Riders have been alarmed to find sand over a section of the Oxley Highway where hot weather has caused the asphalt to melt and become slippery.
The Roads and Maritime Services was alerted to the problem last week and said they would inspect the surface this week.
“Sand was placed on the Oxley Highway to address soft pavement issues following extreme weather conditions and to improve traction,” an RMS spokesperson says.
“Excess sand is now being removed and a reduced speed of 60km/h is in place until further work is completed on the pavement surface.
“LiveTraffic will be updated to alert riders to the potential hazard at the location.”
It has been placed over melting tar on the road about 25km west of Gingers Creek not far past the 80km/h zone.
He says there are warning signs in place but was critical of the thick sand left behind.
RMS says “:further surface treatment is required”.
“Roads and Maritime Services is working with Walcha Council to carry out this work in the coming weeks, taking into account appropriate weather conditions required for this treatment,” the spokesperson says.
The molten tar lines are “right on the line your bike is going to take”, Ken says.
These photographs were taken when the temperature was 31C.
Melting road surfaces have also been encountered on recent roadworks on the mountain section of the Oxley Highway.
“It is already getting slippery on the new surface that is only a few weeks old, on the bottom half of the mountain,” Ken says.
“It will be ripped to bits by the end of summer and even more dangerous.
Oxley roadworks
The RMS told us last week it is “investing in the safety of Oxley Highway with a significant package of work recently implemented along the corridor”.
Roads and Maritime undertook resealing work in November and December on the Oxley Highway between Toms Creek and 85 kilometres west of Wauchope, which includes work in the mountain section.
“This reseal was comprised of a spray seal mix of bitumen and aggregate,” the spokesperson says.
“It is acknowledged motorbike riders frequently use the Oxley Highway for recreational purposes.
“Riders need to take safety precautions at all times while riding and this includes being aware of the road environment, particularly during extreme temperatures at this time of year – which can affect road surfaces.”
Save the Oxley organiser Ken Healey on his BMW K 1300 R (Photo: Keoghs Vision Photography)
From Sunday (January 13, 2019) there will be lane closures at Spencers Cutting for roadworks on a 1.2km section of the highway.
To reduce impact on traffic, work will be carried out between 6pm and 6am from Sunday and is expected to be complete by Friday 25 January, weather permitting.
Traffic control and a reduced speed limit of 40km/h will be in place.
For the latest traffic updates download the Live Traffic NSW App, visit livetraffic.com or call 132 701.
More complaints
This is not the first time riders have complained about roadworks on the Oxley Highway.
Consistency is the key to Australian rider Toby Price’s fourth Dakar Rally, now sitting in third place after four stages and carrying the hopes of his nation for a second historic win.
Unfortunately, fellow Aussie Rodney Faggotter is out after mechanical failures on his factory Yamaha on stage three.
It was the Queenslander’s fifth Dakar mission after finishing 16th last year.
Australia’s two other Dakar competitors are rookies Victorian Ben Young (#72 Duust Rally Team) and Canberran James Ferguson (#121 KTM).
Young is in a commendable 21st position among the rookies and 67th overall.
James was in 106th overall out of 149 starters at the end of stage 3 and 34th among the rookies.
So far, he has not come in, but at this point only 95 have finished the gruelling 406km fourth stage. We will update when James finishes.
Unique rally
This year’s Dakar is unique as it is being staged in only one country, Peru, and so far almost ll the racing has been in the dunes.
It’s also one of the most competitive with four different winner sin the four stages and three different bike brands.
Leaders
Current leader Ricky Brabec
KTM, which is chasing its 18th straight win, has only scored a win in the second stage for last year’s winner, Austrian Matthais Walkner.
Joan Barreda Bort won the firsts age on his Honda, Xavier de Soultrait won stage three for Yamaha and American Ricky Brabec scored Honda’s second stage win over night.
Ricky is now leading, ahead of consistent riders Pablo Quintanilla for Husqvarna just 2 minutes behind, ahead of Toby who is less than six minutes form the lead.
Consistency
Mr Consistency Toby Price
Toby, who is also the first Australian to win the World Cross-Country Rallies Championship with victory in the final round in Morocco last month, is nursing a mending broken wrist.
“The wrist is a little sore but I think I’ll make the distance, it’s all or nothing!” says Toby who won in only his second Dakar in 2016.
Toby started racing the Dakar in 2015, became a KTM factory rider in 2016 and was the first Aussie to win the rally. He broke his leg in 2017 and last year finished an unbelievable third despite not racing for a year due to injury.
Toby’s strategy in each event is consistency in the first half and attack in the second half which starts next week.
Click here if you would like to send him best wishes for a successful rally.
In 1967, a plumber doing renovations of an apartment building outside Chicago tore down a brick wall and found what would prove to be a baffling mystery to vintage motorcycle enthusiasts.
It was a one-of-a-kind motorcycle bearing 1917 plates and the name “Traub”.
The building’s elderly owner admitted that his son had stolen the bike before going off to WWI, never to return.
But where the bike came from and who made it remains unknown to this day.
Currently residing in the Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley, North Carolina, the Traub is considered by many to not only be the rarest motorcycle in their collection, but in the world.
Ekins was on set of the 1980 movie, The Blues Brothers, at the time.
The Traub was later sold to collector and restorer, Richard Morris, who then sold it to Wheels Through Time Museum curator, Dale Walksler, in 1990.
It has been on permanent display in the museum collection ever since.
Traub a regular rider
Dale on the Traub
Don’t think this unique motorcycle is merely a museum piece though. Dale rides the Traub fairly regularly.
When asked about the engine components, he enthusiastically replied: “Everything inside the engine is just magnificent. The pistons are handmade, and have gap-less cast iron rings, the engineering and machining being simply years ahead of their time.”
When comparing other top motorcycle makes and models of the era, the Traub has no equal.
“Comprised of a sand-cast, hand-built, 80 cubic-inch ‘side-valve’ engine, the machine has the ability to reach speeds in excess of 85mph (136km/h) with ease,” Dale says.
Aside from its few off-the-shelf components, the Traub has many unique handmade features. The three-speed transmission is thought to be one of the first of its kind and the rear brake, a dual-acting system that employs a single cam that is responsible for pushing an internal set of shoes, while pulling an external set, has never been seen on any other American motorcycle.
“For a machine to have such advanced features, unparalleled by other motorcycles of the same era, is truly outstanding,” Dale says.
“It’s my opinion that The Traub was an attempt at a new breed of motorcycle. But how on earth could a machine have been produced in such great form, with capabilities that far exceed that of any comparable machine, without the knowledge of the rest of the motorcycle industry during that time?”
Traub hunt
The hunt for the Traub’s elusive origin hasn’t stopped.
“While we may never know why the machine was placed behind that wall, we do hope to one day find out more about its history and the genius that created it,” Dale says.
Ducati finished 2018 with the highest number of safety recalls and starts 2019 with recalls for the Monster 821 (above), Monster 1200 and SuperSport.
We announced that these two Ducati recalls were coming last year. However, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has only now posted the official notice.
Their notice says there is “a potential problem with the gear shift lever due to an error in the manufacturing process”.
“The interference fit between the lever tip pin and the gear shift lever may not perform, in rare cases, may cause the pin to come out, increasing the risk of a crash,” the notice says.
“This may cause serious injury to riders and other road users.”
2019 Ducati SuperSport in Titanium Grey
Ducati recalls
Ducati Australia will contact owners to notify them of the recall and request them to contact their nearest authorised Ducati dealer to arrange an appointment.
We publish these notices in case owners have sold the bike privately and Ducati Australia is unaware of the current owners.
Authorised Ducati dealers will inspect the gear shift lever and if necessary, the component will be replaced free of charge.
To check if your bike is affected, click on the model below and check your Vehicle Identification Number:
Ducati had the most recalls of any manufacturer in 2018 with six, four of which were for the Panigale V4 in its first year of production.
Even though manufacturers and importers contact owners when a recall is issued, the bike may have been sold privately to a rider unknown to the company.
Therefore, Motorbike Writer publishes all motorcycle recalls as a service to all riders.
If you believe there is an endemic problem with your bike that should be recalled, contact the ACCC on 1300 302 502.
To check whether your motorcycle has been recalled, click on these sites:
Riders have been warned about fake motorcycle parts after New Delhi Police arrested four people selling the counterfeit products with the names of three prominent motorcycle companies.
Delhi Police police have not officially revealed the names of the motorcycle companies nor the specific parts.
Is it the 300th case of copyright infringement listed in New Delhi since 2016, resulting in 308 arrests.
Nationwide Research Group director Craig Douglas warns that the counterfeit parts could have found their way to Australia and other countries.
“There is a market for these cheaper parts and we have many buyers unaware of the background or history of parts sold through what look like official Aust based selling sites,” he says.
The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries and Nationwide Research Group have regularly warned motorists to be on the lookout for fake parts.
Basically, if the price is too good to believe, it’s probably a fake.
Fake parts could cause your motorcycle damage, make it unsafe and, in a crash, may void your warranty and/or insurance.
How to identify a counterfeit part
“These counterfeit parts parts are normally offered just a little bit cheaper than if purchased from a legitimate outlet so as to convince the buyers that they are genuine, albeit from a discount seller,” Craig says.
“There are many ways to offer these parts and the savvy buyer tends to surf the internet for cheaper parts thinking they are still real as they look genuine, have packaging that looks official, are sold by what appears to be legitimate sellers and are not too cheap to make it seem to be fake.
“If buyers see parts to be available they tend to think they are authorised or approved as they were not stopped at the border. And this is no different to auto parts or running shoes.
“As long as there is a market someone will look to exploit these options and the unaware public will always be a willing buyers if money can be saved and turn a blind eye to the dodgy sellers background.
“And remember sometimes these auto parts are purchased by the trusted local mechanic so the ultimate owner has no idea where they really came from and thinks the parts were sourced from a genuine seller.”
Genuine is best
The Federal Chamber of Automotive Vehicles promotes genuine parts through their Genuine Is Best program.
They urge all motorists to use genuine parts in regular maintenance and repairs.
They also warn about buying over the internet.
The program says the only way a motorist can guarantee supply of genuine parts is by buying them through the vehicle maker’s authorised supply chain.
“Use anything else and you may be taking a risk.” their website warns.
Lane filtering now puts us at the front of the traffic light queue, so when the light changes to green we have a duty to get away quickly to avoid holding up traffic.
However, this puts us in danger of being cleaned up by motorists running yellow and/or red lights.
More red light cameras with good signage might just prevent motorists from running lights and putting us in danger.
Queensland has just added eight more intersections to its list of locations with new combined red light and speed cameras.
They not only detect motorists who disobey the red traffic light, but also those who speed through the intersection.
Statistics reveal that 11% of all serious casualties on Queensland roads occur at intersections with traffic lights.
Accidents involving motorists running red lights are usually t-bone crashes which are the most lethal, especially for riders.
During the past five years, 42 people have been killed and more than 3000 hospitalised in crashes at signalised intersections in Queensland.
Triggering traffic lights
The only problem we can see if if the lights fail don’t change for motorcycles.
Many small motorbikes don’t trigger the inductor loop in the ground.
Riders who give up waiting for the lights to change and ride through the red light can expect to cop a fine!
If these cameras are being installed at more intersections, it is vital that the authorities ensure lights detect motorcycles or install more roadside buttons like these to trigger the lights.
Speed and red light cameras
The new combined red light and speed cameras are fixed and operate 24 hours a day.
They are at the following intersections in Queensland:
Glenlyon Street, Gladstone Central at intersection with Tank Street;
Anzac Avenue Road, Kippa-Ring at intersection with Boardman Road;
Morayfield Road, Morayfield (intersection of Caboolture River Road);
Lutwyche Road, Lutwyche (intersection of Norman Avenue);
Lutwyche Road, Kedron (intersection of Kedron Park Road);
Old Cleveland Road, Coorparoo (intersection of Cavendish Road);
Smith Street, Southport (intersection of Kumbari Avenue); and
Bermuda Street, Burleigh Waters (intersection of Christine Avenue).
The combined red light and speed camera systems have advisory signs installed prior to the intersection advising motorists that a combined red light and speed camera system is operating.
For the complete list of combined speed and red light cameras in Queensland, click here.
Motorcycle sales are now in a two-year slump in Australia and it’s time to ask what can be done about it.
While it’s good news in the short term for customers with bike companies likely to offer discounts and dealers ready to do dealers, it is not good for the industry and customers in the long term.
It could mean fewer models, less floor stock to choose from, no demo models and distributors for minor brands closing down.
So, we are asking you what can be done about the situation. Leave your comments in the box at the end of this article.
Official figures
The official 2018 figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries shows that sales of road and off-road motorcycles, scooters and all-terrain vehicles are down 8.7% to 95,080.
Total motorcycle, scooter, and ATV sales
This is not quite as big a drop as the massive -9.3% last year, which was the first full-year negative result since the GFC.
Honda was the top brand with 22,735 sales, down 5.9% and a 23.9% market share. Yamaha was second with 21,145 (-1.1%, 22.2% share), Kawasaki (9376, -6.1%, 9.9% share), Suzuki (7557, -6.1% 7.9%) and Harley-Davidson (7019, -21.2%, 7.4%).
Usually the most stable category is road bikes, but they are down 9.%.
Total road bike sales
Harley-Davidson and Honda tied for leader of the road bikes pack, ahead of Yamaha and Kawasaki.
Husqvarna, Indian, Suzuki and Yamaha all had increased sales in 2018 compared with 2017.
Automotive slump
The slump is not contained to motorcycles. New vehicle sales dropped 3%, including a 14.9% drop in December.
Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) Chief Executive Tony Weber blames the automotive slowdown on a slowing housing market, tightening of money lending and the drought.
These effects are being felt throughout the motorcycle industry, but are particularly noticeable in Motorcycle Holdings which owns TeamMoto.
Parts of the famed and much-loved Oxley Highway are melting in recent heatwave conditions, prompting a departmental inspection to assess the dangers to motorcyclists.
Local rider Ken Healey says on the Port Macquarie Road Riders Facebook page that the road 25km west of Gingers Creek not far past the 80km/h zone is melting in the heat.
He says the lines of molten tar are “right on the line your bike is going to take”.
Photographs on this page were taken when the temperature was 31C.
“Clearly it is not lasting and extremely dangerous.”
He says he and another rider had a front-tyre slip out on the molten tar.
We contacted Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) about the melting road and they said they said it would be inspected.
“The Mid North Coast maintenance teams are inspecting the section of the Oxley Highway this week, to determine if any further work is needed to ensure the safety of road users,” a spokesperson says.
Melting moments
A similar melting incident was encountered last summer on Mt Glorious Rd west of Brisbane.
Melting road surfaces have also been encountered on recent roadworks on the mountain section of the Oxley Highway.
“It is already getting slippery on the new surface that is only a few weeks old, on the bottom half of the mountain,” Ken says.
“It will be ripped to bits by the end of summer and even more dangerous.
Oxley roadworks
The RMS says it is “investing in the safety of Oxley Highway with a significant package of work recently implemented along the corridor”.
Roads and Maritime undertook resealing work in November and December on the Oxley Highway between Toms Creek and 85 kilometres west of Wauchope, which includes work in the mountain section.
“This reseal was comprised of a spray seal mix of bitumen and aggregate,” the spokesperson says.
“It is acknowledged motorbike riders frequently use the Oxley Highway for recreational purposes.
“Riders need to take safety precautions at all times while riding and this includes being aware of the road environment, particularly during extreme temperatures at this time of year – which can affect road surfaces.”
Save the Oxley organiser Ken Healey on his BMW K 1300 R (Photo: Keoghs Vision Photography)
More complaints
This is not the first time riders have complained about roadworks on the Oxley Highway.
A rider has died after a crash involving a car in Rothwell, Redcliffe, north of Brisbane, overnight and Queensland Police investigators are seeking eye witnesses.
Forensic Crash Unit say that around 8.20pm a Honda motorcycle collided with a Toyota Corolla sedan at the intersection of Coman Street and Deception Bay Road.
The 23-year-old rider was transported to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.
He was sadly pronounced dead shortly after midnight as a result of injuries sustained in the crash.
The car’s driver, a 25-year-old woman, was not physically injured.
Investigators would like to speak with any members of the public who may have witnessed the crash or has dash-cam footage of the incident to contact police.
You can report information about crime anonymously to Crime Stoppers, a registered charity and community volunteer organisation, by calling 1800 333 000 or via crimestoppersqld.com.au 24hrs per day.
A recent crash that injured a NSW police motorcyclist happened despite a new rule requiring motorists to slow to 40km/h when passing stationary or slow-moving emergency vehicles.
The incident occurred at Warrell Creek near Nambucca Heads, NSW, last Sunday when the officer pulled over a car and was hit by another car.
Motorcycle Council of NSW Chairman Steve Pearce says it’s “just a matter of time until a serious incident occurs as a result of this rule”.
“The fact is our motorways were never constructed with emergency management considered adequately,” he says.
“Asking drivers to reduce speed from 110km/h to 40km/h without adequate warning is just a recipe for a disaster.
“In my view, the NSW Government have opened themselves to a possible damages action. A driver/rider should expect to be given adequate warning to reduce speed from 110km to 40km. The legislation as it stands does not allow for any adequate or reasonable warning structure whatsoever.”
Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight Melinda Pavey says the new rule which matches rules in Victoria and Western Australia is under a 12-month review and she is awaiting a police report on the incident. South Australia has a similar rule but a 25km/h speed.
The RACV says it could be difficult for motorists to see flashing emergency vehicles’ lights over a hill and have enough time to slow down to 40km/h.
The Queensland Government has rejected Police Union calls for a similar road rule.
The major concern is that vulnerable motorcyclists, such as the NSW police officer, are at risk.
In fact, the person the rule was meant to protect appears to be a victim in this incident.
NSW Police say the 48-year-old officer has undergone surgery for fractures to his right leg.
A 70-year-old woman from Queensland, the driver of the Mazda2, has been interviewed by police and released pending further investigation, spokesperson says.
“The matter is currently being investigated by the Crash Investigation Unit and it is too early to speculate on the associated factors,” she says.
Tips on emergency rule
If riders see the flashing lights of an emergency vehicle, there are several things they can do to avoid a rear-ender.
Look at traffic behind you to assess the danger;
Indicate and change lanes away from the emergency vehicle, if there is a vacant lane to move into;
If not, switch on the hazard lights;
Brake as smoothly as possible, perhaps activating the brake light on and off to attract the attention of following traffic; and
Search for an escape route, possibly between lanes or on the road edge.
Confusing rule
The rule is confusing for motorists travelling interstate during holidays because of the disparities in the rule and the fact that some states do not have the rule at all.
Emergency vehicles are defined as police cars, fire engines and ambulances displaying red and blue flashing lights and/or sounding their siren.
In Victoria it includes all “escort vehicles”. In SA SES vehicles are included and in WA it extends to all emergency vehicles, including tow trucks, RAC roadside assistance patrol vehicles, and Main Roads Incident Response Vehicles removing road debris and broken-down vehicles.
The rule does not apply if the emergency vehicle is on the other side of the road where there is a median strip.
Fines also vary
In South Australia, you can cop a maximum fine up to $1007 and some motorists have been disqualified for six months.
Victoria’s fine is $272.05, but there is a maximum court penalty of $777.30 if you unsuccessfully challenge the fine.
