Motorcycle Maketplace Magazine

7th round. French Grand Prix. June 2008.

Toni Bou finishes second and continues leading the World Championship.
Takahisa Fujinami also obtains a podium position again.

Maisse (France), 22.06.2008. Toni Bou riding his Montesa-HRC Cota 4RT Trials Bike finished second in the French Trial Grand Prix held this Sunday, starting the second half of the World Championship. This result keeps the current champion in the leading position of the general classification with 12 points over his immediate rival. Takahisa Fujinami also on a Montesa-HRC Cota 4RT was third, the same position that he occupies in the general classification, obtaining his seventh consecutive podium position. Bou and Fujinami are the only two riders that have been in the positions of honour of all seven events held up to now. Montesa obtained a new victory in the manufacturers classification, widening their advantage even further. Similar performance characterised the three riders on the podium in this seventh event of the world championship, Fujinami was only one point behind Bou and just two behind the future winner at the end of a very complicated first lap, due to the rainfall of the night before. In the second lap, Bou managed to recover, but a failure in the last zone eliminated his options for what could have been his fifth victory of the season.

Toni Bou: “Today’s result is the best example of the competitiveness of the championship. Perhaps some people were thinking that after my three consecutive victories in the last events, the season was practically decided, but I’ve always said that’s not true at all. Both Adam and Fujinami are two very serious rivals and there are still a lot of points at stake”.

Takahisa Fujinami: “It’s always good to be on the podium. I’ve been struggling to win when the conditions of the terrain were at their worst and it’s a pity that when the situation improved, I got a worse result. But the overall impression is positive”. The eight round will be held in Tolmezzo, Italy.

* Standing French Grand Prix
1. Adam Raga (Gas Gas) 52 (31+21)
2. Toni Bou (Montesa) 55 (34+21)
3. Takahisa Fujinami (Montesa) 60 (33+27)
4. Jeroni Fajardo (Beta) 89 (46+43)
5. Dougie Lampkin (Beta) 89 (48+41)

* World Championship
1. Toni Bou (Montesa) 131 points
2. Adam Raga (Gas Gas) 119 ”
3. Takahisa Fujinami (Montesa) 112 ”
4. Jeroni Fajardo (Beta) 79 ”
5. Dougie Lampkin (Beta) 77 “

INTERMOT Cologne 2008

Motorcycle fans can expect a spectacular events programme at this years INTERMOT Cologne 2008 as the action packed trade fair event will once again provide its visitors from 8th to 12th October 2008 with exhibitors’ presentations, impressive shows and many other highlights relating to the topics of motorcycles, scooters and motor sports. The whole of Koelnmesse’s outdoor space, all 75,000 m² will be used for this, as will special areas in the exhibition halls. Here visitors can test drive the new models on the various test tracks and experience action packed motorcycle racing and the breathtaking stunt shows of the professionals. Another popular attraction that is returning this year is the spectacular Freestyle Motocross Show, which will be making a guest appearance not only at the trade fair but also at the Kölnarena as part of the Freestyle Motocross World Championship “Night of the Jumps” on the Saturday of INTERMOT Cologne.

The INTERMOT Cologne 2008 event programme at a glance:

INTERMOT RACE

Action Event Area: Supermoto and demo races as well as scooter, Minibike and Pocketbike races. Pure racing enjoyment on the largest INTERMOT outdoor area, there will be thrilling races in the Supermoto, scooter, Minibike and Pocketbike categories. The stars of the supermoto scene will be in Cologne for the supermoto invitational race. In addition, cup riders from the hotly contested Yamaha Cup, long distance race riders from the World Championship and top riders from the IDM and other race series will show off their skills and their machines’ performance during the demo rounds. A further highlight is the motor scooter race “Six Hours around Cologne”.

INTERMOT SHOW

Show riders’ camp A real race has to include the teams’ service trucks, which are located prominently on the ramp above the Action Event Area. Visitors can take a peek behind the scenes, purchase the teams’ merchandising collection and chat about new products and trends.

Freestyle MX Breathtaking moves nearly 20 metres above the ground the best freestyle artists will be soaring above the exhibition grounds at INTERMOT Cologne. And that will be a good warm up, as an FMX World Championship round will be taking place on Saturday evening in the Kölnarena. The Upforce action troupe will be performing breathtaking Motocross jumps on Enduros, and while still in mid air they’ll be doing handstands on the handlebars, back flips and many other thrilling jumps.

Stunt shows/dragsters

At the INTERMOT outdoor area, the “who’s who” of the stunt riding scene will be on hand: riders including Christian Pfeifer, Oliver Ronzheimer, Rainer Schwarz and Kevin Carmichael will be giving the public a thrilling show and doing unbelievable stunts. At regular intervals the race track will serve as a drag racing strip. Pros like Herman Jolink and others will be impressing the audience with the mighty acceleration of their specially tuned machines.

“Globe of Speed” Show The world of motorcycle riding acrobats will come to Cologne at “Globe of Speed”. The performers ride up to six motorbikes simultaneously in a steel sphere with a diameter of just six metres. The dazzling action will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The “Action, Safety and More” track

Here is where you can find out all about motor bikes and safety: How much wear and tear can motorcycle clothing be subjected to? In which situations is an anti blocking system helpful? What should you do in dangerous driving situations? The Institute for Motor Vehicle Safety (IFZ) will be providing comprehensive information, while Oliver Ronzheimer will perform motorbike acrobatics of the highest level.

INTERMOT TEST RIDE E bike track

Visitors to INTERMOT Cologne will be able to try out selected models at the electric bicycle test track in the outdoor area. Scooters and bikes will be charged up with CO2 free power at Solon AG’s solar charging station. This will contribute to the current debate on the topics of environmentally friendliness and mobility.

Trial track

At the trial track, visitors who would like to show off their talents can balance their two wheels on top of obstacles.

Teen Test Ride

The trial track for teenagers is focused on the topic of motorbikes. Even without a driver’s license, young motorbike fans can have their first experience on a machine.

“Refresher” track

On the “refresher” track those who haven’t been on a motorcycle tour in a long time can use this chance to open up the throttle and get reacquainted. Additionally, there will be advice from the specialists from TÜV Rheinland for those who haven’t driven a motorcycle for a while and wish to resume.

Hard Enduro Track

Off road fans and all those who are interested can test the cross country mobility of current off road bikes that are also registered for road use and really make the dirt fly.

Test track

Almost 200 of the best motorcycles from every brand and in every displacement category can be used for test rides. And anyone provided they have a valid motorcycle licence can test the machines available on this track. Experienced instructors will be on hand to explain the bikes and help participants to get the feel of the machines.

ADAC Biker Cup

Don’t underestimate this obstacle course. Here it isn’t the fastest rider who wins, but rather the one who brings his machine through the demanding course without any errors. After five exciting days at INTERMOT the best bikers can win attractive prizes the top prize being a brand new motorbike.

Motorbike World for children

Little bikers hit the big time! The little ones get their first chance to take a spin on special bikes while being supervised and guided by experienced instructors.

Riding without a licence

Even without a license, visitors can experience their first ride on a motorised two wheeler under expert supervision.

Quad track

Riding high on four wheels the off road track for quads with lots of fun and action.

Travel Enduro Track

You’ve come to the right place if you’ve always wanted to test drive big, long distance Enduros. Here, experts can give you a taste of the Paris Dakar rally and other adventurous motorcycle journeys.

INTERMOT EXHIBITIONS & SPECIAL SHOWS

Special “Innovation” show

In Hall 4.1, the “Innovation Centre” will present innovative future oriented products and services relating to the topics of motorcycles and scooters in a specially designated hall area. The “Innovation Centre” exhibits will include prototypes as well as two wheel vehicles with alternative drive technology that are already available on the market, as well as innovative products from the parts / accessories and clothing segments. The INTERMOT Innovation Centre is an excellent platform for companies to present their alternative drive technologies and other innovative products and services for the two wheeler sector, particularly against the backdrop of the ongoing debate about climate change and people’s growing environmental awareness. The “Innovation Centre” is located within walking distance of the e bikes test track with the solar charging station.

Special “Touring” show in the Tourism Centre

The event in Hall 4..1 will offer the spectacular ambience of a large touring show sponsored by the magazine “Tourenfahrer”, featuring touring bikes from the major brands. As such, it will be the perfect venue for tour organizers, tourist region representatives, hotels, restaurants, tourist offices and other suppliers from the tourism sector to showcase their products and services.

“Cologne Custom Championship” special show

The special show “Customising”, which was already popular in 2006, will make another appearance this year in the more prominent and larger area of Hall 5.1. The Cologne Custom Championships will take place here for the first time. The best bikes in the categories Chopper/Cruiser, Fighter, Sports Bike and Scooter will be presented in an area measuring nearly 1,000 m2. The INTERMOT visitors will vote in the categories “Best of Category”. The winners will receive generous cash prizes. An independent jury of experts will choose the winner of “Best of Show”, who as a result will directly be qualified to participate In the Customizing World Championships in Sturgis/USA and will win the trip to the USA.

Workshop Centre

A fully functional model workshop will be set up on an event area measuring around160 m2 in Hall 5.1. This workshop will be operated by the Schweinfurt Vehicle Academy and feature the following four workstations: engine technology, diagnostics, bodywork and frame/chassis diagnosis. The exhibitors in the immediate proximity of the Workshop Centre are suppliers offering products in the tools, workshop equipment and shop fittings segments, as well as vocational training academies and trade associations. Everything from exhaust ventilators and air pumps to vehicle lifts, frame alignment equipment, workshop cranes, a motorcycle wash bay, tyre mounting and balancing equipment, welding equipment, tools, workshop software, and much more can be found here. The Workshop Centre is perfect for all professionals, from master mechanics to their trainees, as well as amateur mechanics.

Youth event “vivalamopped.com”

Vivalamopped.com is the video blog portal made for and by motorcycle fanatics. “On the blog” are Sistanova, the Donots, Max Buskohl & Empty Trash, Marta, Ralph and Jürgen from Die Happy, Dero from Oomph, Cajus, Roger and Sepalot from Blumentopf, Suzuki’s teeny star Ken Roczen and Vanessa Petruo. Chief blogger Markus “Commander” Schultze will be expecting them for interviews, unplugged gigs and video shootings.

Special show on classic vehicles/motorbike history

Cult bikes from a bygone era are always sure to spark a nostalgic gleam in enthusiasts’ eyes. Journalists from MOTORRAD CLASSIC magazine will be on hand to present milestones of biking history and to talk with visitors. In addition, the motorbiking club MSC Freier Grund will show a selection of historic motocross bikes.

World of Fashion

A select group of companies from the motorcycle clothing segment will be presenting their innovative products on the Boulevard of the exhibition centre. A unified presentation will provide bikers with concise information about the clothing so that they can later visit those manufacturers that interest them at the fair.

Special “Sports” show

A sports theme island will give motor sports fans a chance to meet professional bikers and their tuned vehicles. “PS” will bring all of the current four stroke racing motorbikes to the starting line and thrill visitors several times a day with long distance pit stops at which tires will be changed and tanks filled in less than 20 seconds.

Further information is available at the Website: www.intermot-cologne.com

2008, 750cc Kawasaki TERYX, 4×4.
By Steve Green
www.motoringmarketplace.co.nz

Recently I took part in a Charity Trail Ride around the Waitarere farm land to raise money for the upkeep of the Poroutawhao School Hall.

My transport for the day was the personal ride of local Levin motorcycle shop owner Roger Hinton, a brand new Kawasaki Teryx, 4×4 which is a melding of the Agricultural Kawasaki Mule concept with the power and suspension of a Sports Quad. The Teryx is a multi purpose vehicle with two bucket seats, a small Ute deck, a roll cage, a 750cc V Twin engine, automatic transmission and riding on quad tyres.

In the past Kawasaki have introduced the World to some amazing motorcycles and farm vehicles from the 100 mph plus, Z1 street bikes and equally potent 750cc V twin powered Quad bikes through to the original Kawasaki Mule.

Now Kawasaki have produced yet another revolutionary machine, the 750cc Kawasaki TERYX, 4×4 which is a melding of the Agricultural Mule concept with the power and suspension of a Sports Quad.

Physically the TERYX looks like a Mule with a few suspension changes, however it is a totally new vehicle combining the Kawasaki’s Mule’s efficient CVT automatic transmission and integrated occupant protection with a potent 750cc, V Twin.

Where the Mule is an Agricultural work horse the Teryx 750 is primarily a recreation and Sports vehicle, yet still retaining enough of its Mule heritage to offer handy features for tackling everyday tasks.

Powering the Teryx is an engine which is effectively the same 749cc, 90 degree, V twin engine, as used in the Brute Force Quad. To centralising the weight, this engine is mounted in the middle of the chassis which is made of large diameter, thin walled tubes, and includes a roll cage over the top of the driver and passenger.

The Teryx has long A arm’s to give it the maximum suspension travel while minimizing wheel camber change and has adjustable Kayaba gas charged shocks.

When needed, the driver can put the Teryx into four wheel drive by throwing a simple switch on the dash and also has the option of a variable front diff lock. Interestingly the rear diff is permanently locked together like a Sports Quad allowing the Teryx to sometimes drift the rear wheels and power slide around turns.

The tyres are new 26 inch Maxxis tires which were developed specifically for the Teryx 750, and these tall tires are designed to offer good rough terrain handling and allow it to roll over bumps that would swallow smaller Quad tyres.

Brakes are excellent with a combination of twin 200mm disc brakes up front and a sealed wet brake in the rear. The front brakes are tucked into the wheels for protection from dirt and rocks, and their 27mm twin piston calipers are rigidly mounted for optimum feel and control. The advantage of the sealed rear brake is that it is able to keep working even underwater

With two bucket seats and retractable three point seat belts to keep the driver and passenger strapped in safely, the Teryx has plenty of shoulder and leg room to provide a comfortable ride. It also has foot guards designed into the steel floor boards and body along with a padded steering wheel that is positioned low for better control.

It is equipped with a 500 pound capacity cargo bed that is useful for home & garden, yet versatile enough for serious work complete with tie down hooks in the four corners, and it even comes with a small cargo net to keep everything in place. The Teryx also has a tow bar with a 1200 pound towing capacity.

The Teryx comes fitted with the dual 40W headlights and dual rear taillights as well as an eight gallon fuel tank allowing it to cover a lot of ground on one tank of fuel.

The Teryx is built with scratch resistant Thermo Plastic Olefin bodywork and steel skid plates underneath to shield the engine and transmission from rocks and stray tree stumps. Needless to say I tested this scratch resistant material in the first tree plantation and managed to put a few scrapes along the roll cage….oops sorry Roger !.

The engine has straight intake tracts and 34mm downdraft carburettors to enhance power delivery throughout the rpm range. The radiator is compact and placed high in the chassis for better protection against mud and debris with ducts located by the cargo bed to direct cooling air to the engine.

The aluminium cylinders are Electrofusion plated for light weight, long wear and excellent heat dispersion. The engine can be started in any gear when the rear brake is applied.

Where the original Kawasaki Mule was a mild mannered Agricultural vehicle perfect for use on a small hobby farm, pine plantation or in a market garden the Teryx on the other hand is a machine that is still at home on the farm however it can travel at a very respectable speed on rough ground. With four wheel drive, diff locks and high low ratio options it made for a brilliant machine to ride on the Trail ride and despite scraping a bit of paint off through the pine trees everything went well, even with a passenger. The Teryx has excellent tyres and brakes which enabled us to stop on the side of a steep sand slope inside the pine tree plantation, which came in handy for taking interesting photos.

Specifications

Engine: Liquid cooled, 90 degree, four stroke V twin.

Warranty: 6 months base warranty.

Valve System: SOHC, four valves per cylinder.

Displacement: 749cc.

Bore x Stroke: 85mm x 66mm.

Compression Ratio: 8.8:1.

Carburetion: Dual Keihin CVKR-D34.

Ignition: Digital DC-CDI.

Transmission: Continuously variable belt drive transmission with high and low range, plus reverse, and Kawasaki Engine Brake Control

Final Drive: Selectable four wheel drive with Variable Front Differential Control, shaft.

Frame Type: Large diameter, thin walled, high tensile tubular steel.

Front Suspension: Adjustable dual A arm with gas charged shocks.

Front Wheel Travel: 7.5 inch.

Rear Suspension: Adjustable Independent Rear Suspension with gas charged, reservoir shocks.

Rear Wheel Travel: 7.5 inch.

Front Tires: Maxxis 26×8-12.

Rear Tires: Maxxis 26×10-12.

Front Brakes: Dual hydraulic discs with 2 piston calipers.

Rear Brake: Sealed, oil bathed, multi disc.

Overall Length: 115.4 inch.

Overall Width: 58.7 inch.

Overall Height: 75.0 inch.

Wheelbase: 76.0 inch.

Ground Clearance: 11.3 inch.

Lighting: Two 40W headlights, Two TK W taillight, TKW stoplight.

Cargo Bed Capacity: 500 lbs.

Towing Capacity: 1300 lbs.

Dry Weight: 1276.1 lbs.

Fuel Capacity: 7.9 gallon.

Instruments: R/N/P/4WD indicators, water temp and oil pressure lamps.

Standard Colours: Sunbeam Red, Woodsman Green, Real Tree, Hardwoods Green.

Engine, Warranty: Liquid cooled, 90 degree, four stroke V twin, 6 months base warranty.

The Horowhenua Branch of the Vintage Car Club of NZ is hosting the 21st National Vintage Motorcycle Rally in Levin on Friday March 6th, Saturday March 7th and Sunday March 8th, 2009. The Rally includes Supporter’s Tours, Vintage Motorcycle Competitions, Rally Tours, Grand Dinner & Prize Giving and a Motorcycle Show in the Horowhenua Events Centre, Levin on Saturday, March 7th.
The main Rally is for Vintage Motorcycles and is open to all financial members of the Vintage Car Club of New Zealand incorporated or overseas residents who are members of any similar club as recognised by the VCC of NZ. The Motorcycle Show is open to everyone and opening times will be confirmed closer to the event.
After the main Rally there is a 1000 mile Hub tour which will run from Levin travelling on good Horowhenua and Manawatu roads. There will be alternate, shorter, daily options for those not wishing to travel the larger distances.

For more information and entry forms write to:
The National Motorcycle Rally Secretary
PO Box 458
Levin 5540

21st NATIONAL VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE RALLY 2009

The Horowhenua Branch of the Vintage Car Club of NZ is hosting the 21st National Vintage Motorcycle Rally in Levin on Friday March 6th, Saturday March 7th and Sunday March 8th, 2009. The Rally includes Supporter’s Tours, Vintage Motorcycle Competitions, Rally Tours, Grand Dinner & Prize Giving and a Motorcycle Show in the Horowhenua Events Centre, Levin on Saturday, March 7th.
The main Rally is for Vintage Motorcycles and is open to all financial members of the Vintage Car Club of New Zealand incorporated or overseas residents who are members of any similar club as recognised by the VCC of NZ.
The Motorcycle Show is open to everyone and opening times will be confirmed closer to the event.
There is also an After Rally Tour which will commence on Monday the 9th and running through to Saturday the 14th. This will be run as a hub tour, in which there are two rides, of differing lengths, each day.
Should entrants wish to ride the longer ride every day, they will have travelled over 1000 miles and had the opportunity to take in many of the attractions the Horowhenua area has to offer.

For more information and entry forms write to:
The National Motorcycle Rally Secretary
PO Box 458
Levin 5540

Contact: Graeme McKenzie in Levin on Phone 06-368-4888 AH.
Email: graeme.mckenzie@spotless.co.nz

“Rough Proof”
Gas Gas EC250 Endurocross
By Steve Green
www.motoringmarketplace.co.nz

Normally when you get a Demo bike to ride, it is all shiny, pretty and new, well not this time, although less than a year old this Demo bike has done lots of Demo rides and competed in one round of the International Six Day Enduro which was held here in New Zealand, at Taupo, last year. The bike even has a few of the official paint spots and scrutineering numbers from the ISDE on wheels etc showing clearly it’s past usage.
As such this Demo bike is rough proof of the capabilities of this model, because after all that hard riding it still starts first kick and runs cleanly. The plastic’s show clearly that it has bounced off a few things along the way but nothing important was bent and the bike still runs strong and straight, and even the main exhaust header pipe is still in one piece with no dents.
Set up for Enduro riding this bike has no ignition key so you just pull on the small choke lever on the 38mm carburettor and give it a kick with the short aluminium kick starter and it fires up readily. Once hot, the engine would start with about half a kick, which is good as if you kick too hard you connect with the foot peg. Although the bike does not have an ignition key it does have a tubular security key for the steering lock on the left of the steering column.
Next, you pull in the hydraulic clutch which is so light that you barely need one finger to control it, the six speed gearbox then goes into first gear easily and even when hot it would change gears or select neutral easily. At this point you flick up the side stand which was excellent in all but one detail, it folds up well out of the way along the left of the bike however when you flicked it out and put it on the ground you needed to be careful that you had something solid to put it on as the little foot at the bottom was only the size of my thumb. This might work on the rocks of it’s native Spain but on the sands of Waitarere Beach it tended to sink into the surface far enough to tip the bike over.
Once under way you notice a slight buzzing through the firm seat although nothing through the handlebars and there is the traditional two stroke cackle from the exhaust which was mild and mellow at low to mid range speeds. However if you had the throttle wound wide open you would be too busy hanging on to worry if the exhaust note was a little bit antisocial at full revs. The bike has an interesting and extremely useful power curve. In the old days two strokes had a distinctive power band, winding the throttle on the engine went mild, mild, mild, WILD. This Gas Gas EC250 has a power band that comes on much more smoothly, on one hand you can ride it slowly in among the trees throttling on and off, in and out of the trees, then when you hit an open stretch wind the throttle wide open and it would shoot you forward like a slingshot. The transition from mild to wild was such that you could ride it in the transition range which gave plenty of good usable low end torque yet instant acceleration was only a twist of the throttle away. I found that this instant response was good for throttle steering and if I ever got it wrong the excellent disc brakes would haul the bike down quickly and controllably. The knobblie Metzeler tyres fitted seem to just as happy on the sand as they were across the grass of the local farmland, although they did get a little squirrelly if you went too slow in the soft sand, but most tyres do.
Suspension was firm but excellent as this bike was fitted with aftermarket Ohlin’s suspension front and rear for the International Six Day Enduro. That is not to say that the standard Gas Gas suspension is not excellent in it’s own right, it is just that the Ohlin’s suspension is pretty much the absolute state of the art and is worth almost as much as the original bike was. The bike uses a single rear shock with linkages and large diameter upside down forks on the front. The good news here is that this Demo bike is going to be for sale at some later stage and with the Ohlin suspension on it will be a real bargain.
Fuel for the bike is premix and the plastic tank holds 9 litres which equates to a good distance even for a 250cc two stroke which are traditionally a little thirsty in the fuel department.
Towards the front of the fuel tank are a pair of aluminium radiators complete with an easy access radiator cap on the top of the left hand one, and a small water pump down on the right hand side of the engine circulates the water.
Located in the centre of the handlebars is what Gas Gas describe as a Multifunction Apparatus, it is a sort of total engine and bike information liquid crystal screen display. Effectively a display screen about the size of cell phone displays information about RPM, speed, journey, kilometres travelled, time, average speed, maximum speed, length of time with motor running and total time as well as fuel level. Down the two sides are lights for indicators, head light, oil and neutral all contained in an area not much bigger than the back of your hand. For the Enduro rider there is even an internal, information save feature so you can also check some of this information after the event which likewise would be useful for any mechanic working on the bike.
When riding you do not normally look down at the display as the exhaust note and throttle response will tell you all you need to know about what the engine is doing. The bike also comes with a fairly comprehensive hand book with all the instructions on how to change the settings in the Multifunction Apparatus, a wiring diagram and periodic maintenance information.
One thing I did notice was that the bike is quite high off the ground and occasionally I found myself reaching my leg out for ground that was just that little bit further away than I was used to. As a general rule, you would ride this bike either standing up or seated and it is so nimble that even at slow speeds you do not often feel the need to put a foot down. The weight is such that the bike is easy to flick from side to side through the tight area’s and if there is a bank or log across the track the bike has plenty of power to lift the front wheel over most obstacles. Big wide foot pegs give plenty of grip for your feet and when standing they give a good platform to spread your weight so you don’t get sore feet.
All in all this is a very capable and affordable machine for the rider who wants to compete in National or International Enduro’s, or simply ride on one of the local Horowhenua Motorcycle Club’s Charity Trail rides. Plus you can ride it to work on Monday since it can also be registered for the street as it comes with all the necessary equipment to pass a Wof.
This Gas Gas EC250, Demo bike was kindly provided by Robert Budd from Horowhenua Motorcycles at 28 Cambridge Street, Levin, phone 06-367-0004, Email: whenuamc@yahoo.com.au Currently Robert can sell you a brand new, 2007 model, Gas Gas EC250 for $10,490, or the smaller EC200 for $9,990 or the bigger EC300 version for $10,990.

The first Oceania Challenge between Australian and New Zealand trials riders took place at the New Zealand Trials Championship organised by the Manawatu Orion Motorcycle Club in 2003, which New Zealand won. The Aussies done themselves no favours that year as they turned up on the first day of the three day event late, and couldn’t complete the first day. However the history of Australia versus New Zealand goes way back to 1975 when the Trans Tasman Trophy Challenge was inaugurated. The idea was for the two countries to meet every year (Australia one year, NZ the next) and two teams of three or four riders would compete for the trophy. Australia ran that first trial in 1975 and won. The fact that it is now under the name of “Oceania Challenge” is irrevelant as the same trophy is still competed for and after all those years there is now some history involved.

Unfortunately the trophy wasn’t competed for on 16 of the past 33 years since 1975. However it’s now dead evens at nine wins apiece for each country on the 18 times it has ben competed for and let’s hope there aren’t any gaps in future years.

One thing that was changed starting last year was instead of the teams consisting of top Expert riders only, the teams now consist of one Expert, one Master (over 35) and one Junior (under 21). Master and Junior riding B Grade (Intermediate) sections. A concept that seems to have been well received.

As a young whippersnapper who had only been riding trials for less than two years in 1975, upon hearing about this new Trans Tasman thing I remember thinking I’d like to make that team one day. Well I did in 1983 when we lost to Australia at the Aussie Champs in Victoria. I was a member the winning NZ team in NZ in 1984, again in 2007 (as the Master rider) and was lucky enough to be chosen for the NZ team to travel to Qld this year. In fact looking back I’ve ridden in 12 of the 18 Trans Tasman/Oceania trials over the years but only four as an official team member.

So getting back to this year’s Oceania, there were three of us Kiwis who arrived in Brisbane on Wednesday March 19th. Wayne Thompson of Taranaki (Expert/Open Solo), Nick Oliver of Nelson (Junior) and myself Kevin Pinfold of Manawatu (Master). Luke March (Hawkes Bay) was the original Expert choice but a major dirt bike accident and consequent injuries ruled him out. We were met at the airport by Motorcycle Trials Club of Queensland representative Chris Williams who promptly whisked us off to his home town of Toowoomba some 150km away where he’d booked us into a motel. Chris had also gathered up our borrowed bikes. Chris confessed the next morning to being a Kiwi, he moved from Wellington to Australia 25 years ago. You are forgiven.

Thursday and part of Friday was spent at Chris’ 130 acre “Trials” farm out in the bush setting up our bikes, practising and generally dodging all sorts of creepy wildlife that wants to bite you. Spiders the size of dinner plates and ants the size of B trains. I think the boys saw a lizard about a foot long (didn’t see any of the big 1.5 metre buggers they call bush crocs though) and I missed the brown snake that Nick almost trod on. I did hear the scream when Nick rode into one of those large spider webs you see stretched between two trees – ripped him clean off his bike apparently and the spider had him pinned to the ground before Wayne beat it off with a stick. And never put your helmet down on the ground over there as it’s likely to be invaded by all sorts of crawling things. Never a dull moment for a Kiwi in the Australian bush.

Our practice sessions went ok, in fact the creek down in the gully at Chris’ place where we rode was similar to some I’ve ridden here in NZ. It was pretty slippery too. We all were struck with rear tyre punctures and all identical sidewall cuts in our tubeless tyres. Luckily I’d taken a bunch of “dog turds” over in case of punctures, just didn’t expect to use them all up in one afternoon, up to three in one cut. I sussed out the culprit, one sharp rock in a narrow exit of the creek where we were blasting up a steep bank. Kicked the rock out and no more flats. I was riding a borrowed 2006 Gas Gas 280cc in show room condition. Almost identical to my 2004 250cc but being newer and not having had a lot of use it felt real nice to ride, sharper suspension and nice smooth power right off the bottom and bags of it too, although I didn’t need the extra power.

Friday afternoon and Chris and his son Cameron transported us and our bikes in the Fairmont V8 and enclosed trailer to Beaudesert about an hours drive south of Brisbane where we were booked into another motel. And the pool was nice and refreshing too.

It was strange travelling in Australia and seeing lush green grass everywhere instead of brown grass like here in the Manawatu drought when we left. That area of Queensland has had a summer of much rain. Even the temperatures were similar to NZ when we left, mid to high 20s. A bit more humid and warmer at night but nothing to worry about.

The Trial at Undullah near Beaudesert had an interesting mix of sections with four laps of ten each day. Saturday’s sections were modified for Sunday although parts of some remained the same. There was a mixture of rock steps, loose moving rocks, steep climbs, soft sand and even a bit of water in the creek to wet your tyres or backside if you were unlucky enough to sit in it. (I didn’t, in fact I didn’t part company with the bike the whole time there). The dry sandstone type rocks were interesting in that they varied from grippy to very slippery, usually depending on how much dust was on them. Certainly not the ultra grippy type rocks I’ve encountered in NSW or Victoria in the past. More like some of the rocks we get in some areas of NZ.

I enjoyed the challenge of the B Grade (following yellow arrows) sections that Nick and I rode and the majority were probably closer in difficulty to the NZ A grade sections that I’m used to riding here than our Intermediate (B grade). There wasn’t a section there that I knew I couldn’t clean, but unfortunately there were a few I didn’t have clean rides on. I was very nervous (packing myself actually) when I reached the second section on Saturday to find a big rock cliff we had to jump off. A bit bigger than anything I’ve jumped off before. I watched a few, including Nick, ride ahead of me and they all managed it ok, but they all over jumped and had hard landings which didn’t inspire confidence. With two dodgy shoulders I was as worried as hell I’d hurt them and ruin my weekend or worse still break the bike that wasn’t mine. However I got to the brink and after being stopped at the top for what seemed like 5 minutes balancing, trying to overcome my fear, I took the leap and executed a perfect landing and the shoulders didn’t mind a bit, a great relief. However after the first lap the clerk of course eased the section to let us down a lesser step and the jump became a no fear doddle. I’ve often questioned the need for large drop offs in sections that need to be jumped off. However Sunday’s version of this section for our grade with a nice step up was far better, although the Experts still had one huge drop to leap off.

The only other section that worried me a bit was a large log section. This entailed launching the bike from a shortish sand run up with no kicker, across the creek and “splatting” rear wheel first onto a big old log. Probably a distance of close on two metres. I’ve never been good at this type of section, getting distance as well as height. I know the technique required but often get it wrong. However first time up I got it perfect, very pleasing. We rode this same log both days and I must confess to not getting it perfect everytime, I did have two fives when I took it a bit lazy a couple of times and slid back off the log into the creek.

I enjoyed the two following hill climb sections, especially the first day before they were eased for the second day. And I enjoyed section 13, one with a steep descent, tight turn at the bottom and a steep climb with no run up. A real challenge that ended in ones and cleans for me on half my attempts but also so close to a five on the other half, but saved by some demon groin stretching leg work.

So after two days riding, Nick was our best rider taking two wins over his Junior opponent Jack Kavenagh whilst Wayne and myself were beaten by our respective Australian opponents, Boyd Wilcox (Expert) and Garan Hale (Master). Wayne was a little disappointed with some of his rides but also had some very good rides over the two days and especially on the last two laps of the second day when he posted laps of 8 and 10 after losing 27 and 28 on the first two laps. He certainly put in a maximum effort for the team on some demanding sections. Over two days Boyd lost 84 points and Wayne 137.

Like Wayne, I had my best rides of the two days on the last two laps dropping 8 on each after a disastrous second lap of 19. In fact both days I was disappointed to have one bad lap of 19, which was enough to prevent me having any chance of finishing ahead of Garan who rode more consistently both days. Garan dropped 87 points over two days and I dropped 97. If I had any excuse for not doing better it’s probably not doing enough riding in the previous few months. I was in a tricky situation with my crook shoulders, too much riding and the chance of them getting worse or ease off the riding too try and let them heal so I could go and compete with out them hindering me. The result was the shoulders handled it ok but I was slightly under done on practice.

Nick rode the same B Grade lines as me and had no problems, riding very confidently both days. (He’s one of our up and coming young guns). I think his only five was on day two when he missed a fairly well hidden yellow arrow. Nick’s total over two days was 37 with Jack losing 97.
So suffice to say our luggage was one shield light on our return to NZ, and congratulations to Australia for evening the score to nine wins each. Easter next year, somewhere in New Zealand, game on.

The NZ team of Wayne, Nick and myself would like to thank all those MCTQ members (and non members) who helped us on a memorable trip to Queensland over Easter and for running an excellent two day trial. Especially Chris and Cameron, who ran around after us the whole time. Also thanks to Don Murray (Australian Sherco importer) for lending Wayne’s Sherco, Paul Arnott (Australian Scorpa importer) for lending Nick’s Scorpa and Paul Moore (just a Veteren rider) for lending me a mint 280 Gas Gas. And also thanks to all the observers, control tent team and riders who were a friendly bunch. Much appreciated guys and gals, and I can only say Trans Tasman Trials are much stronger due to your efforts. Also thanks to MNZ for supplying our trendy team riding shirts and a huge thanks to the Manawatu Orion Motorcycle Club for contributing towards my expenses. Much appreciated.

My goal for the next year, try and make the NZ team again and help get the trophy back off Australia.

Kevin Pinfold
NZ Oceania Trials Team 2008

Photo’s by Steve Green
www.motorcyclemarketplace.co.nz

So what is Wheel Standing ???.
Basically it is lifting the front wheels of the car off the track, usually through pure horsepower. As far as specialist Wheel Stand vehicles, the idea started in America when the Chrysler Corporation had trouble at the Drag Strip with their newly released Dodge Pick-up truck because it would not keep the front wheels on the ground. Instead of worrying about this handling flaw, they decided to develop the truck’s crowd pleasing, handling characteristics into a, soon to be, popular exhibition vehicle.

After suffering ongoing damage to the vehicles front ends in early testing, Chrysler re-engineering the front suspension, adjusted the balance and other aspects, as well as fitting independent steering brakes to the rear wheels. From this humble beginning, the Little Red Pick-up Truck became the Worlds first purpose built wheel stander.
Such was the popularity of the truck, that soon many imitations were built. Over 250 purpose built wheel standers have been built since the 1960′s, however only about 15 have survived intact, for some reason, most have crashed.

Wheel standers require an un-natural driving style that is quite opposite to normal driving instincts. “Guardrail nibbling” and “barrel rolling” are the favourite, if unintentional, antics of undomesticated wheel standers. When something goes wrong at over 160 kph with the front wheels four metres up in the air, there is no easy way to get those front wheels back down !.

An interesting feature of the Hell Raiser wheel stander has been it’s conversion to burning Ethanol fuel with outstanding results. The team found that converting the engine in the wheel stander to Ethanol fuel was much easier than expected. As it turned out, a fuel baseline was simply derived mathematically and then it was a matter of spending one day at the track to fine tune the engine for the full range of operating parameters. Compared to a tune up for petrol, the compression ratio and ignition timing was increased to take advantage of the much higher octane rating of Ethanol. Both ethanol and methanol are very close in this respect which leads to more power and cooler engine temperatures.

The team previously burned methanol in this engine, however switching to ethanol fuel has reaped several benefits. For a start, the crew members are no longer exposed to the harmful effects of contact with methanol, a known carcinogenic that can poison through skin contact or simply breathing the fumes. Ethanol is much safer for humans and the environment than both petrol and methanol.

Interestingly, fuel economy is significantly improved, as last year, Hell Raiser could manage a little more than one lap of the Indianapolis circuit. With Ethanol in the tank, fuel consumption was reduced by 45% and it could do two laps instead, which greatly pleases the promoters and the spectators. Ethanol fuel is also far less aggressive on rubber and aluminium components than methanol, although it does still require changing some seals and o-rings in the fuel system to a Viton material, to become maintenance free.

The team have firmly embraced the concept of renewable, environmentally cleaner fuels by switching their entire operation to Ethanol and Bio-diesel. When possible, even the transporter and tender vehicles use fuel derived from crops grown in Australia.
In keeping with the original American spirit of wild and unruly exhibition vehicles, the Team located and resurrected the metallic bones of one of the worlds most accomplished Wheel standers. Now renamed “Hell Raiser”, this car was originally built in America over twenty years ago. During its brilliant career, the car set many World records and performed exhibition shows in Australia, Europe, Japan and America.

After spending twelve long years of neglect and decay in ignominious retirement, the car was tracked down and completely rebuilt and modernised. Hell Raiser has now returned to the track as a World class exhibition vehicle. As it showed earlier this year in New Zealand, at the Masterton Aerodrome, it can wheel stand at over 100 mph (160 kph) with the front wheels 12 feet or 4 metres off the ground.

SPECIFICATIONS
Engine: 426 ci Chrysler Hemi V8.
Cams: Roller camshafts with gear drives.
Rockers: Shaft roller rockers.
Crankshaft: Forged 4130 crankshaft.
Conrods: Forged aluminium conrods.
Pistons: Forged pistons, 11:1 compression ratio.
Ignition: Magneto Ignition, 36 deg BTDC.
Horse Power: Approximately 1400 hp
Supercharger: 6:71 Supercharger, 15% overdrive.
Fuel Delivery: Bird Catcher fuel injector system.
Fuel Pump: On the front of the motor, feeding pressurised fuel to injector nozzles.
Fuel Tanks: Two Fuel tanks, 100 litre Ethanol Fuel.
Transmission: 727 Torqueflite Automatic, heavily modified, driving through a custom V-drive.
Differential: Modified 10″ Chev truck diff, mounted rearwards in the chassis.
Rear Tyres: 33 x 14 x 15 with optional dirt, grass, damp track treaded tyres depending on where the car is putting on a show.
Front Tyres: 24 x 3.5 x 15.
Body: 1984, Dodge Daytona.
Chassis: Chrome Moly tubing, 125″ wheel base.
Weight: 2200 lbs (1000 kg).
Skid Blocks: Twin Titanium skid blocks mounted on the wheelie bars, producing huge showers of sparks without damaging the track surface.
The car also has optional skis for use on dirt or grass.
Custom Exhaust Header Flame Show, by MoMan, with thanks to Garthe McIntyre.
Brakes: On the rear wheels only.
Suspension: Custom coil over shocks on front, solid rear.
Wheelie Bar: Has six custom gas struts to control the wheelie bar’s rate of rise.
Steering: When the car has it’s front wheels up, independent rear brakes are used to control steering. These brakes are operated by a steering lever next to the normal steering wheel.
Time to rebuild and restore: Over two years in the Metal Mickey Motorsport workshop on Queensland’s Gold Coast, Australia.
Cost: To rebuild and restore, over $100,000.

The Metal Mickey Motorsport team are:
Creator, owner and driver: Graham “Zooman” Slapp and his wife Oanh.
Driver: Greg “Grump” Leahy.
Crew Chief: Steve “Devo” Mirams, Diploma of Motorsport and Certificate of Motorsport Engineering.
Crew: Rosco McGlashan and Ian Henry.

Photo’s by Steve Green
www.motorcyclemarketplace.co.nz

Built by the Metal Mickey Motorsport workshop on Queensland’s Gold Coast, Australia, the Voodoo Chilli Jet Drag Racer was designed for performance and superior crowd entertainment.
The car is powered by a military J-34 jet engine first developed by Westinghouse and used in experimental jet fighters. The modified afterburner almost doubles the engine power to about 6000 pounds of thrust. That means if the cars nose was aimed straight up, it would be able to lift 6000 lbs, 2700 kilograms or 2.7 tonnes by thrust alone.

The engine has an eleven stage axial compressor and two stage turbine. The compressor is like a supercharger and can suck in 12500 cubic feet of air every second, which is about the size of a large house. The air is then compressed to about 50 psi before entering the flame can where it is ignited with jet fuel. At idle speed the engine rotates at about 5000 rpm. At full power it is spinning at about 13000 rpm. The hot exhaust gas is ejected through the turbine which in turn spins the compressor at the front of the engine to compress more air. Both are mounted on a common central shaft. The hot exhaust gas feeds into the tail pipe where even more fuel is added and ignited to give the afterburner effect and even more thrust. The temperature in the tail pipe reaches 1000 degrees C.

On full afterburner, and with enough room to accelerate, the Voodoo Chilli Jet Car has the potential to reach speeds of 500 mph or 800 kph. At this speed the engine makes about 10,000 horsepower and demands almost 250 litres of fuel per kilometre !. Not the most economical of vehicles but you certainly can’t fault it for top end speed !.
The jet car is going to be adjusted to burn Bio-diesel when the licensing program (ANDRA) for all team drivers has been completed. Converting the J-34 jet engine to burn Bio-diesel is a relatively straight forward process, as they have a Fuel Control Unit that automatically accounts for fuels with different energy values, and the combustion process (Brayton cycle) of a jet engine is far more flexible than for a reciprocating internal combustion engine.

In action at the Masterton Motorplex Drag Race meeting at Hood Aerodrome the Voodoo Chilli Jet Car put on an impressive display of flame and smoke on the start line as well as a quick looking run down the Drag Strip. Off the line it seemed a trifle slow initially however once the J-34 Jet engine started to spin up to full speed, the car took off like…..Er well, literally like a Jet !!.