“The way light bounces off burnished chrome and beautiful paintwork is very inspirational for me,” the artist says.
While Sonia doesn’t ride, her husband used to ride and has many motor industry connections in her family.
“I appreciate the beautiful lines of motorbikes, especially the chrome,” she says.
“The idea of adventures, breakfast runs, long roads and the friendships formed are very appealing and are thoughts that have been going through my mind as I painted the artworks.
“I enjoy creating art that helps people celebrate what they love and appreciate in life.”
The Cruising Chrome exhibition was to end this week, but has now been extended to 3pm on Wednesday 23 October 2019, so get in quick!
All riders on all types of bike are invited to take part in the third annual Ride Sunday on 10 November 2019 to raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men’s mental health.
The event has been held in winter the past couple of years and had been scheduled for June, but it now moves to November which is apt since funds are collected on behalf of charity partner, the Movember Foundation.
Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride and Ride Sunday founder Mark Hawwa
Last year, the event attracted 1300 riders to 239 events globally and raised almost $200,000 in funds for 59 charities.
Ride Sunday Pty Ltd kept 22% of donations as income in the first year, reducing to 0% over five years.
This year it focusses all fundraising efforts on the November Foundation and seems to be limited just to Australia.
2018 Ride Sunday in London
DGR praise and criticism
DGR has been immensely popular, raising more than $US25m for Movember since it started in 2012 and this year attracted 115,000 classic and vintage styled motorcyclists in 678 cities.
However, it is not without its critics who claim it is elitist because it restricts the types of bikes for the event, although many organisers still allow them to ride.
So the organisers started Ride Sunday which allows riders on all types of bikes to attend.
Riders can either join one of the flagship rides, host their own ride, or joining an existing group ride via www.ridesunday.com.
Participants can use the Ride Sunday peer-to-peer fundraising platform to connect to local dealerships and riders, to create, share, and view ride maps, and join fellow riders.
Ride Sunday incentives
There are also significant prizes such as a Yamaha R1 for the best fundraising participants.
Mark claims Ride Sunday helps to “positively change the global perceptions of motorcyclists by uniting motorcyclists around the world to collectively take to the streets for motorcycle awareness”.
He says the event “taps into the Australian passion for riding and is aimed to motivate those who own a bike to ride for a change”.
“Motorcycling is in our DNA. There is nothing else like it. No matter what riding niche you fall into, Ride Sunday is a day for you,” he says.
“Our vision is for every street in every major city to be packed with motorcycles. For one day, I want riders to be impossible to miss. For everyone in Australia to see our numbers, to notice us, and to see that there is more than just a rider beneath the helmet.”
To register to ride and make a donation, please visit the Ride Sunday website.
Rather than making roads wider, new research shows that adding more narrower lanes to existing roads would not only aid traffic flow but also promote more motorcycles and scooters.
University of Melbourne professor Chair of Statistics and motorbike rider Prof Richard Huggins says the plan has some merit.
The Grattan Institute suggests narrow lanes would reward motorists in smaller cars and on powered two wheelers and encourage people to ditch big SUVs in the city.
Melbourne City Council’s future transport strategy has picked up on the idea which has been welcomed by the Victorian Motorcycle Council.
Prof Huggins says it would be a good idea “at least in Melbourne”.
Melbourne traffic
“It would make the last bit of people’s commute much easier and safer,” he says.
“We had a very informal chat with City of Melbourne a few years ago about something similar (back then a narrow lane for single track vehicles) but as there were no regulations to cover such a lane it didn’t get to square one.”
Promote small cars and bikes
The Grattan Institute report says Australian cars are getting wider.
In the early 2000s, Aussie motorists started ditching their large sedans for hatchbacks.
However, in the past decade or more, they have swung over to SUVs and pick-ups which are much wider.
The report claims these wide vehicles are causing congestion because they limit visibility and intimidate other drivers.
They say adding a narrow lane would encourage motorists to switch to smaller cars and motorcycles and increase the capacity of roads to carry traffic.
BMW Motorrad Australia has recalled its big K 1600 touring fleet over a transmission issue which could result in a locking rear wheel.
If damage to the shift fork/selector sleeve/gearwheel occurs, gear changes may not be performed correctly. If gear changes cannot be performed correctly, two gears may be engaged at the same time.
BMW K 1600 B bagger
Locking danger
The official notice from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission points out the dangers:
If damage to the shift fork/selector sleeve/gearwheel occurs, gear changes may not be performed correctly. If gear changes cannot be performed correctly, two gears may be engaged at the same time. If two gears are engaged at the same time, the rear wheel may lock and/or the teeth of the gearwheels shear off, depending on the road conditions and the speed of the vehicle, increasing the risk of an accident or serious injury to the vehicle’s passenger(s) or other road users.
Owners should contact an authorised BMW Motorrad dealer or call the BMW Group Australia Customer Interaction Centre on freecall 1800 813 299 to arrange for a free repair.
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.
In Australia, recall notices are issued by the manufacturer and the Department of Infrastructure through a voluntary industry code under the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
While any recall is not good news for the manufacturer, it shows that they are largely diligent in fixing problems.
Despite hundreds of recalls by various automotive manufacturers, only the Takata airbag recall has ever been mandatory. All others have been issued by the manufacturer.
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:
Motorcycle gloves and jeans have once again scored a big fail in the independent Australian MotoCAP safety ratings while the jeans scored well for thermal comfort.
The latest round of testing includes five pair of jeans and four gloves.
Only one set of gloves scored two safety stars, while the rest scored just one.
It follows August results for seven pairs of leather and textile motorcycles gloves which also recorded a fail in the MotoCAP safety ratings.
The MotoCAP website now lists 47 pairs of gloves in its list of 144 products tested and rated.
So far, not one pair of gloves has rated a full five stars.
All five pairs of jeans tested have scored either three or four stars out of five for thermal comfort, which is an improvement in this category compared with previous releases.
The highest overall performing pair of jeans is the Draggin Jeans Twista jeans, which scored four out five stars for thermal comfort.
Draggin Twista jeans
While thermal comfort was good, safety was another fail.
Twista scored two out of five stars for protection, while of the other jeans tested, three scored one star for safety and one scored only half a star.
The world’s first safety and comfort ratings system for motorcycle clothing provides comfort ratings for thermal comfort and waterproofing on jackets and pants, but not gloves.
That is despite some of the gloves tested having perforations for airflow.
Sydney woman Perpetual Dzikunu, 29, has been found guilty of negligent driving after a collision with a motorcycle in Sydney on 1 September 2019.
The 63-year-old male rider suffered a severely injured foot.
Dzikunu appeared in Waverely Local Court on Wednesday (16 October 2019) where she was granted continuing conditional bail.
She will return to court on November 12 for sentencing.
Negligent penalty
The driver could face a $2,200 fine and/or imprisonment for up to nine months if it is a first-time offence.
NSW Police say that about 3pm on September 1 a Toyota Aurion was turning right from a driveway on to King Street, Randwick, when it collided with the motorcycle heading east.
The rider was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital.
Dzikunu stopped after the crash and spoke with police.
About 7.50pm the following day Dzikunu attended Maroubra Police Station where she was charged with negligent driving.
Driveway crashes
This is yet another incident of a crash where a vehicle is turning into or coming out of a driveway.
Earlier this month a 51-year-old man died when his motorcycle was hit by a 4WD attempting to turn into a driveway in Parkinson, south of Brisbane.
Most accidents happen close to home.
It seems motorists switch off as they get near home, or don’t switch on until they have driven away from home.
Riders should always be switched on.
They should be especially aware when riding in the suburbs or in the country past driveways.
A particularly deadly driveway scenario can occur on country roads where a vehicle slows without indicating.
The following rider assumes the driver is pulling over, so they overtake just as the driver decides to turn across their path into their driveway.
Nicola Annabel Teo, 24, was again granted bail and the matter was adjourned until December 12.
Police are expected to provide the court with CCTV footage, witness statements and physical evidence. They are believed to be seeking a custodial sentence if Teo is found guilty.
Teo’s Landcruiser at the accident scene
Police will alleged she was driving a Landcruiser on the wrong side of the road when she crashed head-on into a Ross, 76, near Wiseman’s Ferry, NSW, on 26 September 2019.
Ross remains in Westmead Hospital in a stable condition with leg and internal injuries.
Teo faces charges of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, not keeping left of a dividing line and not giving particulars to police.
The head-on crash occurred about 3.30pm on Settlers Road, Lower Macdonald.
Teo was taken to hospital for mandatory blood and urine testing. She was then taken to Windsor Police Station where she was interviewed by officers from the Metropolitan Crash Investigation Unit and later charged
Ross was a former Commanchero president who instigated the infamous Milperra Massacre on Father’s Day in 1984, in which seven people were killed.
He was shot and jailed for more than five years. He later left the club and is now a Rural Fire Service captain and grandfather of 12.
BMW Motorrad could soon be adding a limited-edition F 850 GS Rallye and an F 850 R production bike to its expanding line-up.
The company has prepared a special F 850 GS Rallye for the annual International GS Trophy Oceania competition in February 2020 in New Zealand.
While they have been specially prepared for the GS Trophy, we reckon they are so attractivethe company will make a limited production run.
BMW has already made at least 140 of the GS Rallye models for the competition and possibly more as replacements in the event of crashes or failures.
So there are probably also more sitting in storage waiting for release next year.
BMW usually uses the big 1200 (now 1250) machines for the Trophy and has produced 1200 GS Rallye X models for production.
It used the smaller F model in 2008, 2010 and 2012.
The BMW F 850 GS Rallye Trophy comes with special black and yellow colours and graphics, gold anodised forks and a host of features from the BMW Motorrad catalogue.
GS Rallye features:
High handlebars 14 mm higher than standard;
Enduro footrests plus adjustable foot brake lever and gear lever;
Hand protectors made of impact-resistant and UV-resistant plastic;
Engine protection bar made of electropolished stainless steel for lightness and longevity;
Enduro engine guard made of aluminium;
Rallye seat is narrower, taller and has more padding;
Water-resistant tail bag;
LED auxiliary headlights in a compact aluminium housing;
Headlight protection; and
Touring windshield with adjustment.
F 850 R
BMW F 850 R patent image
Meanwhile, F 850 R patent images have been leaked ahead of its tipped unveiling at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan in a couple of weeks along with their new R 18 cruiser.
Apart from the new engine, the mages shows the bike has a new swingarm, new frame, bodywork, instrument panel, fuel tank and smaller exhaust now on the left.
We expect the engine may be differently tuned for more midrange oomph than the F 850 GS.
Double Dakar Rally champion Toby Price may have missed out on the prestigious Don Award, but you can still help him become GQ Sportsperson of the Year.
Let’s make sure the double Dakar winner, Australian off-road champ, world enduro champ, four-time Finke winner and five-time Hattah Desert Race victor is successful.
However, he’s up against a tough field for the GQ award: footballers Dustin Martin and James Tedesco; basketball Ben Simmons; cricketers Pat Cummins, Steve Smith and Ellyse Perry; soccer player Samantha Kerr; Opals and AFLW player Erin Phillips, snowboarder Scotty James; and tennis players Ash Barty and Dylan Alcott.
Ash Barty won The Don for which Toby was also considered, although he didn’t make their final short list.
That included: tennis grand slam champion Dylan Alcott OAM, 2018 NRL premiership hero Cooper Cronk, three-time Tour de France stage winner Caleb Ewan, 2018 world surfing champion Stephanie Gilmore, seven-time Bathurst winner Craig Lowndes OAM, Ashes winners Ellyse Perry and Tim Paine, and swimming world champion Ariarne Titmus.
In January, we put forward Toby’s name to the Australia Sport Hall of Fame Selection Committee and Board for consideration for The Don awardnamed after Don Bradman.
Also, we also launched a petition calling for a national sporting honour for Toby. It attracted more than 15,000 signatures.
The petition is still live and relevant for consideration for next year’s Don Award.
The GQ award will be based on popularity, so it will be tough for a motorcycle racer to win against such popular sports as cricket, football and tennis.
But it’s not impossible. In 1987, Australia’s first 500cc world champion, Wayne Gardner, was awarded ABC Sportsman of the Year, Member of the Order of Australia (OAM) and Sport Australia Sportsman of the Year.
However, we would like to see Toby win the more prestigious Don Award which is awarded by a panel of experts, not a popular magazine vote.
The honour goes to the sportsperson who “inspires the nation” like Don Bradman. Can’t think of a more inspiring winner, having ridden through major injuries.
The Don Award began in 1998 when five-time world GP champion Mick Doohan was a finalist. The Don was shared that year by cricket captain Mark Taylor and athlete Heather Turland.
It will be difficult for Toby to win The Don as no motorsport identity has ever won.
Two-time MotoGP champion Casey Stoner is a three-time nominee and two-time finalist, but never a recipient of The Don. Last year F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo was a finalist on his second nomination, joined by Indy driver Will Power.
We reckon it’s time for a motorcycle racer to win The Don. Hopefully, that will be next year!
Our petition also calls on state (Queensland and NSW) and federal sports ministers to consider Toby for a state or national sportsperson of the year honour.
Each time you sign, an email goes to the ministers’ offices, so they would be well aware of Toby’s community support.
We approached Queensland and NSW sports ministers because Toby was born in NSW and now lives on the Gold Coast.
Your signatures on the petition will help sway the ministers, so keep sharing the petition with your friends.
Why Toby deserves an award
Toby in action
Australia has a long history of Dakar entries, most notably rookie and privateer Andy Haydon who placed third in 1998, Simon Pavey who competed 10 times and the late Andy Caldecott who competed from 2004 to 2006 when he tragically died during the race.
The Dakar is a gruelling rally that has claimed the lives of 24 competitors since it started in 1978. It is referred to as the toughest motorsport event in the world.
Toby started racing the lethal Dakar in 2015, finishing an astounding third on debut.
He broke his leg in 2017 and last year finished third despite not racing for a year due to injury.
Just a month before this year’s Dakar, Toby broke his wrist in training. His second victory while nursing a “burning wrist” is all the more brave and worthy of an honour.
In fact, has been in for more surgery after the screw in his wrist wore away at the bone like a ‘windscreen wiper’ during the race.
Last year Toby also became the first Australian to win the FIM World Cross Country Championship and scored a record sixth win in Australia’s toughest motorcycle rally, the Finke Desert Race.
In fact, he won that race on debut, a feat he also achieved in the Hattah Dessert Race.
Toby has also won two Australian Junior Motocross Championships and the Australian Off-Road Racing Championship.
Dakar’s most prolific winner, Stéphane Peterhansel, scored his sixth win the year he turned 33. Marc Coma won his fifth Dakar Rally at the age of 39. So Toby, aged 31, still has several years of racing ahead of him and is hopeful of more Dakar wins.
CFMOTO Australia has added the third 650cc model to the range, called the 650GT ABS which is a “grand tourer”.
It will cost just $8490 ride away and joins the naked 650NK at $6490 and the 650MT at $7490 including a free set of panniers valued at $650 until the end of the year.
Comparative models are the Honda CBR650L ($9999 +ORC), Kawasaki 650L ($9999 +ORC), Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 (from $84440 ride-away), Suzuki SV650 LAMS ($8990 +ORC) and Yamaha MT-07 $9999 +ORC).
That makes the CFMoto 650 range among the cheapest 650cc learner-approved road-going motorcycles in our market.
CFMoto’s grand tourer comes standard with a large colour auto dimming TFT display, adjustable windscreen and USB and 12 volt charging sockets on either side in the cockpit. Panniers are also available as an option.
The 650GT ABS is powered by the same 41.5kW (LAMS restricted) 650cc parallel twin engine as used in the 650NK and 650MT variants.
It is managed by a Bosch EFI system delivering a user-friendly power curve, perfect for new riders.
The hydraulic brakes are supplied by Spanish company J.Juan with a Continental ABS.
It is shod with Metzeler tyres and claims to have a “plush ride” on the KYB conventional telescopic forks and cantilever KYB rear monoshock.
CFMoto also claims the low seat height of 795mm will provide a relaxed riding position.
They say it will appeal to commuters, tourers and learner riders.
The 650GT ABS is available in two colour options, Concept Blue or Nebula Black and is backed by CFMOTO’s two-year, unlimited km warranty.
KTM links
Like the other models in the CFMoto range, the 650GT has European styling thanks to Austrian design house Kiska which also designs KTM motorcycles.
In fact, he won that race on debut, a feat he also achieved in the Hattah Dessert Race.
