Articles by Hamish Cooper

It proved that a small V-twin motor was as sporting a proposition on the road as a high-revving in-line four-cylinder, at least in the hands of the average rider.Ten years on, the Suzi updates make it an even better ride.It's all about useable power, of which a V-twin running a well-sorted fuel-injection system has heaps.Available in half-faired and naked versions, the SV650 is the latest model in the Suzuki range to get Antilock Brake System (ABS).Both are powered with a 645cc, DOHC, 90-degree V-twin engine that has been developed over a decade.Now they have Suzuki's dual throttle valve (SDTV) digital fuel-injection system, with 39mm throttle bodies and a 8.5-litre airbox. It is a crucial part of the SV650's crisp, clean throttle delivery, which gets the best out of this engine's broad powerband.It responds vividly if you rev it hard or you can lug it around at low revs.Despite being designed to appeal to riders of all skills, the SV650 doesn't feel like a compromise.There's plenty of power for the experienced rider, with the ride hampered by the basic suspension. It kicks over bumps at speed but doesn't feel like it will turn into the dreaded steering head shake.The 41mm conventional front forks and progressive-link rear suspension have adjustable spring preload but at $10,000 that's to be expected.Twin 290mm floating-disc front brakes and a 220mm rear disc are quite adequate. The ABS is subtle and only the rear can be activated easily.Despite having clip-on handlebars, the half-faired SV650S model has a good riding position for long stints in the saddle. It is a short reach to the lowish handlebars and the 800mm seat height will suit a range of riders.A close look at the SV650 reveals an aluminium-alloy-truss frame, quality bodywork and full instrumentation.This is a practical motorcycle with a sturdy passenger grab bar, luggage tie-down hooks and 17-litre fuel tank.The naked SV650 sells for $9990, with the S model at $10,490. 

At $22,990 plus ORC, it's not only one of the most expensive naked bikes but also one of the most exclusive. You won't see one on every street corner and pedestrians and other road users will crane their necks to catch a glimpse. Very seldom does a prototype get into production, but that's the case with the Italian-built Griso. It is named after a mythical evil baron, who lived near Moto Guzzi's factory at Lake Como. Most people would think griso means monster in Italian and it's true that the original Ducati Monster naked bike paved the way for the Griso. This V-twin-powered creation is a strange but compelling mixture of old and new. It has the latest radial-mounted brakes and lightweight wheels and an engine that started out powering a small army troop carrier in the 1940s. The Griso's styling includes a petrol tank cover that looks like it melted over the engine. Since the 1970s, Moto Guzzi V-twins have been a 200km/h proposition. This performance is taken to a new level with four-valve heads and a “high” camshaft that operates tiny pushrods similar to the system employed on BMW's Boxer twins. An indication of the flow work wrought on the heads are enormous, 50mm diameter throttle bodies and drain-pipe-sized exhaust headers. Displacement is 1152cc, claimed peak power is 81kW at 7500rpm with peak torque a massive 107Nn at 6400rpm. It also runs a six-speed gearbox. Fire up the big Guzzi and blip the throttle at standstill. It rocks from side to side, hinting at a beast that wants to be unleashed. But this is a modern Guzzi, with Aprilia's ownership of the company giving it reliability and ease of use. The rear shaft-drive on an old Guzzi used to rock the bike back and forward under braking and acceleration. By contrast, the Griso remains poised and balanced. Once you've taught yourself to push the bike down hard into corners, it turns quite quickly. A comfortable seat and upright riding position help mask the bike's 222kg dry weight. One of the joys of the Griso is its sweet engine, which pulls cleanly and relentlessly as its eight valves breathe heavily at the top end. Aggressive looking from some angles, classic from others, the Griso is a unique motorcycle.  

It's the Can-Am Spyder, a three-wheeler that uses the technology of both to create a unique travelling experience.The Spyder also draws inspiration from the snowmobile, jet ski and quad bike worlds, which isn't surprising, considering the Canadian company is a pioneer in all of these.In Australia, you must have a motorcycle licence to drive the Spyder, but in several European countries and many states in the US a car licenceis sufficient for riders.The Australian launch of the V-twin-powered Spyder involved a day travelling south of Sydney, down the escarpment to Wollongong and back to Campbelltown through the Southern Highlands. It gave plenty of time and varying road conditions to try to unravel the mystery of this new machine and how it fits into the motoring world. Can-Am marketing manager Duncan Knight had a warning for the motorcycle journalists lining up for a first ride.“You're going to hate the first 80km of the experience,” he said.“Then you'll start to understand how to ride and enjoy the Spyder.”It's obvious why this three-wheeler isn't a motorcycle. Apart from having handlebars, a clutch lever and throttle, nothing about its operation is intuitive to a long-term rider. Indeed, if you try to ride it like a motorcycle you'll head straight into the mulga.Riders lean motorcycles into corners. If the corner tightens up you lean further rather than turning the handlebars. You also transfer your weight to the inside of the cornerto help the leaning process.If you want to corner at any speed on the Spyder, you must force yourself to get your weight on to the outside of the vehicle. Then you must turn the handlebars, as you would the steering wheel of a car, and accelerate through the apex. This is because the two front wheels need firm direction from the fat car-like rear tyre or they will just drift aimlessly.There is minimal body roll, which is a spooky sensation to a motorcycle rider used to leaning deeply into a corner.The Spyder also has very direct steering, which takes a lot of getting used to. Sometimes it feels as though it might dart off in another direction but that's because the gyroscopic effect of two wheels in line gives a motorcycle its stability. On straight roads and around suburban streets the Spyder is a delight.It's easier and more comfortable to drive than a motorcycle. But downhill off-camber hairpin corners are a true test of confidence and knowledge of how the machine operates. In these situations, the rider is wondering if the Spyder has all the bad points of both a car and motorcycle, rather than being the best of both forms of transport.Can-Am makes no apology for the driving experience being unique. It says that is the whole point of the exercise. Its promotional material talks of the “Y-Factor” and “on every road there is an intersection, beyond which things will never be the same”.The philosophy of Can-Am is to offer the most innovative performance transport systems, whether on road, water or snow. For a company that sells its products in 80 countries and has factories on four continents, Can-Am sees the Spyder as its entry to the recreational road transport segment.More than 10 years in the making, it draws on all the current car and motorcycle technology.Power is provided by the same 990cc, DOHC, water-cooled Rotax V-twin that powers Aprilia's sportsbikes. Can-Am owns Rotax, which makes engines for several manufacturers. A five-speed, motorcycle-like gearbox, but with a reverse gear, is standard. A semi-automatic version will be available later this year.Drive from the rear wheel is through a carbon-reinforced belt. With a dry weight of 316kg, the engine doesn't have the instant snap of an Aprilia but revs out hard to its 9000rpm redline. The Spyder's real trickery involves sophisticated safety features that include VSS (Vehicle Stability System), TCS (Traction Control System), SCS (Stability Control System with Roll-Over Mitigation), ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System), EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution) and DPS (Dynamic Power Steering).This is a level of technology usually only found in high-end cars and Can-Am brings this to the marketplace for about $28,000 on road. In theory, these systems make it one of the safest vehicles on the road, despite it looking like a something from a Japanese cartoon. 

Offering lighter weight, better suspension and sophisticated engine designs, these smaller models are the way of the future.Kawasaki has waited a long time to join the water-cooled 450cc enduro-trail market. Meanwhile, its main rivals, including Yamaha, Honda and KTM, have stolen a march in sales and customer loyalty.Even smaller rivals, such as Sherco and Aprilia, offer a performance 450cc. So, for 2008, Kawasaki has released the KLX450R, based on its 450F motocrosser. It is already in the shops with many dealers offering a demo.Lightweight engine flywheels and aggressive camshaft timing make the 450F racer an experts-only ride.Heavier flywheels and softer cam timing, combined with a lower seat height and revised suspension, give the 450R an amazing level of usability in every day trail-riding conditions.As an amateur dirt rider, more familiar with last century's 650cc air-cooled enduro singles, I approached the test Kawasaki with scepticism.It would be fun to ride, I thought. But surely it would also be exhausting to spend any time in the saddle, with a snappy motor and knife-edge handling.The introduction seemed to fit my prejudices. The fuel tap was hard to find and the choke lever was tucked away so far inside the frame that it was like picking a lock to activate it.But the KLX450R fired up readily on the starter button. First impressions on the move was a very light clutch action, gentle and supple suspension, and a tonne of torque.Kawasaki's engineers have done a brilliant job of pushing power delivery down to the bottom end of the rev range while retaining a strong top end rush. Some magazine testers claim the top end is noticeably less than its rivals, but that should be a bonus for the average weekend warrior.This low-down torque is the main contributing factor to the ease with which you can pilot the KLX450R across a variety of trail conditions. After several hours riding I still felt pretty fresh, helped also by the Kawasaki's light weight and plush suspension, which forgives the occasional rider error. Try that on your old air-cooled thumper.Proof of the all-round performance of this all-new model was demonstrated in the recent South Australian 24-Hour Reliability Trial.Four 250km laps of farmland and public dirt roads are a true riding test.   Snapshot Kawasaki KLX450RPrice: $11,990Engine: single-cylinder, 4-stroke 449 ccTransmission: 5-speedFuel tank: 8 litresSeat height: 935mm 

In the leadup to its 105th year of continual production, Harley-Davidson has gone to war against its imitators. The announcement this week of ABS (anti-lock) brakes is the first shot fired at its Japanese rivals.While these relatively recent newcomers to the cruiser scene offer alternatives to the H-D range, they mainly offer ABS on their more powerful models.From the end of this year, H-D customers will have ABS brakes as an option on several touring models, as well as the 105th Anniversary V-Rod cruiser.H-D also has the battalions of after-market custom-bike builders in its sights. Its radical new Rocker range looks like the extreme choppers you see on pay-TV shows such as Orange County Choppers.“Only Harley-Davidson could style and engineer a motorcycle as visually exciting as the new Rocker,” says H-D's Bill Davidson.It's hard to argue with his statement when you look at the new FXCW Rocker, which takes the Softail range deep into uncharted custom-bike territory.Clever engineering provides the illusion of a chopper's rigid rear end. H-D claims 8.6cm of suspension travel (the shocks are mounted under the motorcycle) and an ultra-low seat height of 62.2cm.A pillion perch folds out from the solo saddle on the more heavily chromed Rocker C version, above. Raked forks and other styling details found on custom-built choppers mean buyers will have less reason to pass H-D showrooms.H-D, which has seen its long run of worldwide record sales begin to taper recently, has unleashed a new armoury of styling and technology to fend off its rivals.Larger engines, fuel injection, six-speed gearboxes and improved manufacturing processes are combined with a security system and 12-months/24-hour roadside assistance. But the real interest is in the outrageous styling, which looks hardcore but is road-legal.Building on the unexpected and runaway success of last year's Street Bob (a stripped-down, '50s look-alike), the Fat Bob is a new addition to the Dyna range.This all-new model has dual headlights, fatter tyres and a “Tommy gun” dual exhaust. Forward foot controls and flat drag bars complement the heavy-duty styling. For 2008, the VRSC V-Rod power cruiser family gets a powered-up 1250cc jumbo version of the liquid-cooled, V-twin motor with a slipper-style race clutch. H-D's 2008 range will go on sale in Australia later this year. The 105th anniversary will be celebrated with a serialised, limited-edition run of eight different models across the H-D range. Small torqueBuell, the American performance bike manufacturer owned by H-D, is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a powerful new model.Designated the 1125R, the new Buell is powered by a water-cooled, 72-degree V-twin engine with six-speed gearbox made by Austrian firm Rotax.Rotax is well known for building engines for several companies, including a single-cylinder enduro for BMW and a 60-degree V-twin sports engine for Aprilia.The new 1125R's 1125cc, eight-valve, double-overhead-cam engine is claimed to produce 109kW at the crankshaft. Expect to see it in showrooms this year. 

With an engine as big as a car's and a dry weight of more than 300kg, nothing about Triumph's Rocket III makes sense ... until you ride it. This gigantic motorcycle, with its unique, in-your-face styling, is one of the most "out there" rides ever. Everything about it is huge, from the fat seat to the wide handlebars. Its rear tyre is wider than most sports bikes and three shotgun-like exhaust pipes rake out at the back. Once onboard, the rider is sprawled into a slouch, with feet forward and arms stretched to the cruiser handlebars. It all feels relaxed until you twist the throttle. With a staggering 200Nm of torque on tap, the acceleration is akin to a jumbo jet on take-off, a turbine-like thrust that turns the tarmac into a blur. The liquid-cooled, 2294cc, DOHC, in-line three-cylinder motor is tuned for torque but it also delivers 105kW of peak power at 6000rpm. The national launch took place on sweeping roads in the gentle hills north of Melbourne. A combination of the low-rev torque delivery and the high-rev power output means the Rocket III can be ridden briskly on open roads. It doesn't like hairpins but has surprising agility in most other conditions, despite its 320kg dry weight. Beefy, 43mm, upside-down front forks and a pair of 320mm twin disc brakes with four-piston calipers work well. The conventional twin rear shocks are OK but the bike will wallow a bit if it hits a bump on a high-speed sweeper. The best way to ride it briskly is to brake and change down before the corners and drive through. Chop the throttle in a turn and it runs wide. And with so much power you're sure to be going faster than you think. So it's slow in and fast out ... a classic riding style from the era when cornering clearance was a major motorcycle issue. The Rocket III Classic is claimed to be a more pillion-oriented version of the standard model. It has better ground clearance than other cruisers but its running boards grind down quicker than the original. Also, the passenger seat needs a lip on it to stop the pillion sliding back. As well as handling, brakes and stomping power delivery, there's a huge accessory catalogue covering luggage options and styling add-ons. At a time when motorcycle manufacturers are catering to all tastes, the Rocket III is in a league of its own. The British factory thought it would be a niche market but it has been a sales success, with more than 500 sold here in the past 18 months. The Rocket III Classic sells for $25,990, plus ORC. Fast Facts Triumph Rocket III Classic Price: $25,990 Engine: Fuel-injected, liquid-cooled, DOHC, 2294cc, in-line 3-cylinder, 105kW@6000 rpm, 200Nm@2500rpm Transmission: 5-speed with shaft final drive Wheels: front 17in with 3.5in-wide rim; rear 16in, 7.5in rim Fuel: 24-litre tank Dimensions: Seat height 740mm; dry weight 320kg

If this was a hotrod car, the description would be "chopped and channelled". The Street Glide has a shortened windscreen and lowered riding position, and it has lost several style features considered unnecessary.It's still a dedicated touring machine, but the changes make it appear smaller and less cumbersome. From side-on, it looks as elegant as it is purposeful.The tank and seat flow over the sturdy engine, and the swooping exhaust and angular panniers give a long, lean look. Quality paint and deep chrome make a strong statement. The myth of Harley-Davidsons is that they are big, brutal bikes to ride. Not quite in this case. A low-seat height, plenty of leverage on large handlebars and a mountain of low-rev torque make them as easy to ride as a scooter.I'd also hazard a guess that its 690mm seat height will make it appeal to women as well. Just ignore the fact it weighs well over 300kg.It's always an experience slinging a leg over a Harley. And on the Street Glide, you settle into what could almost be the cockpit of a vintage aeroplane. In front is a comprehensive instrument console with large, antique-looking dials. Very classy.The Street Glide feels well balanced at low speeds. A design update means less effort is required to pull in the clutch lever.The rubber-mounted Twin Cam 88 engine delivers a solid, seamless surge of acceleration. Fuel injection is standard and this 1450cc motor is well sorted now.Harley-Davidson claims increased cornering clearance. While this is true, the sheer weight and size of the Street Glide means it has to be hauled through corners.On some fast sweepers, the test bike developed a slight weave.If the Pope can own an iPod then a Harley rider should be allowed to embrace new sound technology. The Street Glide comes to the party with a Harman-Kardon sound system that incorporates MP3, intercom and CB radio facilities. It's all part of the low-stress ride. The Street Glide, which sells for $30,495 plus on-road costs, is part of a family of half a dozen touring models.The FLHTI Electra Glide Standard is the entry-level model, while the FLHTCUI is the fully loaded option with lower fairings, cruise control, better pillion comforts, more comprehensive luggage storage and 12 colour options including two-tone paint. A long-running classic, the Road King, comes in three variations. The FLHRI has all the touring options; the FLHRSI Custom has California style; while the FLHRCI Classic is just that, with whitewall tyres and leather-clad saddlebags.