Articles by Mark Hinchliffe

Californian company Zero Motorcycles claims its 2012 line-up is "game changing". New features include range of up to 183km, a top speed of 114km/h and battery life of almost 500,000km. This is a quantum leap from the previous models available in Australia with range of 80km and a top speed of 110km/h. Zero Motorcycles Australia director Phil Wilkinson says the bikes are scheduled for delivery in the US in February. "I would expect to see bikes here shortly after," he says. "Prices have gone up slightly, however it is hard to ignore the value that the new bikes offer in terms of range, performance and capability." The current model line-up is the S street bike and DS dual sport, both at $12,995, and the MX Sport ($10,000) and MX Extreme ($11,000) off-road bikes. Wilkinson says the S and DS will come as a ZF6 model with a six kilowatt-hours output and a ZF9 variant with 9kW-h. He says the ZF6 will be cheaper while the ZF9 may be up to $1000 more. The MX models remain around 4kWh but with almost double the battery capacity. The major improvement in range capability comes from adding regenerative braking which harnesses kinetic energy to recharge the battery. Zero also claims the powertrain does not require any routine maintenance, except for the low-noise, low-maintenance belt drive. Wilkinson says the biggest hurdle has been battery life. "About 90 per cent of our customers ask what the replacement battery costs," he says. "With the new model you get 500,000km out of it, so you wouldn't ever need to change the battery." The bikes can be charged from completely flat on a standard domestic 240V/10amp mains output in four hours while a second charger will halve that time. They can also be plugged into the new quick-charging stations available in some cities. Zero Motorcycles Australia began selling non-registrable off-road bikes in 2009 and added the street-legal S and DS in November 2010. Wilkinson says they have sold out of their 40-bike shipment. "They're not huge numbers at the moment. It's a very challenging market," he says. "Now that the range they are quoting is seriously usable and the bikes have that higher speed so you can ride on the freeway with confidence, people will start to take them up. I would think we could double, or even triple sales." Wilkinson says the company is expanding its dealer network across Australia. Dealers are Action Motorcycles in Sydney, Graeme Boyd's Suzuki in Newcastle, Jeffery Motorcycles in Melbourne and Bill's Motorcycles in Adelaide, with dealers for Brisbane and Perth yet to be announced. The new models use Z-Force power pack technology with cell monitoring to improve battery life, provide more power and improve acceleration. The permanent magnet brushless DC electric motor uses 1/10th the steel and half the copper of competing DC motors and requires no maintenance. Zero Motorcycles uses second-generation lithium-ion cells to prevent fire and their power packs feature a monitoring system with active rebalancing that constantly tracks the voltage and temperature of each cell to prevent overheating.

MORE safety and creature features have revved up the Volvo XC60 range to prevent a mid-life sales lull.The smallest of the Volvo SUVs ranks fourth behind the comparably sized Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Lexus RX, but it's still an important model for the company as their biggest-selling SUV. So the Swedes have thrown a bunch of new kit into it and given the popular diesel more oomph.This should renew interest in the car and, with a smaller all-wheel-drive still some time away, it should help ward off challenges from smaller urban-biased SUVs such as the Q3, X1 and newcomer Range Rover Evoque.VALUEThere are three 2.4-litre, five-cylinder turbo diesel XC60s with six-speed automatic transmissions from $60,990 for the base model, $65,990 for the Teknik we tested to $68,990 for the R-Design. The first SUV in this category was the Lexus RX back in the late '90s, but it doesn't have a diesel variant and the hybrid RX450h is way more expensive starting at $96,900 up to $108,900.The BMW X3, introduced in 2004, has two diesels starting at $62,200 for the 2.3-litre four-cylinder and $74,900 for the three-litre six-cylinder, both with eight-speed auto. The two diesel Q5s start at $61,700 for the two-litre to $73,714 for the three-litre V6, both with seven-speed autos.Volvo has improved value by adding a rear camera, powered tailgate and new infotainment system to all XC60s, while the Teknik and R-Design models get Blind Spot Information System (BLIS), satnav with voice control, and Active Bending Lights (ABL).The Teknik may cost $5000 more than the base model, but it adds a powered front passenger seat, the bending lights with washers, satnav and BLIS which would cost $10,450 if ordered separately.TECHNOLOGYA lighter crankshaft and camshafts in the 2.4-litre twin-turbo diesel engine and a more efficient cooler have resulted in a slight power boost from 151kW to 158kW while torque is up a significant 20Nm to 440Nm. In power and torque, the XC60 slots in neatly between the four-cylinder and six-cylinder Q5 and X3.At the same time, the XC's economy has improved 10 per cent to 6.9L/100km and CO2 emissions are down 18g/km to 183g/km. That is better than the smaller-capacity Audi, but not as good as even the six-cylinder BMW. Inside, the biggest improvement in technology is the new multimedia centre with a 5cm larger screen (now 18cm), DVD instead of CD, 12 speakers with Dolby Pro Logic II surround sound and Bluetooth now with audio streaming and voice control on phone calls. These features are expensive extras in the German SUVs.SAFETYNeed we say that safety is a key factor of all Volvos? The XC60 has a five-star crash rating and now gets added crash prevention technology with lights that follow the car around a corner, sensors that alert drivers to a vehicle in their blind spot and a rearview camera which should be mandatory on all SUVs.It also includes City Safe which comes to a full stop if the car detects an obstacle in its path when driving at under 30km/h. For an extra $4175 you can get the optional third-generation Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) which includes Queue Assist, Pedestrian Detection and Full Auto Brake. This system will automatically adjust the car's speed in traffic and avoids collisions with pedestrians.DESIGNExcept for the Lexus, all models in this category are scaled-down versions of the larger models that pre-dated them. Rarely does this lead to good design. The X3 and Q5 look like a Biggest Loser contestant who has shed a lot of bulk but has unwanted skin hanging around.The XC60 looks fit and handsomely slender; perhaps it did a lot of sit-ups as it shed its weight. From the rear, the body outline is almost sexy with a slender waist and curvy hips. In its mid-life years, it doesn't really need an external makeover, so only the R-Design models get a few external flourishes and bigger wheels.DRIVINGThe five-cylinder diesel engine is not the quietest or smoothest around. Together with the six-speed auto that seems in two minds about changing up for economy and hanging on for power, the powertrain tends to groan when cruising and sound dissonant under full power.But when it all comes together, there is rapid progression with hardly turbo lag that hounds many single-turbo diesels. Even though it doesn't look it, the XC60 is the heaviest of these SUVs at 1819kg yet it feels frisky and light, only feeling its weight when turned abruptly such as dodging urban potholes.Handling is not as precise as the Q5 or X3, but ride is better, although not as plush or forgiving as the RX. The new technology proved a little fickle: The Bluetooth audio streaming function was recalcitrant at times, asking to find the device on some occasions and pairing up quickly on others, while BLIS kept identifying phantom cars.As for the City Safe crash protection system, it came to a dramatic automatic halt as I rapidly approached the rising electric garage door. It came as a bit of a shock, but at least I know it works. Accommodation is high and wide with firm but fair seats, plenty of headroom and an airy feel.VERDICTThe Volvo may not be as sharp as a road tool as the Audi and BMW, but it gains votes for safety, ride, styling and features.VOLVO XC60 D5 TEKNIKPrice: $65,990Warranty: 3yrs/unlimited kmService: 12 months/15,000kmResale: 55 per centEngine: 2.4-litre twin-turbo diesel, 158kW/440NmEconomy: 6.9L/100kmTransmission: 6-speed automaticCO2: 183g/kmSafety: 5-star rating, 6 airbags, ESC, ABS, EBD, EBA, TC BODY 5-door, 5-seatDimensions: 4628mm (L), 1891mm (W), 1672 (H), 2774 (WB), 230 (Clearance) WEIGHT 1819kgWheels: 7.5 x 17"

The pair rode large-capacity BMW adventure bikes and, at the time, the only alternative came from KTM. Since then, Ducati, Moto-Guzzi, Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda and now Triumph have released big-bore adventure bikes with engine capacities of more than one litre. These are tough bikes that can take two people and a load of luggage across almost any terrain with few maintenance issues and massive dollops of grunt. The latest to throw a leg over the adventure riding craze is Kawasaki with the Versys 1000.  It adapts the layout of its 650cc Versys adventure bike but shoehorns in the 1043cc engine from the Z1000 street bike. It's the first adventure bike with an across-the-frame in-line four-cylinder engine. Kawasaki Motors Australia spokesman Rudi Baker says they hope to launch the bike here next month, but does not have pricing yet.  However, Kawasaki is one of the market leaders on price, so it is bound to undercut the others. As a guide, the Z1000 costs $16,490 and the Versys 650 is $10,990. The Versys 1000 produces 86.8kW at 9000rpm and 102Nm of torque at 7700rpm with more punch dialed in at lower revs, but sacrificing some of the top-end power from the Z1000 engine. The fuel tank is 21 litres which, together with a miserly fuel-injected engine, makes it a serious contender for long-range touring. Surprisingly for a bargain bike, the Kwaka has a range of adjustment at the front and back to account for terrain, load and a pillion, as well as electronic rider aids such as three engine power modes, traction control and ABS. It also has a comprehensive LCD information screen with speedo, fuel gauge, odo, clock, dual trip meters, current and average fuel consumption, remaining fuel range and ambient temperature. However, the Kwaka is not without its drawbacks. It will come with chain drive while most of these new adventure tourers have low-maintenance shaft drive. Another drawback is the 17-inch front wheel. Except for the Ducati Multistrada, the competitors come with 19 or 21-inch front tyres which are much more stable on the gravel. It's also no lightweight at 239kg, but it's 6kg lighter than the new Triumph Explorer. And the seat height of 845mm may put off some customers. It's 10mm more than the Triumph but not as high as the BMW or KTM. KAWASAKI VERSYS 1000 Price: from $17,000 Engine: 1043cc 4-cylinder, 86.8kW/96Nm Tyres: 120/70 ZR17; 180/55ZR17 Transmission: 6-speed, wet clutch, chain drive Suspension: 43mm inverted forks, adjustable rebound damping and spring preload; rear gas shock, adjustable rebound damping and spring preload Brakes: semi-floating 300mm petal discs (front), 250mm petal disc (rear) Dimensions: 2235mm (L), 900mm (W), 1430mm (H), 1520 (WB), 155 (Clearance), 845mm (seat) Weight: 239kg

The Swedish company's Nuda 900 and Nuda 900 R are Italian designed and manufactured with a larger version of the BMW F 800 R parallel twin engine. Australian importers The Paul Feeney Group on the Gold Coast expect it to reach our shores as early as March.Meanwhile the Nuda 900R will have its first southern hemisphere showing at the motorcycles shows in Perth, November 4-6, and Sydney, November 26-27. Prices will be announced closer to launch but it will compete with the BMW F 800 R ($13,900), KTM 990 Super Duke ($19,995), Ducati Hypermotard ($15,990) and new Ducati 848 Streetfighter ($18,990).Group marketing manager Jorg Hoffmann is a dopting a "wait and see" attitude to whether it will cannibalise BMW F800 sales. Capacity of the liquid-cooled parallel twin BMW F 800 R engine with race-red rocker cover is up from from 798cc to 898cc through a 2mm larger 84mm bore and 5.4mm increased stroke to 81mm.Compression ratio is raised to 13.2:1 and it will have 78kW of power and 100Nm of torque compared with the BMW's 64kW and 86Nm. The R version will also be 2kg lighter at 175kg thanks to a lightweight exhaust and use of carbonfibre.Handling should be good with adjustable Swedish Ohlins suspension at the rear and adjustable Sachs forks and a 50mm shorter and stiffer frame.It should also stop well with monoblock radially-mounted four-piston Brembo brakes with 320mm brakes at the front. Riders will sit high with an 860mm seat on the base model and 875mm on the R compared with the F 800 R at 800m.Italian minimalist design is highlighted by the exposed trellis frame, high exhaust and stylised headlight which look more like Ducati's Streetfighter than the BMW F 800 R.The Nuda 900 R version comes in the Swedish company's red and white race colours while the Nuda 900 is black. Husqvarna has developed a full range of accessories including a high windshield, two-level seat and soft or hard luggage. The Nuda isn't the first street bike Husqvarna has produced, but in recent years the company has devoted its range to off-road machines and small-bore, single-cylinder supermotards.HUSQVARNA NUDA 900, NUDA 900 RPrice: N/AEngine: 895cc parallel twin, 78kW/100NmTransmission: 6-speed, chain driveFuel: 13-litre fuel tankEconomy: 5L/100kmSeat: 860mm (875mm - R)Weight: 175kg (R)

Of those drivers who have verbally abused or rudely gestured to other motorists, or dangerously tailgated vehicles, a significant majority say they feel justified by their behaviour, according to University of NSW research. While not justifying the behaviour, researcher Dr Tom Denson says road rage is often difficult for motorists to avoid because of the way we think. "When we cut someone off, it is because we are in a hurry; when someone else does it to us, it is because they are a jerk or worse," he says. The research, funded by AAMI and the Australian Research Council, tested 40-50 people aged 18-25 on driving simulators. It shows 86 per cent of motorists feel drivers are becoming more aggressive with 87 per cent saying rude behaviour should be ignored. Only 3 per cent suggest a rude reply and 1 per cent recommend tailgating. However, Dr Denson suggests reality is quite different. Half of Australian drivers admit to yelling and swearing at another motorist for doing something they believe is rude or dangerous, while 38 per cent admit to making rude gestures and 18 per cent to deliberately tailgating other drivers, he says. Of those who verbally abused another driver or offered a rude gesture, four out of five felt it was justified and of the tailgaters, two out of three felt justified. Dr Denson warns that the rise of road rage incidents could lead to a national health hazard. "With alarming numbers of Australian motorists admitting to experiencing road rage, my colleagues and I are concerned about the mental and physical health ramifications," he says. The obvious physical ramifications are assault or crashes resulting from risky behaviour such as tailgating. But Dr Denson says there are other heath risks. "When people experience road rage, they may not only be a danger to others, but also to themselves," he says. "Anger increases blood pressure and heart rate ... frequent anger is a risk factor for early mortality due to cardiovascular disease and in the car can lead to accidents." Dr Denson says they are also experimenting on the effect on road rage of songs with aggressive lyrics. "Our design will allow us to determine whether aggressive driving is the result of the aggressive lyrics or distracting nature of the music or both," he says. He says they selected the music by "pre-testing" to find some songs that increase anger. "In the current study, we are using an aggressive hip hop song (but) I'd rather not identify the artist," he says. We have three conditions: one with the song, another with just the music and lyrics removed, and a third no music control condition. "This design will allow us to figure out whether music itself is distracting and/or a cause or risky and aggressive driving or whether the aggressive lyrics are a key player." In other upcoming experiments the team will examine the role of being angered - such as by one's boss - prior to getting in the car. ROAD RAGE Responses when encountering a rude or aggressive driver  

A text message warning system has been developed that gives motorists up to 10 minutes' notice of a potentially damaging hail storm for their area. And its first high volume test last night sent 70,000 messages just before golf-balls of hail lashed Melbourne. The Hail Automated Notification System (HANS) was developed in South East Queensland, but is available across Australia. Paul Malt, director of IT for A&G Insurance, says HANS provides more specific warnings than the Bureau of Meteorology. "BOM issues a warning for a larger area, such as the whole of South East Queensland," he said yesterday. "Where we differ is we take the targeting information to another level to track the cell of the storm that contains the ice, to measure the size of the ice and to then work on probabilities of where that storm will specifically track. "We will be much more targeted to specific locations within a region." HANS is available free to Budget Direct customers at their home address. The message to customers reads: "From Budget Direct: There is a high probability of hail for (name of the customer's suburb/town). Please take appropriate precautions and stay safe." "At this point it uses the home address of the customer, but where we see it going is to potentially offer the customer the ability to nominate other addresses such as where they work," Malt said. "As people get more used to location-aware systems, our ultimate goal - if people are comfortable - is to link it to their mobile phone location." Malt says they have been working on HANS for several years and been trailing it over the past week with storms in South East Queensland and NSW. The first high-volume test was Wednesday's Melbourne hail storm. "We've continued to work hard at getting the right warning time," he said. "We're trying to give people a minimum of five minutes."From a safety perspective we don't want people moving their car during a hail storm. So unless we can give a minimum of five minutes warning we won't send out alerts. "However, we can't be sure how quickly the text message gets through the carrier's network to the handset. "It's always hard to get a definitive answer on whether our warning was exact, but some of the feedback from our Melbourne customers was that they had the information in time and had been able to act on it and then received hail." Melbourne customer Diane Corckery received a text warning about 8.30pm at her Camberwell home. "How impressive was that? Our cars were in the garage anyway, so I rang my daughters to warn them and they took their cars to an undercover shopping centre carpark for protection," Mrs Corckery said. "If you were out on the road it would be an incentive to get them under shelter quick. " I have a Kia Rio only a couple of years old and my husband, Colin, has a Ford Mondeo which is also a couple of years old so we wouldn't want any damage to them."  

SEVENTEEN of the top 20 cars stolen in Australia in the past year are early model Holden Commodores that can be started with a dipstick. The other three cars in the top 20 are the 1997 and '98 Hyundai Excel (eighth and 17th) and the 1991 Toyota Camry (20th), according to National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction figures. Executive director Ray Carroll says Commodores are over-represented because there are so many on the road and the early models lack adequate security. ``In some of the early models you only need a key vaguely of the same make and model; the locks are so worn anything with a similar profile will start them. Some even start with a dipstick,'' he says. ``Holden introduced immobilisers to Commodores in 2001 but the early versions were pretty poor quality in terms of effectiveness.'' The Commodore has been Australia's most popular-selling car for more than 10 years and the models which top the theft council's ``most-stolen'' list range from 1989 to 2003. Most stolen is the 1992 Commodore with 393 going missing in the past year. Of these, 332 are short-term thefts for joyriding, vandalism, transport or to commit a crime while the other 61 are classed as ``profit-motivated thefts'' where the cars are ``rebirthed'' and sold, usually interstate, or broken up and sold as parts. Carroll says V8 and six-cylinder Commodores are an attractive target for joyriders because they are ``good for doing wheelies and donuts''. They are also targeted by thieves for their value as parts on the black market, he says. Theft council figures show car thefts have plummeted 65 per cent in the past 10 years from a peak of 129,923 in 2000-01 to 53,588 last financial year. ``There is a lot of speculation about the reasons for this trend,'' Carroll says. ``One is that the fleet is becoming more immobilised, but there are still something like five million unsecured non-immobilised cars in the country. ``Also, as the theft rate comes down, there are less offenders doing it which means police can concentrate on more intelligence-led policing of high-rate offenders. ``There is a small number of offenders committing a large percentage of car theft, so police can have a big impact on theft rates if they take these criminals out of action.'' Carroll says another major contributing factor to the drop in car theft is the increasing vigilance of motorists. ``When we started 10 years ago the typical old-fashioned statement was `no one would ever want to steal my old bomb','' he says. ``There has been a lot of work done by us, the police and others to educate people that it's the older cars - or bombs - that get stolen the most. ``People are more security conscious now.'' MOST STOLEN CARS 1992 Commodore 393 1990 Commodore 343 1991 Commodore 330 1998 Commodore 323 1989 Commodore 319 1995 Commodore 295 1999 Commodore 294 1997 Hyundai Excel 282 1997 Commodore 282 1996 Commodore 275 2000 Commodore 266 2002 Commodore 261 1993 Commodore 257 1987 Commodore 245 1994 Commodore 240 2001 Commodore 229 1998 Hyundai Excel 229 2003 Commodore 220 1986 Commodore 219 1991 Toyota Camry 215 (2010-11 National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council) CAR THEFTS Fin Year     Short term    For profit 2000/01      114,766          15,157 2005/06       55,995           12,231 2010/11       34,155           11,659 BIKE THEFTS Fin Year     Short term    For profit 2000/01        2295              3863 2005/06        2392              4263 2010/11        3036              4738

The $90,000 Spartan V is built in Sydney by the Spartan Motor Company in a limited edition of 300 vehicles for track use only. It is powered by a Ducati 1198cc V-twin engine, features a lightweight carbonfibre body and frame and the company claims it will hit 100km/h in less than three seconds which is faster than a Ferrari Enzo (3.1s). The car is the culminatioon of a long-time dream of brothers Peter and Nick Pap. ``We've been working around motors since we were kids; our father was an engineer,'' says Peter Pap. Their background also includes graphic design, electronics and motorcycle magazines. ``It's just been one of those things we wanted to do for a long time,'' he says ``We decided on a Ducati engine because it's like a Ferrari; the feel, the noise. ``When you ride a Ducati it's more of an emotional thing than anything else. ``We could have gone with a Hyabusa (Suzuki 1300cc four-cylinder engine) but wanted some feel. ``It sounds amazing. I drove it last week for the first time. We'll be out again flogging it around the track to see if it breaks.'' Pap says the project has been ``a hard slog'' for the past five ears, but only the start of their boutique car-building business. ``We'll only make about 300 of them and then do something else, something different,'' he says. ``We want to keep it exclusive. We won't make more than 300, no way.'' The very spartan two-seater roadster has no roof or doors, only a small windscreen and weighs about 350kg, which is less than the weight of two Ducati superbikes. Like a Ducati, it features a trellis frame, but unlike a superbike, it has two Sparco racing seats and a traditional chrome gear stick with a big round knob on the top. The pedal box and steering can be adjusted to fit any size driver. At the rear, the exhaust exits through a carbonfibre diffuser below a see-through mesh panel that allows a view of the engine, chassis and suspension. Spartan V will be unveiled on the opening day of the Sydney Motorcycle and Scooter Show at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre on November 25. Motorcycle engines have been used in track-day cars for many years. Morgan made three-wheelers in the 1920s and '30s with Matchless and JAP V-twin engines, the Cooper Car Company used 500cc JAP engines in their 1940s race car and BMW used their motorcycle engines in the 1950s Isetta which has one door in the front. Bike engines also power the current Aussie Racing Cars series. But Austrian motorcycle company KTM makes a track-day car called the X-Bow powered by a car engine. The VW turbocharged racer has 177kW of power and 310Nm of torque. It's not as fast as the Spartan V with a 0-100km/h time of 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 217km/h. Spartan V Price: $90,000 Engine: Ducati 1198S, 127kW Weight: about 350kg Brakes: Wilwood lightweight 300mm ventilated rotors, Wilwood 4-piston/2-piston billet calipers and Wilwood rotor hats Pedals: Tilton racing pedal assembly with remote brake bias Wheels: 17 x 7 inch Advan lightweight race wheels Tyres: Yokohama Transmission: 6-speed sequential Suspension: Fully adjustable double wishbone front and rear with Ohlins suspension Steering: Woodward Racing quick ratio steering rack and collapsible steering column, Sparco quick release steering hub, Sparco Formula steering wheel Instruments: Ducati 1198 Digitek LCD dash Seats: Tilton B5 carbon racing seats, Sparco Racing FIA-approved 5 or 6 point harnesses Final Drive: Drexler Motorsport Formula chain drive LSD Chassis: Trellis design spaceframe - 350Mpa DOM mild steel tubing with roll-over protection. FIA-approved roll bar optional Body: Carbonfibre Performance: 0-100km/h: 3 seconds Top Speed: 260km/h Sydney Motorcycle & Scooter Show Where: Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre How Much: Adults $20, seniors $14, 5-15 years $14, under 5 free, family (2 adults, 2 children) $48 When: Friday Nov 25, 2011. 10am-8pm; Saturday 9am-6pm, Sunday 9am-5pm

THE superbike wars are revving up with the four Japanese models taking different directions.Yamaha and Kawasaki have followed the lead of European models from BMW and Ducati with electronic traction control, while Suzuki and Honda have steered away from the heavy electronics. The new Kawasaki ZX10-R will also have anti-lock braking like Honda, BMW and Ducati, while Yamaha and Suzuki do not have ABS.The latest to announce details of its litre-capacity sports bike is Suzuki whose 2012 GSX-R1000 is so light they softened the suspension to match. Rarely does a sports bike receive softer suspension, but Suzuki has shaved 2kg off their already lightweight superbike for next year.That makes it 3kg lighter than the Yamaha R1 which next year puts on 1kg and remains the heaviest of the litre-capacity sports bikes. At 136kW, the Suzuki also 2.1kW more powerful than the Yamaha.Suzuki engineers have shaved most of the weight from the engine with 11 per cent lighter and stronger pistons, revised crankcases with newly designed ventilation holes, a modified exhaust camshaft profile and increased engine compression ratio. It continues with engine modes like the BMW, Ducati and now Yamaha.Suzuki Australia spokesman Eoin Black says it will arrive early next with pricing yet to be decided. Other changes include a new exhaust with lightweight titanium muffler; dual Brembo monoblock calipers up front on new discs; softer and lighter Showa suspension; and a high-grip seat. Like all new models, there are changed graphics and colours including pin stripes on the wheels.The top-selling sports bike in Australia continues to be the Honda Fireblade, followed by the Kawasaki ZX10-R and Hyosung GT650R. Suzuki has the next three places with its 600cc, 750cc and 1000cc bikes, then the exotic BMW S1000RR.SUZUKI GSX-R1000L2Price: about $19,000Warranty: 2-year/unlimited kmEngine: 999cc, 4-cylinder, 136kWTransmission: 6-speed, chainSuspension: adjustable Showa forks and rear shockBrakes: Brembo calipers, 310mm discs (front), Nissin caliper, 220mm disc (rear)Tyres: 120/70 ZR17; 190/50 ZR17Fuel: 17.5-litre tankDimensions: 2045mm (L), 705mm (W), 1130mm (H), 1405mm (WB), 810mm (Seat)Wet weight: 203kg

Just why the Germans were riding British bikes in The Great Escape has never been explained. But the movie -- and Steve McQueen's performance -- is firmly voted a classic. And now British motorcycle company Triumph has paid tribute to the 1963 movie with a limited-edition Steve McQueen T100 Bonneville available in Australia next year. The late actor played an escaped American prisoner of war riding a post-war Triumph TR6 bike in the movie while being chased by German soldiers on similar-era British bikes, rather than wartime BMWs. The reason for the later-model British bikes has never been fully explained, although it is believed McQueen demanded Truimphs be used because he owned and competed on them. At the end of the scene, McQueen's character, Captain Virgil Hilts, jumps a barbed wire fence trying to get to freedom in neutral Switzerland. While McQueen was a competent motorcycle rider and represented the US in the World Six Day Enduro titles in 1964, the jump was actually performed by stunt rider and good friend Bud Ekins. McQueen did the most of the riding in the scene, but the jump was considered too dangerous for the star of the silver screen. Only 1100 of the McQueen tribute Triumphs are being made in an agreement with the late actor's estate. The Bonnevilles have military-style matt khaki green paintwork, a period-style stencilled Triumph decal on the tank and the actor's signature on the side covers. It will be available in Australia in July 2012 but price has not yet been announced, although it is expected they will cost more than the standard T100 at $13,990. Each bike is individually numbered with a plaque on the handlebar clamp and owners will receive a certificate of authenticity. They look similar to the bikes used in the movie with a solo seat, skid plate, and a host of blacked-out components, including wheel rims and hubs, headlamp, handlebars, rear springs, luggage rack, mirrors and front mudguard supports.