Thailand has become one of the powerhouses in the automotive world, manufacturing motorcycle brands as diverse as BMW, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Triumph and Royal Enfield.
It’s now the largest automotive manufacturer in South East Asia and the 12th in the world, thanks to protective tariffs, corporate tax breaks and a central location wth several ports for export.
Powerhouse
Every dual-cab ute and Honda car, plus small Mazdas, Fords and MG sold into Australia are made in Thailand.
There are also more than 1800 automotive parts manufacturers in Thailand including the premium Swedish Ohlins suspension and BMW batteries for electric cars, scooters and future motorcycles.
BMW’s Thai EV battery factory
Motorcycle manufacture is also growing in leaps and bounds with Royal Enfield the eighth to announce it will open a factory in the country.
In 2015, Thailand made 1.8 motorcycles, with domestic sales of 1.6 million and exports of 350,000 units.
At the moment, the only motorcycles exported to Australia from Thailand are 80% of the Triumph range and some small- and medium-capacity Japanese bikes and scooters.
“As we explained when we announced this project in 2017, we intend to utilise it to make more of our products accessible to customers and targeted international market,” he says.
However, Harley-Davidson Australia spokesman Keith Waddell says the company has confirmed to them that “motorcycles for Australia will not be assembled in Thailand”.
That could change in years to come.
Thailand skeptics
Troy Bayliss tours the Ducati factory in Thailand (Image: Ultimate Motorcycle
When Honda announced it would be importing most of its cars from a new factory just outside Bangkok about a decade ago, there was some skepticism among Australian motoring journalists that they would be accepted by Aussie motorists.
So Honda Australia organised a tour of their factory which I attended.
I was surprised to find a state-of-the-art facility built on a greenfield site with supervisors walking around wearing white gloves and a floor so clean you could eat your dinner off it.
One supervisor told me the quality was strictly controlled, but the humid environment actually cured plastics and rubber better for a longer life than in vehicles made in Japan.
However, another manufacturer told me the humidity destroys some rubber very quickly.
To Aussie drivers, there now seems no problem with Thai-made cars. In fact, our top-four-selling vehicles are all Thai made.
The vehicles are good quality and the Thai-Australian free trade agreement makes them good value.
Likewise, there should be little concern with Thai bikes.
However, some say the recall problems Triumph has suffered in recent years are a result of Thai production.
Rather than a lack of quality production facilities, it’s more likely the rush to get new models on to the market as is the case with most motorcycle manufacturers.
Patent drawings of the motor, battery and radiator
The oil-and-liquid cooling system in the Kawasaki patent drawings are certainly more substantial than we have seen on any other electric motorcycle so far.
That would not only provide more range, but also greater performance.
Triumph Trident
Triumph Trident
The rumours about Triumph developing an electric motorcycle are a little more sketchy.
They are based on trademark and supposed patent filings.
We couldn’t find any details of a patent filing, but the trademark filing for the name “Trident” does spark interest.
The trademark would be used for “all possible classes”.
That includes motorcycling gear, accessories and even clothing.
But there is also a mention of electric machines which could be a motorcycle or an e-bike.
Given the enormous growth in e-bikes in Europe, that is the more likely.
Aussie Triples Rally
We can imagine the folk at the 10th annual Aussie Triples Rally at Evans Head in August wouldn’t be too impressed with a Trident e-bike!
The Triumph Trident was originally made from 1968 to 1975 and the same powerful and sophisticated triples were also sold as the BSA Rocket 3.
The Trident name was reborn in the 1990s with three- and four-cylinder bikes in various engine sizes from 750cc to 1200cc.
Meanwhile, the Aussie Triples Rally is always held on the third weekend in August.
For more information on the rally, email Col McAndrew or contact him on 0428 869889.
A home movie showing an Aussie rider’s involvement in the making of 1963 film The Great Escape has surfaced after more than 75 years.
Australian rider Tim Gibbes (pictured above with the original bike and current owner Dick Shepherd) was selected to perform stunts in the famous movie while he was competing at various motorcycle events in Europe.
However, he did not perform the famous jump scene which was done by movie star Steve McQueen’s friend Bud Ekins who died in 2007.
Tim, aged 85, is the only surviving motorcycle stunt performer from the movie.
Home movie
The home movie was shot by his wife, Joan, and was shown on Sunday (24 March 2019) at a 75th anniversary screening of the movie in London which Tim attended.
Tim says he has only seen The Great Escape a couple of times.
He says he took “a code of silence” not to talk about the filming, so the home movie was “put away”.
It shows Tim riding as a Nazi soldier who is trapped by McQueen’s character stringing a wire across the road.
Steve McQueen with Bud Ekins and Tim (obscured) while filming The Great Escape in 1962 (Image: Getty Images)
“During the first take I overcooked the slide and went straight into the cameraman filming the stunt,” he told the Daily Mail.
“I thought he just had a bruise or something, but someone told me he’d broken his leg and so I decided to sneak off set before I got into trouble.
“But as I was walking away the director shouted my name and called me over. And he remarkably told me to do exactly the same thing again. He said the sight of a motorcycle coming straight towards the camera would thrill audiences.
“So we got another cameraman and did the whole thing all over again, but this time we made sure the bike was able to miss the poor chap filming.”
Tim says he was “ashamed” to be seen wearing the Nazi uniform while filming in Germany only 17 years after the war ended.
Great Escape jump scene
He and Bud also helped prepare the famous Great Escape fence jump scene on a Triumph TR6.
“We spent a long time finding the perfect dip in the ground to launch the motorcycle over the barbed wire,” he says.
“Bud and I had a few practice runs at riding up from the dip, and it wasn’t an easy stunt.
“The Triumph wasn’t really the right bike to be doing it on; it made things a lot more difficult. It was just an ordinary street bike with fancy tyres, one that you’d use to go to the shops.
“It wasn’t a stunt Steve McQueen could have attempted, and the film crew wouldn’t have let him do it anyway as they had to ensure a big star like him didn’t get injured.
“Even Bud, who eventually did the stunt, said he was only going to try it once and then I would have had to try and do it myself. He said before he did it that he didn’t want to do it. But he managed to get it done.”
Tim’s tally
Tim Gibbbes performing in a Welsh competition
Tim won three win International Six Day Trial medals for Australia, including the first in 1956.
In 1961, he married Joan and moved to Palmertson North, New Zealand.
He continued to race, winning a total of six Gold and one Bronze ISDT medals.
Tim stopped competing at the age of 60 and has since been honoured with a John Britten Innovation and Service to the Industry Award, a Motorsport NZ Distinguished Service Award and in 2016 he was inducted into the MNZ Hall of Fame.
While in the UK for the movie anniversary, Tim says he will also the visit Dick Shepherd Triumph motorcycle museum, The Triumph factory at Hinckley and the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham.
Triumph Australia has joined a global recall on a range of its 900cc and 1200cc Bonneville models over faulty electrics.
Canada was the first to recall the faulty bikes and some three weeks later the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has published the official recall notice.
“The clutch cable may contact the main harness sheath, potentially causing damage to the wiring within the harness,” the notice says.
“If this condition occurs and remains undetected, it may lead to a loss of electrical power to various electrical circuits.
“As a consequence, headlight or indicator lighting may malfunction or engine power could be lost without warning, increasing the risk of a crash.”
Faulty recall
Street Scrambler
It is believed Australian distributors PS Importers contacted known owners a couple of weeks ago.
Typically, the ACCC has taken several weeks to issue the public recall notice, despite the urgency of the issue.
The recall affects model year 2016-19 Triumphs with the following VIN (Vehicle identification number) ranges:
Owners are asked to schedule an authorised Triumph Dealer “as soon as possible” to have the original faulty headstock tidy replaced with a new version, free of charge.
Bonneville T100
Bonneville recalls
The Bonneville range has been the subject of several recalls since they were introduced in 2016:
Even though manufacturers and importers usually 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 and scooter 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:
Triumph’s Scrambler 1200 is less of a neo-classic scrambler than it is a viable low-weight alternative to the over-litre, top-heavy adventure bikes.
The British company has loaded the bike with all the latest hi-tech mod cons and given it true all-road credentials, while still remaining a stunning neo-classic in design.
And unlike most hideously ugly utilitarian adventure bikes, this is classy with exemplary quality finish and some beautiful touches. So nice you will be reticent to take it off road and get it dirty!
More power and torque
It is also the brawniest of the 1200 water-cooled Bonneville models with the high-torque engine from the Bobber, but using a single throttle body that gives it 14Nm more torque and almost as much power as the high-power engine from the Thruxton R.
The Scrambler 1200 XE and XC are far more than just a 900cc Street Scrambler with more cubic capacity.
This is now a multi-purpose bike: an adventurer, a stylish retro, a sports tourer, a capable commuter and a naked streetfighter.
It will tour tarmac and dirt roads in comfort and ease all day long with long gaps between refills thanks to the super-efficient engine and bigger 16-litre tank.
It’s also a lot more expensive at $21,700 (plus on-road costs) for the off-road-oriented XE and $20,300 for the more road-tame XC version at $20,300.
Scrambler 1200 XC and XE
XC
XE
The XC has five riding modes and the XE adds Off-Road Pro that turns off traction control and ABS to use a special off-road engine mapping.
XE also has cornering traction control and cornering ABS, plus 50mm longer suspension (250mm).
Despite all the tech on board, I love the fact that you can customise the digital instruments so that only the centre screen shows minimal info in digital or analogue format until you press a control button on the left switchblock that reveals all the other comprehensive data on side screens.
Now you see it …
Now you don’t!
It makes you focus your attention on the important things such as revs and speed!
However, you can upgrade with a USB connection under the seat that plugs in your smartphone in a padded cell and allows access on the instrument screen to various apps and Google Maps.
The connector is coming in the next few months for an extra $400.
Under-seat Smartphone compartment
Manners
What I love about the Scrambler 1200 is the good manners this brawny 1200cc engine displays even around slow-moving traffic.
Fuelling is smooth, reliable and more refined than the other 1200s I have ridden.
This makes it great in traffic, together with the slick-cut gears and wide spread of ratios.
Braking is also much improved with dual Brembo M50 radial Monoblock calipers on 320mm front discs with a 255mm rear disc and twin-piston caliper.
Riding position is upright and neutral with a commanding view of the traffic for safe filtering.
I stand 183cm tall and my toes only just touch the ground on the XE.
Out on the highway it gallops along with plenty in reserve in sixth gear and an unstressed feel to engine and riding position.
The seat is comfortable enough for rolling down highways all day.
Dirty business
Once you get your tyres dirty and stand up on dirt roads, this has a much more natural feel than the Street Scrambler which makes you ride bandy-legged.
Here it also feels less top heavy than other adventure bikes and gives you more control as you flick it around.
Those Ohlins rear shocks provide plenty of traction, control as well as a comfortable ride over the roughest of terrain.
Up front is a Showa unit that also feels good on rough corrugations as well as pushing into tight tarmac corners.
If you can only afford one bike, but don’t want an ugly utilitarian adventure model, the stylish neo-classic Scrambler 1200 is just what you’ve been looking for.
Single 255mm disc, Brembo 2-piston floating caliper, ABS
Instrument Display and Functions
TFT multifunctional instrument pack with digital speedometer, trip computer, digital tachometer, gear position indicator, fuel gauge, service indicator, ambient temperature, clock and rider modes (Rain/Road/Sport/Offroad/Off-road Pro/Rider-Customisable)
Single 255mm disc, Brembo 2-piston floating caliper, ABS
Instrument Display and Functions
TFT multifunctional instrument pack with digital speedometer, trip computer, digital tachometer, gear position indicator, fuel gauge, service indicator, ambient temperature, clock and rider modes (Rain/Road/Sport/Off-road/Rider-Customisable)
Triumph Motorcycles is surveying customers with an email asking if they’ve ridden an electric motorcycle and whether the British company should make an electric Triumph.
It’s not the first time Triumph has surveyed its customers about an electric bike. They launched a short online survey as far back as 2012.
The new email survey asks questions such as:
Have you ever ridden an electric motorcycle?
How do you rate the experience on a scale of 1-10?
Do you own an electric motorcycle?
What might prevent you from buying an electric motorcycle?
How would you feel about felt Triumph building an electric motorcycle?
Electric Triumph
It comes as no surprise that Triumph is considering an electric motorcycle at some stage.
All manufacturers must be considering adding an electric model to their fleet. It’s inevitable.
It’s refreshing that Triumph is asking their customers what they want before jumping in at the deep end and building one – although we expect they have already been doing some development work.
However, the questions they should be asking their supporters are:
How much would you be prepared to pay for an electric Triumph?
What is the minimum range you would require?
How soon should we launch an electric motorcycle?
What is the maximum charging time you would be prepared to put up with?
It is now open for pre-orders with delivery in North America and Europe in August this year and Australia next year.
We’re not sure how many orders Harley have received, but we suspect they will be minimal.
Why? Because the price is extraordinarily high and the range too low.
At almost $US30,000 (more than $A40,000), it would be the second most expensive motorcycle in their fleet, yet it has only about 180km of range. There are no details yet about charging times.
It’s a huge miss by Harley when there are already similar electric motorcycles that cost less than half its price with almost double the range.
Triumph looks set to replace the Daytona 675 they axed in 2017 with a Daytona 765 powered by a version of their control engine for the Moto2 class.
Ever since Triumph was announced as the Moto2 engine supplier in 2017 for the 2019-21 seasons, it has been expected the new engine would power a Daytona replacement.
Now British website Motorcyclenews.com has posted spy images of the Daytona 765 in Spain, so it looks like a street-legal model is about to leave the pits for some hot street action.
There are no technical details yet for the street-legal version, but it is likely to come in several specifications.
High-spec Daytona 765 with a Speed Triple on a Spanish racetrack (All spy images of the Daytona 765 are from British website Motorcyclenews.com)
The three-cylinder Moto2 race engine is believed to have 97kW of power and meet the coming Euro 5 emissions standards.
It is derived from the 90kW 765cc Street Triple but with more than 80 new parts.
Moto2 racer and Street Triple
They include an increased bore and stroke, new crank, pistons, titanium valves, stiffer valve springs and Nikasil-plated aluminium barrels.
The race bike also has a taller first gear ratio, a tunable slipper clutch, a new sump and an ECU developed by Magneti Marelli who supply the MotoGP control unit.
All spy images of the Daytona 765 are from British website Motorcyclenews.com
Daytona 765 tech
We’re not sure how much of this tech will make it into the street-legal version.
However, there is talk that it will have traction control, several engine modes, cornering ABS and a quickshifter with autoblipper to match wheel and engine speeds on downshifts and make you sound like you know what you’re doing!
The bike is expected to weigh in at about 180kg.
All spy images of the Daytona 765 are from British website Motorcyclenews.com
Moto2
Moto2 replaced the 250cc two-stroke GP class in 2010.
It has since been powered by Honda’s 600cc four-cylinder engine.
When the MotoGP season starts on March 10 in Qatar, there will be a healthy field of 32 riders in the Moto2 category.
Triumph’s Daytona 675R engines have powered super sports wins at the Isle of Man TT, Daytona 200 and British Supersports Championships in 2014 and 2015.
Bigger doesn’t always mean better, and fortunately for those of us looking for a fun, affordable motorcycle there are more choices than ever. Nearly every manufacturer now offers at least one model that will fit just about any rider’s size and/or budget.
Scroll down for Rider’s 2019 list of Best Bikes for Smaller Riders and Budgets. When possible we’ve included a link to our review, making it easy for you to get a real ride evaluation. We’ve also included the 2019 model year’s U.S. base MSRP (as of publication), seat height and claimed wet weight (when a wet weight was not available from the manufacturer, the claimed dry weight is listed). For more details, you can read our review, which includes comprehensive specs, or click on the bike’s name to be taken directly to the manufacturer’s page.
BMW F 750 GS
2019 BMW F 750 GS (Photo by Kevin Wing)
BMW F 750 GS
$10,395
32.1-inch seat w/ optional 31.1-inch seat or 30.3-inch seat
493 lbs.
Any vehicle that proclaims to be all things to all people and all roads sounds like a compromise machine, but not the Triumph Tiger 800 XCx that comes pretty close to satisfying on all counts.
Last year the Tiger 800 range received a major upgrade with LED lighting, lighter weight, better ergos, six riding modes, up/down quick shifter, updated cruise control, full-colour instruments, back-lit controls, Brembo front brakes switchable ABS and traction control, and improved off-road ability.
Michael Oliver of Oliver’s Motorcycles in Moorooka says the Tiger 800 represents good value with a host of standard extras.
As I take the keys to the off-road oriented XCx, Michael points out the host of standard hardware such as bash plate, engine guards, USB charging socket, rear rack and handguards, stuff you pay extra for on most adventure tourers.
Standard bash plate and engine guards
Techno wonder
However, it was the standard tech that left me gob-smacked.
For a start, there are six rider modes, each of which can be customised to suit your personal riding style.
You can also choose the layout, colours and style of the full-colour TFT instruments while the cruise control has logically been shifted from the right switch block to the left.
Riders can choose to have the normal low-beam lights or the bright LED daytime running lights. I chose the LEDs because they seem to attract more attention.
Low beam
LEDs
There is even the option to switch between automatic indicators “Basic” and “Advanced” or off, although why anyone would turn off this most basic of safety features baffles me.
In Basic, it holds the indicator a few seconds after turning a corner, but Advanced switches off straight away.
I’m glad I selected Advanced, because I took the first exit at a roundabout and immediately after a car at a left-turn street was about to drive out in front of me but stopped when the indicator switched off.
Now that’s good primary safety tech.
There is also traction control and ABS for both road and off-road use, or you can switch it off.
I tried emergency stops in all the variations on both tar and ball-bearing gravel and was amazed at the results.
I thought I was good at emergency braking, but I could not beat any of the ABS settings, especially on gravel.
The dual Bembo front discs on the XCx may seem overkill on the gravel, but they work well albeit with a fair bit of fork dive.
Traction control is also a must as the 800cc triple brings on the power with a bit of a snap which can make it fishtail wildly on the dirt with traction switched off.
I found it quite difficult to control, but with the of-road traction switched on, it allowed some slide without losing control.
Riding
When I first headed out into traffic I reached out and pushed the high windscreen of the XCx forward and down to the bottom position.
It features a simple spring-and-rubber washer that just works.
Michael says he was worried it would rattle with age, but says it hasn’t on other models with the same adjustable screen.
Out on the highway, I reach out and pull it up. Simple and effective.
The contoured seat cossets my rear and the controls all fall easily to hand and foot. This is a the sort of bike you could easily use to do a lap of Australia and it wouldn’t matter if the road turned to gravel or you wanted to explore some national parks.
Tar and gravel
It’s also well suited to traffic with a light clutch, foolproof gears and a commanding position to view over traffic, although you easily adjust the seat down.
I’m 183cm tall and my heels touch the ground with the seat in the low 840mm position. That sounds high, but the narrow seat makes it easy to set foot on the ground.
That narrow waist also makes it very comfortable to ride standing up on gravel roads without feeling like you are riding a horse.
Narrow waist
I wouldn’t need bar risers in this position, either. Just roll the bars forward and let the natural bar bend lift them up into your hands.
The foot pegs are also nice and wide and provide a comfortably long reach.
Pillions will enjoy the wide and flat perch, long reach to the pegs and generous grab handles on each side.
What I didn’t enjoy is the heat coming up over my knees from the engine. I found myself riding with my knees out in the breeze in traffic, although I tucked them in on the highway.
The XCx mirrors are stylish and are set high and wide for plenty of rearward vision. However, at highway speeds, the right mirror vibrates and blurs the vision.
I think that’s because the gearing is set too low.
It provide good off-road ability, especially for slow-speed gnarly tracks.
But it makes the grips tingle a little at highway speed where it runs at 45000rpm in sixth. That’s about 500 revs too much, yet it still returns 3.5L/100km at that speed.
After a day’s riding with some high-spirited twisting roads, some gravel tracks and even a bit of trials riding on some rock shelves, the XCx returned a commendable 4.2L/100km.
I found I could quickly snick the gears through to fifth or sixth around town and the bike will still pull well from 3000 revs at 60km/h in fifth.
Despite all the tech and extras, the biggest attraction for me is the ride and handling of the XCx.
Thanks to WP forks and shock, the Tiger 800 XCx seems perfectly balanced in all situations from highway cruising to twisting tar and corrugated dirt roads.
However, if you are riding less than 80% road and more than 20% dirt, you might want more aggressive rubber than the all-round Bridgestone Battlewing tyres.
Triumph Tiger 800 XCx tech specs
ENGINE & TRANSMISSION
Type
Liquid-cooled, 12 valve, DOHC, in-line 3-cylinder
Capacity
800cc
Bore
74.05mm
Stroke
61.9mm
Compression
11.3:1
Max Power EC
70kW (94bhp) @ 9500rpm
Max Torque EC
79Nm @ 8050rpm
System
Multipoint sequential electronic fuel injection
Exhaust
Stainless steel 3 into 1 header system, side mounted stainless steel silencer
Final Drive
O-ring chain
Clutch
Wet, multi-plate
Gearbox
6 speed
CHASSIS
Frame
Tubular steel trellis frame
Swingarm
Twinsided, cast aluminium alloy
Front Wheel
Spoked, 21 x 2.15 in
Rear Wheel
Spoked, 17 x 4.25 in
Front Tyre
90/90-21
Rear Tyre
150/70 R17
Front Suspension
WP 43mm upside down forks, with adjustable rebound and compression damping, 220mm travel
Single 255mm disc, Nissin single piston sliding caliper, Switchable ABS
Instrument Display and Functions
TFT multifunctional instrument pack with digital speedometer, trip computer, digital tachometer, gear position indicator, fuel gauge, service indicator, ambient temperature, clock and five rider modes (Road/Offroad/Off-Road Pro/Sport/Track)
Motorcycle sales might be in a two-year slump in Australia, but there is no cause for general panic about the global motorcycle industry just yet.
Several motorcycle manufacturers are reporting growth in profits and even record sales, while many markets continue to increase in sales.
Perhaps the biggest saviour of motorcycling is the continued exponential growth in the Indian market.
Last year, more than 20 million motorcycles were sold in India. That’s up 2.6m from the previous year and almost double the sales of just seven years ago.
And don’t think that’s all scooters and 125cc motorcycles, either.
More and more motorcycles sold in India are what they call “superbikes” which are over 750cc in capacity.
China, Brazil and other developing countries are also recording massive growth in motorcycle and scooter sales.
No panic in mature markets
But it’s not just the developing nations that are doing well.
Mature markets such as Europe are up about 7% including the UK, up 2.9%.
The big concern is that the biggest big-bike market in the world, America, is marginally down last year.
However, there is no need for panic yet. US sales had been growing steadily since the big collapse from the 2008/09 GFC.
Maybe it’s a one-year blip. Let’s hope so, as it has a huge bearing on motorcycle manufacturers’ ability to turn a profit and keep bringing out new and exciting models.
Profit and panic
Meanwhile many manufacturers are continuing to post profits and/or record growth.
BMW Motorrad recorded its eighth straight year of global sales growth, up 0.9% with 165,566 bikes delivered;
Triumph was down slightly from 63,404 to 61,505, but still reported its second-biggest profit last year; and
Although slightly down, Ducati sold 53,004 bikes last year, its fourth straight year of more than 50k.
Ducati updated its popular Scrambler range in 2018
Japanese manufacturers are yet to post their 2018 figures.
All eyes will also be on Harley-Davidson who are expected to post a double-digit global slump in domestic sales, but good performances in developing markets.
Challenges
There is no doubt the motorcycle market is going through some changes and challenges:
