Articles by Mark Hinchliffe

Built in Brisbane by Varley Electric Vehicles, the ev-R Super Coupe was unveiled recently at the third annual Australia Electric Vehicle Conference. Varley EV divisional manager John Bettini says he would like to develop a one-make race series and campaign the car at Targa Tasmania. "We would have to put some sound in there, or the drivers and fans might get bored," he says. But there is still a long way to go before the ev-R hits any of Tasmania's rally stages. The handbuilt supercar will not be driveable until next month and is not scheduled for launch until January, when it will cost close to $200,000. "This is a showcase of our technologies that might lead to bigger and better things," Bettini says. The 125-year-old engineering company has its routes in the Hunter Valley coal region and mainly builds electric and conventional vehicles for industry, the defence forces, and ambulance and fire services. News of the ev-R was only released days before the conference and attracted a lot of media and EV industry interest, Bettini says. "The level of interest has caught us off guard, but there is no prospective buyers yet," he says. "It will probably sell mostly overseas as compliance in Australia is a difficult thing." Bettini claims the handbuilt car will be faster than a Porsche 911, rocketing from standstill to highway speeds in 3.8 seconds. But he admits that is an assessment based on analysis, rather than real-world testing. While technical details are being closely guarded, what we do know is that it has two AC motors and an electronically limited top speed of 200km/h. The 24kW battery pack range is 150km and it will fully charge through a 15 amp output in less than eight hours. Range can be extended to 300km with an optional range-extension pack featuring more batteries. The car weighs 1250kg and has a fibreglass shell with some body and chassis parts obtained from overseas. "We are only expecting to make extremely limited numbers but will let the interest dictate volume," he says. "The car is hand built in low volumes and not a production car." It was built in partnership with Brisbane technology companies such as Tritium and Ultramotive. "We have not sought government assistance on this project. It has been fully funded by Varley." Bettini says they have "other exciting projects" coming, including electric buses for Brisbane City Council which will charge in 10 minutes. He says there are huge commercial possibilities with China wanting one million electric buses by 2020. "That proprietary charge technology is where our (the company's) future lies," he says. "That fast charger could eventually be used in any vehicle of any size and could be a possible breakthrough for EVs. But not every battery is capable of doing it. Most batteries would melt under quick charging." He says batteries are the "Achilles heel" of the EV industry. "The right batteries are expensive and difficult to obtain," he says. "There are only two battery manufacturers in the world and you can't just knock on their door; you have to prove your engineering capabilities first." And that is where the ev-R comes in.

... bravely forging ahead with five new motorhomes and a new caravan model. That brings the Talvor range up to 15 motorhomes and eight caravans. Dealers are claiming sales of new RVs are the "worst" for many years, while second-hand RVs are selling well.  Talvor boss Luke Trouchet says there are several reasons for the slowdown such as our lower dollar sending Australian tourists overseas and keeping overseas tourists away, low superannuation yields and low property prices. The result has been a glut of cheap rental models hitting the second-hand market.  But Trouchet is looking on the bright side. "People have now done their big overseas trip to Disneyland or whatever and are coming back to budget holidays at home," he says. "Also, people aren't going to put their retirement on hold while they wait for the stock or property markets to recover. They were initially scared, but you can't sit at home watching the TV for ever." He says the grey nomad phenomenon continues, but there is a new trend for families to take RV holidays.  "But it's still a pretty tough market, so many manufacturers are winding back," he says. "We are doing the opposite. "I see this as a great opportunity for us to expand when the others are pulling back or treading water."  The new Talvor RV models feature new internal layouts, higher grade cabinets, new soft furnishings with a leather option, new LED lights and washing machines in some models.  Trouchet says many features have been included with the over 50s in mind, including larger handles, large drawers replacing cupboards, easy access spare wheels and external gas bottles. Three new fixed-bed motorhomes (Ascot, Newstead and Hamilton) are available in VW Crafter or Mercedes-Ben Sprinter configurations, while the Fiat Ducato-based Hayman is the company's first slide-out model.  Trouchet says they have been able to "review our pricing" thanks to the access of parent company Apollo Motorhomes Holidays to "global buying power".  Motorhome prices range from the $34,450 Mitsubishi-based Hippie to the flagship Hayman at $148,000. All motorhomes have diesel-powered engines. Trouchet says the market is being invaded by low cost imports but says their prices are "very competitive". "People are not buying half-million-dollar motorhomes at the moment," he says.  "The price point may change in the market and people might buy more caravans which are cheaper." Talvor was just building motorhomes for rental until 24 months ago and began making caravans this year. While they have a 15 per cent share in the 3000-a-year motorhome market, they have less than 1 per cent of the 24,000 caravans sold each year in Australia.  "We're really just starting," Trouchet says. "We have been catching up to Winnebago and Jayco. "Our caravan business will be as big as motorised vehicles in time." The new caravan model is the 8m 650C, however mosts caravans now come with interior upgrades such as new cabinets, new hard and soft furnishings plus upgraded chassis.  They all come with rollout awnings, LED lights, external and internal showers, toilet, DVD/TV and radio/stereo system and kitchen with stainless steel sink, fridge/freezer, microwave, and cooktop. The 550A has an electric drop-down double bed, while the others have island queen-size beds.  Options include reversing camera, extra battery, foldout picnic table, shower extractor fan, leather upholstery, water filter and off road suspension. Talvor has dealers in every state and New Zealand, while Apollo also has rental branches in Canada and the US.

... the new Yamaha WR450F enduro bike due here next year. Yamaha Motors Australia spokesman Sean Goldhawk says Ballard was invited to Japan to give his views on the first major update of the bike in almost five years. Goldhawk says Australia and NZ are the biggest markets in the world for the WRs, which was one of the reasons Ballard was invited to provide input into their update. Multi-medal winning enduro team manager Ballard, 52, describes the new bike as a complete package.  "It really is strong in every area and an ideal bike for Aussie conditions," he says. Goldhawk says price is not yet available but will be announced closer to launch in early 2012.  The WR450F is the second-highest-selling enduro bike in Australia behind the Suzuki DR-Z400E with sales to the end of July of 436 up 1.9 per cent from 428, while DR-Z sales were down 9.9 per cent from 608 to 548.  The new WR inherits a lot of technology from the 2012 YZ250F motocross bike, including an aluminium bilateral beam frame similar for sharp steering and handling.  It also gets twin-chamber suspension inspired by the YZ, but tuned more for enduro riding to absorb big hits with a softer initial travel for tight turns.  The fuel injection can also now be tuned for stable engine performance in a variety of temperatures and altitudes with a hand held, portable Power Tuner from the YZ450F. It connects to the WR450F via a coupler.  The 450cc engine has been tuned to meet the requirements of the new FI system and chassis changes, but retains liquid cooling and five titanium valve, single cylinder layout. A special cam profile has been developed to suit enduro RPM use and the five-speed gearbox has ratios suitable to cover a wide range of riding environments. The engine is fitted with an exhaust pipe resonator to improve power output in the low to midspeed range. The new radiator has a wider core to increased reliability and resist shock.  The WR also gets a new enduro seat, slim plastic resin 7.2 litre fuel tank, a fuel level warning light, black Excel rims, a new headlight cover, side covers and graphics.

The explosion has sparked a warning for motorists to avoid putting old barbecue gas bottles in their cars. A 47-year-old woman driver was injured when a can of butane exploded in her Toyota Prius, showering a suburban street in Sydney's north with debris.Society of Automotive Engineers, Australasia executive director Max Chanter said he had not heard of a butane container exploding but suggested any volatile gas or liquid should not be transported in the confines of a vehicle. ``We used to give people touch-up paint in nail polish bottles and one woman left it in the centre console of her and in the hot sun it exploded,'' he said.He also advised that people should not carry barbecue gas bottles in their car for too long and to make sure they had not passed their use-by date.``When you top up your gas at a service station and they swap your cylinder, they will only do it if it is still under the use-by date as they may be dangerous if they get old and rusty.`Some people keep a butane container in their glovebox to top up their cigarette lighter and I don't think that is advisable either.”There have been few reported incidents of gas containers exploding in cars, but there were two in 2009. One involved an LPG tank exoploding in a car near Toowoomba and the other was a leaking barbecue gas bottle which exploded on the seat beside a Cessnock driver when he lit a cigarette. Last month, a gas bottle in a caravan exploded in a crash on the Sunshine Coast.

Ten years after Porsche helped Harley revolutionise its range with the liquid-cooled, high-revving V-Rod "drag" street bike, the Milwaukee manufacturer has released anniversary models. All 2011 V-Rods now feature 10th anniversary badges, while a special Anniversary edition comes in brilliant silver pearl paint to rekindle the original's aluminium bodywork. The biggest changes are on the Anniversary and the Night Rod Special with modifications that make it a much more relaxed and enjoyable riding experience that will suit a greater range of riders.VALUEAt $25,995 for the Night Rod Special and $26,495 for the Anniversary model and the Muscle they are not cheap when compared with the Japanese power cruisers. But don't tell a Harley lover that. The badge, the sound and the image have an intrinsic value and tradition that counts in these circles.TECHNOLOGYA few years ago Harley bored out the pistons of the rubber-mounted Revolution V-twin to increase capacity from 1130cc to 1247cc with an increase in torque to 111Nm. But the engine has largely remained unchanged from the original which was developed jointly with Porsche over a decade ago.It's a higher revving unit than the 103cu (1690cc) engines found in most of Harley's other bikes, with a limit of 9000rpm instead of 6200rpm and a 100km/h cruise at 3500rpm in top (fifth) gear which is 1000 revs higher than the loping cadence of the 103 in sixth gear. The Anniversary and Night Rod Special also now feature an LED taillight.DESIGNThis is where most of the updates have occurred, but they are more than just cosmetic; they also effect the feel and handling. The tail is tapered and tidier, the forks are now upside down like the Muscle and steeper raked, the wheels are lighter, the seat is lower (675mm, but 705mm on the Muscle) and more dish shaped, the handlebars are 75mm closer and the foot pegs are slightly higher and closer. It is difficult to pick the changes until you sit on it. The reach to the bars is easier and the foot controls feel more convenient as well as slightly improving cornering clearance. Paintwork on the blacked-out Night Rod Special remains matte black with two orange highlights and stripes down the tank Iike a venomous redback spider. The Anniversary gets dual, chromed slash-cut mufflers.SAFETYAll V-Rods now come with ABS which is a smooth and effective system with enormous stopping power. The rear brake can feel a little spongy, but the front Brembo system is dynamic with plenty of feel and just a small amount of fork dive. They also come with a slipper clutch to prevent rear-wheel lock-up on hurried downshifts.RIDINGI rode the Night Rod Special around the fast sweepers of Margaret River in Western Australia during the recent 21st annual HOG Rally. So few changes have made such an enormous difference to the riding experience. The rider feels more in control, more comfortable and less like a windsock at high speed. Shorter riders will appreciate the changes, but tall riders should also like the new position as it doesn't cramp the rider at all. The steeper fork rake, upside down forks with their lighter spring weight and the lighter front wheel give it a more responsive and flickable feel for sharper turn-in. No long does the rider have to fight that enormous 240mm rear "car" tyre which wants to stand the bike up. Yet it tracks true through a corner and retains high-speed stability.VERDICTSome say a liquid-cooled and high-revving bike is not a real Harley, but they are missing out on a rare treat. The power and spirit of this bike are addictive and test riders should be wary of being hooked at first ride.Harley-Davidson V-Rod (VRSCDX & VRSCDF)Prices: $25,995 (Night Rod Special), $26,495 (10th Anniversary and Muscle)Warranty: 2yr, unlimited km, roadside assistService: 1600/8000kmEngine: 1247cc V-twin, 111NmTransmission: 5-speed, belt driveFuel: 6.3L/100km, 19.9L tankDimensions: 2440mm (L), 890mm (W), 675mm (Seat), 115mm (Clearance), 1705mm (WB)Tyres: 120/70 ZR19; 240/40 R18Weight: 302kg

BIll Davidson is the great-grandson of the Davidsons who established Harley-Davidson and son of Willie G. who bought the company back for the family in the '80s and steered it to a string of record profits. It is now one of the top 10 most recognized brands in the world. Davidson was in Australia this week for the 21st annual Harley Owners Group (HOG) rally in Margaret River, Western Australia, where we asked him 10 quick questions. The GFC hit Harley pretty hard and it has been a difficult road since. How are you coping? The economy is an uncontrollable factor. The great thing about our company is that we have been blessed with excellent leadership. Testimony to that is that we have been through more than 100 years of good and bad times. When you go through bad times you learn what to do and what not to do to continue to reach to the next level. So when the GFC hit in 2008 we made a lot of very difficult moves to ensure that we would get through and strengthen us for when the economy started to improve. When do you see the world's financial troubles ending? I wish I had a crystal ball to answer that. As consumer confidence is returning to the global marketplace we are experiencing an increase in sales. Right now we are ahead of last year. Harley wanted to buy Ducati, established the Buell sports bike brand and once owned MV Agusta. Is there a sports bike future for Harley? I wish I could give you all of our product details but I can't really talk about our future product plans. The company shut down Buell and that was one of those very tough designs we had to make. We had to focus on our core brand. Even Porsche now has diesels and hybrids. Will Harley ever have alternate power such as electric? All I can say is that we will be customer led. If our customer base were to demand or ask for alternative power we would take a serious look at it. Being customer led is what has brought our company great success and we will continue to do that. Do you believe the Harley-Davidson brand image has been affected by outlaw bike gangs? I don't. Our brand has always had a rebel ingredient to it but it's really about a sense of freedom and getting out and being yourself on the open road with the wind in your face. What is your proudest achievement at Harley? I worked very hard on my education and one of the greatest moments of my life was being hired by the company. I went through three interviews when the company was coming out of a rough time in '84 and we were not profitable so just to be hired on my merits was a major achievement. What cars and bikes are in your garage at home in Milwaukee? My only four-wheel vehicle is a Ford F150 pick-up with Harley on the side of it. The rest is a nice collection of Harleys and one KTM dirt bike which is up north at the cottage where we go trail riding. What is your favorite bike? All of them. It's probably the most difficult question to answer. The product lineup we have is a mix of different vehicles with different features and the way I look at it is each one makes a statement and each one is unique in its own way. I believe that is a major part of our strength. However, one of my favorites from my collection is the 1990 Fat Boy, the original year. What is your secret vice? I don't really have any. I don't smoke and I've got to be careful with what I drink as I'm a diabetic so I focus on staying healthy.

This is grand touring, gangsta-style; the two-wheel equivalent of a Chrysler 300C. The new Harley-Davidson Road Glide Custom is not only a pimped-up attention-getter but also a handy machine for chewing up the highway kilometres. It started life as a Tour Glide in the US in 1996 and later became the Road Glide, but this is the first time it has been included in the Australian line-up. Basically it's like a Street Glide with the half-fairing attached to the chassis, not the forks.VALUEHarley-Davidson salesman Adam Wright admits they couldn't get the bike for the price they wanted, but it comes loaded with gear at $31,995. That is only $500 more than the Road King yet it has an integrated stereo system and massive "bikini" fairing with twin headlights.It also comes with cruise control and wiring for accessories such as spotlights. And don't forget the cigarette lighter, although there is no ash tray!TECHNOLOGYAt its heart is the big 103cu (1690cc) fuel-injected engine which is now used across all Touring, Softail and most Dyna models. In the Touring family, the engine also gets an oil cooler.Cruise and basic audio controls are on the handlebars, but some of the audio controls such as station presets are on the console which is a bit of a reach forward for the rider. There is a "nav" button on the console, but sat nav is only available on CVO models. The sound system an auxiliary socket for an MP3 player, but only the CVOs have iPod connectivity. A 12 volt outlet to power an external audio device is located under the left weather-proof glovebox.DESIGNStyling is polarizing. Some may think the nose looks a bit too prominent from the side angle but the twin headlights provide an appealing front-on look like the old Holden Premier. With a lot of surface area on the bike, especially the fairing, it is a blank canvas crying out for custom paintwork. There are lashings of chrome in the engine, forks, exhaust pipes and protection bars. At the rear are fixed, weather-proof and lockable hard-plastic panniers. The rider gets a full floorboard, while the pillion gets pegs.The matte-black rubbery surface on the console is claimed to withstand cracking in the summer heat and is a nice contrast to the six silver and chrome instruments which includes an ambient temperature gauge, still in Fahrenheit. While the bars aren't ape hangers, the riding position is similar with the arms out straight from the shoulders.SAFETYAll Harleys, except for the Sportsters, get ABS. It is a smooth and effective system that uses light sensors rather than an ugly mechanical ring around the brake disc that would have spoiled the clean look of the five-spoke alloy wheels. The brakes also have powerful Brembo calipers derived from the V-Rod family.RIDINGThe key to the Road Glide Custom's handling characteristics is that the fairing is attached to the chassis, not the forks, like the other Touring bikes.Advantages are that the steering is lighter for low-speed maneuvering and the bike is more stable at high speed. Wind blasts from passing trucks also don't provoke any oscillation through the bars. The short windscreen can be replaced with a higher screen, but I prefer the look-over screen with reduced buffeting.A further advantage is the airflow under the fairing that blows engine heat away from your legs. Like all Touring models it also has an engine cut-out system to switch off the rear cylinder while waiting in traffic so your legs don't sizzle. Riding position is comfortable, although shorter people may find the reach to the bars - especially the front console controls - a little too far.VERDICTThis bike makes a bold statement on the road with its prominent nose and twin headlights. On the practical side, it is a comfortable way for two people to see a lot of Australia.Harley-Davidson Road Glide Custom FLTRXPrice: $31,995Warranty: 2yrs, unlimited km, roadside assistService: 1600/8000kmEngine: air-cooled 1690cc v-twinEconomy: 5.6L/100kmTransmission: 6-speed, belt driveDimensions: 2457mm (L), 663mm (Seat), 1630 (WB)Tank: 22.7LDry weight: 367kg

Thundering Harley-Davidson Ultra-Glide motorcycles have recently completed one-year trials with the Australian Federal Police and NSW country police. Harley-Davidson Australia boss Peter Nochar says they are currently tendering for one state police force which he won't reveal, but he is confident the bikes will soon return to policing duties here. "We don't want to have every police force in the country on Harleys but we think we deserve a place," he says.  Harleys were first used here in the West Australian police force which recently disbanded their bike section. They were last used by police in the 2000 Olympics. "One of the great things the police have found about using Harleys is that people come up to the police, talk to them and want their photo taken with them," Nochar says. "There's something friendly and welcoming about a Harley. "The police are trying to build bridges with the community so maybe there is a place for Harley-Davidson in Australia's police forces."

An estimated 2,120,000 Australians are planning to buy a new car in the next four years, according to the latest Roy Morgan Leading Indicators Report for September.This is up on the August result of 2,059,000 and above the long-term average of 2,064,000.In the coming 12 months about 625,000 Australians plan to buy a new car in the next 12 months excluding fleet, government and rental buyers, the report has found.Although this is down marginally on the August figure of 640,000, it remains 14,000 above the short-term average of 611,000.Roy Morgan Research industry communications manager Norman Morris says buying intentions have been down since hitting a record high of more than 2.2 million in March."It's not surprising to see that Consumer Confidence has also declined over this same period," he says."Of the mainstream brands, Honda has improved the most over the short term, with the Accord Euro driving much of the brand's recent gains.Among the luxury brands, both Mercedes-Benz and BMW have improved over the recent term, with BMW posting their highest result for 2011.Conversely, after hitting their best result in August this year Audi has declined to 1.5 per cent of total intentions."

Side-by-side all-terrain vehicles are not only fun, but can also be a great aid to teaching children some early driving skills. Polaris Industries spokesman Neil Anderson says their two-person RZR170 comes with a parent-only adjustable speed limiter, so the top speed can be controlled while the learner obtains some skills. "Parents and grandparents with acreage or bigger are buying them for kids as an alternative to youth trail bikes or quads," he says. "Polaris RZR 170 is a cool way to get into powersports. It's easier to drive than any car with a CVT automatic gearbox, steering wheel and car-like pedals. They are good for people that want their kids to get outside and have fun with friends, but don't want any `dinking' going on which, for good reasons, is not permitted on youth trail bikes or quads." The RZR has been around since 2010 but it is still rare in the powersports world. "Ninety-nine per cent of people in metro areas and 85 per cent of people in rural areas would never have seen it," Anderson says. The 169cc ATV sells for $5995 and Anderson expects to sell 80 of these before Christmas. "Our dealers have almost sold out and our dealers will be taking orders for the next shipment of this quantity arriving early December - that's all Santa could build for us Aussies this Christmas," he says. The RZR 170 comes standard with two helmets, full cab frame with side nets, daytime running lights, rear tail light, front and rear hydraulic disc brakes, two bucket seats with three-point seat belts, electric start with brake override and an adjustable driver's seat so it can be changed as children grow older. RZR 170 is also stable thanks to its extra wide rear axle and low centre of gravity. It is powered by a carbureted 169cc four-stroke petrol engine and the CVT has reverse. It comes with a rider training instructional DVD and safety whip flag which gives an alert to approaching vehicles. It is particularly useful when going over dunes. Polaris RZR170 Price: $5995 Warranty: 6 months Service: 50hr/6mths Engine: 169cc 4-stroke single cylinder Transmission: automatic CVT F/N/R, O-Ring Chain, 2WD Suspension: single A-Arm with 12.7cm travel (front), swingarm dual shocks with 12.7cm travel (rear) Brakes: hydraulic discs Wheels: 19 x 7-8; 20 x 10-9 steel Dry weight: 226kg Dimensions: 2159mm (L), 1219mm (W), 1397mm (H), 1651mm (WB), 152 (Clearance) Fuel: 9.5L Lighting: Front headlights, rear brake light Colour: Indy red. Visit polarisindustries.com.au for more information.