*Read more and see links at
http://www.heavyduty.com.au/cybercycles
Or scan QR code with your smartphone.about the lack of suspension
with Harley. Here’s our
answer,” 43mm front forks
and shortened rake with a 28
degrees compared to a standard
Sportster’s 30 degrees. This
makes for a tighter turning
circle and more agility at low
speeds further emphasising
the “urban” moniker for the
Forty-Eight.
In 2016, Ben picked up where
he left off, this time with the
Roadster 1200 saying “The
wheels were inspired by classic
laced wheels, and are the most
intricate cast wheel we’ve ever
created.
The interlacing spokes shoot
outward toward opposite
sides of the wheel, creating a
dramatic visual effect. These
wheels are also very light for
their size, which contributes
to the Roadster’s handling
performance ... The seat’s
profile flows into the very short
rear fender ... The cover features
a series of pads inspired by an
armoured leather jacket, and the
rear of the seat is designed as
a passenger pillion, to give the
Roadster added versatility.”
In 2017 and 2018, Ben was
busy on the Milwaukee Eight
engine integration and its 2018
Softail architecture. Ben was the
“Design Lead” on the Fat Bob
and Breakout Softails. Then in
October with the completion
of the Dyna/Softail update,
Ben move up to be the Harley-
Davidson “Design Manager,
Electric Vehicles” where he
now oversees the entire electric
vehicle portfolio including the
halo and crown-jewel bike, the
2020 LiveWire.
Since 2012, Ben McGinley
has been the Lead or
contributing Designer for
over 20 Harleys and accessory
programs. What his CV and
current job description don’t
reveal today in their secrecy, is
perhaps what will be his greatest
achievement with the release of
the LiveWire, Streetfighter 975
and Custom 1250.WINTER AND THE
WEATHER
Winter is now truly here. Ride
safety is paramount in these
times with shorter daylight
and weather conditions always
needing a constant watch.
Proper clothing and a closer
look at your bike and tyres are
mandatory before any ride.
Even little things can get you
in trouble or just late. Your bike
security system alarm may give
you an early warning of the
Key FOB battery failure with a
single beep when you pick yourbike off the kickstand. Certainly
every two years it’s time to
invest in some preventative
maintenance, I bought four
no-name CR2032s from
K-Mart for $5. Save the old
dying battery in your pannier
for a mate when their FOB dies.
Charge him for a cup of coffee.
Even your bike’s 12VDC
battery needs to be on a
modern electrical trickle
charger or tender. Cold is the
enemy of all electrical stuff.
Just ask a Tesla owner in
Canada. Tyre pressure should
not be overlooked either. For all
these winter things, ask a mate
or your dealer.
But for the weather forecast
there is really only one source,
the Australia Bureau of
Meteorology or BOM. While
BOM is the source; commercial
apps deliver the basic info
in more useful and readable
displays. On your home
computer go to bom.gov.au. It
is easy to navigate. Click on all
the buttons and names to see
where they take you. You will be
surprised how good it is.
For the most accurate weekly
and even hourly forecast you
can’t beat BOM’s “MetEye”
which is only availably at http://www.
bom.gov.au/australia/meteye.
The most important trick isknowing it first comes up on
the “Wind Forecasts.” Above
the Wind line is the “Rainfall
Forecasts.” You can look ahead
by the hour or day, up to a week
in advance. Believe me, with
MetEye it’s very accurate for
the current day and even three
days out.
Working from home
“Weatherzone” is my second
choice and I use both just
before a ride. It is also available
from the App Store and Google
Play and is rated 4.5 stars with
296K likes! I opted for the paid
version which is ad free. It is
really good but as with all apps
with too much information you
have to learn to use it.
When riding on your bike,
you need a smart phone
weather app. The “BOM
Weather” app is just okay
but there are so many better
apps because they display the
weather in a more biker friendly
way. Again Weatherzone is
great. But for realtime hourly
rain warning and forecasts,
I depend on “Rain Parrot.” It
displays your nearest radar
map with a unique direction
cone telling whether the rain is
coming your way and how long
until it hits you. If you have
only one weather app, Rain
Parrot is the one to get! HD