ATTENTION ALL TRAIL ZONE BLOG SPOT FOLLOWERS!

Hey there guys and girls, we've made the big leap across to Facebook and are posting all our news, blogs, PR and pix on the official TRAIL ZONE magazine Facebook page!

Here's the URL to go straight to the page, so copy and paste it into your web browser:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Trailzone-Magazine/139740902729354

Or simply go back to the www.trailzone.com.au home page and click on the Facebook link near the top of the page.

It doesn't matter if you are a fan of Facebook or not, and you don't have to have a Facebook page of your own, just click on our Facebook link and check it out ... and have a few laughs and throw up a few Comments when you feel like it.

Thanks and we'll see you on the TRAIL ZONE real soon!

-- Clubby, www.trailzone.com.au

PRESS RELEASE:

SYDNEY MOTORCYCLE & SCOOTER SHOW HEADS TO DARLING HARBOUR!

Australia’s largest and most comprehensive motorcycle showcase returns to Sydney with a new name and new venue this November.

The Sydney Motorcycle and Scooter Show will be held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour, from the 25th to the 27th of November.

The CBD location makes the show’s scooter element especially significant as more and more people discover the economic and time-saving benefits of two-wheel travel in the city.

Scooters were a standout in the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries’ (FCAI) recent first-quarter sales figures which show signs of an emerging recovery.

FCAI Chief Executive Andrew McKellar said the Sydney Motorcycle and Scooter Show played an important role in stimulating industry interest and felt the new venue would provide additional impact.

“The new venue is well chosen, giving people the opportunity to see at first hand, and in one place, what is available in the market for inexpensive fuel-wise transport that is growing in popularity both in Australia and overseas”, Mr McKellar said.

In addition to indoor exhibits, the show will also make use of the venue’s surrounding areas for live action demonstrations and motorcycle test rides.

For all the latest details, check out the www.sydneymotorcycleshow.com.au web site.

PS: All of us here at TRAIL ZONE will be at the Sydney show, so make sure you drop by the TRAIL ZONE stand and sign up for a magazine subscription and get your chance to win a new dirt bike ... more details coming soon!

TRAIL BOSS BLOG:

GO WEST, YOUNG MAN: WEEKEND AT STAINO'S!

Last weekend myself and Lance 'Russ' Turnley jetted out to WA to hook up for a ride with John Staines and the crew from West Coast Trail Bike Safaris.

We had a day and a half in Perth beforehand and dropped in on Don McGrath at Cycle Products West to check out his wicked KTM Safari race bikes (which will soon also become Dakar race bikes, as he's launching an assault on next year's Dakar!).

After that we checked out the Pinjar Motorcycle Park north of Perth, which is living proof of just some of the goals being kicked by trail bike advocate Steve Pretzel from the Recreational Trailbike Riding Association.

Then it was on to see the boys from Launch Helmet Cams, who kindly loaned us new Vio-POV and Drift HD helmet cams to test-out and review in the mag, while next up we took in a feed with Wasp from MotorradWorks, who showed us some of his trick bolt-on goodies for Yamaha's XT1200Z Super Tenere.

With the meets-and-greets done we hit the road south from Perth to down past Bunbury -- but not without one more stop at Motorcycle Masters, Perth's largest motorcycle wreckers -- where Russ hit the jackpot and scored a fuel tank in very good nick for his '88 Tenere. Only problem was, how was he going to get a whopper fat-fuel tank in his gear bag for the flight home? But that's another story ...

The next day we hooked up with Staino at the West Coast Trail Bike Safaris HQ about two-and-a-half hours south of Perth, where he had a couple of spiffy Yamaha WR250F hire bikes ready for us to ride, as we joined a pack of no less than 20 riders on his Hills & Thrills tour. And yep, this little outing sure did live up to the hills and thrills tag-line!

I've ridden the south-west corner of WA a few times now, and just can't get enough of it. It's the quality of trails that I'm hooked on, and Staino delivers the best trails, many of which slice through private property that he has secured access to (let alone having his own trail bike riding park!), with the riding dominated by endless sections of fresh, clean single-track through the sticks that just keep the smile on your dial and the throttle pinned on a 250 thumper.

We copped a few gnarly hills -- the best was Spectator Hill, where the carnage came thick and fast for the cameras, with sweep rider Darren turning on the best loop-out of a Husaberg that I have seen in ages ... crikey, the blue bomber damn near landed in the top of the pines!

A couple of rocky creek crossings also delivered the required carnage -- much to the delight of myself and Russ as the cameras rolled.

Come the end of the day, we'd knocked over 165km, with a couple of flats, plenty of crashes, one lost rider and a mighty lunchtime feed turned on by Staino's missus, Georgina, along the way.

For a more detailed report of the ride, check out Staino's Blog entries on the www.westcoastsafaris.com.au web site.

Meanwhile for the full story on the ride, make sure you check out the next issue of TRAIL ZONE #36 which goes on-sale in mid-June, while for the video evidence of the carnage, check out our next DVD issue of TRAIL ZONE when it goes on-sale in December.

In the meantime, we have to say thanks to Staino and the WCTBS crew for all their hospitality.

If you've even wanted to hit the south-west corner of WA and experience all the joys (!) riding on red pea gravel has to offer, remember that West Coast Trail Bike Safaris offer Yamaha hire bikes for interstate riders, so take a gander about the www.westcoastsafaris.com.au web site and then give Staino a call on (0429) 825 775 and make plans to go west ... make sure you tell him TRAIL ZONE sent ya!

-- Clubby, www.trailzone.com.au

TRAIL MAIL:

WHY CAN'T WE ALL BE FRIENDS?

Hi there: I am a relative newbie to dirt biking, having only taken up the evil ones only in the last four years or so. After years of doing organised trips on rental bikes, my brother and I bought a Gas Gas FSR450 each in 2008. Terrific bikes, great handling, cool looking, tough as nails with an awesome support network by Solo Motorcycle Imports, and very low cost parts and replacement bits. How does $400 for a new slipper clutch sound? Less than $300 for a full set of original plastics? Frame straightened for less than $1,000? Steel frames, ya gotta love them. However, the attitude of other dirt riders toward Gassers is a real eye-opener. Most have never heard of them, and I have even been asked by a professional tour sweep who makes them! It appears from experience that there is an attitude that unless they are Katohuskyhusas or blue/red/green/yellow Japanese beasties, then they are crap? On our last trip (thanks David, Nikki, Amber, Jiff and crew of Mt Buller Adventres), we had a group that brought an entire spare Husky for parts! But they felt that it was OK to take the piss out of the Gassers, even though we made it up the hills and rocks of the High Country with less dramas than them, ate Husabergs on all terrain, swallowed DRs for breakfast, and had as much or more fun on the Gassers. We do not attack other riders' bikes, nor insult the company, but the other riders feel that it is OK to attack ours! This negativity starts from the minute you roll up, with stunned looks, snide asides, and a superior attitude that persists, even when you match or beat them on the track. Yes, our bikes look beaten up, scratched all over, rims dented, Barkbusters that look very second hand, but that is because we ride them hard and often. In all conditions. Rain, floods, desert dust, crappy mud, rocky terrain, heat, cold, frost and so on. I have done 12,000km on mine, my brother has done 10,000km on his, Ross did 20,000k on his first one in two years, and over 10,000 on his second. Our issues in 50k that were not crash-related? Two throttle position sensors (same one as fitted in Ducatis), one regulator rectifier (Ducati) and a throttle cable. That's it. Yet the attitude remains from other riders. Bah! We have ridden in Tasmania, the Coffs Harbour region, the High Country and all over south-east Queensland, yet wherever you are, negative attitude towards a fellow dirt rider seems inbuilt into the dirt rider's psyche if they are not the 'regular' dirt bikes. I hate to say it, but grow up guys and girls. Excessive and overwhelming advertising does not mean that the non-traditional manufacturers do not make a great bike, in fact, they make great bikes. Just look up the sales figures outside of Australia, and the race results from Europe. So dump the attitude, enjoy fellow bikers riding, and ask for a ride on my bike. You might just be surprised. I guarantee you will be.

-- Damien Stringer, via www.trailzone.com.au

Thanks for your email, Damo, it's an interesting read. Great to hear you've had such a good run from the Gassers, that's no surprise to us. Now onto the crux of your email: mate, dirt bike riders taking the piss out of one another for riding different brand bikes has been going on since Moses rode a Zundapp and Noah rode a Triumph! We all do it, especially Japanese owners versus Euro owners, and all us trail and enduro riders always do it in jest, with tongue firmly in cheek and a big dose of good humour mixed into the equation. And besides, wait until you start riding an adventure bike and all the trail and enduro riders start taking pot -shots at you! That's when you need to develop a seriously thick skin. Ride on mate and keep the dream alive ... and keep showin' 'em the red rear guard of your Gasser!

-- Clubby, www.trailzone.com.au

TRAIL BOSS BLOG:

2012 KTM EXCs LAUNCHED: 350 EXC-F LEADS THE WAY!

KTM pulled the wraps off its 2012 range of EXC enduro weapons at the bikes' world launch in Italy last week -- and it's no surprise that a brand new 350 EXC-F thumper headlines the Austrian brand's off-road line-up.

After setting the motocross world on its ear last year with the 350 SX-F, KTM is hoping to do the same in the enduro scene, with the all-new 350 EXC-F boasting a fuel-injected four-valve four-stroke powerplant wrapped in a brand new chassis that features WP suspension and a PDS linkless rear end.

KTM claims the 350's new motor weighs in at just 28kg and pumps out an impressive 45hp, two specs which should go a long way to achieving the bike's goal of being a real giant-killer in the bush.

The new 350 slots into KTM's four-stroke EXC line-up alongside an updated 250 EXC-F and much upgraded 450 and 500 EXC-F models, the big bangers featuring new 2.5kg lighter motors that are now fed by fuel-injection and 42mm throttle bodies.

On the two-stroke front, KTM's much-loved 125, 200, 250 and 300 EXC models continue unabated for 2012, keeping very much alive the hopes and dreams of premix fans right around the globe.

Chassis, suspension and details updates apply across the entire EXC range, while special Six Days models (lower image) with a raft of bolt-on goodies as standard equipment will also be available.

For more details and delivery dates of the 2012 EXCs, see your local KTM dealer and keep a watch on the www.ktm.com.au web site.

And rest assured as soon as we can throw a leg over the 350 EXC-F, you'll get to read all about it an upcoming issue of TRAIL ZONE ... this is one bike we can't wait to start firing through the sticks!

-- Clubby, www.trailzone.com.au

TRAIL MAIL:

STOP IT WITH A PLUG SPANNER!

Hey guys: Thought you might be impressed with my 'fix-it-with-what-you-can-skill' when my mate busted his brake lever 250km from home. That's my trusty DR650 spark plug spanner mounted to the left-over stub. It got him all the way home no problem. Yaa hoo!

-- Cheers Chris, via www.trailzone.com.au

Great fix, Chris, right up there in the MacGyver stakes. Well done, son!

-- Clubby, www.trailzone.com.au

ASK DR RUSS:

SHAVING WEIGHT ON HUSQVARNA'S NEW TE630

Hi guys: I read with great interest your recent review of the new Husqvarna TE630 and I was surprised to see the weight going up by nine kilos compared to the TE610 and the ground clearance moving from 295mm down to 280mm (which seems a bit low for serious off-road riding, especially when installing a bashplate). These days, people expect more power and less weight in new bikes (just ask Dr Phil!). Given the difference between the TE610 and TE630 is only 30cc, do you know where the additional nine kilos is coming from? What's your view on the key difference between the TE630 and the KTM690 Enduro R? Is the TE better on-road while the 690 is better off-road? Good to see that Husqvarna has sharpened its price when compared to KTM in that category.

-- Rod, via www.trailzone.com.au

With our past Project Bikes in TRAIL ZONE and www.offroadexplorer.com we've found that the biggest weight saving comes from removing the standard exhaust and fitting a lightweight aftermarket performance pipe. For example, on our Honda Transalp Project Bike we fitted a Staintune exhaust which was seven kilos lighter than standard. So when looking at the Husqvarna TE630 weight gain, you would have to point the finger straight at the new twin muffler exhaust system. The good news is that we have just taken delivery of our TRAIL ZONE/ORE Husqvarna TE630 Project Bike and we have Husqvarna's factory performance mufflers to fit to the bike next week. The mufflers feel pretty light, so look out in future issues of TZ and we'll let you know exactly how much weight we can shave off the mighty TE630.

-- Lance 'Russ' Turnley, via www.trailzone.com.au and www.offroadexplorer.com

ASK DR PHIL:

HOTTING UP KAWASAKI'S KLX250S

Hi Dr Phil: I'm the happy owner of a 2010 Kawasaki KLX250S and I'm looking at improving the power delivery. When reading the full maintenance manual (for the US, Canada and Australia models), I'm surprised to see the US model has 50 per cent more power than the Aussie model (in stock form). Not sure if ADR compliance is behind this? Regarding improving air flow, I understand some people replace the stock snorkel with a KDX200 high-flow snorkel, others remove the air snorkel altogether and others remove the full air box cover (including the snorkel). Do you have a view on what is best for the bike? I'm also intending to replace the carby slide or fill up the holes in the stock slide. Is filling up good enough or would you advise to buy a new slide? I always use the bike in off-road conditions and it is a relatively elevated area (the southern highlands in NSW). Many thanks and keep up the good work!

-- Rod via www.trailzone.com.au

Thanks for your email, Rod. I’m stunned by your suggestion that the power spec is 50 per cent different! But I’m sure you checked it many times once you’d noted that. And if indeed it is true, then, YES, you can be sure that Australian ADR requirements was the reason. The best advice I’ve got for you is contact the TRAIL ZONE office on (02) 9905 9663 and have Tania send you back issue number 29. It had a story in there on a really trick KLX250S that a mate of ours that works at Kawasaki Australia built. His name is Tony Jacinska (pictured) and he knows the KLX250S inside-out. It’s an awesome read as he'd put a 300cc kit into his bike and it did go really well. But be warned ... for the sort of money YOU’D have to spend for the same work, you’d be crazy not to just buy something like a WR250F or Honda CRF250X or of KTM 250 EXC-F or Husky TE250. Think long and hard before spending too much cash! Best of luck with it.

-- Dr Phil, www.trailzone.com.au

CHECK IT OUT:

WONKA SCORES THE TROPHY OF THE YEAR?!

Check this out: word is just in from the steamy tropical reaches of the Top End of the Northern Territory that the annual Kamfari swamp race has just been run and won over the weekend.

Turns out that Motorex KTM Off-Road race team boss Brad 'Wonka' Williscroft emerged victorious, in what was a thrilling all the way to the chequered flag duel with Yamaha-mounted Victorian off-road hero, Jehi Willis.

Sounds like the boys had a real ding-dong battle through the swamps and mud flats of the Kamfari course outside Darwin, and for his efforts, Wonka scored what has to rank as the first place trophy of the year ... now that's horny!

(Photo courtesy www.advrider.com)

PRESS RELEASE:

HONDA ANNOUNCES DEALER OF THE YEAR

Honda Australia's National Dealer of the Year Award for 2010 has been awarded to Victoria's Freestyle Honda.

The winner, along with seven state winners, was announced during the 2011 dealer trip which took place in Beijing, China earlier this month. Honda Australia's Dealer of the Year Awards reward excellence in dealership management and customer service.

Honda understands the importance of rewarding those who have particularly excelled, as a company it also appreciates the vital role dealerships play in directly reaching out to customers and listening and responding to their needs.

The state winners of Honda's Dealer of the Year Awards include:

New South Wales: Hawksbury Honda

Queensland: Rising Sun Honda

Victoria: Freestyle Honda

Tasmania: Circular Head Motorcycles

South Australia: Honda World

Western Australia: The Honda Shop

Northern Territory: Desert Edge Motorcycles

A rigorous performance review is undertaken on all of Honda Australia's dealerships over a 12 month period in order to calculate the winners.

Tony Hinton, Honda's General Manger of Motorcycles was lucky enough to present the awards in China this month. He recognizes that the dealerships are vital in upholding the Honda Philosophy in the marketplace.

"Honda Australia is proud of all of its dealers and particularly of those who strived for higher levels of excellence," he said.

Honda Australia would like to extend their congratulations to all Dealer of the Year Award winners.

PRESS RELEASE:

KTM LAUNCHES 'SILENCE' AKRAPOVIC BONUS OFFER

KTM Australia is teaming up with renowned sports exhaust manufacturer Akrapovic to release their latest promotion on the 2011 EXC model range.

Right now when you purchase a new 2011 EXC model you will receive a SXS titanium Akrapovic factory silencer for free.

Both the two and four-stroke silencers are made from the finest titanium and carbon-fibre and were developed in conjunction with the KTM factory enduro racing team. Each of the silencers improves performance on the track with lower weight, maximum top-end and the perfect torque gradient. Both silencers can also be maintained with re-packing kits available.

The promotion extends to the award winning 2011 EXC two-stroke range including the 200, 250 and 300 EXC. Also included is the championship winning 2011 EXC four-stroke range including the 250 EXC-F, 400, 450 and 530 EXC.

The Akrapovic two-stroke silencer has a RRP of $1,188 and the four-stroke silencer a RRP of $1,218. The promotion begins April 15, 2011 and runs while stocks last.

For more information visit www.ktm.com.au or visit your nearest KTM dealer to take advantage of the SILENCE promotion.

TRAIL BOSS BLOG:

THE SMELL OF PREMIX IN THE AIR ... IN THE WORLD ENDURO CHAMPS!

The 2011 Maxxis FIM World Enduro Championship has fired into life in recent weeks with back-to-back events in Spain and Portugal.

In the E1 class, Husqvarna is celebrating the efforts of Juha Salminen, who is atop the points standings after four days of competition, leading Ereo Remes (KTM) and Rodrig Thain (Honda).

In the E2 division, the much heralded arrival of KTM's new fuel-injected 350 EXC-F thumper didn't quite go to plan at the series kick-off in Spain, with KTM team leader Johnny Aubert sidelined by mechanical hiccups on the new bike and leaving the two days of competiton with zero points.

So Team Husqvarna rider Antoine Meo made hay while the sun shone and ripped off two bigs wins in Spain, then backed it up with more strong results in Portugal to now sit atop the world title standings ahead of Pierre Alexandre Renet (Husaberg) and Ivan Cervantes (Gas Gas).

Aubert meanwhile fired back to top form at the second event in Portugal, ripping off back-to-back round wins and now sits seventh in the championship with a lot of ground to make up.

In the big-bore E3 class, Mika Ahola has stepped up to the heavyweight division with Honda and holds the championship lead aboard his CRF, but he's making a lonely stand for the thumpers in the class.

Save for Team KTM's David Knight who is eighth in the title chase (after DNFing the first event with a hip injury), all the other bikes in the top-10 of the E3 class are two-strokes. That's right, the smell of premix lives on in the World Enduro Championships!

Gas Gas rider Christophe Nambotin and Husaberg team rider Joakim Ljunggren (pictured) hold down second and third in the E3 battle and both are on big-banger strokers and are aiming to take the fight up to Ahola's four-stroke all season long.

Another 12 rounds in six countries of World Enduro Championship competition continues.

-- Clubby, www.trailzone.com.au

INVITATION:

DAKAR RALLY WORKSHOPS IN AUSTRALIA WITH CHRIS EVANS

Have you ever dreamed of racing the Dakar Rally? Yeah, that's a loaded question: because we've all dreamed of doing it!

But if you're actually even halfway serious about making that dream a reality, then you have to take note of this message we just received from Aussie Dakar racer, Mark Davidson:

Hi Clubby: Please find attached a flyer outlining a series of Dakar Rally workshops facilitated by Chris Evans. Chris is the UK and Australian representative for ASO (organisers for the Dakar Rally) he has been Cyril Despres’ team manager for the past three years and has been involved in the last 14 Dakars. The purpose of his visit to Australia next month is to help those who are thinking of competing in the Dakar hit the ground running and maximise their potential. He will be holding two workshops: one in Sydney on May 14 and the other in Perth a week later on May 21, 2011. The workshops are free but numbers are limited. Justin Hunt of the Australasian Safari has been kind enough to lend us his database to help get the word out, but I’m concerned we may not reach everybody who is thinking about running in Dakar. So could you please please place this information on your web site?

-- Mark Davidson, via www.trailzone.com.au

No worries, Mark, can do!

So there you go all you Dakar dreamers: get along to a Dakar workshop near you next month and start to turn your Dakar dreams into reality!

TRAIL BOSS BLOG:

DAKAR CHAMP FLIES HIGH WITH FMX HERO

What happens when Dakar Rally champ Marc Coma hooks up with American freestyle MX gun Ronnie Renner?

You get some impressive aerial antics ... at least from a bloke on a 450cc rally bike who is normally best known for belting through the countryside at 170kmh with both wheels firmly planted on the ground!

Check out this photo of Coma and Renner getting big-air together, after they recently hooked up in the Arab Gulf states of the middle east.

Their free-ride session came just days after Coma had won the annual Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, and saw the Spanish ace take on a few tips from his fellow Team KTM rider.

Clearly Coma put Renner's tips to good use ... and how!

-- Clubby, www.trailzone.com.au

ASK DR PHIL:

TIME TO PUT HIS XL350 IN STORAGE

Hi Dr Phil: I have a Honda XL350 '73/'74 in good condition. I was wondering if you could help me: I am planning not to ride it for two or three years. Can you please tell me what stroke the motor should be left on? Should I drain the tank? Will it go rusty? Should I drain the carby? Any other advice would be much appreciated.

-- Graham Camm, via www.trailzone.com.au

Thanks for your message, Graham. First of all, mix up some two-stroke fuel in a drum at 20:1 or 25:1. Fill the bike’s tank with this mix and also flush the carb with this mix and then turn the fuel tap off and drain the fuel from the carb and leave it in this state. The other thing to do with the carb is to fill it with light oil, such as sewing machine oil. Remove the spark plug and pour in a tablespoon of engine oil, then with the spark plug still out, slowly turn the engine over with the kick lever. Now replace the spark plug and turn the engine over by HAND with the kick lever and leave it when you’re on the compression stroke -- this way all the valves (both inlet and exhaust) will be closed and the combustion chamber will be sealed with some oil left inside. Also plug the muffler hole with a bung or cloth. It may also be an idea to remove the air filter element as foam filters can disintegrate over time and turn to a nasty powder that can later block the carby jets, so cover the air filter cage with a clean cloth soaked in heavy oil -- just note that some of this may drip out over time, so leave a cloth or old newspaper under the bike. Another good idea is to leave the bike elevated on a workstand with the wheels up OFF the ground, as this saves suspension springs and components. Lastly spray all metal components with a WD40 type spray.

-- Dr Phil, www.trailzone.com.au

TRAIL MAIL:

DEAR DR PHIL: IN DEFENCE OF ADVENTURE BIKE RIDING

Howdy TRAIL ZONE: Now, Dr Phil, re your story in the new issue if TZ, On The Trail to Misadventure, so you don’t like adventure bikes -- that’s okay, mate. If everybody liked it, it would be no fun. Celebrate the diversity in motorcycling and motorcyclists. We can’t all be like you and you probably wouldn’t like us to be. I love all aspects of motorcycle riding and for an old pr*ck like me (56) who can’t race anymore, adventure riding means I can still get out there and enjoy myself. I have many bikes, one of which is a KTM 990 Adv and I’m loving it. I do enjoy ADVrider and have had the pleasure of meeting many of the members all over our wonderful country. Cheer up, mate, don’t be a snob, ya never know you might change your mind one day -- LOL. Until then, enjoy your style of motorcycling.

-- Peter Browning, via www.trailzone.com.au

You know, Pete, I've been trying to say exactly the same thing to the good Doctor for ages now, and keep inviting him out on rides on 200kg-plus machinery to far-flung corners of the country, but he always replies that he's busy that weekend washing his hair or mowing the lawn ... sigh. One day he might just see the light and enjoy the rich tapestry of riding delights that come with being a true fan of trail, enduro and adventure bikes, for that is truly life in the TRAIL ZONE.

-- Clubby, www.trailzone.com.au

TRAIL BOSS BLOG:

GET THE ANZAC SPIRIT & RIDE NEW ZEALAND'S SOUTH ISLAND WITH TRAIL ZONE!

There's a lot of places in the world we love to go trail riding, but one of the best of all is the South Island of New Zealand, which is just a couple of hours flight away from the east coast of Australia.

The mountain trails of the NZ South Island are simply spectacular and we rate them as a ride of a lifetime.

Now here's your chance to come ride them with us!

TRAIL ZONE has teamed up with Robbie Crickett and the professional team from High Country Trail NZ to put together the Anzac Spirit trail ride, which will take place out of Queenstown from February 7 to 10, 2012.

Robbie has put together a five-night package that includes bike hire (aboard a Yamaha WR), four days riding, accommodation, fuel, guiding, land access fees and back-up crew.

The cost is just NZ$2,800 -- which includes everything but your drinks and your flights to/from Queenstown.

If you're toey to come ride with us in the South Island of NZ, then get your skates on, because there are just eight slots available for Aussie riders on this trail ride. And they're already filling up fast!

So email robbie@highcountry.co.nz and get more details and then get in on a ride you will never forget!

-- Clubby, www.trailzone.com.au

TRAIL MAIL:

WHAT'S THIS? ADVENTURE ZONE?!

Hi Guys: Just received my May/June copy of TRAIL ZONE to which I was very disappointed to discover that from the 94 pages you offer over 30 pages were articles, advertising or a reference to Ducati, BMW, Tenere and other 300 kilo pieces of sh*t they call adventure bikes. What the hell is going on when seven pages are dedicated to some lump of crap called a Tenere and a lousy two pages for the new 350EXC? What's going on? This is not what I subscribed to TRAIL ZONE to read. A truly disappointing edition.

-- Terry Howlett (Potential ex- suscriber), via www.trailzone.com.au

Thanks for your email, Terry: That's what we like, clear concise no-holds-barred opinion.

The TRAIL ZONE masthead has always described our mag as a "Trail, Enduro and Adventure Riding Magazine". So that's what you're going to get: trail, enduro and adventure bikes.

As for advertisers choosing to run Ducatis, BMW and Teneres in their advertising, well, that is entirely their right. Just like another advertiser electing to run a full-page advert on their sponsorship of a motocross series (as Moto National did in this issue), or Kawasaki and Suzuki running adverts for their motocross bikes (as they have done in previous issues). We don't tell them what their advertising content should be: unless it is offensive.

As for the seven pages on the Tenere Tragics ride, come on mate, we ran that event, it was the first time we ran it, and we are Tenere enthusiasts, so of course it is going to get a big chunk of coverage in the mag.

As for the three-page feature and the front cover on the new KTM 350 EXC-F, remember this is a bike that is not even in series production yet, but we gave it such a big slice of prominence in this issue because we are stoked on that bike and can't wait until we can ride it and give it full coverage in the mag. And if KTM Australia let us hang onto one as a Project Bike for six months, you bet we will.

The content of the mag is always going to bounce around and the ratio of trail versus enduro versus adventure bikes will vary, too. And sometimes we will take the piss as well -- just like Dr Phil did this issue in his 'Misadventure' story. You did read that story, didn't you? Because it sure sounds like he shares some common opinions with you.

Thanks for your support in the past and here's hoping we can continue to earn your support in the future.

-- Clubby, www.trailzone.com.au