Bike Rider Magazine

13/12/2024

Royal Enfield is all set to launch its newest offering in the 650cc twin range- the Bear 650 in Australia and New Zealand soon. Now, the manufacturer has announced the commencement of pre-orders across all dealerships.

The Bear 650 will have a starting price of $11,490 making it $300 more expensive than the Interceptor 650- the bike it is based on. However, the Bear 650 comes with changes and tweaks to set it apart as a more rugged and off-road able motorcycle.

Read more here: https://www.brm.co.nz/royal-enfield-bear-650-pre-orders-begin-priced-from-11490/

Royal Enfield Australia & New Zealand Royal Enfield

13/12/2024

Triumph Motorcycles has unveiled the new Bonneville Bobber TFC, which will be produced in a limited number of 750 units worldwide. The Bobber TFC—which stands for Triumph Factory Custom—is based on the standard model but with special, fancy bits to set it apart.

The motorcycle has gloss carbon fibre bodywork complete with a swanky gold and black two-tone paint finish. It is also adorned with hand-painted marble gold highlights on the fuel tank and side panels. What’s more, the underbelly has been hand-signed by the artist who painted it!

https://www.brm.co.nz/triumph-bobber-tfc-limited-to-just-750-units/

Triumph Triumph Motorcycles New Zealand

Triumph Motorcycles has introduced a new Bonneville Bobber TFC that is limited to 750 units worldwide and comes with special, fancy bits.

12/12/2024

It seems like Kerry's Xmas present has arrived early. Yep, she loved Yamaha's new MT-09 Y-AMT (the auto one) so much that we sweet-talked Yamaha into letting us have it back for the summer.

While the Y-AMT will be used for plenty of commuting, touring, and general riding, we're interested in testing it on the track to see how the auto system copes with a more demanding ride. Yamaha reckons it actually performs better, but we'll have to see.

If you want to know more about the Y-AMT system, head to our YouTube channel BikeRiderTV, where you can check how it all works.

https://youtu.be/G5UAhrL8uFo?si=YDRzUUvpZo4EDzBo
Yamaha Motor Australia

12/12/2024

😎

12/12/2024

Not what we wanted to hear, but not unexpected...

The Government is to commission a review of the state insurer, as costs soar.

12/12/2024

It wasn't just the usual race bikes doing laps at Taupo last weekend for the first round of the Suzuki International Series.
With a class dedicated to adventure bikes, there were some familiar names riding extremely unfamiliar machines, but it didn't stop them going into full-on race mode when the visors went down and the flag dropped!

Read more| https://www.brm.co.nz/adventure-bikes-bring-exciting-new-aspect/

Suzuki NZ | Suzuki Motorcycles NZ | Cemetery Circuit

11/12/2024

This time last week BRM was battling dust and 33-degree heat checking out the new Royal Enfield BEAR 650. And it was really good fun!

Featuring an evolution of the 650cc parallel twin powerplant that was launched 6 years ago with the Interceptor & Continental, the BEAR 650 has more mid-range stomp (+4.5%), which suits the Scrambler vibe perfectly.

Named after the Big Bear Lake Run, an off-road race that took place in the States from 1921 - 1960, the link to RE was that the final event was won by a chap called Eddie Mulder on a Royal Enfield Fury 500.

As well as getting tweaks to the motor, the BEAR differs from the Continental in plenty of ways that makes this more than the same bike with different tyres. The wheels are 19"/17", there's more ground clearance and suspension travel, Showa Big-piston USD forks, switchable rear ABS, wider bars, the excellent Tripper TFT dash, full LED lighting and a beefier frame, amongst other things.

The punchier motor and lowered gearing make the BEAR much more urgent rolling on the throttle, making it great for diving in and out of the Melbourne traffic as we headed out of town. Hitting the trails on the way down to the Great Ocean Road and the torque once again provided plenty of entertainment for drifting the BEAR around turns and generally playing the fool. The suspension is firm, no doubt trying to make the most of the limited suspension travel, but it did meant you could hit things harder without blowing through the stroke and bottoming out.

On the road the firm suspension makes the BEAR a real backroad carver, with the wider bars giving plenty of leverage.

There'll be a full review up soon, but if you like the Scrambler style, then you're going to love the look and ride of the new BEAR 650.
Royal Enfield Australia & New Zealand Forbes & Davies

10/12/2024

The Yamaha MT-03 is now updated for 2025 with subtle yet needed changes to make it a more attractive proposition. The naked motorcycle receives tweaks similar to what its faired sibling, the R3 comes with.

The design has only been minutely altered at the rear. The tail section looks more compact and sharper than before. While the rest of the styling is the same, the new Ice Storm colour scheme hopes to keep things fresh.

Other changes include a new LCD display with Bluetooth connectivity as standard. This allows riders access to turn-by-turn navigation as well as calls and message alerts.

Read more on: https://www.brm.co.nz/yamaha-mt-03-updated-for-2025/

Yamaha Motor Australia Yamaha Motor New Zealand Yamaha Motor

10/12/2024

Ducati has unveiled the new Multistrada V2 for 2025. The adventure motorcycle continues to be offered in a standard and S version and was showcased at the Intermot show in Cologne.

The 2025 Multistrada V2 is powered by the brand’s new 890cc, twin-cylinder engine that does duty in the Panigale V2 and Streetfighter V2. This brings in more power- a jump from 111bhp at 9,000rpm to 113bhp 10,750rpm. Although torque has dropped from 98Nm at 6750rpm to 92Nm at 8250rpm.

That said, the engine sits as a stressed member in a new aluminium monocoque frame with a redesigned trellis subframe. The swingarm is double-sided and is made from cast aluminium. Now, the Multi V2 weighs 18kg lighter than the previous iteration tipping the scales at 202kg, dry.

https://www.brm.co.nz/new-ducati-multistrada-v2-unveiled/

Ducati Ducati Australia & New Zealand

09/12/2024

With the first round of the Suzuki International Series done and dusted, the Altherm Yamaha Race Team of Jake Lewis, Al Hoogenboezem and Dale Finch posted some excellent results, with all lapping faster than they ever have at Taupo.

And with a new partnership between the Altherm Yamaha Racing Team and Kiwi Motorsports Developments (KMD) Racing, they are expecting more close racing and faster lap times when the series heads to Manfeild this weekend.

Read more: https://www.brm.co.nz/successful-road-racing-season-start-for-the-altherm-yamaha-team/

|Yamaha Motor New Zealand

09/12/2024

If you manage to win $20M on Lotto this week, you might fancy sticking your name down for one of these – the Limited Edition Ducati Panigale V4 Tricolore.

With only 1000 models being made available worldwide, it gets the Tricolore paint scheme, carbon wheels, a numbered plate and, best of all, Ohlins' latest Hypure brake set-up!

Read all the details and the NZ pricing here: https://www.brm.co.nz/ducati-panigale-v4-tricolore-limited-edition-nz-pricing-revealed/
Ducati Australia & New Zealand | Ducati |

06/12/2024

The Honda X-ADV is quite a popular scooter in various international markets with the Japanese brand selling around 76,000 units since it was introduced in 2017.

Now, Honda has unveiled a special, limited-edition X-ADV that is limited to just 30 units and for select markets.

What makes it special other than the limited availability is the paint scheme. Honda has adorned the adventure-style scooter in a ‘Gold Finch Yellow’ colour. Furthermore, each unit will also come with a numbered plaque at the bottom of the fuel tank.

That said, the special edition Honda X-ADV also comes with the Adventure Pack, Comfort Pack and Luggage Divider as part of the package. These include heated grips, leg guards, front shield pipes, fog lights and a nine-litre bag along with a few other goodies.

Would you like to see the X-ADV in New Zealand? Let us know in the comments below!

Read more: https://www.brm.co.nz/limited-edition-honda-x-adv-scooter-unveiled/

06/12/2024

KTM has unveiled the new 790 Adventure that will replace the standard 890 Adventure in global markets.

However, the Austrian brand will continue to sell the top-of-the-line 890 Adventure R.

Now, for 2025 the KTM 790 Adventure comes with significant updates over the previous generation and borrows components from the 890 ADV. It gets adjustable 43mm WP Apex open cartridge forks for the front and a WP Apex monoshock at the rear. The front end features a split function that separates rebound and compression between the two forks with adjusters on the cap for each fork.

This would result in a much more accurate setup for different rider styles on and off-road.

Read more on: https://www.brm.co.nz/2025-ktm-790-adventure-breaks-cover/

KTM KTM AUSTRALIA KTM NEW ZEALAND

05/12/2024

With the success and praise the new Himalayan 450 received, we expected Royal Enfield to offer a scrambler version soon, just like it did with the previous model.

However, the brand has unveiled the Scram 440 which is based on the Scram 411 but with a bigger capacity engine.

With the design the same as the 411, the Scram 440 could be a challenge to distinguish. However, it does come in five fancy colours to set it apart- Force Blue, Force Grey, Force Teal, Trail Green, Trail Blue.

It is also offered in two versions- Force and Trail. While the latter comes with spoke wheels and tubed tyres, the Force variant uses alloy wheels and tubeless tyres.

Read more about the new Scram 440 here: https://www.brm.co.nz/royal-enfield-scram-440-unveiled/

04/12/2024

instead of struggling to get on and off an adventure machine that only gets dirty when riding through road works, should we be riding a machine that combines all the good bits we tend to require for fast, comfortable road miles that can be taken at a decent pace, without the negatives that come from riding a dirt bike on the road?

Suzuki thinks so, and they think they’ve produced the answer with their sport crossover, the GSX-S1000GX.

We've tested the motorcycle and brought you a detailed review. Read more here: https://www.brm.co.nz/suzuki-gsx-s1000gx-review-crossing-over/

Also, don't forget to watch the video review now playing on BRM YouTube!

Suzuki Suzuki Bikes UK Suzuki Motorcycles NZ

Powered by a descendant of the legendary GSX-R1000 motor and featuring the latest electronics, the Suzuki GSX-S1000GX is fast and seriously comfortable!

04/12/2024

The Yamaha XSR900 was a game-changer for the brand and the industry. The motorcycle brought in a package that is heavily retro in its styling but with a potent heart and all the bells and whistles of modern tech. Well, for 2025, Yamaha has decided to update the XSR900 to make it a better value.

While the design and styling remains the same majorly, the motorcycle now comes with new tech. There is a new five-inch TFT screen with smartphone connectivity. This unit replaces the 3.5-inch screen on the previous model. Yamaha has also added two custom, user-adjustable modes alongside the existing Sport, Street and Rain modes.

Adding to these, the 2025 XSR900 also features a Back Slip Regulator that reduces rear-wheel lockups and works in tandem with the slipper clutch.

https://www.brm.co.nz/yamaha-xsr900-gets-new-tech-for-2025/

Yamaha Motor Australia Yamaha Motor New Zealand Yamaha Motor

Yamaha has unveiled the 2025 XSR900 with new tech and a Euro5+ emissions compliant engine.

04/12/2024

Who’s heading to Taupo this weekend to watch some of the world’s best road racers go head-to-head?

I'm really looking forward to this weekend and the start of the Suzuki Tri-Series in New Zealand.
The last time I was there I rode for Carl Cox on a bike that was already out there, this time, I shipped my PHR Performance BMW M 1000 RR at the beginning of September! A total of 57 days at sea.😆

The opening round is at the Taupo International Motorsport Park this Saturday and Sunday, December 7-8th December, with the finale at the world-famous Cemetery Circuit on Boxing Day. Christmas Day will be a little different to normal, as we have scrutineering in the afternoon after a BBQ and a water fight, a very different experience! 🤪

The New Zealand Suzuki International Series has been absolutely mega, inviting us back, so a massive thanks to everyone who made it happen!

See you there!😜

Round 1, Taupo, Dec 7th and 8th;
Round 2, Manfeild, Feilding, Dec 14th and 15th;
Round 3, Whanganui’s Cemetery Circuit, Dec 26th.

There will be a coverage and I will add a link as soon as we have it.

Monster Energy BMW Motorrad Motorsport FHO Racing