened - in the world’s 

premier road racing classes. 

The cover features the winner of the premier class, so 

this time around Valentino Rossi graces the book’s sleeve 

and writes the Foreword. Grands Prix - MotoGP, 250 and 

125 – take up over two thirds of Motocourse, but that 

still leaves 70-odd pages for World Superbikes, the Isle of 

Man, Supersport, sidecars and the British and American 

Supebike Championships, as well as a roundup of major 

world wide results. 

The quality of Motocourse is second-to-none and 

legendary. Although I disagree with the editor on some 

points – to pick Colin Edwards in front of Hiroshi 

Aoyama in the Top Ten Riders section I find amazing – 

but that’s a minor aberation in a book which is incredibly 

detailed, well thought-out and beautifully illustrated. 

The insights into motorcycle racing provided by 

Upper half of the Motorcycle 

- on the unity of rider and machine 

shaped by evolution to utilise built-in programs/processes 

which optimise foresight and explains how we learn and 

perceive the world around us. 

The second section builds on how those programs interact with 

our consciousness and how they relate to our use of tools, in this 

case, motorcycles. 

The third section of the book deals with the subsequent 

integration of man and tool to create a singular unit with unique 

properties - a virtuosity if you will. 

The fourth section deals with the techniques that allow a rider 

to train him, or herself, for higher levels of performance and the 

final section offers practical exercises to improve your riding 

skills. 

This book will make you look at motorcycling in a new light 

and may even offer you some unique perspectives of something 

that you may sometimes have taken for granted. 

And it’s not all heavy, tedious reading. The book is set out 

and illustrated in an interesting manner, often with humourous 

examples and many lessons are provided from many forms of 

human activity such as music, personal sport and motorsports 

amongst others. 

A fascinating book for everyone who is passionate about 

motorcycle riding. 

The Upper Half of The Motorcycle - on the unity of rider and 

machine. Whitehorse Press $49.95 

– Dennis Penzo 

Motocourse 

are the 

highlights. 

From the 

State of Racing to 

the Technical Round- 

Up to the reviews of Teams 

and Riders, Motocourse offers 

an insight into racing you won’t find 

anywhere else. 

Although the Superbike section isn’t nearly as long, 

there’s still a lot to read about Ben Spies and his impact 

on World SBK. Likewise, there are insights into Mat 

Mladin’s seventh and final AMA Superbike title, and the 

troubles with US racing. 

At $119.95, Motocourse 2009/2010 is expensive, but for 

the race fan nothing else even comes close. 

– Nigel Paterson


www.cyc www.cycletorque.com.au 

le 

orque.com.au 


1 American Dream Bikes 

Unappreciated by the world is the fact that in today’s elusive 

studio of motorcycle design America is a major player - for 

some, the major player. Dozens of designers, engineers and 

craftsmen are creating some of the most exciting and innovative 

motorcycles the world has ever seen - even dreamed about. 

This doesn’t just mean “yet another chopper”. It means names 

like Confederate, Ecosse, Fischer, Roehr, Vectrix (producing an 

electric sportbike), and MotoCzysz in addition to, and no less 

worthy in this context, the establishment Harley-Davidson with 

Buell, Victory, and even Indian. Award-winning author Alan 

Cathcart visits twenty-five shops interviews the designers and 

engineers and rides the motorcycles. Each shop, interviewee 

and motorcycle has been photographed especially for this 

book. 

American Dream Bikes – $75.00 

2 100 Years of Motorcycles 

A visual history of two-wheeled motorised transport: the 

motorcycle. Contains around 300 photographs from PA Photos’ 

huge archives, spanning the whole of the 20th Century. The story 

of the motorcycle starts when it was little more than a bicycle 

frame with an engine strapped on, soon becoming a purpose 

designed vehicle for cheap every-day transport, navigating 

congested urban traffic, for long distance travel, cruising and 

holidays. Some machines became test-beds for mechanical 

refinement and thrilled spectators at race circuits and off road 

tracks throughout the world. From the temperamental vintage 

machines of the early 1900s, to the motorcycling subcultures of 

the 1940s Hells Angels, the 1950s Cafe Racers, and the Mods 

and Rockers of the 1960s, all aspects of the motorcycle are 

celebrated. 

100 Years of Motocycles – $29.99 

3 BMW R90s H/C 

Although in production for only three years, the R90S was the 

most significant post-war production BMW motorcycle. Its 

release coincided with the fiftieth anniversary of the BMW boxer 

motorcycle, and started a new era for the boxer twin. Author Ian 

Falloon tells the story of this important bike and how it evolved, 

noting all significant changes from year to year. Beautifully laid 

out with big full-color pictures, this book could stand alone 

as a coffee table book. But it’s much more than that. Falloon 

writes with enough detail to make restoring these great bikes 

much easier, and also includes a chapter on how to live with an 

R90S, using them as reliable daily commuters, making popular 

upgrades, and what to look for if you are in the market for one. 

BMW R90s H/C – $55 

4 Bitch’n Bitumen 

This - the ultimate riders/drivers guide book, provides 224 pages 

of the best roads in Tas, Vic, ACT, NSW, and QLD, including 34 

maps covering loads of day rides, overnight trips and awesome 

week-long tours, and much more. 

Bitch’n Bitumen – $39.95 

5 Weekend Warriors 

Weekend Warriors and Weekend Warriors II are for the Victorian 

Trail rider, featuring many great riding areas and trails, as well 

as information about setting up your bike and lots more. 

Although they were published a few years ago, they still contain 

lots of useful information and are now being sold as a pair at 

a great price. 

Weekend Warriors I & II - $44.95 

Books Direct 

6 How to Set Up Your Motorcycle Workshop 

3 

1 

5 

2 

4 

8 

To order Call 02 4956 9820 

nAME _____________________________ 

AddrEss __________________________ 

P/c___________Ph:_______________ 

cArd TyPE: M/cArd VIsA ExPIry dATE: __/__ 

6 

cArd nuMBEr: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

- - - - 

9 

7 

From a corner of the garage set up for routine maintenance to a dream shop housing 

precious classic machines, How to Set Up Your Motorcycle Workshop, Third Edition will 

help you make the most of your space. Packed with easy-to-read practical advice, author 

C. G. Masi walks the reader through designing, building, and equipping the workshop 

you need - whether you plan to restore, repair, and maintain your own bikes or hope 

to open a small commercial facility. How-to Set Up Your Motorcycle Workshop starts 

by helping readers determine their work space and storage needs and create a shop 

layout that matches their budget. The author then addresses basics such as providing 

adequate electrical power, lighting, and heat and air conditioning. With the workshop 

design in place, Masi helps readers identify the must-have and want-to-have tools to 

appropriately equip the space. This new third edition of the book includes profiles of 

real world workshops, from small garage spaces to purpose- built restoration and raceprep 

shops, and features a new comprehensive and up-to-date directory of resources 

for equipment, tools, computers, battery powered tools, and energy saving tips. 

How to Set Up Your Motorcycle Workshop – $44.95 

7 Race Tech’s Motorcycle Suspension Bible 

Want to understand how suspension works, how to set up your bike and make it 

handle? This is the book for you, with many great illustrations, photographs and packed 

with information on set-up, rebuild and maintenance data, this book will give you the 

knowledge you need to get your suspension working properly. 

Race Tech’s Motorcycle Suspension Bible – $49.99 

8 How to Restore Your Motorcycle 

The market for used motorcycles is vast and deep, with many popular motorcycles 

available for a fraction of what they cost when new even a few years ago. With a little 

hard work and know-how, a restored used bike can become a reliable and stylish 

commuter vehicle. But restoring an olderT motorcycle can be challenging. How to 

Restore Your Motorcycle walks the reader through the process of tearing down an old 

motorcycle and building it back up again. This revised edition adds color photography 

throughout, as well as new information covering bikes and technologies new to the 

collector realm. 

How to Restore Your Motorcycle – $39.99 

9 Troy Bayliss 

This is the story of a life dedicated to racing, the story of a man who has always lived 

among motorcycles. The Ducati Yearbook chronicles the life of Troy Bayliss, Ducati 

World Superbike Champion through his memories and his experiences (on and off the 

track), his relationship with his team and with the bikes. Take a look into the life of Troy 

Bayliss, his racing career and his passion for Ducati. Troy and the bikes from Borgo 

Panigale, like the 999 and 1098, together made history. This is a book of photography 

with images accompanied by the words of the rider, fellow Ducatisti friends, colleagues, 

family and fans all who came in contact with this Superbike legend a true icon for all 

passionate motorcycling fans, Ducatisti and non. 

Troy Bayliss – $34.95 

Book TITlE: _________________________________ QTy: ___PrIcE: ______ 



PosTAgE & hAndlIng: ($10.00 or FrEE IF MorE ThAn $100 sPEnT) PrIcE: _______ 

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Publishing Pty ltd. send your order to: Book sales, cycle Torque, Po Box 687, Warners Bay, nsW 2282 

Ph: (02) 4956 9820, Fax: (02) 4956 9824 

shop online at www.cycletorque.com.au

Suburban 

Scrambler 

The Emperor’s new clothes 

YAMAHA’S XT660R still follows the 

time honoured XT ethos of being a big 

single cylinder machine that is well and 

truly road capable, but will still get the 

blood pumping when the tar disappears 

and the dirt appears. 

Yamaha describe the XT660R as an 

adventure bike, but might be drawing 

a slightly long bow regarding this bike 

being an adventure off-road machine, as it 

does have its limitations. On the flip side 

however, the XT660R has a very powerful 

and torquey single overhead cam, single 

cylinder motor, which is quite responsive. 

motorvation 

The motor is fitted with roller bearings 

on the rocker arms in the four valve head 

which is said to reduce engine friction, 

TEST BY SHauN moloNEY PHoToS BY NigEl PaTERSoN 

and is a first for a Yamaha engine. Much 

of the engine’s responsiveness can be 

attributed to the electronic fuel injection 

system which certainly gives the bike a 

healthy hit from the usable 47 horsepower 

which is on tap at the twist of the throttle. 

As the revs increase the motor continues 

to impress, with strong acceleration and 

a well spaced five-speed gearbox that 

is comfortable at highway speeds for a 

learner approved bike. Around town 

and nipping through traffic is where the 

XT660R really shines as the responsive 

grunty engine allows the rider to quickly 

slice through traffic with minimal effort. 

The dual exhaust system not only looks 

the goods but does a great job of keeping 

the motor quiet without sacrificing 

performance. Ample steering from lock to 

lock further aids the XT’s ability to carve 

through traffic, while a nice wide and 

comfortable seat and MX-style handlebars 

make longer times in the saddle and 

dealing with the stop and start grind of 

commuting easier on the body. 

Handling the stopping duties on the 

XT660R is a single disc up front, which 

is firm and pulls the XT up without any 

hesitation. The front brake hose could 

be routed a little better as it does block 

the rider’s vision to the dash in order to 

keep tabs on the speed limit. On the rear 

a single disc also handles the braking 

duties well although we did find it a little 

‘grabby’ at times when on the go slow. 

RIDING GEAR: M2R helmet, Motodry jacket, 

MSR pants/gloves, MSR boots. 

suspension 

Keeping the suspension of the XT660R in check is handled by 43mm Paoli 

telescopic forks, which offer 200mm 

of travel. They are well suited to road, 

general dirt and gravel road use, but this 

is pretty much the limitations of the front 

suspenders as they have no adjustment, 

so what you see is what you get. The rear 

end falls into a very similar category, with 

the Kayaba rear shock on the Monocross 

suspension. It handles road use without 

any hesitation, but once things get a bit 

lumpy and bumpy, the suspension feels 

out of its depth, due to the absence of 

any adjustment apart from some basic 

preload. 

The XT660R is far from what you would 

call an adventure off road machine, 

but it is quite capable of tearing up dirt 

roads and fire trails at will. The motor 

really excels in this department and feet 

up slides while standing on the pegs is 

something that is well and truly within 

reach of the average rider. A good couple 

of hour trail rides along a mountain range 

or similar is certainly within the limits of 

the XT660R as a round trip of 200km is 

attainable from its 15 litre fuel tank. 

Grip 

Depending on the type of use the 

XT660R may encounter can also be a 

defining factor regarding tyre choice. 

Twin pipes make the rear end look a bit, fancy. Rubber footpegs would need changing if 

you get adventurous. 

cYclE ToRquE TEST-YamaHa XT660R 

In standard trim the XT is fitted with 

Metzeler Tourance tyres, with a 21 inch 

tyre up front and a 17 inch tyre at the rear. 

These have a conventional adventure 

style tread pattern, which in most cases 

would be the most popular choice for 

riders. Of course with a set of knobbies 

fitted, the XT will have greater feel in 

the dirt and certainly be more capable in 

slippery and tougher conditions. If off 

road jaunts are intended to be a regular 

occurrence, the owner may want to look 

at trimming some of the fat off the bike 

such as pillion pegs, as the XT660R hits 

the scales at 181 kg with a tank of fuel. 

If the pegs are left on, and being 

Brembo rear brake adds a touch of Euro to 

the XT. 

Continued over> 

Tried and true 660cc donk. 

Continued over>

Suburban 

Scrambler 

Continued over>

Suburban 

Scrambler 

a machine with a large and 

comfortable seat, the XT is 

capable to two-up riding without 

fuss. A good set of pillion 

pegs enable the pillion to sit 

comfortably without needing to 

be a gymnast. 

e x t r a s 

Other nice features on the XT 

include an electronic engine 

immobiliser and a steering 

lock, which certainly add to the 

appeal of city commuting and 

the security of your pride and 

joy. If some luggage or a bit of 

gear is required to be taken on 

a small trip or the daily grind, a 

30 litre top box is available from 

Yamaha as is a choice of screens 

of various heights, which can 

all add to rider comfort. A large 

bash plate is also available from 

Yamaha if regular dirt or off road 

riding is contemplated. 

T h e l a s t w o r d 

The Yamaha XT660R is a well 


2010 YAMAHA XT660R 

Engine Type: Liquid-cooled single 



Fuel Capacity: 15 Litres 

Frame Type: Steel cradle 


Wet Weight: 181kg 

Front Suspension: Telescopic. 

Rear Suspension: Monocross 

Brakes: Single disc front and rear. 

Tyres: 90/90-21, 130/80-17 

Price (RRP): $11,499 

www.yamaha-motor.com.au 

mannered machine, that certainly 

shines when ridden through the 

suburbs. The motor is really 

well suited to this type of riding 

and although it can handle some 

off road work, it’s really more 

of a suburban scrambler. It’s 

learner approved and backed by 

Yamaha’s extensive warranty. A 

choice of colours is available in 

either Yamaha Black or Sunset 

Red, with a price tag of $11,499. 

n

cYclE ToRquE TEST - cougaR 125 

TEST BY dENNiS PENzo PHoToS BY cHRiS PicKETT 

When a bike distributor 

doubles the warranty 

on a vehicle then you 

know that something’s 

working out right. 

RIDING GEAR: RXT helmet, Laro jacket, 

Thomas Cook ‘Calibre’ boots, gloves by 

Five Gloves, WileyX eyewear. 

LittLe Cougar 

on the paCe 

Kick start backup. A bit of bling on the footboards. Clean lines for the clocks. 

The Laro Cougar is a Taiwanesebuilt 

scooter (by Adly Moto) 

which has been available in 

Western Australia for a couple 

of years, where it’s proven to be 

reliable, economic and popular. 

So good, in fact, that Laro has just 

increased the warranty on the 

bike to an industry-leading two 

years. 

The four-stroke 125cc single 

cylinder air-cooled engine runs 

smoothly and does all the work 

through the CVT transmission 

so it’s a simple twist-and-go 

operation. 

Nice light alloy wheels helps 

keep the weight down and there’s 

plenty of stopping power for a 

bike this size with disc brakes 

front and back. 

The 12-inch wheels instead of 

the 10-inchers usually found on 

many scooters this size is a plus 

when it comes to road holding and 

stability. You need them for some 

of the potholes in our district. 

Suspension duties are handled 

by hydraulic forks up front and 

hydraulic/spring shocks at the 

rear. 

I loved the sound the blinkers 

make. A lot of scooters we’ve 

ridden have a solid “click-click” 

sound to them, but Laro’s Cougar 

has this high pitched pinging 

sound like those sonar pings 

you hear in those old wartime 

submarine movies, loved it. 

The Cougar has a sidestand and 

centrestand and also comes with 

a kick start to back up the CDI 

ignition. 

A net weight of only 90kg 

makes the Cougar an easy bike to 

manoeuvre through city traffic. 

This scooter has pretty slim 

dimensions at 675mm wide and 

1780mm long, very much at home 

in the city. 

We liked the checkerplate style 

floor that offers a really grippy 

surface to keep your feet securely 

placed. 

Seat height is 770mm so it’s not 

too tall if you’re a little bit height 

challenged. The seat is quite thick 

and comfy for the rider and got a 

thumbs up from our pillion guinea 

pig. 

Instrumentation is very clean 

and easily read with speedo, 

tacho, fuel gauge and assorted 

warning lights. 

The six-litre fuel tank is accessed 

under the seat and this little bike 

will run for ages between fuel 

stops. 

The little Cougar has a catalytic 

converter fitted so you know 

you’re also doing your bit for the 

environment too. 

Top speed is about 90km/h 

making this an ideal city 

commuter, and also capable of 

getting around the ‘burbs. We’ve 

got a couple of big hills in our 

vicinity which we always use 

for testing some of the smaller 

scooters and the little Cougar 

handled our test incline as well as 

any other similar capacity vehicle. 

Headlights work well and 

provide plenty of illumination, 

with a reasonable high beam too, 

even outside of the big city. 

And it has all the other standards 

like a large lockable compartment 

under the seat which fits a full face 

Continued over>

cYclE ToRquE TEST - cougaR 125 

LittLe Cougar 

on the paCe 

helmet, where you can also access the carby. 

The battery is located underneath the bike and slots 

neatly into its cavity. 

There is a handy lockable storage compartment up 

front. A topbox is available as an optional extra if 

you really need it. 

Passenger footrests are built in and there 

are also sturdy pillion grab handles. The 

carbon colour printed plastics look nice and 

clean. 

Front blinkers are set into the lower 

legshield which works well to protect the 

rider from the elements. 

The manufacturer has also set up a 

website for its products, www.adlyscooter. 

com.au that, at this stage, gives details 

of only the WA dealer network. More 

information on Laro Motorcycles products 

and its dealer network is available on www. 

laro.com.au. 

With a recommended retail price of $2590 

plus on-road costs the Cougar 125 is pretty 

hard to beat on value for money. 

Look out in future editions of Cycle 

Torque for information on Laro’s new 

V-Retro 250 and TR 250 range of bikes. n

TouRiNg FEaTuRE – RidiNg THRougH RomaNia – PaRT 2 

Translyvania live 

Cycle Torque’s Chris 

Pickett took off to deepest 

Transylvania. He continues his 

journey and stakes his claim 

into the heart of darkness. 

D a y 4 

We said goodbye to 

Alin and Herta and said 

hello to Bogdan and 

Daniel. Bogdan kicked us 

off with a walking tour 

of Brasov, his home town. 

Bogdan is a solicitor, 

a history buff and 

motorcycle enthusiast. 

He also acts as a guide 

in a part-time gig. Maybe 

solicitors in Romania 

don’t charge like the 

ones back home. His 

knowledge of Brasov was 

extensive and the tour 

was an insight into the 

history of the city, and 

indeed Romania. 

From there we headed 

to a health and ski resort 

on the mountain top just 

outside of town. After 

that it was through a 

great winding forest 

road - where brown 

bears live incidentally 

- to Bran Castle. This 

is generally associated 

with The Count Dracula 

story but in reality has 

Pickett models a traditional mask. Master woodcarver Grigore Tulean and his family join the party. 

nothing to do with it. 

The only link with the 

Dracula myth is Vlad 

the Impaler apparently 

stopped two or three 

nights in this castle a 

number of centuries ago, 

and Bram Stoker did the 

rest. That doesn’t stop 

souvenir shops selling 

everything to do with the 

fanged one. In the castle 

you get a full rundown 

of its history, including 

the fact it is falsely 

associated with dear old 

Vlad. 

Last stop for the day 

was the walled citadel 

of Sighisoara where we 

stayed in this delightful 

hotel which is hundreds 

of years old itself - 

amazing. Sighisoara is 

actually the birth town of 

Vald the Impaler. 

footnote: Love the local 

ale and tucker. 

D a y 5 

We started the day 

with a walk around the 

Continued from last month; Click Here if you 

mised it. 

town, The only inhabited citadel 

in Romania. Included in this was a 

personal tour of the church which 

sits high up on the hill. When the 

church guide found out where we 

were from he said, “Gidday Mate!” 

From there we hot footed it to 

Bistrita for lunch, checked out the 

town by foot, and then travelled 

to a mountain resort some 50 

kilometres outside the city. 

Here we stayed at a hotel with a 

Count Dracula theme, including a 

basement show where we all got a 

fright when someone jumped out 

of the coffin during the show, and 

especially Glen who got grabbed 

in the dark. He squealed like a 

baby. It was pretty cold up in 

the mountains but it was a very 

enjoyable night, telling tales and 

singing songs with our guides. 

Young Daniel was quiet and not 

into ’80s music but Bogdan is a 

head banger from way back. 

One thing you find is that 100 

kilometres takes much longer to 

travel than it does back here. It’s 

not that the roads are bad, they 

aren’t all good but then again 

many of the roads I’ve travelled 

in Australia are no better. Instead 

of towns being separated by open 

roads, you find they consist of a 

house either side of the road and 

countryside directly behind it, so 

one town tends to continue into 

the next. It’s not all like this but 

it is hard to keep the speeds up at 

times. 

D a y 6 

We woke to rain which was 

to continue for the whole day. 

Even though my crotch quickly 

got soaked despite me having 

good rain gear, this was one of 

the best days of the trip for me. 

We left the Vampire motel and 

headed to the region of Masemura. 

Does Brasov live up to its claim? Not sure about that but it is a 

wonderful city. 

Along the way we visited an old 

enclosed wooden bridge in a small 

village, the only remaining one in 

Romania. While we were taking a 

few photos we were greeted by a 

local man, and the next thing you 

know we were invited into another 

lady’s home, drinking Polenka – a 

plum brandy which tastes pretty 

wild – eating and having a great 

laugh with them even though most 

of our group didn’t understand 

a thing they were saying - it was 

great. The old bloke even gave our 

two ladies a touch up on the way 

in for good measure. 

After that we had a peasant 

lunch in this little cafe on top of 

the mountain. It wasn’t actually 

open but the owner did so for us. 

Imagine having that done for you 

here. It was a simple meal but 

tasted great, even if we were cold 

and wet. 

Just down the road we visited a 

Continued over>

Get ready to be scared. This wonderful cottage is the abode of the Sighisoara cemetery caretaker. Continued over>

well known wood carver and his 

parents who treated us with so 

much respect it was astonishing. 

He gave us the meanings and 

history behind why some of his 

carvings are done a certain way. 

Although these people live very 

simply and would be regarded as 

poor by many westerners, they are 

rightly very proud of their culture 

and position in life, and how 

could you argue with that. After 

some more Polenka we braved 

the weather and continued to our 

overnight stay. 

This region is close to the 

Ukrainian border and is renowned 

for its woodcarving. Our hotel 

which was right next to a 

monastery displayed much of 

this, including an ornate staircase 

which was exquisite. 

The reason this was such a great 

day was the people we met who 

opened their hearts and homes to 

us. This was very special to me and 

goes to show we can all be friends 

no matter where we are. The local 

people are interested in us as much 

as we are them. 

Bogdan complained he had no 

mobile phone service here in the 

middle of nowhere, and due to 

extensive flooding in the direction 

we were to go tomorrow we might 

have to ditch the bikes and take a 

boat. We told Bogdan to harden up. 

Footnote 1. In the corners Glen is 

holding everyone up. He is so slow we 

christen him the ‘Squeaky Wheel’. 

Footnote 2. Bogdan thinks we are 

crazy and hopes all Australians aren’t 

as mad as us. We assure him they are 

worse. 

Day 7. 

The last day is the longest in 

kilometres but we are getting used 

to the Romanian swing of things 

on the road and knock over the 

distances quicker than before. 

During a U turn I fail to give the 

big GS enough revs, the engine 

stalls the bike is quickly going 

over. To have this happen in the 

middle of a Romanian road isn’t 

the best thing to have happen and 

I try my hardest to keep it upright. 

The view at the top of the Trans Fagarasului Highway. 

On top of that the horn is jammed 

against the tank bag and lets 

everyone know that I’m in a spot of 

bother. I’m fighting a losing battle 

but all of a sudden the bike gets 

lighter and I get it back up, helped 

by the fact Kerrie has fallen off and 

Geoff is pushing the bike back up. 

Glen thought this was extremely 

funny, and delights in reliving 

the moment when we stopped for 

a traditional lunch in Baia Mare, 

organised by Transylvania Live - 

even other locals were getting a 

laugh out of his antics. Maybe I 

shouldn’t have sledged his riding 

so much. 

We check out the ‘Merry 

Cemetery’ which is very colourful 

and each gravestone tells the story 

in first person of the deceased 

person’s life story. It is all about 

celebrating the person’s life, but 

one little girl who died after being 

hit by a car had me in a sombre 

mood for a while. 

It’s not hard to notice the change 

in people’s looks in this area. You 

see many with blond hair and blue 

eyes, almost Nordic in looks. This town 

is much like the others but Bogdan says 

we need to make up time so a slightly 

frantic ride through the heart of Sighetu 

Marmatiei leaves us laughing. Even Glen is 

coping, bipping his horn so drivers know 

there’s a madman on the loose. 

We take a detour due to the flooding, 

finding a bumpy but almost deserted road, 

and enjoy a ‘spirited’ strop. Bogdan tells us 

it’s a poor area and people either stop and 

stare or wave to us. 

We finally arrive at Cluj Napoca to 

drop our kit off, and continue back to our 

starting point in Turda for a farewell dinner 

supplied by the local town council which is 

promoting tourism. 

It was sad to say goodbye to the 

Transylvania Live crew. We were treated 

with great respect and they went out of 

their way to ensure we had a special time. 

The trip was exotic, humorous, 

sobering, wild, breathtaking, and visually 

spectacular. To say this is one of the 

greatest things I’ve done on a motorcycle 

is a major understatement. It’s hard to 

describe the region’s beauty but there’s 

many areas in Australia just as beautiful. 

I found the culture and the way of life of 

the Romanian people the special part of 

the trip. It might be a cliché but it’s truly 

a country of contrasts. Every country in 

the world is to a degree but I found the 

differences between old and new, and the 

communist architecture an intoxicating 

mix. 

Our friends Glen and Sue had a blast as 

well, and considered it money well spent. 

Each day was around 200 kilometres or 

so and with the walking tours, and the 

generally slow pace of Romanian traffic 

it will take you most of the day to get to 

your destination. The 650 Glen and Sue 

were on was fine two-up, Sue even fell 

asleep on the back a few times during the 

trip. 

Prices and other stuff 

Transylvania Live don’t just do 

motorcycle tours, also on the menu are 

cultural tours, historic tours, vampire 

tours, pretty much whatever you’d like to 

check out in Transylvania the team at TL 

can organise it. 

On the bike side of things the fleet is 

mostly BMW F650 GS single cylinder go 

anywhere machines, with a couple of 1200 

GS adventure tourers as well. These types 

of bikes are perfect for negotiating the 

mainly poorly maintained roads, and TL 

is looking to continually update its fleet. 

You can do the full tour like we did, or 

The Merry Cemetery. 

you can hire a bike off TL with a written 

guide and tips of where to go for the best 

Transylvanian experience. You can also 

bring your own bike if you like, so getting 

it shipped over to Europe by Get Routed 

is an option, especially if you do this as 

part of a longer trip. 

You can also opt for an enduro tour 

which is mostly off road. If it’s by bike, by 

horse or even by helicopter it can be done 

by TL. 

The guided tour we did costs around 

AUD $1400, pillion an extra $550, and 

bike hire for seven days $700. This is 

subject to exchange rates. This also covers 

all accommodation and some meals. Food 

and alcohol is pretty cheap. 

You can’t fly direct to Cluj Napoca. We 

decided to spend a night in Munich, and 

then the flight into Romania was a short 

hour and a half from there. 

Check out Transylvania Live – 

Adventure Motorcycle Tours, www. 

motorcycle-tours.travel, (02) 8005 7337. 

Do yourself a favour, a riding tour of 

Vlad’s old stomping ground is something 

you’ll thoroughly enjoy and cherish 

forever. 

– Chris Pickett

Dynamite 

PRojEcT TRiumPH daYToNa 675 

Daytona 

THE last time we visited Cycle Torque’s 

Triumph Daytona 675 race project our rider 

Alex Pickett had just completed the first round 

of the FX Pro Twins Championship, coming 

away in second place in the F3 class after 

some stirring battles at Wakefield Park near 

Goulburn. 

The meeting also highlighted some issues 

with the bike in regards to power delivery. 

As Alex decided to concentrate on the Pro 

Twins Championship we were able to modify 

the bike to suit the class rules rather than run it 

as a compromise. As a result we fitted a larger 

diameter exhaust system from Foran Exhausts 

near Gosford (www.foranexhausts.com), 

keeping our Staintune exhaust system (www. 

staintune.com.au) for Superstock racing. Having 

both systems allows us to run whichever class 

we like with only minor changes required. 

Between the first and second rounds the 

Daytona went back to Procycles Bikecare in 

Newcastle (02 4952 1352) to tune out a persistent 

flat spot which made it hard for Alex to get on 

the power as he liked. The flat spot was just 

before 8,000rpm, and when the revs went over 

that the power came on hard, unsettling the 

suspension and lighting up the rear tyre. The 

Daytona is known for its mid-range grunt. 

Our modifications had given us more top end 

mumbo, but at the expense of mid range. Jamie 

had already liberated a few extra horsepower, 

with 111 at the rear wheel, but he fitted a Power 

Commander tuning device and went to town on 

the Dyno. The result? 116hp at the rear wheel, 

and no hole in the middle. 

winton 

We scrambled to borrow a set of spare 

wheels just in case it rained at Winton, which it 

didn’t, but we’d like to thank Cliff Stovall from 

Triumph Australia for helping us out in this 

regard. 

Friday practice went well and Saturday dawned cold 

but fine. Races one and two saw Alex on the podium 

both times, showing a clean rear tyre to most of his 

competition. Things were looking good for race three, 

but just as Alex was tipping in to turn one off the start, 

a rampaging Aprilia RSV4 ploughed straight into the 

side of him, sending our once beautiful Daytona into the 

infield, on its side. 

Cycle Torque’s Daytona 675 has its power 

cleaned up and visits the podium. 

Continued over>

Dynamite Daytona 

PRojEcT TRiumPH daYToNa 675 

Once we had it back in the pits 

we could the GB Racing (www. 

carreragroup.com.au) side case 

protectors and Gilles Tooling crash 

knobs (www.gillestooling.com.au) 

was much less than we’d imagined. 

The standard footpeg bracket was 

snapped but we were able to borrow 

one off fellow Triumph rider Gary 

Peake. Our Gilles Tooling ‘Vario’ 

left handlebar just moved on its 

axis, so a clean up with the file and 

placing it back in position had us 

ready to go there. The GB Racing 

side cover protectors were slightly 

scuffed but did their job admirably 

requiring nothing but a quick wipe 

down to liberate them of infield dirt. 

The Gilles Tooling crash knob saved 

the Daytona’s fairing from major 

damage, and the same brand axle 

adjusters and rear stand mounts 

were undamaged. In fact the left side 

axle stand knob which screws into 

the side of the swingarm was bent 

and unusable. These were some I 

had kicking around and we never 

bothered to take 

them off when we 

fitted the Gilles 

units. We have 

seen this type rip 

open a hole in the 

swingarm but we 

were lucky. It all 

depends on the 

nature of the crash. 

Some duct tape, 

a new standard 

screen and a clean 

had us ready to go 

for Sunday. Our 

custom screen from 

Eagle Screens in WA 

(www.eaglescreens. 

com.au) was much 

taller than standard, allowing Alex to 

tuck in much better, but it was back 

to the low version which does give 

more buffeting. 

While Saturday is the FX Nationals 

series, Sunday is the Australian 

Formula Extreme series, a totally 

separate round. Alex was able to put 

Saturday’s crash out of his mind, 

qualifying on the second row with 

only much bigger capacity bikes in 

front of him. From there he went on 

to lead home the rest of the F3 field 

in each of the three races, finishing 

around 5-7 outright. He didn’t have 

it all his own way though, having 

to battle with Gary Peake to the flag 

each time. This gave Alex a three 

point lead in the championship going 

into round three at Eastern Creek. 

With less than a month until the next 

round and an overseas trip for the 

team mechanic we were only able to 

clean the bike up, fit a spare fairing 

we had, and replace the broken 

fairing mount and some other small 

bits. There’s still a huge dent in the 

Alex cops a post-race interview. 

tank but we’ll try and overlook that 

for the moment. 

eastern Creek 

We turned up on Saturday to race. 

Qualifying was in the wet with slick 

tyres, so Alex was to start down 

the field in 18th place. We weren’t 

worried, the progressive grid system 

of the FX series allows you to start 

the next race where you finished the 

last. The circuit had dried up but a 

poor start saw Alex in last place on 

lap one. He quickly got over this and 

made his way through the field to 

finish 14th outright, fourth in class. 

The interesting point was he set a 

faster lap time than the next six riders 

in front of him. The next two races 

saw Alex take a win and a second, 

allowing him to claw back most of 

the points KTM’s Angus Reekie had 

on him after the crash in Winton. 

Heading into the next round Alex sits 

in second place in the FX Nationals 

Pro Twins F3 Championship. 

On Sunday’s Australian FX 

Championship Alex took class wins in the 

first two races, and second in the last, taking 

the overall win for the round and increasing 

his lead in the championship. Alex’s best 

outright result was 6th, with a fastest lap of 

1m40.550s. 

It’s hard to fault the Daytona 675. After 

setting up the suspension late last year 

we haven’t needed to touch it at all. Aside 

from a lighter rear spring the suspension is 

standard, even down to the fork oil. With 

the increase in power and the smoothness 

the Power Commander has given the power 

delivery, it is fast, reliable and a pleasure to 

ride according to Alex. 

Round four will be held at Wakefield Park 

from September 10-12. If you’re there, call 

in and say hello, we might even get you to 

change a tyre or two. 

– Chris Pickett 

Below: Damage to the tank didn’t 

dampen Alex’s enthusiasm.

A road trail for under five 

grand 

brand new? Are you 

kidding? 

TEST BY alEX PicKETT PHoToS BY cHRiS PicKETT 

cYclE ToRquE TEST – ToRiNo TERRa 400 

Fox helmet, EKS goggles, M2R 

jacket, Alpinestars boots. 

Terra 

firma 

TORINO’S mid sized road/trail bike will do pretty 

much whatever you ask of it. Trail riding, commute to 

work or even take it on the beach. The Terra 400 is not 

the best on the market for any of these riding disciplines 

but it’ll do a decent job of them. 

mechanics 

The motorcycle is manufactured by Chinese company 

XingYue. It’s own engine is a 387cc four-stroke unit which 

looks to have some origins in Rotax and Honda designs. 

The four-valve engine is also liquid-cooled, boasts electric 

start and has an old school carby pumping fuel into the 

head. Power is listed as being 22kW, which is around 

30HP. 

Getting the back wheel to turn is a five speed gearbox 

and chain drive, just what you would expect on this type 

of bike. 

Upside down forks and rear shock help stifle the bumps 

but adjustment is what you would also expect on a bike of 

this price – minimal. Brakes are disc front and rear. 

It’s a snazzy looking thing, with decent instruments 

and a standard rack and bum bag. A tool kit comes with 

the bike but during one of our first rides the bag’s zip 

came apart and the tool kit went missing. I nearly lost my 

wallet, which was also in the bag, too. I might not have 

had much money in there but still, being a schoolkid, 

what was in there was important. 

From what I’ve seen Chinese made bikes usually fall 

down in build quality, compared to Japanese made 

machines, but they are getting better all the time. The 

Terra 400 had me thinking if you put a different sticker on 

it it might be harder to tell the difference between it and 

dearer bikes than you might think. 

ride time 

With a touch of choke the Terra started easily enough, 

and liked a bit of a warm up before it ran cleanly. 

Heading up the road the bike accelerates nicely, if not 

startlingly. It’s not going to keep up with a Japanese or 

Euro 400 enduro or trail bike but it’s no dog either. I 

quickly realised the speedo was wildly optimistic which 

is probably not a bad thing to help you keep your licence 

but it might have car drivers on your tail bipping their 

horns at you to go faster. For me it didn’t matter, I was 

happy to try the bike out on dirt and country roads near 

my place. 

Once I got used to the universal style tyres letting the 

bike wander a bit I was able to cruise at a decent pace on 

the tar. On the dirt the Terra 400 feels at home. I could 

get the rear end stepping out under power and the 

suspension dispensed with pot holes without fuss. On 

the tar you can even provoke it into doing wheelies and 

stoppies, but only if you try hard enough. 

It was time to check out the bike’s off-road ability so I 

took it to a riverbank which had some sand and some 

jumps. You have to remember the bike was only wearing 

road/trail tyres but I was pleasantly surprised with how 

the bike tracked through the sand and how it coped with 

me giving it a hard time in the rougher stuff. The only fly 

in the ointment here is the soft suspension set-up. I had 

the front and rear ends bottoming out on the guards but 

to be fair I wasn’t taking it easy on the Terra. 

Good enough? 

After I ripped it up in the sand I went for another 20 

Continued over>

kilometre ride – I’ve just got my bike Ls 

and my new found freedom – because it 

was a beautiful afternoon. I think that’s 

where a bike like this is at home. The more 

established brands have it over the Torino 

Terra, at the moment. But for only $4,999 

+ ORC (with a full 12 month warranty) it 

does give you a cheaper brand new option 

to get out there and have some fun. During 

my test nothing went wrong or broke on 

the Terra, apart from the bum bag zipper, 

and I used it as you expect a bike like this to 

be ridden. 

You can see more about this bike if you go 

to www.torinomotorcycles.com.au. 

16-year-old Alex Pickett may be a learner on 

the road but he also rides Cycle Torque’s Triumph 

Daytona 675 in the FX Pro Twins class. 

Right: It would be nice to have a tacho 

in the instrument pod. 

Below left: Handy rack comes 

standard. 

Below centre: Engine is built by Lifan. 

Below right: Rear disc looks like a saw 

blade but works fine.

FREE Bargain bad boy - Cycle Torque

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