August 08 Newsletter - Flywheels Motorcycle Engineering
Transcription
August 08 Newsletter - Flywheels Motorcycle Engineering
Vol 02 08 Flywheels The FLYER Welcome Well it’s been a long time coming but I am extremely proud to present the second volume of the Flywheels Flyer. The first edition was a huge success receiving much acclaim from the readers and consequently a lot of pressure to follow through with the next release. Finally, there is more than enough to give in the form of new staff members, unexpectedly early milestones, new project bikes, and more. I must say, it has been an absolute pleasure being an exclusive Kawasaki dealer. I have had the honour of visiting my first National Kawasaki Dealer Meeting. There we were introduced to the long-awaited new models such as the ZX10R and Ninja 250. Both of which were received with welcoming arms onto the Australian market and will have their own article in this newsletter. While there, I was also introduced to the updated version of Kawasaki’s Supertourer Flagship. My sales rep quickly learned of my affection for the hugely successful Honda counterpart, the CBR1100XX Super Blackbird. So Kawasaki gave me a Special Edition ZX14R Ninja to ride for a year, in an attempt to show me the error of my ways. I must say, while the Blackbird will always have a place in my garage, the 2008 version of the big Ninja is quickly working its way up my list. The handling of the big machine is surprisingly useable and the power delivery is silky smooth but at the same time it can really pack a punch. And, of course, the graphics of the Special Edition are guaranteed to always turn heads. It has been a busy year from the Director’s chair and there is much to reveal. So sit back and relax and I hope you enjoy the long awaited continuation of the Flywheels Flyer. Ron Czeiger Director FME FLYWHEELS HAS ITS FIRST BIRTHDAY! Becoming a franchised dealership was part of the FME 5 year plan. However, an early opportunity arose when we were approached by Kawasaki.The release of exciting new models and the highlevel of technical support and spare parts infrastructure were contributing factors in the decision leading to the brand’s acquisition.Another influencial dynamic was due to the location of competing brands. At the time, there was no Kawasaki presence in the South East and Central Sydney district. Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, BMW, Triumph, and Hyosung were all in the immediate vicinity of our shop. Since it’s opening, Flywheels has tripled the Kawasaki market share of the Sydney Central district from 2.2% to an inspiring 6.5% of all bikes and scooters sold in the metropolitan area, and since its recent release, Flywheels has become the 3rd largest Kawasaki dealer in the country for the 2008 ZX10R models. Coinciding with its first birthday, the dealership sold its 100th bike.The lucky customer bought the KLX140L (Big Wheel) for his son to ride on their farm in Canberra. For his good fortune and loyal patronage, Matt Chan was awarded a KRT Sponsor Jacket, which he graciously handed down to his son, Mike.We thank them both for being involved in this exciting milestone, and we hope they enjoy the Kawasaki riding experience. Another noteworthy accolade is the Flywheels rise in the Ichiban list.This is the list of Kawasaki dealers nation-wide, exclusive or otherwise. This list is calculated monthly, on the basis of number of units sold.We hover consistently around the top 30. So far we have reached as high #24 out all of the 120 or so Kawasaki dealers in Australia. Not bad for our first year. But we aim to improve. Ninja Star Australia waited with baited breath for the arrival of Kawasaki’s new additions to the “Ninja” brand sportsbike. It’s no surprise, then, that the ZX10R and Ninja 250R have been so well received. The new ZX10R provided a whole range of upgrades over the last model. These include braking, handling, engine performance, a form of electronic traction control and, of course, all new styling. The new position of the footpegs gives a much more comfortable ride and the suspension and frame adjustments provide more accurate handling with greater rider input and feedback. Since its arrival, the machine has had hit reviews from the Australian press, and the editor of Rapidbikes magazine procured one for himself. A publisher from AMCN magazine was the first to buy one of our ZX10Rs after trading in his Ducati monster. Now, although, they are still in high demand, Kawasaki issued a new promotion for dealer demos at $1500 off recommended retail. So if you are interested in a test ride, there is one of each colour in our showroom. They’re just sitting there waiting to be ridden and move to a good home. With interest rates and fuel prices on the up and up, the entry level market for Learner riders is continually on the increase. As such, I am proud to present one of the best learner bikes on the market. It’s not called the ZX2R!! It’s the Ninja 250R, or as the Flywheels team have affectionately named it – the “Baby Ninja”. The ZZR250 and GPX250 have held a long reign, with the GPX consistently in the top ten bikes sold in Australia over the last 20 years or so. From their ashes rises a new star, with modern bodywork, a tweaked engine, wave rotors and – yes – a fuel gauge! Its popularity has been drastically underestimated by the Kawasaki factory. It simply cannot produce the units fast enough. People are waiting all around the country to get their hands on one. Some have been waiting for Months. And the waiting list grows as each day passes.This great looking, user friendly bike is guaranteed to be a best seller for years to come. Good things come to those who wait. Since its inception in mid 2005, the Flywheels workshop has always had a plan. Our 3rd year female apprentice in the form of Lauren Jones was a great way to help the business get off the ground. But from the beginning it was always intended to employ Rob as the workshop manager. While he was content to stay at Gowanlochs, fine-tuning his skills with Ducatis, it was a matter of waiting. He and Ron were close work companions and shared the same love for bikes, even completing their Tafe course first and second in the state. So it was clear that his inclusion in the workshop in 2007 was a winning combination. And for the year and a half he has been with us, this has indeed proven to be a successful relationship, with Rob taking the reigns as the Flywheels workshop manager, while Ron focuses on developing the business as the Dealer Principle. Finally, stage two of the master plan has come to fruition with the introduction of the venerable George Tamine.At 42 years old, George has a wealth of knowledge and experience to offer. He has always loved bikes from an early age and started “tinkering” in 1983 while he earned his trade as a panel beater. From there, his affection for bikes led him to begin his apprenticeship in 1993 at the specialised and world famous Ducati shop – Gowanloch’s. There he worked under the Ducati Guru - Ian Gowanloch and alongside Mike Soderland in the workshop. From there he went to Fraser Motorcycles in ’97, working with the likes of Scott Walker. This gave him the opportunity to travel to Italy for the Ducati factory training courses in ’98, ’99, 2005 and more recently completed the course for the Desmosedici. His career at Frasers lasted over 10 years working with late model Ducatis and helping Craig McMartin in his prolific Pro-Twins race efforts on a 996, 998, 999 and 1098. He also set-up the bikes for the American Motorsport Series and his team raced at Daytona. While George’s passion for all things Ducati will never die, he looks forward to adding Japanese bikes to his resume. He also has plans to take advantage of the Flywheels dyno, learning how to use the equipment to diagnose and tune late model bikes without having to pull them apart. His list of past possessions includes a Mike Hailwood replica and a couple of Ducati Darmahs in the bevel-drive category. And he also owned a pristeen 916SP which he regretfully sold in ’94 due to poor storage availability before spending thousands on refurbishing his home garage. Now he is still the proud owner of a 2001 Ducati Monster S4. So feel free to come by and introduce yourself or reacquaint yourself with George, he loves to talk with customers. Since his absence from Frasers, Ducati riders have been wondering where he works. FLYWHEELS NOW HAS GEORGE TAMINE!! Interpreting Spare Parts. secret. One can only imagine the icons of bigone eras that lie within. I can reveal that he used to ride his prize winning NSR400 around Eastern Creek.This one was affectionately named “the kettle”, due to the recognisable note emitted by the exhaust. More recently, though, the Kawasaki bug has tickled a nerve in the form of the 2007 ZX10R and the flagship GTR1400. Out of the full range, these are the two that pluck at Craig’s heart-strings. One very underestimated area of our industry is the spare parts department.You can’t fix bikes without the correct parts. Craig Bleifnick is the Flywheels “go-to” guy. If you need something he can get it for you. And on the rare occasion that the items are not available to him, he offers a selection of suitable alternatives. Craig has been a keen follower of everything bike related from as far back as he can remember. He is a die-hard fan of the Moto GP and he picks a bike off the showroom floor every Saturday after work to use on his religious Sunday ride. He also has a vast collection of “vintage” two stroke machines and a number of Sportsbikes. But after much prodding he is yet to reveal the exact number of bikes he owns and, of course, the location of his self contained storage unit remains a Craig has a long list of trades to his name. He first began in a steel factory, then went into the removalist business, to name a few. His spare parts career began in 2000, helping a specialty workshop catalogue its spare parts system. In 2001 he took a sabbatical from this side of the industry, and began making his mark in the carbon fibre business. Here he was working on such industry leaders like the V8 Supercars and Porsche and BMW, fabricating the ram ducts, bonnets, bumpers and other items for the race teams. His skill in carbon fibre was taken advantage of with Ron’s CBR1100XX Trackbird. The two spent many nights modifying the bodywork to be track-friendly. Craig also spent a long stint at Sydney Motorcycle Wreckers, just a stone’s throw away from the Flywheels headquarters.Approximately 4 years was spent extracting manifolds and brake drums and headlights from a mountain of bikes spanning a thirty year age range. If you need a part for your bike, whatever it may be, Craig can find it for you. If you are in need of a smash repair, Craig can quote it for you. If you want to modify your bike, Craig can show you some options. Call Flywheels and hit extension #2 for Craig in Spares and Accessories. Finally a Flywheels Motard. When the KLX450R was introduced onto the market it received much praise from the press. The reviews from people who have bought one are all positive and are always delivered with a big grin. It was only a matter of time, then, before the workshop boys got their hands on one and decided to make some minor alterations while the showroom boys weren’t looking. The square headlight was removed and the “transformer beam” was wired up. And a Factory FX Sticker kit was applied just to give it that little bit extra in the looks department. But then the call was made to our suppliers and a few days later the Fly Wheels arrived. Lightweight, tubeless Motard wheels by Alpina painted in Kawasaki colours, with black spokes. Rob did some machining to the front and rear running gear and all of a sudden our dirt bike was a road bike. The Alpinas compliment the bike perfectly and really accent the KLX’s standard wave rotors. This coupled with some Conti motard tyres makes for some pretty amazing handling. The dramatic change in the size of the front wheel from the standard 21 inch to a road-race 17 inch wheel means the lowering of the front end for a more aggressive look and sharper turning capability. Meanwhile, the proven power of the KLX engine and the masses of grip from the road tyres, have been a successful match. Even with standard gearing, the front of the bike continually reaches for the heavens, demanding all of your riding skills to tame the beast. The best part of all this is that the KLX450R Motard by Flywheels is actually our demonstrator model. So if you are game enough to ride the bull or you are serious about having a lot of fun, come in and take it for a ride. The wheels will be sold with the bike, so you could be the lucky owner of this extremely limited edition. Project Fibre Bike Ducati 749 Red Braided brake lines (F&R) Double Bubble dark smoke windscreen Oberon Red anodised rear brake reservoir Ducati Performance Clutch Pressure Plate Stainless Clutch springs with red anodised caps Front & Rear Michelin Pilot Power 2CT tyres Black Anodised Superbike Triple clamp, brake & clutch reservoir covers, Alternator cover inspection cap, Adjustable Rear sets, Clutch slave cylinder, oil filler plug, radguards Progrip Flouro Red Wheel tape Monoposto Subframe Pazzo Roll-a-click Levers Ceramic coated exhaust and side-stand Piper-X air filter Rapidbike ECU BMW K1200RS Akrapovic Titanium Muffler with Carbone Fibre end cap modified to fit Monoposto 749 subframe Scorpio alarm Custom Paintwork Mad Doctor Fender Eliminator Radiator and Oil Cooler Radguards Carbon Fibre: Timing belt covers Monoposto Ducktail Front Tank Pad Quick Release Fuel filler cap Ignition Key guard Ram air covers Rear hugger Ventilated sprocket cover Heel guards Ventilated Clutch Cover Floor Stock Clearout The phrase “best deals in town” gets thrown around a lot, without much to back up the claim. In this case, however, I am pleased to offer the readers of this Newsletter our full range of floor stock bikes at COST PRICE. In the rare case that this has happened before, customers still ask “Can you do any better?” For obvious reasons this is difficult. However, if any of the bikes listed below are sold due to reading this Newsletter, Flywheels will do the first service for free!! So, to sum up, all of the bikes listed below are, for your benefit alone, listed at cost price, and will all include the first service.Yes, we like to look after our patrons. ER-6n – New – Green $8350 SOLD ER-6n – New – Blue $8350 ER-6f – New – Black $9200 KLE650 (Versys) – Green $9500 KLX250 – New – Green $6150 KLX450 – New – Green $9500 KLX110 – New – Green $2950 KX250F – New – Green $7600 VN1600 (Meanstreak) – New – Black $16150 KX450F – New – Green $8600 VN1600 (Nomad) – New – Black/Gold $18200 SOLD VN250 (Eliminator) – New – Black $7500 SOLD VN900B (Classic) – New - Black $10200 VN900C (Custom) – New – Green $10200 GTR1400 – New – Black or Silver $19750 Z1000 – New – Green $13300 ZRX1200 – New – Green $11200 Z750 – New – Orange or Blue $9750 ZX10R – New – 2007 Green $13990 ZX10R – New – 2008 Black $16990 ZX14R – New – 2007 Blue $15350 ZX14R – New – Silver $16350 ZX6R – New – Yellow $13150 ZX6R – Demo – Green $12200 ZX10R – Demo – Green or Black or Orange $14990 ZX10R – Demo – 2007 Blue $13490 Z750 – Demo – Blue $9000 Z1000 – Demo – Black $12200 GTR1400 – Demo – Silver $18500 VN1600 (Classic) – Demo – Black $14700 ZZR250 – Demo – 2007 Blue $6700 ER-6n – Demo – Orange $7700 ER-6f – Demo – Green $8650 ZRX1200 – Demo – Green $10500 ZX14R Special Edition – Dealer Principle – Black/Red $15500 SOLD SOLD All prices are +ORC The mystery of “On Road Costs”? Whenever bike prices are advertised you will see the little disclaimer down the bottom saying “+ORC”. This is not included because it is different for every bike. So I’ve made it really easy for you to calculate your on road costs depending on the price of the bike. Take the price of the bike, Add 3% for stamp duty Add $150 for Registration fees Add $190 for Greenslips on Bikes under 300cc or $470 for bikes over 300cc Add $350 for Dealer Delivery, Assembly & Pre-delivery fees. Then you will have your total ride away price. Don’t forget, we can arrange finance packages, Insurance, Pink slips & green slips. You can admit that you like the attention. Just try one, you won’t regret it. FLYWHEELS MOTORCYCLES [email protected] 100 McEvoy St Alexandria, 2015 Ph: 02 9699 7800 www.flywheels.com.au KAWASAKI CARES: Always wear a helmet, eye protection and proper apparel. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Adhere to the maintenance schedule schedule in your owner’s manual. Professional rider shown on a closed course. ©2006 Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.