Page 4 - Australian Road Rider - Bike Guide 2017

TOO MUCH CHOICE

Despite what we think, now is a great time to be a bike rider

ho’d have thought it; the second biggest-selling road bike (behind the
venerable ‘postie’) in Australia during 2016 was the Harley-Davidson XG500,
a LAMS-approved cruiser that looks every bit the part. Interestingly, the next
Wbest-selling bike was the Yamaha YZF-R3, another LAMS-approved bike. In
fact, out of the top-10 selling road bikes last year, eight were learner-approved motorbikes,
with half of that fi gure showing an increase in sales. To me, this tells us that more and more
MAKING MOTORCYCLE young people are riding bikes.
This is a good thing. Young riders are the future of the industry and it seems
manufacturers have embraced this with the range and styles they have available to suit all
INSURANCE SIMPLE tastes, from adventure bikes through to cruisers and even retro-style offerings.
To refl ect this we are again including LAMS-approved bikes in this guide, but this year we
will feature them with their full-sized cousins in the relevant sections of the magazine.
Experienced riders are also being catered for with increased choice, and the areas that
appear to be growing are the naked and retro bike styles. Modern-looking naked bikes still
IF YOU HAVE as the Kawasaki Zs and the new Triumph Street range. This has opened the door for more
seem to be following the Streetfi ghter look, with more cutting-edge designs out there such
traditional looking bikes which have taken on a style of their own.
It’s safe to say ‘Old School’ styled bikes are cool again with even the big manufacturers
QUESTIONS, getting on board with their modern twist on an old bike. Some are even encouraging
customisation, with a wide range of accessories available to tailor your bike to your own style.
You only have to look at Yamaha’s XSR series, BMW’s R nineT or Ducati’s new Scrambler
WE HAVE to see how manufacturers are catering for the leisure motorcyclist, the rider who wants the
look of yesteryear but with modern reliability and updated handling.
Alternatively, if you’re not a hipster or chasing the old-school look, there are loads of
other options out there, from tourers and adventure bikes through to supersports and
ANSWERS! cruisers. For me, I’m going to take another look at some of the old-school bikes and enjoy
my overpriced coffee. Yep, I’m trying to recapture my youth and I just don’t care.
Andy

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4 Australian Road Rider Bike Guide featured a colour or some minor specification that is not available here.