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
sales@flywheels.com.au
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.