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Bryan Both

unread,

Feb 16, 1997, 3:00:00 AM2/16/97

>On Sat, 15 Feb 1997 02:46:24 GMT, bry...@dove.net.au (Bryan Both)
>wrote:
>
>>I can post my copy if people want.
>
>Of course you should post it..... otherwise how can we dutifully
>ignore it :) Oh oh. I can smell napalm......

Flames to: a.sh...@qut.edu.au (AdamS) :)

------------------------------------------------------
========
From: fit...@per.geomechanics.csiro.au (Nick Fitton)
Newsgroups: aus.motorcycles
Subject: FAQ part 1 (monthly posting)
Date: 31 Aug 1996 17:08:55 GMT
Organization: The University of Western Australia
Lines: 1066
Message-ID: <509rj7$r...@enyo.uwa.edu.au>
NNTP-Posting-Host: solo.ned.dem.csiro.au
Path:
eden.adam.com.au!news.mel.aone.net.au!news.mel.connect.com.au!munnari.OZ.AU!news.uwa.edu.
au!fitton

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(Living on the WWW at) \| |/
"http://artemis.earth.monash.edu.au/~fitton/bikes.html" |_|

PART I
Section 1.1: Welcome to Aus.Motorcycles
Section 1.2: What kind of bike should I buy?
Section 1.3: Which bike? - 250's for Learners.
Section 1.4: What rules and regulations do I have to follow in my
state?
Section 1.5: What about lanesplitting?

PART II
Section 2.1: Where to ride, sights to see, nice roads, touring...
Section 2.2: Bike hire? Bike Shops? Importing bikes to Oz?
Section 2.3: Cleaning your bike.
Section 2.4: WWW sites, mailing lists, etc...

PART III
Section 3.1: Gear & Safety.

PART ONE

Section 1.1: Welcome to Aus.Motorcycles
-------------------------------------
Aus.Motorcycles (a.m) is a forum for discussion (haha) of Australian
motorcycles and motorcycling. This FAQ was put together by lots of
regular posters to a.m not only to answer the faq's but also give
people an idea of how to begin _and_ enjoy motorcycling around the
entire country. It is hopefully a starting point for beginner's and
a useful reference to ol' timers :-)

Need some info you can't find in here?... Let the posting begin!

Section 1.2: What kind of bike should I buy?
------------------------------------------
Bikes come in 4 main types
cruiser (harley clone)
good for small people - low seat height
good commuter - upright riding position
OK for luggage, although heavy loads can be awkward,
too far back and high up.
OK for light pillions, but again, too far back and
high up.
sports
Ok for most folks, may be too high seat for small
people, too cramped for tall ones.
Ok to poor commuter. often too peaky, hard in slow
traffic
and riding postion too radical for town work.
Usually poor for pillions, seat too small, pegs too
high,
weight too high up.
Usually poor for luggage, no attachment points
Good for freeway riding.
God for recreational riding (ie fanging(
standard.
Good commuter/tourer but can be slow to accelerate
often overweight/underpowered.
Good for luggage
Good for pillions
OK for freeway
Poor for sporty riding, too slow.
Few made now - usually mid-80s bikes.
dirt or road/trail
Good for tall people, short people can't touch the
ground
good commuter - upright position plus good
accelleration
poor on freeways, often not fast enough
OK for luggage
Ok for pillions, although can compress the suspension
too much
brakes and lights may not be up to road bike standard
knobby tyres poor on bitumen.

Which you choose depends on your type of riding. Plus, not all
bikes are the same - a ZZR250 is a sports bike, but is more friendly
to pillions and luggage than an RGV250 would be.

Go to all the dealers you can, and sit on the bikes. See what fits
you and which ones you like.

You need to ask yourself these questions:

1) Kind of riding.
Lots of city riding? traffic jams etc?
Lots of freeway riding?
Want to spend time playing in curving roads?
Are there bush trails near you?

Are you unusually tall or short? How heavy are you?

2) Pillions and luggage
Will you need to carry a lot of gear? shopping? lots of
books?
More than you can comfortably get in a backpack?
How about another person?
Is this other person tall? Heavy?

3) maintenance
Do you want to work on it yourself?
How much can you afford to spend on servicing? Some bikes are
much
easier to work on than others - a single cyl 4 stroke cruiser
like an SR250 is a doddle. A 4cyl sports bike like a GS250FW
is
much harder.

4) money and future plans
How long will you be keeping it?
Do you plan to buy a 250 to learn on, and upgrade as soon as
you
get your unrestricted license?

Many riders will drop the bike inthe first year. Do you
want to buy an expensive faired bike now, or wait till your
skill improves?

Do you want insurance? Comprehensive? Have you factored in
your riding gear? Helmet? Boots? Gloves? Jacket? Wet
weather gear?

Once you have sorted out your needs, you can then peruse the 250cc
list for
likely candidates, and cross check with your local paper for likely
price and availability. The monthly bike trading magazine Just Bikes
is also
a good resource for pricing and model identification.

You should also try and locate the beginner's magazines that
Two Wheels puts out from time to time. They usually have good advice
on how to buy a second hand bike, models, riding gear etc.

Compiled by Zebee Johnstone <zjoh...@scu.edu.au>

Section 1.3: Which bike? - 250's for Learners.
-------------------------------------------

The 250cc Bike List (Version 2.9p)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Compiled by Miles Gillham <m.gi...@citr.uq.oz.au>

Model Make Comments
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mito 125 Cagiva 2-stroke. Almost as fast as a 250cc
for a learner and glamorous. 7 speed
Just as exciting as an RGV and a lot
more desirable in States that place
restrictions on models of 250cc. Racy.
34hp@10,500RPM ~100mph 116kg
BR250 Kawasaki Watercooled, no fairing, reliable,
Single cylinder, small, very light to
ride. Good fun in dirt for a small
road bike. Sometimes has starting
problems. Nice note. Can get small
bikini fairing not dissimilar to
SRX250. Equiv to a CBX250. 22kW,
125kg, 25km/L, 155km/hr
CA250TS Honda The "Rebel". Harley/Cruiser style
twin
cylinder. 4 stroke 4 valve SOHC air
cooled. 5 speed. Disc front, drum
rear
brakes.
CB TWO FIFTY Honda Latest version of the 250 prallel
twin. basic, boring, economical,
excellent commuter, good deal if you
buy new and plan to trade up after a
year.
CB250 T/N/R Honda Unexciting, asic tourer. Reliable but
old. Large and sluggish. Good for
tall, light people who don't want to
go
fast but want a big mount. The CB250N
is very solid.
CB250RS Honda Precessor to the CBX, just as
powerful. Older but small, light,
quick, nice. 21Kw, 130kg, 24km/L,
150km/hr
$1000-$1500
CBR250 Honda expensive, maybe not imported into Oz
Hot equivalent to GSXR250. Can get
"Aero" (fast) & "Hurricane" (really
fast
and go to 18500RPM).
CBR250RR Honda available in NZ
CBX250 Honda 4-stroke, single cylinder
~$1500-~$1800
Reasonable. Successor to CB250RS.
Small fairing. Smaller bike.
22kW, 120kg, 25km/L, 160km/hr
CD250 Honda Fun, cheap, slow, low power,
consistent good beginner bike. Not
pretty. 15kW, 140kg $2000-$3000
CD250U Honda Fun, cheap, slow, low power, good
beginner bike. Parallel twin.
CM250 Honda 4-stroke "custom" style along the
lines
of GN250 & SR250, $1200-$1500
CMX250 Honda Equivalent in many ways to an EL250.
Looks a bit Harley-ish, given the
constraints of size. $1000-$1300
CX125 Gilera 2-stroke, 6 speed, single front
fork, very cute looking race bike
along
the same vein as the Mito. Sporty.
CZ250 CZ 2 stroke twin made in Czechoslovakia.
mid-70s and parts are hard. Good for
the classic clubs. 15kW, 140kg, 135
km/hr
$300-$600
DR250S Suzuki 16kW, 115kg, 22km/L, 135km/hr. Proven
commuter/fun bike. $650-$2700
DT250 Yamaha Can use it on the farm.
EL250 Kawasaki Pretty little cruiser. Low seat and
centre of gravity (chopper style).
20kW, 140kg, 21km/L, 140kg
ER250 Kawasaki Uni-trak, belt-drive Z250. 22kW,
145kg,
19km/L, 155km/hr, $850
ETZ250 MZ 15kW, 135kg, 25km/L, 130km/hr.
Dependable,
solid, and exciting as a brick.
$800-$1300
EX250R Kawasaki Ninja, 4-stroke
FZ250 Yamaha Mid 80's 4 cyl. 4-stroke. Apparently
the first 250 4-stroke to get over 50
hp. Known as the "Phazer". Imported.
Predecessor to FZR, equiv to Suzuki
GF250
FZR250 Yamaha Hot! Think of a FZR400 scaled down.
Japanese market model imported. Quick
(~180kmh) and better than GSXR250.
GF250 Suzuki Suzuki's second attempt at a 4cyl 250.
If you keep it in the powerband
(8000-13000) it fairly hoots.
Delivers
as much power as the much later
ZZR250,
but without the curvaceous fairing is
probably only good for 155-160km/hr.
Nice little bike, really fast
steering,
good brakes. Resale value may not be
high, depending upon condition so
don't
pay too much for one. watercooled,
similar style to the FZ250. 33kW,
155kg,
19km/L, 165km/hr. $1800-$2400
GN250 Suzuki Like the XV250 but single cylinder.
Simple design therefore easy
maintenance and more reliability.
Harley wannabe (chopper style). Not
as
good as the SR250 but still good.
16kW, 129kg, 25km/L, 145km/hr
$650-2700
GPX250 Kawasaki RECOMMENDED, air-cooled
aim for 25000km. GPX, ZZR, GPZ250R
all
use variants of a water cooled DOHC 8
valve parallel twin. 28kW/40HP,
140kg,
18km/L, 160km/hr. Chassis, styling,
like the bigger GPX. Tough but watch
out
for thrashed engines.
GPz250 Kawasaki Not very strong but ok. Belt drive.
Early models had dicky camchain
tensionioners (maybe not all of them).
Suffers from being thrashed. Air
cooled SOHC parallel twin, bikini
fairing. Direct descendant of the
venerable Z250 engine. 24kW, 145kg,
18km/L, 155km/hr. $1200-$1800
GPZ250R Kawasaki Newer, water-cooled, sporty, red seat
comes off on clothes. Frame, engine
as
per GPX250 but more power (noiser).
Handles well, no fairing. Cheaper
alternative to GPX250 GPX, ZZR,
GPZ250R
all use variants of a water cooled
DOHC
8 valve parallel twin. Chain drive.
GS250FW Suzuki Suzuki's first attempt at a 4cyl 250,
redline at 11500, very few around, and
hence not many parts to be found at
the
wreckers. Good performance for the
time but with pronounced powerband.
The engine is essentially the same
from
GS250FW to GF250 to GSX250F with about
8 years extra development to the
Across. Fuel economy not great.
GSX250F Suzuki "Across". 4 cyl, 4-stroke. Power
range in 11500 to 14500 RPM. Similar
to the GSXR250 which runs out of puff
at 185km/hr. Complex motor and
therefore higher servicing on the F
model at least.
GSX250 Suzuki Early 80's commuter. Just like the
GSX400 air cooled twin. Nice,
standard
bike.
GSXR250 Suzuki Tops at 180km/hr (maybe 200km/hr brand
new) Lasts well. No dead spots in the
rev range right up to the red line.
Gentle and holds a nice cornering line
a lot more steady & predictable than
the RGV, but otherwise the RGV corners
better. Front end is light so
cornering is a bitch in the wet when
you hit a bump, line, line marker etc.
4-cyl, 4-stroke. 16 valve 2*twin
barrell carb DOHC. Some have SPES
(Suzuki Powerup Exhaust System) a
go-fast bit which has a slight edge.
Redline @ 17,000RPM Looks like a
GSXR750 but smaller. available in NZ
GSXR250RR Suzuki Jap import race replica. Has a
different frame, different carbs, and
looks like even different engine
agnle. The whole shape of the bike is
a lot more angular, like GSXR750 meets
RGV. May not go a lot better than the
GSXR250.
KLR250 Kawasaki Answer to the Honda XL.
KR1 Kawasaki Standard 2-stroke, parallel twin
watercooled pocket rocket. *The*
bike
before the RGV. Exhaust port power
valve (KIPS). 60hp (45kW), 200km/hr,
16km/L 123kg, $4000-$5500
KR1-S Kawasaki 45kW, 131kg, 13km/L, 205km/hr,
$5300-$6000
KR250 Kawasaki predecessor of KR1/S. The engine
design is close to the racing KR which
ran at late 1970s. It has a uniqe
mixture of rotary valve and reed valve
for induction. Notable as a production
bike that uses tandem (Front-Rear)
cylinder placement. It has twin
crankshaft, and a strange combination
of 16in fr. wheel and 18in rear wheel.
It does not have power valve so
torque&power is a bit low compare to
new comer (ie, RGV). 2-stroke. 40kW,
123kg, 14km/L, 185km/hr
MVX250 Honda V3 2-stroke. Slightly earlier than
the
NS250. Environmental disaster. Not
related to NS400R (also V3 stroke).
Performance would suit a learner
nicely. Maintenance requirements
would
NOT suit a learner at all. Badly
designed engine is prone to shredding
the inside of the middle cylinder.
25kW, 130kg, 20km/L, 170km/hr
MZ250 Motorrad Zschopau East German, 1-cylinder, 2-stroke.
Ugly but nippy in town. Good tourer,
commuter, basic transport, low
maintenance. Good motor. Models are
ETZ250 (12 volt, disk brake) and the
TS250 (6 volt, drum). Most MZs you
see
will be ETZ. 120kmh tops. Motorrad
Zschopau now reborn as MuZ and making
those truly scrumptious Yam engined
Scorpion singles.
NS250R Honda (not to be confused with NSR250!!)
2-stroke 90 degree V-twin,
contemporary of
RG250. Can be thrashed to death quite
easily. Strange looking fairing on
some. All had exhausts faired into
seat hump. About $1500- $2000NZ for a
good one.
NSR250 Honda Proddy racer bike. RGV-beater,
imported in small quantities. Check
for lockwiring! 90-degree V-Twin
RD250A Yamaha Generally reliable aircooled 2-stroke.
First proddy bike to use reed valve
induction. Mostly unchanged except
for
cosmetics and brakes till till the
last
of the line RD250G in 1981. A bit
agricultural, but pretty reliable,
cheap to work on, spares available.
Very 70s handling, this is no RGV
guys!
RD250LC Yamaha Watercooled. The "elsie" was *the*
pocket rocket. Have been thrashed
without exception. Also likely
crashed... But still Ok if they go,
but be prepared to do a top end,
bottom
ends OK as long as it wasn't seized.
The earlier RDs didn't have the YPVS
(Yamaha Power Valve System), meaning
bugger all below 7000rpm and
everything
above (which can cause exciting things
to happen if you wind open the
throttle
suddenly!)
RD250LC Yamaha Watercooled version of RD250.
RG250 Suzuki 2-stroke parallel twin. Predecessor
of
the RGV, competes with the RZ250.
RECOMMENDED
RGV250 K L M N P R Suzuki 2-stroke. Powerful, good looking,
average to lousy tourer (you're in the
race position). Tight rear end.
Early
ones, especially K & L models have
engine cradle and engine mountings are
prone to cracking. This can cost up
to
$500 to fix. RGV-P = 61hp@11,000RPM
(top
(~130mph)
RS250 Honda Is a 250 racer just like the TZ250,
used in 250 GPs and such. Again, v.
expensive and not legal post 91/92. V
twin 2-stroke available in NZ
RZ250 Yamaha 2-stroke parallel twin. Post RD250LC.
Not as wild as the RGV. First
powervalve model. Fairing.
Prospective
buyers might like to make certain that
they're buying a 250; a favourite
trick
with the RZ is to upgrade the 250
barrels, pistons and conrods to those
from an RZ 350; you can tell by the
size
stamped on the side of the barrels
(left, just above the crankcase). The
warning is this: it's also important
to
uprate the oil pump, since a 250 oil
pump has a lower capacity than a 350
pump, so engine wear may be
accelerated.
The exhaust systems are also
different,
and you won't get optimum power from
an
uprated 250 without fitting 350
exhausts
as well.
SR250 Yamaha Mini-chopper. 4-stroke. Easy to get
parts and holds value.
SRX250 Yamaha Recommended. Medium fairing, small
stature (smaller than the CBX).
Similar to the SRX250 and CBX250 in
many ways. Single cylinder. Light
but
not a lot of power. Good around town
or on really twisty roads.
TDR250 Yamaha Road bike semi styled like a off-road
bike, a similar concept to TDM850, but
5 years earlier, post 87. Used TZR250
motor, had a fairing a bit like the
top
half of a TZR. Lotsa parts
interchangeable eg wheels, swingarm
etc. Performance Bikes once described
it as the "Best hooligan bike ever
made"...wheelie city
TGV200 Suzuki RGV style frame with bored out 125
motocross motor, faster than 250cc 4
strokes, unfaired about $6000NZ for a
new one. [allowed in because it can
outperform some 250cc bikes :-]
TZ250 Yamaha V-Twin 2 stroke Proddy racer, post
91/92, very limited production,
probably not street legal
TZR250 Yamaha Post RZ250. Faired and unfaired
models. 2-stroke, parallel twin
street
bike, japanese imports (e.g banana
arm,
USD forks) Also has aluminium Deltabox
frame, as opposed to steel tube
cradles
on RD/RZ250s
V25 Custom Honda Harley/Cruiser style V-twin. 4 stroke
8
valve DOHC liquid cooled. 5 speed.
Disc
front, drum rear brakes. Looks meaner
than the Rebel.
VT250F Honda First came out in 1983. DOHC, 8-valve
90 degree V-twin four-stroke.
Pro-link
rear suspension, but drum brake, and
problematic "inboard" disc on front.
Engine had crankshaft and timing chain
problems. Be wary of the older VT's.
Check them out thoroughly.
VT250FIID Honda Crankshaft fixed. Full-fairing. Sexy
but subjectively ugly paint job.
160...@12.5krpm
VT250FIIF Honda "Integra". Double-row timing chain
(still noisy but mechanically sound).
New frame & fairing. 14lt tank
(280km). TRAC anti-dive and twin
rotors up front. Comstar wheels. Has
about 40HP, revs to 13,500, which
equals 170kmh.
VT250FIIJ Honda Timing chain completely fixed.
Smaller
fairing, but a nice, good looking
bike.
VT250L Honda "Spada". No fairing, modern frame,
more power, more appeal, more money.
A
company in NSW makes aftermarket
fairings (~1$k) bearing "VTr"
insignia,
which makes them look like a VFR or
Ducati. Replaced the VT250 FII
Integra, mid-seating (between touring
and racing position). Good bottom
power range and peaks at 140-165kmh.
Responsive. 180-200km/tank.
~$4000-~$5000
VTR250 Honda See entry for VT250L
XL250 Honda Road/Trail. Good for the odd scrub
dash.
XL250S Honda Super Reliable 4-stroke single.
XLX250 Honda 4-stroke SOHC. Looks like an XL250
but
uses XR350 engine manual. Well built,
easily replaceable parts (except for
the
engine which is more difficult to
find)
Need both XL250 and XR350 manuals to
service it. Big looking. Check in
the
brake hub for speedo-drive nylon -
expensive to replace. Avoid one with
Bottom end damage - hard to get
aftermarket parts. Remove spark plug
-
if thread burred head will need to be
reboared or replaced. Will require
regular maintance (ie. oil change
after
long ride due to engine repair costs)
Damaged pay: $450 - $1800 Road Worthy
pay: $1200 - $2500
XR250 Honda The more "serious" Honda road/trail.
More of a dirtbike.
XS250 Yamaha 4-stroke, sluggish, slow, cheap.
Upright chopper-style. Parallel twin,
air-cooled. They may be sluggish, but
they're damned reliable. Kickstart and
electric start fitted as standard.
Front & rear solid disc brakes. Wide,
comfy seat.
XV250 Yamaha Virago. Looks like a bigger bike (eg
Harley). Expensive. 4-stroke,
V-twin,
good torque, fun, watch the pegs on
the
turns.
Z250 Kawasaki "Scorpion". older twin, 4-stroke
commuter. Light but not high
performance. Basic, cheap. No
fairing. Belt drive. Apparently
there
are some variants: single cylinder, a
twin, a belt-drive, and a chain drive.
The "Scorpion" *may* have been a
one-off model. The variant of
belt-drive twin, without the fairing
and the GPZ paintwork (basically a
GPZ!) is common. $550-$800
Z250B Kawasaki
ZXR250 Kawasaki 4-stroke inline 4. Rare, imported.
Faster than GSXR250. Can be set up as
racer (no mirrors, rep fairing) or as
road bike (like a smaller ZXR400).
Push it harder than 20500RPM and
you'll
see the pistons. available in NZ
ZZR250 Kawasaki Very sexy and popular. Good tourer.
A bit underpowered. Wiggly rear end
on
some models. GPX, ZZR, GPZ250R all
use
variants of a water cooled DOHC 8
valve
parallel twin. Redlines at 14500RPM.
35hp / 27kW, 146kg, 20km/L, 170km/hr
$4500-$6700 (anything up to $8100)

Misc
----
BSA C12
BSA c15
Royal Enfield Crusader
Ariel Colt
AJS Stormer
Triumph Terrier
Bultaco Alpina
Montesa Cota

Notes
-----

* 2-strokes seem to require regular engine rebuilds if they are
to stay reliable. Around 10k - 25k km intervals. This
depends
a lot on how the bike is ridden. Give them time to warm up
and keep the revs not past 5000rpm until warm. MZs and
aircooled RDs low maint. Aircooled are less stressed.
Rebuilds are not necessarily a bad or expensive thing (not
much more than a 4-stroke service) and regular services are
cheaper on a 2-stroke.

* Invest in a cheap, practical, reliable, easy to ride bike.
Upgrade to unrestricted as soon as feasible and then go
up to something bigger and decent with your hard-earned cash.
In S.A. better off upgrading to superior 250cc if you don't
want to take the high rego hit.

* I refuse to put scooters in this list. They're a lot of fun
but what if your friends see you?

* Suzukis seem to be a problem with parts.

* I strongly recommend that you read the article on "Cruisin'
the Classifieds" in the Two Wheels second edition "Your
First Motorcycle" (the whole magazine actually looks pretty
good).

* Lockwiring -
When a bike is raced, it must have certain parts wired closed,
so it doesn't leak oil everywhere. This usually means that
things have had holes drilled in them for the wire to pass
through. Places to check are:

Sump plug
Oil filler cap
brake caliper bolts.
radiator cap.

If these have holes drilled through them, ask why! And if it
comes with spare fibreglass, ask why? And if it comes with
heaps of used motor spares, ask why!

Bigger Bikes
------------
What if you want a bigger bike than a 250cc? Well, there
never
will be a "Big Bikes List". There are just wayyyy too many
bikes, and because bigger bikes are so interesting there is
just too much to say about them. If you have got as far as
buying a 250cc then you now know enough to work out for
yourself what you want to get. Me, I found a good dealer
that I was happy with and have been going back ever since.

What the heck, if you're in Brisbane check out Moorooka
Yamaha,
nice people (tell them "Miles Gillham sent me" and talk to Ian
their chief buyer/seller - he may be able to give you a good
deal).

As for size, I believe moving from a 250cc you want to go to
something in the 400cc to 600cc (just maybe 750cc) range. Any
more and you're going to kill yourself. Get a big buzz from
the
increment, and then if you're still hungry for more move up to
the real big boys in the 750cc to 1200cc range. The type of
bike makes a lot of difference. An FJ1200 has lots of torque
and even power, but you won't be first off at the lights. A
CBR900 has insane power and rev and you will be first into the
speedtrap...

Disclaimer
----------
This list is produced in good faith to help people who are
looking to buy a 250cc motorbike. The information is based on
numerous testimonials and no responsibility is taken for
inaccurate information. If you buy something based on the
information here then that's your decision and you should do
it
with your eyes open (good luck!).

Section 1.4: What rules and regulations do I have to follow in my
state?
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Queensland (Red & Chris Martin)
~~~~~~~~~~
LEARNERS PERMIT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - To obtain, must answer a selection of questions from
the
Queensland drivers guide. (Currently holding a car
licence is
not taken into account)
- pass an eyesight test.
- Be over 17 years of age.
Use Conditions: - During this period, you must be accompanied at all
times by
either (1) A rider on another bike with at least 1
years
riding xp. or
(2) A pillion with at least 2 years riding
xp.

CC Limit: - 250cc limit (no problems with 2 strokes .... yet.)
Duration: - Must keep permit for six months (minimum), valid for
12
months.
BAC: - 0.0 BAC
Pillions: - No pillion passengers other than a rider with at
least 2 years
riding xp.
Speed Restrict: - No additional.
Plates: - No 'L' or 'P' plates required.
Points: - you get 4 points

PROVISIONAL LICENCE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Road test with transport department official (approx
half an
hour) to qualify for licence.
Use Conditions: - Nil.
CC Limit: - 250cc
Duration: - 1 year minimum duration.
BAC: - 0.0
Pillions: - None. (Not even those with 2 years riding
experience)
Speed Restrict: - No additional.
Plates: - None required.
Points: - 4

* Full, non-provisional licence will be granted at the
end of
a year of holding a Provisional licence. No extra
tests
required.

OPEN-LEARNERS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Must have held a Provisional licence for at least 1
year.
Use Conditions: - Must be followed around by a person with at least 1
years experience on a bike with capacity >250cc OR
2 years experience if pillion.
(Note that this is only if you are on your >250cc
bike)
CC Limit: - Nil.
Duration: - Must hold learners permit for 6 months, Maximum
Duration
12 months.
BAC: - ??
Pillions: - Only those with greater or equal to 2 years riding
experience on a large bike.
Speed Restrict: - No additional.
Plates: - Nil.
Points: - ????

OPEN LICENCE
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Bike Test required (Slalom, Figure 8 etc.)
Use Conditions: - Nil.
CC Limit: - Nil.
Duration: - Nil.
BAC: - 0.05
Pillions: - Yes.
Speed Restrict: - No additional.
Plates: - Nil.
Points: - Nil.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
South Australia (Cameron Miller)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LEARNERS PERMIT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Pass written test on road rules (only if you don't
already
have a car licence.)
- Pass 2x4 hour training sessions on Motorcycle riding
(rider
safety course.)
Use Conditions: - Nil. May ride completely unaccompanied, at any time
of day.
CC Limit: - 250 cc.
Duration: - 4 - 6 months.
BAC: - 0.0
Pillions: - No, unless they hold an unrestricted licence.
Speed Restrict: - ???
Plates: - L plate attached to rear of bike.
Points: - 4?

RESTRICTED LICENCE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Have to pass a 4 hour rider safe course/test.
Use Conditions: - No conditions imposed.
CC Limit: - 250 cc.
Duration: - 1 Year.
BAC: - 0.0 if on P plates, 0.05 otherwise.
Pillions: - Ok.
Speed Restrict: - No Additional.
Plates: - P Plates required if you do not already have a full
car
licence.
Points: - 4 for P plated, 12 otherwise.

OPEN LICENCE
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Must hold a restricted licence for the period of one
year.
Use Conditions: - Nil.
CC Limit: - Nil.
Duration: - N/A.
BAC: - 0.05
Pillions: - Ok.
Speed Restrict: - No additional.
Plates: - Nil.
Points: - 12

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Western Australia (Matthew Carter & Chris Martin)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LEARNERS PERMIT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Pass 30 Question multiple choice test unless the
holder
of a car licence, in which case it is a 10-question
test.
Use Conditions: - You may only ride when accompanied by a licenced
rider
with at least two years experience - either
following, or as a
pillion.
CC Limit: - 250cc.
Duration: - No Minimum duration. Valid for one year.
BAC: - ???
Pillions: - ???
Speed Restrict: - 72 Km/h maximum.
Plates: - ???
Points: - ???

RESTRICTED PROVISIONAL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - For those who have not held a car/other vehicle
licence
for more than 2 years, A simple riding test needs to
be
completed.
Use Conditions: - No need for experienced rider accompanyment???
CC Limit: - 250cc.
Duration: - No Minimum duration. Valid for one year.
BAC: - ???
Pillions: - ???
Speed Restrict: - 72 Km/h maximum.
Plates: - ???
Points: - ???

PROVISIONAL LICENCE (L class)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - If you have held a licence of some form for over 2
years,
a simple driving test will gain you a class 'L'
licence.
Use Conditions: - Nil???
CC Limit: - 250cc.
Duration: - 1 year minimum duration.
BAC: - 0.05
Pillions: - Ok.
Speed Restrict: - No Additional.
Plates: - ???
Points: - 12

OPEN LICENCE (K class)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Riding test for large capacity bikes.
- Must have held a Provisional licence for at least 1
year.
Use Conditions: - Nil.
CC Limit: - 250cc.
Duration: - 1 year minimum duration.
BAC: - 0.05
Pillions: - Ok.
Speed Restrict: - No Additional.
Plates: - ???
Points: - 12

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
LEARNERS PERMIT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Australian Capital Territory (Neal Gowen, Dean Kaufman)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LEARNERS PERMIT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Minimum Age - 16yrs 9 months
- Must pass 9 hours instruction at compulsory 'Stay
Upright'
pre-permit course. ($60 - subsidised $100 by ACT
Government)
Use Conditions: - Nil
CC Limit: - Nill
Duration: - Minimum 3 months, maximum 15 months
BAC: - 0.02
Pillions: - None. Side-cars permitted.
Speed Restrict: - Nil
Plates: - L Plates required.
Points: - ???

PROVISIONAL LICENCE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Not required if you you hold full car licence.
- Must have held a Learners Permit
- Must first pass MOST2 off-road test with a maximum
of 13
points lost. Involves 9 exercises including
starting on
a hill, braking in a turn and a straight line,
obstacle
avoidance. Must then pass on-road test.
Use Conditions: - Nil
CC Limit: - Nil
Duration: - 3 years?
BAC: - 0.02
Pillions: - None for first year.
Speed Restrict: - No additional
Plates: - 'P' Plates required.
Points: - ???

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

New South Wales (Chris Martin, Colin Panisset, Thomas Cohen)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LEARNERS PERMIT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Must pass a two day riding course (3.5 hrs per day)
plus a
Computer-based knowledge test (Standard Learners + a
bike-specific section.
- *Note: Course is optional if you live in an area
that
does not contain a testing station.
Use Conditions: - Nil.
CC Limit: - Less than 260cc AND within specified power/weight
ratio's
supplied by the Department of Transport. (ie: Most 2
strokes
are out. :( - eg: RGV250, TZR250, KR1-S, NSR250.)
- Bike must have a power to wieght ratio of no more
than
150kw/tonne (figure based on an 'average' rider of
75kg)
Duration: - Must hold licence for a minimum of 3 months, licence
is valid
for 6 months.
BAC: - 0.02
Pillions: - Only riders with at least 2 years full licence
experience.
Speed Restrict: - 80 Km/H
Plates: - Must display 'L' Plates.
Points: - ???

PROVISIONAL LICENCE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Must pass a one day driving course (Duration is the
entire
day).
- *Note: Course is optional if you live in an area
that
does not contain a testing station.
Use Conditions: - Nil.
CC Limit: - As for Learners.
Duration: - Normally, 12 months. For riders over 30 who hold a
full car
license, the duration is 3 months.
BAC: - 0.02
Pillions: - None.
Speed Restrict: - Speed is restricted to 80/km/h
Plates: - 'P' plates must be displayed.
Points: - 4 licence points.

OPEN LICENCE
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements:
- If you are over 30 years of age, and are eligable
for a
'gold licence', you get a full unrestricted licence
once
you have passed the provisional test.
Use Conditions:
CC Limit:
Duration:
BAC: - 0.05
Pillions: - Ok.
Speed Restrict:
Plates:
Points:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tasmania (John Lamp)
~~~~~~~~
LEARNERS
~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Be 16 years of age or older;
- Satisfactorily complete a Level 1 motorcycle rider
training
course (if required)
- A candidate may undertake Level 1 training three
months
prior to attaining 16 years of age
- Pass a written test on Traffic Law.
Use Conditions: - Not between sunset and sunrise (exemption may be
issued).
CC Limit: - 250cc
Duration: - 1 year
BAC: - 0.0%
Pillions: - No, unless the pillion has held a motorcycle license
for three
years and is being carried for the purposes of
instruction.
Speed Restrict: - 80 kph
Plates: - L plate required.
Points: - ???

PROVISIONAL
~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Satisfactorily complete a Level 2 motorcycle rider
training
course (if required).
- Pass an oral law/regulation test.
- Pass a driving test.
- Pass an eyesight test.
- Be at least 17 years of age - although a candidate
may
undertake Level 2 training three months prior to and
undergo
a driving test one month prior to attaining that
age.
Use Conditions:
CC Limit: - 250cc
Duration: - 3 years
BAC: - 0.0%
Pillions: - No
Speed Restrict: - 80kph
Plates: - P plates required for the first 12 months
Points: - 3

* If you are already the holder of a full license,
cc limit
of 250cc, and no pillion for first 12 months.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern Territory
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements:
Use Conditions:
CC Limit:
Duration:
BAC:
Pillions:
Speed Restrict:
Plates:
Points:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Victoria
~~~~~~~~

From: Jason Brand <br...@mame.mu.oz.au>

Learners Permit.

Requirements:
17yrs 9mths
written and riding test (RTA or private course)
cc limit:
260cc
Duration:
3mths - 1yr
BAC:
0.00
Pillion:
No
Speed restrictions:
No additional
Plates:
Yellow "L" plate(s)?
17yrs 9mths
written and riding test (RTA or private course)
cc limit:
260cc
Duration:
3mths - 1yr
BAC:
0.00
Pillion:
No
Speed restrictions:
No additional
Plates:
Yellow "L" plate(s)?

Probationary License:

Requirements:
Hold Learners permit for at least 3 mths
written and riding test (RTA or private course)
cc limit:
260cc
Duration:
3 yrs if full drivers license not held.
1 yr if full drivers license held
BAC:
0.00
Pillion:
No
Speed restrictions:
No additional
Plates:
Red "P" plate(s)?

Full License:

Requirements:
Hold Probationary License for duration (see above)
cc limit:
None
Duration:
???
BAC:
0.05
Pillion:
Yes
Speed restrictions:
No additional

Section 1.5: What about lanesplitting?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lanesplitting Legalities
(Note that overtaking on the right is legal in all states with
indicator)
Vic - legal - cars must be stationary.
WA - legal - cars must be stationary, you must indicate to change
lanes
and you must not cross a solid white line.
NSW - illegal
ACT - illegal
Qld - illegal
SA - illegal
NT - illegal

Lanesplitting Sensibilities
The aus.motorcycles community is split about 50/50 on whether it is
a good thing or not. Don't bother arguing about it, there are good
cases for and against and you'll get nowhere. If you lanesplit, try
and
keep these things in mind:
-your lack of buffer zones (space around you) means MUCH less reaction
time
-cars run red lights (YES REALLY!) so look both ways
-drivers are frightened & annoyed by hoons

End of part 1.

Nick Fitton (fit...@ned.dem.csiro.au) \\
_\\-@)
http://artemis.earth.monash.edu.au/~fitton/ \\________________(
/_/( )
--
Nick Fitton (fit...@ned.dem.csiro.au) \\
_\\-@)
http://artemis.earth.monash.edu.au/~fitton/ \\________________(
/_/( )

========
From: fit...@per.geomechanics.csiro.au (Nick Fitton)
Newsgroups: aus.motorcycles
Subject: FAQ part 2 (monthly posting)
Date: 31 Aug 1996 17:08:59 GMT
Organization: The University of Western Australia
Lines: 443
Message-ID: <509rjb$r...@enyo.uwa.edu.au>
NNTP-Posting-Host: solo.ned.dem.csiro.au
Path:
eden.adam.com.au!news.mel.aone.net.au!news.mel.connect.com.au!munnari.OZ.AU!news.uwa.edu.
au!fitton

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| |_| | | | / __| | |\/| |/ _ \| __/ _ \| '__/ __| | | |/ __| |/ _
\/ __|
| _ | |_| \__ \_| | | | (_) | || (_) | | | (__| |_| | (__| |
__/\__ \
|_| |_|\__,_|___(_)_| |_|\___/ \__\___/|_| \___|\__,
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|_| |_| |_|\__\_\ [__, \ || || /
\|| ||/
(Living on the WWW at) \| |/
"http://artemis.earth.monash.edu.au/~fitton/bikes.html" |_|

Overview
~~~~~~~~
The Aus.Motorcycles FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) comes in three
parts.
Part One contains introductory material for learners or new bike
buyers.
Part Two contains specific information about Australian touring,
maintenaince,
bike hire, gear, etc...
Part Three covers the safety and everything else of clothing & gear.
PART I
Section 1.1: Welcome to Aus.Motorcycles
Section 1.2: What kind of bike should I buy?
Section 1.3: Which bike? - 250's for Learners.
Section 1.4: What rules and regulations do I have to follow in my
state?
Section 1.5: What about lanesplitting?

PART III
Section 3.1: Gear & Safety.

PART TWO
Contents
-----------------------------------------------------------------
2.1: Where to ride, sights to see, nice roads, touring...
2.1.1 Can I ride around Australia without carrying fuel?
2.1.2 Where should I ride in Victoria?
2.1.3 Where should I ride in WA?
2.1.4 Where should I ride in NSW?
2.1.5 Where should I ride in SA?
2.1.6 Where should I ride in Queensland?
2.1.7 Where should I ride in Tasmania?
2.1.8 Where should I ride in NT?
2.1.9 Where should I ride in ACT?
2.2: Bike hire? Bike Shops?
2.2.1 Where can I get my bike dyno'd?
2.2.2 Where can I hire a motorcycle?
2.2.3 How should I go about importing a bike to Australia?
2.3: Cleaning your bike
2.4: WWW sites, mailing lists, etc...
2.4.1 WWW sites
2.4.2 Picture archives
2.4.3 How do I scan photos and piccys so they look great?
2.4.4 Who can I contact for groups rides or info?
2.4.5 Books and magazines
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Section 2.1: Where to ride, sights to see, nice roads, touring...
---------------------------------------------------------------
2.1.1 Can I ride around Australia without carrying extra fuel?

Vic, NSW, Tas will present no problems at all. Just make sure
you hit smaller towns while the fuel stations are still open.
In the other states there are deserts to cross. Hwy/Fwy 1 is
no problem, even across deserts. Always check with locals before
you leave a town anyway. It is generally recomended to carry 5-10
litres spare. Nasty rumours abound of dropped bikes going up in
smoke from jerry cans igniting :-/

300+km stretches from Darwin to Mt Iza (rus...@it.ntu.edu.au)
Chris Ruskie

I crossed the Nullarbor way back in '81 (on the main highway, not
through
the dirt tracks) on a Ducati with only just over 200 km before
reserve. We
stopped at all bar one petrol stations, but made it without any
concerns
about running out of fuel. Pity we broke down though.... ;^(
Some of the desert areas - no way! 460 km from Lyndhurst to
Innamincka
(fuel to fuel)...... a.fa...@uws.edu.au (tony fathers)

2.1.2 Where should I ride in Victoria?
Black's Spur (Healesville to Marysville), Lake Mtn, Reefton Spur
(Marysville to Reefton), Great Ocean Rd, Kew Blv (Melb. metro
area)...
Arthur's Seat(Mornington Peninsula),
Hurstbridge->Kinglake->Healesville.

2.1.3 Where should I ride in WA?
round Wongong Dam - short but twisty bits.
Serpentine Dam, South Dandalup
Dam->Dwellingup->Boddington->Brookton.
York, Toodjay, Northam.
Bridgetown-Nannup-Balingup-Bridgetown.
Caves Road Yallingup to Margret River.

2.1.4 Where should I ride in NSW?
#Day trips from Sydney:
Old Pacific Highway, Hornsby to Gosford
Bells Line of Road, out Lithgow way
Putty Road, Windsor to Singleton

#Sydney metro, short but different
Berowra Waters Ferry road
Galston Gorge, for terminal crazies (especially at night)

#NSW country
Oxley Highway, Wauchope to Armidale(?) (left, right, left,
right.....)

2.1.5 Where should I ride in SA?
Up the BelAir road through Coromandel Valley, to Clarendon then
Meadows, MAcclesfield, Strathalbyn, Ashbourne, Bull Creek,
back to Meadows.
Up the Gorge Road to Gumeracha then Birdwood. Check the Motor
Museum out, then home the same way or via Hahndorf/Freeway.
Basically, head for the Adelaide hills and go nuts :)

2.1.6 Where should I ride in Queensland?
Mt Glorious - good for a quick fang. Nice windy roads, coffee
shops,
scenery. Can go down the other side to the Wivenhoe Dam.
Downside
is that a lot of people are killing themselves on that road, and
the
police are doing more speed traps.

Mapleton Pub - rip up the Bruce Highway, maybe stop into the
Ettamogah
Pub on the way, then swing up high for a nice lunch and view.
Ride back
through Montville and Maleny.

Stanthorpe - for a longer ride (read overnight) go west to
Stanthorpe,
stay the night in a national park. Drop down through NSW to Glen
Innes
to wave at the friendly bikers, then come back up past Byron and
the
Gold Coast.

Mt Tamborine through to Springbrook (via the Russ Hinze Dam Road)

A perfect day ride from Brisbane includes Mt. Glorious to Esk via
Somerset. From Esk head to Toowoomba (the road gets a a bit thin
here,
but still bitumin). At Hampton turn right and head to Yarraman.
This
section of the road is ideal for big speeds, no cops. At Yarraman
head
back towards Brisbane. At Kilcoy head towards Somerset again.

Gillies highway near Cairns.

2.1.7 Where should I ride in Tasmania?
Everywhere! Tasmania has some of the curviest roads in Australia.
For the
most part they are bitumen, but narrow. Some of the "traditional"
frequently used sections are: Grass Tree Hill Road, Channel
Highway, East
Coast Highway, Lyell/Murchison Highway (beware at Hellyer Gorge,
those
100m straights are not really enough to overtake on) Main hazards
in Tassy
are: log trucks, occasional bad camber, log trucks, lack of use of
indicators by cage drivers, and log trucks.

Hobart area:
Grasstree hill road ( Risdon vale - Richmond ) 1 Hour
Mud walls road ( Campania - midland highway ) 1 Hour
old Huon Road (Ferntree - Huonville) over Mount Wellington. 2
Hours
Cygnet - Verona Sands road 1/2 day

East coast, 1 day ( maybe two )
Elephant Pass (check out the pancake shop at the top)
St. Marys pass
the Sidling (Scottsdale - Launsecton)

Strathgordon road, 1 day return
Devonport-Forth-Cradle Mountain (some dirt), 1 day return

2.1.8 Where should I ride in NT?
Everywhere as fast as you can :)

2.1.9 Where should I ride in ACT?
The Uriarra/Cotter loop is a fantastic stretch of road, with wide
variations in road 'style' and landcape type. Start on the Cotter
road,
turn off at Coppins Crossing, then head onto Uriarra road. Follow
Uriarra until the Turn-off back to canberra, and it will take you
back
onto the Cotter road just before Cotter Pub. Continue along Cotter
road
to Tuggeranong, and return to canberra along any viable route.

You can continue from the Cotter Pub south down past Murray's
Corner
and Tidbinbilla to Tharwa and back up the Monaro Hwy. The bit
through
the pine forest past Murray's Corner is a bit prone to
slow/unpredicatble traffic and gravel on the road but once it
opens
up, its quite good, and makes the ride about twice as long.

A quick fang up Coppins Crossing is always fun.

Heading down the coast via the Clyde mountains is an interesting
ride with
lots of twisties in the later sections, and the ride up the coast
from
Batemans bay to Sydney (through the national park south of sydney)
is
a great alternative to the highway (if you have a few extra hours
to
spare)

The road down Brown Mtn (between Cooma and the coast) is a vastly
better road than Clyde Mtn. Every time I went down Clyde Mtn
(admittedly a long time ago), the road surface was shocking.
Of course, both Brown Mtn and Clyde Mtn are in NSW, not ACT.

Section 2.2: Bike hire? Bike Shops?
---------------------------------
2.2.1 Where can I get my bike dyno'd?
Most states should have one or two performace shops that offer
this
service. Look out for their Dyno Days in AMCN (Aus MotorCycle
News)
Ring around and ask, shouldnt cost you more than $10-$15 a go.

Vic - Dynobike
WA - SuperCycles
NSW -
SA -
Qld -

2.2.2 Where can I hire a motorcycle?
Victoria Motorcycle Hire and Sales
606 High st
Kew East 3102
Ph: (03) 817 3206
Mobile: (015) 314 970
Fax: (03) 817 3662

3 bike shops in Brisbane that do guaranteed buy-back prices.
Shogun Honda (07) 808 7850 - Knew what was going on, very helpful.
Phil Beaumont (07) 252 2115 - Knew what was going on, dubious
shop.
Springwood Suzuki (07) 208 7999 - Helpful, will do buy-back but no
system,
negotiable.

Outrider Rentals in Sydney
c/- http://magna.com.au/~advtours/atbthome.html

2.2.3 How should I go about importing a bike to Australia?
From r...@mlb.dmt.csiro.au Thu Apr 13 22:10:22 1995

We recently imported two bikes from the USA after a 7 week
holiday there. There are many avenues open to importing bikes
into Aus. The first and most IMPORTANT step is to contact the:

Department of Transport
GPO Box 1553
Canberra
ACT 2601
Fax: +61 6 274 6013
Tel: +61 6 274 7506
+61 6 274 7111

If you contact them first you should have no problems importing
bikes into Aus. You may even find that they will not have to
comply with Australian Design Rules (ADR).
The Federal Office of Road Safety will send you the information
that you need about importing bikes to Aus. There are a number of
different classifications that a bike may fall into.
Approval can take up to 3 weeks and costs $50.00 per
application. You can put more than one bike on an application.
With the info you get from Canberra there is also a list of
people who can issue ADR plates in different states. This may
solve any problems but as with all services you will have to pay
someone something.
Once you get the bike imported you then have to sort out
registration in your state.
Below is an extract of relevant information from the booklet that
the Federal Office of Road Safety will send out.

THE MOTOR VEHICLE STANDARDS ACT

The Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989, which came into effect on
1 August 1989, makes it an offence to import a new or secondhand
vehicle unless:
* it meets the safety and emissions standards applying to
vehicles to be used on Australian roads (the ADRs) and has a
valid Australian compliance plate fitted; or

* arrangements are in place, by way of written agreement, for an
organisation holding Compliance Plate Approval from the Federal
Office of Road Safety to modify the vehicle to meet the ADR's
and to fit a compliance plate, after its arrival in Australia

The importer will require a Vehicle Import Approval from the
Federal Office of Road Safety to obtain clearance at the port of
entry.
The vehicle cannot be given into your possession without this
approval and any delays may prove costly.

Import approval will be granted if the above two requirements
are met. Import approval will also be granted if:
* you obtained a letter of compliance from the manufacture; or

* you have owned and used the vehicle overseas for a continuous
period of not less than three months, you are of driving age
and are an Australian citizen or migrant holding permanent
residency in Australia; or

* the vehicle was manufactured before January 1974 (for
vehicles other than motorcycles small trailers, trucks and
buses), or 1 July 1975 (for motorcycles), or 1 July 1988 (for
small trailers less than 4.5 tonnes ladden weight). These will
be known as `specified dates for the remainder of this
brochure.

Before importing a vehicle it is essential that you ensure it
will be allowed into Australia. Otherwise you may have to
export or scrap the vehicle, or be penalised with a fine of
up to $12 000.
Potential importers should check with the Australian Customs
Service for requirements relating to tariffs and quarantine.

EXEMPTIONS
There are vehicles such as agricultural and earthmoving
equipment, competition, display, farm and evaluation vehicles
which are not subject to the Motor Vehicle Standards Act.
Contact the Federal Office of Road Safety for further advise
on these vehicles as an import approval may still be required
to gain clearance at the port of entry.

REGISTRATION
These guidelines relate to the import of vehicles before first
registration. If some of these requirements are not met at the
time of importation, then they must be met before registration.
A vehicle must also meet the registering authority's
requirements for registration, such as roadworthiness.

NOTE: Not mentioned in the main text of the book but on the
Application for Vehicle Import Approval.
APPLICATION FOR VEHICLE IMPORT APPROVAL
Part 4 - Date of manufacture

Was the vehicle manufactured:
* 15 or more years ago? or
* before 30/6/88 for trailers under 4.5t ATM?

| Y | | N |
Go to Part 10 Go to Part 5

This means that if your motorcycle is 15 or more years old then
it may not be required to have an ADR to obtain an Import
Approval.

Section 2.3: Cleaning your bike
-----------------------------
Somebody asked us "How do i get all that oil and grease off my engine,
rims
and the like? Can i use that cheap degreaser? What works and how well
?"

Summary:
-the $2 spraycans of degreaser from The_Reject_Shop have been used
with
good results.
-kerosine in a pump pack works well
-use an old paint brush, you can cut the bristles right back for a
good
scrub. Toothbrushes are good too.
-Spray_&_Wipe is good for steel wheels
-Mr_Sheen is good for painted alloy rims
-Autosol, Gumption etc.. for the other bits, thinners for carbies.
-detergent for paintwork followed by polish.

Section 2.4: Other clues on the Information SuperRacetrack :)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
2.4.1 - WWW sites

Home of the FAQ
"http://artemis.earth.monash.edu.au/~fitton/bikes.html"

Cameron's page and pointer to DoD stuff
"http://www.dap.csiro.au/~cameron/moto/index.html"

Mike Cutter's upcoming events and a.m faces page
"http://ledoux.arbld.unimelb.edu.au/~mtc/moto/motorbike.html"

A Guide to Motorcycle Parking in Australian Universities
http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/~atm/bikepark.html

The Rec.Motorcycles Index
"http://www.halcyon.com/moto/index.html"

You running a useful a.m service? send me your URL now!

2.4.2 - Picture Archives

Images
"ftp://nic.funet.fi:/pub/pics/vehicles/motorcycles"

I know theres heaps more, but i dont have the URL's

2.4.3 How do I scan photos & piccys so they look great?
The trick in my experience is to not scan at too high a
resolution. If my original is large enough, i will scan
at 75dpi in 24 bit. Any higher and you pick up the texture
of the paper and it looks all speckled. If the original is
small and you'd like to try and enlarge it then try scanning
at higher resolutions.

2.4.4 - People to contact for group rides, info, etc...

Just post to aus.motorcycles. NSW, Vic, Qld, SA & WA are all
into net rides, so you'll get some response. Mailing lists exist
for the following states:
STATE SERVER SUBJECT MESSAGE
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Vic auto...@arbld.unimelb.edu.au none subscribe melbride
<name>
WA list...@gu.uwa.edu.au none subscribe war <name>
NSW sydride...@dap.csiro.au
Qld majo...@millhouse.apana.org.au none subscribe brisbike
<your email>

2.4.5 - Books and magazines

Motorcycle tuning: chassis - John Robinson
Redwood Press Limited, Melksham, Wiltshire
ISBN 0 7506 0798 X

AMCN (Australian MotorCycle News) magazine

Two Wheels magazine

David Minton - The Motorcyclist's Handbook. a little dated in
some areas (written in 1982) but brilliant on defensive riding,
clothing, basic maintenance, and intro to motorcycle sport.

The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of MOtorcycles by Erwin Tragatsch.

Another book to have a look at is 'A twist of the wrist' . Ed II.
These books are limited in there scope, more on advanced riding
techniques for racing rather than the road. Written by Keith Code.
Look it up, it's out out by the Californian Superbike School.

End of part 2.

========
From: fit...@per.geomechanics.csiro.au (Nick Fitton)
Newsgroups: aus.motorcycles
Subject: FAQ part 3 (monthly posting)
Date: 31 Aug 1996 17:09:04 GMT
Organization: The University of Western Australia
Lines: 757
Message-ID: <509rjg$r...@enyo.uwa.edu.au>
NNTP-Posting-Host: solo.ned.dem.csiro.au
Path:
eden.adam.com.au!news.mel.aone.net.au!news.mel.connect.com.au!munnari.OZ.AU!news.uwa.edu.
au!fitton

___ __ __ _ _
/ _ \ _ _ ___ | \/ | ___ | |_ ___ _ __ ___ _ _ ___| | ___
___
| |_| | | | / __| | |\/| |/ _ \| __/ _ \| '__/ __| | | |/ __| |/ _
\/ __|
| _ | |_| \__ \_| | | | (_) | || (_) | | | (__| |_| | (__| |
__/\__ \
|_| |_|\__,_|___(_)_| |_|\___/ \__\___/|_| \___|\__,
|\___|_|\___||___/
|___/
__ /-----\
__
_____ ___ ___ __ (__\/ _____
\/__)
| ___/ _ \ / _ \ / \ =( \___/
)=
| |_ | |_| | | | | __/ \ ___ /
| _|| _ | |_| | \ | / _ \ |
|_| |_| |_|\__\_\ \__/ \ || || /
\|| ||/
(Living on the WWW at) \| |/
"http://artemis.earth.monash.edu.au/~fitton/bikes.html" |_|

PART III
Section 3.1: Gear & Safety.

PART THREE
Section 3.1: Gear & Safety - v0.1
Maintained by Colin Panisset <col...@nms.otc.com.au>

i. Disclaimer
----------

This FAQ is provided as an general guide only. It is probably
incomplete and therefore may be wildly apocryphal. All due care is
taken to ensure the accuracy of the information presented, but
under
no circumstances should it be taken as the gospel truth.

Oh, and my employers have nothing to do with this. They do not
endorse, approve of, disapprove of or otherwise interact with this
document at all. In fact, I'd be surprised if they know it
existed.

=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=

ii. Table of Contents
-----------------

i. Disclaimer
ii. Table of Contents

0. About this FAQ
0.1 Maintainer
0.2 Comments
0.3 Changes

1. Helmet and protective clothing laws
1.1 What must be worn
1.2 Australian Standards
1.3 Other Standards

2. What's available?
2.1 Helmets
2.2 Jackets
2.3 Gloves
2.4 Boots
2.5 Leathers
2.6 Body Armour
2.7 Other clothing

3. What should I get?
3.1 Helmets
3.2 Jackets
3.3 Gloves
3.4 Boots
3.5 Body Armour
3.6 Wet weather gear
3.7 Warm gear

4. The Care and Feeding of Your Gear
4.1 Helmets
4.2 Leather
4.3 Waterproof gear

5. An explanation of safety tests
5.1 Australian Standards
5.2 Snell

6. Contributors

=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=

0. About this FAQ
--------------

This FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) is provided in the hope that
it'll be of use to all riders, on the net or off, new or old,
who want to know a bit more about what's available in the way of
safety gear. It covers (as you can probably tell from the
Contents)
everything from the top to the toes as well as providing
information
on the actual tests that some of the safety gear must go through
to
receive the various available certifications.

Sections that have been taken (almost) verbatim from submitted
material
are marked with the author's name and email address.

0.1 Maintainer

The current maintainer is Colin Panisset <col...@nms.otc.com.au>.

0.2 Comments

Comments regarding this FAQ should be mailed to the current
maintainer. Submissions may be edited for brevity and clarity.

0.3 Changes

0.0 -> 0.1 Heaps of additional material and huge rearrangements.
After
a couple more iterations, it'll get stuck in the regular
aus.moto FAQ under section 7 (Gear). Of course, it might
have
to be trimmed a bit :-)

0.1 -> 0.2 Fixed up Contributors list. Added brief AS helmet info.
Added ear plugs, foam padding and body armour info. Slight
reformatting. Added dri-rider cleaning info.

=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=

1. Helmet and protective clothing laws
-----------------------------------

This section covers relevant legislation from the various states
of
Australia. It does not cover countries other than Australia. This
is
not legal advice, and should not be used as such.

1.1 What must be worn

By law in most (all?) states in Australia you are required to wear
a helmet that complies to Australian Standard 1698. If the helmet
has a visor (as all full-face helmets should), the visor must
comply
with Australian Standard 1609. Both helmet and visor must display
the Australian Standards sticker or be embossed with the AS logo.

The law apparently takes the view that if you are booked wearing a
helmet without AS certification, then you are not wearing a
helmet
at all, and will be fined accordingly. This includes helmets
bought
overseas and imported personally, even if they are the same model
as
can be bought off the shelf here.

States that mandate AS1698 and AS1609: NSW, Tasmania, [...]

1.2 Australian Standards

Currently, the only piece of protective gear that must be approved
by an Australian Standard is the helmet. There are two standards
which apply to helmets; one for the shell and one for the visor.

The following extracts are from the ACEL Standards Index Plus
(January 1995). Many thanks to Tim Mills <t.m...@qut.edu.au> for
providing this info.

visor -- AS 1609 (last updated 1981)

Scope:
This Standard specifies requirements for eye protectors for
motor cyclists and racing car drivers. It deals with
materials,
construction, attachment, optical properties, testing,
labelling
and marking. The Standard incorporates the basic requirements
for eye protectors capable of maintaining visibility and
providing protection for the eyes of motor cyclists and racing
car drivers.

Abstract:
Specifies material, optical quality and mechanical strength.
Provision is made for the limited use of tinted lenses. Test
methods are in appendices.

shell -- AS 1698 (last updated 1988)

Scope:
This Standard specifies requirements for protective headgear
for vehicle users, as designed to mitigate the adverse effect
of a blow on the head. The Standard is written with particular
reference to motor cyclists, but is equally applicable to
users
of other types of vehicle. Specific marking requirements are
also included. NOTE: Recommendations for characteristics of
materials used in the manufacture of protective helmets are
provided in Appendix A.

Abstract:
Specifies minimum performance criteria and test requirements
for protective headgear for vehicle users, designed to
mitigate
the adverse effects of a blow to the head. The primary
intended
use is by motor cyclists, but it is equally applicable to
all vehicle users, including racing car drivers and racing
motor cyclists under Australian conditions. Tests for impact
attenuation, penetration resistance, strength of retention
system and its attachments, and peripheral vision are
prescribed
by reference to AS 2512. Specific marking requirements are
detailed.

[ No doubt there are standards which relate to other bits of
clothing. I'm
interested. Send 'em in. ]

Dr. Rod Woods of Cambridge has been developing standards for
kevlar
gear -- there are several different factors which affect the
performance of a kevlar suit in a crash, including the coarseness
of weave, thickness and length of fibres, and so forth. A kevlar
suit which is not made of an appropriate material will apparently
disintegrate very rapidly. [references to follow]

1.3 Other Standards

Snell

This standard was developed mainly for motor-sport helmets,
and
helmets which comply with the Snell standard do not
necessarily
comply with the necessary Australian Standards. That said,
there are several helmets on the market which comply with
both.

The Snell standard tests point impacts at several locations
over the helmet. It's designed to protect against penetration
of the helmet rather than against crushing blows, such as
your
head hitting the pavement.

=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=

2. What's available?
-----------------

2.1 Helmets

There are two types of helmet shell currently available:
resin-based
composites and polycarbonate.

Resin-based composites (such as fibreglass, kevlar/carbon fibre
etc.) helmets use a coarse-weave cloth and resin construction.
They
used to be considered the toughest helmets, though with the
advances
in plastics technology that may have changed. They are generally
heavier than polycarbonate helmets. The range of composite helmets
includes the Shoei RF200, [...]

Apparently, fibreglass helmets are more impact resistant than
polycarbonate, and can in some cases spring back into the original
shape without any *apparent* damage.

Polycarbonate helmets are considerably lighter than composite
helmets. The shell is basically injection-moulded plastic, and
some
polycarbonate helmets still have the moulding seam down the centre
of the helmet. Polycarbonate helmets include the Laser, most
(all?)
Boeri helmets, [...]

Tests have shown that polycarbonate helmets slide better than
fibreglass on bitumen, thus reducing the possibility of whiplash.

Manufacturers:

Shoei RF200 ($low -> $high), RF700, TR50 (?), XR-8, [...]
Arai Quantum ($low -> $high), Giga [...]
Vemar [...]
Boeri [...]
Laser [...]
AGV [...]
Bieffe [...]
Nolan [...]
BMW (System III) [...]

2.2 Jackets

General

The key things to look for in a bike jacket are build quality
and thickness of material. Make certain that all the seams are
double-stitched (the seam looks like it's got piping sewn
inside
it) and that it's good quality. Note especially that dress
leather jackets (fashion jackets) generally do *not* have
double
stitching, and are often made of thin and relatively flimsy
leather. In crash tests, fashion leather jackets have been
shown
to be less useful than a solid denim jacket because they tear
and disappear.

The standard article on crash-testing protective clothing is
"Torn in the USA". It's a comparison of leather vs. denim vs.
waxed cotton etc., in a controlled gravel rash situation.
[reference and possibly excerpts to follow]

Check that the zippers used are good and solid. Metal is
foremost, but top-class plastic/nylon zips (of the spiral
variety) are just as good. Some zips lock, and pulling on the
material won't make them open further, this is good as it
allows
you to have your jacket partially unzipped.

The style of a jacket will affect its ability to protect you
from rain, cold, wind and bugs. A Brando-style jacket
(diagonal
zipper with button-down lapel, standard shirt-style collar) is
fine for summer riding and as a fashion accessory too, but the
collar doesn't form a seal at your neck. Consequently, rain
wind
and small, hard, angry flying insects can be driven down
towards
your soft and sensitives. The other main style of bike jacket
is the touring-style, possibly padded at shoulders and elbows
and with a high collar that seals out the weather. This style
of
jacket is better for all-year round riding.

Impact Resistance (Tom Cohen <th...@nms.otc.com.au>)

Padding is common amongst the touring-style jackets, but it
may
not be much use in the case of a crash. Most of the padding
built into these jackets is low-density foam rubber, like the
stuff you might find in a mattress. This foam compresses very
easily and absorbs very little of the impact of a crash. Foam
padding can work, but it must be high-density to be of use. A
double layer of leather is of more use than low-density foam.

Good impact resistance in jackets and boots is provided either
by hard armour or closed-cell/high density foam. Some people
have said that the edge of hard armour can cut in an accident
if
forced into the body.

Abrasion Resistance (Tom Cohen <th...@nms.otc.com.au>)

Abrasion resistance is important, possibly more important than
protecting against impact - low siding off the bike only drops
you from about a metre anyway... There are a few different
types
of material that you can wear:

Leather

Leather is still the king. Has been for years and is
unlikely to lose the crown in a hurry. Lorica (an
artificial
leather), as used on mostly Italian boots, is not very
good
at all. Leather breathes, abrades slowly (depending on
type)
and is more or less showerproof. Great against the wind,
but is hot in summer. Can be dyed to almost any colour,
and
there are a number of places around that make to measure.
And it never seems to wear out (except against a road) -
old
jackets are just as good as new ones.

Kevlar

Close weave kevlar is effective but doesn't slow you down
(the world is waiting for a kevlar suit with little
moulded
rubber lumps on it for braking). Unfortunately, most of
the
kevlar used in protective clothing is loose or open-weave
type. This is not much good because the first impact with
the ground destroys the weave of the kevlar and there is
little left to protect the skin. If there are two layers
then the performance is much better because the first
layer
protects the second layer which does the sliding.

Waxed Cotton

Good for sliding on once, possibly more. Warmer than
leather
and more waterproof, but gets dirty when hot. Can leave
stains on other clothes. (more detail needed)

Nylon/Cordura

OK for strength, but the weave in the nylon can snag on
rough surfaces and tear. Is waterproof, but doesn't
breathe.
Good for winter, Dri-Riders are made from this. A good
range
of colours too.

Denim

Not really a protective material. If you fall at 60km/h,
denim should protect you for about 1.3m, after that you're
on your own. Interestingly enough, older jeans are better
(as long as they have no holes) because their material is
smoother and slides better. Jeans with 'fashionable' holes
in the knees are no protection at all, and if you fall off
with these on you'll get no sympathy from me.

Price

Fully tailored jackets are available from most of the
manufacturers mentioned in the Full Leathers section though
(as
is to be expected) they're more expensive than off-the-rack
clothing. Check with the manufacturers for prices.

Jackets range in price from ${low} to ${high} for Brando-style
jackets and from ${low} to ${high} for touring-style jackets.

2.3 Gloves

Gloves are vital to prevent major injury to the hands in the event
of a crash. Double thickness leather on the palms and the heels of
the hands is a must, as these are the areas that touch down first
and hardest. It's instinctive, and you can't help it. Protect
them.
Microsurgery is expensive.

Waterproofing and wind resistance are also important, especially
in
winter. It's reported that wearing a pair of rubber or latex
gloves
over your bike gloves works very well in this regard.

Most people keep two pairs of gloves -- one for summer and one for
winter. Gloves aren't expensive (relative to surgery), so you may
as
well get yourself good ones.

2.4 Boots

[ This section could include things like Doc Martens, GP boots and
so on, but for the moment let's keep it to bike-specific boots. ]

Boots should have a solid, stiff sole (to prevent buckling), and
cover at least your ankles. Boots that rise higher (over the
shins)
are even better. A number of manufacturers sell boots with little
bits of inbuilt armour -- this mainly adds abrasion and
penetration
resistance in the case of an accident.

Water resistance is important in a pair of boots -- look for boots
without seams or laces at the front (on the outside) as these will
let water in. Zippers and buttons should be on the inside of your
leg, around the back where water can't easily run.

See also the Jackets subsection WRT abrasion/impact resistance.

The British magazine Performance Bikes tested thirteen different
boots and a pair of sneakers in their October 1994 issue. The
tests (performed by Dr. Rod Woods, Cambridge) were "designed to
replicate the most common failures of real bike boots in real road
accidents". It's nine pages long and full of pictures, so it can't
be included fully here, but it's pretty comprehensive.

[ distillation to be added ]

Manufacturers:

Alpinestars
David Craig <dcr...@eee.utas.edu.au>:
excellent boots. six years use, zips failed
Colin Panisset <col...@nms.otc.com.au>:
The Gore-Tex boots with armoured bits. Great, really
waterproof, warm all the time. Two years, soles coming
a bit
loose but still going. ($275 at time of purchase)

Rossi
David Craig <dcr...@eee.utas.edu.au>:
good boots. four years use, soles worn out.
current pair, two years use, no complaints.

R-Jays

Sidi

2.5 Full Leathers

R-Jays, Rivet, Stagg (?), Quin, Walden Miller, Mars, Tiger Angel,
Crowtree (UK), Frank Thomas (UK), Dainese, [...]

I don't know if the UK brands are available in Oz.

Full leathers generally come in one of two styles -- the one-piece
type with a single zip up the front, and the two-piece
zip-together
type. The two-piece consists of leather pants with an elastic
waist
and a zip where the belt would be, and a pretty standard bike
jacket
with a zip under the waist. You can wear the pants and jacket
separately, or combine them for a full suit.

2.6 Body Armour

Back Protectors

An armadillo-shell of tough, impact-resistant plastic backed
by
foam to prevent edges cutting you if you crash. Usually held
on
by either a kidney belt or shoulder straps, it can also be
incorporated into a string vest-like affair, with similar
armour
for other vulnerable areas like elbows and shoulders, or a
full
suit of similar material with knee protection as well.

Foam Padding

As mentioned in Section 2.2, for any foam to be useful in
impact
absorption it must be of the closed-cell, high-density type.
You
can check this just by grabbing the foam between thumb and
forefinger and squeezing -- if it feels soft like foam rubber
then it's no good; you may as well have nothing. Proper
high-density foam should feel almost hard, but be slightly
resilient. You shouldn't be able to bring your thumb and
forefinger together through the foam.

Padding can be bought and installed after your jacket/leathers
-- one approach is to use velcro sewn inside the jacket and
glued to the padding, which is better than using metal
pop-studs
that could damage you in the case of an accident.

Padding can be bought to cover shoulders, elbows and knees.
[ Back humps? lower backs? chest? groin? bum? I don't know
yet...]
Brands range in price from ${low} to ${high}.

2.7 Other clothing

Waterproof clothing

The ubiquitous Dri-Rider range -- pants, oversuits,
Alpine
Jackets. [ someone wanna blurb about them? ]

Warm stuff

Ear Plugs

They might seem like a strange thing to include in a
protective
gear FAQ, but if you've ever been for a decent ride in a
helmet
that generates lots of wind noise, or ridden a loud bike, or
even just ridden a quiet bike a decent distance, you might
want
to use ear plugs.

Ear plugs are available everywhere -- almost all chemists
stock
them, and they only cost a couple of dollars for a pack of six
or so. There are a few types -- a squidgy foam sort, a wax
type
and an elasticey plastic sort. They all cut noise, generally
across a wide frequency range and by around 20 dB or more.

Try them next time you go on a Ride. You'll probably feel more
rested when you arrive, and your ears won't be ringing either.

=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=

3. What should I get?
------------------

3.1 Helmets

Depends on what fits you best. Try a lot of different helmets in
a shop, ones that haven't been worn by anyone else before. Try
to find a helmet that puts an even pressure on all parts of your
skull, without any tight spots. A brand new helmet should be a bit
too tight -- like a pair of shoes, it'll bed in to the shape of
your head (which is why you shouldn't make a decision based on
what
someone else has worn for two years). This is important as it will
stop the helmet slopping around on your head later, and possibly
stop your head slopping around the helmet in the case of a crash.

You should also consider the weight of a new helmet. A heavy
helmet
can put undue strain on the neck muscles, even if you've got an
upright riding position. There's also an argument against a heavy
helmet with respect to whiplash -- something heavy on your bonce
will make it worse.

Different helmets also have different noise characteristics. At
speed, wind noise can be quite noticeable in some helmets, even to
the extent of blocking out engine noise (if the bike is quiet and
you're going fast :-)). You can either buy a helmet that doesn't
generate any wind noise (generally expensive) or use earplugs (the
cheap foam ones from chemists are perfect). Some people suggest
closing (or taping up) all vents -- it sometimes makes a
difference.

Other than that, price and colour are the next most important
considerations, usually in that order. If order isn't a problem
for
you, then hooray -- but the first two points are really important.

Don't buy a secondhand helmet. The foam can be crushed inside
without any apparent exterior damage, and age causes it to harden
anyway as the solvents outgas. Shells become more brittle with
age,
too.

"If you can't wear a helmet in the shop for ten minutes then don't
buy it. It won't bed in to your head. They say that you should
take
it home and watch a movie in it, but that's silly. It cuts out
your
peripheral vision and you have to turn the sound up."
Tom Cohen <th...@nms.otc.com.au>

3.2 Jackets

Jackets should be able to provide good impact and abrasion
resistance in the case of a crash, as well as keeping you warm
and dry at all times.

Fit is important. A good jacket won't constrict you when in a full
crouch, especially under the arms and across the shoulders. Wrist
zippers should be on the upper inside of the arm where they're
less
likely to get dragged along the road. The jacket should be long
enough to cover your hips and extend over the small of your back
when in a crouch.

If any part of the jacket is too loose, then it is possible for
that part to ride up when sliding along a rough surface (road,
pebblecrete, really big pieces of sandpaper, etc) leaving you
basically unprotected.

"Personally I like the wrist to be nice and tight - my Quin jacket
only allows me to get two fingers in the opening when zipped up -
this makes it easier to seal out wind, and less likely for it to
be
dragged up the arm when sliding down the road."
Tom Cohen <th...@nms.otc.com.au>

3.3 Gloves (David Craig <dcr...@eee.utas.edu.au>)

The usual need is warm, dry, flexible, gravel resistant, stay on
while you fly over the Volvo, gauntlet style to stop those nasty
draughts up your sleeve, maybe a soft bit on the left hand to wipe
wet visors.

Electric heated gloves may crack a mention, but hardly qualify as
a
_frequently_ asked question!

3.4 Boots

[ I'll try and dig out the Performance Bikes boot crash review ]
Get something that fits properly. Boots with grippy soles have
been
recommended as well, because it's really embarrassing to drop your
bike at a standstill when your feet slip out from underneath you.

The boot material is very important. Don't get something made of
silver lame, cos it just won't last in a crash. Leather works
really
well.

Some claim that steel toecaps can amputate toes, but it might be
worth the risk -- the chances are higher that the toecap will save
the toes and not remove them.

3.5 Body armour

3.6 Wet weather gear

3.7 Warm gear

Wool. Thermal underclothes. Gore-Tex.

=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=

4. The Care and Feeding of Your Gear
---------------------------------

4.1 Helmets

Wipe down every now and then with a damp cloth. Clean the visor
frequently; every time it gets dirty is a good idea. A scratched
visor reduces your vision during both day and night, and should be
replaced. There are a number of good anti-fog preparations that
can
be applied to the inside of the visor without reducing visibility;
they can be invaluable in rainy weather.

If you drop your shiny new helmet from three feet or more onto
a hard surface) you should throw it away and buy a new one. The
ability of a helmet to protect your head from an impact is
severely
reduced by compression of the foam liner, and this will happen in
the case of even a slight impact. Beware second-hand helmets! Even
though they may seem okay, the only way to be certain is to cut
them
in half and look.

Jonathan Dwyer (<jona...@psych.psy.uq.oz.au>) writes that Airport
and other security X-ray equipment is a cool way to check for
otherwise invisible cracks in a helmet. Just be polite and ask if
you can lean over and look at the screen as it goes through.

Alvian Tam (<a...@newt.phys.unsw.edu.au>) notes that cleaning a
helmet with NapiSan gets the liner very clean but destroys the
shell
coating. Don't try this at home!

Hint: Mr. Sheen applied to the outside of your helmet and visor
keeps it shiny and allows water droplets to bead and run off
easily.
It's transparent, too!

4.2 Leather

This includes jackets, boots, gloves, vests, jockstraps and so on.
Most leather used for motorcycling gear is waterproof out of the
shop, but can either lose that waterproof capability over time
or has annoying leaks at the seams. Leather care products are
good for increasing the appearance and suppleness of leather but
aren't necessarily good at waterproofing, especially on seams and
stitching.

A good waterproofing product will also provide a measure of
protection for the leather -- Sno-Seal is a good example.

Hint: if you have cotton stitching, don't use Dubbin. It's
reported
to cause the stitching to disintegrate faster than compounds like
Sno-Seal.

4.3 Waterproof gear

Even waterproof clothing can start leaking over time, generally at
the seams. If applying Sno-Seal is impractical and re-stitching
the seams doesn't work, it may be time to buy another set. Most
wet-weather gear should last for many years, though.

Tim Marsh <phil.insted.unimelb.edu> offers the following method
for
cleaning a Dri-Rider jacket:

1. Empty _all_ pockets. Dump your jacket in a bath with
washing
powder of your choice and fill enough to cover the jacket with
water (lukewarm was fine with mine).

2. Push, prod and pummel the jacket until the water runs
murky.
I ended up hanging onto the shower rose and stomping all over
the jacket. Efficient but slippery.

3. Drain the bath, fill with clean water. Repeat step 2.

4. Repeat step 3 until the water no longer becomes soapy or
discolours. This could take a long while. Decide for yourself
just _how_ clean you want your jacket to be.

5. Hang the jacket up to dry. Best to drape it over something.
A
wet dri-rider is bloody heavy.

6. Fill in the Name, address, blood group details again.

If you're careful and don't use hot water, a washing machine
on
the gentle setting might save a lot of effort. YMMV, IMHO etc.

=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=

5. An explanation of safety tests
------------------------------

[ under construction ]

5.1 Australian Standards

AS 1609

AS 1698

5.2 Snell

=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=

6. Contributors
------------

In no particular order:

Colin Panisset <col...@nms.otc.com.au>
Carl Brewer <ca...@oversteer.library.uwa.edu.au>
David Craig <dcr...@eee.utas.edu.au>
Tom Cohen <th...@nms.otc.com.au>
Tim Mills <t.m...@qut.edu.au>
Nick Fitton <n.fi...@dem.csiro.au>
Jonathan Dwyer <jona...@psych.psy.uq.oz.au>
Alvian Tam <a...@newt.phys.unsw.edu.au>
Tim Marsh <t...@phil.insted.unimelb.edu.au>
Mike Cutter <m...@arbld.unimelb.edu.au>

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