Cycle Torque Jan/Feb 2017

Recommendations

Info

EDITORIAL cycletorque.com.au JAN/FEB 2017 I 18 A New Year’s Resolution THE summer season is a great time to be out riding: spending time with your mates, your family and other acquaintances. Maybe it’s a jaunt along your favourite stretch of road, a run to your favourite pub or café. It might even be a day out in the bush. These times we cherish the most. The weight of the world is off your shoulders - there’s less pressure to be back by a certain time and little (or hopefully no) work stress. Have you ever felt like you could be anywhere in the world in the middle of a ride? Not much beats it - knowing the lay of the land, being in tune with your machine and stringing sections of corners together. Cares disappear. It is just you and the moment on a two-hour holiday. To rob Paul Simon, ’These are the days of miracle and wonder.’ And while it may be true, by being such a great time to ride we inherently see lots of returning riders on the road. Maybe they have a shiny new toy for Christmas, have been invited out at a get-together by one of their mates, or are just feeling the good vibes of summer, like everyone else. It’s also a great time of year for more experienced riders to take-five and evaluate their own ability. While I am certainly not discouraging returning riders or anyone else to get out there and enjoy themselves as much as the next person, I think most riders need to be careful, because the increased feeling of freedom felt at this time of year puts us at risk. Quite a lot of motorcycle fatalities are single vehicle accidents, roughly 40-50 per cent. Half of those involve excessive speed for the conditions and most are due to rider error. This is not to mention loose gravel, potholes, oil or other road surface hazards. Let me introduce you to a phenomenon known as Thomas dictum: If men (or women) define situations as real, they are real in their consequences (or actions). This means actions are affected by an individual perception of the situation. A returning rider’s perception will be much different to that of an experienced rider. At the end of the day: these perceptions create different outcomes. I vaguely remember learning about it at university, but it was reaffirmed in a classroom session with track-based rider training group, motoDNA. Take my own riding for example - on long-distance rides I don’t stop as frequently as I should. A stop for fuel, a quick drink, stretch, leak and a snack and it’s time to saddle up and repeat. I, like everyone else, am fallible under fatigue. Thomas dictum says it takes a certain level of competence to understand while you are under fatigue, that you are actually fatigued, and should either slow down or stop for a moment’s rest. Actions are affected by perception (whether real or false). It was under fatigue at motoDNA that I understood how it affects my riding. Summer time is the perfect season for conversations to happen, whether you are planning a trip with friends or family or even chewing the fat at a backyard barbecue. It’s a time when we let our guard down and allow ourselves to become excited easily. When you invite a returning rider on a ride with you, can you vouch for their ability? Are your mates inviting their mates? Will they be able to keep up with the group? Will they try too hard keep up? Will they shoot off into the distance? Or will they ride at their own pace? It doesn’t take much for these things to converge and turn into a pearshaped trail of destruction and heartache. Aforementioned loose gravel and potholes are a spanner in the works for any rider. Returning riders also have to factor in rusty line selection and/or braking technique and target fixation. Sometimes riding a bike is not like riding a bike. Please don’t think I am not trying to impede anyone’s autonomy, discourage anyone from riding or tell you inviting a mate who hasn’t ridden in some time is a bad idea. By all means. Go on every ride you can and invite whomever you like. But have you ever thought about getting rider training? Not post-learner or refresher courses. Advanced rider training? Going with a group of mates is a seriously fun day out because you share the experience. It makes the day equally as good as your favourite jaunt because you essentially get to do on the track what you aren’t allowed to on the road. It doesn’t matter where your skills are at, you are encouraged to progressively move out of your comfort zone and start to realise how much more capable you are on a motorcycle by using proper techniques. This enables riders to read situations with higher perception, inevitably linking corners and ride smooth. Or to know when to slow down or stop altogether. Basically you will equip yourself with the skills to avoid becoming a statistic: the same techniques you pick up in a controlled environment inevitably help you on the road. When you are out with friends this summer, plan those trips away, be excited by it and go with as few or many people as possible. But be honest. Ride to the conditions. Ride to your ability. And look at becoming a better rider this year, no matter how experienced you are. Sharpen your perception and it will provide safer outcomes. Have a great 2017! I look forward to seeing you out on the road this year. – Ryan Grubb Email us your feedback feedback@cycletorque.com.au
DIRTY TORQUE cycletorque.com.au JAN/FEB 2017 I 19 Australia Set to Sizzle in 2017 The new racing season is upon us and the Australian calendar is riddled with world-class Speedway, Motocross, Enduro, Supercross and Dirt Track events along with all of our hotly contested National Championships. After years in the wilderness, the popularity of Speedway in Australia is gaining momentum on the back of international success by the likes of Chris Holder, Jason Doyle and Max Fricke while the Australian FIM Speedway Grand Prix in Melbourne is boosting the fan base exponentially each year. The local talent pool is growing so much the four round Australian Speedway Championships is looking to host the hottest field in many years with Fricke, Troy Batchelor, Sam Master, Brady Kurtz and Jack Holder all having an good shot of winning the title. The annual Troy Bayliss Classic will have a starstudded field and with the signing of American Jarred Mees our local guns are going to have to bring their A-game to defeat the defending champion. Our multi-Australian Champion Jarred Brook is in hot form right how as are former winners Bayliss, Paul Caslick and Michael Kirkness. The action is set to be jawdropping when you throw in Troy Herfoss, Josh Hook, Luke Richards and a gaggle of other dirt track championship regulars and international stars. Nothing is surer than Australia having many of the best enduro/ desert racers in the World and the 2017 calendar will give our riders the best possible chance to show their skills with the 12-round AORC always a hotly contested series while the Finke and Hattah Desert Races give the high speed warriors a chance to shine before they all get together for the annual A4DE which will be in Toowoomba this year. Look for former motocrossers Tye Simmons and Jack Simpson to take a lion’s share of the wins but Daniel Milner, Josh Green, Daniel Sanders and Lachlan Stanford (to name a few) will be looking to prove me wrong. As for motocross action there is something for everyone with Toowoomba’s Mountain Man Motocross, Manjimup 15,000 and the 10-round MX Nationals set to showcase our best riders and with young Nathan Crawford now mounted on a firebreathing KX450F the MX1 class is going to be a Will 2017 be Chad Reed’s last hurrah? bottler as Kirk Gibbs, Todd Waters and Dean Ferris look to keep young Crawford at bay. After an action-packed 2016 series, the 2017 Australian Supercross Championship will see the return of plenty of American stars to take on our best riders and this year is potentially the final appearance of Chad Reed so it will once again be a must for racers and fans alike. Below is a calendar of the major events in Australia. – Darren Smart Email us your feedback feedback@cycletorque.com.au Continued on next page
Page 2 and 3: WELCOME cycletorque.com.au JAN/FEB
Page 4 and 5: It’s not where you’re going ...
Page 6 and 7: NEWS TORQUE cycletorque.com.au JAN/
Page 8: NEWS TORQUE cycletorque.com.au JAN/
Page 11 and 12: NEWS TORQUE cycletorque.com.au JAN/
Page 13 and 14: Certified Class 5 protector Austral
Page 15 and 16: SMALL TORQUE cycletorque.com.au JAN
Page 17: PROTECTION / FITTING DESIGN © FIVE
Page 21 and 22: RACE TORQUE cycletorque.com.au JAN/
Page 23 and 24: Ducati Hypermotard 939 CYCLE TORQUE
Page 31 and 32: Sport C3 Gloves Soul Gloves Scrambl
Page 33 and 34: 2017 KTM 450 EXC-F CYCLE TORQUE TES
Page 41 and 42: • 1.7 KG LIGHTER FOR 2017 • NEW
Page 43 and 44: Yamaha Super Ténéré CYCLE TORQUE
Page 52 and 53: BMW R nine T Scrambler CYCLE TORQUE
Page 62 and 63: CYCLE TORQUE FEATURE 2016 BMW GS SA
Page 68 and 69:
CYCLE TORQUE FEATURE 2016 BMW GS SA
Page 70 and 71:
2- SHARK skin The Spartan combines
Page 74 and 75:
CYCLE TORQUE GEAR Bike Stuff cyclet
Page 76 and 77:
AUSTRALIAN MOTORCYCLE ACCESSORIES O
Page 78 and 79:
CYCLE TORQUE STORE cycletorque.com.
Page 80 and 81:
Metropolitan Motorcycle Spares cycl
Page 82 and 83:
• Moulds available in a range of
Page 84 and 85:
HEL BRAKE PADS - NOW AVAILABLE! RAC
Page 86 and 87:
TORQUING BACK cycletorque.com.au JA
Page 88 and 89:
ON THE COVER: RYE DUCATI PHOTO BY S
Page 90:
cycletorque.com.au JAN/FEB 2017 I 9
show all

Cycle Torque Jan/Feb 2017

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?