Articles by Mark Hinchliffe

The 675cc three-cylinder F3 is the first middle weight sportsbike with ride-by-wire engine controls including four pre-set maps and one map with traction control that can be selected between eight different levels.The F3 675 will be available in three different colour schemes (red/silver, pearl white with red frame and black/metallic with red frame), for $17,990 ride away. It is scheduled for production in January with Australian delivery ion March.A limited edition F3 675 Serie Oro will be available by order only from February for $33,990 ride away.The Oro (gold in Italian) will be limited to 200 bikes worldwide and features gold finish in the frame plates, single-sided swingarm, forged aluminium wheels, air intakes, cooling vents, DID gold chain and gold individually numbered plate on the upper triple clamp.It also has an abundance of lightweight carbonfibre in the mudguards, dashboard cover, airbox and intake covers, fairing inserts, chain guards, swingarm protector, sprocket cover, fairing lower, and exhaust outlets.Attention to detail includes machine-polished clutch cover and frame plates, and solid-billet alternator cover and footpeg mounting brackets allowing full adjustability, while the seat covers are hand-made from leather and suede-effect alcantara.Oro comes with Ohlins upside-down forks, and TTX shock and steering damper plus Brmebo brakes, while the standard model has adjustable Marzocchi 43mm forks, Sachs piggy-back rear shock and Nissin/Brembo brakes.The Varese-based manufacturer claims the three-cylinder engine has a counter-rotating crankshaft previously only available on MotoGP motorcycles to improve balance and nimble handling.It has a high-revving, oversquare triple capable of 94kW of power at 14,500rpm and 71Nm of torque at 10,600rpm, with a 15,000rpm limit. The 260km/h F3 also features launch control for quick starts and electronically assisted shift for fast gear changes without having to close the throttle or use the clutch.As with all previous MVs, the frame is a mix of steel tubing and aluminium side plates. Mv Agusta claims it is the most compact mid-sized sportsbike, the lightest at 173kg with the shortest wheelbase of 1380mm.Prices of all MV models have come down since new importer, MV Agusta Imports, took over last year. Manager Kevin Beale says they have been able to negotiate better prices than the previous importer."MV Agusta is very keen to get back into Australia having lost the previous distributor," he says. "We told them what would need to be done to get a worthwhile market share and they made the decision to go ahead with our proposal."The bikes will be cheaper, but we have promised them more volume as a trade-off. There's been an excellent response to the cheaper prices. We were expecting some reluctance with the change in distributor but people seem to be able to cope with that."Beale says they will honour warranties on existing models after the previous importer the Paul Feeney Group relinquished MV Agusta and Cagiva last July. MV Agusta Imports now has dealers in all states.Visit: mvagustaimporters.com.auMV AGUSTA F3Prices: $20,000 (F3), $33,800 (Oro)Engine: 675cc, 12-valve 3-cylinder, 94kW/71NmTransmission: 6-speed, constant meshDimensions: 2060mm (L), 725mm (W), 805 (Seat), 1380mm (WB), 125mm (Clearance) Dry weight: 173kg Fuel tank: 16 litresBrakes: 320mm discs (front), 220mm disc (rear)Tyres: 120/70 - ZR17 (front), 180/55 - ZR17

... GO LIVE Top Gear edition satnav released in Australia this week with his voice providing directions.The BBC has ruled that the deal would breach the corporation's editorial policy banning endorsements of commercial products.Under the conflict of interest section of the BBC's editorial guidelines, presenters "must take particular care not to endorse any product or service which could be covered in the programmes on which they work".The international broadcaster has now struck an agreement that all of their revenue from the deal will go to BBC Children in Need together with a donation from TomTom.The satnav is now available in Australia for $299 and features "Jeremy Clarkson's soothing, helpful voice".Some of his quotes include:*  After 700 yards - presumably this car can make it that far - you have reached your destination with the aid of 32 satellites and me. Well done;*  Ahead, keep left, and, if you're not sure which side left is, you really shouldn't be on the road;*  Go around the roundabout, sixth exit, or do what you just usually do; guess blindly and end up on an industrial estate; your choice; and*  Take the motorway; you can't miss it. It's a big lump of tarmac full of caravans and traffic cones.And presumably when you arrive at your destination Clarkson says: "and on that bombshell it is time to end the show".Other Top Gear features on the satnav are a "Stig" silent mode, points of interest such as race tracks and race ways, car icons, Top Gear start-up and shut-down screens and speed camera warnings.The TomTom GO LIVE Top Gear edition GPS also includes free live traffic services for one year, weather reports, local search with Google, hands-free navigation with voice control and hands-free calling via Bluetooth.

1 Jay Leno: Duesenbergs What a Doosey of a way to start this top 10 star cars feature! One of the world's most expensive cars and most sought after by Hollywood legends over the years is the American luxury Duesenberg. Talk show host Jay Leno has one of the biggest stables of exotic cars in the world, including six Deusenbergs, each worth more than $1.5m. They are so luxurious, they gave birth to the expression "What a duesy/doosey"! They have been owned by celebs such as Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, Greta Garbo, and Mae West. they have also been owned by millionaires Howard Hughes and William Randolph Hearst, criminal Al Capone and royalty. 2 Simon Cowell: Bugatti Veyron They cost about $2m and are one of the fastest production cars on the planet with a top speed of 431km/h. The Veyron also launches to 100km/h in 2.5 seconds. The TV talent show judge is a good judge of a car with a garage that also includes a Ferrari F430 and Rolls Royce Phantom. He has also paid a deposit for the Rolls-Royce 100EX Cabriolet which is still just a concept. 3 David Beckham: Custom Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead The V12-powered Roller is worth about $1.3m in "standard" trim. But there is nothing standard about this Roller for the soccer superstar and husband of Posh Spice. For a start, it has custom-made 24-inch Savini forged wheels which cost several thousand dollars each. Beckham's number 23 is embroidered on to the leather seats. 4 Jerry Seinfield: Porsche 959 The reclusive comedian built a $1.4m multi-storey garage in New York just to house his 46-car collection, most of which are Porsches. The most expensive is his rare 959. Only 337 were built and only 200 of those were street legal. A 959 is estimated to cost more than $1m. Bill Gates also owns one, but neither he nor Seinfeld can drive them on the streets as they don't pass US emissions tests. 5 Jay Z and Beyonce: Maybach Exelero Rapper Shawn Corey Carter (Jay Z) and Beyonce Knowles paid about $8m for this one-off German luxury sports car. It was commissioned by Fulda Tyres to test their widest tyres, but now Maybach is building the Batmobile-esque cars for general sale. The 350km/h two-seaters are powered by a 522kW twin-turbo V12 engine. The Exelero features in Jay Z's Lost One video. 6 Kim Kardashian: Ferrari 458 Italia Now that she has filed for divorce from her husband of 10 weeks, Kris Humphries, her collection of cars could also be split up. The reality TV star has several cars, including a Bentley Continental GT, Rolls-Royce Ghost, Range Rover and Ferrari F430, to which she has added the F430's successor, the 458 Italia. In Australia they cost more than $500,000, but Kim's has apparently been specially pimped. 7 Paris Hilton: Bentley GT Continental Of course, it's pink! The body, the grille, wheels, seats and interior trim. If that's not bling enough, it features a diamond-encrusted dashboard that is reported to be worth more than $250,000. In Australia, they cost about $400,000, but with a diamond-encrusted "PH" badge on the front, this one cost a whole lot more. The heiress bought it as a Christmas gift to herself in 2008. 8 Nicolas Cage: Ferrari Enzo The Hollywood actor's addiction to cars caused his financial ruin. At one stage he owned nine Rolls-Royces. But his most valuable and valued car was the legendary Ferrari Enzo which was gone in less than 60 seconds at auction for a bargain price. The V12 sports car, named after Ferrari's founder, had a top speed of 350km/h. Only 399 were built. They can sell for up to $20m. 9 Ralph Lauren: McLaren F1 LM The American fashion designer owns a huge collection of classic cars including the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Coupe, Porsche 550 Spyder, a Bugatti Veyron, two Ferrari 250 Testa Rossas and a rare 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, of which 39 were made. While some might consider the 250 GTO the greatest Ferrari of all time, fetching up to $15m at auction, it's not as rare as the McLaren. Only five were built to honour the five McLaren F1 GTRs that finished and won the 1995 Le Mans 24-hour race. 10 Patrick Dempsey: Jaguar XK120 The hunky actor from Grey's Anatomy has great taste in cars, especially race cars. The aspiring racer has driven the pace car in Indy 500 and has raced sports car and off-road buggies. He is a co-owner of an IndyCar team and also owns a classic Jaguar XK120. They were built between 1948-1954 and successfully raced at Le Mans.  

The problem relates to an auxiliary water pump that helps cool the turbocharger. BMW says on its US website that an electronic circuit board could fail and, "in an extreme case", lead to the "smoldering of the water pump". There have been two cases of fires in the engine compartment among 102 cases of pump failures worldwide, but the German car manufacturer said it was not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the defect. BMW Australia spokesman Piers Scott confirmed there have been no reports of failures here. "We got the list overnight," he says. "Nine hundred cars in Australia are potentially affected. The tech team are working through it now. It's a technical campaign - a simple replacement of the water pump, to be carried out through normal servicing, at no cost to customers." The affected cars are 2008-11 model 5 Series, 7 Series, X5 and X6 equipped with turbocharged 8- or 12-cylinder engines. BMW described the recall as voluntary and has told the American Highway Traffic Safety Administration that in most cases, the driver would get a warning on the instrument panel of the problem.

No, this is not a late April Fool's Day joke like the one played this year by those Munich funsters "releasing plans" for a 309kW M3 pick-up truck.This is the real deal. Aussie-made Mini utes built by Motorline BMW in Brisbane from two second-hand promotional cars.Dealer principal Craig Rose has dubbed them the "Mute" for "Mini ute" and plans to make special name badges for the car.Motorline BMW spent more than 700 hours modifying the 2003 Mini Coopers including an engine overhaul, re-trimming the interior, fabricating a fibreglass rear lid with a gas strut, marine-grade ute tray carpeting, fitting 18-inch wheels and adding stainless steel roll bars.The result is immaculate. Almost like a factory product.Rose says all design, fabrication and painting was done in-house, except for the manufacture of the roll bars.He plans to use the vehicles for promotions but says they are also for sale for $30,000 and he intends to make more if there is demand."All the hard work is done now," he says. "A lot of the job was in perfecting the body and smoothing and finishing the product."Rose is confident there will be buyer interest for the vehicle from private customers and businesses."It would make a great promotional vehicle," he says. "When you stop at the traffic lights people think you are going to give something away. It would also be suitable for a couple's weekend getaway. It has a surprising amount of boot space."Rose says he would like to see Mini do their own version, especially for the ute-loving Australian market."Mini has been talking about many different body styles," he says.In the past few years Mini has added several models including the Clubman five-door wagon and Countryman all-wheel-drive model with the strange-looking two-seater Coupe arriving early next year.So, will Mini produce a Mute?"All I can say is, 'never say never'," says Mini Australia spokesman Piers Scott. "After the Roadster, the two-door Mini Countryman Coupe will be the next confirmed Mini to roll off the production line, but there is room for more in the family. Regarding the Coupe, the price isn't yet confirmed but will be less than a $5000 premium over the hatch. Both Coupe and Roadster will land here in the first quarter of next year."

CUE the mod music and grab your parka - the Vespa PX is back. Last seen here in 2008, the four-speed manual, two-stroke, single-cylinder has returned. This is what real Quadraphenia-style scootering is all about. Not your mamby pamby auto four-strokes, but a buzzing, lively stroker. VALUE At $5990, it's exactly

Winnebago has announced it is about to start full production of a replacement for the successful Leisure Seeker, superseded in 2008 by the more upmarket Esperance.It will cost $134,990, plus on-road costs, which is $5000 less than the Leisure Seeker.It fits into Winnebago's range between the bottom-end Birdsville models on Fiat platforms and the mid-range Esperance models on Iveco, says spokesman Max Mayo."Ceduna is seen as a motorhomer's motorhome - tough, rugged, traditional, rear-wheel drive, dual rear wheels, plenty of space, and high on comfort," he says."In terms of looks, it is no frills but has all the attributes of Winnebago motorhomes including the metal sheathed underbody ideal of those dirt road adventures."Leisure Seeker was a similar type of motorhome which we build for almost two decades so there are plenty of people out there who have fond memories or in fact continue to adore their Leisure Seeker and Ceduna is there for them to upgrade."Esperance took over from Leisure Seeker and at that time we introduced some style in terms of aerodynamic shape and interior curves."Esperance is a bigger vehicle - about a metre longer than Leisure Seeker and offers a complete choice, especially beds as today, island beds are all the rage."Ceduna has the traditional motorhome look with a raked roof and is built on the Volkswagen Crafter 2.5 litre TDI turbo diesel chassis.It has a three-year, 200,000km warranty on the chassis, a two-year one million kilometre warranty on the home and a five-year structural guarantee.The external storage includes a full-width pass-through bin which can be used for storing longer items such as fishing rods. Inside, the Ceduna has a U-shaped lounge at the rear with over-large glass louvre windows for ventilation.Ceduna has seatbelts and beds for six people including a push-button electric roll-down double bed stored against the ceiling, two single beds which double as part of the lounge and a double bed over the cab.The bathroom has a hot shower, flushing toilet and hand basin. The hot water system is gas or 240v electric and heats 23 litres of water at a time.It comes with cabin and roof air conditioning, flat-screen TV with DVD player, a roll-out awning, electric entry step, and a kitchen with oven, grill and hotplates including an electric hot plate. Mayo says Winnebago sales are setting records."Whilst times are tough given the local and global uncertainly and sluggish housing market, Winnebago did however finish the last financial year with record retail sales; the best since the company was established back in 1965," he says.

The battery-powered Commodore is the first of seven being built by EV Engineering in Melbourne. Chief engineer Tim Olding, who spent 19 years with Holden, says the first test car is completed and would conclude validation testing by February. It will be joined in June by six more test cars built as a "proof of concept project to demonstrate technical viability". The eight-year project is a partnership with companies specialising in electronics, charging infrastructure and fleet vehicles and has been partly funded by a $3.5m government grant under the now-axed Green Car Innovation Fun. Olding says they have also received assistance from Holden but "no promises". "Holden gave us all the CAD (computer-aided design) for the base vehicle, access with their engineers to make the car function in the same way and access to their proving ground at Lang Lang," he says. "But there have been no promises from Holden about building an electric car. This is a feasibility project to look at all the components. No promises are guaranteed." Olding also said their conversion architecture could effectively be transferred to a Ford Falcon but refused to comment on approaches to, or from, Ford or any other manufacturers. For the first time, Olding provided details of the electric car concept and the reasons for choosing the Commodore. He says the Australian car industry's strength is in large rear-wheel-drive cars and the ability to build a variety of different models from the same architecture such as sedans, wagons and utes. "It (the EV) should be able to be built on an existing production line alongside ICE (internal combustion engine) models," he says. "Rear-wheel drive is perfect for balance and for the placement of the electric powertrain." Their EV Commodore concept replaces the Commodore's engine and transmission tunnel with 210 40amp-hour cells from Bosch; the same as used in BMW's electric concept cars. Olding says the modules can be built into the unusual engine/transmission tunnel shape. The fuel tank is replaced by the power electrics module and the differential is replaced by the electric motor and gearbox between the rear suspension. "Even the upcoming Tesla Model S has a similar configuration," he says. "There should be no major change to the engineering; that's the key component. This is the most cost-effective way to make an EV in Australia. "They should cost about the same as an ICE car, plus the cost of the battery." Olding says the battery is anchored with quick-release connections so it can be swapped easily to alleviate anxiety over the estimated 160km range. The car would also be chargeable from a home mains output. EV Engineering's consortium includes Bosch, Continental, Futuris, Better Place, Air International and GE, one of the largest owners of feet vehicles in Australia. The consortium is headed by Rob McEniry, former CEO of Mitsubishi Motors Australia. Olding says GE will help conduct testing over the next two years. However, he says it is also feasible that an EV car could be produced for public sale before the official end of testing. While Holden has no current plans for an EV Commodore, it will release the Volt next year which has an electric motor with a small petrol-powered "range extender" motor.

A US study by Kimberly-Clark Professional has found fuel nozzle handles are a dangerous breeding ground for bacteria and viruses - worse than handles on mailboxes, escalator rails, parking meters and pedestrian buttons on traffic signals. Infectious diseases expert Flavia Huygens warns that Australian fuel pump handles could harbour the dangerous superbug, MRSA. "I can well understand that can be the case," says the QUT associate professor. "I reviewed a study in Japan on public transport in trains where they did actually manage to isolate and identify our superbug, MRSA. "It's pretty dangerous because it's highly resistant to antibiotic therapy." She says the bug can lurk on public areas that people touch, particularly on fuel pump handles which are in use all day. "It's highly likely with fuel pumps because this superbug is transmitted by skin contact and hand-to-mouth contact." She advised motorists to wash their hands after using a fuel pump. "It would be a recommendation for service stations to have alcohol wipes at the fuel pump. That would be an excellent idea. "The Motor Trades Association of Australia confirms there are no particular industry procedures for hygiene of fuel pump handles and that it is up to the individual service stations. Queensland spokesman Richard Payne says diesel fuel is another health concern for motorists. "Our members talk about how careful you have to be in handling diesel as it's potentially carcinogenic and can get into the blood stream." RACQ spokesman Steve Spalding says diesel pumps are not kept clean enough. "Motorists with a late-model high-end European diesel car wouldn't expect to get a pump covered in grime with sticky diesel on the ground that they then track back into their car," he says. "It would be a good customer service to offer a plastic glove. "A disposable glove would cost service stations a few cents and when you look at that against what the customer is spending on a tank of fuel it's a small cost to bear. "It would show that they're thinking beyond their profits. "It also seems to me a simple step for them to make sure the staff monitor the pump area and keep the nozzle and hoses clean."

IF cruising is about turning heads, then Victory has hit the jackpot. This white-framed Vegas Jackpot with its dazzling paintwork, ultra-fat rear tyre and abundance of chrome almost causes road accidents everywhere it goes as it diverts the attention of drivers and pedestrians. Victory is a 13-year-old American competitor to Harley-Davidson and has been in Australia for three years with dealers in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Newcastle and Mackay.VALUEThe Vegas Jackpot is more expensive than its non-metric (Japanese) cruiser competitors, the Harley-Davidson Softail Blackline ($27,995) and Triumph Thunderbird Storm ($22,990), both of which come standard with ABS. But you pay extra for two-tone paint on the Harley and the level of detail here is closer to Harley CVO quality rather than the standard models.TECHNOLOGYThe Victory also has the bragging rights on engine capacity with a 103 (1737cc) twin compared with the Storm's 1699cc and Harley's 1584cc. However, the Storm tops the torque charts with 156Nm, just 3Nm more than the Jackpot, while the Harley has 117Nm. Harley doesn't issue official power figures, but the Jackpot and Storm are level on 72kW.All come with six-speed transmissions with belt drive. The Jackpot's instrument display features a decent-sized LED screen that features a gear indicator and toggles between speedo, trip meter and tacho. A gear indicator and tacho are no longer considered heresy on an American cruiser as Harley Softails also have these features.DESIGNWhile many cruisers are going for the grunge look, this Victory is clearly going for the bling title with its deep chrome, white frame and wild paintwork. That white frame is a real standout, but surely vulnerable to stone chips. Also, the brake pedal is painted white and could quickly chip or discolour from wear. There is a darker red and black combination available with more varieties to come in the 2012 models.The engine is very tidy with all plumbing carefully hidden away, although the handlebar cabling is a little messy. Having the ignition on the side in the chromed air cleaner cover is needlessly "old school" and could scratch the chrome if you have anything dangling off your key ring. The use of a separate steering lock on the front fork is also inconvenient. Build quality is superb, right down to the fine details such as the use of quality nuts and bolts.RIDINGThankfully Victory last year upgraded the clunky gearbox. It's much smoother now and is married to a relatively light clutch. The cogs have positive engagement with an easy-to-find neutral and no false "angel gears".The big air-cooled engine likes revs more than the Harley or Triumph but doesn't feel uncomfortable or rough when plodding along in peak-hour traffic. Here it develops a fair bit of heat under the seat and at the traffic lights the right-side exhaust scorches your ankle.Most of our test ride was charging through the hills and I was surprised with the Victory's economy. Official figures are 5.5 litres per 100km giving it an effective range of almost 300km, but on our test ruin we achieved a startling 4.6L/100km.This test bike came with a legal aftermarket slash-cut exhaust with a slight bend that looks much nicer than the straight silencers. The sound is a deep burble at idle and a full-grown mating call at top revs. Where the Victory excels is in the handling and clearance. It is sprung and damped heavier than the Triumph or Harley and will only scrape the pegs with a decent lean. It also doesn't dig in or wallow if you hit a mid-corner bump. But with that 250mm wide, low-profile rear tyre, it obviously needs a lot of counter-steering effort to lean into corners and hold its line. Ease up on the bars and it stands straight back up again.The skinny 21-inch front wheel looks very old school, but it tends to track on parallel grooves in the road surface. Rear brakes are much stronger than the single front disc. Riding position is comfortable although the arms stretch out a fair way and highway speeds create a windsock effect. It comes with rear pegs and is registered as a dual-seater, but unless your pillion is a size-zero model most of their bottom is going to be sitting on the rear fender, scratching that stunning paintwork.VERDICTThis is a good handling, powerful cruiser with the looks to turn heads.VICTORY VEGAS JACKPOTPrice: $29,995Warranty: 2-year/unlimited kmService: 8000kmEngine: 1731cc air-cooled V-twin, 72kW/153NmFuel: 17litresTransmission: 6-speed, belt driveDimensions: 2435mm (L), 1684mm (WB), 653mm (Seat), 135mm (Clearance)Dry weight: 294kgSuspension: telescopic 43mm fork, mono-tube gas rear shockBrakes: 300mm discsTyres: 90/90 21 (front), 250/40R18 (rear)Economy: 5.5L/100km.RIVALSHarley-Davidson FXS Blackline $27,995Triumph Thunderbird Storm $22,990.