On Throttle New Zealand

With a new, bigger, and arguably better GS on the way, the price of the current BMW R 1200 GS and R 1200 GS Adventure could soon come down for crafty buyers. So which do you want to spend your hard earned dollar on? We grabbed the keys to a GS and a GSA to find out. Now the BMW R 1200 GS shouldn’t need any introduction – it is one of the most revered and loved bikes around the world – but with the range moving to new larger capacity engines with variable valve timing in 2019, it does pose an interesting question. Do you buy the new model, or save your money and go for the horse of the family – the sensibly sized R 1200 GS –  or the elephant – the R 1200 GS Adventure? Putting aside the macho global traveller image that comes with the GS Adventure for a moment, the bigger bike does offer a lot more of just about everything over the standard R 1200 GS. Starting at the front, the wheels are 19-inch spoked items over the 19-inch cast alloy of the GS, while the fuel t...

In an increasingly crowded marketplace, getting riders to remain loyal to your brand is a challenge all manufacturers are now finding themselves negotiating.     While some brands offer t-shirts, discounts on insurance or dress up kits at the point of purchase to build a relationship with their customers, Yamaha Motor New Zealand has taken a different approach -- and it involves free fish and chips and a beachside reserve.    Yamaha are no strangers to brand outreach; they have successfully built up a following of loyal customers with their  bLU   cRU  Racing initiative, backed by a range of bikes - particularly in the dirt sector - suitable for those from small children to competitive motocross machines and a range of rider-friendly exclusives to bring added value to the Yamaha purchase.     When it comes to the road market, Yamaha has a range of bikes to cover all aspects of motorcycling, but are only...

TRIUMPH SCRAMBLER 1200 REDEFINES CATEGORY   Triumph Motorcycles partners with GoPro and Google for motorcycle world firsts debuting on the 2019 Triumph Scrambler 1200 - due in New Zealand dealers in late-January 2019.     Triumph motorcycles can be credited with popularising the modern scrambler class of motorcycles, thanks to their Bonneville Scrambler models which first appeared in the 2006 model year.   While the bikes have always offered more off-road ability over the traditional Bonneville range, they have never really been particularly well suited for aggressive off-road adventures. That all changes next year, when the new Scrambler 1200 model arrives in dealerships.   The Scrambler 1200 utilises the 1200cc liquid-cooled parallel twin engine platform used by the Bonneville and Thruxton 1200, but unlike those bikes, the Scrambler’s High Power engine features its own dedicated tune to produce 66.2kW just 100rpm before redlin...