Transport

First is the R1200GS Adventure with a 33-litre tank next month, followed by the R1200S, with 25 per cent more power, and the K1200GT in June.BMW national marketing manager Cameron Cuthill has just returned from the world launch in South Africa of the F800S and ST midweight sports bikes, which he says will be here around August.Cuthill said prices were not yet decided.The bikes, which fill the gap between the 650cc and 1200cc models, feature BMW's first parallel-twin engine, a new suspension system and quiet, low-maintenance, long-life belt drive.The 798cc four-valve liquid-cooled DOHC engine delivers 63kW of power and 83Nm of torque and is available in the half-faired F800 S and the sports touring orientated F800 ST, both with a close-ratio six-speed gearbox.The engine was developed by BMW in close co-operation with Austrian manufacturer Bombardier-Rotax and is built in the Rotax plant.The F800 has an aluminium frame, single-sided swing-arm, a stainless steel exhaust system and conventional telescopic forks which BMW says help to keep weight down to 182kg dry for the S and 187kg for the ST.The 16-litre fuel tank is under the seat for a low centre of gravity and with easily accessible filler manifold, similar to the single-cylinder 650cc machines.Riders won't have to remove their tank bag to fill up.Both models will be available from the factory with BMW's new, optional two-channel anti-lock braking system.Braking is provided by twin 320mm discs with four-piston calipers and sintered metal pads up front and a 265mm single disc and single-piston floating calliper on the rear.The F800 S comes with the same cast aluminium wheel design as the K1200 S, while the F800 ST features the R1200 ST wheels, all with side-mounted valves for convenient tyre pressure control.An electronic immobiliser is standard.The mirrors come with a special rest position enabling the rider to quickly find the perfect setting after folding them back.The F800 S comes in "sunset" non-metallic or "flame red" non-metallic, while the F800 ST comes in blue metallic or "graphitane" metallic.It should have special appeal for shorter riders and women with a seat height of 820mm, or 790mm option and slender seat waistline.Other options include various items of luggage, heated handlebar grips, on-board trip computer, centre stand and an anti-theft alarm system.

OK, one is a scooter, but the Vespa GTS 250ie is still a two-wheeled form of transport.And it's the one that gets used the most for short trips, incidental shopping and commuting, just because it's so simple.Hop on, twist and go. That's it.There is plenty of storage space under the seat for coat, gloves and open-face helmet and on the way home, I can fit a few items from the shops or any work from the office that I need to take home.It's also cheap to operate. Running at about 3.5 litres/100km, it costs less than $10 a week to do the 50km work-and-home daily commute.Practical, but is it cool?You bet. Italian retro design and it's black.But to add even more spice, accentuate the Italian origins and attract a bit more attention, we went back to Carl Merz at Performance Decals & Signage, Moss St, Slacks Creek, to design, produce and fit some tasty stickers.Merz spiced up the look of the long-term Yamaha XTX660 last year for just $200, which isn't bad for a one-off design.This time, we needed an Italian influence, a nod to the retro styling and something that shows this is now slouch.So there are green, white and red flags, and silver GT stripes that reflect the generous chrome used in the bike's design.Since there is more surface area on a scooter, more stickers were required, so this job cost $300, which is still good value for a unique design.Merz produces stickers for road and dirt bike race teams, bike shops, private riders, bike restorers and people wanting something different or a cheap fix on a scratched fairing."We're able to reproduce anything the factories do, including shaded and fade-in designs," Merz said. "A lot of people are restoring bikes and the decals are no longer available."It's a amazing how a set of decals will make a bike look like new."Prices range right up to about $700 for a full set of decals for a road bike and $350 for thick scratch-resistant stickers on a motocrosser.

We can, and will, tell you what this motorcycle is like to ride, but it's Marabese Design's stunning work that brought this show bike into production, and it's the styling that will make it sell.The second bike in the "clean sheet" program funded by Guzzi's previous owner, Aprilia, the Griso features the engine introduced in the Breva last year, but a different frame and running gear. In fact, the Griso probably carries more Aprilia bits than leftovers from around Guzzi's Mandelo del Lario factory.The engine remains the firm's trademark 90-degree air-cooled V-twin, but the castings are all new and of much better quality.The transmission is a six speeder and the final drive is a single-sided shaftdrive set-up with progressive linkage. Called CARC, for Cardano Reattivo (after a famous Guzzi engineer) or Compact Reactive Shaft Drive (on the spec sheet), the set-up reportedly cost Moto Guzzi a small fortune in development and legal costs to get around the patents for BMW's similar Paralever system.Unlike the German set-up, the CARC driveshaft and universal joints, incorporating torsional dampers, float in the housing with a torsion bar to prevent the bike's rear end "squatting" under braking and rising under acceleration.Controlling this engineering masterpiece is a linkage-equipped, fully adjustable Sachs shock with piggyback reservoir, and the front carries 43mm upside-down Showa forks that also are fully adjustable. What looks like a fork brace is just a paint and plastic job on the front mudguard. Brembo supplies the floating disc brakes at each end.The distinctive, silver twin-tube frame is the centrepiece of the bike's styling. Wrapped over this is a polycarbonate fuel tank, and vented sidepanels cover the fuel-injection plumbing, wiring and twin horns.The detail is impressive: a minimalistic instrument panel, giant fuel filler, dark-tinted indicator lenses and beefy triple clamps.What really sets this bike apart is the "bazooka" muffler that comes complete with holes underneath and drainpipe exhaust headers.The set-up is slightly less aggressive than the show bike in that the collector ducks under the engine rather than dumping straight into the muffler, but the rest is a faithful reproduction of Marabese's design.ON THE ROADThat giant exhaust and aggressive styling reminiscent of Yamaha's MT01 suggest the Griso is one mean mother. It's not, despite Moto Guzzi calling it a "power cruiser". That must have more to do with the styling than its 64.8kW output. They're definitely on the money with the "cruiser" bit because the Griso is perfect for a weekend run.Despite the bike's fairly long wheelbase of 1554mm, the Griso is a competent corner carver. The steering is relatively quick, helped by the ultra-wide handlebars.There is plenty of cornering clearance, helped by the absence of a centrestand, and the anti-squat CARC set-up keeps the bike sitting flat in corners even if you back off.Brembo's finest do an admirable job of pulling up the beast which, at 227kg dry, is no lightweight.As fitted, the suspension feels as if it has been set up for a 90kg Italian — too stiff for lighter riders on choppy Victorian surfaces.The gearbox is a vast improvement over our previous Guzzi test bike, a California. Neutral is easy to find and changes are accompanied by a click rather than a clunk. Sixth is a serious overdrive ratio.Traditional fans can relax as well. This Guzzi hasn't become the Italian equivalent of a Japanese sewing machine. The engine does still produce moderate vibes.There's no balance shaft, so it feints to the left when you blip the throttle when stationary.One minor niggle is the left-hand switchblock, on which the horn button is easier to reach than the indicator switch (this is an Italian machine), and the trip computer control button, below the highbeam flasher, looks like an afterthought.The low-fuel light also comes on annoyingly early for a bike which, despite its limited 17-litre fuel capacity, has a range up to 300km.For extended touring you'd be better off on the Breva (see right), or the fully faired Norge 1200 due here in May, but neither of them looks as good as the Griso.