‘We’re riding it into the Sahara!

’ Suzuki
Suzuki GSX-S1000
GSX-S10
GSX-S1000 GT GT
MAY 2023
0$5ǫ sets off
sets off for
for Africa...
Af
Africa...
25 APR
£5.00

R DCEIASL
SPE
New Street Triple RS is their greatest sportsbike yet

Mandello to
the Dales
Brilliant Moto Guzzi in first full UK test

HONDA TRANSALP
Time to sell your Ténéré?

‘The most
fun Ducati’
New Monster SP is the best of the
bunch on proper British B-roads

SUZUKI
V-STROM 800DE The first spanking-new Suzuki in
16 pages of flippin’ yonks – and it’s a corker
flip

‘‘This
This cchanges
Why
hanges
eeverythĔng’
verythĔng’
Whhyy Honda’s
Wh Hoond
H nda
nda’
da’
a’s CB750
CB75
C
CB
B75750
£
How to master an adventure bike
Triumph Thruxton buying tips
R1 at 25
Yamaha’s designer
Horn
Ho
Hornet
rnnet
et ooutclasses
uttcl
clas
las
asse
sess the
se the
th Pick two-piece leathers reveals all PLUS: why
MT
M
MT-07,
T--0
07,
7, TTrident
riide
dent
nt & ZZ650
6550 Breakdown advice you need one now
TIME TO
RIDE
Remember the joy of the road? Threading the curves,
cruising the city. Finding the long route home.
Reconnect yourself. It‘s time to ride.

SCAN THE QR CODE TO BOOK

YOUR TEST RIDE TODAY OR
SPEAK TO YOUR LOCAL RETAILER
*Subject to applicant’s status.
Issue 602 May 2023
Contact us: bike@bikemagazine.co.uk or 01733 468025
facebook.com/bikemagazineUK
twitter.com/BikeMagazine
Hello
his is a Suzuki GSF600 Bandit
being enthusiastically enjoyed
back in 1996 by Bike designer
Paul Lang. He’s wearing borrowed leathers
and clearly having a jolly time frolicking in
the sun that shone relentlessly through the
nineties (or maybe it’s just my memory).
He wasn’t alone in getting excited by the
Bandit. With a GSX-R-derived motor, decent
chassis, light-hearted demeanour and low
price, the 600 proved that simple, affordable
bikes didn’t have to be rubbish. It kickstarted
an entire class. It was a landmark occasion.
We’re having a Bandit moment here in
2023. This time it’s thanks to Honda, who’ve
looked at the naked middleweight market
and made something with more power,
gizmos and class, yet somehow priced to
undercut any and all potential rivals. In fact,
their new Hornet – complete with electronic
rider aids, fancy colour dash and much more
– costs £400 less than a basic Bandit would
have in today’s money. You’ll find it making
jaws drop in our group test on page 46.
The humble Bandit is also the reason for
the new Triumph Street Triple RS bursting
out of this first rides special issue. Sounds
tenuous, but without the old Suzuki there
wouldn’t have been the original Street Triple,
which wouldn’t have evolved into the naked
sportsbike genius you’ll see on p72.
This month I also grabbed a Moto Guzzi
V100 Mandello for the first proper UK test.
We knew the all-new V-twin was good after
its launch (Jan issue), but I didn’t expect to
fall for it quite so hard. A world-class Guzzi?
It’s another landmark moment. It’s on p34,
and if you look carefully I’m grinning behind
my visor just like Langy on his Bandit.
Enjoy the issue.
1996: spring sun,
PIC: BAUER ARCHIVES

borrowed Frank
Thomas leathers,
tasty Arai Quantum
(Tetsuya Harada rep).
Langy still has the lid
Mike Armitage
Editor

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46
Eye-opening new Honda
CB750 Hornet vs rivals

82
Nick Sanders and the
alternative rules of the road

4
 Contents
First ride special, 25 years of the R1 and we set off to the Sahara on not an adventure bike…

Front end
08 FIVE BIKES THAT MATTER THIS MONTH
Formula One inspired custom, new Norden and more… 40
Stuart Higgs, the
19 BRAKING NEWS saviour of BSB
Seven-year warranties, racing cancelled and airbag jeans.
22 DEALS ON WHEELS
Laid-back cruisers, now with laid-back prices.
24 WHAT’LL IT DO MISTER?
MV’s Turismo Veloce Lusso SCS under scrutiny.
26 THE ROAD
Digital guidance for analogue fun.
29 ÄÑ×ÉÊÖÖÊÇÖ«ÕÊËÔÖ
Sartorial elegance from 1999.
30 LETTERS
Dealer test rides, all-rounders and the new ZX-4R.
32 BECOME A BIKE MEMBER
Come over here and feel the benefits.

Features and Tests Sport

40 THE MAT OXLEY INTERVIEW
34 FIRST RIDE: GUZZI V100 MANDELLO BSB boss Stuart Higgs on regenerating racing.
Editor Armitage falls hard for the latest, clever, Guzzi.
46 GROUP TEST
Honda Hornet v Kawa Z650 v Triumph Trident v Yam MT-07.
58 FIRST RIDE:Õ×Ü×ÍËØ«ÕÖÔÑÏ$ÆÇ
Know How
At last an all-new motorcycle from Suzuki. And it’s good… 90 BUYING
62 FIRST RIDE: HONDA XL750 TRANSALP Triumph’s Thruxton 900. From an attractive four grand…
Lighter, more powerful and cheaper than its rivals. Oh yes. 90 OVERLOOKED
66 FOLKLORE: 25 YEARS OF THE R1 Moto Morini’s Granpasso 1200: as impressive as its name.
How Yamaha reinvented the motorcycle… 91 TYRED AND TESTED
72 FIRST RIDE: TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE New rubber that’s good on and off the road…
Triumph pour MotoGP tech into new RS… and R. 92 TEMPTATION
76 FIRST RIDE: DUCATI MONSTER SP Throwback bargains for retro revivalists.
Already outstanding naked sharpens its claws. 93 LAW
78 SAHARAN ADVENTURE Is roadside recovery really worth having? Legally speaking.
To the desert… on a Suzuki GSX-S1000GT. Of course. 94 LAST RIDE
82 NICK SANDERS’ RULES OF THE ROAD Waving farewell to our MV Agusta Superveloce test bike.
Going on a big adventure? Things to make you go hmmm! 97 LISTINGS
Every current bike Bike have ridden, rated and commented.
102 OUR FAVOURITES
The Bike staff’s pick of two-piece leathers.
102 TRY THIS
Grip: it’s all in the knees.
103 EVENTS
MCN Festival, Kempton Auto Jumble and more…
103 TRIED AND TESTED
An incredibly cheap helmet that’s really rather good.

78
Ex-editor Westlake, off
104 SKILLS
In a forest, in the mud, learning how not to fall off.
to the Sahara, on a
Suzuki GSX-S1000GT
106 WEIRD & WONDERFUL
Fischer’s MRX650 - an American sportsbike. That’s right…

5
THE NEW GSX-8S
B O R N T O T H R I L L
Work hard, play harder. The all-new GSX-8S features a torquey 776cc, 270° crank, parallel
twin that delivers exciting performance and an exhilarating soundtrack throughout the
range. A 5” TFT colour dash, bi-directional quick-shifter and aggressive design make for
DUHQHG\HWWKULOOLQJULGHRQHYHU\MRXUQH\

Model shown with optional accessories.

 Team Bike
This magazine is made by the most talented team of bike journalists, writers and
photographers in the universe. Here’s what they’ve been doing this month.

1 2 3
Mat Oxley Jim Moore John Westlake
Out of his natural MotoGP environment Jim’s tested bikes for over 25 years, on titles Ex-editor Westlake likes a bike adventure,
this month, Mat sits down with BSB saviour such as Performance Bikes and, in the early having been around Europe, across the
Stuart Higgs. Resurrecting a major race 2000s, this very magazine. He recognises a States and to Japan. But Africa, and the
series takes some doing. landmark motorcycle when he rides it. Sahara, is a whole other kettle of concern.
Mat Oxley interview, page 40 The new boss, page 46 Next stop Sahara, page 78

4 5 6
Nick Sanders Paul Lang Mike Armitage
Bike has a long-standing relationship with Bike’s art prefectionist Langy loves an Armitage and son head out into the forest,
the UK’s favourite world-lapper. He knows Italian, especially if it’s an MV Agusta. But where there is mud. The aim: to learn how
what it takes to go adventuring. And it’s not this beautiful bike stirs conflicting emotions to ride adventure bikes properly. After a bit
just about packing grundies and tea bags… in Rutland’s finest. Who said paranoia? of lying down it all comes together…
Alternative rules… page 82 Love, hate & celebrate, page 94 Starting again, page 104

EDITORIAL
Phone 01733 468000
Editor Mike Armitage
Art Director Paul Lang
Contributing Editor John Westlake
Road Tester Michael Neeves
Popped Back In Phil West
Sensible Adult Alison Silcox
Contributor Nigel Grimshaw
Group Art Director, Motorcycling
Steve Herbert-Mattick
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7
 PRACTICALITY
Height adjustable heated
seat, tall screen,
handguards, 9500-mile
service intervals, and a
19-litre tank that hangs
down either side of the
engine to keep the centre of
gravity low.

BIKES
THAT
REALLY
MATTER
THIS
MONTH
ELECTRONICS
The full electronic monty: cornering
ABS, off-road ABS, cornering traction
control, four rider modes, up and down
quickshifter, cruise control.

CHASSIS
Steel tube frame with the
engine as a stressed
member. 48mm WP Xplor
forks (standard bike has
43mm WP Apex units).
Rear shock gets high and
low-speed compression
damping. Front wheel is
21in, rear is 18in.

‘It’s not a Norden on steroids.

It’s for riders looking to go further,
or further afield’
8
 Norden goes
² NEW BIKE ³

high-rise
Saucy new Husqvarna gets revised suspension and a barrage
of long-distance kit as standard…
ENGINE
Identical to the ÍTÏ ant something edgier than a Honda looks, then there are quite a few who have been looking
890 Adventure, so an Africa Twin and flasher than a at Africa Twins [the two make similar power – see table
889cc, 8-valve parallel Yamaha Ténéré World Raid but below]. The rest are a mix of everyone from commuters
twin with all the without the lairy styling of a KTM Adventure R? Sounds to overlanders.
modern trimmings like you’re the perfect customer for this, the new ‘A lot of buyers are coming from brands other than
šride-by-wire throttle, Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition. KTM,’ says Jason. ‘Ultimately the Norden is the KTM 890
forged pistons, slipper Essentially, it’s the standard 103bhp Norden (itself a Adventure in a different guise, but KTM knew that
clutch, high KTM 890 Adventure reworked for more comfort) with someone would eventually dilute the market, so it might
compression ratio longer-travel suspension, an array of useful-looking as well be them. That’s what they’ve done with the
(13.5:1) and two bolt-ons and a foxy new paint job. At £13,599 the off-road stuff, with Husqvarna and GasGas, so they’ve
balance shafts (one up Expedition is £1000 more than the standard bike, which ended up with a huge market share.’
in the cylinder head). seems fair considering the extras. Such as… Husqvarna are coy about Norden sales in the UK, but
º New WP suspension with 20mm more travel front Department of Transport figures suggest just 139 were
and back. The rear shock gets compression damping registered in 2022. ‘We were running low on stock early
adjustment which the standard bike misses out on. on,’ says Simon Roots. ‘Husqvarna and [parent company]
º Heated grips and seat, centrestand, high screen and KTM don’t manufacture to order – the product planners
soft panniers as standard. come up with a number and then
º Turn-by-turn nav via a Bluetooth connection thingy. order all the bits and the
º The world’s biggest bash plate. production line does
the rest. We could
‘It’s not a Norden on steroids,’ says Husqvarna’s Simon have sold more if we’d
Roots. ‘It’s a Norden for riders looking to do a little more had them in stock and
on their bike – go further, or further afield. I suspect a lot ready to go out to
of buyers will be those who want the ultimate customers.’
Husqvarna package. When you add all the bells and
whistles you get something quite special.’
Dealer boss Jason Jones from The KTM Centre in
Hemel Hempstead reckons the new Norden could pull
in even more hardcore adventure riders. ‘A lot of buyers
for the standard Norden were using them as overland
bikes to use abroad because the Husqvarnas are off-road
bikes you can ride on the road, rather than rivals which
are road bikes with a bit of off-road ability. I think the
Expedition will open it up to even more overlanders who
want something that’s more rugged.
‘Saying that though, Norden buyers are pretty eclectic.
There are those who buy it primarily because of the

Expedition, Raid or Adventure?

Husqvarna Norden Yamaha Ténéré Honda Africa Twin KTM 890
901 Expedition World Raid Adventure Sport Adventure R
º Price £13,599 £11,800 £14,749 £12,999
º Capacity 889cc 689cc 1084cc 889cc
PICS: HUSÓVARÐA°ÍISÍA

º Power 103bhp 72bhp 94bhp 103bhp

º Weight 215kg 220kg 243kg 196kg
º Top speed 130mph 120mph 130mph 130mph

9
Five bikes...

² CUSTOM ³

We think both. This, ladies and

gents, is a 10-cylinder
supercharged radial two-
stroke made by one
man in a shed

BIKE
The base bike is a 1953
Jawa 18, complete with
original frame, friction
dampers and drum brakes
– Czech laws meant Marek
couldn’t mess with those
and stay road legal.

n the last 32 years, we have featured all manner of
fascinating and bonkers engines, but this one is surely the
most extraordinary we have yet talked about. Designed and
built by one man, it’s like nothing we’ve ever seen – one five cylinder
radial engine is stacked on top of another, with all ten 50cc pistons
driving a central vertical crank. Oh, and it’s a two-stroke. And
supercharged. And works… beautifully.
‘I wanted to create something that had never been done before,’
Marek Foltis, 32, tells Bike from his home in the Czech Republic.
‘With an inline four cylinder or a V-twin, for example, there are
cookbooks online showing you how to design them. You don’t have
to have any engineering or materials knowledge, because someone
has already figured it all out. But there are no online plans for
PICS: MAREK FOLTIS
would not be road legal over here.’ He tried 12 cylinders but couldn’t
make it work, so ten it was.
Then he had to solve the scavenging problem. Conventional two
strokes use each piston’s motion to pump out exhaust gases, but that
doesn’t work with a radial because they share one big crankcase, so
Marek designed-in five superchargers. ‘These do the pumping,’ he
says. The same system was used in race two-strokes from the 1930s
until rules banned them in 1947. ‘I could have used one big pump but
there was no space for that so I had to use five small ones.’
That, however, was not the most difficult part. ‘Making the engine
small enough was hard. I had to redesign the engine three times to
find a few millimetres here and there each time to fit it in the frame.
Making the intake manifold and exhaust were very difficult too,

two-stroke radials.’ because they are made from so many small rings welded together to
With that format decided, Marek’s next job was to see how far he create the shapes. Too many tubes! It took me three weeks to make
could take it. ‘I wanted as many cylinders as possible, but they had to the exhaust and intake.’ Marek later mentions that while working
fit inside the Jawa frame I had without cutting it – otherwise it through the night in his unheated workshop he got frostbitten toes. 

10
 Mini superchargers
scavenge each of
the ten cylinders

Art? Engineering?
Fabrication? All of
that. And beautiful

PAINT
As if Marek didn’t exhibit enough
talent with the engine, he did all
the paintwork too.

Rad radial
engine
meets trad
pinstriping

BISTELLA
The name translates as ‘twin
star’ in Latin – a reference to
the two layers of radial
engine. Marek was inspired
by an Indonesian five-
cylinder radial custom called
ENGINE Naga Lima.

The design on CAD took seven months, with the next

two years spent on the build. Marek blew the motor
five times until he got the assembly cock on.

Though a trained mechanical engineer, Marek currently works at
a company making train electronics so there was no option to use
‘company’ machine tools to fabricate parts. The cylinders, pistons
and clutch are all stock Jawa items, but everything else needed
making. ‘I went from one machining company to the next asking if
they could make my designs. But they all said they had no time for
such crazy stuff.’
However, by the time Marek went to the fifth company, the
pandemic had started so their work had dried up. ‘They were playing
cards,’ says Marek, ‘and so the boss said they’d make everything for
me because it was better than doing nothing. It was done in 14 days.’
‘I will never get tired of that
two-stroke rattle’
After a few teething troubles with the carburettors – Marek
eventually resorted to one big one because balancing them was all
but impossible to do – the bike was ready to ride. ‘It is very smooth
and has plenty of torque, but it feels a bit restless when riding – it has
a relatively small flywheel and the blowers create relatively high drag
on a closed throttle. You have to bear in mind that if you open the
throttle a bit too fast the bike will immediately charge forward. But
you get used to it.’
When the bike was all together Marek did calculations that
revealed the maximum theoretical power is 120bhp, but after testing
it in 60bhp tune he’s detuned it again. ‘The frame and brakes still
don’t correspond with the engine’s performance,’ he says. ‘But when
not pushed hard, it is a pleasant bike to ride. It starts, idles and shifts
normally. Plus it is a small bike so it is really agile and fun. Also, I will
never get tired of that two-stroke rattle – that never goes away even
with ten cylinders.’
º Hear it run: youtube.com/watch?v=zCoBtMT7_Ds

11
Plus deposit and optional final repayment.

REPRESENTATIVE EXAMPLE
Based on 2023 Ninja 1000SX Tourer on K.Options PCP
36 Monthly Repayments £155.00 Interest Rate (Fixed) 7.60% Customer Deposit £2,782.07
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Representative APR 7.9% Agreement Duration 37 Months Cash Price £13,655.00
Purchase Fee* £10.00 *Included in Optional Final Repayment.

TAILOR THE PERFECT DEAL FOR YOU AT WWW.KAWASAKI-KALCULATOR.CO.UK

Credit is subject to status and is only available to UK residents aged 18 and over. K.Options Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) is only available through Kawasaki Finance, a trading style of
Black Horse Ltd, St William House, Tresillian Terrace, Cardiff, CF10 5BH. Finance figures are applicable at time of print and are subject to change. Representative example based on 4,000
miles per annum. With K.Options Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) you have the option after you have paid all of the regular monthly repayments to: (1) Return the motorcycle and not
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 Five bikes...

CHASSIS
The steel frame was made by Roland Sands Design
FUEL TANK (RSD) but everything else is 1190SX: wheels,
swingarm, forks, brakes, the lot. The forks are
Designed and made by extended and the Penske rear shock rebuilt.
RSD. They did the rear
mudguard too, along with
the yokes, risers and
exhaust.

ENGINE
A straight lift from Buell’s 1190SX superbike, so it’s a 1190cc,
liquid-cooled V-twin making 180bhp. All the electronics are
from the superbike too. The radiator is by RSD.

² NEW BIKE ³

‘It will eat Diavels alive’

Buell are back with a Roland Sands designed Super Cruiser. And it’s fast…

B
uell’s new Super Cruiser is a 180bhp supernaked making something hot. Our platform is very high
with a laid back riding position and chilled performance, so I wanted him to use as much of that
geometry. Bike asks Buell boss Bill Melvin as possible and he came back with two, almost
what on earth he was thinking… identical, designs. And they were this bike.
   
ºBike : Hang on, haven’t Buell always º How close to production is it?
specialised in sporty bikes? Roland used 70 percent of the current
Bill: Buell is really an American performance platform so a lot of the validation [where a
motorcycle brand. There were a lot of ideas manufacturer checks components are safe to
within Buell in the 1990s and 2000s that were use] has been done. The next step is moving it
shut down [by then owners Harley-Davidson]. Roland Sands from concept to prototype, then to a production
We don’t have those restrictions now, so we can design meets prototype, then to production. [Buell are aiming
build the bikes riders want. We have the highest Buell clout for a 2025 launch].
performance V-twin made in America [the 180bhp unit  
in Buell’s 1190SX supernaked] and there are a lot of bikes º Did you bench-test the Ducati Diavel?
that can be made around it – we’re working on the Baja [a 180bhp No. I looked at it, but it’s a pig. The riding position is uncomfortable,
dune racer] that will evolve into an adventure bike. And we’ve got the it’s heavy [236kg compared with Buell’s claimed 204kg], and it doesn’t
Super Touring in development [an adventure-styled touring bike]. feel like a cruiser. This bike will eat the Diavel alive.
   
º How did the Super Cruiser come about? º Have you ridden the Super Cruiser?
We started 18 months ago. We had a cruiser in mind so I asked Not yet. Roland [an ex-AMA 250 champion] rode it for the photos in
Roland [Sands, the revered US customiser] what he thought about California but we’re based in Michigan and it’s freezing so I haven’t
taken the bike out into the salt. It’s frustrating.
 
‘Buell is a performance º Will it come to Europe?
We want Buell to be a global brand, so we need to get bikes to
motorcycle brand’ Europe…

13
Five bikes...
7922 miles
² ÇÎÇÅÖÔËÅ ³
for £50
Energica EsseEsse9 breaks world record
for longest journey by an electric bike
Ö
his Energica EsseEsse9 has just beaten the Guinness world
record for the longest journey by electric bike – 7922 miles in
30 days. The feat, by Egyptian Ali Abdo, clearly demonstrates
the pros and cons of the current crop of electric motorcycles: on the
one hand, maintenance free and only £50 on fuel for the entire trip;
on the other, interminable charging stops and you need a petrol
generator for when you run out.
‘Egypt still doesn’t have an efficient infrastructure for electric
vehicles,’ Ali tells Bike. ‘We only have chargers in big cities so we had
to use a plug and socket everywhere you can imagine – mostly petrol
stations, hotels and cafes. Plus we had a generator in the support van
because there were some stretches where we travelled 500km (312
miles) without even seeing a house.
PICS: SAYAD HASSAN
‘We could have avoided those bits but the problem was that
according to Guinness rules you can’t take the same road more than
once because it is all about a journey from x to y. This forced
us to go everywhere in Egypt – really, we went
‘The bike is standard –
even the tyres’
ÇÐÇÔÉËÅÃ
ÕÒÇÅÕ
Price: £24,590
Power : 80kW (107bhp)
Torque: 147 lb.ft
14
Òîëðëðõìá
charging camel
ïðëîáï
áèáßðîåßçáîõåê
åðïäñéì
Çèáßðîåß
ìëóáîáà
smiles all
îëñêà
everywhere. It
was Guinness’s
rules that forced us to have a support van too because you need
someone to video you every hour and get witness statements to say
where I am.’
Ali was forced to change his riding tactics to rack up an average of
264 miles per day. ‘After two or three days I worked out I couldn’t
wait for the bike to charge using ordinary plugs – it needed four
hours. So I decided to start at 5am with a full charge, then ride 80 to
100km then top up for 30 minutes at a gas station, which will get me
to the next station, where I’d top up again with just enough to get
me to the next station. Charging only what I needed saved a lot of
time. There’s no point charging until the battery is full because that
last 20 percent takes longer. Later in the trip I started to sleep in the
middle of the day while the bike was charging, then ride until 10pm.’
The bike itself lasted well. ‘It was amazing,’ says Ali. ‘We had
extreme weather conditions during the journey – there was a
lot of very heavy rain and high winds. And some parts were
very hot, plus some of the roads were still under construction.
It was tough. But after 30 days of continuous journey, nothing
went wrong. The bike is completely standard – even the
tyres are the ones it came on.’
ÌÑ×ÔÐÇÛÇ«ÈÃÅÖÕ
Maximum distance ridden in 24 hours: 437 miles
Maximum distance on a single charge: 144 miles
(120 miles without tailwind)
Average range: 112 miles
Typical cruising speed during trip: 55mph
As sharp
as ever
The original Scalpel is back
The leading mid-class naked with a royal bloodline is back!
The KTM 790 DUKE is a champion of merging razor-sharp agility
and hard-hitting punch while bringing class-leading electronics,
components, and sheer ability along for the ride. #GETDUKED
SEE MORE AT KTM.COM

2023 KTM 790 DUKE PCP FINANCE EXAMPLE

Term 36 months 2SWLRQDOğQDOSD\PHQW*)9 £3,995.00
Monthly payment £99.00 Total amount payable £8,797.25
Price £7,999.00 Annual mileage 4,000
Deposit £1,238.25 Excess mileage charge 14.9p per mile
Amount of credit £6,760.75 Representative APR 4.9% APR
Interest charges £798.25 )L[HGUDWHRILQWHUHVW 2.52% p.a.

Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the
road traffic regulations. The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional
equipment available at additional cost. Finance example updated March 2023. 4.9% APR PCP available until 31/03/2023. Finance subject to
status. Deposit shown may be higher than the minimum; a lower deposit will result in increased monthly payments. Terms and conditions apply.
$WWKHHQGRIWKHDJUHHPHQWWKHUHDUHWKUHHRSWLRQVL5HQHZ3DUWH[FKDQJHWKHYHKLFOHbLL5HWDLQ3D\WKH2SWLRQDO)LQDOSD\PHQWWRRZQ
the vehicle; or (iii) Return the vehicle. Further charges may be made subject to the condition or mileage of the vehicle, if the vehicle is returned
at the end of the finance agreement. Applicants must be 18 or over. Guarantees/Indemnities may be required. KTM Finance RH1 1SR.
Five bikes...
² CUSTOM ³
As a starting point for a custom creation an F1 car’s oil tank doesn’t immediately
spring to mind. Yet for Belgian sculptor Roland Groteclaes it was inspirational…
he whole thing started with the tank,’ Roland
Groteclaes tells Bike. ‘It was the heat exchanger oil
tank from a Formula One car that I got from an
English friend (Roland is Belgian). Once I had that, I just had
to work out how to make the bike.’ And so how exactly did he
build it? And isn’t that a Bimota Tesi frame…?
 
º Bike : Why is a sculptor making a motorcycle?
Roland: Before this I’d made sculptures based on motorcycles,
and exhibited them all around the world. But I suspected that
maybe some people thought that I could only make fantasies
that never work. This bike is to show them that I can.
 
º Is that really a Tesi frame?
Yes it is. I had a few Bimota parts lying around but not a frame,
so I contacted a guy I know in Italy who has a lot of Bimota
stuff and asked him if he had a Tesi frame. He did – it was a
blank frame with no VIN number. Originally I wanted to build
a Tesi front end too [Bimota’s famous hub-centre steered,
load-separating layout], but it’s very hard to find those parts
because no-one will split a bike.
 
º How did you come up with the look?
I tried to make the bike look like it’s from the 1990s – the
engine [a race-prepared air-cooled Ducati V-twin] is from then,
so are all the Bimota parts, and the forks are from a 1990s
PICS: WWW.GREGORCOLLIENNE.COM
Ducati 916. Then I thought what were the best brakes from the
1990s and for me they were Speigler’s eight-piston non-radial
calipers. I managed to find a pair online for sale in Switzerland,
but the guy who had them told me he wouldn’t send them in
the post and that I had to go and have a coffee with him first.
So I had to drive for five hours to Switzerland, have a coffee and
come back with
them.
F1 oil tank:
inspiration comes in
all shapes
16
º What about the trellis subframes?
I drew a lot of different designs and ended up with a 23.5-degree
rake, so it’s not a racing bike, but it’s not a chopper either. The
wheelbase is the same as a DB5 [the 2005 Bimota sportsbike], so
it’s not crazy short. I was going to make the frame from
standard chromoly steel, but then a friend said I should use
15CDV6 which is a low carbon steel used in aerospace and F1
and is very expensive. I thought: ‘I’m an idiot artist, why not use
the best of the best?’
I made a jig for the frame then started cutting tube with an
angle grinder to make them fit. Then I asked a friend who is a
much better welder than me to TIG weld it together. I made a
dummy of the tank out of wood and used that so I could build
around it without worrying about scratching it while welding.
The tank itself has an aluminium tank inside it because I was
worried the petrol would react with the carbon fibre. 
 
º What’s it like to ride?
It’s good fun. It feels very light, though I haven’t weighed it yet
– and it’s not as uncomfortable as it looks. The riding
position feels sporty, but it’s entirely rideable.
Saying that, I haven’t ridden it very far
because it’s not actually legal yet.
 
º What’s the reaction been?
I know some people don’t
understand it, but a lot do like it.
I’m not selling it though – I
built it to keep. There are so
many memories associated
with this motorcycle and if
I sell it I end up with some
money but there’s no
story with that.
Original
detailing by
sculptor/builder
Roland
 Frame was welded up
by a friend who’s
handier at TIG

TANK
Started life as a heat exchanger oil tank
in a Honda F1 car. Roland has fitted an
aluminium tank inside it to stop petrol
from damaging the carbon fibre. Functional and super
clean pilot’s eye view

SWINGARM
From a Bimota DB5 –
Roland is a serious Bimota
fan and had several parts
scattered around his
workshop.


ENGINE FRAME
It’s a 944cc ex-Battle of the Twins race-prepared Machined by Bimota for the Tesi from a
Ducati mill that Roland bought from Germany. It came single block of alloy. Later models had
with the open Keihin FCR carbs. more material removed as Bimota’s stress
SUBFRAMES analysis improved.
Designed by Roland and
made from 15CDV6 tubing
which is as good as it gets –
it’s a low carbon steel used in
‘It’s good fun. It feels very light,
aerospace and car racing. and it’s entirely rideable’
17
 Brakıng News From the wonderful to the weird, Bike’s pick of this month’s
stories from the motorcycling world…

Ǯ SETTING A STANDARD ǰ

Seven-year warranty... …and it’s unlimited mileage too. Sinnis reset the
standard for new bike peace of mind
hat isn’t a ham-fisted typo. Brighton-based Sinnis Obviously, there are conditions; it covers defects in manufacture
Motorcycles really have just announced that their new and workmanship for the full seven years, but labour is only included
bikes come with a seven-year, unlimited-mileage for the first year. It also doesn’t cover anything they consider a service
warranty. It’s transferable to a new owner if you move the bike on, part or consumable – tyres, brake pads, sprockets, handlebar grips,
and you get free roadside recovery for the first year as well. And seat covering, even the wheel bearings – or what they call ‘slight
that’s all rather staggering. oozing/misting of oils or fluids’. Fair enough.
PIC: JASON CRITCHELL

Sinnis have been punting out small-capacity bikes and scooters
since 2005. The British company sources bikes from various locations
in the Far East and the luxurious warranty is on all their 50 and 125cc
scooters and their seven-bike line-up of 125cc bikes (including the
Terrain that we’re falling off in this month’s KnowHow section).
With car manufacturers striving to out-warranty each other it was
only a matter of time before bikes followed – but you’d expect this
epic parts cover on twenty-grand premium models, not affordable
small-capacity bikes. Seven-year peace of mind on a £1699 rev n’ rip
scooter or a £3k on-trend 125 really is significant.

19
Braking News

Racing cancelled
Ǯ SPORT ǰ

in N. Ireland
There’ll be no road racing in N. Ireland this year unless the public stumps up…

A
s things stand, road racing in Northern Ireland will not
happen this year due to the rising cost of public liability
insurance. In practise this means no North West 200 and
no Ulster Superbike Championship. And no trials activity either.
The NW200 is Northern Ireland’s biggest outdoor sporting event
and there is hope it will still run, but this hinges on the support of
the public. Financial support…
The rescue initiative has come from the Motorcycle Union of
Ireland (Ulster Centre) who have set up an on online crowdfunding
website. As this issue of Bike went to press they had raised over
£87,000. The target for the fundraiser is £300,000 and funds are
being managed by an accountancy firm based in Belfast.
The reason so much money is needed is that public liability
insurance costs have soared, with prices to cover racing said to have
tripled for this year. Primarily these rises are required to cover the
cost of claims made by members of the public for incidents that
occur in connection with racing.
‘We are asking our fans, those who love their racing, to help us by
kindly donating directly to our insurance shortfall fund to give us
the chance to have racing this year,’ reads the statement on the
crowdfunding page. ‘Your efforts, if successful, will result in most if
not all two-wheeled sport being back on our calendar.’
º Contribute at: gofundme.com/f/mcuiucinsurance-
shortfall-for-racing-in-2023

‘Road racing will not happen

this year, due to the rising cost
of public liability insurance’

Ǯ NORTON ǰ

Home delivery test rides

º Norton dealers don’t ply their trade on
every street corner. In fact they’re a bit of a
rare beast. Which is why the company have
launched their new mobile test ride service.
As the name suggests Norton will deliver
a test bike at a time and to a place of your
choosing.
This new service is available on the UK
mainland only and interested customers
pay a holding deposit of 10% of the
Test a new Norton
purchase price of the bike, alongside a fuel
at your convenience
charge based on the distance of travel
required away from Norton’s Birmingham
head quarters.
Tests are already being booked and
should you decide to not go ahead with the
purchase the holding deposit is returned.
Currently the waiting time for test rides is
around two weeks and the service does not
include the fully faired, 185bhp, V4SV
superbike. However, Norton have now
begun delivering them to customers.
º More info at: nortonmotorcycles.com/
book-a-test-ride

20
 º KTM have built a limited edition run of 1290 The asking price for all this not-much-
Ǯ LIMITED EDITION ǰ

Brabus/KTM
Super Duke R Evos in partnership with luxury
car maker Brabus. Just 290 Brabus 1300R
Edition 23s have been produced and they’ve
all sold.
difference is £36,999, which is £18,500
more than a Super Duke R Evo.
The Brabus went on sale in February and
stocks of the all-black version ran dry in

special sells
Curiously the ‘Brabus’ uses the Super less than 12 minutes. Mind you, it was to be
Duke Evo’s 1301cc V-twin engine, trellis expected: last year all 154 examples of the
chassis, single-sided swingarm and 2022 Brabus sold in just one minute and 55

out in 12 mins
subframe. No modifications. In fact, the only seconds.
differences are aesthetic – black or black/ Expect more of this not-much-different
silver finish and semi-retro stance. next year…

Ǯ NEW KIT ǰ

ËêâèÝðÝÞèá
ÉîÝêðäÝéĊï
Åäîåï
ÙÝèçáî

jeans
ÞÝßçîÝßåêã

Swedish company
Mo’cycle have been
developing bike jeans s for
17 years and their lates st,
just announced, offerin ng is
s
these airbag jeans. As you
Ǯ RACING ǰ might imagine the new w
strides inflate in the evvent
Walker: back at it of an accident and arre
said to protect the
tailbone, thighs and
º Four-time British Superbike championship runner-up and
one-time World Superbike race winner Chris Walker is set to make coccyx. The bag can n
his racing comeback in the 2023 World Endurance championship.
Last seen in the endurance paddock in 1999, when he won the Le
be re-used once the
Mans 24 Hour alongside Steve Hislop, Walker will race in the CO2 canister has been replaced.
superstock class for the ADSS97 Kawasaki team on a ZX-10R.
Teammates will be Australian Levi Day and experienced Chris Platt.
They cost around £412.
Speaking to Bike after five days of testing in Spain, Chris jokes: º ÈëîéëîáåêâëîéÝðåëêãëðëéëßõßèáßëé
‘Andalucía was pretty much to blow the cobwebs away and try and
remember how to get my knee down. Which I managed by the end of
day three, on both sides, without getting cramp.’
The last time Chris competed on short circuits was the final
Brands Hatch round of the 2021 Ducati Tri-Options BSB support
series – finishing runner-up in the series with a cluster of wins.
Next month
‘I’ve raced a motorbike almost every year of my life since about º Ducati Multistrada Rally tested ºThis
1983,’ he says. ‘I love racing and with endurance you don’t ride at the
same level as BSB. The machine’s got to last 24 hours and you tend
year’s best biking buys ºStreet Triple R v
to ride at a similar pace to your teammates. It’s not as intense. rivals ºLost in Africa on a GSX-S1000 GT
‘This is the only model of ZX-10R I haven’t raced, and on top of this
it’s re-focussed me so I’m getting fit again. And that can’t be bad
when you get to 50 years old.’
June issue on sale 26 April

21
{
Braking News

Deals on wheels
Effortless laid-back cruisers are cool again. They also offer some of the
largest discounts, as Phil ‘feet-forward’ West proves…

Save £904 Save £3101 Save £1900 Save £1700

Moto Guzzi
V9 Bobber
º If you don’t think a cruiser needs
a whopping engine or trad’ US
styling Guzzi’s charmingly rugged
and cruelly underrated V9 Bobber
is just the ticket. The Italian
legend’s take on a fat-tyre hot-rod
was launched in 2016 and offers
simple two-wheel sensations. Its
853cc transverse V-twin (taken
from the V7) proves punchy and
entertaining, it handles well and, at
under ten grand, it’s pretty
affordable too. But thanks to this
discount at Peterborough dealers
Wheels, that price drops down
904 quid to just £8695. Living the
cruising dream without the
nightmare price.
Ducati Harley Indian Vintage
XDiavel 1260 S FLSTF Fat Boy Dark Horse
ºDucati’s just-launched,
all-new, Ducati Diavel V4 is a
wonderful thing, but don’t
forget the outgoing V-twin was
already head and shoulders
above the rest. The more
laid-back ‘X’ version is a true
hot-rod and in ‘S’ trim has
Öhlins forks, posh Brembo
calipers and more. And now it’s
also going to become a V4
there are discounts, such as
this brand new, zero-mile, 2022
example at Hyside Motorcycles
near Chelmsford. With three
grand knocked off list it comes
in at £19,750. Still want to pay
nearer £24,000 for a V4?
º When most of us turn our minds
to US cruisers we think Fat Boy –
Harley’s signature fat-tyred,
solid-wheeled, ‘50s-style
roadster made famous in
Terminator 2. Always a strong
seller, its 2018 updates made it
even more bonkers and desirable.
The result of all this is you’re as
likely to end up having a pint with
Arnie as you are to find discounts.
Except here. Warrs are currently
offering this brand new, 2022
Deluxe spec example – with
bigger, chrome 114ci motor – at
just £19,995. That’s a chunky
£1900 under the recommended
retail you-know-what.
ºIndian’s quality is sumptuous
and their massive 1811cc
‘Thunderstroke’ V-twin is every
bit as good as a Hog. And for
many cruiser enthusiasts
Indian’s heritage-inspired
styling is a refreshing
alternative to ubiquitous H-D. In
the general run of things
Indians are not cheap, but how
about this? It’s the short-lived,
all-black, Vintage Dark Horse
‘bagger’ from 2021, as-new
with zero miles and on offer at
Blade Motorcycles , Swindon
for £19,995. That’s £1700 off
the RRP… and a whole lot less
than the equivalent Hog.

Deal
of the
Save £5996
month BMW
R18 First Edition
ºBeemer’s monstrous 1800cc cruiser is,
truly, a marvellous thing. Its neo/retro
looks are spot-on, it’s sublimely
built, and its boxer/shaftie
powertrain chugs and drives as
well as anything from the US of A.
Given the fanfare at its launch BMW
must be miffed that it hasn’t really
caught on… perhaps most people
think going cruising means you want
something American. More fool them.
The R18 is a class act, and with the
enormous discount on this pre-reg (22-plate)
eight-mile-only First Edition model at KH
Motorcycles (0115 671 1094) making it just
£12,999, it’s oh-so-very desirable.

22
What’ll
it do,
Mister?

MVTurismo
New bikes versus
our dyno, scales
and datalogger

Veloce Lusso SCS

No other publication or interweb site analyses metal quite as deeply as Bike – you
can’t read this anywhere else. This month MV Agusta’s exotic all-rounder gets a
right good poke and prod and asked some difficult questions...
By Mike Armitage Photography Adam Shorrock

Lusso SCS has MV’s Smart Clutch System,

which works automatically when you stop. To
pull away just nail the throttle

24
 Smart Clutch It’s nudging 20
System is big ones, but
interesting, you still have
but not really to tweak the
worth the rear preload
extra dough manually

MV CLAIM TESTED BY BIKE

108.6bhp
The 798cc triple is from the F3 sportsbike, retuned for all-rounder
POWER
100.1bhp
A few horses down on what we expect given the accuracy of today’s
use. It’s 9bhp below Yamaha’s rival Tracer 9, but also 92cc smaller. EU-governed claims but closer than MV’s ambitious promises of old.

59 lb.ft
Slightly higher grunts-per-cc than a Tracer 9, with peak shove said to
TOR4UE 55.5 lb.ft
More than adequate to punt you along swiftly, but down on the claim.
be dished out at the same engine speed, give or take (7100rpm). It also arrives at higher revs than expected – see dyno graph below.

199kg WEIGHT
In the old tradition of Italian manufacturers, MV give a dry weight. It’ll
229.5kg
Filling the 21.5-litre tank with fuel only adds 16 kilos, so the claim is
exclude oil and battery. Probably discounts the Lusso’s panniers too. optimistic. Still 3kg lighter than a Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro, mind.

51mpg
MV use things called ‘litres’ and ‘kilometres’ in their economy claim.
MPG
51mpg
Ha! There’s a thing. Over motorways, A-roads and nadgery B-roads
We asked a grown-up with a calculator to turn it into em-pee-gee. the MV’s economy averages out bang-on what they say it will.

143mph TOP SPEED

MV are one of the few brands to claim a flat-out speed. They say it
146mph
Maybe we had a tail wind and MV had a head wind, or our tester is
was measured on a closed course too, implying it’s tested properly. lighter. It’s not only faster than they say, but identical to a Tracer 9.

£19,790
With its TFT dash, full-on electronics and expected MV-ness, the
PRICE
£13,930
...because we’re tight-arsed monkeys, and we’d by the Rosso version.
Turismo Veloce Lusso SCS ain’t cheap. But we wouldn’t pay this... No panniers or SCS clutch, otherwise the same. Almost £6k cheaper.

ON THE DYNO AT THE PROVING GROUND

110 Not quite a

textbook
0ǫ60MPH
Power

3.5s
100 SCS clutch allows repeatable brisk
100.1bhp @ horizontal
10,100rpm line, but getaways – just twist and go. They
90 claim 0-100kph (62mph) in 3.75s.
there’s a
Torque good, even
80 55.5 lb.ft @ 1Ǭ4 MILE
8200rpm spread of

11.4s
70 torque (and In simple terms the Turismo Veloce
so a smooth romps to 120mph as quickly as a 600cc
60 power trace). supersport bike. Much comfier, though.
Curiously,
50 the triple 70ǫ0 MPH

53.7m
makes peak For a tall and reasonably chubby bike
40 torque a full this is quite decent, and an indication
1000rpm that you get good ABS and tyres.
30 higher than
MV claim. 40ǫ80 ROLLǫON
20

5.1s
Maybe their Whack the gas in top gear and the MV
dyno needs gets to 80mph a whole second quicker
0 4000 6000 8000 10,000 12,000 14,000 calibrating. than a Tracer 9. That’ll be the gearing.

25
Braking News

PIC: ANDY McCANDLISH

26
 The
Road
A celebration
of UK tarmac

Ǯ THE ROAD ǰ

56.195420, -4.394043
Type into Google Maps
or scan the QR code
and go here

27
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 Write Off
Bike, Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, PE2 6EA
Telephone 01733 468025 Email: bike@bikemagazine.co.uk facebook.com/bikemagazineUK twitter.com/BikeMagazine

² ÄÇÇÐÖÊÇÔÇÉÑÖÖÊÇÖ«ÕÊËÔÖ ³

ĉÑêáõáÝîÝÉñõßÝèèáàÏÝîðåêìåðßäáàñìĊ
I
‘m not a clothes hoarder so the fact I’ve still got this
T-shirt says much about its sentimental value. These
were handed out to every paying visitor to the Grampian
Motorcycle Convention in 1999, held at the Alford Motor
Museum (well worth a visit by the way).
The Convention had, over the years, many attractions
and visiting personalities as well as incredible motorbikes
ranging from V8 Guzzis to humble BSA Bantams.
Perhaps the single thing people remember with more
clarity and fondness than anything else is the Moped
Mayhem. Most were local riders but one year a Guy
called Martin pitched up to have a go. Sadly for him he
didn’t win. I always wondered what happened to him…
Gordon McRobbie, email

ËÈÛÑ×ĊØÇÉÑÖÃÐÑÎÆÖ«ÕÊËÔÖ LIKE GORDON’S AND FANCY SEEING IT IN BIKE, TAKE A PICTURE OF THE WHOLE SHIRT,
ARMS INCLUDED, AND EMAIL IT TO THE ADDRESS AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE. IF WE PUBLISH IT WE’LL SEND YOU A NEW TǫSHIRT.

29
Write off

² STAR LETTER ³ Bike’s Paul

Lang: visiting

‘Hey, let’s windmills just

for the hell of it

do that…’
H
ats off to Harry Bott for visiting every UK lifeboat
station on his ancient Sunbeam (Bike, April).
Wonderful to see a young person doing
something so inspiring. And one who knows what a
magneto is (no, not an expensive choc ice on a stick).
It’s always great to see stories like this in Bike,
reconfirming that doing something on a motorcycle
doesn’t need to involve sky-high objectives, fancy
machinery, or exotic locations. Anything can be a great
excuse for an amusing ride. I remember that bloke who
bimbled around visiting lighthouses for no other reason
than he fancied it, and your own Paul Lang has done a
series of for-the-fun-of-it rides – I recall windmills and
fords. They inspired me and a couple of mates to tour all
the disused WW2 runways in our local area.
Nothing wrong with doing your usual weekend run
to a ‘destination’ dealer, but there’s something more life
affirming about simply going, ‘hey, let’s do that’.
Peter Seddon, email

EACH MONTH WE GIVE AWAY A CABERG DUKE II HELMET AND A YEAR’S

SUBSCRIPTION TO BIKE FOR THE MONTH’S STAR LETTER. ON YOUR MARKS

Team Bike offer great triple engine but with stupidly

Does Ian Martin, or whoever operates
Team Bike, have a team bank
account? I ask as I would love to offer
financial support.
Also, I bet if you asked a thousand
readers ‘does the Team Bike RC30 get
sufficient space in each issue,’ you
would get a 90% resounding NO.
Only my opinion of course.
Geoff Homer, email
PS: Bike fan since day one.
Carry on additives
With regard to Eric Green’s E5 ‘fuel
range anxiety’, are there not additives
available which he could carry with
him and use with E10 in the event of
not being able to fill up with E5? If so,
perhaps you could do a small feature
on them as I’m sure it would be of
interest to many, myself included.
Mike McCrindell, email
V2: missing in action
Regards your all-rounder group test
(Bike, April).
I test rode each bike in this test
It’s a good time before buying a Ducati Multistrada
to be an all- V2 S (not mentioned in your feature,
rounder
motorcycle, but despite scoring 9/10 in your ratings).
what about Ok it’s the most expensive but
Ducati’s V2? offers the best all-round package.
The Tiger is nice, with a great triple
and handling. But the dash,with the
expanding rev counter, is daft.
The XR is great to look at and has
all the toys, but the seat is like a plank.
And finally the Tracer. Again a
small instruments, the heated grips
switch is a complete faff and the
buffeting from the screen will drive
you nuts.
I have owned my V2 for 12 months,
done 7500 miles including a trip over
to Europe and down to Italy in
comfort. The handling is great when
needed, in a light and compact
package. What more do you need?
I think you missed the best bike
out, otherwise great work as always.
Andy Adams, email
Trying to choose which bikes to put into
a test is even harder than deciding the
order to consume all the frothy delights
at Melton Mowbray beer festival (it’s on
15-16 September, if you’re interested). So
many great bikes, only so much space.
And you’re right, the V2’s a cracker. MA
Dealers take note
I was dismayed to read the dealers’
warning that test rides are, ‘likely to
be phased out,’ as, ‘it’s not like when
we all made a shortlist of three and

30
 Bike, Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, PE2 6EA
Telephone 01733 468025 Email: bike@bikemagazine.co.uk facebook.com/bikemagazineUK twitter.com/BikeMagazine

rode them all. No-one does that any

more’. (Bike, April.)
That’s exactly how I buy bikes and I
currently have nine (down from 12
last year – we live in difficult times).
When I have bought a new bike
without a test ride (several times in
the last few years) I have invariably
ended up trading it in shortly
afterwards at much expense and have
vowed not to do it again.
At a time when we are trying to
attract new riders , or existing riders
to new types of bikes, I think the
industry would be foolish to remove
test fleets or dealers may find
themselves reading a ‘customer
warning’ giving notice that further
new purchases are, ‘likely to be
phased out’.
Edward Hanrahan, email
PS: I have read Bike since the 1980s
and been a subscriber for many years.
Keep up the good work. I would like I’m sorry to hear you suffered, but The new ZX-4R: interesting (Bike, April). I bought a
to see more reprints of classic tests I’m relieved I wasn’t the only one. ‘everyone’s new ZXR400 in the spring of 2003. It
clambering over
from the 80s/90s/00s: TZR/TDR/ All of which makes me wonder: each other to be made 60bhp or so they said, and it
original Blade/CBR600F and that big who will buy these? Surely the first to cost me £5745 – that’s almost ten
trailie test on the Fosse Way all stick discomfort is the same for everyone? Kawasaki’s grand in today’s world. Most
door’
in my mind. Is that why BMW are offering such manufacturers had given up on 400s
good deals on R18s? And what were years before, so it was one of the last
Sitting uncomfortably? their test riders doing? ones, and all my riding mates took the
This one is for your John Westlake: I As an aside, I got an engineer to piss – they had 120bhp 600s and
have just read your article on the extend the seat subframe on my 150bhp 1000s, and thought my ZXR
Harley-Davidson Nightster (Bike, Bobber and rotate the back of the seat was thrashy, gutless and overpriced. I
March) and I couldn’t help but slightly down. It’s still a sculpted seat sold it 18 months later (peer pressure)
chuckle at your description of the but now at least I can slide backwards and lost a fortune.
challenging sitting position. and forwards a little more. It has Now there’s a new ZX-4R that’s
I first experienced this when I took improved the comfort a bit. going to be even revvier and probably
delivery of my CCM Bobber and Love the magazine, keep up the cost that ten grand, and everyone’s
realised the limitations of the seat good work. clambering over each other to be first
and the lack of wriggle room. Christophe Vever, email at Kawasaki’s door. Funny old world.
My next experience was a test ride Mind you, I’m not complaining –
on the BMW R18 and the low back What goes around… I’ll be in the bunfight. And I think
pain/bicep fatigue from the seat/ All the bluster around Kawasaki’s they should import the ZX-25R that’s
pegs/bar arrangement. coming-soon ZX-4R is very sold overseas too. In the mid-1990s
there was a lad in our village with a
grey import FZR250R that wasn’t as
fast as a derestricted 125, but it revved
to 20,000rpm and sounded
sensational with a race pipe on.
Chris Sankey, email

The field on the left

Thank you, Bike, for the monthly
Overlooked feature. The magazine is
always full of tantalising machinery,
but it’s always the bike in your simple
feature that gets under my skin.
Always different enough to be
interesting and eye-opening, without
being oddball and strange, and bikes
Christophe and you can genuinely consider owning.
Westlake:
In a world of all-the-same adventure
sharing
uncomfortable bikes I find them a breath of fresh air.
experiences Scott Armstrong, email

31
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32
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one of
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33
Charismatic and handsome, but now also effective and capable
– in the first comprehensive UK test, Moto Guzzi prove they’ve
returned to greatness with their alluring new V100 Mandello
By Mike Armitage Photography Mike Armitage and Stuart Collins

34
35
 dmit it. Deep down you’ve got a Mandello’s sidestand is in a
Moto Guzzi-shaped soft spot. sensible location (not
Every dream garage surely has protruding from the
one of the Italian V-twins front of the crankcases
propped in a corner, supplying like old Guzzis).
the character and style. Maybe the clutch is a
Thing is, it would probably also be finicky and quirky. Maybe a bit tad weighty. That’s
obstinate. Fifty years back a Guzzi was light, crisp and on the leading about it.
edge, a great bike. But over the years they became increasingly The M1 is
outdated and eccentric – yes, they had personality and engagement, festooned with
but not always enough to gloss over dynamic shortcomings and… speed cameras, so
well, oddness. Second bike or sunny Sunday toy? Definitely. Only cruise control is
bike? Not so much. deployed. Switchgear Tidy TFT dash
This bike changes that. The new £13,500 V100 Mandello takes the is as on various controlled by
proven qualities of the V7 retro and V85 adventurer, and mixes in Aprilias with a single Aprilia-style
whacking dollops of modernity and usability. This is a bike with the switch for the cruise, switches; flaps
(right) are not
potential to put Moto Guzzi back on the same footing as BMW, which works smoothly just a gimmick
Honda, whoever. And as our 300-mile trip to the Yorkshire Dales – there’s no surging or
reveals, the Mandello delivers… sense of speed correction
  on inclines (although having
Nottingham to Bradford set it at 70mph the speedo
Ten o’clock, Monday morning, moderate traffic, eighty-odd miles of shows 71). At this speed the
motorway ahead. Initial impressions are good. Threading towards engine is calm, quiet and smooth,
the M1 after collecting the bike from super-helpful MSC in thrumming politely below.
Nottingham (0115 939 2713), there’s no old-school Guzziness to adapt Even in its highest position the electric
to. Low-speed handling is light, the 1042cc liquid-cooled V-twin has screen isn’t particularly tall. There’s not as much
manners, and the riding position is instantly ‘right’. Even the wind protection as, say, a Honda NT1100, but equally I
don’t feel buffeted. At just over six foot I’m too tall for the airflow

‘I’d buy one tomorrow’

to draw drizzle off my visor, though.
 
Bradford to Skipton
Paul Cousin owns a sports-touring legend, After sauntering on the M1, M62 and M606 it’s time to wade across
Honda’s VFR1200. What’s he think to the V100?
Bradford. Roads are cluttered, with diversions, endless delivery vans,
º It’s better than I thought it’d be. I was confident straight and seemingly all the city’s taxis out at once. The V100 is effortless:
off the bat because the riding position is so nice. It’s more the flexible motor can just be left in second gear, even pulling away;
relaxed and comfortable than my Honda, and makes the the chassis is light and manageable threading through traffic, and
bike feel less heavy at the front – so it feels easier to steer, the high-ish riding stance gives visibility and a sense of presence.
especially with the leverage of the higher, wider handlebar.
I feel conspicuous, mind. The Mandello emits a glorious rumble,
Good seat as well, with plenty of space.
but stop in gear with the clutch in and revs sit at almost 2000rpm.
Although it’s higher and more comfortable, it doesn’t feel
too upright. You’re still engaged, and ride comfort is about There’s a sort of low-speed assist like on some Suzukis and Hondas,
perfect. The Guzzi doesn’t feel firm, even on bumpy lanes. engine speed held higher to reduce stalling potential when pulling
It’s smaller and less powerful, but the engine’s away. Find neutral and revs settle at a more discreet 1200rpm-ish.
performance is the same as my VFR – or it is how you ride Unlike on other Guzzis, there’s then a clunk when first is engaged.
on the road. The V-twin isn’t any lumpier than my V4, and
the midrange feel is just as strong. The gearbox is fine,
rather than great. It’s quite positive and firm, especially 110 Power
108.4bhp @ How potent is
going from second to third, although this test bike’s not Guzzi’s new
100 8500rpm
done many miles. 1042cc twin?
Compared with my Honda there are lots of switches and Torque
controls, but you’d soon get used to it if you bought one. 90 They claim 77 lb.ft
72.5 lb.ft @
And the display is clear. Great mirrors too. More weather 7000rpm and 113bhp. This
80 bike has done few
protection than my VFR as well. No difference in wind noise
between them. miles, so will loosen
70
But it’s the riding position and confidence that really up further, but it’s
make it. I’d get rid of my Honda and buy the Guzzi tomorrow. 60 still respectable.
Love it. BMW’s R1250RS
50 has masses more
clout, but this is
40 some 10 lb.ft more
than a Yam Tracer,
30 BMW F900XR or
Ducati Multi’ V2. At
20 6000rpm – realistic
road revs – the new
10 V100 gives 10bhp
more than a Tracer.
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10,000

36
 First ride special

‘It feels like a

bike designed by
the Yorkshire
tourist board’

Remember when
roads were full of
orange Cortinas and
purple Marinas? Far
more interesting...

37
 Onto the
On h Sirr Frer d Ho oylylee WaWay anand th he A6
A62929 north
29 orrth
th-
weesstt to
o Skip
Sk
S kip
ipto
ton.
to
onn.. The
h V100 1000 sw swin ngs
g cononfi
fident
fide
dentntly lyy th
hrrou
ugh
g
r u
ro unndad bo
bout
out
u s th
then n use
ses a me m at atyy mi
midrdrran
d nggee to stri ride
de ont
nto
nto
eaach
each
c str t et
e chh of du
dualal caarrrriiagew
aaggeew
way
ay.. It fee
eels
ls str
ls tron
ongg,, cap apab
able,,
annd the
the ge
th g ar
a bo
box’
x s sh
x’ shor
o t-t-th
thro
th roow acction
tiion
on is eaasiillyy the
he mosost
st
snicke
snic
sn icke
ic ketyy of an
any
ny Gu
Guzz zzii evver
zz e .N Niice hon nky
ky intak
ntak
nt akee to oo.

Skipton to Set
Sk ettl
tle
le
A teer a cu
Af cupp
upp
ppaa on n Ski
kipton
kiptptton hig i h ssttrereet
et,, itt’s
et ’s the B62 6 6565
towa
towa
to warrd
rds Grras assi
sing
ngto
ng to
ton,
on n,, sco
coot ottin
o ing le
ing l ftt at R Ryyls
yls
l to on
nee to tak take
ta ke
n dg
na dger
dger
eryy laane
n s to Set ettltle.
e. The he lan ands
nds
dscac pee is su
ca uddddenenlyy veerry
York
Yo rksh
shir
irre, all majjeessttiic hih lls
llls annd hah zyy horriz izon
on
ons,
ns,, the
he rou ute t
n rrow
na o and
ow d bum
umpy py. Th
py The Ma M nd deelllo
o reemmaaiins ns poi oise
sed fl flit
lit
ittiting
ng Shaft drive means no
beetw ween
een d
ee drry-
y-st
stoon ne wa
ne wall llss, tho
ll houg uggh ththe riide d ’ss firrmeer th han n exp xpeeccte
cted
teed. gloop on the delicious
wheel. Exhaust
IItt’s
’s not har arsh
sh or un unco
unco omf
m or ortataabl
tabl
ble,
e and
e, d har ard d br
brakakinin
ng aan nd wh whoo
hoo
o pip ng rumble brings grins
creessts dem
cr emon
mononssttrraatee the
he dam ampi pingg qua ualiliittyy, bu
but th the
he fork
fork
fo r s and d sh hoc
ock k
don’
do n’t
’t sw
swal allo
allow w lu
l mpmps li like
ke an NT
ke NT111100 0 or fl floa
oatt lilike
ke a BMW MW R12 1 50 0RS S
wiith h pos
osh se semi-a
mi-a
mi -act
act
ctiv
ivve.
e. (ThTher eree’’s a MaMandnd del ello
lo S with ith Öh
it Öhli lins
nss ele
lect
ctroroni
nicc
sussp
su spensi sion
ion,, he
heatattedd grips
riips
p , qu quic
qui icks
kshihift
fter and
fter d con nnneectctiv
ivvitty, forr £15 15,750
,7750.)
50
0.))
Abun
Abbunda
undant
daant tororqrq
quue memean
mean ns no n neeeed fo for le left
ft-ffoo
oot fiddfiidd
dddli
lliingg,
coonc
ncenenntrat
trat
tr atio
io
on ininst
stea
e d di
ea d rected at th he sq squi uirrms
rrm
ms on on Bla lack
ck Gil
ck illl L
Laane
ne Viad
Vi duc ucctt th
the
he ro
road
adhoh ld
ho dinng iss sup upererb
rb – th therere’e s pa
p tc
tchy
hy weettne nessss and
ss d
toowa
waard
rds S
rd Sccal
alebber
er Forrccee wat aterfa
errfa
fall
ll. Br
ll Brak
ak keses,, ridi
riid
diin
ngg po ossit
itio
ion, controntrol
on trrolss evid
ev id
deen ncee of sa
s ltt on th he dr
dry bi b tss, yet
yet it’s
ye itt’ss sure-
uree--fo
ur foot
oted d and d fil
illss me wwiitth
h
annd fefeed
edb
ed
edbabaacckk aree allll preett t y mumuch h cocck k--onon.
on. co
onnffididen
encece. Onto
On nto the B62 62555 to H Haawe
wes and annd th thee V1
V100
00’s
00’s ’s eng
ngiin ne and
an
nd
ch
has
a si siss co
comp
mple
mp lem
lement eac
me achh ot
othe heer pe
perf
erf
r ecctl tly.
y. The
y. he low
w fueluel li ligh
ght pi
gh ping
ngs on
ng n
Settle
e to Ripo
Ripon
Ri a ound
ar ound n 145 milleess, ju just
st as I ro olll up to
to thehe fiilllli
lingg sta
li t ttiion
on in Haw Hawes.
Ha wes.
we s The
Ah,, th
Ah thee re
reas
ason
ason forr heaadi
on d ngg nor
orth
th.
h Th
Thee Yo ork
r shir
sh
hir
iree Da
Dale
les pr
les p ovvide
id
de fan
fan
fa nccy TF TFT didisp
spla
spplay
lay cl
la clai
aims
ms 49 9m m
mpgpg and d isn n’t far out – my m meeassurured
ured
ed
b kiing
bi ng bri
r ll
l ia
ianc
n e,
nc e and
nd wit ith
h bu
bugg
ggeerr-aalll tra
gg raaff
ffic
ffic th
hee Maannde
d ll
lllo
o is
is glo
lori
rio
ou
us.
s. eccon
onom ommy iss 500mmpgg. Th Thiss means eaans 1877 mil iles
eess from
rom tth
ro he
he 17 17-llitre
itrree tan
it ank.
k.
On
O n the
h flolowwing
wi ng,
g, ro
ollin
lllin
ing,
g, cas
a cadi
ding
dingg B64 479 9 fro
rom Sett
Sett
Settle
le to RRiibb
blleehe
head
ad
ad It’s
It ’ss mid d-aafter
fterrno
ft n on n anndd tra rafff
fficc in
ffic nccre
r as aseses on th he sccururryryy eas
astt to
t
Ripo
Ri p n,
po n, butut the Man ande
nde
dell
dell
llo’
o’ss rreesp
o’ ponnse
se, grruntunt an
un and d vi
visi
sibi
si bili
bili
bi lity
ty allllow
llow
o easasyy
ovver
o ver
erta taake
k s. It fe
ke feel
eel
els liike
ke a bik ke de desi
sign
si gned by th
gn the
he YoYork
rksh
shir
sh iree to
ir t uris
urisst bo
ur oar
ard.
d.
‘Brakes, riding position and Riipo
pon
n to ho
om
me
controls are cock-on’ Th
The h
he haaull sou
outh
th
h dow
wn the
the A1
th A1 isn
n’tt som
omethi
etthi
hing
ng I’m
m looki
ooking
ookiingg fo
k orrwa
rwa
ward
rd to,
o,

Back seat driver...

Room for two? Mrs Armitage delivers her opinion from the pillion
º At first the pillion handles feel too far back and like they’re not quite in the right place. They don’t feel natural. But when you’re riding it
turns out they’re very well placed, and put you in a position where you’re supported without having to consciously brace for
acceleration and braking. I usually end up hanging onto the rider but use these more than I normally would.
It’s a comfy seat and very generous. It feels wide actually, and so my legs aren’t angled out – I feel neatly tucked in. It’s not quite as
plush as, say, a BMW R1250RT, but it’s also not as if you’re slumming it back there. And it’s way better than a supernaked or
middleweight. No complaints.
I couldn’t feel any vibrations, and I didn’t notice bumps through the suspension. It’s smooth. There’s buffeting, but I think that’s due
to today’s wind rather than the Moto Guzzi’s small screen. I didn’t feel like I was sitting way above the rider or perched too high up.
However, though putting a foot on the pillion ’peg to climb on was easy, when you slide back off afterwards the bike feels quite tall.
Unfortunately there’s quite a lot of splatter up my back, right up on my crash helmet in fact. The seat unit is short and the mudguard
doesn’t really seem to do much. Jane Armitage

38
 First ride special

but th
bu he Gu Guzz zzi co
zzi onttininu
inue
uees toto ple leas
ase.
as e. SPECIFICATIONS MOTO GUZZI V100 MANDELLO
I reeaallis
isee myy leefft h haannd d issn
n’tt feeeeli
eliing
Contact MSC (Motorcycle & Scooter Centre), 0115 939 2713
anyy efffe
an fectctt fro
romm whatt initi niti
ni tially
ally
ly
Price (on the £13,500
Linkage and se e e
em
eme
m e
ed d a h ea
a vyy c lutc
lu t
tch,
tc
c h
h, , and by road)
gearbox have 22550 m miileless th
the fif rm
r sea eaat iss stitill
lll
Typical finance PCP: deposit £2000, 36 months at £139.85, optional
tight, clicky ccoommffy. II’’d non rmrmal a lyy be ststrer tc
re t hihingg
hing final payment £6800 (APR 9.9%)
precision. No
m y le
le
egg
gss b y now
no w
w, , b u
utt d on’t
on ’t
t fee
eele l Capacity 1042cc
quickshifter
thee n
th neeed
ed. Engine 8v, DOHC, liquid cooled, V-twin
Th
T
Thehen
en it ra rainins.
s. A lotot.. Th
T e Bore x stroke 96 x 72mm
Mand
Ma and
ndel
dello
elllo
el o haass litttlle aaeerro
o fla
lapsp on itts
Transmission six-speed, shaft
ffaairrin
i g,g in fronfront
fr on nt of
of yo ouur kn
ur kneees,
knee s, an ndd youou
Power 108.4bhp @ 8500rpm (tested)
c n ad
ca adjuju
usstt wh heen
en ththhey
eyy ope
pen n or cllo osee for
or
each
ea c of th thee fou
four
fo ur rid dinng mo mode d s. I’d playe
de layyeed
la Torque 72.5 lb.ft @ 7000rpm (tested)
arround
ound
ou n firirst
irst th
st hiingg and cou ould dn’
n t fe
f elel anynythth
hini g, so Top speed 135mph (estimated)
dism
dism
di misse sed
d th
them
emm as a gigimm
imm
mmiick. But ut, wh
w en n I sto top fo for co off
ffee
ee, I fi find
nd Frame tubular steel spaceframe
they
th eyy’vve ke
keptt my crcro
otch
otch
ot h com mpplleettel
ely
ly dr
dryy.. And nd as no nob boodyd lik ikes
es sog
es oggygy
Front suspension 41mm upside-down telescopic fork, adjustable
vege
ve getaablles
es, th
theyy must
they ust b
us bee a go
oood th thin
hing
ing.
in g. preload and rebound
It's
It 's dar
ark by
by the
he tim
imee I get ho
home me. I can
me.
me can co conf
onf
n irirmm th
t e V1 V10000 has gott a Rear suspension monoshock, adjustable preload and rebound
g eaat heead
gr adli
l gh
lightt to
too.
o
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Lady Armitage getting

her new Hood jeans
disappointingly mucky

THANKS TO:
MSC (Motorcycle
& Scooter Centre)
Stapleford, Nottingham
0115 939 2713
To the victor, the
handshake: Higgs with
2022 BSB king Brad Ray
at Brands Hatch last
October. Higgs has
been crowning BSB
champs since 1996

40
 Oxley
The

interview
Mat is a TT winner, endurance racer,
author and MotoGP paddock insider

BSB
BSB boss
boss Stuart
Stuart Higgs
Higgs has
has
been
been iinvolved
nvolved iin
n rracing since
acing since he
he
was
was a kid.
kid. This
This is
is how
how a wee
wee lad
lad
grew
grew up
up to
to run
run the
the world’s
world’s biggest
biggest
national
national superbike
superbike series
series
By Mat
Ma Oxley
Oxley
ey Photography
Photog
Ph
Photograp
tograp
aphy
hy BSB/
BSB/ Double
D
Doub
oub
uble
le
e Red,
Re , Higgs
Red Higgs Archive
Arch
Arch
hive
e

41
The Oxley interview

When I grow up I
want to be a…
Nine-year-old
Higgs dreams big, icture this: a pile-up at Paddock
sat on Dave Bend,, Brands Hat atch
ch, in the
Potter’s Yamaha summer of 1984. A 13-year-old boy
TZ750 in 1979
sprinting this way and n that,,
pickin
pi ingg up a couple le of ben
entt
motorcycles and helping a limping
rider es
esca
cape
pe the car arna
nage
ge..
O course the kid shou
Of uld
ldn’
n t be the
herre
re at alll,l, he’
ess fa
farr to
too
o yo
younung fo
for
such a grown n-u
-upp job
job,
b, but
ut bacck th
then
en peoeopl
plee didn dn’tt car
dn aree so muc uchh ab
abou
outt
ou
litt
litttle det
etai
a ls lik
ai ikee th
that
at.
Thir
Th i tyy-nine ye year
a s la
ar late
terr th
te that
at lad is thhe bo
bossss man off the he wo
worl rld’
ds
b gg
bi ggese t nati
es tion
ionalal sup
uperrbi
bike
ke ser
erie
ies.
Look
Lo okin
i g af
in afte
terr racers
rs and run
unniningg rac
ni aces
es runu s deep in Stuart Higgs’
bloo
bl ood d. ‘My dad was a bit ahe head
ad off his time,’ says Higgs, supping a pint
in his lococalal in Pa
Padd
ddington, London. He cajoled the Triumph factory
and
an d got a group of mates together from the Triumph Owners Club
and they became a sort of team of crack marshals.
‘They’d all be there in their Triumph factory overalls, looking after
a corner at Brands Hatch, then at Silverstone, the next weekend at
Cadwell Park, then Snetterton. I go to some GPs now and the
marshals still aren’t as smart as my dad’s lot were.
‘In the early days I was very much on the shirt tales of my old man.
Every weekend I’d be at a meeting. And being brought up in that
environment I had an eye for looking at what was going on. Even
b fo
be f re I was ten I’d be looking at everything, thinking, that’s a bit shit,

Old-man Higgs (right) tends to some

1960s Paddock Bend carnage with his
gang of Triumph Owners Club marshals

Top TV coverage has been huge for BSB –

James Whitham (right) chats with Tommy
Bridewell at Cadwell last August

How often do you see fans packed in

like this, these days? Not often. Which
proves BSB does something right

42
why would a marshal stand there? I’d intuitively see things that were
inherently wrong, so I was influencing things even as a kid and
obviously I became a bit of a pain in the arse.
‘I was a flag marshal before I should’ve been, picking up clubbies
off the ground, really getting into it. Even then I knew that somehow
I was going to have something to do with this when I grew up – I just
didn’t know how, where or when.’
Higgs Senior was a doer, not a talker, with no time for politics, at a
time when British racing was run by cantankerous old amateurs
from the Auto Cycle Union, established in 1904.
‘Dad was a bit like me, he didn’t like the establishment and he
didn’t care much for ACU politics. He used to call them “Another
Cock-Up” because he was always quite pissed off with them!’
The ACU’s glittering crown was always the Isle of Man TT and
everything on the mainland came second to that, which is why the
British racing scene was such a mess for so long. The story of how
the British Superbike championship became what it is today is an
agonising tale of money, politics, backstabbing and ineptitude. But
it’s a story that needs to be told, so let’s run through the basics as fast
as we can…
All the way into the 1990s British championship rounds were run
by clubs, which had been established to run low-level club meetings,
not professional national events. The clubs had to be affiliated to the
ACU, so they were always fighting each other and jostling for ACU
favours. It was a mess, from top to bottom.
‘At the British GP at Silverstone each bike club was given a corner
to manage by the ACU big wigs running the event,’ Higgs
continues. ‘It was so bent. Dad’s marshals would have
to go where they were told, like the Hanger
Straight, while the St Albans and Barnet grass-
track club would get a prized corner like
Woodcote, just because they were
‘That was an absolute shambles –
it was grass-track marshals over-
whelmed by carnage. It was bad’
good mates with the bloke who needed their vote at the next ACU
board meeting.
‘And you’d have different clubs and different chief marshals in
charge at different British championship events, so you’d have a race
at Brands one weekend and a race at Oulton Park the next, with a
completely different set of standards, nothing was the same. The
whole thing was a disaster.’
Finally, the deaths of TT winner Norman Brown and German
privateer Peter Huber during the 1982 500cc British GP shocked
people into action.
‘It was that and the horrible sidecar crash at Woodcote during the
1980 British GP, when Mal White got killed. That was an absolute
shambles because it was a bunch of grass-track marshals
overwhelmed by this carnage. It was really bad. Afterwards my dad
got a bit of a stake in running it all and trying to sort it out.’
Around the same time there were huge commercial convulsions
happening in British racing.
In the mid-1980s millionaire racing enthusiast John Foulston
bought Brands Hatch, Cadwell Park, Oulton and Snetterton from
Grovewood Securities, which had been building a portfolio of British
racetracks since the 1960s. When Foulston was killed in a car crash
his role was taken by his daughter Nicola, who formed a partnership
with Robert Fearnall, boss of Donington Park.
‘In 1995 Nicola and Robert got together, kicked out the ACU and
created their own governing body, the MCRCB [Motor Circuit
Racing Control Board]. The ACU was apoplectic, but you could see
why everyone had the hump – one year the British championship
was called Supercup, the next year it was called something else, one
year it was run by Peter Hillaby, the next it was Colin Armes and the
next it was Jim Parker, who all hated each other. So eventually the
circuits and everyone else said, “For fuck’s sake!”.
‘So 1995 was when all the ducks were put in a row for the big
43
‘Even though times
are hard in the UK
the championship
is in good health,
with great racing
and big crowds at
many rounds’

launch of British Superbikes in 1996. At the same time the Racesafe

Marshals Association started, which gave us consistent marshalling
at every round.
‘Everything was looking good. I remember a few years before that
being on the periphery of a meeting of the people running BTCC
[the British Touring Car Championship], which at that time was an Standing room
only – the BSB
incredible show. I thought that if motorcycling ever got its act pit-lane walk had
together it could be as good or better, because essentially bikes are a fans cramming
better spectacle.’ into Silverstone
All this time Higgs had been working his way up the racing ladder, last year
but only for fun, because his day-to-day job was working in IT for a
bank in the City of London. In 1996 he was appointed race director
of BSB, but he still had to squeeze that job between his regular
nine-to-five duties.
‘I was essentially a weekend warrior and I didn’t get the
opportunity to work full-time in motorsport until 2001, when I got a
phone call from Martin Brundle [former Formula 1 driver, turned TV
commentator and vice president of the British Racing Drivers’ Club],
who asked me to become director of racing for the BRDC. I was a bit
unsure because I only knew a bit about car racing, but I knew that I
wanted to work full-time in motorsport and breaks like that are few
and far between, so I just had to get in the room.’

44
 The Oxley interview

to people without being in conflict with someone else. BSB has really
gone from strength to strength from that point.’
And even though times are hard in the UK the championship is in
good health, with great racing and big crowds at many rounds.
‘Last year all the camping was sold out at Donington, Cadwell,
Thruxton and Oulton, which has never happened before,’ adds
Higgs, 52, who was born and bred in Enfield, North London. ‘I think
it’s because money’s tight, so rather than going to Tenerife for
half-term, we’ve got a lot of families coming to BSB.
‘We’ve definitely seen a change in recent years, from single blokes
with their bikes to family groups. The kids love it and they make
friends with other kids, so there’s a community feel, sometimes with
three generations – kids, young parents and grandparents – all going
to three or four BSB rounds a season. We try to pack them in, give
them what they want and not charge extortionate prices.
‘I think the series does well because it’s well run, the standard of
organisation is very professional, it’s got history and I just think we
do give a shit. And I don’t think many people think like that today.’
Born into it: Higgs
got to hang out in The championship looks good on TV – professional and
the Silverstone glamorous – even though very few of the riders are getting rich,
pit lane during despite the global attention. BSB hasn’t paid prize money or start
the 1980 British
Grand Prix
money for years, so it’s up to riders to get wages from their teams and
find personal sponsorship. This doesn’t go down well with some
riders when Palmer shows up at races in his helicopter.
Higgs defends this way of doing things, which has forced many
See it all first hand riders, like Peter Hickman, to move into racing on the roads – the TT
and elsewhere – to make proper money.
2023 BSB championship
‘We don’t pay prize or start money in the BSB class but what we do
º 7-9 April Silverstone (National)
is pay the TV production fee for the creation of the TV show, which
º 29 April-1 May Oulton Park is what we all live off the back of. That’s a seven-figure sum. Then we
º 19-21 May Donington Park (National) do what we can to help the teams. As the championship we are more
º 16-18 June Knockhill likely to get approaches from marketing agencies and so on, wanting
º 7-9 July Snetterton to be involved, so once we’ve boxed off our title sponsorship and our
º 21-23 July Brands Hatch (GP circuit) major partners then we can offer any teams that want help to
Pole- º 11-13 August Thruxton
position man companies that want to be here. It’s like the Milwaukee deal, they
Kyle Ryde º 26-28 August Cadwell Park came to us and we brokered a deal for them with a team.
gets the star º 15-17 September Oulton Park ‘If we can we try to make the teams more financially stable, but
treatment º 29 Sept-1 October Donington Park
bike racing has always relied on patronage sponsors like Paul Bird,
from Higgs (GP circuit)
on the º 13-15 October Brands Hatch
people with a passion for racing who use their entrepreneurial skills
Silverstone to create a racing team. Bird runs a poultry business, just like Harold
(GP circuit)
grid last Coppock, who sponsored guys such as Steve Parrish in the 1970s.
April
And then there’s an eco-system of private sponsors, who may put
£5k, £10k, £30k into a rider, just because they love racing.’
Higgs continued directing BSB races while at the BRDC. In 2003 BSB does pay prize money for the support classes, who aren’t in
he at last got his first full-time bike-racing job, when he was hired by the television limelight, so a Supersport rider can take away up to
the MCRCB. £1300 a weekend.
This was just in time for another huge commercial convulsion, For 2023, Higgs and his team – just four people work full-time on
which brought BSB to where it is now. In 2003 Foulston sold out to the series – have made some tweaks to BSB’s showdown format,
American company Octagon, which made such a hash of the introduced in 2010 to guarantee a championship climax at the end of
business that it was losing millions every year. In 2008 Octagon sold each season. The original showdown arrangement has been replaced
its circuits to another former F1 driver, Jonathan Palmer, whose by a new system that has championship points increasing at the final
MotorSports Vision company also bought the rights to BSB. rounds, so race winners at the first eight rounds take home 18 points,
‘In 2008 all the planets aligned and I went to work for MSV as which is increased to 25 at the ninth and tenth rounds, then to 35 at
series director of the championship. That means I now look after the October’s Brands finale.
commercial side as well as the sporting side. ‘We still want the crescendo of competition,’ explains Higgs. ‘It’s
‘We’ve always had a very, very lean structure, with one guy like at the World Cup – the consequences of winning or losing a
executing the critical decisions [judging incidents, red-flagging races match in the first part of the tournament is totally different to later
and so on], rather than decision by committee. It’s about speed, trust games, so the tension ramps up…’
and faith in the people you’ve got working for you. The 28th British Superbike season gets underway at Donington
‘We’ve got great continuity of people, so from a marshalling point over Easter weekend.
of view I’ve got the same person calling the shots at Redgate at
Donington as I do at Paddock Bend or at Old Hall at Oulton, so they
know my expectations and I know their capabilities.
NEXT Mat chats with astrophysicist
who uses skyscraper tech to
‘Since 2008 all the balls have been in the same court – the circuits,
TV rights, media rights and organising rights, so you can go and talk ISSUE make MotoGP bikes go faster…

45
Group test

… much better, and che

That’s right, Honda’s ne
much of a stir in 202
Yamaha’s MT-07 –

KAWASAKI
Z650
Price: £7499
Power: 68bhp
Weight: 188kg
Launched: 2017

HONDA CB750 HORNET

Price: £6999 Power: 90.6bhp
Weight: 190kg
Launched: 2023

46
 By Jim Moore Photography Jason Critchell

aper, than the old boss.

ew Hornet is causing as
23 as it’s nemesis –
did back in 2014…

TRIUMPH
TRIDENT
Price: £7895
Power: 80bhp
Weight: 189kg
Launched: 2021

ÛÃÏÃÊÃÏÖ«#
Price: £7500 Power: 72.4bhp
Weight: 184kg
Launched: 2014

#
Group test

Honda CB750
Hornet
There are watershed moments in motorcycling
that live long in the memory. The arrival of
Honda’s new Hornet is definitely a moment…

f the arrival of Triumph’s Trident 660 was an unpleasant slap

in the face for Yamaha’s MT-07, Honda’s CB750 Hornet must
surely be a knock-out blow to the previously dominant Above: new Hornet –
parallel twin. Toppling a class king is never easy but Honda have not dull, not worthy,
challenged their rivals with a cunning double-pronged lunge of a far definitely sporty
better bike for considerably less coin.
Even if the Hornet were the same price as its two closest rivals, the Left: switchgear isn’t
the best, but the price
MT-07 and Trident (£500 and £896 more expensive respectively than
overrules the issue
the £6999 CB750) Honda would still have the competition seriously
tossing and turning at night. Below: four riding
‘I’m blown away by the Honda,’ says fellow tester Bruce Dunn after modes give Hornet a
an hour aboard the new Hornet. ‘Before riding it, I couldn’t see it wide appeal indeed
being as good as it is, especially compared with the MT-07. But the
Hornet out-performs the Yamaha in every respect. You can feel its
extra power and it’s more engaging to ride, too.’
Strong words, but what Bruce says rings true. Honda have
redefined what’s possible with a middleweight streetbike, raising the
bar not only in terms of performance (18bhp up on the MT, 10bhp on
the Trident) but by also introducing more sophisticated electronics.
All at a price that makes its rivals look wincingly expensive. What’s
more, it’s not obvious to see where Honda have reined in cost.
Triumph’s Trident also boasts electronics, but the 660 is restricted
to just two rider modes: Road and Rain. The Hornet comes with
four; Standard, Sport, Rain and User – the latter programmable for
power output, traction control and engine braking intervention.
In Sport – today’s default setting for both Bruce and I – the motor
gives its full 90.6bhp while pegging engine braking and traction
control back to minimum. Despite cold, slimy conditions the Hornet
is perfectly manageable at all times. It even drifts its way out of The engine’s 270° firing interval produces a guttural thrum that
tighter turns before the traction control cuts in and brings compliments its eager drive. Who wants perfect primary balance
everything back in line. Obviously, the TC and engine braking when the alternative sounds and feels this good? I love the
settings are more intrusive in Standard and Rain but, as Bruce points quickshifter too, which works up and down the silky smooth ’box.
out, having the option of both Sport and User is clever because it It’s an option rather than standard, but at £240 it’ll still leave you
opens the Hornet up to a far wider audience quids-in against a stock MT-07.
than just new riders or those attracted to As capable as the Hornet is at letting it all
the naked middleweight vibe.
‘The Honda has the potential to be all
‘Honda have hang out, it’s just as polished at gentler
everyday stuff. The riding position strikes a
things to all people in a way the MT-07 or
Trident can’t. A good rider on this could
redefined what’s perfect balance for town, country and
cruising. Indeed, the whole package feels
keep up with bikes twice as powerful on
most roads, no problem, because its 90bhp
possible with a more refined than its price suggests.
There are niggles: the switchgear’s poor;
is so accessible. Tunable electronics will be middleweight’ the indicator toggle is too close to the horn
attractive to experienced riders who see the and hazard button. The fuelling, while
Hornet as a second bike – something fun to ride to work.’ smooth and clean most of the time, can pop and bang on the
Like Bruce, I didn’t have particularly high expectations of this 750 over-run. A drop from top to fifth is the only way to give 50-60mph
before I got on with riding it: worthy, maybe; dull, possibly; sporty, overtakes the urgency they require. And the frame looks like it’s been
never. But how wrong I was. Point this new thing at a twisty road pinched from a first generation Suzuki Bandit 600.
and the urge to slide back on the seat, dip down behind the clocks But I’m nit-picking. Any issues the Hornet has can be mitigated by
and let the 755cc, eight-valve motor really stretch its legs is utterly its considerably lower price. The fact it’s better than its rivals
irresistible. Even the basic Showa suspension (rear preload regardless of cost simply sweetens the deal. And that, for Yamaha,
adjustment only) is up for the ride. Triumph and Kawasaki, is the Hornet’s real sting in the tail.

48
 Buy a
used Honda
Hornet
The final version of the 600 (2007-on) is
still a great bike, and far better value
than the ’98 original. From just £2000.
º The CBR-based inline four is everything-
proof, but do watch for an iffy reg/rec.
» If it’s a bargain high-mile bike check for
sloppy bearings and saggy suspension.
º Combined ABS puts some off – if it’s
been de-linked then double check
that it ain’t a dangerous
bodge.

49
Group test

Yamaha ore than 160,000 owners can’t be wrong. That’s

how many people have bought MT-07s since
this zesty twin first appeared back in 2014.

MT-07
In 2014 Yamaha had their own watershed
moment with the MT-07. And it’s been relatively
untroubled by serious competition… until now
Enough to fill Old Trafford twice over and still have a 10,000-strong
queue backing up from the turnstiles. Add to that the even greater
number of delighted used MT owners and you’re looking – literally
– at hundreds of thousands of satisfied customers.
And rightly so. The MT-07’s mischievous blend of punchy
performance, agile handling and pocket-friendly price tag have kept
it at the top of its class for almost a decade. Only Triumph’s brawny
Trident has come close to knocking the Yamaha from its perch.
But change is inevitable and Honda’s new Hornet has finally
tipped the balance. That doesn’t mean the MT becomes a bad bike
overnight, though. Oh no, siree. The Honda’s arrival simply
repositions the Yamaha’s place in the pecking order. For now.
‘It’s not bad, is it?’ grins Bruce, stepping off the MT after a
particularly spirited run from Stamford to Melton Mowbray. ‘The
motor’s great still, with really punchy midrange power and a wide
spread of performance. For me, it’s as much about how the MT’s
motor feels as what it does.’
Bruce is right to be seduced by the 07’s engine. It’s a belter. Like the
Hornet, the MT runs a 270-degree crank which provides a generous
swell of low and midrange stomp, as well as eager top end drive, all
underpinned by a characterful off-beat rhythm.

50
 Buy
a used
Yamaha MT-07
It’s been around nearly a decade, and
that means affordability. From £2750.
º Check the rear shock has some damping
left if the odometer is showing a big number.
» The engine’s super reliable and rarely
needs adjusting at the 24k valve check –
but still make sure it’s been done.
º Finish can by so-so in some places.
Look hard for corrosion, fur and
a general air of unloved
scruffiness.
But as good as it still is the MT-07 package feels a generation
behind, certainly compared with the Honda. An 18bhp deficit is hard
to hide, as is the MT’s lack of tech compared with the Hornet and
Trident – no riding modes, no ride-by-wire throttle, no TFT dash.
That’s no TFT screen on our test bike. It’s a 2022-spec model. This
year’s MT-07s come with a 5-inch TFT display offering smartphone
connectivity. They’re also pre-wired to
accept an optional extra quickshifter. Even
so, these tweaks still aren’t enough to
elevate the Yam to the Honda’s level and, ‘As good as it still
like the Z650, a new MT-07 will rush you
£500 more than a Hornet. is the MT-07
Were I in the market for an MT-07 I’d
hang out for a 2023 model, if only for the
package feels a
new TFT dash. The older digital
instruments are a constant source of
generation behind’
irritation due to their position on the top
yoke. Having to avert my eyes from the road completely every time I
want to read the dash becomes tiresome very quickly. The new TFT
display is taller, which should make it easier to read.
Handling is still an MT-07 strong suit, even though the chassis and
componentry is starting to show its age. The simple forks and
preload/rebound adjustable shock do an admirable job of absorbing
the appalling state of our ruined roads – most of the time. Both the
Above: almost ten
years on from its
launch and MT-07
remains compelling
Left: ‘old’ digital
gauges annoy. TFT
on ‘new’ 2023 bikes
Right: lack of tech
makes for basic
switchgear
Trident and Honda offer a more sophisticated ride, however, and
when the pace gets saucy the MT becomes unsettled before its rivals.
‘When you really crack on, there’s more movement in the chassis
than the Hornet or Triumph,’ concludes Bruce, after hustling the
Yamaha for a 20-mile stretch. ‘It starts to twitch and wag its head,
while the other two remain planted. The damping doesn’t feel as
plush either.’
Nor do the brakes. Yamaha’s one-piece
front calipers were once the final word in
braking, but compared with the Honda and
Triumph’s Nissins the MT’s stoppers lack
feel and bite. Fortunately, Michelin Road 5
tyres come on the Yam as standard so
wringing every last drop out of the handling
and anchors is possible.
Despite rivals moving the game onwards
and upwards, Yamaha’s MT-07 hasn’t lost
any of its fun factor. The combination of that fruity motor, accessible
handling and – if you fit a screen to repel some of the inevitable
windblast – do-it-all practicality is still high up there on the
compelling-o-meter. A new, more powerful MT-07 is inevitable,
surely, but for now Yamaha should think about lowering that price or
adding a bunch of accessories as part of the deal if they’re going to
add to the 160,000 units already sold.
51
 Buy
a used
Speed Four
Preloved Tridents are big money. But
the eager Speed Four starts at £2000...
º The 599cc inline-four motor is fitter and
more dependable than the TT600 it’s based
on. But check for oil from the gearshift shaft
and radiators leaking from inlet and outlet.
» Clumsy wheel/tyre changes can
damage magnets in the speedo drive.
º The chassis is a peach, but
check the rear shock hasn’t
lost all its damping.

52

Triumph
Trident 660
Today Triumph have the chops to excel in pretty
much any motorcycle marketplace. And the
Hornet has a job on to best Hinckley’s 660…
laying at home can be an advantage. It’s certainly
working for the Trident. Weaving along a network of
rural Leicestershire back roads, the Triumph feels
very much in its element. And so it should. We’re not far from the
tarmac on which this 660cc triple was tested and developed. This
is Trident country.
These are not easy roads, though. They twist, turn and undulate
with chaotic abandon, their surface rarely smooth or predictable.
And yet everything about this naked roadster, from its delicately
weighted steering and controls to the way it shrugs off surface
imperfections then enthusiastically devours every straight in a
blizzard of revs, makes light work of our chosen route.
Well, almost everything. The roads are still a hotch-potch of wet
and dry, slime and salt, much of which is spraying up off the rear
wheel onto my jacket and rucksack. Needless to say, I’m not a fan
of the Trident’s swingarm-mounted numberplate bracket that
offers no barrier between the back wheel’s cast offs and my own
rear profile.
By the time we stop in Melton for a chat and coffee, I look like
I’ve fallen backwards into a slurry pit. More concerning, the
Trident’s rear light and indicators are caked in so much filth they
can barely be seen. I know it’s a style thing – cleaner lines on the
back end and all that – but the real-world result is anything but a
clean back end…
Fortunately, I’m in forgiving mood. A lot
of that’s down to that engine. What a
thing it is; 80bhp has never felt – or
sounded – so good. In fact, the Triumph’s
‘That engine. What a thing it is; 80bhp
10bhp shortfall against the Honda is has never felt – or sounded – so good’
Above: class digital gauge with a, somehow,
retro analogue feel. Below: all very
understated, if a little plasticky. Right: not
quite as ‘now’ looking as the Hornet
Group test
barely noticeable due to the clever use of short internal ratios.
Throttle response is instant, as is midrange drive, so there’s no
need to drop a cog for an A-road overtake as is the case on the
longer-geared Hornet.
Bruce is equally impressed: ‘It’s got some real go in it and loves to
rev. The chassis is brilliant, too. You can really hustle the thing and
be quite aggressive with it without worrying that it’s going to bite
you back.’
He’s right, as usual. The chassis complements the motor
perfectly. There’s a neutrality to the way the Trident turns, rides,
stops and steers that allows you to take real liberties that never end
in anything more serious than a huge grin and a surge of
adrenaline. In the dry you can really chuck the Trident about,
scruff of the neck style.
In fact, so vivid is the feedback from both chassis and throttle I
feel no need to swap out of full power Road mode, even in the
filthy conditions. There is a Rain mode, should I feel the need to
temper the engine’s enthusiasm in the damp conditions, but I opt
instead to put my faith in the excellent Michelin Road 5 rubber.
While the Hornet sets new standards for the class, the Trident
pushes it hard. Of the two the Triumph gives the plushest ride,
although there’s not a lot in it given that they both run similar
Showa forks and shock. They’re close in terms of comfort, too.
Both will happily cruise at 80mph (anything more and windblast
becomes an issue) but, for me, the 660 wins out in terms of its
riding position and distance comfort.
Triumph have added just enough bling and sparkle to the
Trident to elevate it beyond its budget class status. With its
beautifully executed single-dial TFT dash, sculpted tank,
five-spoke wheels, racy swingarm and minimalist looks the 660
feels special in a way none of its contemporaries can match. For
Bruce the styling is a bit less pleasing, though. ‘The looks just don’t
do it for me, it’s too generic Triumph, whereas the Honda is a
departure from their usual style – sharper, more now.’
If anything about the Trident is sharp, it’s the price. At £7895 it’s
the most expensive in class and almost £900 more than the
Hornet. And that’s the problem. The Triumph’s a great bike, but
the Honda’s better. And cheaper.
53
Group test
Buy
a used
Kawa ER-6n
Before it was a Zed it was an ER-6, and
the final version (2012-2016) is a ruddy
good buy. Yours from £3000.
º Early ERs could suffer frame cracks. Later
bikes don’t, but like all ERs the exhaust can
fracture where pipes meet the collector.
» Check the front end – yokes easily twist
in a minor prang, sliding two-pot calipers
stop sliding, fork seals like to leak.
º The engine’s a perky peach
and there shouldn’t be
any issues.

Above: after six

years the Z650 still
looks ‘current’ in
this company

Left: despite on
trend TFT it’s time to
reimagine Z650

Right: simple bike/

human interface.
Ideal for novices

Kawasaki hy? That’s the question bouncing around my

head from the moment I swing a leg over the
Z650. Why would anyone buy this Kawasaki over

Z650
It is Kawasaki who have been most caught cold
by the arrival of Honda’s new Hornet. Yet for a
certain type of rider the long-in-the-tooth Z650
makes for an ideal purchase…
the Honda? Even if it matched the Hornet for performance and tech.
But it doesn’t – it’s 22bhp down and a generation behind in terms of
feel and ride. It’s not even close. And it still costs £500 more. In this
company, the Kwak doesn’t stand a chance.
Even so, Bruce is prepared to look beyond the Kawasaki’s obvious
disadvantages, showering praise on an attribute that still serves the
650 well. ‘It’s in good company, and it’s definitely showing its age,’ he
proclaims, before getting to the meat of his point. ‘But the Zed’s so
easy to get on with, so user friendly, that’d it’d make an ideal first
“big” bike for someone who’d just passed their test.’
He’s got a point. Down on horses against its rivals, yes, but the
Z650’s soft power delivery, modest tech and predictable handling are
exactly the ticket for newbies or those for whom spec sheet Top
Trumps hold little interest. Yup, the Zed’s got ‘easy to get on with’
nailed, but the others are hardly ill equipped to reward inexperienced
hands. And that 500 quid premium casts a long, gloomy shadow over
every conversation we have about the Kawasaki.
Despite a six-year lineage the Zed still looks contemporary –
tweaks to this year’s front cowl and radiator shrouds help. There’s
new technology too, including a smartphone compatible TFT dash,
LED lights, and dual-mode traction control. Quite why you need

54
traction control on a 68bhp twin – even if you are a novice rider – is
debatable. I’d suggest here that it’s more an attempt to keep an aging
model in the game rather than a necessary requirement to temper
excess performance.
Personally, I would prefer more go than extra tech. Even on
B-roads I feel like I’m wringing the Kawasaki’s neck just to keep my
colleague Bruce, on the marginally more
powerful MT-07, in sight.
The 650’s digital tacho barely dips below
8000rpm when BD is ahead – it flashes red
‘You can rev the
too, as if to tell me the relentless thrashing
is causing it pain, but I’m reassured by
crap out of the
Bruce’s words from our last stop. ‘You can
rev the crap out of the Kawasaki. And it’ll
Kawasaki. It feels
take any punishment you throw at it. It feels unburstable’
unburstable.’
That it does, but it also feels breathless in this company, most
noticeably next to the Honda against which it feels lost. Even the
motor’s tinny shrill sounds apologetic next to the Trident’s
purposeful wail, or the Hornet’s meaty bark.
It’s a similar deal with the ergonomics. The Zed feels small, even
slightly odd to ride, due to ’bars that curve back in towards the rider
and a compact seat with little scope for six-footers like me to slide
back and forth. Bruce has less of an issue with the Kawasaki’s
comfort, even praising the seat’s supportive feel but, for long runs,
the 650 is bottom of my list.
Around town the Zed’s back in its comfort zone: smooth, quick off
the mark, slick through the ’box, and a cinch to weave through slow
moving traffic thanks to a well-balanced chassis and light, neutral
steering. Up the pace away from town, however, and the Zed’s
limitations quickly step forward into the
mix: the ride becomes choppy, especially
compared with the Honda and Triumph,
and over distance it becomes harder work
for far less reward than the others. The
Dunlop Roadsport 2 tyres (also fitted to the
Hornet) don’t help. They lack feel and grip
compared with the Michelin Road 5s worn
by the MT and Trident.
Kawasaki know the Z650 is coming to the
end of its life. Six years is a long model run. But, just like Yamaha, I
can’t help but feel that the guys and gals in green have been caught
with their trousers down. Honda’s pricing of their new Hornet is a
masterstroke that would test the brand loyalty of Kawasaki and
Yamaha stalwarts to the limit, even if the Z650 and MT-07 could
stand wheel-to-wheel with the Hornet in terms of performance,
specification and ride. The question is why? The answer is, well, you
wouldn’t…
55
Group test

Verdict
I can’t say that the Z650 is a bad bike, because it
isn’t. Both Bruce and I found it to be a perfectly
capable machine and even a hoot to ride at times.
The problems begin when you jump off the
Kawasaki onto any of the others. No amount of
styling tweaks, new tech or marketing spin can
disguise the fact the 650 is six years old, seriously
down on power and no longer in the slipstream of
its competitors. Worse than that, it’s £500 more
expensive than its newest, 22bhp more powerful
rival. That, by any measure, is commercial suicide.
Yamaha have a similar problem. The MT is also
showing its age and it too is 500 quid more than
the Honda. In isolation the 07 is still a compelling
ride. Its zesty fun-factor is still very much there, as
is the characterful punch of the twin-cylinder
motor. But the new Hornet offers all that and more
– quite a bit more. All for a whole chunk less cash.
Triumph’s Trident brings something different to
the table, providing a finish and elegance not
previously seen in this price-conscious class. Its
three-cylinder mill bursts with personality and a
level of fruity drive that makes every journey a joy.
Dynamically, there’s no bike better suited to the
roads we ride every day. But, is it worth almost
£900 more than the Honda?
You only need ride the Hornet to answer that
question – the Honda’s so much better than
expected and markedly superior to its rivals in
every respect. At a time when inflation is rampant,
prices for everything are going through the roof
and we’re all feeling the pinch, this new twin offers
something unique – far more for far less. And who
doesn’t want that?
It’s a clear measure of the Hornet’s success that
the Yamaha has finally been usurped. That said, if
only a tuning fork on your tank will do the MT-07
still delivers the same old intoxicating cocktail of
stomp, zest and feel good factor that it always did.
Tell your Yamaha dealer you’ve booked a test ride
on a Hornet and they may just sweeten the deal.
For the rest of us it’s easy to see how the new
Honda will rule this particular roost for some time
to come. Or until a new MT-07 lands.

SPECIFICATIONS HONDA CB750 HORNET YAMAHA MT«07 TRIUMPH TRIDENT KAWASAKI Z650
Contact honda.co.uk yamaha-motor.e triumphmotorcycles.co.uk kawasaki.co.uk
Price (on the £6999 £7500 £7895 £7499
road)
Typical finance PCP: £1289.25 deposit, 36 PCP: £1500 deposit, 36 months PCP: £1794.96 deposit, 36 PCP: £1531 deposit, 36 months
months at £89, final optional at £98.96, final optional months at £95, optional final at £106.03, optional final
payment £3762.50 (8.9% APR) payment £3892.50 (9.9% APR) payment £3858 (7.9% APR) payment £3525 (7.9% APR)
Capacity 755cc 689cc 660cc 649cc
Engine 4v SOHC parallel twin 4v DOHC parallel twin 12v DOHC inline triple 8v DOHC parallel twin

Bore x stroke 87 x 63.5mm 80 x 68.6mm 74 x 51.1mm 83 x 60mm

Transmission 6-speed, chain 6-speed, chain 6-speed, chain 6-speed, chain
Power (claimed) 90.6bhp @ 9500rpm 72.4bhp @ 8750rpm 80bhp @ 10,250rpm 68bhp @ 8000rpm
Torque (claimed) 54.5 lb.ft @ 7000rpm 49.2 lb.ft @ 6500rpm 47.1 lb.ft @ 6250rpm 47.1 lb.ft @ 6700rpm
Top speed 135mph (est) 130mph 135mph (est) 131mph (est)
Frame tubular steel diamond tubular steel diamond tubular steel perimeter tubular steel trellis
Front suspension 41mm usd telescopic forks, no 41mm telescopic forks, no 41mm usd telescopic forks, no 41mm telescopic forks, no
adjustment adjustment adjustment adjustment
Rear suspension monoshock, preload monoshock, preload and monoshock, preload monoshock, adjustable
adjustment rebound adjustment adjustment preload
Brakes (f/r) 2 x 296mm discs, 4-pot calipers 2 x 298mm discs, 4-pot calipers 2 x 310mm discs, 2-pot calipers 2 x 300mm discs, 2-pot calipers
/ 240mm disc, 1-pot caliper / 245mm disc, 1-pot caliper / 225mm disc, 1-pot caliper /220mm disc, 1-pot caliper
Tyres (f/r) 120/70 ZR17 / 160/60 ZR17 120/70 ZR17 / 180/55 ZR17 120/70 ZR17 / 180/55 ZR17 120/70 ZR17 / 160/60 ZR17
Rake/trail 25°/99mm 24.5°/89mm 24.6°/107.3mm 24°/100mm
Wheelbase 1420mm 1400mm 1401mm 1410mm
Weight 190kg (kerb, claimed) 184kg (kerb, claimed) 189kg (kerb, claimed) 188kg (kerb, claimed)
Seat height 795mm 805mm 805mm 790mm
Tank size 15.2 litres 14 litres 14 litres 15 litres
Economy 55mpg, 184-mile range 57mpg, 176-mile range 53.4mpg, 163-mile range 56mpg, 185-mile range
Electronics ABS, traction control, modes, ABS, connectivity (2023 model ABS, traction control, modes, ABS, traction control,
self-cancelling indicators, with 5in TFT dash) self-cancelling indicators, connectivity
connectivity connectivity
Bike rating 9/10 8/10 8/10 6/10

56
 ‘The Honda’s so much
better than expected and
markedly superior to its
rivals in every respect’

57
58
 Forgive yourself if you’d forgotten about the V-Strom. Suzuki hadn’t, and they’ve
been grafting away on an all-new version. So is the V-Strom 800DE any good?
By Ben Clarke Photography Suzuki

efore I even throw a leg over Suzuki’s new V-Strom I
dislike it. My reason being? It’s a parallel twin. This
engine format is the middleweight equivalent of the
grey squirrel; first there were a few, but before we knew it they’d
multiplied and driven all other engine formats to near extinction.
However, this feeling lasts for but three corners. Because, despite
Suzuki’s best efforts to build a trail-conquering adventure bike, the
new 800DE is a superb on-road motorcycle. And one which, for me,
has the edge over Yamaha’s class-leading Ténéré 700.
Though it has a 21-inch front wheel and tubed Dunlop Mixtour
tyres, the on-road riding experience is a great one. Haring along the
Sardinian coast on billiard table-smooth tarmac strewn with
technical corners and heart-stopping switchbacks, the Suzuki
couldn’t feel more at home. Jump on the front brakes, snick a couple
of gears on the seamlessly smooth two-way quickshifter, tip in and
fire out – it’s utterly drama-less… in a good way. You get out what
you put in from the tyres, and fast direction changes require rough
and ready steering inputs. But the fully adjustable suspension is very
good – better than the Téneré – and once used to it you can stuff the
V-Strom into corners pretty much like a pure road bike. The new
Suzuki’s handling is so impressive one of the other riders on the
launch wears through not only the hero blobs but a portion of ’peg.
And because the suspension is so good there isn’t overwhelming
fork dive on the brakes either – something Yamaha’s rival Ténéré is

Great
suspension is
why the new
Strom is so
good on and
off the road

Click here for the

new ‘gravel’ mode.
Subtle intervention Where would we be today
makes off roading a without the wonders of
real option the TFT dash? Fair to say
less bombarded with info

59
First ride special

guilty of. Yet there is certainly no lack of brakes: there’s plenty of

power from the twin 310mm discs, and the rear brake is strong but
progressive.
Pleasingly the tarmac-friendly Suzuki doesn’t let itself down when
you do head off road. Suzuki assembled a design team laced with
off-road and motocross experience, and it shows. A kerb weight of
230kg makes the V-Strom 14kg heavier than the 650 version and
a whole 25kg heavier than a Ténéré. But the bike is so well
balanced you don’t really notice once you’re moving. The heft
is only an issue when you’re pushing it around, or if you get
intentions and capabilities in a bit of a muddle.
Despite my aversion to parallel twins Suzuki’s new
776cc engine (shared with their coming-soon GSX-8S
naked) is one of the bike’s best bits. The 270-degree crank
creates a character so convincingly V-twin-esque that it’s
difficult to discern from the real thing. It pulls from low Great ergonomics,
down and runs out of breath at the top, just like the old silky smooth engine
650, and even sounds the same (ish). The difference is and fantastic
suspension
you get an extra 10bhp and barely any trace of a vibe.
The engine is almost eerily smooth thanks to twin
balance shafts, which sit 90-degrees apart – one in front
of and one beneath the crank. You feel almost nothing
bad through the ’bars and ’pegs, which almost robs it of the
V-twin-alike feel they’re tried so hard to engineer in – it’s
‘better’ than a Ténéré motor in that it’s smoother, but I
quite like the extra clatter of the rival Yam.
I say the V-Strom is smoother. It is most
of the time. Unfortunately, when tingles
make it through (there’s a persistent
one at just over 5500rpm) they are
intrusive. There’s potential for this
to be annoying, especially as
5500rpm is motorway speed in
top gear. All the rotating mass
prevents the twin from spinning
up quickly too, yet there’s also
very little engine braking.
The DE’s got poke enough to
comfortably break any speed limit,
With just 83bhp you
but its 83bhp is still gentlemanly might be struggling
enough to manage off-road, which is to present this view
where Suzuki want you to use it. In fact, too often. But 83bhp
is enough…
for almost a day and a half of the two-day
launch we explore the gravel trails of Sardinia’s

Hang on, what about the big one?

º There’s a new V-Strom 800… and
there’s a revised 1050 too. The most
significant upgrade centres around an
updated SIRS (Suzuki Intelligent Ride
System) using Bosch’s six-axis IMU to
bring the 1050 in line with rivals. While
the system doesn’t have quite as many
options as some others, the ones it
does have are easily put into use on a
day-to-day basis.
The DE version is aimed at riders who
want to be a little more adventurous
off-road. Armed with a 21-inch front
wheel, 10mm more suspension travel
front and rear, a 50mm longer swingarm,
40mm wider ’bars and a bash plate, it’s
significantly different to the standard
bike. But it’s not necessarily
better as an overall package. A
new Gravel mode for the traction
control retards the ignition when
the rear begins to spin too much,
improving control, but it doesn’t
completely catch big slides – that’s still Revised 1050
the job of the rider. V-Strom: you’re
If you’re in the market for an better off with the
old-school, reliable, unintimidating, but all-new 800
engaging bike then the V-Strom 1050 is
still worth consideration. The
electronics and excellent fuss-free TFT 800DE instead. Or one of the bike’s
dash have dragged the bike into the rivals: at £12,999 and £13,666 for the DE
2020s. However, it’s not innovative or model, the Suzuki is more expensive
ground-breaking and it’s hard to see than a Honda Africa Twin, KTM 890
why you wouldn’t buy the new V-Strom Adventure R or Triumph Tiger 900 Rally.

60
farm road network. The bike’s off-road capability is thanks in no SPECIFICATIONS SUZUKI V«STROM 800DE
small part to the Gravel riding mode, which gives freedom to spin Contact www.bikes.suzuki.co.uk
the rear wheel on loose ground but intervenes before you fire £10,655
Price (on the
yourself at the scenery. The intervention is so subtle you can road)
fool yourself into believing it’s all skill – which in my case it Typical finance PCP: £1000 deposit, 35 months £166.09, optional
definitely is not. I’m not convinced that the V-Strom 800DE final payment £5978
Capacity 776cc
will be quite so much fun on a wet Cambridgeshire green
lane in November and would, at the very least, need Engine 8v, DOHC, parallel twin
chunkier rubber. Bore x stroke 84 x 70mm
Tech is controlled through the excellent TFT Transmission six-speed
colour dash, which is clear and easy to read. I really 83bhp (claimed)
Power
like the enormous gear indicator, which can be
Torque 57.5 lb.ft (claimed)
checked easily even standing up on dusty trails.
Adventure bikes are, by their very nature, a Top speed 130mph (estimated)
compromise and so what Suzuki have achieved Frame steel tube cradle
with the V-Strom 800DE is very impressive. It’s Front suspension USD fork, adj. preload, compression, rebound
both more capable off-road than the 650 that monoshock, adj. preload, compression, rebound
Rear suspension
went before and a better road bike, too. I think a
Brakes (f/r) 2 x 310mm petal discs with Nissin calipers / 260mm
Ténéré will outperform the Strom on the dirt and disc with switchable ABS
serious off-roaders probably need not apply – but Tyres (f/r) 90/90 x 21 tubed / 150/70 x 17 tubed
for a bike so consummately at ease on the tarmac Rake/trail ťPP
it’s seriously impressive that it’ll go off-road at all.
Wheelbase 1570mm
It’s also very comfy, thanks to fine ergonomics, a
Weight 230kg
seat you can sit in all day (supposedly tested by its
designer at his office desk), and a smooth engine. Add Seat height 855mm
the ace quickshifter, thoroughly capable suspension Tank size 20 litres
and a 20-litre fuel tank, and it’s an impressive bike that Economy 64mpg (claimed) – 280-mile range
could set off around the world at a moment’s notice. ABS (switchable at rear), traction control, riding
Electronics
Better for pure road riders than the datum Yamaha Ténéré modes, quickshifter
700? On the strength of this launch, yes. The 800DE’s only Colours yellow, blue, grey
real problem could be Honda’s new Transalp, which is more Availability 2023
powerful, lighter and cheaper. Full test over the page... Verdict The first genuinely all-new Suzuki in yonks, and it’s good. On-road
ability and spec makes up for slightly less dirt bias than some key rivals.
Bike rating 9/10

‘What Suzuki have

achieved with the
V-Strom 800DE is
very impressive’

61
Honda’s excellent new XL750 Transalp doesn’t just shake
up the middleweight class, it might just outshine their
oh-so-popular Africa Twin…
By Michael Neeves Photography Honda
ow good? Very bloody lots good.
Honda’s new XL750 is a classy,
affordable all-rounder with the easy
manners and practicality that made the original
Transalp so appealing, with added fire in its belly
thanks to its wonderous new motor, plus pin-sharp
handling and more than its quota of techy bling. It’s so
good that I’d say the £9499 Transalp is more usable
than its big brother, the pricier CRF1100L Africa Twin.
The Transalp is one of those bikes that perhaps
doesn’t appear special on paper, like Honda’s own
CB500X or the Triumph Tiger Sport 660. But then you
ride it and discover everything from the engine to the
suspension, brakes, tyres and riding position all work
beautifully together. This should all be expected really,
given the Transalp is based around the excellent new
Hornet (see this month’s group test).
This of course means the same 755cc parallel-twin
62
engine with its 270-degree crank. Subtle
alterations to the intakes and mapping give a
little more low-end and midrange oomph,
and the 91bhp motor is as affable as they
come. There’s a friendly spread of power with
oodles of low-down drive, and the throttle,
slip-and-assist clutch and gearbox are light and
precise. It can be restricted for A2 licence
holders, too. But the twin is also surprisingly
potent. Urgent and willing, it hits hard when you
poke it with a deep, raucous airbox bellow. A bit
like a walrus in a cave. I imagine.
This brilliant engine blows raspberries in the
face of those who grumble that parallel twins
aren’t exciting. It’s also a nicer engine in terms of
grunt, flexibility and the, ever-important, fun
factor than the one in its main rival, Yamaha’s
best-selling Ténéré 700.
 Right colours, right
name, right spec,
right price… and
parked right on the
cliff edge. Careful…

63
 MORE BEEFIER
Same frame as the Hornet, but with
stronger down tubes, engine mounts
and (wider, longer) subframe.
HANGING AT THE BACK
Aluminium swingarm is different to the
Hornet’s and based around the Africa Twin
design. Monoshock is adjustable for preload
and there’s 190mm of wheel travel.
The XL750 handles superbly, especially for a bike with
a trail-ready 21-inch front wheel. The frame is the same
as the Hornet but strengthened for potential off-road
capers and carrying longer-travel suspension. Brakes are
twin-pot Nissins. Weighing 208kg fully fuelled, it’s really
easy to manoeuvre – the Transalp may look rather like a
domineering off-roader, but it’s actually low, soft and
manageable out on the road. It’s also grippy, stable, and
effortlessly accurate to turn. Front and rear brakes are
full of feel and power, ground clearance is never an issue,
and the lanky suspension glides over the kind of bumps
that would get a pure road bike in a tizz. Honda
deployed development engineers who previously worked
on Fireblades, RCVs and motocrossers, and as a result
the Transalp is ruddy good fun.
And off-road potential? I’m no Billy Bolt and not
qualified to prattle on about how you can push the
XL750 in the mud. That said, it’s as friendly on light trails
as a large-ish capacity 200kg road bike can be. There’s a
‘Gravel’ riding mode that minimises traction control and
ABS intervention, though the electronics are still
intrusive; happily, you can turn the widgets off in ‘User’
mode to allow the bike to slip and slide a little, which is
more useful. For a six-footer like me the ’bars are set too
64
DEPECHE?
There are five modes:
Sport, Standard, Rain,
Gravel, User, with
various power, engine
braking, TC and ABS
levels to pick from.
TRIUMPHANT TWIN
755cc motor makes 91bhp and 55 lb.ft, and has
longer intake tubes and different mapping to the
Hornet. Larger rear wheel raises gearing too.
Adventure low for standing up like you know what you’re doing,
bike? You’ll be though. And I think the more trail biased Ténéré is
wanting extras,
like the fogs, probably a better dirt bike.
bash plate and The Honda’s riding position is very similar to the
pedestrian Yamaha, but it’s rival is perhaps a bit roomier. The
‘bars. Looks like
Transalp’s spacious enough, however there’s a little bit of
a Crosstourer
from this angle a knee bend for tall types. Easy to plop both feet down,
though. There are some Africa Twins knocking around
on the launch, so I jump on one when the Honda shirts
aren’t looking, and although it’s a physically bigger
machine the riding position is very similar to the
Transalp. And the XL750 isn’t uncomfortable: it’s only
after five or six hours straight on the relatively thinly
padded seat that my delicate buttocks start to get sore.
The non-adjustable screen does a decent job of
deflecting wind but is a tad noisy on a motorway.
Standard specification includes a function-full colour
dash with connectivity, all the rider aids and LED lights.
Shame it doesn’t have cruise control for such a capable
tourer, but there’s an array of comfort, performance, and
styling accessories available; from a hard luggage set with
a top box that’ll swallow two full helmets, to a
centrestand, crash bars, heated grips and an impressive
quickshifter. More importantly, the Honda’s build
 First ride special

SPECIFICATIONS HONDA XL750 TRANSALP

Contact honda.co.uk/motorcycles
Price £9499 (on the road)
PCP: deposit £2472.51, 36 months at
‘Its engineers previously Typical finance
£99, optional final payment £5053.47
(APR 8.9%)
worked on Fireblades, Capacity 755cc
Y62+&ťFUDQNSDUDOOHOWZLQ
and so the Transalp is Engine
Bore x stroke 87 x 63.5mm

ruddy good fun’ Transmission six-speed, chain

Power 90.5bhp @ 9500rpm (claimed)

Torque 55.3 lb.ft @ 7250rpm (claimed)

Top speed 135mph (estimated)

Frame tubular steel diamond

Front suspension PPXSVLGHGRZQWHOHVFRSLFIRUN

adjustable preload
Rear suspension monoshock, adjustable preload

Brakes (f/r) [PPGLVFVZLWKSLVWRQFDOLSHUV

Not the / 256mm disc, 1-piston caliper
best, but 90/90-21 / 150/70 R18
Tyres (f/r)
you’ll get
FINE FRONT used to it Rake/trail ťPP

Wheelbase 1560mm
Showa front forks have
adjustable preload, and Weight 208kg (kerb, claimed)

give 200mm of travel for Seat height 850mm

the 21-inch wheel. Tank size 16.9 litres

Economy 67mpg (claimed), 249-mile range

Electronics ABS, TC, riding modes, connectivity,

self-cancelling indicators
Colours ZKLWHEODFNJUH\

Availability April 2023

Verdict Top engine, nimble handling, the expected Honda

quality and impressive equipment, all for a seriously keen
price. The Transalp’s not just a great bike, it’s great value.
Bike rating 9/10

quality and
feel belie its Equipment and toys
sub-£10k price. are impressive for a
A winner, then? nine-and-a-bit
motorcycle
Surely. For me, the
Transalp’s engine and
handling are better than the datum Retro colours with
Ténéré, and it doesn’t feel a little rough around the gold wheels was
edges like the Yam can. The Honda is a classier road always going to be a
winning combination
bike so better suited to most of us – flying across
gravel and wading mud on a launch is all well and
good, but most of us ride purely on tarmac. That’s
what matters. Harder to say how it’ll compare with
larger adventure offerings such as the Triumph
Tiger 850 Sport, BMW F850Gs or KTM 890
Adventure – but the new Honda is cheaper than all
of them. Cheaper than any rival, in fact.
And if you need further proof of how good the 750
is, consider this; the Africa Twin costs £3500 extra but
is 18kg heavier and only makes 9bhp more. On
power-to-weight they’re the same. And while the AT’s
extra cubes and size make sense for lugging pillions/
luggage, for the rest of the time the new XL750 Transalp
is the more usable bike.

65
Folklore: 25 years of the R1
Miwa and his baby. He
says that the current
bike has, ‘a totally
different character to
the YZF-R1 I designed’

‘I hated the look

of all the numbers
in the name and
originally it was
just going to be
the Yamaha R’

66
Light, sharp and insanely
powerful, Yamaha’s
YZF-R1 turned our world
upside down in 1998.
25 years after its arrival,
project leader Kunihiko
Miwa tells us the story
behind the most influential
sportsbike of its era
By Jon Urry Photography Yamaha & Bauer

n 1991 and 1992 I was working on

the YZF750R and YZF1000R
Thunder Ace. At that time Yamaha’s
sportsbikes were tested in Germany and
that meant they were designed to be very
speed orientated.
Behind the scenes there was talk about a
new machine, a 1000cc inline four that
would be the ultimate sportsbike. With this
new project the philosophy was different
– we spoke to customers, and they said they
took their bikes places to enjoy them, to ride
around corners and experience the fun of
motorcycling. We needed to reinvent
Yamaha’s large capacity motorcycle, to allow
riders to explore the cornering potential… so
we designed a supersport machine.
Honda’s CBR900RR FireBlade had a very
big impact on the motorcycle world,
however it did not have the character we
wanted. We looked at the Blade and asked
ourselves: ‘How can we take this concept
and give it a Yamaha spirit?’ The answer was
to give it class-leading horsepower and even
more manoeuvrability – that was the key
point of the R1 concept. Honda had shown
the benefit of light weight and agility, but it

67
Folklore: 25 years of the R1
didn’t have enough power for us.
When we tested the FireBlade we all
agreed the engine wasn’t strong enough, but
its lack of weight was very good. To prove
the point our testing staff created a special
one-off to test how much power we needed
and what weight the R1 should be to give it
character. We took a Thunder Ace, stripped
off everything we could, and got it down to
180kg! We even had to remove the battery,
but test riders reported this mule’s weight
felt right. The bike was easy to manoeuvre
and flicked through chicanes. A target of
180kg and 150bhp was set for the YZF-R1 –
which is when the hard work started.
I assigned two important members of the
team, one for the chassis and one for the
engine. I stressed the importance of keeping
everything as light as possible. I told them
the engine had to be 1000cc and the
horsepower needed to be at least 150bhp,
which was over 30bhp more than the
FireBlade. And when it came to the chassis, I
asked them to look at the YZR500 GP bike
and use all the research that went into this
bike to make the R1 as agile as possible.
The data told us we needed a long
swingarm for stability and better traction,
which in turn meant we required a short
and compact motor to keep the wheelbase
down. The only way to achieve this was by
reducing the length of the engine by moving
the gearbox main shaft upwards and above,
rather than in-line with the
crank – and that’s how we
68
created the first vertically-stacked
gearbox. When we designed the
frame, we put two scoops in the
beams to allow the ’bars to be
put on full lock without hitting.
This shape had to be stamped
out of sheet aluminium and it
was a nightmare to productionise,
but we insisted on it as it was
necessary for the design and to keep
the frame light. There were many Linkage through
frame caused as
discussions like this where the engineers much excitement
and production people would get together as having 150bhp
to try and solve issues. And to make things
even more complicated, it wasn’t just the R1
we were designing.
The YZF-R6 and YZF-R7 were designed is a very hard emotion to capture and
alongside the YZF-R1. There were three describe. If you only use top level
different teams working on the models and riders they will experience the bike’s
there was a spirit of competition between character at a high level, more normal
them, which showed up when the test riders riders may get a totally different feeling.
took to the test track. The cornering I first rode the R1 in 1997 and I
character of the R1 was very different to the remember it being very strange. The bike
R6 and during testing they would compete wasn’t correct – the chassis needed work
against each other. The R6 would corner and the suspension wasn’t very good. But
faster than the R1 but the litre bike would my main concern was the engine – the
drive out of bends and be faster down the inline-four motor was too peaky, it didn’t
straight. It was very funny to watch as they have enough midrange. We changed its
raced against each other. characteristics to make it a better motor for
Sometimes I joined them, which was road riders. It was to be ridden and enjoyed,
important for development. Although I am a ‘rider’s bike’, one that had special touches
not as good a rider as one of the test team, I on it that real riders would appreciate.
felt everyone in the R1’s development team The whole team cared so much that we
should ride the bike. We all gave feedback on didn’t compromise on any detail. We put
what we felt the bike’s character was like. We rubber on the bottom side of
would say if we felt the front’s stability was the gear change lever to stop
not quite so good, or the steering too sharp, riders’ feet slipping on
and discuss it with the official test riders so upshifts, ran the gear
when we were back in the R&D department
making changes to the chassis, we knew
what feeling we were trying to
capture. Feeling is very
important, but
‘I asked them to look at the YZR500
GP bike and use the research to
make the R1 as agile as possible’

linkage
through
the frame
and even made
the fairing as thin as
possible to reduce weight. It
was a bike built through pure engineering
Above: US racer and dedication, and that is why I am still
Scott Russell at
the R1’s unveiling.
very proud of it and even prouder that the
Cook for 20 mins R1 name remains in Yamaha’s line up.
per pound, plus an Especially after all the debate on what to call
extra 25 mins this new motorcycle. Naming a bike is such
a long process; honestly, you wouldn’t
believe it. Should it be YZF750 or YZF750R
or YZF1000 something… we didn’t know if
we should use the displacement figure or
not. I hated the look of all the numbers in
the name and originally it was just going to
Left: New stacked be the Yamaha R, but the R7 was on its way
gearbox allowed a and what would we call that? And the R6?
lengthy swingarm The marketing people insisted on a
for traction and
plenty of stability number and so we came to a compromise.
This new motorcycle would simply be called
the Yamaha YZF-R1.
Who is Kunihiko
Miwa?
º Starting his riding life on a
home tuned RD400, Miwa joined
Yamaha in 1978 as a race
engineer in Kenny Roberts’ GP
team. He became a chassis
designer, then progressed to
project leader for the Thunder
Ace, Thunder Cat and R-Series
bikes. He rose to be Yamaha’s
Senior Executive Officer and was
key in the MT range.
‘My
first go’
Ex-Bike editor Tim Thompson had his
first encounter with the R1 in March
1998. It made quite an impact…
he day was grey and lifeless, roads slimy underfoot,
and I liked being in the office. Mid-morning and with
the tea trolly due, the office van swept into the car
park. Des the driver waved, all thumbs-up and silent chuckles,
clearly even more excited than usual. Doors opened, out came
the ramp, then a pause as ratchet straps were released. ‘Phwoar!
It’s the red-and-white one.’ And the usual saunter out to inspect a
new bike degenerated into a stampede.
Yamaha’s new R1 punched colour into the gloom. All its mass
seemed squashed into the front of the bike. A canted engine
block, that piggyback gearbox... There was potency, elegance,
and saucy detail. ‘Look, the gear linkage goes through the frame!’
As we took turns to jump on and remark on its Blade-beating
lightness, push down on the narrow ’bars and say something
about its classy damping, my mind wrestled with the thorny
issue of who gets the key. These moments are never forgotten,
especially by road testers who, to be fair, spend most of winter
riding fairly scratchy machinery through horrendous weather.
‘I’ll go first,’ I said.
Days earlier, the much-improved 1998 Kawasaki ZX-9R had
blown my socks off but riding the R1 was like falling into a
washing machine on spin. First and second gear were brutal. I
remember a scrabbling rear MEZ3 and ’bars alive with energy.
Concussed, I short-shifted through a perfectly fuelled, turbine
smooth midrange but still I was miles behind the bike. A bonnet
nosed out of a side turn, a dog pulled its owner towards the kerb.
It was too much, with a total recalibration necessary. 
There was something more. Thirty or forty miles into my ride
I realised the R1 was gently wrapping me in a blanket of
unprecedented competence. It had nearly 150bhp and startling
agility yet felt utterly planted – almost uncrashable. ‘Listen son,’
it seemed to say, ‘you just try not to be too rubbish and I’ll do the
rest.’ And suddenly everything was slightly better. Slightly faster.  
69
 Modern classic? Give over. Jon Urry’s owned his 1998 Yamaha
YZF-R1 for over ten years and it still feels vital and relevant

bought my 1998 YZF-R1 in 2012 on a nostalgic whim. I was
after a cheap-ish modern bike that would start on the
button, had a bit of character, and wouldn’t lose me too
much money. I wanted the red and white paint because it’s the
colour scheme I remember staring at in awe on the pages of
magazines, and think I paid £3000 for it. Maybe even £2500, as it
had a few small scuffs.
I genuinely didn’t expect the R1 to prove as good as it is in a
modern context. So often ‘modern classics’ are a disappointment
to own. Aside from smelling good, an RD350LC is a bit crap and
decidedly sketchy in bends (I know, I also own one), and when you
up the pace a 1992 Honda FireBlade’s handling feels dated. And it
always feels cruel getting a Ducati 916 wet. But despite being 25
years old the R1 still feels contemporary to ride, and as a result is a
great day-to-day sportsbike. I’ve taken mine on trackdays,
commuted on it, ridden long distances and even lent it to Niall
Mackenzie to thrash around Silverstone.
I have to remind myself that it’s a classic (and not to wheelie it...) issue) and a sticking EXUP valve when it gets dragged out of winter
as it behaves so much like a modern bike. But this is also its charm
PICS: ADAM SHORROCK
amounts of midrange punch which makes it perfect for brisk road
riding and far less demanding of your concentration than a
modern high-revving 200bhp equivalent. The carbs ensure
near-perfect fuelling and it’s super-smooth when you just want to
cruise. However, give it a handful and the Yam remains brutally
fast, lifting the front aggressively in first gear and delivering that
little tingle of fear that excites. For road riding it is still complete
and utter overkill.
You do need to treat its handling with a bit of caution. On
occasions the R1 will shake its head quite violently (there’s no
steering damper), which certainly wakes you up, but that’s a
trade-off for handling which is as agile as a modern sportsbike in
most situations. Aside from exercising a bit more caution on the
brakes and suffering an aching clutch hand and slightly sore toe
due to a slightly stiff gearbox, I thoroughly enjoyed letting mine
off its leash at Donington Park last year.
Aside from a dodgy electrical connector box (a well-documented
hibernation (a good run usually frees it up), the R1 has also proven

– you don’t get too precious and can enjoy riding it, rather than 100% reliable. I rode it through a congested city during the
flapping about it getting dirty. heatwave and it didn’t bat an eyelid, despite hitting 100 degrees
Whenever anyone rides the R1 the first thing they on the temp gauge. It has shrugged off torrential rain, a
comment on is the motor. It’s still outstanding. general lack of maintenance and cleaning, plus a lot
Far from top-endy, the R1’s inline four has huge of unsympathetic riding, and still looks amazing.
It’s incredibly well built with beautiful attention
to detail. Apart from the hideous fake carbon
infill panels, but it was the 1990s.
25 years have made myself and the R1 a bit
soft around the edges, but where I would
25 years in and struggle to impress at a father/son sports day
the R1 still the R1 can still boss a trackday. Always drawing
shrugs off
a crowd it’s still a superb machine that feels
unsympathetic
ownership anything but a classic and can happily be ridden
and enjoyed, rather than parked and polished.

It’s a bike from the

1990s, so it’s
essential to have
some ‘carbon’ Abundant
knowing details

70
Folklore: 25 years of the R1

‘Whenever anyone
rides the R1 the first
thing they comment
on is the motor. It’s
still outstanding’

71
 w le
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72
 That engine, with its
GP leanings, sits at the
heart of this success

Öhlins on the RS, Dated

Showa on the R graphics: one
of very few
flaws 73
 One for the road
The faster the
progress the
better the RS
gets Triumph have fettled the R model as well…
º While the new RS has all the bling, the Street Triple 765 R
makes the most sense as a pure road bike. Its real-world
performance is a match for the RS but it’s easier to live with
thanks to a 10mm lower seat, slightly milder steering geometry,
clearer display and the knowledge that it’s a whole £1700
cheaper. It undercuts its rivals, too: the £9800 Yamaha MT-09,
£10,699 KTM 890 Duke GP and
£11,295 Ducati Monster.
The engine has a two-
horse increase to 118bhp,
but with the same mods
to the internals,
gearing, electronics
and exhaust as the
RS – and the same
59 lb.ft of torque –
its gutsy on-road
performance is
identical. It’s still an
incredibly quick
motorcycle with giant
killing acceleration and
The R: the one the
majority of us
should buy

Clean and still has a wide spread of meaty, usable power and so much grunt
simple switch that it’ll clutch up a wheelie in third gear as readily as an MT-10.
arrangement
Its balance of power and handling is what’s always made the RS so
engaging and easy to ride, and so Triumph have left the RS’s frame
and swingarm alone. But they’ve jacked the rear up by 10mm with a
spacer on the top shock
mount, which raises the seat
by 11mm, steepens the rake
from 23.9 to 23.2
degrees and

74
 First ride special
SPECIFICATIONS TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE RS
that seductive Moto2 orchestra jazzing away beneath you. It’s Contact triumphmotorcycles.co.uk
only engine mapping that releases the RS’s extra 10bhp and Price (on the £11,295 in silver; £11,495 in red or yellow
\RXoGRQO\HYHUPLVVLWRQWUDFN{ road)
It's the same story with ride quality, which is more supple Typical finance PCP: deposit £2500, 36 months at £123.12, optional
than the RS. On the road the R is composed, accurate and final payment £6880 (10.9% APR)
devours corners every bit as keenly as its fancier stablemate. Capacity 765cc
Quicker steering geometry almost mimics last year’s RS and Engine DOHC, 12v inline three
endows the R with race-like sharpness. Its fully adjustable 78mm x 53.4mm
Bore x stroke
Showa suspension is sprung and damped to perfection,
giving neutral, balanced, easy-to-access feel. Away from the Transmission six-speed
track its brakes are every bit as effective as the RS’s and also Power 128bhp (claimed)
benefit from refined ABS electronics that add lever feel. Torque 59 lb.ft (claimed)
Despite being cheaper the R still has a smorgasbord of
Top speed 145mph (estimated)
electronics and a two-way quickshifter. The R’s display is
simpler, though still full of functions and is clearer and easier Frame aluminium twin spar
to read at a glance. All the usual Triumph accessories are Front suspension 41mm USD telescopic forks, adjustable compression,
available, including a 28mm lower seat. If you’re not bothered rebound and preload
about fancy parts or trackdays, the R’s the one to go for. Rear suspension monoshock, adjustable compression, rebound and
preload
{
SPECS: Price£9595 Engine765cc, DOHC, 12v inline three Brakes (f/r) 2 x 310mm discs, four-piston calipers /
220mm disc, one-piston caliper
Power118bhpTorque59 lb.ft Top speed145mph (est) Rake/
Tyres (f/r) 120/70 ZR17 180/55 ZR17
trail23.5Žž97.8mm Wheelbase1402mmKerb weight
189kg(clmd) Seat height826mmTank size15 litresEconomy Rake/trail ťPP
53mpg (claimed) Colours silver, white Availabilitynow { Wheelbase 1399mm

Weight 188kg (kerb, claimed)

Seat height 836mm

reduces trail from 100 to 96.9mm. With the shorter wheelbase (due to Tank size 15 litres

smaller sprockets) it’s the fastest steering Street Triple yet – but still a
stable one.
Now it’ll be even easier to do your best Jake Dixon impression at a
trackday, and the harder you push the RS through a corner the more it
comes alive. If you can find the limits of the Pirelli tyres, Showa forks and
Öhlins shock then surely the podium awaits. Better still, being a naked
you’re not boxed-in like a race rep, so it’s comfier on the road and track,
and new ’bars that are flatter and 12mm wider give extra leverage to
muscle the bike through bends.
New Brembo Stylema calipers have the power to give you a nosebleed,
and a new ABS modulator gives more feel at the lever and does away
with unwanted ABS intervention on track. It’s one of the biggest
improvements and gives the RS the direct feel of a racing bike. Front and
rear brakes are linked in all rider modes, except Track.
Speaking of modes, there are still five: Rain, Road, Sport, Track and a
customisable Rider. Each has a different throttle map, and Rain limits
power to 99bhp. An up/down quickshifter comes as standard and new
graphics adorn the old 5in colour TFT display, but already look dated –
Economy 53mpg (claimed), 174-mile range
Electronics cornering ABS and TC, wheelie control, modes
Colours silver, red, yellow
Availability now
Verdict Triumph’s Street Triple was a success story from day one. 16 years
later the latest RS iteration is a more chiselled trackday weapon with the
minerals to hustle a supernaked on the road. But it’s still happy to glide to
the chippy. That said, if you don’t go near tracks, consider the R...
Bike rating 9/10
they are one of the RS’s only minor flaws. Triumph have also made
the fuel tank 2.4-litres smaller at 15 litres, as part of the cosmetic
tweaking. They claim, a still decent, 53mpg which is a drop in range
of around 28 miles.
As well as all the electronics and designer label chassis parts,
standard issue goodies include LED lights and a stitched seat as
standard. Over 50 official Triumph accessories are available and
include cruise control for the first time.  

‘Now it’ll be even easier to do your

best Jake Dixon impression, and the
harder you push the RS the more
it comes alive’

75
First Ride
Monster
gets its
claws
Triumph’s new Street Triples have a new rival.
i l There’s
By Michael Neeves Photography Jamie Morris
Th ’ now a D
e’ll start with an imaginary
checklist attached to my
pretend clipboard as we
circle the latest Ducati. Let’s see… Termignoni
exhaust? Check. Adjustable Öhlins suspension
and tweaked geometry? Double check. But
we’re not done yet. We can deploy more
imaginary ticks in the boxes next to fat Brembo
calipers, steering damper and race-inspired
paint, too. Yes, the updated Monster definitely
does the SP thing.
It isn’t quite as full factory as previous SP
models. In the late 1980s and through the 1990s
the SP-badged Ducatis were homologation
specials, built in limited numbers in pursuit of
World Superbike garlands and often featuring
exclusive engines. The Monster SP isn’t quite
that bling. It’s a regular production model – the
existing base Monster – just with a few extra
niceties bolted on.
This is a good thing, however. Firstly, it
means a generous serving of upgrades and SP
cool for a reasonably modest £2700 premium.
And second, the changes still give the already-
superb Monster a fresh new edge. In new SP
guise it delivers the sort of thrills you’d expect
from its boisterous Hypermotard stablemate.
The standard Monster is brilliant. It’s fun,
simple to ride and never does anything wrong,
and in iffy conditions its soft-ish suspension
set-up helps with grip and confidence. But for
the SP the handling is even sharper, and on dry
roads its changes really shine. Its higher rear
end (seat height up by 20mm to 840) and firmer
Öhlins suspension push your weight over the
front wheel, giving an aggressive, up-on-its-
haunches stance.
It’s almost supermoto-like and makes the
standard Monster feel like it sits low at the rear.
The SP gives you more feel on the way into
corners, even sportier geometry (23˚ rake and
87mm trail) which means crisper steering, the
suspension provides extra support without
76
Hopped up
Monster SP is
easily a match
for its rivals
Ducati
ti M
Monster
t SPSP…
being harsh, and the latest-generation Pirelli
tyres are grippier, too. With superior stopping
power from its Brembos and extra ground
clearance from the revised stance, there’s no
question that the SP can be pushed harder.
Other SP updates include a weight reduction
of 2kg (down to 186kg wet), thanks to a
lithium-ion battery and lighter forks and brake
F a modern,
Fo
For mod dern
e n, data
data
a a
flanges. There’s a MotoGP rep paintjob and
h vy
hea
heavy,
vy, da
d
dash
ash
s it’
it’s
ts those crucial Termignoni end cans, plus a nose
clean
cle
cleann and clear
c ea
clear
arr fairing and rear seat cowl.
It shares the standard machine’s 937cc,
109bhp V-twin Testastretta engine, which is fine
SPECIFICATIONS by us as it’s a delight. Turn off the wheelie
control and it’s every bit as naughty as the
Price £14,151 on the road Engine 937cc Triumph Street Triple RS, but it’s also the
8v V-twin Power 109bhp @ 9250rpm perfect engine for enjoying B-roads as all the
Torque 63 lb.ft @ 6500rpm Top speed
good stuff happens at legal (ish) speeds. The
135mph (est) Rake/trail 23°/87mm
Monster is punchy at low revs, perfectly fuelled
Wheelbase 1472mm Kerb weight 186kg
(claimed) Seat height 840mm Tank size and easy to manage, and has an array of
14 litres Economy 45mpg (est) Colours electronics to keep you safe (cornering traction
red/black only Availability in dealers now control and ABS, wheelie control, and riding
modes including a new Rain that limits output
Bike verdict SP changes turn the Monster
to 74bhp). Two-way quickshifter as well.
from mild roadster to something with a
naughty side – and that is more fun than a
Sure, Ducati’s Streetfighter V2 and V4 are
Street Triple R, at least in small doses. It more powerful and faster, but the Monster SP is
has an air of specialness about it, and it’s a a giggle in real situations. You know, like public
fabulous plaything for British B-roads. roads. And unlike historic SP models you don’t
get 10-minute service intervals. The Monster
Bike rating 9/10
has 9000 miles between minor services and can
wait until 18,000 miles for a valve check.
Though the Monster isn’t as shouty as its old
limited-edition forebears – it’ll probably take an
SP anorak to see differences over the standard
No
No bike – there’s definitely still a special air to this
s
sur
surprises
urpri
prises
ises
se
ess latest model. And you come away from the SP
on th
on the
e
s
sus
us
spen
p sio
suspensioniion feeling its £2700 premium is worth it. It smacks
f ntt
fro
front of quality, is Ducati’s most playful pure road
bike, and refreshingly one that doesn’t take itself
too seriously. The Street Triple R is a better pure
road tool, and the Street Trip’ RS is probably
best of the breed. But the Monster SP is right up
there in the sporty naked bunfight.
 It’s £2700 extra to go
SP. And do you know
what? It’s worth it

‘The SP is a giggle
in real situations –
you know, like
public roads’

77
Do you need long forks and aluminium panniers to have an adventure? Let’s find out.
John Westlake heads to the Sahara on a sports tourer
Photography Adam Shorrock and John Westlake
oyal readers might remember Dan Walsh
setting off across the Sahara desert on his
BMW F650 armed only with a bottle of
Coke and some Nutella. His prep-free approach gave
some of Bike’s best stories, but Dan was young, carefree
and touched by genius. I am old, mortgaged and touched
by osteopaths. So prep for my Suzuki GSX-S1000GT
adventure is different, mostly because I’ve done some.
Maps are pored, Lonely Planets read, documents
amassed. The trouble is riding in Africa renders a lot of
my nervous energy impotent, thereby increasing nerves.
Bike insurance? You can’t get it until you arrive – there’s a
booth at the port. Phone? You’ll need to buy a SIM card
on reaching Tangier. Sat nav? The Garmin Morocco file I
download for £15 hasn’t heard of Marrakesh. I’ve ridden
round Europe a few times, but it was low stress because,
Bike’s intrepid Saharan
explorer on the launch pad
78
well, it’s Europe. Africa feels like a step up in both chaos
and the potential for catastrophe. To calm me down I
persuade Bike’s office supremo Alison to print out all the
documents I’ll need, which then fly out of my pocket
riding home from the office. I think I may be distracted.
My plan is to get the overnight ferry from Portsmouth
to Santander in Spain, ride down to Algeciras (next to
Gibraltar), catch a boat to Tangier in northern Morocco
and ride across the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara, where
I will climb a dune, salute all the proper adventurers who
continue south, then set off home for tea and medals.
That’s the solid part of the plan. Less optimal is work and
family meaning I’ve only got two weeks to get there and
back, which means smashing Spain in a couple of days
instead of savouring the Picos Mountains and only a
week in Morocco. Still, better a rushed trip to the Sahara
 Suzuki to Sahara: part 1

Looking more like the A1

south than a desert, but
every adventure has to
start somewhere

Alarming water
ingress wakens
Westlake in his
plush ferry
accommodation.
Lifeboat, anyone?

You know you’re on

holiday, sorry
adventure, when it
says ferry on the side
of your transport

Equipment wise we
seem to be out of step

79
Suzuki to Sahara: part 1

The Saharan steed

º Weapon of choice for this trip is Bike’s
favourite sports tourer, the Suzuki
GSX-S1000GT. On the plus side it has a
comfy saddle, stupendous engine and
suspension that’s a cunning compromise
between sporty and supple. Also, the panniers
are a decent size and reliability should be
perfect because all the key components have
been honed for years on other models.
Downsides? The screen and fairing aren’t huge,
so my hands, thighs, neck and head are out in the
EUHH]Hs{LILWUHDOO\LVVQRZLQJDOOWKHZD\WKURXJK
Spain I’ll be chilly. The fact it has chain drive and no
centrestand makes chain oiling a bore too. Plus it has
Dunlop Roadsport 2 tyres, which are fine on tarmac but
won’t be much cop on sand dunes. Or snow. But, overall, I
suspect this excellent bike will cope far better than I will.

ÙÊÃÖĊÕ
ËÐÏÛ
ÒÃÐÐËÇÔÕ SPARE
MINI
TOOL KIT FUSES FOR
CHAIN AND BIKE AND
LUBE. NO MULTITOOL FOR HEATED
CENTRESTAND TIGHTENING CLOTHING
ON THE GT LOOSE
THOUGH, SO THINGS PUNCTURE
WON’T GET REPAIR KIT
MUCH USE ®ÄÑÖÖÎÇÕÎÇÈÖËÐ
ËÐÅÃÕÇ
ÅÑÏÒÔÇÕÕÑÔ
ÆËÇÕ¯

Well it’s not in English

which must mean he’s
got as far as abroad
BIG OLD
LOCK TO PUT
OFF
OPPORTUNIST than no trip at all. I can do all the sightseeing next time.
SCUMBAGS Morocco travel books are alternately reassuring,
irritating and worrying. The general guide books get
excited about irrelevances such as buying carpets, then
throw in a phrase such as, ‘Moroccan police are rarely
corrupt but they do set up many speed traps’, without
adequately defining ‘rarely’ or ‘many’. They also rattle on
about some roads being unsurfaced but don’t say which,
ZIP TIES AND and helpfully state petrol stations in the south (where
DUCT TAPE FOR
FIXING RIDING the Sahara is) can be ‘sparse’. So it’ll be fine. Or it won’t.
GEAR AND More useful is Chris Scott’s book Morocco Overland
MOTORCYCLES which is full of border crossing details – a summary: chill
and it’ll be fine. It also panders to anxious preppers like
me with some fine lists. However, his routes are baffling
and it takes me ages to work out most are off-road and
probably not suitable for my GSX-S. Still, after finishing
ÏËÐË« the book I’m positive: his love for Morocco and its people
COMPRESSOR
WILL LET ME FIX shines through and my anxiety starts ebbing. Perhaps I
TWO FINGER MULTIPLE won’t have the bike confiscated by rogue cops, be robbed
KEIS HEATED PUNCTURES
at gunpoint and thrown, neck deep, into a sand dune.
GLOVES FOR IF IT
GETS REALLY
COLD
80
 ‘Guide books rattle on about roads being
unsurfaced and petrol stations in the south
(where the Sahara is) being “sparse”’
‘Just to confirm:
you have no plans to
smuggle tomatoes
and/or cucumbers
back home?’
Packing is easy as I decided not to camp anywhere ever
again (bad Spa Francorchamps experience). Instead, I will
rely on my yet-to-be-bought SIM card and booking.com,
which has loads of hotels and bed ‘n’ breakfasts listed in
Morocco. There’s a barren bit over the Atlas Mountains,
but provided I make it through there in a day I’ll be fine.
I imagine plentiful cooked breakfasts await my arrival. Next month
Buoyed by having a plan that might actually work, I kit º Westlake points
up for a gentle trundle to Portsmouth feeling like a kid the GSX-S south
getting ready for big school – nervous but mostly excited. from Santander,
‘Seen the weather forecast?’ texts Bike’s production chief engages warp drive
Nige (think Cheerful Charlie from Clarkson’s Farm). No and heads for the
– der – I’m going to Spain, Morocco and the Sahara. It’ll ferry from Algeciras
to Tangier. What
be warm. ‘It’s snowing in Morocco,’ says Nige, ‘and Spain.’
could possibly go
I stomp to the shed. I’m taking bar muffs to the Sahara.
wrong? (Apart from
The ride to Portsmouth is perfectly breezy, and once snow, missing
on the ferry I forget about weather, drink beer and get an documents and not
early night. I awake to the gentle sound of waves, which being allowed into
is relaxing until I realise it’s emanating from my cabin Morocco?)
floor – there’s an inch of briny. I splash to the door, leap
into the corridor and find a weary-looking Spanish lady
hoovering up water from a burst pipe. She looks me up
and down – I’m in my pants – and silently carries on.
And then into Spain, where against all expectati0ns
the sun is shining bright. It is bollocking cold, though.
Fortunately, I have bar muffs...
81
Adventure

Middle of
nowhere.
Mechanical fail
to proceed.
What now? Go
to point no.9…

82
 Planning a big bike adventure is about
much more than maps and visas. It’s
about relationships, diet, money
and mental well being. Veteran
traveller Nick Sanders knows a
thing or two about all of this…

What exactly do you take with you?

‘Just in case’ is the curse of packing. Be the master of
travelling light. In the past I’ve taken 30 minutes to
unpack and the same to repack – that’s a whole day’s
riding time each week just rummaging inside your
panniers. I took only the following on my recent world ride:
documents, camera phone, a few tools, an inner tube (tyre plugs
for tubeless), set of tyres, one set of light clothing, and a
toothbrush. If you want your bike where you left it in the
morning, also take the biggest-bastard Squire lock you can afford.
 
83
 Adventure

2 Which is the best bike for adventuring?

You marry someone because you share something special.
You choose your dog, probably, because it looks like you. And
you pick a bike because it’s all about you: how your heart feels, how it
connects with memories. It’s no longer about the smell of hot oil, but
Pay up: Nick’s
early Enfield
trip didn’t have
sponsorship

all bikes are instruments for time travel, they take you to places you’d
never normally go. And as most are capable of long trouble-free rides,
the truth is choice can boil down to colour. Just consider basics: will
plastic bits fall off, is it mechanically capable to go where you want?

3
 
Making money as you adventure…
For those with a story to sell sponsorship, in the real sense of
creating a survivable income stream, has never been harder
to get. Money-making in the motorcycle world is a young person’s
game. There are always social media openings, but almost daily you
must present a unique proposition to a busy distracted audience who their dreams. The realisation that life is short strikes differently, and
will move on minutes after your post has been placed. Then you for bike riders the urge to adventure becomes an itch that can’t be
must do it again. So, unless you have a unique product that everyone scratched. And perhaps it’s not until we’re lost on the road that we
wants, realistically the money will have to come out of your pocket. understand ourselves. It’s variously called, but ‘mindfulness’ will do.
Mobile credit card transactions have come of age – you can use them I’ve realised mental health is a process not a destination. What
anywhere – but take a bit of back-up cash. Use Western Union fascinates me is the intensity of riding a bike. It invites such a sense of
money transfer for overseas emergency help. immersion it counteracts the most human and biological imperative

4
 
Why go, and why mentally it’s good
My first ride was as a three year old. I rode my tricycle across
Manchester city centre and was brought back home by the
bin men who knew my dad. Family wasn’t great and I wanted to
escape. I don’t think I’ve ever stopped.
For other people it can be dissatisfaction, or it can be achieving
Nick showing
‘how not to pack’
– and he’d know
encompassing anxiety, depression, angst. It demands concentration
simply to stay alive, and it’s ironic how a brush with death makes you
not to want to die. The focus of being ‘in the moment’ – submersion
in nature, sharing and talking with friends – gives you positivity.
The UK charity Mental Health Matters suggests riding improves
cognitive function and riding for a charity, as bikers often do, pursues
this positive outlook. Yamaha have been involved in research with the
Department of Functional Brain Imaging at Took University. They say
incorporating bike riding into daily life improves various cognitive
functions, particularly prefrontal cortex capability, the place in the
brain responding to mental and emotional health such as stress
reduction. Evidence that a long adventure ride must be good for you.

5 What about relationships?

My first marriage was a disaster and it lasted three years. She
bore me three children while I motorcycled around the world
four times. Consequently my kids hate travelling, don’t like bikes and

‘Bacon butties are bad

and sugar sits in my tea
like poison’

Note lack of ‘just in

case’ fripperies
– travelling light is
the way to do it

85
Adventure

‘Your brain needs to be in

the right place for a long
trip, and so does your body’

Motorcycle adventure is oft a solitary

pursuit. So what of your significant
other? Go straight to point no.5

don’t get me at all. Unless you’re running away, you’ll need a partner
who understands – and who can see that it’ll be good for you. My
second wife rode pillion the length of the Americas on my Yam R1.
8 Staying in touch is a good thing
Communication is a source of comfort, or it’s a constant
reminder of loved ones we’ve left behind. When I started

6
 
How physically fit do you need to be?
Your brain needs to be in the right place for a long trip, and
so does your body. I’m not a dietician nor a nutritionist, but I
am married to a doctor and like some of my biker mates I’ve also
been a bit tubby and not very fit. I take control of what I can and
hope for the best for the rest.
But carrying extra
travelling it was a different time – emails didn’t exist, mobile phones
hadn’t been invented. Letters from my dad were as boring as a limp
lettuce but I read them 100 times. I think it was the smell on the
paper. I think I could smell him. We’ve moved on and the world is
more accessible. Mobile telephony, satellite tracking rescue devices,
portable GPS and language translation apps have shrunk the world,
and gadgets that plug into your bike to identify a fault remove fear.
But remember, there’s still no app for bravery and courage.

9
timber should be a real  
consideration for a big Dealing with mechanical catastrophe
adventure. Excess weight Instruction in anything is a good thing. But I wouldn’t do a
and obesity are associated bike maintenance course before setting off. Instead, choose
with increased risks of gall your manufacturer carefully and ride your bike with care, as in the
bladder disease, case of a major failure there’s little you can do anyway. So, smile a lot,
incontinence, and mean and say thank you to whoever turns up to sling your bike in a van
increased surgical risk if If you’re not fit in
and drop you in a place where it can then be repaired. It happens. It
you have an accident on body and mind this works. End of.  
the road. It’s not a nice might be an issue
thought, but should you
risk riding to places where you can’t get medical help if, deep down,
you know the trip will stretch you? You also won’t get the mental
benefits from a life-enhancing ride if it’s physical torture. And it can
increase the risks: one of my clients suffered a weight-induced
stroke, and without warning was suddenly spark out.

7
 
Think about what you eat
A good diet is a companion to good riding. Avoid white
bread and ultra-processed foods that make up the diet of
50% of the British population. Artificial sweeteners induce the
release of insulin to a negative effect, and a glass of freshly squeezed
orange juice has as much sugar as a glass of coke. Equally, if you’re a
vegan coeliac and you’re going to a meat-eating country, be logical.
Argentina is about meat. Morocco has vegetables but you’ve got to
know where to find them. I’m sure it’ll cause a bit of hate mail in my Nick’s Enfield enjoys
inbox, but it comes down to this: bacon butties are bad, and sugar open-heart surgery
in Cairo. Smile...
sits in my tea like poison.

86
 Built to suit your rider
weight & riding style
2 year guarantee
Fully re-buildable
Stainless 304L damper body
Billet machined mounts
18mm piston rod
Made in England
www.hagon-shocks.co.uk
020 8502 6222

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Advice, guidance and things to do with bikes EXPERTS IN
THIS ISSUE

Mike Armitage
Editor
Mostly riding off road,
falling off, but getting
the hang of it.

Phil West
Contributor
Happy to be lured by
retros, from the time
retros began-ish.

BIKES RIDING
Triumph Thruxton 900: Buying [ 90 ] Two piece leathers: Our favourites [ 102 ]
Moto Morini Granpasso: Overlooked [ 90 ] Gripping with the knees: Try this [ 102 ]
Dunlop Trailmax Raid: Tyred & tested [ 91 ] See, hear: Events [ 103 ] Paul Lang
Art Director
Retros: Temptation [ 92 ] Dexter Electron: Tried and tested [ 103 ]
Conflicted by
Roadside recovery: Law [ 93 ] Adventure riding tips: Skills [ 104 ] custodian-ing a
beautiful bike.
MV Superveloce 800: Last ride [ 94 ] Fischer MRX650: Weird & wonderful [ 106 ]
Current bikes rated: Listings [ 97 ]

Ed Armitage

Tool of
Contributor
Trying not to look

the month
better than his dad, off
road, in mud.

Tru-Tension chain brush

Never cleaned a drive chain. Mainly it’s because I hate
cleaning so stubbornly refused to acknowledge
clinging filfth, stiff links, rust and the inability of fresh
lube to get to where it’s needed. But this ten-quid
brush has reformed me. A few minutes with this and a Andrew Dalton
squirt of chain cleaner (also new to me), and the Contributor
hideous post-winter chain on son Ed’s 125 is
Considering whether
revived. They do a Grime Guard to stop lube or not we really need
going all over the wheel, too. Smart. roadside recovery.
Mike Armitage
tru-tension.co.uk

Nigel Grimshaw
Contributor
Flicking the 2023
events diary open for
the first time this year.

89
Know How

[ Buying ]

After reviving their Bonneville,

Hinckley Triumph gave it rocker
attitude with the bigger-bore,
sharper handling Thruxton: a café
racer with a ’60s vibe and usability…

SPRUCED TWIN
Being based on the 790cc Bonneville, the Thruxton’s air-cooled four-valve
parallel twin was ‘hotted up’ in true café racer tradition. Fatter high-comp
pistons took capacity up to 865cc, there were new cams, exhausts and
re-jetted carbs, and the result was a 13% power boost from 62 to 69bhp,
with the extra ponies slightly higher up the range. In 2008 (when it became
Thai-built) it also gained fuel injection. There are no major problems,
although some owners raise the gearing to compensate for the lack of a
sixth gear. If it’s a later EFI bike, check to see if it’s been remapped to
improve revs and performance.

CHASSIS SAVVY
Tubular steel, twin loop frame is straight from the Bonneville but has longer rear shocks
which, with clip-ons and rearsets, give a sportier attitude and sharper, quicker, steering.
Suspension is by Kayaba and a touch on the budget side. Oversoft forks benefit from
heavier oil while the slightly firm, preload-only adjustable rear shocks are improved by
replacing them with higher quality and more adjustable items such as Hagon, YSS, Fox or
even Öhlins. Single front disc with Nissin twin piston caliper is larger (320mm) than the
Bonnie’s while the rear is smaller (and lighter) at 255mm. They’re adequate rather than
impressive. This means upgraded brake lines and pads are common. Check if the pistons
are sticking in the caliper. There was a 2008 recall to change the caliper bolts as well.

[ Overlooked ]
Moto Morini Granpasso 1200
Exotic Italian adventuring that is both fast and practical
ºWith eleven examples registered in the UK (and four more on SORN), the adventure
version of Morini’s bold Corsaro 1200 V-twin is about as rare as it gets. But it’s worth trying
to sniff one out. Produced towards the end of the ‘Franco Motori’ era (2004-2010), it
used a meaty 118bhp version of their belting 1187cc V-twin in a comfy upright
chassis with a huge 27-litre tank, Excel wire wheels and an exotic cocktail of
cycle parts including fully adjustable 50mm forks, Öhlins shock and
Brembos. The result looks as mad as only a high-performance Italian
adventure bike can, is ultra-exclusive, fast, has decent handling and is
practical. Under appreciated too – I’ve seen them for as little as eight grand.
And you’ll probably never lose money. Phil West

90
 THE BONNIE ‘CAFF RACER’
After rolling out a new Bonneville in 2001, the
Thruxton arrived in 2003 as a more ‘dynamic’ café
racer. Named like the 1960s proddie racer, it got an
over-bored and more powerful engine, sharper
steering, uprated brakes and a sportier riding
position, plus café racer styling. Originally black or
red, it ran unchanged to 2008 when production
moved to Thailand and it gained fuel injection and
other detail mods. It’s gentle, unintimidating and yet
engagingly retro – perfect for feel-good sunny
summer thrumming. The 900 was replaced by the
all-new 1200cc Thruxton in 2016.
IT’S IN THE DETAIL…
Quality and durability are both generally good, but
the Thruxton needs to be cleaned and looked after.
As a sunny Sunday toy most are, but don’t assume it’s
a given. The polished engine cases in particular need
looking after, as do the wire wheel hubs. Electrics-
wise, there are reported cases of water getting in the
coils and causing misfires, and even failed coils. The
odd dodgy relay, too. Owners recommend LED
conversions, both for brighter warning indicators
(available as a kit) and for the main lights, both for
brightness and to put less load on the battery.
Speaking of which, a trickle charger is recommended.

‘Quality and durability are both

good, but the Thruxton needs to
be cleaned and looked after’
UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTHS
As a sporty version of an already small bike, the Thruxton’s riding position doesn’t
suit everyone. It’s not particularly cramped but it is still a bike which better suits
smaller, more flexible types and the seating position can get tiring after a few
hours. Pillions need to be, er, committed. If you’re worried about your wrists, avoid
the original 2003-2007 carb’d version as it has lower individual ‘clip-on’
FROM handlebars. These were changed for a more-gentle one-piece tubular bar

£4000 (chromed, no less) from 2008. Some owners also fit bar risers while accessory
‘comfort’ seats and wind-deflecting flyscreens are also popular.

2003«! TRIUMPH THRUXTON 900

THE FANCY ONES
The Thruxton SE arrived in 2010 in white with a red stripe and frame,
headlamp cowling and black cases. Very racy. There was an Ace Café
inspired Ace Special Edition which came as an end-of-line model in 2015
with special black and white livery, oxblood seat, bar-end mirrors and
handlebar plaque. Actually, there’s every chance that any Thruxton you
look at will have been fancified by its owner. Accessories are common,
and genuine Triumph parts such as prized Arrow exhausts and
period-cool flyscreens can add value.
Engine 865cc air-cooled, 4v, parallel twin Power 69hp Torque 53 lb.ft
Top speed 115mph Rake/trail 26º/97mm Wheelbase 1477mm
Wet weight 205kg Seat height 790mm Tank size 16 litres
Economy 45mpg
Bike verdict The original Thruxton may lack the newer version’s
performance and sophistication, but it’s edgier and more entertaining
than the stock 800 Bonnie, dependable, affordable, and delivers a
pretty convincing period experience.
Bike rating 8/10

[ Tyred & Tested ]

Like chips and rice…
Dunlop introduce a half and half adventure tyre
º This chunky rascal is Dunlop’s new Trailmax Raid, designed as a proper 50/50 tyre for
50% on-road riding and 50% dirt carry-on. They say it mixes the tech of their touring and
road-biased adventure tyres with know-how that goes into pure off-road fitments, with a
purposeful tread pattern inspired by the D908 RR – their specialist rally raid tyre. Intended
for everything from mid-capacity ‘dual sports’ (think KTM 690 Enduro R) right up to
whopping adventure bikes, the idea is you get decent off-road capability without
sacrificing ride comfort or grip on wet tarmac. As tyres make such a difference on trails,
they could be just the ticket if you find green lanes pulling you in but don’t want full-on
blocky rubber. The Trailmax Raid comes in three front sizes, all 19 and 21-inch fitments,
and six rears for 17 and 18-inch wheels. Peak District here we come… Mike Armitage

91
Know How
[ Temptation ]
As we know retro’s not a new thing, in fact it’s been around for decades. Phil West
turns back the clock to turning back the clock and discovers throwback bargains
£7950
Honda GB500TT
» The GB (for ‘Great Britain’, natch) was
introduced as a Japan-only 400 as early as
1985, before retros were even a thing. A
café-racer single in the style of a BSA Gold Star,
it was based around an XL trailie engine, then
later expanded to 500cc and exported to the
US and Germany – but, oddly, never Britain.
Charming, solid and built with quality parts, they
remain rare which means prices are on the rise.
This 1990 example, at Millennium Motorcycles,
Merseyside, shows just over 8000 miles and is
a classic in its own right. Japanese bikes don’t
get more British.
£4199
Triumph T’bird 900 Ducati GT1000
» Triumph’s reinvented 2001 Bonneville
wasn’t Hinckley’s first move into retros. That
came in 1995 with the Thunderbird 900 – a
restyled and re-engineered liquid-cooled
Trident. Intended to break the revived British
brand in America, in most respects it’s far
better than those Bonnevilles. Over-
engineered with Akront alloy rims, glorious
build quality, a grunty 85bhp engine and
pleasingly substantial proportions, good
early T-birds are now routinely over £5k
making this 15,000-miler at the Motorcycle
Centre, Orrell a tantalising prospect.
92
£2790
Kawa Zephyr 550
» In the retro-verse Kawasaki and their
Zephyrs were early adopters. A 1970s-style
roadster with twin-shocks, old air-cooled
four-cylinder engines and uprated cycle
parts, the Zephyr debuted in Japan as a 400
in 1989. The 550 and 750 hit the UK in 1990,
with a hefty 1100 arriving in 1992. At the time
they were considered budget old-fashioned
runabouts, but today they’re bang-on retros.
The 49bhp 550’s the least popular, but it’s
dependable, chuckable, suits modest limbs
and can be great value as this clean
30,000-miler at Motorbikes4All proves.
£9990
» We gushed when Ducati revealed their
SportClassic prototypes, but they bombed in
showrooms. Due partly to impracticality, partly
to modest performance (we were all still speed
crazed in 2006), but mainly because they were
expensive – especially the Öhlins-equipped
Paul Smart LE. Times and tastes change,
however. If they’d launched it today it’d have
been as big a hit as the Scrambler. And so
values of the engaging, high-quality, rare
SportClassic models are now skyrocketing.
You’ll pay £20k for a Smart LE, so dig out a fit
GT instead like this one at Motorcycles4All.
£2795
HondaSeven Fifty
» The ‘Honda Zephyr’ was a late comer to the
original retro craze and had a typically Honda
‘soft’ air. But unlike many bikes of its era the
CB750F2 Seven Fifty’s looks have matured and
its proven components make it a super-safe
buy: the 71bhp inline four motor’s from the
CBX750, forks are from the CBR600, and its
cosmetics are more durable that Kawasaki’s
Zephyr (a tad prone to rot). As we see here with
this decent 33k-miler at Colwyn Motorcycles
prices are a snip, which should leave enough
cash to convert it into a replica of Fast Freddie’s
CB750F AMA Superbike…
£4599
Kawasaki W650
» Launched in 1999 the W650 was a faithful
recreation of the Japanese firm’s 1965
%6$EDVHGRULJLQDOZLWKWKXGGLQJťFUDQN
and lashings of period cool. It’s more
authentic than a modern Bonnie. Straight up.
Although enlarged to 800cc in 2011 and
living on and off until 2020, the original is still
the best with authentic detailing including
metal switchgear, excellent build quality and
charming manners. By all means go for the
more common 800, but remember the rarer
650 can still be found for under £5k, like this
2008 bike at Fastline Motorcycles.

£3995
Kawa Zephyr 1100
» The biggun of Kawa’s Zephyr franchise
used the engine from the GPz1100 UniTrak
and was a big, burly device with respectable
performance and modern (for the ‘90s)
brakes, suspension, and tyres. We knew a
bloke who swapped his sweet-handling
Laverda 750S for an 1100 and was just as
speedy on the vast retro (could be a bit scary
to watch, mind). Good 1100s are increasingly
prized, especially later ones with wire wheels
and ’70s-style two-tone paint, so now is the
time to buy. This one, at SpeedThrills, is in
decent nick at a tempting price.
£10,595
Moto Guzzi 1000S
» Guzzi launched the 1000S in 1990 – a
reincarnation of their 1974 750S (the bike that
preceded the original 850 Le Mans). It was
based on 1990 Le Mans MkV mechanicals and
the result was 100% classic Guzzi. Gorgeous,
charismatic, thundering… though also a bit
clunky and not very successful. Just 1360 were
built. The 1000’s involving ride, period feel, rich
character and rarity mean it’s now appreciating
– as this 1991example at M&S Motorcycles
proves. Time to get in…
All these gems were for sale as we went to
press: motorcyclenews.com/bikes-for-sale
[ Law ]
Is recovery
cover worth
having?
I
f you ride a complicated bike as
most of us do and it breaks down
it’s the AA, RAC, Greenflag, or
whoever, time. Simple. Well, not so
fast. All motoring organisations have
terms and conditions and so, for
example, if your bike doesn’t show up
on the tax or MoT register, you aren’t
getting picked up. This can be a real
problem if you have recently taxed
your bike online but the database has
not yet picked up on it.
If your bike’s damaged in a collision,
it is excluded from recovery as it is not
a mechanical breakdown. Same if it’s
unrideable as a result of acts of
vandalism or attempted theft. You
have to remember vehicle recovery is a
form of insurance and you are insured
against specific risks, and if you’re not
insured against those risks, then your
recovery company does not have to
pick you or your bike up.
Recovery
companies can be
strict on the legal ‘Be aware of
status of a motorcycle,
which I think is an exclusions
over exaggerated
startle response to for collision
being involved with
an ‘illegal’ bike. I also
damage,
suspect when they are
busy, they use these
theft…’
clauses to thin out stranded drivers,
because the exclusion clauses do not
seem to be applied consistently.
Reliable mates & vans
So is recovery worth having? It
depends how you use your bike, and
do you have a reliable mate with a
van? If you ride close-ish to home, and
you have a means of recovering your
bike, probably not. My son rides to
work, his dad (me) has a van. If he does
a big trip he will buy temporary cover.
He does not have recovery cover and I
think that sensible. My needs are
different: I ride the length and breadth
of the country for work so recovery is
worth it for me. But my bike has a
basic tool roll, a multimeter, a tyre
plugging kit and a battery jumper. I
don’t think I’ve been recovered with
my motorbike in over 20 years.
Vandalism and collision
As far as my dirt bikes go, they have
been pulled out of ditches and thrown
into the van often. But dirt bikes are
simple and more often than not I can
fix the fault. However, if you injure
yourself and cannot ride the bike don’t
expect a pick up because this is not
something that triggers any
requirement for recovery. Also be
aware of exclusions for collision
damage, theft damage or vandalism.
When asking why your bike needs
recovery, mention the mechanical
problems. If they stop asking
questions, cool. Your bike gets
transported. A minor
point to remember is
your insurer will not
pay for mechanical
defects or the
consequences of
mechanical defects.
For example, if your
chain snaps and
chaws up your
swingarm and engine
casings, that is mechanical. Depending
on your policy, the cosmetic damage
might be fixed, the actual chain, no.
However, if you then slide down the
road, that is collision damage and
recoverable. In recovery terms, the
snapped chain gets you on the truck of
shame, but if your bike is unrideable
because the slide has snapped your
handlebars or your brake lever is
reduced to a broken stump, then that
is crash damage and you are not
entitled to recovery.
Andrew Dalton
at White Dalton Solicitors
93
Know How
[ Last ride ]

MV Agusta’s Superveloce 800 is a lush motorcycle that’s

brilliant to ride. The trouble is that bikes operate in a hostile
environment which is an issue, or two, for Bike’s Paul Lang

Hopefully
that’s not
the actual
Easy to read, and direction of
easy to connect launch
devices to

Full lock and your

thumb gets trapped
against fairing

U
sually there is emotion when a long-term test bike goes
back to its rightful owner. It’s usually positive because the
bike’s custodian will have bonded with it, in the right way.
Unless it’s Westlake and the bike’s a Harley. Or me, if the bike’s the
MV Agusta Superveloce. Bear with me on this…
To be sure, after a JCB and a steam train my next purchase,
should my numbers come up, would be an MV Agusta. I love them.
Yet the last five months as keeper of this Superveloce have been a
love/hate relationship. Spiritually I would describe the experience
as Yin and Lang.
First the Yin: the Superveloce is stunning. So much so that garage
door opening is always followed by an, ‘ooooh,’ from me, and
anyone else in the vicinity. A five minute splash and dash at the
local BP takes ten times longer than with pretty much any other
ACTION PIC: JASON CRITCHELL
I marvel at the push-me pull-you design and those round head
and brake lights. I fondle the fuel tank’s many pleasing nips and
tucks. I prod the slash cut church organ-like exhaust pipes. I stroke
the intricate wheels before counting my way through the many,
many scattered MV logos. The detail is breathtaking. Add official
importer Krazy Horse’s tail tidy (£456 fitted) and the back end
becomes even slicker.
Behind this beautiful facade is a beast. My last ride was for the
shot you see above and once out on the open road you get to play
with that 146bhp inline triple. A motor that redlines at 13,000rpm
is such a glorious way to cross counties… in the blink of an eye.
Power is available everywhere and the MV feels crisp and eager. At
tickover it does sound a bit agricultural and coarse, but on song it
screams like a banshee. The exhaust note married with the triple’s
mechanical growl and intake racket is intoxicating and it’s one of

motorcycle, as fellow refuellers can’t resist engaging with the MV.
Garage door opening, done. Local splash and dash, done. Turn
the key and the fancy dash flashes up ‘cold engine’. What it should
really be saying is: ‘you have a couple of minutes before we set off
so give me a loving stroke and gaze at my beauty again’. And you do
this… every time.
the best bits about the Superveloce for me.
A very close second would be the handling. Turn-in is sharp and
precise. Sometimes I still turn in too early for a bend and have to
adjust but this MV handles quick changes of direction easily.
The screen (which was yellow on the concept) works
surprisingly well, and carries with it a retro feel with a modern

94
 FACTS AND FIGURES
)XHOƮJXUHV

Dry
weight
41
MPG
AVERAGE
173kg Tank size:
16.5 litres
Top Distance to
speed fuel light:
125 miles
Range:
149mph 170 miles

Price £18,980 Engine 798cc, liquid-cooled, 12v

inline triple Power 146bhp @ 13,000rpm
Torque 65 lb.ft @ 10,600rpm
Rake/trail 23.6Ȕ/99mm Wheelbase 1380mm
Seat height 830mm Colours Red/silver and
yellow/graphite Availability now

OPTIONS NEEDED
º TRACKER
For peace of
mind it would be
the first thing I
would do. I trust
BikeTrac who
find 94% of all
bikes taken.
£299 for the
àáòåßáÝêàx
a month subs
º BIG LOCK
‘After a JCB and a steam train AND CHAIN
Buy the Squire
Behemoth from
my next purchase, should my bikerheadz.
co.uk. The
numbers come up, would be strongest
production
an MV Agusta’ padlock that
uses two keys to
unlock it. x"!

º ÃÅÈ«!
If you are going
If you’re in the twist. The modern bits don’t stop there: there’s traction control to use your MV
market for a that has saved me at least once; a quickshifter which is great when any time other
glorious than July please
motorcycle fully on it but not so great through town; launch control; cruise
smother ACF-50
experience control and a dash that will allow you to connect to your phone. on all parts that
- dynamic and may be prone to
aesthetic - the corrosion.
Now the Lang: I couldn’t live with the Superveloce and it’s not
Superveloce is a Beat the salt
good place to be this motorcycle’s fault in any way. It’s me: I’m a normal bloke and
âëîæñïðx!
I cannot afford a bike of this magnitude. I live in constant fear of
dropping it. I will never work on it myself or be stupid enough to

leave it unattended for more than five minutes outside the shops.
And any white van spotted cruising passed my gaff has its number
plate jotted down.
Also the suspension is too hard for UK roads, and I can’t bear the
thought of road salt getting into the bike’s every nook and cranny.
The riding position is for the young of constitution – my wrists
and back ache after a normal Sunday blast and through town
NEXT the heavy clutch is hellish. On full lock my thumb gets trapped
MONTH between the fairing and grip plus the indicator warning lights are
GASGAS
tucked under the fairing out of sight.
I love this bike but if you’re overly precious, like me, then you
700SM need to think long and hard about ownership. PL
THE VERDICT
º I am creating a new category, the
‘Tuxedo bike’. Not your go-to bike for
every situation, but a bike that only
comes out for very special occasions.
The Superveloce is an experience every
time you swing your leg over it. It’s
pure theatre, a show stopper, the star
performer. This also comes at a price
and if that doesn’t bother you or you’re a
lottery winner then the MV is perfection.

%!
ǮKnowledge ǰ Know How

Listings This isn’t a limp brochure-style round-up of all the bikes you can buy. No, your guide is
far more useful as it only contains bikes that we have tested, with comparable
on-the-road prices plus data, expert opinion and must-know detail gathered by
fussy full-time testers. We do hundreds of thousands of miles, dyno, datalog, weigh
and answer the big questions. Don’t buy a new bike without reading this Ʈrst.
** Claimed * Estimated
BIKE PRICE ENGINE TOP SPEED POWER MPG BIKE VERDICT R ATING TESTED

APRILIA uk.aprilia.com, 00800 15565500 Bike’s choice: RSV4 is everything a race rep should be... but we’d buy an RS660
RSV4 Factory £23,000 1099cc V4 186mph* 214bhp** 45mpg Ace engine, great suspension and electronics, exemplary steering. Also tiny, and depreciates. 9/10 Jul ’21
Tuono V4 Factory £18,100 1077cc V4 168mph* 173bhp** 40mpg* Superb motor, crisp chassis, exotic-yet-friendly. Cool. Non-Factory model is every-day usable. 10/10 Nov ’21
Tuareg 660 £10,600 659cc twin 120mph* 79bhp** 59mpg** Ténéré rival is less rounded but has more tech and better suspension. Rugged, fun, but a bit raw. 8/10 Oct ’22
RS660 £10,300 659cc twin 139mph 91bhp 45mpg Sportsbike handling, punch and tech; sports-tourer comfort and usability. Impressive thing. 10/10 Mar ’22
Tuono 660 £9700 659cc twin 135mph* 90bhp* 50mpg Comfier and more agile than RS660, more fun than a Street Triple. Fancier Factory version £10k. 9/10 Jun ’21
ARIEL arielmotor.co.uk, 01460 78817 Bike’s choice: loads of options and extras, but it’s got to have girder forks
Ace £28,345 1237cc V4 165mph** 173bhp** 40mpg* Machined alloy frame, Honda V4, girder forks, endless choices. Fast, capable, work of art. 8/10 Jun ’19
BENELLI benelli.com, 0844 4128450 Bike’s choice: not ridden it yet, but the Leoncino 800 Trail looks tidy...
752 S £6899 754cc twin 95mph* 75bhp ** 55mpg Designed in Italy, built in China. Looks a bit disjointed but rides well – not MT-07 league, but good. 7/10 Jul ’20
TRK 502 £5927 500cc twin 95mph* 46bhp** 72mpg** Lacks a little balance and refinement, but good value distance tool. Italy’s best-selling big bike. 6/10 Mar ’18
BIMOTA bimotauk.co.uk, 01603 920240 Bike’s choice: radical, extreme, whacky, beautiful... who wouldn’t want a Tesi?
Tesi H2 £59,000 998cc V4 190mph* 237bhp** 28mpg Epic supercharged motor in delicious hub-steered chassis. Exquisite, wild, thirsty, expensive. 8/10 Sep ’21
BMW bmw-motorrad.co.uk, 0800 777155 Bike’s choice: yeah, it’s predictable... but brilliance of the GS can’t be ignored
R18B £22,450 1802cc flat twin 115mph* 91bhp** 51mpg Huge retro twin dressed like a H-D Electra Glide... but not quite as good. Buy a Classic instead. 7/10 Dec ’21
R18 Classic First Ed £20,980 1802cc flat twin 115mph* 91bhp** 51mpg Ace boxer cruiser spolit a bit by screen and bags, but still tidy. Normal less shiny version £19.5k. 8/10 May ’21
R18 First Edition £19,000 1802cc flat twin 113mph 87bhp 50mpg Just-so balance of modern rideability, quality and classic feelings. Less-blingy version £17.5k. 9/10 Jul ’21
K1600GT £20,845 1649cc inline 6 154mph** 158bhp** 48mpg** Magical motor, amazing agility, self-levelling suspension, all the toys... It’s a sporty-super-tourer. 9/10 Jul ’22
R1250RT £16,660 1254cc flat twin 142mph 117bhp 50mpg Go-to tourer isn’t to all tastes but you can’t argue that the variable-valve radar-shod twin is ace. 9/10 Dec ’21
R1250GS £14.340 1254cc flat twin 133mph 115bhp 44mpg Grunty, nimble, easy, clever. Endless options. Defines adventure, but Multi’ V4 better on-road. 9/10 Feb ’23
R1250RS SE £15,410 1254cc flat twin 139mph 127bhp 50mpg Fast, comfy, accomplished, lots of tech – sports-tourers aren’t dead. Not perfect, but it’s close. 9/10 May ’20
R1250R £12,210 1254cc flat twin 150mph* 134bhp** 60mpg** Ace variable-valve motor in friendly, comfy, capable chassis. Better pure road bike than a GS? 9/10 Aug ’19
R nineT £13,480 1170cc flat twin 139mph 101bhp 49mpg Cheap? No. Ace quality? Yup. Top mix of modern and classic. Basic-but-capable Pure is £10k. 8/10 Nov ’22
R nineT Urban G/S £11,780 1170cc flat twin 139mph 101bhp 49mpg Classy roadster with wide-bar’d controllability and trad’ styling. Also in Scrambler form. 8/10 Mar ‘18
S1000RR Sport £18,610 998cc inline 4 190mph* 207bhp** 44mpg** Faster, sharper and more high-tech than ever, yet still pleasingly usable. Wow. Base model £17k. 10/10 Mar ’22
S1000XR £15,080 998cc inline 4 155mph 161bhp 43mpg Adventure? Nah, it’s a high-rise sportsbike. Fast, agile, well equipped, reasonable ride, odd seat. 8/10 Mar ’23
S1000R Sport £14,735 998cc inline 4 167mph 163bhp 48mpg Not shouty, but epic: agility, ride, engine and spec are superb. M1000R (£20k) not worth extra. 10/10 Aug ’22
F900XR £10,350 895cc twin 130mph* 100bhp 50mpg Easy-to-ride Tracer rival with eager twin, quality chassis, fine spec. Very good. Naked R is ‘meh’. 9/10 Apr ’23
F850GS £10,260 853cc twin 120mph* 94bhp 58mpg Smooth parallel twin and dirt-ready chassis. The GS we’d use to solo round the world. 9/10 Oct ’18
F750GS £8600 853cc twin 110mph* 76bhp 69mpg** Slim front tyre and 19in wheel make this detuned 850 a better road bike. But lacks some ‘wow’. 8/10 May ’18
G310GS £5630 313cc single 88mph** 34bhp** 84mpg** Decent quality, easy to ride, but missing a defining GS character. Not peanuts, but good. 7/10 Mar ‘18
BSA bsacompany.co.uk Bike’s choice: there’s only one model so far, good job it’s quite compelling...
Gold Star £6300 652cc single 105mph* 43bhp 58mpg A2-legal retro with ’50s style, decent quality and iconic badge. For laid-back Sunday pootles. 8/10 Apr ’23
CCM ccm-motorcycles.com, 01204 544930 Bike’s choice: of the various Spitfire variants the flat-tracker models look coolest
Spitfire Bobber £9995 600cc single 100mph* 55bhp** 56mpg Curious mix of laid-back bobber styling with stiff chassis and revvy power. Not mega, but good. 8/10 Jan ’20
CFMOTO cfmoto.co.uk Bike’s choice: Chinese bikes come of age – 800MT adventurer stands equal to established rivals
700CL-X Heritage £6755 693cc twin 117mph 64bhp 55mpg Chirpy, fun, agile, fine spec, well finished, cheap. Four-year warranty too. Don’t buy an SV650... 8/10 Dec ’21
800MT Touring £11,255 799cc twin 125mph* 95bhp** 55mpg* Based on KTM 790. Handsome, nicely made, dynamically very good, four-year warranty. Wow. 8/10 Mar ’23
DUCATI ducatiuk.com; 0845 718500 Bike’s choice: effective, fun and funky, the DesertX is so damn desirable
Diavel V4 £23,585 1158cc V4 150mph* 166bhp** 44mpg** Caricature looks, raked-out stance, wild power. But it works. No everyone’s cuppa, but glorious. 8/10 Apr ’23
Multistrada V4 S £19,751 1158cc V4 155mph* 170bhp** 43mpg** The most sophisticated, rounded, clever Ducati ever. Fast, sharp, but also comfy and civilised. 10/10 Jul ’22
Panigale V4 S £26,751 1103cc V4 191mph 203bhp 39mpg Stupid-fast, sharp, needs working to get the best out, but still feels mega to ‘normal’ folk. Wow. 9/10 Feb ’22
Streetfighter V4 S £21,651 1103cc V4 175mph* 203bhp** 36mpg Easy (ish) to ride, but also mind-warp fast. It’s remarkable... but also a bit pointless on the road. 8/10 Nov ’21
Scrambler 1100 Pro £11,541 1079cc V-twin 110mph* 83bhp** 45mpg* 1100 Evo-engined, easy-riding Scrambler has charming twin and more comfort than 800s. 8/10 Nov ’22
Panigale V2 £16,251 955cc V-twin 169mph 140bhp 45mpg ‘Entry-level’ superbike is fast yet friendly, focused yet usable. Better for most than the hairy V4. 9/10 May ’22
Streetfighter V2 £15,351 955cc V-twin 160mph* 151bhp** 45mpg* Stripped-down Pani’ V2 makes more sense than its wild V4 sibling. Still stiff and sporty, mind. 8/10 Aug ’22
Multistrada V2 S £14,851 937cc V-twin 135mph 111bhp 48mpg** It’s proper: eager motor, easy handling, effective semi-active ride, manageable, classy. Mega. 9/10 Jan ’22
DesertX £14,251 937cc V-twin 130mph* 110bhp** 41mpg Sexy dual-purpose tool perfectly balances road and off-road needs. Our 2022 Bike of the Year. 10/10 Oct ’22
SuperSport 950 £13,551 937cc V-twin 145mph* 113bhp** 43mpg Not super fast or whizzpop, but a top, usable, sporty (and overlooked) road bike for normal folk. 9/10 Jan ’18
Monster £11,051 937cc V-twin 135mph* 110bhp** 45mpg* Light, fun, usable, quality roadster with badge appeal. Mega. SP (£14k) sharper but less friendly. 10/10 Feb ’22
Scrambler Desert Sled £10,851 803cc V-twin 120mph* 71bhp 55mpg* High-rise twin looks, rides and feels great, and almost works off-road. Best 803cc Scrambler. 9/10 Oct ’17
Scrambler Icon £9151 803cc V-twin 123mph 71bhp 56mpg Looks the part, feels the part, and popular. Limited usability though. Speed Twin 900 is classier. 7/10 Dec ’16
ENERGICA motocorsa.co.uk, 01747 811196 Bike’s choice: they build a sportsbike, but Esse Esse makes more sense in cluttered UK
Eva Esse Esse9 £24,590 electric motor 125mph** 87bhp 60mpc Great acceleration, response, quality. Cheaper than was, but still pricey. Got a charging point? 7/10 Aug ’18
Eva Ribelle £26,690 electric motor 123mph 144bhp 112mpc Performance and handling to rival (most) petrol supernakeds. Best road-going electric bike. 7/10 Apr ’20

Poop scoop scoot

º Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s May 1987 and Westminster Council is
trialing a new ‘moto’ from Paris designed specifically to hoover up
le merde de chien from the Parsian boulevards. We’re not entirely sure
what the bike was (MZ maybe?) or how much success it had in London.
What we do know is that, sadly, the idea didn’t catch on. Maybe they just
couldn’t find anyone willing to ride a two-wheeled pooper-scoop...

97
ǮKnowledge ǰ

Listings
ROAD TEST BACK ISSUES
BLUE $YDLODEOHMXVWRQL3DG
RED $YDLODEOHRQL3DGDQG$QGURLG
ORANGE $YDLODEOHLQSULQWRQO\

** Claimed * Estimated
BIKE PRICE ENGINE TOP SPEED POWER MPG BIKE VERDICT RATING TESTED

FANTIC fanticmotoruk.com Bike’s choice: there are three versions of the Cabellero, but just go for the best colour (so that’s the Scrambler)
Caballero Scrambler £6749 449cc single 100mph* 43bhp** 60mpg Rev-happy, ex-enduro single in a light, good-quality package. Frantic on long rides, but top fun. 8/10 Oct ’19
ÊÃÔÎÇÛ«ÆÃØËÆÕÑÐ harley-davidson.com, 0871 6412508 Bike’s choice: the Fat Bob has looks, finish, good ride... and funny name
CVO Street Glide £37,195 1868cc V-twin 115mph* 80bhp* 50mpg Bold, loud, glitzy, pricey. Most refined and usable big H-D twin yet, let down by choppy ride. 8/10 Nov ’17
Low Rider S £18,495 1868cc V-twin 115mph 93bhp* 50mpg** Top looks and noise, more fun to ride than you think. But better in California than Croydon. 6/10 Jan ’20
Ultra Limited £29,195 1745cc V-twin 105mph* 67bhp* 43mpg H-D take on a tourer. Best-ever ride and handling, water-cooled heads. Good, if not ace. 7/10 Nov ’13
LiveWire £28,995 electric motor 115mph* 104bhp** 90mpc Rapid, jet-like noise, fine handling, smooth, expensive. Soon to be branded Livewire, not H-D. 7/10 Oct ’19
Road Glide Special £26,995 1745cc V-twin 105mph* 67bhp* 42mpg Ride, finish and 8v motor much better than old H-D. War of the Worlds fairing blows minds. 6/10 May ’15
Street Glide Special £26,995 1745cc V-twin 115mph* 40bhp* 45mpg* Classic looks, decent suspension, good finish and latest 8v motor is the best yet. Fine thing. 8/10 Dec ’16
Sport Glide £17,295 1745cc V-twin 116mph 99bhp 51mpg Hammering engine, civil road manners. One of the most appealing H-Ds – and now cheaper. 7/10 Sep ’18
Fat Bob £18,195 1745cc V-twin 115mph* 75bhp* 44mpg** Bold looks, fine details, huge punch, and surprisingly usable. There’s an 1868cc option too. 8/10 Feb ’18
Breakout £21,395 1745cc V-twin 115mph* 75bhp* 50mpg** Low-slung, drag-inspired cruiser that rides better than expected. Classy, refined hot-rod. 8/10 Dec ’17
Street Bob £15,295 1745cc V-twin 110mph* 75bhp* 50mpg** Classic chopper-ish lines, clean handling, modern 8v power. But new Fat Bob is far better. 6/10 Dec ’17
Softail Standard £14,095 1745cc V-twin 110mph* 86bhp** 48mpg Harley’s entry-level bike is £13k. It’s a meat-and-potatoes Harley – charming, but limited ability. 6/10 Jun ’21
Pan America Special £17,295 1252cc V-twin 135mph** 148bhp** 43mpg Comfy, composed, brisk, lots of equipment. Very good, but not quite a GS or Muitistrada rival. 8/10 Sep ’21
Sportster S £14,595 1252cc V-twin 120mph* 119bhp** 50mpg Fastest, smoothest, best handling, most techy Harley cruiser ever. Ace... but lacks the H-D feel. 8/10 Nov ’21
HONDA honda.co.uk/motorcycles, 0845 2008000 Bike’s choice: not just better than its rivals, but cheaper too – Hornet is ace
GL1800 Gold Wing Tour £29,349 1833cc flat-six 112mph 125bhp** 51mpg Huge, OTT, but smart suspension, toys and utter refinement mean it’s still the grand-tour king. 8/10 Dec ’22
GL1800 Gold Wing £25,249 1833cc flat-six 112mph 125bhp** 51mpg Matt-finish ‘bobber’ Wing? Seems an odd idea, but it’s useful, compelling, hilarious. DCT only. 8/10 Oct ’19
CBR1000RR-R Blade SP £23,499 1000cc inline 4 185mph* 214bhp** 45mpg** Shrieking, rev-happy sportsbike. Small, exquisite, hi-tech, classy, pricey. Are you fast enough? 9/10 Apr ’20
CBR1000RR Fireblade £19,999 1000cc inline 4 185mph* 214bhp** 45mpg** Same power and electronics as SP (above), but no semi-active or quickshifter. Save for the SP. 9/10 Apr ’20
Africa Twin Adv’ Sport £14,749 1084cc twin 130mph* 94bhp 44mpg All the tech, plush optional semi-active, classy feel, huge range. And daft switchgear. Hey-ho. 9/10 Sep ’21
Africa Twin £13,049 1084cc twin 130mph* 94bhp 47mpg Feels like a big, refined enduro bike, so is different to a GS. Cheaper too. Daft switches and dash. 8/10 Dec ’19
NT1100 £12,499 1084cc twin 123mph 97bhp 52mpg Cross between Africa Twin and old Deauville is high-spec, keenly-priced, super-comfy tourer. 9/10 Jul ’22
CMX1100 Rebel £9599 1084cc twin 125mph* 86bhp** 52mpg Africa Twin motor in cheery, usable, well-made cruiser. Not plush, but fun and very affordable. 8/10 Jan ’22
CB1000R £11,649 998cc inline 4 145mph 135bhp 46mpg Fast, luxurious, fabulous quality – and has a touch of the soul Honda have been lacking. Nice. 8/10 Dec ’21
CB750 Hornet £6999 755cc twin 140mph* 91bhp** 65mpg** Simple, honest, fun, great spec, class-leading power – and affordable too. Honda have nailed it. 10/10 May ’23
X-ADV £11,099 745cc twin 105mph* 54bhp** 70mpg* Off-road scooter you’ll never take off-road. Pricey too. But also practical, enjoyable and top fun. 8/10 Dec ’18
Forza 750 £10,399 745cc twin 110mph* 54bhp** 70mpg Capable bike with looks and practicality of a scooter. And DCT. Odd concept, ace execution. 9/10 May ’21
NC750X £7849 745cc twin 115mph* 58bhp** 70mpg Flexible twin, big mpg, agile, clever storage. Not flash, but very useful. DCT (£830) is worth it. 10/10 Nov ’21
CBR650R £8499 649cc inline 4 138mph 86bhp 54mpg Flexible, handsome, fun, fast-enough road sportsbike. Remember 1990s CBRs? You’ll love it. 9/10 Aug ’19
CB650R £7699 649cc inline 4 140mph 93bhp** 50mpg Naked version of CBR (above) is fabulously balanced. Quality, dynamic, value all superb. 9/10 May ’19
CB500X £6699 471cc twin 110mph* 43bhp 68mpg* Well-made, able, A2 adventure bike. Naked F (£6099) and faired R (£6599) are even nicer. 7/10 May ’19
CRF300L £5699 286cc single 80mph* 27bhp** 70mpg* Fit green-laner, easy commuter, bit quicker than old 250. Rally (£6449) has big tank and screen. 7/10 Aug ‘22
Monkey £4049 125cc single 65mph* 9.2bhp 105mpg Supersize Monkey: MSX (below) in convincing 1960s mini-bike custom. Fun, not practical. 7/10 Oct ‘18
Super Cub £3749 125cc single 65mph* 9.2bhp 124mpg Descendent of iconic step-thru’. Latest colours are drab, but still glorious urban transport. 8/10 Jul ‘19
HUSQVARNA husqvarnamotorcycles.com/gb Bike’s choice: Supermoto is desirable, funky, silly... and yet usable day-to-day
Norden 901 £12,349 889cc twin 130mph* 103bhp** 63mpg** Attractive reworking of KTM 890 Adventure. Capable, nicely made, but lacks a ‘wow’ moment. 7/10 Oct ’22
701 Supermoto £9349 693cc single 121mph 71bhp 54mpg Engaging, fun at sensible speed, frugal, sexy, friendlier than it looks. Proper midweight tool. 9/10 Sep ’17
701 Enduro £9349 693cc single 120mph* 71bhp 54mpg Proper dirt bike, yet refined, frugal and plush on the road. Big-tank LR (long range) version, too. 9/10 Apr ’19
Svartpilen 401 £5249 375cc single 105mph* 43bhp** 65mpg* Built for A2 riders avoiding the mainstream. Essentially KTM’s fine 390 Duke with more style. 7/10 Jul ’18
INDIAN indianmotorcycle.co.uk Bike’s choice: classic character, modern quality, unique feel – Scout is a standout cruiser
Roadmaster £26,695 1890cc V-twin 110mph* 90bhp* 40mpg* Fully-loaded, over-the-top celebration of trad’ USA touring opulence is actually very good. 7/10 May ‘15
Chieftain Dark Horse £24,495 1811cc V-twin 120mph* 90bhp* 40mpg* Half-faired, long-haul ‘bagger’ with satin finish and lots of tech. Impressive, genuine Harley rival. 8/10 Nov ’14
Challenger £25,495 1770cc V-twin 112mph** 122bhp* 46mpg* Full-on tourer with ace water-cooled motor, physics-defying chassis, full tech. Watch out, H-D. 8/10 Jan ’20
FTR1200R Carbon £12,495 1203cc V-twin 140mph* 123bhp** 38mpg Stylish, high-quality, sporty retro with ace V-twin. We preferred it with the old 19in wheel, mind. 8/10 Nov ’22
Scout £12,295 1133cc V-twin 120mph 100bhp** 45mpg* Distinct, quality mix of trad’ style and modernity. Mean Bobber version is trendy but less classy. 8/10 Feb ’18
KAWASAKI kawasaki.co.uk, 01628 856750 Bike’s choice: has to be the Ninja Z H2. Friendly, usable, yet suitably deranged
Versys 1000 SE GT £17,425 1043cc inline 4 144mph 118bhp** 42mpg Top-spec Versys with all the electronics, luxurious semi-active, luggage... but no heated grips. 9/10 May ’19
Versys 1000 S £13,735 1043cc inline 4 144mph 114bhp 47mpg High-rise, high-spec ‘adventure tourer’ is great. Not much of a looker, mind. Very overlooked. 8/10 Aug ’22
Ninja 1000SX £12,505 1043cc inline 4 149mph 140bhp** 42mpg The UK’s fave sports-tourer is smooth, refined, well equipped. Looks a bit dated, but still cuts it. 9/10 May ’22
Ninja H2 SX SE £24,735 998cc inline 4 186mph* 197bhp** 39mpg Sports-touring exotica. Not perfect, but classy, usable, and that motor... Base H2 SX is £21,735. 8/10 Jun ’19
Z H2 SE £19,235 998cc inline 4 175mph* 197bhp** 34mpg The impressive Z H2 (below) with fine semi-active ride. It’s the thinking rider’s supernaked. 9/10 Jul ’21
Z H2 £16,725 998cc inline 4 175mph* 197bhp** 34mpg Mega blown H2 motor in bespoke naked chassis. Far more road focus than supernaked rivals. 8/10 Oct ’20
Ninja ZX-10RR £24,955 998cc inline 4 180mph 189bhp 44mpg The already-capable ZX-10R with tuned motor and fancy wheels: basically a base for racing. 9/10 Jun ’18

CB: not Cheap Bike

º Honda’s new CB750 Hornet is redefining ‘cheap’ bikes (see p46) – and
this earlier CB750 redefined expensive. This pre-production ‘sand cast’
CB750 was one of four original prototypes and appeared at the Brighton
Motorcycle Show in ’69. It then became a press bike, a demonstrator, and
was sold to Lord Denbigh, shown here. In 2018 it sold at auction for a vast
£161,000 – the most expensive Japanese bike ever sold at auction.

98
 Know How

** Claimed * Estimated
BIKE PRICE ENGINE TOP SPEED POWER MPG BIKE VERDICT RATING TESTED

Ninja ZX-10R £16,725 998cc inline 4 185mph 185bhp 52mpg Amazing race-derived motor, handling, electronics. Performancemodel (Akra’ can) is £1k extra. 9/10 Mar ‘23
Z900RS £11,385 948cc inline 4 143mph 102bhp 51mpg Z900 in retro clobber. And better for it – dynamic, feel and detail are great. SE (£13k) even better. 8/10 Nov ’22
Z900 £9855 948cc inline 4 145mph* 123bhp** 52mpg** If you grew up on inline fours, this is ace. Not as punchy as MT-09, but very good and well priced. 7/10 Sep ’17
Z650RS £8105 649cc twin 130mph* 67bhp** 65mpg** Spot-on mix of modern Z650’s abilities with cool ’70s retro vibe. £150 extra for green? Worth it. 8/10 Jan ’22
Versys 650 £8355 649cc twin 115mph* 62bhp* 54mpg* Twin-cylinder all-rounder is knocking on, but latest extras keep it valid. Fine multi-purpose tool. 8/10 Aug ’22
Vulcan S £7605 649cc twin 115mph* 61bhp** 63mpg* Affordable, good-looking, modern cruiser with ER-6 power. Surprising ability, keen price. 8/10 Jan ’22
Ninja 650 £7755 649cc twin 130mph* 67bhp** 70mpg* Z650 dressed up in ZX-10R costume. Comfy, easy-to-ride, cheery twin for J. Rea wannabes. 9/10 May ’17
Z650 £7505 649cc twin 130mph* 67bhp** 70mpg* Zed is fun, fit, frugal. Nice, but lacks sparkle next to a Hornet, MT-07 or Trident. It’s knocking on... 7/10 May ’23
KTM ktm.co.uk Bike’s choice: fast, light and funky, but safe and secure – 890 Duke is a wonderful creation.
Super Adventure S £15,599 1301cc V-twin 155mph* 160bhp** 49mpg Super-tech, radar-shod, all-roads missile dressed as adventure bike. Ace, but Multi’ V4 better. 9/10 Sep ’21
1290 Super Duke GT £17,949 1301cc V-twin 159mph 158bhp 45mpg Mad power, sports handling, all the toys and eats miles. Couple of iffy bits, otherwise ace. 9/10 Jan ’19
1290 Super Duke R £16,349 1301cc V-twin 160mph* 161bhp 42mpg* Mighty fast yet friendly, sharp but safe, and loads of gizmos. Surprisingly usuable supernaked. 9/10 Mar ’23
890 Adventure £11,449 889cc twin 130mph* 103bhp** 63mpg** The previous 790 with extra bhp, smoother delivery, tweaked chassis, more tech. Very good. 8/10 Jan ’21
890 Duke R £11,049 889cc twin 140mph* 119bhp** 53mpg Buy this, not a Street Triple RS – it’s the defining mid-size sportsbike, but somehow still friendly. 9/10 Feb ’22
690 Enduro R £9349 690cc single 115mph* 73bhp** 60mpg* Super-clever Duke/Husky 701 lump in long-legged trailie. Pukka, classy, dual-purpose tool. 8/10 Feb ’16
390 Adventure £5999 373cc single 105mph* 43bhp** 56mpg Chirpy A2-legal adventurer looks like a 1290 (sort of). But it’s basically a 390 Duke in wellies. 8/10 Jul ’20
RC 390 £5649 373cc single 107mph 42bhp 53mpg Fast, frantic, flighty, yet efficient and usable. Dissolves in winter. In teen-friendly 125 form too. 6/10 Jul ’15
390 Duke £5149 373cc single 108mph 41bhp 70mpg* Revvy, eager motor in agile 125 chassis? Yes. Looks like the 1290 and less toy-like than it was. 7/10 Jun ’17
125 Duke £4499 125cc single 75mph* 15bhp** 100mpg* Indian-made Duke for teens is huge pan-Europe success. It’s perky, handles and looks top. 7/10 Jun ’11
LANGEN langenmotorcycles.co.uk; 01942 724059 Bike’s choice: there’s one model, which limits choice. Luckily it’s amazing
Two Stroke £33,600 249cc V-twin 130mph* 74bhp** 40mpg* Pricey, yes. But stroker is deliciously engineered, fast, raw. Perfect antidote to the mainstream. 9/10 Feb ’22
MASH mashmotorcycles.co.uk; 01264 889012 Bike’s choice: go for the X-Ride (but budget for new tyres and suspension)
650 X-Ride £5755 644cc single 90mph* 40bhp** 60mpg* Ex-Honda Dominator motor in 70s-style trailie. Good quality, keen price, let down by chassis. 5/10 Apr ’21
Scrambler 400 £4101 398cc single 80mph* 28bhp** 70mpg** Inoffensive aesthetics, affordable price, steady performance. Simple two-wheel pleasures. 6/10 Nov ’16
Five Hundred 400 £4399 398cc single 80mph* 28bhp** 70mpg** French brand, made in China, Honda-based motor. Iffy details, odd name, but cheap and fun. 6/10 Dec ’17
MOTO GUZZI uk.motoguzzi.it Bike’s choice: unique image, sweet ride, classy quality; it’s not fast or clever but V85 is lovely
V100 Mandello S £15,750 1042cc V-twin 135mph* 108bhp 50mpg Sports-tourer is classy, comfy, capable, charismatic. Serious alternative to a Honda or BMW. 9/10 May ’23
V85 TT £11,200 853cc V-twin 115mph 68bhp 50mpg Convincing road-going adventurer. Capable dynamic, fine quality, charm and great looks. 9/10 Oct ’22
V9 Bobber £9600 853cc V-twin 110mph* 64bhp** 55mpg* Pleasing V-twin in a trendy, well-made package. Doesn’t sell well so haggle yourself a top deal. 8/10 Jun ’16
V7 Special £8600 853cc V-twin 115mph* 64bhp** 63mpg Style, ride and badge all spot-on. 850 V-twin isn’t as grunty as a Street Twin, but we forgive it. 9/10 Jul ’21
MOTO MORINI motomorini.eu Bike’s choice:you might need to be brave, but the Milano is a convincingly authentic Morini
Milano £12,700 1187cc V-twin 145mph* 114bhp** 42mpg Instant chunky power, firm and direct chassis, neat 70s paint. Buying is a gamble, but it’s cool. 8/10 Nov ’19
X-Cape £6999 649cc twin 109mph* 59bhp** 49mpg Made in China with CFMOTO engine. Great spec, good quality, rides well. No Ténéré, but cheap. 7/10 Mar ’22
MUTT muttmotorcycles.com, 0121 439 4774 Bike’s choice: endless ‘custom’ versions available, so get creative
RS-13 125 £3572 125cc single 80mph* 12bhp** 80mpg* Retro 125 built in China to Mutt’s spec, finished in UK. Knobblies are limiting, but a decent thing. 6/10 Nov ’18
MV AGUSTA mvagusta.co.uk, 0844 4128450 Bike’s choice: latest Brutale is refined, usable, yet still exotic
Dragster 800 RR SCS £18,220 798cc inline 3 150mph* 138bhp* 45mpg Expensive, yes. But also classy, high-spec, comfy, and refined like no MV before. Impressive. 8/10 Jan ’22
Superveloce £18,980 798cc inline 3 160mph* 146bhp** 41mpg Super-sporty F3 in semi-retro dress. Fast, sharp, sounds top, looks superb, quite demanding. 8/10 Mar ’23
Turismo Veloce Rosso £13,930 798cc inline 3 136mph 110bhp** 48mpg* Adventure bike? Nah, it’s like a high-rise sportsbike. So-so ride, busy dash, but it’s good. 8/10 Jan ’19
F3 800 Rosso £14,840 798cc inline 3 161mph 148bhp** 34mpg* Crisp, punchy, trim. Easier on the road than a 600 but still focused – needs a track to really shine. 8/10 Apr ’14
Brutale 800 RR £15,590 798cc inline 3 153mph** 138bhp** 40mpg** Top engine, nimble, great looks, ridiculous hard ride. Semi-auto clutch version a bit gimmicky. 6/10 Apr ’19
NORTON nortonmotorcycles.com; 0121 565 4411 Bike’s choice: Think Norton, think Commando... and it’s good to ride, too
Commando 961 SP £16,499 961cc twin 125mph* 77bhp** 40mpg* Traditional pushrod Brit twin for the modern world. Sweet handling, well made, lots of character. 9/10 Mar ’23
ROYAL ENFIELD royalenfield.com/uk; 0844 412 8450 Bike’s choice: it’s tough... Interceptor has the appeal, Himalayan has the practicality
Continental GT £6239 648cc twin 110mph* 44bhp 60mpg* Café racer has flexible motor, light handling, keen price – but Inter’ version (below) is nicer. 8/10 Apr ’19
Interceptor £6039 648cc twin 110mph 44bhp 60mpg Charming twin has authentic feel, fine looks and attractive price. Think Indian-made Guzzi V7. 9/10 Mar ’23
Himalayan £4699 411cc single 80mph* 25bhp 84mpg Rugged trailie with laid-back motor. Decent ride, very popular. Naked Scram version a bit ‘meh’. 8/10 Jul ’21
Classic £4439 349cc single 72mph 19bhp 79mpg The hugely successful Meteor dressed up like an old Bullet. Easy-going basic Sunday plodder. 7/10 Aug ’22
Meteor £3879 349cc single 72mph 19bhp 79mpg Simple, chirpy character, light handling, nicely made, and super cheap. Fast? No way. Fun? Yes. 8/10 Nov ’21
SUZUKI suzuki-gb.co.uk; 0845 850 8800 Bike’s choice: has the be the Hayabusa, doesn’t it? The thing’s a legend
Hayabusa £17,155 1340cc inline 4 186mph* 187bhp** 42mpg** There are more powerful bikes. But nothing goes stupid fast with the ease and class of a Busa. 8/10 Jul ’22
V-Strom 1050 XT £12,555 1037cc V-twin 137mph 99bhp 52mpg Loads of gizmos, amazing screen, plush-yet-secure ride, solid motor. It’s no GS... but top value. 8/10 Dec ’20
V-Strom 1050 £10,155 1037cc V-twin 137mph 99bhp 52mpg Not got the XT’s toys, spokes or cool colours, but well priced with usual V-Strom friendliness. 7/10 Dec ’20
GSX-R1000R £17,655 999cc inline 4 186mph* 199bhp** 45mpg* As usable and supple as lairy superbikes get. Amazing. Sadly discontinued so buy one quick. 9/10 Jan ’23
GSX-S1000 GT £12,155 999cc inline 4 155mph* 150bhp* 46mpg** GSX-R power, all-day comfort, lots of toys and good looking, too. Trad’ sports-tourers are back. 8/10 May ’22
Katana £12,455 999cc inline 4 152mph 147bhp 46mpg Superb GSX-S supernaked with sharp 80s-inspired styling. Bold yet usable, and underrated. 8/10 Nov ’19

44 years & going strong

º Several years ago we ran a little story about how Suzuki still made the
TS185ER. And amazingly they still do. First seen in 1979, the two-stroke
trailie is still a current model in Kenya (along with the DR200S and the
TF125, a sort of farm version of the old TS125). Even more unexpectedly,
UNICEF also list the 185 in its current supply catalogue. Price? 365,000
Kenyan shillings, or around £2400. Cheaper than a secondhand one...

99
ǮKnowledge ǰ Know How

Listings
ROAD TEST BACK ISSUES
BLUE $YDLODEOHMXVWRQL3DG
RED $YDLODEOHRQL3DGDQG$QGURLG
ORANGE $YDLODEOHLQSULQWRQO\

** Claimed * Estimated
BIKE PRICE ENGINE TOP SPEED POWER MPG BIKE VERDICT RATING TESTED

GSX-S1000 £11,255 999cc inline 4 149mph 143bhp 45mpg GSX-R motor, plush ride, comfy, fine finish, low price. Way nicer than it used to be. Don’t ignore. 9/10 Dec ’21
V-Strom 650 XT £8855 645cc V-twin 115mph* 60bhp* 45mpg £700 over the base model (below) gets you hand gaurds and wire wheels. Worth it for the looks. 7/10 Jul ’17
V-Strom 650 £8155 645cc V-twin 115mph* 60bhp* 45mpg More able and better-equipped than ever, still cuddly and reliable. Not stand-out, but good. 7/10 Jul ’17
SV650X £7555 645cc V-twin 122mph 74bhp 50mpg Standard SV with on-trend tuck-and-roll seat, bikini fairing and clip-ons. Buy the stocker. 6/10 May ’18
SV650 £7155 645cc V-twin 122mph 74bhp 50mpg Chirpy, cheerful, usable, quick, proven, though Yam MT-07 has a bit more zip and charm. 7/10 Apr ’19
GSX-R125 £4776 124cc single 80mph* 15bhp** 123mpg** Perky motor, better power-to-weight than rivals, and cheaper. Won’t suit big-boned, mind. 9/10 Nov ’17
GSX-S125 £4478 124cc single 75mph* 15bhp** 123mpg** Naked version of trim GSX-R. Light, agile, stable, but not as ‘complete’ as the sportsbike. 8/10 Nov ’17
TRIUMPH triumphmotorcycles.co.uk Bike’s choice: Speed Twin 1200 isn’t perfect, but it’s flippin’ compelling
Rocket 3 GT £21,300 2458cc inline 3 138mph** 165bhp** 35mpg Huge motor is amazing, handling is ridiculous, but firm ride and sheer bulk limit use as ‘real’ GT. 8/10 May ’21
Rocket 3 R £22,200 2458cc inline 3 138mph** 165bhp** 35mpg Cruiser? Hardly. With a stiff chassis, handling and crazy grunt, the R is a Mad Max supernaked. 8/10 Feb ’21
Tiger 1200 Rally Pro £17,700 1200cc inline 3 140mph* 148bhp** 55mpg** High tech, comfy, top chassis, all the tech, ace quality. Not got low-speed ease of GS, but faster. 9/10 Oct ’22
Thruxton RS £13,595 1200cc twin 130mph* 103bhp** 50mpg Trad’ charm and neat details with punching, revvy twin, track-able chassis and premium finish. 9/10 Mar ’20
Scrambler 1200 XE £13,195 1200cc twin 130mph* 96bhp** 50mpg Thudding big twin in tall, plush, quality trail bike with a dash of dirt skill. Loads of toys, too. 8/10 Nov ’19
Scrambler 1200 XC £12,295 1200cc twin 130mph* 96bhp** 50mpg B-road-ready 1200 is top quality, high tech, pleasing, but Street Scrambler is better value. 8/10 Mar ’19
Speedmaster £12,395 1200cc twin 110mph* 76bhp** 55mpg** Low-slung Bobber transformed for the USA with beach ‘bars, shiny bits and pillion perch. 8/10 Sep ’18
Bonneville Bobber £12,395 1200cc twin 120mph* 77bhp** 56mpg Oodles of grunt, capable chassis, spot-on stance and feel. Perfect blend of modern and retro. 9/10 Jan ’22
Speed Twin 1200 £11,295 1200cc twin 130mph* 96bhp** 50mpg Retro-supernaked has mighty grunt and sharp chassis with flat-cap looks. Great, but a bit... lost. 8/10 Nov ’22
Bonneville T120 £11,295 1200cc twin 120mph* 79bhp** 54mpg Lolloping grunt, steadfast chassis, top finish. Hasn’t Street Twin’s agility, but has finer ride. 9/10 Sep ’18
Speed Triple RR £17,950 1160cc inline 3 150mph 166bhp 39mpg RS (below) with retro fairing, GSX-R riding position and posh suspension. Nicer than the naked. 8/10 Jun ’22
Speed Triple RS £15,500 1160cc inline 3 175mph* 178bhp** 38mpg Awesome motor, ace outright handling, full tech. But too stiff and focused for the road. Shame. 8/10 Nov ’21
Scrambler 900 £9595 900cc twin 110mph* 54bhp** 60mpg Street Twin with semi-knobblies, taller ride, high pipes. Bit more spacious and stable. Nice. 9/10 Feb ’19
Bonneville T100 £9395 900cc twin 110mph* 54bhp** 60mpg All the style and easy-going pleasures of the T120. Makes 24bhp less, but is £1900 (!) cheaper. 9/10 Sep ’18
Speed Twin 900 £8595 900cc twin 110mph* 64bhp** 60mpg Handsome, pleasing, well-made retro with decent grunt and easy-to-flick chassis. Really good. 9/10 Dec ’22
Tiger 900 Rally Pro £13,595 888cc inline 3 130mph* 94bhp** 55mpg** High-tech, finely-spec’d adventure bike is staggeringly effective (but a little straigh-laced). 9/10 Oct ’22
Tiger 900 GT Pro £13,295 888cc inline 3 130mph* 94bhp** 49mpg Great spec, comfort and usability. But road-biased GT doesn’t stand out like the Rally version. 8/10 Jan ’21
Tiger 850 Sport £10,095 888cc inline 3 125mph* 84bhp** 49mpg Confusingly, 850 is actually the base Tiger 900. Lowest power, fewest toys, but decent enough. 8/10 Apr ’23
Street Triple RS £10,995 765cc inline 3 148mph 124bhp 48mpg Big power, glittering spec, rock-hard ride. Top naked sportsbike, but lacks fun of old Street Trip’. 8/10 Feb ’22
Tiger Sport 660 £8745 660cc inline 3 135mph* 80bhp** 60mpg** 660 Trident (below) re-packaged as a practical high-riding all-rounder. Giant-slaying brilliance. 9/10 Mar ’23
Trident 660 £7695 660cc inline 3 129mph 75bhp 54mpg Affordable and friendly like an MT-07, sweet handling like a Street Trip’. Bit stiff, otherwise great. 9/10 May ’23
VOGE vogeuk.co.uk, 01932 358000 Bike’s choice: doesn’t quite hit the high-end positioning it strives, but 500DS is decent
500DS £5527 471cc twin 110mph* 47bhp** 63mpg China’s take on Honda’s CB500X. Not as good as a CB, but impressive – and great spec for £5k. 7/10 Feb ’21
YAMAHA yamaha-motor.co.uk, 01932 358000 Bike’s choice: nicely made, capable, ace to ride – Ténéré 700 is a glorious thing
R1M £23,600 998cc inline 4 186mph 192bhp 40mpg MotoGP-derived electronics + track-focused superbike = incredible. Limited availability. 9/10 Feb ’21
R1 £18,200 998cc inline 4 186mph* 192bhp 40mpg Stiff, tall, high geared on road, but raciest of the race reps is special and peerless on track. 9/10 Dec ’19
MT-10 SP £16,000 998cc inline 4 153mph 152bhp 38mpg Already amazing MT-10 with R1 SP’s electronic suspenders. Great, if not obviously better. 9/10 May ’17
MT-10 £13,500 998cc inline 4 153mph 152bhp 38mpg Not as wild as some rivals, but cheaper, easier to ride, and still epic. Thinking rider’s supernaked. 9/10 Aug ’22
Niken GT £15,502 847cc inline 3 117mph 105bhp 42mpg Large screen, better pillion bits and luggage turn the three-wheeler into a great sports-tourer. 8/10 Jun ’20
Tracer 9 GT £13,100 890cc inline 3 146mph 107bhp 47mpg Superb distance-ready sports-tourer. Perky, stable, comfy, and all the toys you could need. 9/10 May ’22
Tracer 9 £10,700 890cc inline 3 146mph 107bhp 47mpg Adventurer presence, comfort, practicality – it’s a top road bike. High-spec GT worth the extra. 9/10 Apr ’23
XSR900 £10,200 890cc inline 3 130mph 107bhp 49mpg Ace MT-09 reworked into a convincing ’80s flat-bar superbike. Cool, fun, sexy, but a bit stiff. 9/10 Nov ’22
MT-09 SP £10,650 890cc inline 3 130mph* 117bhp** 48mpg Öhlins shock, classy forks, R1M paint job, brilliant engine. Superb every-day semi-supernaked. 9/10 Feb ’22
MT-09 £9400 890cc inline 3 130mph* 117bhp** 49mpg* Wonderful gurgling triple now with more tech, oomph and rider confidence than ever. It’s mega. 9/10 May ’21
Ténéré World Raid £11,800 689cc twin 120mph* 72bhp** 61mpg Mega Ténéré (below) with large tank and tall dirt-biased set-up. Better on trails, worse on road. 8/10 Oct ’22
Ténéré 700 £9900 689cc twin 120mph* 72bhp** 55mpg* Great MT-07 motor in Dakar-style chassis. Charms on the road, rocks on a trail, and good value. 10/10 Feb ’20
Tracer 7 £8450 689cc twin 125mph* 70bhp 56mpg Super-fun MT-07 with practical niceties. The datum for all-rounder value. GT even better. 9/10 Aug ’20
R7 £8400 689cc twin 130mph* 72bhp** 56mpg* More than a faired MT-07. Lacks a bit of wow but properly sporty, ace in corners, fun, affordable. 8/10 Aug ’22
XSR700 £8000 689cc twin 119mph 70bhp 49mpg MT-07 in period costume. Proof retro looks can work with a modern dynamic. LC paint is great. 9/10 Jun ’16
MT-07 £7200 689cc twin 122mph* 74bhp 48mpg Fun, capable, perky, appealing, good value. Great bike, but Honda Hornet makes it feel dated. 9/10 May ’23
R6 Race £12,400 599cc inline 4 172mph 114bhp 38mpg Hardest, sharpest 600 ever with full electronics and R1 style. Only available in track-ready form. 8/10 Feb ’19
R3 £5950 321cc twin 102mph* 41bhp** 65mpg Light, revvy, fun-to-ride, well finished. Ability and spec fight for title of best A2 sportsbike. 8/10 May ’19
R125 £5000 125cc single 80mph* 15bhp 92mpg R1 looks, big bike feel, clever engine. Easy to see why they sell so many to enthusiastic teens. 8/10 May ’19
ZERO zeromotorcycles.com, +3172 5112014 Bike’s choice: SR/S is good enough to convert stubborn petrolheads
SR/S Premium £20,990 electric motor 124mph** 110bhp** 242mpg Fast, torquey, smooth, hi-spec, great to ride. Range and charge time bearable. Price a bit salty. 8/10 Jul ’22
SR/F Premium £21,620 electric motor 124mph** 110bhp** 250mpg Quick, decent range, simple to ride, easy to like. Bit drab to look at, usual charging point issues. 7/10 Sep ’19
S £16,040 electric motor 86mph** 59bhp** 200mpg Simple commuter has basic chassis, slow charging and ain’t cheap, but costs peanuts to run. 6/10 Dec ’20

Team Ginsters?
º British firm Seamless Digital are working with McLaren on super-light
digital screens. The idea is these could be mounted on an F1 car to show
different advertisements during a race. Hopefully they’ll reach bikes too,
allowing smaller and less obvious brands to squeeze in amongst all the
energy drinks. We love the idea of Mars Bar Ducati or Andrex Aprilia. This
is Niall Mackenzie on his Nescafe Yamaha YZF750 at Suzuka in 1991.

100
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Know How

[ Our favourites ]

2-piece
Proper
protection
and style,

leathers
with a nice
splash of
practicality

RST Sabre £269.99(jacket) £219.99(jeans) rst-moto.com

ºI’ve had these RSTs for well over a year now
and the Sabre ensemble has preformed
faultlessly. For under £500 the specification is
very impressive: AAA rating; level 1 armour
and leather so thick I’m sure it must be
dinosaur. But it’s the simple things that really
stand out for me. The jacket has a huge zip
that connects the two pieces together easily
– there’s no spinning around like a Strictly
contestant. There’s a warm and removable
liner so autumn rides don’t mean fishing out
the textiles. Add to this: adjustability for my
mid-life dad paunch; oompa loompa length
trouser options; soft neoprene cuffs to stop
zips scratching wrists and no speed hump
getting in the way of my rucksack, and we’re
talking all day comfort. Love them. PL

Dainese AVRO D2 £601dainese.com

ºIt’s Dainese so all the standard bases are
covered: thick, supple leather, solid-feeling
build quality and heavy duty zips (especially the
jacket-trouser connector, which is a monster).
The Avro is essentially a middle of the range
one-piece race suit complete with speed
hump, knee sliders and elbow sliders (yeah
right…), that’s been chopped in half so you can
‘Europe’s largest
remove the jacket between trackday sessions
or at the café. Theoretically the zip introduces a
motorcycle test ride
weakness (hence its bulk) but for an
intermittent trackdayer like me that’s easily
fleet, racing, stunt
outweighed by the convenience. The only
issue is that the connector zip is positioned
shows, kit to buy…’
high to keep it clear of the arse crash zone so it
is slightly awkward to do up unless you do
yoga. Which I don’t. JW

Astars V2 £569 (jacket) £539 (strides) alpinestars.com [ Try this ]

Grippy
ºGoodness. Eleven-hundred quid? That’s a
lot of money. About 20 years ago I had an
Alpinestars textile jacket that disappointed in

legs
every aspect, and there’s so much great
affordable kit these days that I’d started
thinking the Italian brand is bought for badge
and status, rather than actual merit. But this
combination of Missile V2 Ignition jacket and ºYou affect how a bike rides
Track V2 Ignition trousers is glorious. The and reacts. It won’t do what you
sense of quality and protection is top notch
– and with a full AAA rating and the most
want if your arms are locked and you
substantial knee armour I’ve ever encountered, cling to the ’bars. Try gripping the bike with your knees
I’d be happy to slide down the road. Well, no, I and legs, even your feet. It might mean adjusting your
wouldn’t, but you know what I mean. Best stance, but means you’re using your lower body for
two-piece I’ve ever used. Shop around and stability. This leaves your upper body relaxed, and if
you’ll get £150 off both the jacket and jeans,
which makes the total a bit less crazy. MA
your arms aren’t tense you’ll be able to react and steer
if a van pulls out or a corner jumps out. Mike Armitage

102
 [ Events ]

See, hear...
It’s time to heave ourselves off the
couch and go do stuff. Nigel
Grimshaw picks his starter for four
Kempton Auto Jumble
Kempton, Middlesex 25 March
ºIf you’re a subscriber, or buy your copy of Bike as it goes into the
shops, then you’re still in time for this one. And it’s a big one:
thousands of kindred spirits on the look out for their next excuse
to head to the shed, or just a bacon butty, cuppa and a chat.
kemptonautojumble.co.uk

British Superbikes
Silverstone, Northants 07-09 April
ºIf you’ve been fired up by Stuart Higgs (the force behind BSB’s
success) back on page 40 then the return of British Superbikes
can’t come soon enough. There’s a new format this year, said to
reward season-long performance and keep things even more on
the bubble right through to the end of the season.
britishsuperbike.com

Festival of Power
Santa Pod, Bedfordshire 07-09 April
ºIn recent-ish times Santa Pod has gone through a major revamp
including an entirely new track surface. As other British drag strips
struggle, and worse close, The Pod remains a brilliant weekend.
Top Fuel bikes and Easter eggs. That’ll do.
santapod.co.uk

MCN Festival
Peterborough, 13-14 May
ºA long-standing part of the biking calendar and still what we all
call the BMF Show, even though it’s not been that for years. Expect
Europe’s largest motorcycle test ride fleet, racing, stunt shows, kit
to buy and a classic bike auction. Take the tent or stay in one of
Peterborough’s many well appointed hotels and guest houses.
mcnfestival.com

[ Tried & Tested ]

‘Nowt to fear here’

Dexter Electron 2
Used for: one month Price: £84.99 Info: sportsbikeshop.co.uk

º No, I wasn’t aware of them either. Dexter is a French brand, available in the UK through Sportsbike
Shop for what appears to be extremely attractive pricing. This adventure hat has a Pinlock-ready
visor, ‘EasyFit’ system for spectacle wearers, removable peak, washable interior, plus a built-in
drop-down sun visor, all for eighty-five quid. Cheap and value aren’t the same thing, of course, so I
made sure that I managed my expectations. But didn’t need to worry. Sure, a few bits of trim give
the price away, and the Pinlock doesn’t follow the lower profile of the visor and so looks a bit... well,
odd. But I like the snugness around my neck, reducing wind noise and making it feel safe, like that
it’s a modest 1530g (lighter than a Shoei Hornet ADV or Arai Tour-X4), and importantly I like that it
stays comfortable over a full day. My last adventure lid was £300. This is just as good. MA

103
Know How

[ Skills ]

‘It’s like
starting again’

Using your adventure bike away from hard surfaces requires different skills.
The Armitage double-act head into the woods and try not to fall off

I
’m fortunate, where I live, to be surrounded by great roads. Not It’s genuinely eye-opening. I thought I
just hard-topped ones. There are several byways open to all should stand up straight and cover the
traffic, unsealed roads and other confusing types of trail, and rear brake. But leaning forward
whenever we test an adventure bike I’m tempted to explore. slightly and getting my elbows out Ed testing if
the crash bars
Sometimes I do give in to their lure and blunder through greenery. makes a huge difference to are up to it.
It’s always fun, but I’m sweaty, tense and aching when I plop back confidence and control – my Very thorough
onto tarmac. And relieved that a passing John Deere hasn’t had to upper body is supported but I
extract a hefty motorcycle (and imbecile rider) from a hedge. can keep the right amount
Clearly I’m doing something, or lots of things, wrong. Which is grip of the ’bars for control.
why I’m stood in some trees with my 17-year-old son Edward and ‘Like you’re holding a
wondering how long until I’m flailing under a bike getting my gerbil,’ says Paul. ‘Not too
Oxford Rockland suit all mucky. We’re at the Sinnis Off-road Riding tight, but not so that it can
Academy for a day of training that’ll cover everything from body get away.’ Keeping legs
position and correct use of controls to scaling rutted hillsides. slightly bent allows knees
The course uses the Sinnis Terrain 125. With thirteen horsepower, to isolate a bucking bike,
compact dimensions and a modest 162kg kerb weight it’s suitably and riding on the balls of
un-intimidating for clueless fools like us. your feet lets your ankle
balljoint move freely, so you
Elbows out can adjust body position.
To get a feel and build confidence we start with fundamentals, And body position has the
including getting on the bike off-road and circling it while holding it biggest effect. In tight turns you
up. After a few ‘never thought of that’ moments it’s into the woods, push your bum to the outside,
and straight away my bum twitches. Apart from lower tyre pressures straighten your inside arm, and push
the Terrains are standard, which means road rubber and only modest the bike down. ‘Weight distribution
ground clearance. I do my best standing-up-like-I-know-what-I’m- makes such a difference,’ says Ed. ‘You really
doing but feel awkward, nervous and like both tyres will slide from feel the tyres grip when you move yourself to the
under me. Out of control, basically. We’re doing about 15mph. outside and weight the outside ’peg. It feels odd to
Which is what instructors Paul and Harry expect. Having shown start, but soon stops feeling so alien.’ To demonstrate his new
our road-rider’s technique is useless away from tarmac, they now skills Ed performs a tight turn and has a gentle lie down in the leaves.
spend the morning teaching us what we should do. It’s broken down
Up there? Really?
PICS: SINNIS

into different elements (with posh biscuit refreshments between

each), with techniques and skills clearly explained and demonstrated After a few more comedy tumbles and an alfresco lunch, we find
before we put each into practise. ourselves at the bottom of serious-looking track that disappears up a

104
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çêááïÞáêð
áèÞëóïëñð
îÝäîÝäîÝäĊ

ÊÝîîõïäëóï
ðáßäêåíñáåï
éëîá
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éÝßäåêáîõ

‘You can really feel

the tyres grip when
you weight the
outside footpeg’

steep bank. It has deep ruts, a dodgy
camber and lots of sloppy mud. Another
group of more experienced riders arrive
on Beta enduro bikes (the sort of things
that look like they want to break your legs)
of the day when we still want to ride some more. ‘By mid-morning I
was knackered,’ says Ed, ‘but this afternoon I still feel alright. It’s all
down to technique – I’m more relaxed, confident and not fighting
the bike. And not falling off as much…’ MA

and watching them scrabble up despite
proper knobbly tyres doesn’t inspire confidence.
However, a swift reminder from Harry of all the
things we’ve learnt – ride the ruts to keep wheels
pointing the right way, maintain momentum, elbows
out, use your body for grip, keep you head up – and I fly up
the hill like a seasoned enduro master.
Actually, no. I reach the top of the climb sat down, paddling and in
first gear. But the dinky 125 road bike has made it up, and so have I.
Miraculously, after some hilltop instruction I also make it back down
without ending up in a bramble with a Sinnis as a hat.
We’re surprised what these small road bikes can do if ridden
correctly. But how effective the course really is hits home at the end
Learn to be an adventurer
ºThe Sinnis school is run by the Desert Rose Riding
Academy, founded in 2009 by Patsy Quick – former
British and European Women’s Enduro Champion and
four-time Dakar competitor. Instructor standards are
high: our course was with Paul King, an IAM and ROSPA
qualified rider who’s been riding off-road since the
1970s and travelled the world; and Harry Michael,
co-director at the school and a Red Bull Romaniacs hard
enduro lunatic. Groups are small, with a maximum of
eight riders. The Sinnis day costs £195 per person.

105
Know How
Ǯ Weird & Wonderful ǰ
Trying to build an American sportsbike isn’t weird. Just ask Erik Buell, and
Harley for that matter. But trying to do it using a South Korean engine is…
W
hen it comes to the great American sportsbike dream
there have been many spectacular casualties. Think
Harley’s bizarre XLCR of 1977 and their abortive VR1000
World Superbike contender in 1994. Or any of the many Buells. But
none create quite so many what-could-have-beens as the Fischer
MRX650 which, when all was said and done, barely managed
double-digit actual motorcycles between 2006 and 2010.
In 2001, former Chicago AMA racer Daniel Fischer picked up the
torch when he conceived an all-new, fully modern American
superbike. Following discussions with Rotax he decided to base it
around the Austrian engine specialist’s V990 60-degree V-twin, as
already sold to Aprilia for their RSV Mille. Gemini Technology
Systems in Wisconsin (who’d built the frame for H-D’s VR1000) came
up with a twin-spar chassis, and Brit designer Glynn Kerr penned
some attractive angular shapes. Development took place through
2003, with production slated for the following year.
This is when Aprilia waded in, objecting to Rotax supplying ‘its’
engine to a potential competitor. The whole project froze, but
PIC: BAUER ARCHIVES
Fischer refused defeat and went to the obvious place for an all-
American machine… South Korea.
Hyosung had just launched two all-new 650 twins, the Comet and
GT650. Although likened to the 645cc V-twin in Suzuki’s popular
SV650, the Hyosung unit was 647cc and produced 5bhp less. And it
106
was clearly no 120bhp+ superbike engine. Undaunted, Fischer
changed the bike’s name from MR1000 to MRX650 and his
marketing spiel from ‘world-beating American superbike’ to
‘affordable exotica’ and bought in a selection of matching Hyosung
cycle parts, including forks and wheels, to cut costs. Significantly the
MRX kept its Brembo brakes and Öhlins shock.
A production facility was set up in Pocomoke, Maryland, and in
early 2006 a couple of pre-production prototypes were made
available to the press. The price was set at $7999 – not bad when a
lower-spec Suzuki SV650S was $6499 – and it was announced that
bikes would be sold direct from the factory until dealers could be set
up. At the end of that year Fischer claimed 20 bikes had been
delivered, 50 more were planned for 2007, and there was even talk of
a supercharged version.
It never happened. The global financial crisis of 2008 intervened,
and although Fischer claimed in 2010 that it was still making bikes to
order there was little evidence. There was however lots of talk that
buyers were put off, not only by the rough Hyosung engine but also
by the number of South Korean parts on a supposedly patriotic
purchase. And, let’s not forget, for most home-market riders the
‘American dream’ isn’t a middleweight sportsbike.
Today biking has changed, and Yamaha’s R7 has shown that
maybe, just maybe, Fischer was ahead of the game… Phil West
Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations. The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional Photo: TOAST Agency husqvarna-motorcycles.com
equipment available at additional cost. Finance example updated March 2023. Finance subject to status. Deposit shown may be higher than the minimum; a lower deposit will result in increased monthly payments. Terms and conditions apply. At the end of the agreement there are three
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must be 18 or over. Guarantees/Indemnities may be required. Santander Consumer Finance RH1 1SR.

889 cc 105 hp 240 mm of travel

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worlds are within reach.

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£169.00

£2,427.40
£3,396.40
36 months

£10,202.60
£13,599.00
reach far-off, epic landscapes and discover

has all the features you need to travel further.

diverse cultures. supported by 240 mm of high-end

all it takes is a turn of the wheels and whole new

wp xplor suspension, the new norden 901 expedition
Turn journeys

2023 NORDEN 901 EXPEDITION PCP FINANCE EXAMPLE

into expeditions.

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£6,715.00

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14.9p per mile