Wayne looks back on 2024
Another year, another ‘this is not an official MCNews.com.au bike of the year as Trev doesn’t do them and thinks they are a crock, but this is just what I think from what I’ve ridden this year’. OK? Great – carry on.
There’s been a bit going on this year. Another interrupted one for me, but despite that, I’ve still managed to throw the leg over more bikes than ever. Let’s look at some highlights.
It started off with a bang, on the updated Tiger 900 GT Pro and Rally Pro respectively. Two terrific versions of one of my favourite bikes and rightly a big seller for the Hinckley mob. That T-plane cranked 900 triple is frankly, bloody epic. It feels like a twin down low and then like a v4 when you get up it a little. And even with the stock pipe it sounds pretty awesome.
The GT Pro is damn good thing on the road, but also not a bad soft roader at all. Surprised me how good that suspension was up a local 4WD track in my review vid.
Then we had a hell of a ride on the Rally Pro launch in and around the Healesville area in Vic. One hill that I probably wouldn’t have attempted on my own, stands out in the memory bank. A certain ride leader saying ‘last time I came up here I couldn’t get up, but it should be ok today’… LOL! We did get up. Grabbo flew up like a rat up a drain pipe. The rest of us mortals were happy to just get up without stopping…
I think the only thing stopping the middleweight Tiger platform from being ‘complete’ in my eyes is a multi-level, adjustable, on the fly TC system like I have on my Tuareg (or on an 890AR for instance).
Then I took off for Spain for the 30 years of Duke celebration and the launch of three new Dukes. I sampled the 390, 990 on Spanish roads and then the 1390 Superduke around the Almeria circuit. The 990 Duke was the standout and surprise for me. Such a lovely mid-sized package. Great engine and handling with super easy, flexible ergos. Good thing it was easy… they had us riding on ice-covered roads up in the mountains! I was NOT expecting that. Sphincter muscles activated…
I am VERY much looking forward to throwing a leg over the R version next year when it’s available.
Then I got on the big dog on track. The 1390 Super Duke R. The Beast. Torque city. All 145 Nm of it. Nice little track Almeria actually. I would have liked to have had more than one dry session… (cue swearing in my helmet as the rain starting coming down). But in true KTM form, the team said ‘well yeah the track is wet – who wants to rip skids and do wheelies?’ So I had to.
The beast remains one of the most user friendly super nakeds available. Comfortable, flexible, user friendly. Barking mad when you want it to be… It’s very orange. Brilliant.
Slightly after returning from that trip I was back on a long-term Tiger GT Pro when I cleaned up a very committed skippy not far from home. Crash tested both the Tiger and the Motodry Adventure Jacket and Pants I was wearing. Both came off better than the Roo…
So that’s two years in a row that I was off bikes for several weeks while my internals knitted back up.
Once I mended up I was on the first of three 1300 GS machines. Massively overhauled for 24 and hugely important for BMW, the R1300GS Pure was first up. With the Trophy X and then the big R1300GSA Trophy following later. Vastly redesigned – Smaller and more stylish in particular, I think the stylists did an awesome job on the ‘regular’ 1300 GSs.
The first two bikes had issues with the new gearbox that ended up precluding them from my BOTY shortlist, but by the time I got on the later GSA that had been sorted which is great.
The R1300 GSA really is a remarkable bike. Moreso for its suspension prowess in how well it controls bumps for such a big and heavy bike. And it is. Big. And heavy. Impressive nonetheless. Ride it the way it wants to be ridden – flowy, not aggressive – and it responds really nicely. It’ll float somewhat effortlessly along a trail if you let it do the work.
April saw me head to the Philippines for the international launch of CFMoto’s 450MT. Their highly anticipated entry into the lightweight Adventure bike category. I said at the time that they were onto a winner. It’s a great bike, even moreso for the price but great regardless.
It feels like a little Tenere to ride. Nothing overly complicated or unnecessarily hi-tech. The simple one push button to disable TC and switch to offroad ABS is an example of the ‘how simple can we make this?’ approach that I appreciate. Obviously others do too if sales are any measure.
Roll onto May and I joined the BMW Safari on the terrific new F 900 GS. The Motorrad crew finally got serious with their middleweight after years of it being a bit of a step-child to the full sized hero GS. As far as I’m concerned the 900 Enduro is the best GS I’ve ever ridden. The only fly in the ointment is a smallish tank.
If most people are honest with themselves, they don’t need an enormous range but 250 km is going to be borderline for many… But for those wanting maximum off-road capability from their GS, they now have a genuine option.
Something that does have big range, is Ducati’s extraordinary Multistrada V4 Rally. Big price tag too unfortunately. Big red quickly and comfortably leapt to the top of my list for large Adventure bikes. A stonking engine on road.
But off-road was what blew me away. How they have managed to make such a big bike so damn playful is otherworldy. The closing words on my video were simply ‘this is the best bike I’ve ever ridden’. And it remains just that.
I then lined up a couple of super stylish MVs, the Dragster 800 RR SCS with the clever clutch and then the Brutale 1000 RR. Stunning things in the metal. Glorious attention to detail. Pics don’t do them justice. I really did like the Dragster in particular, but would have preferred it with a normal clutch.
August saw the launch of the updated Tiger 1200 range, both the GT Pro and Rally Pro variants copping a mid-model fettling. Like the 900 T-plane, I’m a bit smitten by the big 1200. So much character in that engine. That intake growl and exhaust note. Loved it so much I snagged a Rally Pro for a bit and took off for a trip taking in Ocean, Forest, Mountain and Desert in an easy 820 km day and made a video of it. What a mile eater.
I jumped on Aprilia’s new RS 457 and belted it around a local GoKart track for some giggles. Fun fact, that engine is essentially one bank of the mighty V4 used in the big Tuono and RSV4. A surprisingly hooligan-friendly bike that one. Doesn’t mind a wheelie either. And you know how I feel about that… Learners haven’t had it so good since the days of RGV, NSR and RS250 two bangers were road legal….
I also managed to jump on BMWs incredible S 1000 RR M Sport swinging my knees in the breeze around Phillip Island for a couple of days at the California Superbike School. I was expecting it to be fast, I wasn’t expecting it to be so mind bendingly easy to ride at pace. Oh so smooth and stable. Incredibly so. Another remarkable bike.
We also saw my second electric bike test being more successful than the first. This time around I was on the Zero SR/S which turned out to be quite the nice thing. Decent power as expected, but it was the range that exceeded expectations this time around which was a welcome surprise. Very impressive regen performance in traffic.
It pretty much does what it says on the box in terms of range. I’d expect to see a city range of somewhere in the 250 km mark which will suit many riders. Indeed Zero say that some 95% of owners charge their bikes exclusively at home. Still pricey though…
And I had some time aboard some more Hondas this year too. The CBR500R is a lovely little LAMS bike, as is the NX500. Quite refined. And some others yet to have the publish button clicked so they’ll have to roll over to next year’s edition, but it’s worth calling out the CRF300 Rally. Great little bike for those entering the off road scene.
It’s cheap, super easy to ride and a with some tweaks can be turned into a bit of a light weight Adventure weapon. It’s not a rally bike though… and the suspension is very, very soft for more experienced riders (hence the aforementioned tweaks). It’s a bloody mountain goat though. Climbs like an absolute beast.
So some very impressive standout bikes amongst a host of other great bikes not mentioned in this list. In the end for me, it came down to two bikes as being the most impressive for the year. Both were surprises.
In Runner up position, Ducati’s excellent Multistrada V4 Rally. Now I know it wasn’t released this year, but it was the first time I had a chance to ride it. Here’s a bike that would shock a lot of riders if they knew how impressive it is off the beaten track. This is not a tarmac princess, but a very capable bike in the dirt.
Huge fun. Unbelievably playful for a big bike. The bulk disappears beneath you and it encourages you to enjoy the ride rather than be tentative. I was largely lost for words in the review vid. Such a different character to the big GS for instance.
It remains the best bike I’ve ever ridden. And if money were no object I would have one in my shed. Unfortunately… reality is a thing. And the price point for big red will ultimately mean there will be very few of these gems punted in anger which is a crying shame. That price point bumped it down to second place. And for me to put another bike above ‘the best bike I’ve ever ridden’, means it must be something extraordinary. And I think it is.
I’m crowning CFMoto’s 450MT as my bike of the year. Here is the bike that has arguably marked the sales breakthrough point for CFMoto as a brand. They listened to what punters were asking for and delivered. Something not overly expensive, not overly hi tech. Reliable, accessible, fun to ride.
Not the best at anything, but pretty good at everything. And the sub 10k price-point seals the deal. A great way to get new riders into the Adventure segment. It was so well received that they’ve sold over 1,000 of these in Australia alone. Incredible numbers. Congrats to them.
This time last year I was asking CFMoto for an engine from the SR450 for a project bike to graft into a dirtbike (seriously!), but they were already on it. So let’s try again… Maybe there is a 500MT-R version in the wings. A little weight saving here and there to drop another 10 kg, rally-bike style low slung fuel tanks for extra range… higher spec adjustable suspension… a big bore kit with a phat pipe and slightly harder tune…
Keep it under AU $15K and we’ll see you back here next year boys and girls…
