Australian Motorcycle News - June 21, 2018

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Front

110/80R19 59V M+S TL

120/70R19 60V M+S TL

90/90 21 54V M+S TL

temperatures were less than half that.
Leaving our hotel, I expected to have at least
30 minutes of asphalt to get acclimatised to
local roads (and riding on the right), but within
30 seconds we were on a dusty pothole-riddled
service road running alongside the beach, and in
another 30 seconds I was covered from lid to boot
in filthy, sandy gloop.
My 1200GS retained its dignity through some
fairly long and deep stretches of water. Okay, they
were puddles – but big buggers – and we were
ankle deep, powering through with stretches
of sandy, broken roads between the water. Big
fistfuls of throttle to tr y to unsettle the bike over
the rough stuff did nothing of the sort, thanks
partly to the bike’s competent electronic aids.
After this short but rude awakening, it was
tarmac time. The big GS is well known for its
gentlemanly nature, so I spent the next half
hour trying to upset it by aiming for every tar
line and imperfection I could find. The tyre
certainly suits the bike with its smooth, neutral
disposition, and it maintained a composed feel,
rolling nonchalantly over surface f luctuations,

performing just as well as any sport touring tyre

I’ve tested. It was also very quiet over coarse

surfaces, a bonus for long days in the saddle.

The next section was a largely dry river bed

with sand, stones and small rocks. Riding Ducati’s

imposing 1200 Multistrada Enduro for the first

time took a fair bit of concentration as it initially

feels very different to the GS. It’s big, tall and

a bit of a handful, requiring plenty of precise,

constant throttle to keep it from nose-diving in

the sand, but not so much as to kick out the rear

too drastically, which it was prone to want to do

in enduro mode, finding the limit of traction at

surprisingly low revs.

It was hard to tell whether the fuelling was too

enthusiastic or the rear tyre out of its depth, but I

decided to stay with the Duke to see how it would

fare in other situations.

It improved through a stretch of faster trails

with the occasional dark, wet tunnel allowing

me to focus on riding faster. The tyres excelled

on a three-metre-wide f lat cobbled path running

alongside a cycle path, allowing hard acceleration

and braking without drama. Even decent lean

90/90-21 54V M+S TL

Rear

150/70 R 17 69V M+S TL

170/60 R 17 72V M+S TL

150/70 R 18 70V M+S TL

Available sizes

Metzeler Karoo Street

5

2

4