joo lprt

HEATED JACKETS

Keep warm this winter

YAMA TMAX

Tech MAX super scooter

5

AGES

TRAVEL & DVENTURE OM PLYMOUTH O PORTUGAL

WHO’S THE MOST

ADVENTUROUS? YAMAHA TÉNÉRÉ 700

KTM 890 DUKE

MAKING THE BEST BETTER STILL

VS KTM 790 ADVENTURE

LOST IN PORTUGAL

WITH SAM MANICOM

DUCATI V2

STRONGER, FASTER, AND STILL RED

February 2020 Issue 713

Let it snow!

Mikko Nieminen

H

ow cold does it have to get before you abandon your plan to ride a motorcycle? My personal limit is ice on the roads. I’m not so bothered about icy temperatures (I was born in Finland, after all), but the lack of traction that black ice brings with it puts me right off getting on two wheels. So, if it’s slippery underfoot when I walk the dog first thing in the morning, there will be no riding for me until the roads have cleared. If it’s just cold then let’s go for it. I would rather be cold on a motorcycle than warm in a car – I’m sure many of you know the feeling.

But the thing is that these days, you don’t necessarily have to be cold when riding in winter.

At least, not as cold as you used to be. Thanks to the developments in riding kit, even the cold days can offer great rides now. Thermal layers really have improved a lot, being thinner, but more effective than before. Heated kit is also better than a few years ago, and the prices are acceptable if you do enough cold miles to get plenty of wear out of them.

Last winter I tested a couple of textile suits specifically designed for winter riding (Furygan Cold Master and Dainese Antarctica). They were a bit of a revelation. The amount of heat-preserving tech that you can pack in a garment that isn’t massively thick is impressive. I appreciate that riding all-year round isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but with the right kit, it becomes a lot more tempting for many.

This winter I have gone up a league, and tested heated jackets (see pages 110-111 in this issue) and heated gloves (more about them in the next issue).

Having heated motorcycle clothing is a bit of a luxury, since you have to pay for it in addition to all the

We’ve never had it so good when it comes to winter riding other necessary gear, but for me it’s definitely worth spending the money on. The difference in riding in complete comfort rather than constantly scanning for the next café to dive into for warmth is marked. You can actually enjoy the ride, not just the challenge of it.

It’s also interesting to see the variety of heated kit there is available, but you can read about all that in the Tried & Tested pages…

Another area where things have improved is the bikes themselves. Heated grips, hand guards, touring screens and heated seats are now available for many big-mile bikes and scooters, although they’re not by any means universal. But oh boy, do they make a difference! The difference between riding a motorcycle with no winter riding aides in the same gear that you wear all year, and riding a veritable motorised hot water bottle while wrapped in electrically heated kit is stark, to say the least.

With all these accessories and kit in place, the only thing we can’t change is the road conditions. And given that councils are unlikely to install under-floor heating on the roads to keep them from freezing, there will be days when the bike stays in the garage. Mind you, a few days like that are always useful so you have a bit of time to fettle with the bike or plan the next two-wheeled adventure. Time to put the kettle on!

Mikko Nieminen, Editor

Motorcycle Sport & Leisure’s contributors...

Alan Cathcart

Alan Cathcart has been writing about bikes for more than 30 years, and riding them for even longer. He’s regularly given the keys to factory prototypes and being on first name terms with the bosses of bike companies around the world allows him to bag many scoops.

Roland Brown

A bike journalist for more than 30 years, Roland has contributed to countless publications worldwide and authored a dozen books on bikes.

He has tested machines ranging from Rossi’s YZR-M1 to a 1923 Douglas, but still can’t decide which type of bike he most enjoys riding.

Chris Moss

Mossy has made a living from bikes since 1985 – first as a motorcycle courier in London, and then as a journo from 1995.

He’s raced, ridden and tinkered with hundreds of different bikes, but he’s the first to admit there’s still loads to experience and learn.

Peter Henshaw

Peter is our history man – he’s written more than 60 books and is a former editor of this very publication. Now a freelance journalist, he writes about transport of all kinds, though bikes are really at the heart of it all. He’s an all-yearround rider who does not own a car.

Ross Mowbray

Ross works across several motorcycling magazines.

That means he gets to ride all manner of twowheelers, from Monkey bikes to trikes. Don’t let his youthful appearance fool you, he’s a seasoned petrol-head, respected test rider and a handy off-roader, too.

www.mslmagazine.co.uk 3

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Your letters

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The High Sider

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Maynard Hershon

TOURING & ADVENTURE

7

26

32

Highly anticipated Triumph Tiger 900 is here.

MSL readers put the world of motorcycling right.

The story of switching bikes concludes in this issue.

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Latest products

These 10 items have caught our eye this month.

60

64

We get a taste for dirt with the Kawasaki MX Experience.

Our man from the sporty side of motorcycling has his say.

Touring news

13,000km from Mongolia to Austria by moped.

Day ride

Following the River Wye from sea to source is a great ride.

Mid ride

Off-season is the time to have a little Alps trip to Austria and Italy.

Long ride

Mountains, valleys and salt flats in South America.

ROAD TESTS 10

Ducati V2

16

KTM 890 Duke

28

Yamaha TMax

It’s not all about new red V4s. This twin is worth a look, too.

We get a go on a prototype of the street-conquering Austrian.

70

Richard Millington

72

On- and off-road in Portugal

34

Riding adventurously

78

History Boy

48

CFMoto 650GT

4 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

Flying tips for motorcyclists.

Sam Manicom explores this motorcycling gem.

Our location scout goes castle hunting.

Maxi-scooters are already good. Can this one up the game?

Yamaha Ténéré 700 & KTM 790 Adventure put through their paces.

New tourer from the Chinese brand focussing on quality.

TEST FLEET 90

Yamaha Niken

91

Triumph Scrambler 1200

Mossy compares his Niken with a new one.

What’s the final verdict on the Scrambler?

KNOWLEDGE 83

84

98

92

Kymco AK550

93

Suzuki Katana

94

Ducati Diavel

95

Knowledge

Custom scene goes electric with a new take on Zero bikes.

All about oil

The black gold is essential for bikes.

Here’s why.

Buyer's guide

This month we have a Triumph Thruxton R on our shopping list.

104 Classic test

Laverda Jota is a proper legend. And lucky Roland got to ride it.

110 Tried & Tested

Baby it’s cold outside – so we look at some heated kit to keep warm.

114 Kevin Cameron

Torque curves can tell us all sorts of interesting things.

Ross has fallen for the big scooter.

It’s a stunning bike, but is it right for winter months?

Time to say goodbye to the big mad Italian.

Suzuki V-Strom 1000XT

Stu hits the wintery roads with the litre adventurer.

96

Kawasaki Versys 1000

97

Honda CB500X

Is Bertie still in love with the green giant?

A trip to the seaside and more goodies for the Honda.

February 2020 EDITOR: Mikko Nieminen mnieminen@mortons.co.uk DESIGNERS: Charlotte Turnbull, Fran Lovely PRODUCTION EDITOR: Mike Cowton PICTURE DESK: Paul Fincham and Jonathan Schofield PUBLISHING DIRECTOR: Dan Savage PUBLISHER: Tim Hartley GROUP KEY ACCOUNTS MANAGER: Steff Woodhouse: swoodhouse@mortons.co.uk 01507 529452 / 07786 334330 GROUP ADVERTISING MANAGER: Sue Keily DIVISIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER: Zoe Thurling zthurling@mortons.co.uk 01507 529412 ADVERTISING SALES: Charlotte Mountain: cmountain@mortons.co.uk 01507 529538 SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER: Paul Deacon: pdeacon@mortons.co.uk CIRCULATION MANAGER: Steve O’Hara: sohara@mortons.co.uk MARKETING MANAGER: Charlotte Park: cpark@mortons.co.uk COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR: Nigel Hole EDITORIAL ADDRESS: MSL Magazine, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6JR WEBSITE: www.mslmagazine.co.uk GENERAL QUERIES AND BACK ISSUES: 01507 529529 24 hr answerphone help@classicmagazines.co.uk www.classicmagazines.co.uk ARCHIVE ENQUIRIES: Jane Skayman jskayman@mortons.co.uk 01507 529423 SUBSCRIPTION: Full subscription rates (but see page 26 for offer): (12 months 12 issues, inc post and packing) – UK £51.60. Export rates are also available – see page 26 for more details.

UK subscriptions are zero-rated for the purposes of Value Added Tax. SUBSCRIPTION AGENTS: Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6JR CUSTOMER SERVICES NUMBER: 01507 529529 TELEPHONE LINES ARE OPEN: MONDAY-FRIDAY 8.30AM-5PM DISTRIBUTION: Marketforce UK Ltd, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HU. 0203 787 9001.

PRINTED: William Gibbons & Sons, Wolverhampton The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. If you are sending material to us for publication, you are strongly advised to make copies and to include a stamped addressed envelope. Original material must be submitted and will be accepted solely on the basis that the author accepts the assessment of the publisher as to its commercial value. © Mortons Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher. ISSN: 1478-8390 MOTORCYCLE SPORT & LEISURE (USPS:001-522) is published monthly by Mortons Media Group Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ UK. USA subscriptions are $66 per year from Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. Periodical Postage is paid at Bancroft WI and additional entries.

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NEW Need to know ◆ Your letters ◆ First rides

NEW TRIUMPH TIGER 900

There’s a brand new Tiger on the loose. And it growls louder than ever!

Specification TRIUMPH TIGER 900 Price: TBC Engine: 888cc liquid-cooled, 12 valve, DOHC, in-line 3-cylinder Power: 94bhp (70kW) @ 8750rpm

T

riumph’s highly anticipated new Ti er 900 features an

888cc liquid-cooled, 12 valve, dohc, in-line triple engine with ower and torque figures of

Torque: 64lb-ft (87Nm) @ 7250rpm Seat Height: 810-870mm (depending on model) Dry Weight: 192-201kg (depending on model) Tank Capacity: 20 litres Fuel Consumption: 55.4mpg (5.2l/100km) Contact: www.triumphmotorcycles.co.uk

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Top Stories

Concept motorcycles We have seen some impressive concept motorcycles at the recent international motorcycle shows.

Here are some of our favourites

HUSQVARNA NORDEN 901 The twin-cylinder Norden 901 concept is Husqvarna Motorcycles’ first ever tourer, touted by the factory as a serious versatile long-distance explorer. The powerplant is the existing 889.5cc parallel twin, wheels are 21” front, 18” rear, and suspension is from WP. This one has already been confirmed for production.

DUCATI SCRAMBLER DESERT X & MOTARD new Ducati Desert X cept pushes the off-road de entials of Ducati’s ram mbler line-up one step rth her. Powered by the xisting 1100cc powerplant, the new retro enduro machine takes s obvious inspiration from the Cagiva Elefant 900 of the 90s. With a 21-inch front wheel and a 17-inch rear wheel, and clad with knobbly tyres, it looks like a proper bit of off-road kit. Factor in a bash plate, an upswept Termignoni exhaust, handguards and a rear rack, and the new Desert X looks up for tackling some serious terrain.

APRILIA TUONO 660 Building on the base of the recently revealed RS660 sportsbike, Aprilia’s also revealed a naked version, the Tuono 660. But at this stage, it’s only a concept.

With its excellent power-to-weight ratio, top-quality technical features, exceptional electronics and 95bhp twin cylinder motor, we’re really excited about the prospect of this new baby Tuono going into production next year.

The bike features adjustable suspension and Brembo brakes with 320mm diameter discs, radial-mount callipers and pump, in addition to Aprilia’s seriously sophisticated APRC electronics system.

8 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

Ducati also has unveiled its new Motard concept. While still sitting in the Scrambler line-up, it’s a bit of a departure from the Italian factory’s usual fare.

Powered by the 800cc Scrambler motor, it comes with 17-inch blue spoked wheels clad with some sticky rubber, wide bars, handguard and a little bash plate. And with itts numberboards, Ducati seems to be suggesting the new Motard concept would be up for some on-track action.

HONDA CB4X Honda’s CB4X concept combines elements of Honda’s Sport, Touring and Crossover machines.

With its dynamic, but compact design, and classic in-line four-cylinder engine, the CB4X is a good-looking machine. It’s futuristic, but purposeful, with a hunched forward fuel tank, fully adjustable screen and a diamond pattern headlight. It’s also kitted out with an aluminium sub-frame to underpin that short, sharp tail – in addition to a 17-inch front wheel for maximum steering precision.

It looks like a blast.

Test Ride

Ducati Panigale V2

MIDDLE-CLASS

REFINEMENT Ducati’s mid-capacity Panigale has a new name and fresh look, but the V-twin’s rider-friendly character is very much intact WORDS: Roland Brown PHOTOGRAPHY: Milagro

J

ust a few laps into my second session at Jerez, and already the Panigale V2 is in its element. Ducati’s mid-capacity sports bike rips round the Spanish circuit feeling sorted, quick and most of all supremely controllable. It’s the sort of bike that flatters its rider and makes relearning a racetrack rewardingly easy.

The sharply styled red V2 looks much like its big brother the Panigale V4, thanks to its flared nostrils, bright red paintwork, single-sided

swing-arm and a stubby silencer tucked in neatly on its right side. But if I were riding the V4 I’d be experiencing very different sensations – battling G-forces and trying to prevent a wild beast from tearing the bars from my hands.

Aboard the Panigale V2 it’s much more civilised; almost relaxed, if circulating a racetrack on a 150bhpplus superbike could ever be described that way. This 955cc V-twin might look much more like the larger capacity V4 than its predecessor the Panigale 959 did, but that is deceptive

10 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

RIGHT: There’s no change to the front stopper’s hardware of 320mm discs and Brembo’s Monobloc M4.32 calipers, but the Panigale V2’s electronics upgrade includes the latest Bosch cornering ABS system

LAUNCH Specification DUCATI PANIGALE V2 Price: £14,995 Engine: 955cc, liquid-cooled, dohc 8-valve desmodromic V-twin Power: 153bhp (114kW) @ 10,750rpm Torque: 76.7lb-ft (104Nm) @ 9000rpm Transmission: 6-speed, chain Chassis: Aluminium monocoque, tubular steel rear subframe Suspension: (F) 43mm Showa BPF telescopic with adjustable preload, compression and rebound damping (R) Sachs shock with adjustable preload, compression and rebound damping Brakes: (F) 2 320mm discs, Brembo radial Monobloc M4.32 four-piston calipers (R) Single 245mm disc, twin-piston caliper Tyres: Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa II (F) 120/70 x 17 (R) 180/60 x 17 Seat height: 840mm Fuel capacity: 17 litres Kerb weight: 200kg Contact: www.ducati.com/gb/en/

because neither the Ducati’s ethos nor its eight-valve desmo powerplant has changed. Just like the 959, the V2 is designed to be not merely fast, but rider-friendly and fun to ride, on both road and track.

The Superquadro engine does, however, benefit from the new double-layer fairing, which ducts air more efficiently from those slots at its nose. Together with new, more free-flowing fuel injectors and a redesigned exhaust, which replaces the 959’s twin-pipe system, this increases peak output by 5bhp, to 153bhp at 10,750rpm. (Claimed figures are slightly down on the 959’s because Ducati now measure torque and power in a different way.)

The chassis is also tweaked rather than dramatically overhauled. The aluminium monocoque main frame is retained, but a new single-sided swing-arm replaces the 959’s twin-sider. The Sachs shock sits horizontally on the left, as before, but is 2mm longer, increasing the rear ride height slightly, steepening the steering geometry and putting a bit more weight on the front wheel; 52 per cent from the 959’s 51.

Ducati’s figures show trail reduced from 96 to 94mm and rake unchanged, although fork angle must be reduced by a comparable amount too. Both the shock and the retained 43mm Showa BPF forks are delivered with softer damping settings, although as both units are multiadjustable the difference amounts to fine-tuning. (While we’re on unchanged chassis details, it’s a shame Ducati didn’t modify the

sidestand, which is as difficult to locate as ever.)

What is different is the electronic system, which is upgraded with the latest Bosch six-axis IMU giving the full range of Panigale V4-level features. The quick-shifter now works in both directions, instead of only on up-changes like the 959’s. The EVO wheelie control and engine brake control are more sophisticated, faster acting, and in the latter’s case now lean-angle sensitive.

The Cornering ABS Evo has three levels, varying from a track setting (which disables the cornering and rear wheel ABS) to a road or damp surface option. The traction control is the latest version, which adds a predictive element – in other words, it not only knows how much the rear tyre is sliding, but also how much it’s about to slide. Which would sound like science fiction, were it not based on the set up used by Ducati’s 2018 MotoGP bike.

I hadn’t ridden at Jerez for a while, but the Ducati’s slightly thicker seat

BELOW LEFT: A new 4.3in TFT display facilitates adjustment of the Panigale’s electronic system, which incorporates a two-way quick-shifter and updated EVO versions of Ducati’s traction and wheelie control BELOW RIGHT: A new singlesided aluminium swing-arm helps the Panigale V2 look more like the V4; the monocoque main frame and steel trellis rear subframe are carried over from the Panigale 959

could hardly have been a better place from which to get reacquainted. In Sport, the middle of the three riding modes, throttle response was flawless and the bike charged forward urgently, hoovering up the straights like a 155bhp superbike should, but without the ceaseless aggression that makes the V4 both thrilling and slightly intimidating.

Chassis performance was similarly obliging, combining responsive steering with stability and excellent suspension control. On the Panigale 959’s launch at Valencia four years ago the bike had been slightly reluctant to turn until I raised its rear end with some extra shock preload.

The V2 with its longer shock had no need for that, and steered superbly accurately from the first bend.

Like the 959 (whose wet weight of 200kg is identical) the V2 stopped sharply, thanks to its Brembo M4.32 Monobloc calipers, but without matching the bite of the V4’s Stylema units. There was still enough force to make me wish the tank was slightly

www.mslmagazine.co.uk 11

Test Ride

sticky Supercorsa SC tyres. (Standard fitment is Rosso Corsa IIs, suitable for both road and track.) Subsequent sessions were enjoyable despite the drizzle, and highlighted the Ducati’s precision of throttle response, steering input and braking performance.

In such slippery conditions I was also grateful for the V2’s ultra-capable electronics. Some bikes would doubtless have lapped Jerez quicker, even in the wet. But not by much, and possibly without such a wide safety margin.

As to whether the V2 is the Panigale for you, that depends on your riding habits and ability, and what you want from a sleek red hyper-sport Ducati. If you’re a fast, experienced track rider, looking for a bike that occasionally scares you while constantly challenging you to exploit its vast potential, the V-twin might eventually seem slightly like a sheep in wolf ’s clothing.

12 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

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Stefano Strappazzon, Panigale V2 Vehicle Project Manager

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“The new Euro5 compliant exhaust doesn’t reduce power, but doesn’t increase it either – the improvement comes from the new injectors and more efficient intake system.”

ABOVE: Among the design team’s tasks was producing a short, single silencer that replaced the 959’s unpopular twin pipes while allowing the bike to pass Euro5 emissions tests

SL Extra on M at rs w be

wider, to aid knee grip, but glad that the seat is 20mm longer, allowing me to shift weight rearwards under hard braking.

If braking lacked the V4’s ferocity, then inevitably the same was also true of the V-twin’s acceleration, even in Race mode with its sharper throttle response. But the V2 still felt seriously fast, storming up to about 150mph at the top of fifth gear on the Jerez back straight.

Its serious torque is delivered above about 8000rpm, and on track you don’t spend much time below that figure, but low-rev running seemed pretty good. More than 60 per cent of the maximum torque figure is delivered from 5500rpm, so the Superquadro lump is usefully flexible.

Its sweet gearbox and reliable quick-shifter made things easier, too.

When rain arrived around lunchtime, Ducati’s mechanics fitted Pirelli wets in place of the previously

If, on the other hand, you’re a typical road and occasional trackday rider who fancies the Panigale look and image, but prefers a bike to be as rideable as it is rapid, the V2 ticks every box. At £14,995 it’s more expensive than its 959 predecessor, but it’s a more sophisticated, subtly improved machine that takes the mid-capacity Panigale to a new level of performance and control.

www.mslmagazine.co.uk 13

Top Stories Moto Guzzi 500 Bicilindrica

The Methuselah of motorcycle racing Guzzi’s first-ever V-twin ruled the race tracks for years WORDS: Alan Cathcart

L

ongevity isn’t usually a characteristic of factory race bikes, making a works GP racer that stays competitive for 18 years rather than months truly remarkable. The 120º V-twin 500cc Moto Guzzi Bicilindrica’s lifespan from 1933 to 1951 mirrored the evolution of the racing motorcycle from a pushrod-engined boneshaker with no rear suspension, to a swingarm-equipped modern OHC racer. It’s the Methuselah of motorcycle racing!

Developed by designer Carlo Guzzi in 1933, Moto Guzzi’s first-ever V-twin motorcycle came about by doubling up his all-conquering 250cc single, whose compact unitconstruction engine with horizontal cylinder left space above it for a second cylinder.

The ensuing engine had the cylinders spaced at an angle of 120º, a rangy build completely at odds with all previous V-twin trends, and never since to be emulated.

ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER

The Bicilindrica made its debut in October 1933’s Italian GP, with rider Guglielmo Sandri finishing second after crashing out of the lead, then remounting. Two months later, teammate Amilcare Moretti recorded the new bike’s first victory in December’s Naples GP. The Guzzi works team was then strengthened by adding Irishman Stanley Woods, who scored a remarkable win in the 1935 Isle of Man Senior TT, then won the Lightweight TT the same week on a Guzzi single, to complete a then unique double.

The Bicilindrica went on to win many races in an extended career at the top, with the last victory in 1951, when Fergus Anderson trounced all the other British and Italian works teams to win the Swiss GP on a wet Bremgarten track, replete with slippery and treacherous cobblestones, with teammate Lorenzetti third. It was the final swansong of a legendary motorcycle.

14 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

RIDING THE LEGEND

Since no more than a dozen such bikes were built down the years for use by the factory race team – there was no customer version – wide-angle 120º V-twin Moto Guzzis are few and far between, especially in running condition. But a 1950 version is to be found in the Sammy Miller Museum (www. sammymiller.co.uk), which I was fortunate to ride in the Goodwood Festival of Speed, as well as beforehand on Sammy’s private test track.

Slinging my leg over the unique Italian V-twin revealed an unusual, but very comfortable riding position.

Because of the Guzzi’s wideangle V-twin engine layout, with the rear cylinder laying lower and leaning further backwards than on Ducati’s L-twin layout with its upright rear cylinder, you sit quite low down in the Guzzi’s relatively plush upholstered seat, reaching forward to the flat handlebar.

Doing this allows you to tuck away easily behind the perspex

flyscreen in a naturally aerodynamic riding stance, with your body draped over the 20-litre fuel tank. Its lateral curves moreover give space for you to tuck your arms and knees in tight as they grip the rear section containing the oil tank for the dry-sump motor.

Read all about it For a much more detailed history of this unique motorcycle, and more extensive hands-on riding impressions, download Alan’s new e-book via Amazon, or the Kindle bookstore.

Priced at £2.99 each, e-books in The Motorcycle Files series include 30 titles, and the range is constantly being added to.

Test Ride

PROTOTYPE

THE EVIL

TWIN KTM have taken the popular 790 Duke and made it even more, well, KTM KTM 890 Duke R

K

WORDS: Alan Cathcart PHOTOGRAPHY: Heiko Mandl

TM has had a smash hit with the 790 Duke, its first ever parallel-twin model launched two years ago powered by the LC8c (as in, liquid-cooled eight-valve compact) engine. Dubbed The Scalpel for its focused design and pared-tothe-minimum weight and bulk, it has provided KTM with a unique contender in the middleweight marketplace. It has been a top seller, thanks to being competitively priced and super fun to ride. With its highly distinctive sharp-edged styling by Kiska Design, the 790 Duke has filled the pretty big gap between the 690 Duke single and 1290 Super Duke V-twins in the Austrian firm’s streetbike range, and in doing so has brought an entirely new level of electronic sophistication to the mid-size sector, with features that some Japanese one-litre sportbikes don’t even have.

COVERING NEW GROUND

Now KTM has gone one step further – make that several steps – with the debut at this year’s EICMA Milan Show of the 890 Duke R. Lighter, more powerful and even more purposeful than its kid sister, this is clearly aimed at topping the middleweight sector in terms of outright performance and razor edge handling, once again at an affordable price. “We’re focusing here on the hardcore KTM naked rider, with a bike that’s developed for very

aggressive street and track riding,” says Dutchman Adriaan Sinke, KTM’s Head of Product Management.

“We wanted to create the ultimate mid-class sports naked that’s also a serious option for riders of bigger bikes who are looking for something more agile, but still powerful, and exciting to ride.”

In fact, the 890 project dates back to 2012 when KTM engineers first began work on creating the LC8c parallel-twin motor. “We always intended to develop a 790 Duke R, which was in our planning from the start,” states Sinke. “But then during the development programme it got to the point that we weren’t happy with our prototype of this – it wasn’t enough R, not enough KTM. So we decided to produce just the 790 Duke to start with, and then go full attack on the R, and make it what we believe a KTM Duke R should be, if necessary with a bigger engine. So we basically tore up the spec sheet of the original, and went back to the drawing board to figure out how far we could take that engine and that chassis – and the 890 Duke R is the result.”

And what a result it is. By dint of increasing both bore and stroke of the LC8c motor from 88 x 65.7mm to 90.7 x 68.8mm, to deliver a 90cc increase in displacement, KTM has achieved a significant increase in performance from the new engine, which delivers 99Nm of torque at 7750 rpm, 13Nm more than the 790 www.mslmagazine.co.uk 17

Test Ride Specification KTM 890 DUKE R (2020) Price: €11,990 (UK price TBC) Engine: 890cc 2-cylinder, 4 stroke, DOHC parallel twin Power: 119bhp (89 kW) @ 9250 rpm Torque: 99 Nm @ 7750 rpm Transmission: 6 gears, chain final drive Fuel consumption: 4,74 l/100km Frame: Chromium-Molybdenum-Steel frame using the engine as stressed element Subframe: Aluminium, powder coated Suspension: (F) WP APEX 43, compression and rebound adjustable, travel 140mm; (R) WP APEX Monoshock, fully adjustable, travel 150mm Brakes: (F) 2x Brembo Stylema four piston, radially mounted calipers, 320mm discs; (R) Brembo single piston floating caliper, 240mm disc. ABS: Bosch 9.1 MP (incl. Cornering-ABS and super moto mode) Wheels: Cast aluminium wheels (F) 3.50 x 17’’; (R) 5.50 x 17’’ Tyres: (F) 120/70 ZR 17; (F) 180/55 ZR 17 Seat height: 834 mm Tank capacity: approx. 14 litres Weight (fully fuelled): approx. 184kg Contact: www.ktm.com/gb/

Duke, itself until now the classleading middleweight package, and 119bhp (89kW) at 9250rpm, so 14bhp more power running on 95 octane pump fuel. Yet despite this, they’ve actually raised the revlimiter on this bigger-cubed motor by 500rpm to 10,500 revs, while at the same time reducing dry weight of the complete motorcycle by 3.3kg to 166kg, says Sinke, a saving mainly obtained by swapping to Brembo brakes from the J.Juans on the 790.

MORE, MORE, MORE

More power and torque yet with reduced weight sounds like motorcycle R&D nirvana, and after being honoured to be chosen as the first person outside the company and

BELOW: Rear brake is a single-piston caliper and 240mm disc combo

18 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

its suppliers to ride the new bike in pre-production prototype form, it took about 10km out of the 180km I covered that day to realise how special this new KTM hotrod really is. Another of the many apparent paradoxes on what is a remarkable new motorcycle by any standards is that KTM has achieved this weightsaving while actually increasing the rotational mass of the forged one-piece three-bearing crankshaft by 20% which, of course, makes it heavier overall. This carries forged pistons via a sophisticated cracked conrod design, which results in low piston weight and reduced reciprocating mass. The crankpins are offset by 75º (versus the more common 180º or 270º crank throws) with 435º firing intervals to replicate the gritty sound of a KTM V-twin’s irregular firing order. That heavier crank is to deliver a sense of momentum as the engine spins up, says Sinke, as well as greater stability in turns thanks to the gyroscopic function of the engine. This in turn has necessitated redesigning the twin counterbalancers that the engine is fitted with to eliminate vibration – one at the front of the engine and one in the cylinder head, between the camshafts. Compression ratio has been raised from 12.7:1 to 13.5:1, thanks to a knock sensor now added

to obviate detonation, and this in turn helps deliver improved acceleration. There are 1mm bigger steel valves (same material as the 790) all round, with the 790’s paired 36mm inlets increased to 37mm, and the 29mm exhausts to 30mm, operated via all-new camshafts with higher lift and more aggressive timing, while the exhaust headers are now wider for better breathing.

Those cams are chain-driven up the right of the cylinders, while the optional Quickshifter+ powershifter on my test bike allowed clutchless shifting both up and down the well-chosen (and unchanged) ratios of the six-speed gearbox, matched to a PASC/oil-bath slipper clutch, which is cable operated for ease of maintenance, and to save weight. As on the 790, the open deck Nikasillined cylinders (thus saving the weight of cast-iron liners) are integrated into the upper half of the high-pressure diecast aluminium crankcases. KTM has also shortened the engine considerably by stacking the gearbox shafts vertically one atop another, and they’re surmounted by the shifter mechanism right beneath the unchanged 42mm Dell’Orto throttle bodies, which are fed cool air from an airbox under the seat, itself breathing via twin intakes either side of your hips. And in what Sinke says

PROTOTYPE

is a significant step in optimising performance, each of the two cylinders is now mapped separately one from the other, delivering a more refined power delivery.

The result is a package that’s more intuitive still to ride than the already super-friendly, yet fast 790 Duke. The engine is even more of a gem than its forebear, pulling hard and strong from just 2000rpm on part-throttle, or wide open in sixth gear from 4000 revs up with no transmission snatch. Because power keeps building all through the rev range you do have an inducement to flirt with that 500rpm higher rev-limiter, but if you do hit it there’s a soft-action cutout, thanks to the RBW digital throttle. Yet the harder you rev it paradoxically, the smoother the engine becomes – those counterbalancers really do their job, and it’s a smooth operator at all times as it carves corners through the Austrian countryside. But thanks to that extra dose of torque it’s happy to be short-shifted to let you ride the torque curve through a series of bends interspersed with short straights, and here the really well set up optional two-way powershifter really worked well, letting you zap clutchlessly up and down the gearbox’s well-chosen ratios to surf that meaty torque curve.

TOP: Originating from the 790 Duke, the engine is stronger ABOVE: Uncluttered view from the rider’s seat

BELOW: Swingarm has been designed to lessen dive under acceleration

AS HARD AS YOU LIKE

Just as first time round with the 790 Duke, the new 890 R feels small, slim, short and sporty, with a close-coupled riding stance that has your chin seemingly over the front wheel. It’s a responsive, eager-revving bike that’s not only thoroughly practical, but also hugely entertaining, and totally straightforward to ride as hard as you like on. It’s one of those bikes where you feel a part of it from the very moment you hop aboard – this could make riding to work a lot of fun, but maybe not half as much as taking the long way home on it!

Yet at €11,990 in Germany including 19% tax, the 890 Duke R is a lot of bike for the money. Ok, it’s at the upper end of the middleweight category, but it’s well priced against the 1000cc bikes it competes with on performance. “We think this bike is for an intelligent rider who doesn’t have the biggest ego, who realises that power to weight is more important than throwing down 180 horsepower on the bar at night,” says Adriaan Sinke. “This is someone who’s a very enthusiastic motorcycle rider, who really understands where the gains can be made. For this reason I’m convinced that the 1290 Super Duke is not at risk because of the 890 R, so we won’t be selling against ourselves.

It has 60bhp more, the styling is completely different, it’s much more aggressive, it’s much more in your face, and as good as the Super Duke is, they’re different beasts - one is a 180bhp monster, and the other is a 120bhp Super Scalpel – we call it the Evil Twin! This is a very serious, very compact, very evil little motorcycle, and I think it’s such a different kind of animal, that I don’t see the www.mslmagazine.co.uk 19

Test Ride

customer to be the same as the Super Duke, because for a KTM it’s a very accessible motorcycle. Ok, it’s incredibly sporty and extremely agile, but it’s also easy to get along with and very well balanced. So compared to a 790 Duke it’s a different animal.”

Evil is as evil does, and the key to the 890 Duke R’s significant dose of extra performance isn’t just the various engine mods KTM has concocted to stay ahead of its rivals, but its lighter weight which, besides improving acceleration, also makes the bike so much fun to ride hard on in twisty stretches of road. The KTM switches direction almost on autopilot – its handling is so precise and intuitive it seems you need only think about making a turn, and the 890 Duke R has gone and done it for you. The overall ride height has been increased by 15mm, and this improves the anti-squat behaviour, because the swingarm is more in line with the drive-chain, so the bike doesn’t squat down as much as before

BELOW LEFT: Rebound and compression is easy to adjust at the front BELOW RIGHT: You can’t miss the family likeness

20 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

at the rear under hard acceleration. It also means the riding position has been subtly altered so you’re now sitting 15mm higher at 834mm, and thanks to the new flatter handlebar, you’re leaning further forward in what is a sportier riding position than on the 790, with the footrests also moved back a little. This isn’t any more tiring than before, just definitely more sporty-seeming – you feel even more involved with the bike physically, and that’s one reason for the intuitive riding style I mentioned earlier. And even at speeds of 200km/h with the tacho showing 7500rpm you don’t get too blown about, thanks to the slightly more aerodynamic stance.

ON THE MAP

I started out using Street mode out of the four available via the RBW digital throttle, before switching to the sharper, but still controllable Sport map – there’s also a Rain mode capped at 100bhp with a smoother

pick up, and an optional Track mode for track days, with launch control, MTC slip adjust, revised mapping and throttle response, and the anti-wheelie turned off. But I ended up using Street for most of the day as better for real world road riding in traffic and on tight, twisting Austrian mountain roads, switching to Sport when the road opened up so I could be more aggressive on the throttle. It really pays to surf that flat, but meaty torque curve, so short-shifting wide open at 7500rpm gave me plenty of acceleration en route to 100mph in top gear with 5800rpm showing on the good-looking, light-sensitive, full-colour TFT dash.

That compact engine format and the sharper sense of purpose you get riding this bike compared to the 790 makes it feel like a single in the way it steers, but like a maxi-twin in terms of power and torque. The 890 Duke R comes close to being the best of both worlds dynamically: it’s light and agile, responsive to rider input – but with added power and torque compared to the smaller capacity version of the same model. And those magnificent brakes, which deliver so much feel and great bite without being snatchy, are just the icing on the cake.

The 890 runs on the new Michelin Power Cup II tyres which, according to Sinke, are much lighter than any comparable previous tyre from the French manufacturer, so benefit

PROTOTYPE handling via reduced unsprung weight – previously a preserve of Pirelli and Dunlop. These tyres were truly impressive in the way they gripped, and I also double-checked how quickly they warmed up from cold, previously a weak point of Michelin street rubber. Not any more!

The 890 Duke R’s steering geometry is quite aggressive, with 24.3º of rake and 98mm of trail, delivering a 1482mm wheelbase. But its agile, super-responsive handling is the payoff for that, coupled with total stability on fast third or fourth gear turns – it feels planted to the Tarmac, yet the great leverage from the wide, taper-section aluminium handlebar lets you carve corners and especially switch direction from side to side really easily. Intuitive, see... That handlebar can be adjusted almost infinitely in search of your preferred riding position – in addition to four different clamping positions offered by the upper tripleclamp’s design, you can also rotate the ’bar through three different angles to get comfortable with it. Thanks to the narrow seat where it meets the fuel tank, at 5’10” I could also put both feet flat on the ground at rest, in turn adding to the sense of being at one with the bike.

VERDICT

KTM’s engineers have done it again – they’ve successfully tackled the hardest task in two-wheeled development, and made the best better still by improving on what was already a market-leading motorcycle. No less an authority than Jeremy McWilliams, who’s been one of the test riders involved with the project from the start, and was responsible for the final mapping of the Keihin electronics, concurs. We were racing against each other at the Goodwood Revival a couple of weeks before I flew to Austria to ride the 890 Duke R. “You’ve got a treat in store,” said Jezza as we sat together waiting for the pre-race Riders Meeting to start. “It’s nearly everything you could look for in a real world road bike – it’s light, slim and fast, plus it feels very refined. We put a lot of time into getting the engine characteristics just right, and I’ll be surprised if you don’t like it, because in my opinion it gives the 1290 Super Duke R a serious run for its money as the best bike in the KTM range and a candidate for being the best real world performance bike money can buy. Have fun!”

Know what? He’s right – and I did!

ABOVE: The engine looks familiar, but it’s not RIGHT: Lever adjustment is a nice touch

www.mslmagazine.co.uk 21

Letters WIN Weise Outlast Sirius gloves worth £74.99 The writer of this month’s Star Letter wins a pair of Weise Outlast Sirius gloves worth £74.99.

Th he gloves feature a leather and textile outer with a waterproof liner and a temperature regulating thermal lining. Find out more at www.thekeycollection.co.uk We love to hear from you, so send your letters to msleditor@mortons.co.uk, or write to Letters, Motorcycle Sport & Leisure magazine, Mortons Media, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR. You can also join us at facebook.com/mslmag

★ Star Letter Bikes vs. cars

I’m not going to get embroiled in the ‘Loud Pipes’ argument for bikes. It’s gone on for long enough.

However, what you never hear is anyone making any comment about the ever-growing number of ‘noisy’ offenders in CARS! I am sick and tired of forcibly having to listen to cars in towns and villages with their ‘baked bean tin’ exhausts bellowing out their unnecessary turbo-charged noise!

At least the biking fraternity has the decency to move on

SMALL MANUFACTURERS

I loved MSL from the start for its early reviews of new bikes, individual slants on current motorcycle issues, MotoGP and how ‘biking is changing – but – I’m getting bored with pages of Do-you-cat-ehs, Tri-um-phants and Bum-double yous!

Please can you include more bikes from the minor manufacturers. I have had Suzukis for about 11 years, but recently purchased an Aprilia Shiver. The bike’s doing really well and the rider is getting there, too! But what fun, what a challenge and what a smile when it all clicks!

from one area to the next, only interrupting the local peace once, unlike the tedious car drivers that haven’t got the wit or imagination to go any further than their own patch, choosing to go up and down the same old high street or round the town time and time again, maybe venturing for an added thrill to the bypass! The irony is that if the Police had any incentive the drivers would be easy to catch without having to go out their way, but as we

I tried Triumph, BMW, Yamaha and Honda as well, but this is something else to ride – you should try it!

So Ed, please include some of the lesser bikes around, if only to space out the ‘regulars’ who inevitably will produce more new variants.

Chris Powdrill I’m glad you’re enjoying the new bike, Chris. We always try to cover smaller manufacturer’s bikes in MSL where we can (like the CFMoto in this issue). It’s a constant balancing act, but rest assured, we have our eye on the whole spectrum of bikes.

Mikko Nieminen

know, we are the (Sunday afternoon) ‘targets’, whereas the real thugs on the roads these days don’t ride bikes, they choose cars.

It’s a very unbalanced situation where the truly greater numbers of culprits are totally overlooked.

Steve Rose

I’m glad you mentioned this issue, Steve!

Where I live there is one noisy bike - a KTM Super Duke

COST OF KIT

I can’t help but be appalled by the cost of motorcycle apparel these days. Helmets at five hundred pounds are commonplace, and those at three hundred considered ‘good value’. Textile suits at nearly two thousand? I wonder how many of us really ride often enough and in bad enough conditions to warrant the latter. As for helmets, yes I know I only have one head, but I worry that impecunious youngsters (you know, the ones we are trying to encourage into riding) will be tempted to buy secondhand or, maybe worse, buy a ‘fake’ on the interweb at a bargain price.

If I was a dubious parent perusing the cost of kit for my much-loved offspring I think I would be persuaded that the cost of staying safe was too high, and spend the money on car insurance instead. And so the average age of us motorcycles would get a few years higher…

Baldrick It seems to be the way things are going, Baldrick.

Everything is getting more expensive. The only comfort here is that most of the time the price

22 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

with an aftermarket can, to be precise. It sounds great to my ears, but I can appreciate that not everyone feels the same.

The thing is, that’s just one bike, and from my house I hear it maybe once or twice a week.

In the same time I can hear at least a dozen (conservative estimate) loud cars. Again, they sound great if you like that sort of thing, but they certainly outnumber bikes tenfold, if not more.

Mikko Nieminen

can be justified (at least partly) by improved materials, processes and quality control. It doesn’t change the fact that prices seem pretty salty, though. Let’s hope that someone finds a way to flood the market with goodquality, reasonably priced kit.

Mikko Nieminen

FUEL CELL VEHICLES

While I agree that fuel cell vehicles produce only water as an exhaust, my electric car produces nothing at all. But, and there will always be a but, someone, somewhere is choking on the pollution or glowing from the radiation the power station is producing to provide the electricity to power my car.

Similarly, although hydrogen is an abundant element, it only occurs naturally in combination with others, most famously, water. Energy, usually electrical, is required to break down water into hydrogen and oxygen, which is released to power the car when they re-combine.

Other sources of hydrogen are from reactions between methane, natural gas, or coal and steam at high temperatures, which somewhat defeats the object of conserving fossil fuels.

YOUR VIEW DEAR MAYNARD HERSHON

You certainly make me think, Maynard. I remember a while back you being disappointed with certain of your fellow riders who came to the end of their riding because they just did not want to go on. I felt for you all at the time. Still do. But I have been thinking again about this recently.

On the brink of my 80s I am now thinking: isn’t that the best way to bring the curtain down on your riding? Better than, say, suffering a frightening ride, falling off it or finding you cannot manoeuvre it around any more? Or worse - illness. I do not look forward to it, but it now seems the least worst reason to stop riding.

And now, the issue of your ZRX (‘Just a few days’, June, 19), you got me going again. Thing is,

The Law of Conservation of Energy states that energy cannot be created nor destroyed, only converted to another form.

Energy is lost at each conversion so, from purely energy conservation grounds, it would be better to run the car on methane and cut out all the intervening stages. If we were self-sufficient on renewable electricity, it would be better to run the car on that.

The unpalatable fact is that there are too many vehicles and other energy consumers in the world and the solution is to reduce them. Everything else is re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. I enjoy the conspicuous consumption of petrol as much as any of your readers, but enjoy it while you can. The writing is on the wall and eventually it will apply to fuel cell and electric vehicles as well.

Nick Crook

FUELISH?

When reporting motorcycles' tank capacity it’s usually shown in litres. However, fuel consumption is usually shown in mpg (miles per gallon). Since petrol is sold and priced in litres, why is the average consumption shown in gallons?

Wouldn't it make more sense to show miles per litre instead?

Steven Burton In a word, yes. You’re right Steven, it’s a strange convention. Many people still refer to mpg when talking about consumption, but it would be interesting to know if our readers would like to see a new way for doing this.

Mikko Nieminen

however beautiful you might find a little Honda C125 to be, you do not yet have to go ‘tiny’. Such exaggeration! Go light definitely, go modern, but go simple, too. Go for an engine that is almost the whole bike, with the rest of it a mere supporting act. Sorted.

Yours sincerely,

Robert Cattle

Wise words, Robert I’m sure you have by now seen that Maynard has a new bike, and there will be plenty of adventures with this one.

Mikko Nieminen

BIKE THEFT

I left my bike outside a London A&E hospital at 8pm to see and collect my wife, who fortunately was ok. We returned to where the bike had been left at about 11.30pm, but it was nowhere to be seen. We called the Police, and whilst on the phone a motorist pulled up and asked if we had lost a bike. To cut a long story short he had seen the ‘toe rags’ steal it, but it had happened so quickly that he hadn't been able to act. He took us home and was a true good Samaritan.

I went to work the following day thinking my bike was to be seen no more, but it had been found and was recovered – bike and biker were eventually reunited that evening.

RANGE ON DASH

Firstly, thanks for a great magazine, and also for featuring unusual and uncommon machines, such as the AK550.

Well done to Jonathan Schofield for doing a range to empty test; this is the sort of real world information that is so useful. Perhaps you could do it on all long-term test machines?

What I would like to know is what mpg figure was showing on the dash? Did that agree with the calculated figure?

The old girl has had an adventure, but she's safely at home and can lick her wounds in the tranquillity of our garage.

I feel sad that she's had her wiring stripped out and strewn everywhere, but I am lucky.

The witness and the Police were marvellous and restored our faith in humanity. Just the repairs to sort out now. To end at the beginning; it was the worst of times, it was the best of times.

Richard Symonds Hi Richard I’m glad you managed to recover your bike. It’s a nasty surprise when you find your bike gone, but it’s great to know that there are still good people out there ready to help.

Mikko Nieminen

ambitious side, but not a million miles off. The AK’s dash was showing 59mpg average. That, I must say, is an overall figure from the 2650 miles I have done. The 53mpg I got on the test is possibly closer to a real world daily figure.

Jonathan Schofield

Phil

Hi Phil The average mpg on the dash was as you’d expect, a little on the

www.mslmagazine.co.uk 23

Changing bikes, part two Maynard Hershon

A

few weeks ago I sold my Kawasaki and found a nicely upgraded Guzzi V7 – only 1800 miles away in New Jersey, very close to the Atlantic Ocean. Since I first contacted the owner, we’ve stayed in touch, emails going back and forth daily.

I’ve sold a few fine bikes in the last 10 or 15 years to guys who had the money to buy them, but weren’t going to be admirable motorcycle owners. This time I’m buying the bike, and the guy I’m buying it from is clearly an admirable owner, the kinda guy whose bike you want to buy.

I paid him in instalments, after the last of which he sent me the New Jersey title. As soon as I had the bike’s frame number, I took the ZRX off our insurance and added the V7. I can’t register the bike while it’s out of state, and I can’t get a permit to ride it to Denver and then register it. It’s puzzling. The motor vehicle bureaucrats work in mysterious ways.

Meanwhile I’ve been riding my wife’s 150cc Piaggio scooter and enjoying it. I wear the same gear I’d wear on a motorcycle, good protective gear, and take 30-mile rides on the scooter. It’s a big-wheel Piaggio so it handles okay and feels stable at any speed it can attain, about 60mph downhill with a tailwind.

Perhaps I’m readying myself for a motorcycle with half the power of the one I’ve sold. If that’s so, I don’t think I’ll miss the horsepower I’ve lost. I enjoy the 10 horsepower scooter’s light weight and agility.

For 15-mile rides each way on suburban roads, it’s a pleasure. In preparation for travelling by airplane, train, bus and car to the Guzzi’s owner’s house and riding home, I sent two boxes of gear to New Jersey: helmet, boots, riding pants and general clothing.

Unless you’ve done this, a fly-and-ride it’s called, you don’t realise how much stuff you wear when you ride, and how bulky it is to box up and ship.

I did a fly-and-ride once before. I flew from my then home in Tucson to Los Angeles to buy a Honda GB500 from the Morgan car importer. He sent someone to pick me up at the airport. After we did the paperwork, I hopped on the freeway and rode to Tucson, 490 miles due east. That trip was an opportunity to get to know the bike, but it was not big fun. LA to Tucson on the interstate is not scenic, nor is it challenging. This ride will be different.

The bike’s owner and I have sketched out a route based on his trip to Barber Raceway in Alabama last year. I’m grateful for the help, unfamiliar as I am with riding back east, as we say. I plan to ride west across New Jersey and around Philadelphia. I’ll ride to Gettysburg, then turn south through southern Pennsylvania and Maryland to Skyline Drive in 24 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

Kawasaki is out. Guzzi is in. It’s all change for Maynard

Who is Hershon?

MSL’s Maynard is our man with a very unique view on motorcycling from both sides of the pond. Yes, he is American, yes, he does ride around on a second-hand Kawasaki that causes him grief... and yes, he does have his finger right on the pulse of life on two wheels.

Virginia, a famous road through Shenandoah National Park, a three-hour ride in good conditions with no services, no fuel stops. Just scenery.

After Skyline Drive, I’ll ride the Blue Ridge Parkway, a National Parkway with a speed limit of 45mph, convenient services and no big trucks. The Parkway runs through Virginia and into North Carolina, but I’ll exit early and head for my next scenic ride, the Cherohala Skyway, a 43-mile National Scenic Byway in Tennessee. The western end of the Skyway at Tellico Springs, Tennessee, is not far from Bristol, where the Tennessee/Virginia state line divides the town in half.

Bristol is where the earliest country music recordings, notably by the Carter Family and Jimmy (the Singin’ Brakeman) Rodgers, were made in the late 1920s.

Johnny Cash called the making of those recordings the “single most important event in the history of country music”. Johnny, as you may know, married June Carter, A.P. Carter’s niece and the daughter of Mother Maybelle Carter. A.P. and Mother Maybelle were Carter Family founders.

Bristol is on a 300-mile loop in far-western Virginia called The Crooked Road. Riding that loop, I’ll visit the Carter Family Fold, the Blue Ridge Music Center and a dozen other music-related sites. It’s a pilgrimage I’ve waited years to do. I’ve ridden to the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and the Buddy Holly Center in Lubbock, Texas. Soon, I’m delighted to state, I will ride a motorcycle to Bristol and to the Carter Family Fold home and museum in tiny Hiltons, Virginia.

What’s remarkable about these four magical rides is their proximity one to the next. In the western US where I live, such destinations may be hours of droning highway riding apart. In the more populated, denser east, you can link together several of these unforgettable rides in two or three days. It’s a luxury for a westerner. I’m ready for the trip now. I want to get on with it, but the iffy spring weather says no. Even in early May, I could ride in lots of rain. Meanwhile, time passes ever-so slowly. When it happens, whatever happens, you’ll be the first to know.

RI

Spe mor

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Test Ride

X

With a range of updates, an all-new 560cc engine and two model variants to choose from, Yamaha reckons its 2020 TMAX is better than ever before. We’ve been out to Portugal to see just how good it is, taking the chance to put it through its paces in every type of weather and every type of road possible

O

YAMAHA TMAX 560

ur European cousins love a big scooter. If you go to Paris, Barcelona or Rome, they’re everywhere you turn, either splicing through traffic or crammed three abreast into a parking space. And it seems they love Yamaha’s TMAX more than most.

But for some reason, there seems to be a reluctance amongst the British biking community to get on board.

We could probably argue the reasons for that all day. We could talk about the division between hard-core motorcyclists and classic scooter riders, or we could blame the lack of young people getting on two wheels – and we could even have a bit of a

whinge about the weather. But let’s forget all that for a minute. Just because punters in the UK haven’t snapped up the TMAX with the same enthusiasm as our pals from across the channel, doesn’t mean they’re not a serious bit of kit and well worth your attention.

Everyone I’ve spoken to who has spent time on a TMAX is enamoured with Yamaha’s flagship maxi scooter.

Embittered bike journalists love them, city commuters love them, and now, after spending the day bombing along a range of roads in and out of Lisbon in Portugal, I love them, too.

You see, there’s a reason for their overwhelming popularity on the continent.

28 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

Alright, so at first glance the 2020 TMAX might not look altogether that different from the previous generation machine. But beyond a handful of minor styling tweaks, including its revised front end and some new lights, there’s actually plenty to get excited about, including an all-new engine, upgraded suspension and a bunch of top-notch technology.

It’s the engine that’s the big news for 2020. Much like every other manufacturer who’s working hard to hit Euro 5 emissions regulations without sacrificing power and torque, there’s an increase in capacity for 2020. It’s up from 530cc to 562cc, and in spite of those stringent regulations,

WORLD LAUNCH

Test Ride Specification YAMAHA TMAX 560 (2020) RRP: £10,199 for the TMAX (£11,649 for the Tech MAX) Engine: 562cc parallel twin-cylinder, 4-stroke DOHC Power: 46.9bhp (35KW) @ 7500rpm Torque: 41.1 lb-ft (55.7Nm) @ 5250rpm Top speed: 110mph (claimed) Transmission: Automatic – Belt Drive Average fuel consumption: 59mpg claimed Tank size: 15 litres Suspension: (F) 41mm hydraulic forks (R) Single shock with pre-load adjustment Brakes: (F) Twin 267mm discs with 4-piston calipers (R) 282mm disc with single piston caliper Tyres: (F) 120/70 R15 Bridgestone Battlax SC (R) 160/60 R15 Bridgestone Battlax SC Dimensions: 2200mm x 765mm 1420-1555mm (LxWxH) Wheelbase: 1575mm Seat height: 800mm Weight: 220kg (including fuel and oil) Warranty: 2 years Contact: www.yamaha-motor.eu

Yamaha’s actually managed to eek out a little more power and torque.

Power’s up to 46.9bhp at 7500rpm, while torque is up to 41.1lb-ft at 5250rpm. Not bad at all. There’s more going on than a simple increase of capacity, though. There are bigger intake valves, new 2mm wider aluminium pistons, a lighter crank, improved cooling and a new throttle body too.

At this point, it’s probably worth mentioning that Yamaha’s slimmed down its range of TMAXs for 2020, and now there’s just two to pick from: the tricked out Tech MAX and standard TMAX. They’re much the same machines, with a locking centre stand, keyless ignition, two rider modes and traction control, but the Tech MAX also gets an adjustable electric screen, cruise control, heated grips, a heated seat, adjustable rear suspension, a front lid lock and

BELOW: There’s ample storage space of the TMAX – although it’s worth noting there’s only room for one full face helmet under the seat

30 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

TMAX Connect (which is essentially a connectivity package). We spent the day on the top-of-the-range TMAX Tech MAX, taking on tight twisties, town traffic and some wide-open motorway riding. We did it all – and it took the lot in its stride.

The day started off fairly steadily, with the roads still drying out after a heavy downpour the night before. It offered the perfect chance to see how well the TMAX handled when the conditions were far from favourable – and let’s be honest, you’re going to see more than your fair share of wet Tarmac if you ride regularly in the UK. And thanks in part to its 15-inch wheels and Bridgestone Battlax SC rubber, it performed admirably – no slips and slides, just solid, reassuring grip that inspired confidence. My first impression of the scooter was that it is incredibly easy to ride, in spite of its fairly hefty size and weight.

It might not look like it, but the TMAX is a weapon. It’ll top a ton and get up to 80mph before you know it.

The new 560cc powerplant is a capable bit of kit, kicking out more power, more torque and a higher top speed. Ok, so it’s not by much, but it’s still an impressive achievement, particularly considering all the work that’s gone into making it EURO 5 compliant. It’s quick. Not ridiculous, but punchy. It’s sharp enough to get the jump on pretty much anything off the line and it’ll sit at motorway speeds all day long, with enough still in the tank for an overtake. And when you get on a twisty stretch of road, there’s more than enough in the tank to put a smile on your face.

The brakes are decent too, solid and dependable, with more than enough bite to pull you to a stop quickly and safely. The upside down front forks and single rear shock are surprisingly firm, but still supple enough to soak up the worst the road throws at you. But when you begin to press on, that stiff set up begins to make complete sense. The Tech MAX does offer rebound and preload damping at the rear, so you could soften things up if you fancied. Ok, so the hard ride isn’t exactly conducive to the TMAX Tech MAX offering the most comfortable ride imaginable, but it certainly wasn’t an unpleasant way to spend a day.

WORLD LAUNCH

I could feel that I’d spent the day in the saddle, but that’s hardly unusual, is it?

I’ve ridden my share of big scooters and I’ve got to say, the TMAX stands out from the crowd. It’ll do the lot – commuting, two-up touring, the weekly shop, and yet it’s still agile and aggressive enough to put a smile on your face during some back road scratching. It’s easy to see why they’ve sold so many over the past 18 years, in spite of that hefty price tag. Now Yamaha has just got to convince more riders in the UK to have a go, because once you try one, you’ll be hard pressed not to find a lot to love about the game-changing super scooter.

LEFT: With two power modes (Tour and Sport) an electric screen, cruise and traction control, heated grips, a heated seat, keyless ignition, ABS and a multi-function digital display, the TMAX Tech MAX comes with with some top-level tech RIGHT: Yamaha’s conscious of the TMAX’s reputation as the ride of choice for criminals in the big cities, so it comes with an immobiliser, a steering lock and a centre stand lock as standard.

You can also make use of a Vodafonesupported tracking app

THE COMPETITION

BMW C650GT

HONDA X-ADV

KYMCO AK550

PRICE: £10,375

PRICE: £9959

PRICE: £8899

ENGINE: 647cc Water-cooled 2 cylinder 4-stroke engine

ENGINE: 745cc Liquid-cooled, L2, SOHC

ENGINE: 550cc Liquiid-coolled d duall-cyllind der DOHC 8V

POWER/TORQUE: 60bhp (44KW) @ 7,750rpm / 46lb-ft (63Nm) @ 6,000rpm

POWER/TORQUE: 54bhp (40.3KW) @ 6,250rpm / 50lb-ft (68Nm) @ 4,750rpm

POWER/TORQUE: 52.7bhp (39.3kW) @ 7500rpm / 41lb-ft (55.64Nm) @ 5500rpm

www.mslmagazine.co.uk 31

OUR TOP

TEN PRODUCTS

THIS MONTH…

Weise Detroit Gloves

RRP: £59.99 / www.thekeycollection.co.uk

2

RRP: £169.99 / www.thekeycollection.co.uk

1

Are you in the market for a new jacket to see you through the winter months?

Well, instead of a bulky textile jacket, how about the stripped back and stylish Michigan jacket from Weise.

Waterproof, windproof and breathable, thanks to its 600 Denier outer construction and removable 120g quilted thermal liner, the Michigan jacket is a proper bit of protective kit that’ll look after you when the weather takes a turn for the worse.

It comes with removable CE approved shoulder, elbow and back armour, a range of internal and external pockets, an adjustable collar with a Neoprene trim, and a popper closure and adjustment at the cuffs and waist. There’s also a connection zip to allow you to match it up to a pair of Weise trousers.

Furygan Apalaches Trousers

Weise has just revealed a new pair of full-grain leather gloves to keep your hands well protected in style. Sitting in Weise’s Vintage line of clothing, the Detroit gloves come with TPU knuckle armour, stretch finger panels, a layer of Chamude on each palm to improve grip, padded finger panels and adjustable cuffs.

RRP: £179.99 / www.nevis.uk.com

4

Lomo Adventure Pannier Dry Bags RRP: £58 / www.lomo.co.uk

3

Glasgow-based Lomo’s new rugged pannier bags are aimed directly at the adventure bike market.

At approximately 13L capacity, these panniers offer mounting flexibility with a multitude of loops and straps to help keep the bags firmly attached to your bike. Designed to go on a pannier rack, each bag comes with a webbed lattice backing, which ch provides multiple anchors and mounting op ptions for easy attachment.

The Lomo pa anniers are waterproof and will keep you ur items dry in driving rain, time and tim me again.

They are designed to fit a broad a range of bikes and racks.

32 Motorcycle Sport

Weise Michigan Jacket

& Leisure – established 1962

To go with the Furygan Apalaches jacket, there’s also a matching set of trousers. With a focus on comfort and safety, no matter the weather, they come kitted out with a thermal removable lining, a breathable waterproof membrane, an AFS ventilation system and adjustable knee protectors (with three different height options). If you’re after a new set of textile trousers for less than a couple of hundred quid, they’re well worth a look.

Squire Behemoth Lock and Chain RRP: £599 / www.squirelocks.co.uk

5

Squire has released its strongest lock and chain ever: the Behemoth. The latest addition to Squire’s Motolok range, the lock and chain is made from hardened alloy steel and meets Motorcycle Sold Secure Diamond approval. The chain is 22mm in diameter and 1500mm in length, while the padlock uses a 100mm solid, hardened steel lock body with a 20mm diameter, hardened boron alloy steel shackle. It also gets Squire’s anti-drill protection and an electrophoretic anti-corrosion finish, and can withstand over 18 tonnes of pulling force. Impressive.

KIT LS2 Subverter Mo otocross ross Helmet

RRP: From £149.99 / www.ls2helmets.com

6

LS2’s popular Subverter motocross helmet has been updated for 2020 0 – and it now comes with Multi-directional Impact Protection System (MIPS) technology as standard.

If you’ve not heard of MIPS before, it works to help prevent rotational brain injury, which can be caused d by movement between the brain and skull when the head h suffers an impact. In essence, e MIPS is a low friction layer that sits between the helmet’s EPS liner and fabric lining, g which wh allows a rider’s head to move 10-15mm relative to the helmett in any direction. It works to re-direct energy which would otherwise be transferred to the brain, and subsequently reduces the risk of damage to brain tissue due to rotational motion. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

Furygan Apalaches Jacket RRP: £199.99 / www.nevis.uk.com

8

Compatible with Furrygan’s Fury Airbag, Furygan n has just released its s new Apalaches jacket for 2020, and if you’re after a new textile jacket for your next adventure, look no further.

Furygan claim it’s been designed for intense use, which means it’s probably up for taking a bit of a beating.

And it’s well equipped too – particularly considering its price e – coming kitted out with a breathable, waterproof lining, a removable thermal lining, an AFS ventilation system, D30 protection (with space for a back and chest protector), reflective inserts and a total of nine pockets (six external and three internal). There are also waist and sleeve adjuster tabs to help get the perfect fit, and a connector zip to attach it to a pair of compatible trousers.

Oxford Heritage Tech 1.0 MS Jacket RRP: £ £199.99 / www.oxfordproducts.com

7

Oxford has just released its new Herita age Tech waterproof ja acket, and with its trad ditional wax jacket styling and a raft of thoroughly modern fe eatures, it’s a cracking g looking bit of kit that should be capable of looking after you out on the road, no matter the weather.

Constructed from dry wax cotton, it comes with a breathable, waterproof liner and a removable WarmDry thermal liner. And to protect your pride and joy, the front of the jacket has been designed so that there are no snap fastenings, buttons or protruding zips. Clever.

For protection, the CE level A-rated Heritage Tech comes fitted with CE level 1 protection at the shoulders and elbows, and there’s also a pocket for a back protector (which you’ll have to buy separately).

Halley Helmet Rack RRP: €214 / www.halleyaccessories.com

10

Here’s something to link your passion for motorcycling with interior design – an uberstylish wall-mounted helmet rack. It’s not cheap, and it’s not something you NEED, but can you honestly say you don’t WANT it?

The Helmet Rack is Halley Accessories’ flagship product (others include helmet hangers and stands), designed for storing and displaying your helmet with pride. Its spherical design allows your helmet to sit smoothly on the stainless steel surface, avoiding damage to the helmet’s inner padding.

Tucano Urbano Marty Boots RRP: £129.99 /www.tucanourbano.co.uk

9

There’s no longer a need to wear a chunky set of biker boots s to protect your feet when you’re out o on two wheels. It’s easier than ever tto stay safe in style, thanks to Tucano Urbano’s n new Marty boots.

The sneaker-style CE app proved boots are constructed from black leatther and come kitted out with hidden ankle e padding to keep you well protected - and they’re waterproof too, thanks to a clever breathable membrane.

www.mslmagazine.co.uk 33

Test Ride KTM 790 Adventure & Yamaha Ténéré 700

ure and KTM’s 790 Advent g-awaited n Yamaha’s equally lo trasting on Ténéré 700 took c iddleweight m routes in search of macy – re adventure bike sup up ahead? d so which one ende

ROAD

T

Test Ride Specification YAMAHA TÉNÉRÉ 700 Price: £8999 Engine: 689cc, liquid-cooled, dohc 8-valve parallel twin Power: 72bhp @ 9000rpm Torque: 50 lb-ft (68Nm) @ 6500rpm Transmission: 6-speed, chain Chassis: Tubular steel twin cradle Suspension: (F) 43mm KYB telescopic with adjustable compression and rebound damping (R) KYB shock with adjustable preload and rebound damping Brakes: (F) 2 282mm discs, twin-piston calipers (R) Single 245mm disc, single-piston caliper Tyres: Pirelli Scorpion Rally (F) 90/90 x 21 (R) 150/70 x 18 Seat height: 875mm Fuel capacity: 16 litres Kerb weight: 205kg Contact: www.yamaha-motor.eu/gb/en/

YAMAHA TÉNÉRÉ 700

My time with the Ténéré had the perfect introduction. After taking delivery of the Yamaha, I checked the local Trail Riders’ Fellowship website and discovered a ride the following day. Next morning, after a spirited road-going blast to warm up both rider and machine, I met three fellow TRFers for an enjoyable meander along some green lanes that gave the bike’s off-road ability an early test.

The Yamaha rose to the occasion, and was equally well suited to the hectic blast home, then a drone down the M1 to London, where it flitted through traffic with its high-seated visibility, slimness and low-speed controlability making it very much at home. Such a varied scenario is exactly what the Ténéré was created for, and for a humble middleweight it makes a very decent stab at being all the motorbike you’ll ever need.

One glance is enough to confirm the Yam’s off-road focus, especially when it’s parked next to the KTM, and seems to tower over it. Much of that is due to the way the bodywork rises up at the front, with the tall rally-style screen, LED lights and oblong-shaped digital info panel, designed to mimic a rally road book.

It’s a purposeful and good-looking bike, in either red, blue or black.

The Yam’s height is also partly due to its lanky suspension, which gives 210mm of travel up front and 200mm

ABOVE: The Yamaha is equally at home on and off Tarmac BELOW: The dash is not flash, but it fits the style BELOW RIGHT: Off-road protection looks sturdy, although it didn't get bashed too much during our test

36 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

at the rear. At 875mm, the seat is pretty high; up to 45mm taller than the KTM’s. But the Ténéré is reasonably narrow, and its rear end sinks sufficiently that most riders will feel secure once they’ve climbed aboard.

That tall seat allows plenty of legroom to go with the upright riding position dictated by the wide handlebar. On the road the Ten was well-mannered and enjoyably quick, without quite matching the zip of the lighter MT-07 whose 72bhp paralleltwin engine it shares, let alone the more powerful Adventure. It felt like a big, friendly Golden Labrador of a motorbike – not outstandingly fast or strong, but energetic, easy on the eye, and a willing companion for whatever it encountered.

There are no alternative engine modes to think about, but that was fine because it’s low-rev fuelling was good, the torquey 270-degree crankshaft engine pulled strongly pretty much regardless of revs, and there was a respectably sweetchanging six-speed box to help out.

When two-up with a hefty pillion it felt a little underpowered, but still held its own with the traffic and was always happy to rev a bit harder when requested.

Sitting at cruising speeds on main roads was effortless, and the Yam pulled reasonably keenly from there towards a top speed of about 120mph, without particularly encouraging such activity. More to the point, in colder weather than on the Spanish launch I was just as impressed as I

Test Ride KTM 790 Adventure SCREEN

The Adventure’s fairly narrow screen keeps off much of the wind, at the expense of some turbulence. Shame the range of adjustment is a barely worthwhile 40mm, and you’ll need a Torx driver to use it.

FRONT WHEEL

A wire-spoked 21in front wheel confirms that the Adventure is designed to go off-road, though it wears road-biased Avon Trailrider tyres rather than the Adventure R’s more dirt-friendly Metzeler Karoo 3s.

SUSPENSION

The Adventure’s 43mm WP forks give 200mm of travel and can’t be adjusted.

The same KTM-owned firm provides the rear shock, which can be fine-tuned for preload, but lacks the Yamaha’s remote adjuster.

INSTRUMENTS

The colourful TFT display is classier than the Ténéré’s simple digital display, and

allows easy changing among the riding modes via a typical KTM arrangement of four buttons on the left handlebar.

ENGINE

KTM detuned the 790 Duke’s 799cc, dohc parallel twin slightly for the Adventure, but with a maximum output of 94bhp at 8000rpm it’s still 22bhp more powerful than the Yamaha’s smaller unit.

FUEL TANK

Rally experience led to the Adventure’s tank design, which extends down alongside the engine on both sides, looking portly, but allowing a useful 20-litre capacity plus a low centre of gravity.

SEAT

KTM’s aim of making the Adventure accessible to a wide range of riders resulted in a two-piece seat that can quickly be adjusted between a manageable 830 and 850mm in height, or lower still with accessories.

ROAD Yamaha Ténéré 700 WINDSCREEN

ENGINE

Unlike the KTM there’s no adjustment, but the Ténéré screen contributes to the bike’s distinctive Dakar-racer style and gives useful protection while generating less turbulence than the Adventure’s equivalent.

The 689cc, dohc parallel twin engine produces 72bhp and comes straight from the MT-07, gaining a revised cooling system, new airbox and purpose-designed exhaust with upswept silencer.

INSTRUMENTS

FRAME

Simple in comparison to the Adventure’s sophisticated TFT display, but the Yamaha’s road book style instrument panel sits high up, allowing easy viewing, and there’s a useful rail for accessories.

Yamaha’s development team spent much time on the design and rigidity of the tubular steel frame, which incorporates two bolt-on front downtubes, and was fine-tuned to improve feel.

WHEELS

FUEL TANK

The wire-spoked 21in front wheel signifies the Ténéré’s off-road intent, and like the 18in rear, wears Pirelli’s Scorpion Rally rubber. The front brake blend of 282mm discs and twin-pot calipers is adequately powerful.

The Ténéré’s conventional fuel tank holds 16 litres against the KTM tank’s 20 litres, but with the economical engine returning more than 50mpg even when the bike is used hard, that’s enough for close to 200 miles.

SUSPENSION

SEAT

Japanese firm KYB supply the 43mm upsidedown front forks, which give 210mm of travel and are adjustable for compression and rebound damping. The rear shock has a remote preload adjuster, unlike the KTM unit.

At 875mm the Ténéré’s seat is taller than the Adventure’s, but sufficiently narrow to allow most riders to get their feet down. An accessory seat and shock linkage combine to reduce height to 840mm.

Test Ride Specification KTM 790 ADVENTURE Price: £11,099 Engine: 799cc, liquid-cooled, dohc 8-valve parallel twin Power: 94bhp @ 8000rpm Torque: 66 lb-ft (89Nm) @ 6600rpm Transmission: 6-speed, chain Chassis: Chrome-molybdenum steel trellis Suspension: (F) 43mm WP telescopic (R) WP shock with adjustable preload Brakes: (F) 2 320mm discs, J-Juan four-piston radial calipers (R) Single 260mm disc, twin-piston caliper Tyres: Avon Trailrider (F) 90/90 x 21 (R) 150/70 x 18 Seat height: 850/830mm Fuel capacity: 20 litres Kerb weight: 189kg Contact: www.ktm.com/gb

KTM 790 ADVENTURE

In contrast to the trail-riding first day that emphasised the Ténéré’s versatility, my time with the 790 Adventure was initially confusing.

After the tall, slightly squashy Yamaha I’d become used to, the KTM felt low, firm and more like a conventional roadster than an adventure bike.

Immediately after setting off on the 790 I was aware – and appreciative – of its superior performance. Its 94bhp engine revved more freely, and every time I glanced at its speedo the bike seemed to be moving 10mph faster than the Yam would have been.

That ride was also slightly frustrating, because although the Adventure handled well on twisty roads, it didn’t steer with quite the ease I’d expected, let alone that of its relation, the 790 Duke. Perhaps that was inevitable, given that it’s 15kg heavier than the Duke and has a 21-inch front wheel instead of a 17-incher. But I hadn’t expected the Adventure to feel slightly harsh, its firm rear shock passing on bumps that the Ténéré wouldn’t even have noticed.

On smooth roads the Adventure worked much better, and the more I rode it the more I appreciated its many attributes rather than worried about its few rough edges. It certainly has a clear edge over the Yamaha on performance. Its dohc parallel-twin engine is detuned from Duke spec but still has a 22bhp advantage, added to which the Austrian bike is over 10kg lighter.

ABOVE: The KTM has a more road-going feel than the Yamaha BELOW: Full-colour dash of the KTM is all singing, all dancing BELOW RIGHT: With more electronics you need more switches, but they are clear, easy to use and good quality

40 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

At a standstill their differing sizes and shapes were striking. The Adventure seemed shorter and wider, thanks to its pannier-tank design that sees fuel held on either side of the engine, lowering the centre of gravity and seat height (830-850mm).

From that seat the view is of a fairly slim screen, slightly raised one-piece bar with standard hand-guards, and a TFT dash that is more colourful and informative than the Yam’s. It shows which of the three riding modes (four if you add the optional Rally to the standard Street, Offroad and Rain) has been selected using the switch on the left handlebar.

The Adventure might not be a typical adventure bike, but it’s very much a KTM, feeling eager, freerevving and aggressive as it charges forward at every opportunity.

Low-rev delivery is crisp, there’s plenty of midrange, and enough power up top to make the 799cc twin feel like a properly fast streetbike by the standards of not so long ago. An

accessory quick-shifter added to the entertainment.

It was fairly civilised, too, feeling smooth thanks to twin balancer shafts, and managing to have a pleasing parallel-twin character despite breathing quietly through its single silencer. The fairing and screen diverted roughly as much breeze as the Ténéré’s, but generated more turbulence for me. Shame the screen has only a feeble 40mm of adjustment, and unlike several previous Adventures’ screens, requires a Torx driver rather than a simple manual operation to use it.

Thankfully, most aspects of the 790’s chassis are much better. There’s nothing wrong with the tubular steel frame’s rigidity, or the power with which J-Juan’s radial four-pot front brake calipers bite the 320mm discs.

The Avon Trailrider tyres grip reliably too, and are helped out when necessary by cornering ABS plus a similarly refined, IMU-governed traction control system.

Test Ride CONCLUSION

Before starting this test I’d expected to be able to pick a winner, but having ridden the two bikes back-toback it’s clear that choosing one in isolation would be misleading. They are both excellent all-rounders; extremely good at what they do. But despite the obvious similarities they’re very different.

My ride to the photo session summed up the difference. For the morning run from Hertfordshire to the location near Peterborough I was aboard the Ténéré, and enjoyed its gentle charm and sumptuous ride quality as it lolloped down some local back roads then up the A1. I found my eye drawn to every field entrance that I passed, tempted by the prospect of what adventure might lie beyond.

Aboard the KTM on the way home, it wasn’t gravel tracks that caught my y , y promise of bends and the potential to ex loit the ik ’ ,

.

less powerful and more relaxed Ténéré 700 is a genuine all-rounder that can’t decide whether it prefers Tarmac or dirt.

There’s also a significant difference in price. The Ténéré’s relative simplicity and Yamaha’s shared platform policy have allowed a price of £8999, despite a £600 increase since the summer. With the Adventure costing £11,099 (the Adventure R is £11,999), that still gives the Yamaha a substantial advantage of £2100.

This arguably puts it in a different part of the market to the KTM. On the other hand, if you slid off the Ténéré on a greasy road because it didn’t have cornering ABS or traction control, you could do a lot more than two grand’s worth of damage… For me the choice would depend on whether this was to be an only machine. If so, unless I was planning ’ ,

“I chose the Ténéré”

Having put down a deposit on both the 790 Adventure R and Ténéré 700 before opting for the Yamaha, Andrew Lee typifies the rider torn between the Austrian and Japanese middleweights.

The 57-year-old IT salesman from Amersham in Bucks admits his decision was partly based on looks.

“I’ve owned five KTMs previously and if the 790 had looked the mutt’s nuts I’d have bought another, but it’s ugly,” he said. “I know it’s 90 per cent about the riding, but that 10 per cent of me likes to go into the garage and give my bike a clean, and that front is just wrong for the Adventure.

“Is the Ténéré as good off-road? Probably not.

But I just want to do soft off-roading and it’s perfect for that, plus it’s a hoot on the road. For a trip overseas with some

off-road that’s not massively technical it’s brilliant, and that’s why I bought it.”

Price was also a consideration. “My Yamaha has got heated grips, crashbars, an Akro and some R&G bits so I think I paid £10,100 by the time I’d finished. But by the time I’d spec’d up the KTM with a quickshifter, Akro, crashbars and rack it was almost 15 grand and that’s a big difference.” It’s a fair point, although the standard 790 is £900 less expensive than the R, and the Ténéré doesn’t have the option of a shifter.

www.mslmagazine.co.uk 43

THE BIKES

With a fleet of 2020 Kawasaki KX motocross machines to choose from, you’ve got the best of the best to play with at Kawasaki’s MX Experience. There are KX65s, KX85s, KX250s and KX450s on hand depending on your age, size and skill level. We spent the day on a pair of KX250s. They’re a serious bit of kit: lightweight, agile and punchy – without being too intimidating.

… es o g L S M MOTOCR Getting down and dirty at Kawasak ki's

perience.

G

WORDS: Ross Mowbray PHOTOGRAPHY: Ross Mowbray and Mikko Niem mine

H

ere at Motorcycle Sport and Leisure, we’re always looking for something new and different to get our teeth stuck into – and with the weather taking a turn for the worse and the roads becoming a less pleasant place to be, we thought it was time to take to the dirt and give motocross a go. That’s how we found ourselves at Coney Green Farm deep in the heart of Worcestershire surrounded by a slew of Kawasaki’s latest MX bikes…

If you’re anything like me, you love the thought of riding a dirt bike, but you’re not sure how much you love the idea of buying a bike and all the kit and tools that go with it.

Fortunately, you don’t have to. Sevenseven2 MX has joined forces with Kawasaki to offer anyone from seven years old and up to ride off-road for the day on Kawasaki’s latest KX motocross bikes.

THE KAWASAKI MX EXPERIENCE

Run by Craig Chambeerlain, ex-racer, team boss and owner of SevvenSeven2 MX, Th Thee Kawasaki MX Experience is the Japanese factory’s official off-road training centre in the UK. No matter if you’re learning to ride or you’re a racer looking for a few pointers, you’ll be well looked after by the team of coaches – including a former MXGP rider, a World Enduro rider and an IMBA European rider.

We headed along to an Experience Day – which is probably best considered as a perfect introduction to motocross. On the day, you’ll rock up on site for around 9:30am, receive a short briefing and get changed into the kit provided.

From there you’ll get a quick rundown of everything you need to know to ride the bike – and after a quick lap around a coned

44 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

course, you’ll get split off into groupss of similarly capable riders.

Once you’ve proved you’re comforrtable on the bike, bike you’ll you ll be on your own out o on track – but don’t worry, the coaches are on hand for pointers, suggestions and the occasional one-on-one exercise.

WHY SHOULD I RIDE OFF ROAD?

Riding off-road might look intimidating from the outside looking in, but it doesn’t have to be. Whether you’ve never ridden before, or you’ve got a road licence and have never had a blast off the Tarmac, there are plenty of reasons to get involved.

Okay, this may seem obvious, but getting on two wheels just isn’t as easy as it used to be… or should be. The high costs and complicated legislation associated with passing your motorcycle test can be challenging, but off-road riding takes that out of the equation entirely, providing you’re

Brothers in harms The High Sider

I

n 2020, serial world championist Marc Marquez will be joined in the factory Honda team by his younger brother Alex, the fresh prince of Moto2.

The public faces of Honda’s premium global racing effort are now Marc, Alex, their omnipresent dad Julià, their personal manager Emilio Alzamora and the team manager, Alberto Puig. That, as far as the world is concerned, is who Honda is. That’s the family; they are the brand.

Am I alone in noticing how, as immortality beckons, Marc Marquez looks less and less happy about the prospect? In 2013 he was a fresh-faced, rosy-cheeked ingénue, scatter-balling through MotoGP life with a breezy, twinking confidence. The heavyweight of expectation couldn’t lay a glove on him. But in 2019 he’s a more serious, frowning, focussed figure, as if a layer of bonhomie has peeled away to reveal previous flashes of youthful petulance turned out to be a core of grim, inviolable, self-entitled determination.

When Marc smiles now, his eyes betray a realisation the whirlwind forces that drove him can’t be sated by success, but are ever-more ravenous to be fed by it. It’s an ego firestorm that ends up sucking in and consuming everything around it.

You can see it happening. I’m reliably informed by gossipy MotoGP paddock insiders that the Marquez dynasty has long been nicknamed the Spanish mafia; a cabal wielding significant influence in the paddock, over the organisers (who are fairly Spanish themselves), and even over Honda management.

An example: aAt the end of the 2018 season, when Jorge Lorenzo and HRC signed a two-year contract on what turned out to be metaphorical paper, part of the factory’s reasoning was assumed to be to develop the bike into a more ‘user-friendly’ package to suit a wider range of riding talents rather than narrowed on Marc’s unique style to the exclusion of anyone else. And there’s no greater difference in style than between neat and tidy corner speed maestro Lorenzo and park and squirt rodeo-riding Marquez.

But Jorge never stood a chance on the RCV because, it’s reported, Marquez torpedoed Honda’s plan. From the outside, the story is Honda gave Marquez a choice between making the RCV easier to ride, but no faster, or faster, but harder to ride – Marquez chose the latter, because speed was more important and his phenomenal ability would allow him to tame it. Too much power is never unhealthy when you’re Marc Marquez.

But the word on the inside is different. Honda, with the imminent arrival of Lorenzo, knew it was unwise to put all its RCV development eggs in the Marquez basket.

After all, Marc might win the rider’s world title, but he couldn’t win the constructor’s title on his own as well (probably. Doh!). And besides, Honda aren’t in the habit

46 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

When sibling rivalry, or a lack of it, has the potential to spell trouble ahead for Honda

Who is The High Sider?

The High Sider’s 25-year career riding and writing about motorbikes, both on track and off, has been fuelled from the start by a passion for racing. From the technical aspects of race bike design and performance to the motivations of the people who ride them, if it’s about going faster in circles, it matters.

of giving the sack of skin pushing the buttons on their bike more kudos than the metal underneath – it’s one of the reasons Rossi gave for sacking the Big H for Yamaha.

So Honda management did what Honda management do, and they told Marquez they would make the RCV easier to ride. That would suit incoming Lorenzo, as well as satellite riders Cal Crutchlow and Taka Nakagami.

But Marquez told Honda if they did that, he’d take his genius elsewhere.

Honda acquiesced, Lorenzo got a monster and, to be fair, Marquez’ arm-twisting was vindicated – on a bike no one else can ride he scored more points in a season than anyone ever, won the rider’s title with four races to spare, and pretty much single-handedly won the manufacturer’s title for Honda as well. Exit Jorge.

Which left an uncomfortable spare seat on a factory Honda. Since escaping the cult of KTM, Johann Zarco had been flapping around the paddock like an untethered Gallic bag of neuroses. Hoping to nab a ride somewhere, anywhere, he jumped on the satellite Honda of injured Nakagami and performed well. But not well enough to land on the factory bike. And neither did the other satellite Honda rider, Cal Crutchlow.

So the job of pillion goes to Marc’s kid brother Alex.

And despite protestations of innocence in the matter, it’s inconceivable Marc didn’t lean on Honda – maybe not directly, but plausible deniability is chapter one in the despot manual: get others to know what you want and let them do your dirty work without having to ask.

Claiming Alex has earned the ride doesn’t hold up: who remembers the last man to go straight from a Moto2 title to a factory bike? Marc Marquez in 2013. Before that?

Lorenzo, from two 250 titles to Fiat Yamaha in 2008, then Pedrosa, also after two 250 titles, in 2006.

Is Alex a Marc, Jorge or Dani? Considering he almost blew the Moto2 title at the end of his fifth season in the class, the form book would say not. Alex’s role at Honda is to keep his brother at Honda – when Marquez Jnr figures it out, it might be an awkward family Christmas dinner.

And from wanting to develop the RCV to be more compatible with other riders, Honda have now found themselves not only bowing to Marquez’ demands in terms of machine development philosophy (something they seemed reluctant to do for anyone else, ever, including Rossi, Doohan or Spencer), but also folding on his choice of teammate.

When is too much power unhealthy? Ask Honda.

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Test Ride

BEAST FROM THE EAST

ROAD CFMoto 650GT

Chinese bikes don’t have the best reputation, but CFMoto is about to change all that WORDS: Alan Cathcart PHOTOGRAPHY: Stephen Piper

eally, it was inevitable. Just like products of the Japanese industry half a century ago, Chinese motorcycles are gly no longer the cheap but ys cheerful products they e, predominantly built down e, often with shockingly poor y, and non-existent spares at was then and this is now, ducts of the People’s increasingly welled and soundly constructed, r more attractive styling longer so frequently e, as a pastiche of Western ut while industry giant g has been a key player in this trend forward via its enelli subsidiary, the true er in this process of engaging rseas markets via a range of e appealing and well-made eight models, is the much FMoto company. to was founded in 1989 by year old entrepreneur Lai In 2007 it opened its present Hangzhou, 125 miles est of Shanghai, with its 0-strong workforce steadily mping up production not nly of bikes and scooters, but especially ATVs, in which CFMoto is a global market leader. In 2009 the company began development entirely

in-house of its own liquid-cooled dohc 650cc parallel-twin engine as a platform for a range of different middleweight models. The 650NK Naked version was the first of these to be launched in China in 2011, reaching export markets one year later. The 650TK bagger Tourer came next, with export sales commencing in 2014, and 2017 saw the 650MT adventure tourer sold worldwide.

Now it’s the turn of the 650GT, which uses the same tubular steel diamond frame as the other two models, with the same 650cc parallel-twin engine employed as a fully-stressed chassis component.

NEW AND IMPROVED

The GT is a direct replacement for the 650TK, whose trunk space was part of the bodywork rather than conveniently detachable, so incapable of being taken indoors for an overnight stay. CFMoto has responded to customer feedback by launching the sports touring GT with separate Spanish-made SHAD luggage, a full fairing like the TK but with an adjustable screen, plus a much lower two-piece seat than the 650MT (now 795mm high rather than 840mm), and reduced suspension travel. The GT’s 43mm Yuan conventional telescopic fork shared with the 650NK naked bike (rather than upside down, as on the MT) that’s adjustable for compression damping now delivers 125mm of front wheel travel (versus 140mm),

Exhaust styling has a nice Kiska touch

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Test Ride Specification CFMOTO 650GT Price: £5799 Engine: Liquid-cooled DOHC 8-valve parallel-twin four-stroke with 180-degree crankshaft, chain camshaft drive, and single gear-driven counterbalancer Power: 70bhp (52kW) @ 8750rpm Torque: 45.72ft-lb (62Nm) @ 7000rpm Transmission: 6-speed, chain final drive Frame: Tubular steel diamond frame employing engine as fully-stressed member Suspension: (F) 43mm Yuan inverted telescopic fork adjustable for compression damping, 125mm wheel travel, (R) Extruded steel swingarm with tubular bracing and Yuan cantilever monoshock adjustable for spring preload and rebound damping, 130mm wheel travel Weight: 226kg with oil/water/full fuel tank, without panniers Fuel capacity: 19 litres Brakes: (F) 2 x 300mm J.Juan steel discs with twin-piston J.Juan calipers and Continental ABS, (R) 1 x 240mm J. Juan single disc with single-piston J. Juan caliper and Continental ABS Wheels/tyres: (F) 120/70ZR17 Metzeler RoadTec 01 on 3.50 in. cast aluminium wheel, (R) 160/60ZR17 Metzeler RoadTec 01 on 4.50 in. cast aluminium wheel Seat height: 795mm Contact: www.cfmoto.co.uk

with 130mm at the rear (was 145mm) via the Yuan cantilever monoshock adjustable for spring preload and rebound damping. Metzeler RoadTec 01 tyres are carried on the 17-inch cast aluminium wheels, with a 160/60ZR17 rear that encourages deft handling coupled with good grip.

LED headlamps are now fitted to the more protective full fairing on the Kiska Design, Austria, designed bike.

Turn indicators and tail lamp are also LEDs, plus it has a five-inch TFT dash with two display options.

The 650MT was the first CFMoto product to be Euro 4 compliant, so the 650GT follows in its tyre tracks by including twin-channel Continental ABS as standard, while once again being as affordably priced as its sister model. But does the 650GT only give you what you’ve paid for, with corner-cutting compromises in quality and performance?

To source the answer I rode the GT 310 miles in a single day around Melbourne, Australia. A temperature of 34ºC was a stern test of any bike’s rideability, but especially a 650cc twin. Protection was excellent on the 650GT, thanks to the adjustable screen, which you must however use

both hands to adjust via a pair of plastic wheels over a range of 50mm, although it would have been nice to have had a pair of handlebar guards, too. The riding position is quite spacious despite the lower seat height, which actually makes you feel more involved than on the MT, and the lower seat coupled with the one-piece handlebar mounted on tall 100mm risers forming part of the upper tripleclamp delivers a fairly upright stance that’s really untiring – at the end of my long day in the saddle I joined up with some Aussie mates for a few beers, and had no numb-bum syndrome, thanks to the well-

50 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

designed seat. The mirrors are well placed, don’t vibe and give an excellent view behind you, too.

PROVEN POWERPLANT

BELOW: The engine is a copy of a Kawasaki powerplant – and it’s good

The same well-engineered liquidcooled 83 x 60mm 649cc dohc eight-valve parallel-twin motor as found in the 650NK/MT is fitted to the 650GT, complete with 180-degree crankshaft (so, one piston up/one down) and chain camdrive on the right of the cylinder block. Sure, this is essentially a Chinese copy of the Kawasaki ER6 motor, even down to the dimensions, but CFMoto owner Lai Guogui chose well in terms of which powerplant to copy in moving his company’s model range up the capacity ladder, and his engineers did a good job in executing it. The GT version produces the same 70bhp (52kW) at the crank at 8750rpm as in those other models, with identical peak torque of 45.72ft-lb (62Nm) at 7000 revs, and in its GT application this definitely felt even better rounded than before. Thanks to the single gear-driven counterbalancer and the hefty balance weights in the ends of the handlebars, there’s absolutely no vibration at any revs,

ROAD

right up to the hard-action 10,500rpm rev-limiter, and especially no tingles in the footrest or seat as you sometimes get at a constant cruising speed from comparable single-cylinder models, and even some twins. This makes the 650GT both pleasant and practical in freeway use, as well as ultimately untiring to ride, with the fruity-sounding exhaust note giving it heaps of character.

To obtain Euro 4 compliance, CFMoto switched to a Bosch ECU for its fuel injection package, matched to twin 36mm UAES throttle bodies (compared to the previous 38mm ITT ones), still with a single injector per cylinder. Besides improving fuel economy – always a consideration on a touring bike used for longer hauls - reducing the choke size by 2mm has delivered some extra zip in terms of acceleration, which helped counter any performance lost in meeting the more restrictive Euro 4 norms. I got 355km from a full 19-litre fuel load in all kinds of use, which equates to 53mpg (UK) or 5.33 litres/100km, plus the red warning light gave me 30km of range.

ABOVE LEFT: The mirrors look close together, but work well ABOVE RIGHT: The panniers are removable

BELOW LEFT: Not the prettiest item, but it works BELOW RIGHT: USB charging provided

FAMILIAR FEELING

There’s a choice of three different riding modes on the 650GT, with the Rain map really softening the power delivery very noticeably, at the expense of any real sense of performance, although from previous experience with the 650MT I know that it does come in useful when riding along slippery surfaces – same as the single-stage Continental ABS which kicks in very effectively, if a little brusquely. But there isn’t much difference between the Sport and Touring modes also on offer, except that in Sport the motor is marginally more zestful in acceleration.

But the 650GT is a pretty flexible friend in either mode, thanks to the willing performance of its 650cc twin-cylinder motor. Thumb the starter button and this immediately comes alive, then settles to a high 1400rpm idle (perhaps chosen to counter the lack of a slipper clutch?), with a pleasing and distinctive syncopated lilt emanating from the 2-1 exhaust, whose rather bulky silencer is carried quite low down on the right to leave space for the passenger footpegs. Just as before, I found the parallel-twin engine to be torquey, free-revving and smooth, pulling pretty strongly with zero transmission snatch from 2000rpm on part throttle, and from 3000rpm wide open. There’s the same responsive power delivery, delivering a completely linear build of power all the way to that 10,500rpm revlimiter, and although it picks up revs a little faster from 5500rpm upwards, when there’s an extra spurt of engine acceleration, you wouldn’t really characterise this as a step in the powerband. It’s a user-friendly ride.

The six-speed transmission with chain final drive features a Japanesedeveloped FCC oil-bath clutch, making the 650GT a model of rideability, thanks to its flawless gearshift and light clutch action – your left hand won’t ever cramp up riding this bike in traffic. This makes balancing the CFMoto at low speeds easy for riders of all levels of experience, with walking pace feet-up U-turns dead easy on a bike which has a very tight steering lock and is thus pretty manoeuvrable, thanks also to the responsive, but wellmapped fuelling. There’s no trace of an abrupt pickup from a closed throttle on the 650GT - just a smooth, liquid response which makes the bike seem so controllable. Though not particularly light for a 650 twin with a 226kg curb weight without luggage, but with all liquids including a fully fuelled 19-litre gas tank, this will be an ideal mount for beginners or, thanks to its low seat height, female riders.

LET’S UP THE SPEED

The 650GT is also enjoyable to ride fast, even if acceleration is determined rather than assertive, thanks to the 13kg of extra weight it carries versus the 650MT, and 23kg more than its 650NK Naked-butunashamed sister model, even before adding the luggage. It’ll cruise all day at a relaxed 75mph with the tacho needle parked at 5900rpm, little more than halfway to the redline, and 100mph ton-up cruising is perfectly feasible, tracking dead straight with no wobbles even with those wide panniers fitted, which surely catch the breeze behind your legs, and the engine revving at 7200rpm while that www.mslmagazine.co.uk 51

Test Ride

quite effective screen shelters a 1.80m-high rider’s helmet from windblast. Absolute top speed is 120mph with the engine peaking at 8400rpm – it won’t pull any higher – but things get definitely stressed running that fast, and the 650GT’s more comfortable at lower speeds.

With torque peaking at 7000rpm and spread widely enough throughout the powerband there’s no point in revving it anywhere near that 10,500rpm limiter. I shifted up at 8000 revs and found myself back in the fat part of the torque curve every time.

The 650GT’s Kiska-concocted riding position is super-comfortable, with the lower, but still relatively plush seat slotting you into the bike rather than sitting on top of it, which makes you feel more involved than on the taller-seeming MT. As I said, I had no trace of discomfort after my 310-mile day aboard the CFMoto, thanks to the well-designed seat.

There’s good lumbar support for the rider, and adequate space for a passenger on a taller separate seat flanked by long grab handles, while the rider’s footrests are positioned better than on the MT, lower and

further back, so you don’t feel cramped in a long day’s ride, as I did aboard the MT. Moreover, the taper-section handlebar mounted on cast aluminium 100mm risers is ideally shaped, with just enough pull-back to deliver a comfortable, straight-backed stance. The mirrors are are well placed, and give a good view behind you without vibrating, plus the control boxes on the handlebars are a better quality than before, and after I complained about this last time on the MT, they’ve been reversed, with the light-switch control box moved to the more commonplace left handlebar. But the horn button is too close to the indicator switch – I kept tooting when I didn’t mean to when switching lanes on the freeway! The side stand is not a thing of beauty (there’s no centre stand), but it works well, and is more substantial than the MT’s was originally.

The 650GT’s cockpit is pretty accommodating, and the TFT dash is a welcome addition, whose pair of layouts each have a very readable analogue tacho with the large digital speedo set within it. There’s also a welcome and clearly visible gear

52 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

BELOW: The bike’s looks are

by Kiska Design

selected readout, plus a clock and a fuel gauge with a bright warning light. But I could only find a single trip plus an odometer, which is strange as the 650MT has the twin trip readout you really need to go touring with. There’s a 12v socket on the right of the dash to power a GPS navigation system or recharge your phone, plus a USP socket on the left (ditto).

Handling-wise, I did like the front suspension set up – it was well-

ROAD

thanks to the high idle speed. But you don’t need to squeeze the brake lever that’s five-way adjustable (same as the one operating the cable clutch) excessively hard to get them to work, and lever pressure remained constant even after successive hard stops.

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BELOW: Rear suspension is not quite as good as the front

like its 650MT sister has done in the adventure touring category, this may indeed be the Chinese-made middleweight sport tourer that’ll make the breakthrough in Western markets – especially at that price.

For at last a Chinese manufacturer seemingly more interested in quality rather than price, has developed a pair of functionally excellent products providing exceptional value for money, which cover both sides of the middleweight touring marketplace, are both distinctively and crisply styled thanks to Kiska Design, and deliver dynamically, at an affordable cost.

Anyone thinking about buying a secondhand Kawasaki Ninja 650, let alone a new one, will soon have a hard decision to make. Does he or she buy that – or a brand new CFMoto 650GT? Tough call - but after my day’s ride into the Victorian Goldfields on the Chinese bike, I think I know what I’d choose to do…

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ABOVE LEFT: Panniers are side-opening

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The fact that CFMoto has fitted the Metzeler tyres, Bosch ECU, Continental ABS and J.Juan brakes indicates a welcome concern to deliver a bike fitted with branded components that’ll provide reassurance to export customers, all while maintaining that affordable price. But it’s a pity that on a bike likely to be used for longer journeys there isn’t a pocket in the bodywork for freeway tickets and suchlike.

With apparently quite high build quality, and the strong identity delivered by the Kiska Design styling and especially the distinctive blue house colour Gerald Kiska has chosen for the marque, the CFMoto 650GT is as capable and pleasing – as well as practical – a ride as any motorcycle costing twice the price, with half the looks. With many thousands of their 650 twins now having been sold in Western markets where they’ve proved durable and reliable, initial concerns about just how well they’d wear the passage of time has now been answered. Seemingly as well manufactured as it’s been engineered,

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damped enough to iron out all but the worst bumps I encountered out in the bush when taken on the angle, often at high speed. Thanks to the fairly wide handlebar there’s good leverage to help hustle the GT from side to side through a series of sweeping turns, where it felt really planted – there was good feedback from the 120/70 front version of the pair of 17-inch Metzeler RoadTec tyres, which replace the Chinesemade CST rubber on the 650NK/TK duo. Mind you, ever since China’s state-owned chemical company ChemChina acquired Pirelli/Metzeler in 2015, I guess this is now seen as a local product that just happens to be made in Germany! Just as on the 650MT I wasn’t so happy with the cantilever rear shock, though, which didn’t seem very compliant and gave a rather choppy ride on the default settings the bike was delivered with.

Without the necessary C-spanner I couldn’t experiment with preload adjustments myself, though the fact that the front is so satisfactory gives you a head start in hoping that it’ll be reasonably effective.

But fitting the Spanish-developed J.Juan brakes – albeit made in the firm’s Chinese factory – definitely gives the kind of superior stopping power lacking in the Made in China budget brakes that CFMoto previously fitted on the 650TK. These worked ok, but didn’t have the reassuring bite that the twin-piston J.Juan axial front calipers now deliver in gripping the twin 300mm front discs, aided in doing so by the metal brake hoses fitted as standard. The 240mm rear with its single-piston J. Juan caliper also gave an extra margin for carrying a passenger and/or luggage. It helped at times to use some engine braking to slow the bike hard from high speeds, which even in the absence of a slipper clutch you can do without worrying about chattering the rear Metzeler, perhaps

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HILLS & HEADWINDS

The scale of the task hit him when the Tarmac ran out soon after leaving Mongolia's capital.

“For the next 100km or so I battled with sand, washboard and big stones. I also had to cross a river by ferry and did my first water crossing...

The first part of the road after Battsengel was terrible with really deep sand, where I fell for the second time in a day.

I was physically and mentally exhausted when I reached the paved road towards Tsetserleg.”

The little Puch, a 42-year-old moped designed for riding a few miles to the shops, could not cope with some of the bigger hills, and Stephan soon found that pushing it at high altitude wasn't going to work – the answer was to leave the engine running and walk alongside.

Headwinds and washboard road surfaces caused other headaches.

Russia proved easier, with Tarmac roads and better WiFi, though the increasing speed and volume of traffic was scary at times. But the locals proved friendly, and a Russian

mechanic overhauled the Maxi, fitting new piston rings, a secondary chain and inserted some sponge into the air filter to improve its effectiveness – ingested sand from Mongolia had caused internal damage.

Mechanical problems continued, and a leaking head gasket was cured with a homemade seal cut from a drinks can, but the Maxi kept going.

The roads worsened again in Kazakhstan (“the trucks had to drive so slow, I on my moped could overtake them”) and temperatures climbed to 36 degrees C, then broached 40.

An attack of food poisoning (or possibly heat stroke) lasted several days, only fixed by a visit to a private hospital.

For a side trip over the Pamir mountains to the remote Bartang Valley, he put the Maxi in store and hired a 50cc Honda Supercub complete with 3-speed gearbox and fuel injection. This too had a few problems, but could climb mountain passes and hit 32mph on the flat.

Reunited with his Puch, Stephan headed over the border into Ukraine, passing well south

of the disputed region where fighting with Russia was still going on – he describes the border guards as “a bit on edge”.

Eventually, he was back in the EU, the last 1100km being more straightforward, though there was one more breakdown close to home – a friend brought out a spare part, and he and the Puch made it back under their own steam.

It's becoming a cliché, but you really can tour on anything... given enough time.

Read Stephan's blog at http:// www.maxi-touring.at/

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Day Ride

THE WYE RUN Following the River Wye from sea to source, on a real mix of roads WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY: Peter Henshaw

B

ritain isn't big on rivers. We don't have a Mississippi, Danube or Volga, a consequence of being a small, narrow island where nowhere is far from the sea. But short though they are, some of the waterways we do have are very picturesque. Take the Wye, rising in the dramatic mountains of mid Wales and carving its way through beautiful valleys to join the Severn at Chepstow, 134 miles later. Best of all, much of it can be followed by bike along some fantastic roads.

Roger (ageing BMW R80), Hume (Honda Transalp), John (1954-ish Ariel bitsa) and self (Honda NC750) meet at Chepstow's Firstclass café for breakfast. The full English is fine, but Roger's R80 has developed a leak from the final drive and John needs Ibuprofen for his broken wrist – not a motorcycling injury, this one, he got it descending his fireman's pole too fast...

Eventually we get going, up the lovely A466 past Tintern to Monmouth, a good introduction to following the Wye as the river is visible for most of it.

After a quick bit of A40/A449, we turn left to Brampton Abbots to be reunited with the river, which is wide, smooth and placid in this broad valley. But we're not with it for long, because our single-track road is closed after a few miles, forcing us up to the B4224, which isn't a hardship, as this too is very scenic and, this being May, spring has truly sprung.

At Hereford, John points out the Water Works Museum, which sounds like a cue for a music hall joke, but apparently really is an interesting place to stop. Not that we have time today, heading out of town on a minor road through Lower and Upper Breinton 56 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

ABOVE: Wye is one of Britain’s most scenic rivers

BELOW: Downstream, the Wye is wide and placid

to join the A438, a sweeping A-road with some nice straights, the river meandering away to our left.

We can't miss out Hay-on-Wye, Britain's capital of secondhand bookshops, and the best way to approach it (apart from the spectacular climb over the Black Mountains from the south) is the old wooden toll bridge over the river on to the B4348. Bikes used to pay 5p here, if memory serves, but now we go free, hooray! There's a good selection of decent cafés in Hay, not to mention the bookshops, but don't bother trying to park anywhere except the main car park, which has plenty of bike space.

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Take the B4350 out of town (there aren't many roads to choose from) and we stop a few miles on at Glasbury, where our catering manager Roger has booked for us to try Welsh rarebits at the River Café.

Alas, the chef who does rarebits isn't in today so I settle for a chicken, pesto and rocket sarnie, which is nice enough, but not the same. The cafe's got a lovely setting anyway, and if the weather's up to it you can sit outside and watch the Wye drift past. Roger takes the opportunity to change the BM's final drive oil for some EP90, on the grounds that this thicker oil will be less likely to leak...

Back on the road, it's the B4350 across the river to the A470 and right for Builth Wells, the river on our immediate right. It's changed character now, narrower and rockier than the placid downriver version, with the odd rapid. The road matches that, fast in places, twisting and turning along the narrow valley, its route dictated by the river. The 470 is a classic A-road, but if you really prefer single-tracks, follow this valley on the other side of the river.

At Builth we do a couple of circuits of the one-way system before finding Golf Links Road, a minor road off the A483 out of town. We're back on single-track territory, swinging along for about five miles to the B4538, then turning right, back down to the Wye and the A470 again.

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TOP LEFT: Toll bridge near Hay – bikes go free RIGHT: Stop for lunch with the canoes LEFT: Idyllic, and the meadow’s quite nice, too

BELOW: The top – from here we could see the source

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We rejoin the main road and turn left up towards Rhayader. Now, the easy and obvious thing would be to stick with this, which again follows the Wye all the way up to Llangurig. Too obvious for Roger, who has developed a fascination with cycle routes following tiny single-track back roads. So in Rhayader we turn left up the B4518 a short way (signed Elan) before right on to the narrowest, most nadgery Tarmac lane I've ever ridden. Actually, to say it was all Tarmac would be stretching a point – it's broken and potholed, with a thick strip of mud, loose grit, grass or moss

ABOVE: Stop, look at view, admire, proceed RIGHT: One of the more remote spots

LEFT: Filling stations weren’t big in Tregaron BELOW: Track to the remote youth hostel – this was the easy bit

58 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

down the middle. Just to keep things interesting, there are low-hanging branches to duck. Then, where the road turns up another valley to follow the river (not the Wye) and we're high above it with no fence (let alone Armco) between us and a very steep, grassy slope down to the water.

We make it unscathed to Llangurig, not a little relieved to be back on the wide, smooth, two-lane blacktop of the A44. A few miles on we stop at the Sweet Lamb Adventure Rally Bike Academy, where they use local forestry tracks to teach off-road bike skills on 790 and V-twin KTMs. We're not here for that, though. One track from the school twists up into the mountains towards the source of the Wye, and Roger's got permission for us to ride as far as we can on road bikes – the track is a bridleway, so don't just head off into the hills without asking permission first.

We get high enough to see the source in the distance, then trundle slowly back down to the main road.

So we've followed the Wye from sea to (nearly) source, but that isn't the end of the ride, because we're booked into one of Wales' most remote youth hostels, accessible on seven miles of narrow Tarmac and a final mile of rocky, unmade track.

Can you see a pattern developing here? Via Devils Bridge and the very twisty B4343 to Tregaron, we make it. Verdict on the Wye ride – great fun. Verdict on the last mile – 1950s Ariels are easier to ride off-road than modern bikes.

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Mid Ride

ALTITUDE SLICKNESS Off-season Alps – Austria and Italy – worth a springtime visit?

WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY: David Macmillan

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lipping down to second gear for the umpteenth downhill hairpin, I glanced down along the bike’s fork legs and thought for a moment that the callipers were glowing orange, which would have been no surprise given the punishment they’d been forced to take. But no, the Brembos were still their normal gold colour, exactly as per the brochure.

I had set off from Edelweissbike’s headquarters a few days earlier, in the sleepy Austrian village of Mieming. The contents of my suitcase had been transferred to the pair of Touratach telescopic panniers and top case, and my hastily revised route maps had been stashed under the transparent cover of the tank bag. This was to be the 'Stelvio, King of the Alps' option of the four self-guided tours offered, but a freakishly late winter had put paid to any thoughts of accessing the really remote passes. Eva at Edelweiss had kindly spent hours with a pair of highlighter pens coding impassable routes in pink and open routes in green, which I had then marked out on my full-size map.

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ABOVE: There’s a twisty road in there somewhere

BELOW: The road to Warth

Sunday had seen me climb the main road north towards Reutte before tacking southwestwards along beautifully surfaced and virtually empty roads to the small town of Warth, where I pulled in to join the local bikers for a rest and a milkshake. This was followed by a run down through the ski resort of Lech where, like everywhere else on this tour in late May, all the hotels and almost all of the restaurants and cafés were closed.

IMMACULATE AUSTRIA

Austria is quite simply immaculate. I saw no litter anywhere, and most of the Alpine meadows are scattered with quite beautiful one-off designer homes, which look seriously built to last. Yet I saw hardly any signs of human life – what do people here do all day, chop firewood? I can only assume that people here live in strong extended family groups and entertain at home, as there are no other options in these small, isolated settlements. And the locals all demonstrate great pride of ownership, both of their homes and their environment, as nowhere is it less than pristine.

Hotel Both at Schruns was a real one-off. The very kind elderly lady, who had insisted that I park the GS

TOURING & ADVENTURE

ABOVE: Lipstick? Pigs?

David liked the GS Rallye anyway

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TOP: Spotted in Warth, coffee time obviously TOP RIGHT: Glaciers were in the retreat

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safely in a neighbouring garage and then brought me a cracking cup of coffee, had then vanished, leaving me as the only guest in this out-of-season ski lodge with seemingly zero staff. It was a lovely old building, but if you’ve seen 'The Shining,' you can imagine the atmosphere; I half expected those dead twin girls to appear in the corridor inviting me to play ‘for ever and ever and ever...’

The following morning saw me head off, via a huge toll road tunnel, for St Moritz. Once south of Landeck, I took the fork to the right marked simply CH & I, to find myself alone on a great piece of road, as ever running alongside an opaque green-grey river of melt water, so cold that I’m sure I saw a salmon wearing a wetsuit. After discovering the only place in Zernez open for coffee, I rode into St Moritz and found the very plush Schweizerhof hotel high above the lake, but shrouded in drizzle, which was to last all night and into the next morning.

At €9 for a beer, I was glad to leave early. After dropping down the edge of a precipice into another beautiful valley, I headed down into Italy and that day’s primary destination, Lake Como.

If you’d not noticed the Italian border, where the guards seemed more concerned with playing Candy Crush than with policing any passing traffic, there is

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another sure-fire way to know that you’re in Italy. Just check your mirrors. The car behind will be very close, seemingly obsessed with reading the dealer’s name at the bottom of your number plate, and will overtake closely and cut back in, again close enough to read the brand of your front tyre. I think my mum called it ‘small man syndrome’. Then, of course, you just filter past everyone at the next traffic lights.

Approaching the lake, I made the mistake of taking signs for Lecco, aware that this town was at the southern end of the eastern shoreline, but found myself on a horrible road through manifold tunnels, glimpsing the shimmering water way below to my right as each tunnel ended and began again.

I managed to find my way to Mandello del Lario and the Moto Guzzi factory’s museum, which opens only between 3 and 4pm, but is free of charge. The bikers and other enthusiasts who had gathered saw a great display of this fine marque, which started a century ago. For me, the star of the show was the 1955 500cc V8 Grand Prix racer – I only wish we’d heard it fire up, but I guess the old girl has split her last eardrum.

SNOWLINE

I found myself leading a group of a dozen bikes northwards along the lake’s eastern rim, their headlights shining off the wet Tarmac into my

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ABOVE: Misty St Moritz BELOW: Surfaces are good

BELOW LEFT: V8 racer is star of the Guzzi museum BELOW: Bikes are popular round here

mirrors, but as I found the road to Sondrio, the heavens opened and I got a real drenching, especially when the traffic built up nearer the town and I had to slow to maybe 40mph, at which speed the GS’s windshield and bodywork couldn’t deflect the deluge.

So you can imagine my embarrassment as I dripped on to the bare wooden designer floors of the beautiful, isolated boutique hotel Retici Balzi, where my only dining option was the very swish Il Poggio restaurant next door.

I thought I was ordering some kind of meat pie, but what arrived was a piece of smooth mashed potato, sculpted into the exact size and shape of a fishfinger, five slices of courgette and a dozen medallions of beef. Now I know that quality beef is supposed to be served quite rare, but I’m convinced that supervet Noel Fitzpatrick could have got this stuff to moo again. Mind you, two bottles of a superb Viennese beer made up for that.

Next day I headed eastwards and, spotting a couple of traffic cops ahead, totally bamboozled them by braking hard, pulling in and asking them to confirm that I was on the right road for that night’s stay, Bozen (as the Austrians call it), or Bolzano in Italian. The

TOURING & ADVENTURE

ABOVE: Edelweiss book the hotels and work out the route LEFT: St Leonards Pass – some were still snow-blocked

Giro d’Italia cycle race had just been along part of my route that day, and every small hamlet and village had pink bikes strung up on fences and posts to support these supreme athletes. At over 2000 metres, the top of the Jaufenpass was pretty godforsaken, the snow still banked high on either side from being cleared, reminding me that it might be late May, but we were a long way up.

After my night in the superb Scala Stiegl hotel, I turned homewards towards Innsbruck and measured a southbound traffic jam of cars and bikes of 30km around the Brenner Pass. I was glad to be heading the other way.

If you think that the R1200GS is a common sight on British roads, over in the Tyrol they hunt in packs. It’s easy to see why this machine is known as the Swiss Army knife of motorcycles – it really is pretty damn good at everything. Despite a friend’s comment on the Rallye (‘Why put lipstick on a pig?’), I grew to be very attached to my bike and really liked the paint job and coloured chassis. No matter how long the day’s ride, I never got cramp nor felt uncomfortable and, of course, the riding position does allow you to stand on the pegs and have a stretch occasionally, pretending to be Simon Pavey.

RIGHT: Alpine scene

ABOVE: You can still get close to snow in May BELOW: So this is where the pink bicycles come from – mystery solved

I even found myself using the cruise control on some long tunnel sections, not really necessary as the fly-by-wire throttle is extremely light. Together with the road/rain engine management switch, the toasty heated grips and electronic suspension adjustment on the fly, BMW really have built a go-anywhere machine, but I do wonder if the Boxer would have survived this far down the road without Messieurs McGregor and Boorman’s exploits of 2004.

This is a corner of Europe you really need to ride.

Some Brits prefer to take their own bike, which involves a long grind across France, whilst others like to plan and organise each facet of the tour themselves.

But I reckon that once you’ve totalled the cost of bike hire, insurance, accommodation and planned your route, you really wouldn’t be saving much compared to letting the experts do it for you. Although I missed out on the really remote passes and the skies were perpetually grey, I really enjoyed my Edelweissbike tour and would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who has promised themselves to do a continental ride, although I would advise a couple of things – go after mid-June, and take a satnav. www.mslmagazine.co.uk 63

Long Ride

MOUNTAINS, VALLEYS AND

SALT FLATS

In a two-part story, Chris and Dee Finch ride from Cusco, Peru into darkest Brazil WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY: Chris Finch

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trip across South America had been on my bucket list for a long time, but somehow we always went somewhere else. Dee and I have now turned 70, and thought that if we were going to do it, we had better get on with it.

We considered a self-guided tour on a hired bike, but one-way bike rental trips are expensive if you end up 2700 miles and several countries distant! We eventually settled for a four-week guided tour run by Australian company Compass Expeditions and instead of hiring a bike each as we normally do, went for a R1200GS and rode two-up. The trip would start in Cusco, Peru, and then route through Bolivia at altitudes up to 15,500ft in the Andes, past Lake Titicaca, through La Paz and Potosi (the world's highest city), then border the edges of the greatest salt flats on earth at Uyuni, before crossing into Chile to ride across the Atacama Desert, where it hasn't rained in 400 years.

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ABOVE: Inca ruins in the hills behind Cusco

We would cross into northern Argentina at the remote Paso Jama at over 13,200ft and ride on through Salta and then across the vast and sparsely populated Chaco region to cross the border into Brazil at Puerto Iguaçu. At Foz, the ride would end and we'd hand the bike back.

ACCLIMATISE

We were well aware that altitude sickness, or Soroche as it is known locally, is a reality for most people arriving by plane from sea level and can affect anyone regardless of physical fitness. Symptoms include headache, nausea and dizziness and could seriously affect our planned trip, so we arrived in Cusco a couple of days before the start of the tour to help acclimatise to its altitude of 11,200ft.

The former capital of the Inca empire, Cusco is an exciting and colourful city with narrow whitewashed streets, thriving culture, lively nightlife, substantial Inca ruins and architectural treasures from the colonial era.

ABOVE: Handloom weaving llama wool TOP: Fountains and cathedral, Cusco BELOW: Chris and Dee, acclimatising

Over the next couple of days we met up with the rest of the group, which comprised the tour leader, a support vehicle driver and a total of seven paying guests on just four bikes. This small group gelled very quickly and after a local ride to familiarise ourselves with the bikes, we were ready to head northwest out of Cusco to Machu Picchu and start the trip proper.

The road to Machu Picchu heads out through the Sacred Valley, where the Rio Urubamba winds its way along an incredibly beautiful course. However, at Ollantaytambo, the valley becomes too tortuous for any road to follow, so we left the bikes there and caught a train for the last 20 miles to Machu Picchu town. The train journey gave the opportunity to follow the Rio Urubamba between scores of terraced fields to where the valley gets even tighter and the mountain more forested and precipitous.

After a night stop at Machu Picchu town, we caught an early-morning bus which bumped its way up rough tracks in the dark to the steep approach steps up to the Incan fortress of Machu Picchu itself.

Constructed on dizzying slopes overlooking a U-curve in the Rio Urubamba, this incredible construction commands outstanding views not only of the valley below in both directions, but also to the snowy peaks beyond. Without the ravages of either conquistadors or tomb robbers, the site of Machu Picchu stayed relatively intact and forgotten for many centuries until it was re-discovered by the US explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911. www.mslmagazine.co.uk 65

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cradles a cluster of church spires and office blocks, all of which are dwarfed by the magnificent ice-bound 6439-metre peak of Mount Illimani to the southeast.

On either side of the canyon the steep slopes are covered by the ramshackle homes of the city's poorer inhabitants. In general, most of the colonial buildings are in a poor state of repair, but in Plaza Murillo, the main square of the colonial city centre, the cathedral and the presidential buildings stand proudly as symbols of spiritual and political power in Bolivia.

There is a fascinating clock on the facade of the presidential building, which runs anti-clockwise; the president had once stated that because his government was 'left', then everything must run to the left – even the clock! (An alternative explanation is that clocks only run clockwise because they followed the example of sundials in the Northern Hemisphere, which also run clockwise. South of the equator, sundials track the sun the other way – so why not (decided an official of the Bolivian government) clocks as well? (Why indeed – Ed).

The street life is vibrant and colourful in La Paz and we loved looking around the Witches Market, art studios, and the nearby Moon Valley. This unique area, featuring lunar landscapes and bizarre geological formations, is not really a valley at all, but a maze of canyons and giant spires. The formations, composed mainly of clay and sandstone, were created by the persistent erosion of mountains by the area’s strong winds and rains. What remains is a serene setting, full of wonder and intrigue, which to me resembled Bryce Canyon in Utah, USA. Valley de Luna supposedly received its name after Neil Armstrong apparently visited and remarked how the landscape resembled that of the moon.

Juliaca

TOP LEFT: Ladies really do wear bowlers in El Alto RIGHT: Bolivia’s famous anti-clockwise clock BELOW: Cable car ride (and a half) down into La Paz

ICY START

When we returned to El Alto at around 7am the next day to collect our bikes we found that they had acquired a thick coat of ice, so we expected a cold start for the 350-mile ride across the Southern Altiplano to Oruro and then into the city of Potosi. Set at an average altitude of around 12,200ft, the starkly beautiful landscape of the altiplano is a barren and treeless expanse whose arid steppes stretch to the horizon. Snow-capped mountains shimmer under deep blue skies and there are only llamas for company.

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region. We rode on to the legendary silver-mining city of Potosi – if you'll forgive another tourist statistic, it's the world's highest city at 13,500ft. It is filled with monuments to a glorious, but tragic past, and one would be forgiven for wondering why it was ever built there, given its remote and inhospitable location. The reason lies in the Cerro Rico (Rich Mountain), the conical peak that rises above the city and was once the richest source of silver that the world had ever seen.

Potosi bankrolled the Spanish Conquistadors as they plundered the South American continent. The population of the city grew exponentially, but for the indigenous workers and African slaves who produced this wealth, working conditions were appalling. It is estimated that as many as nine million died over three centuries of colonial mining, making the mines of Potosi a central factor in the demographic collapse that swept the Andes under Spanish rule. A free day at Potosi gave us the opportunity for a visit to a working silver mine on Cerro Rico to witness the incredibly harsh conditions the miners still work under and learn something of the 500 years of mining history.

ABOVE: He really is playing the pipes

ABOVE: School caretaker gets the oven going TOP RIGHT: Dee and Chris opted to go two-up, and didn’t regret it LEFT: No life for miles of salt flats, but these cacti manage to thrive BELOW LEFT: Dakar Rally came this way BELOW: Train cemetery, Uyuni

The 135-mile ride south to Uyuni provided scenery similar to that of the Wild West, with canyon lands, rocky outcrops, the ever-present mountains all around and occasional oases that dotted the landscape. The old railway town of Uyuni, once Bolivia's main gateway to the outside world, is now a small town amid a collection of shabby, tin-roofed houses and semi-abandoned railway yards.

That Uyuni hasn't become a ghost town is probably due to the number of travellers who arrive there as a base for visiting the spectacular scenery of the nearby Salar de Uyuni. Covering some 4000 square miles, this is by far the largest salt lake in the world, nearly 12,000ft above sea level and formed from several prehistoric lakes. The flats are covered by a thick crust of bright, white salt, and easily able to support the weight of a large vehicle. It also has an extraordinary flatness, with the average altitude variations within one metre over the entire area of the Salar. This billiard table topography, together with its large area and clear skies, make the Salar an ideal object for calibrating the altimeters of the earth’s observation satellites. But we were not there to calibrate altimeters! Instead, we crossed the Salar in 4x4s to visit the small hotel, made from blocks of salt, which has been used as a staging point for Dakar rallies. We continued across the brilliant white expanse of the Salar, with the unbroken chains of snow-capped mountains lining the far horizon, to visit Fish Island, an elevated rocky outcrop with breathtaking vistas of the entire flat. Hundreds of giant cacti grow here, and it somehow seemed as though we were on another planet.

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Flying for riding purposes, part two Richard Millington

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ichard clocks up a fair few air miles every year travelling to exotic riding locations. Here are five things he reckons will make those flights more pleasant.

What are my top five tips for flying to a bike trip?

BE EARLY

CARRY YOUR HELMET

I would never rent a helmet. You don’t know how good they are, what their history is or if they will be comfortable. It is a risk not worth taking. Therefore, fly with your own and always take it as carry-on luggage. The standard baggage handling machines are none too gentle, and not knowing how your helmet is being treated is not worth the risk. Take it in your carry-on bag and keep it with you at all times.

Only once over the years have I had an airline try to refuse it. ‘It’s too big for our carry-on limit,’ they claimed.

I explained it was safety equipment and that it should not therefore be carried in the hold. No problem they responded, leave it behind. So I put it on. It was a Shoei flip-up. I flipped it up and said I would wear it as a hat and if anyone queried it I would explain I always wear a crash helmet when flying with their airline. He relented and put a cabin approved sticker on it.

Not just to the airport, or the bus to the airport, which takes the stress out of it all, but actually to where you are going. Arrive a day early, or even two. The additional cost really isn’t that great and it has multiple advantages.

Firstly you get over the travel fatigue. We have had people land at 7pm, welcome dinner at 8pm, bed at 10pm, and then out riding in an unfamiliar country the next morning. Not a great idea. Secondly, you haven’t had a chance to see the place you are starting from, which may be a missed opportunity. Thirdly, you might just need the extra day or two for your lost/delayed luggage – you can pop down the shops and buy a new swimming cossie, but you might not be able to get a new set of bike trousers, gloves or, heaven forbid, helmet. It has happened to customers and even to our tour leaders, but each time within 48 hours, hey presto, the bags have arrived. It also gives you some tolerance for delayed flight as well as delayed baggage.

JACKET AND BOOTS

TOOLS

Both of these are pretty bulky. Pack them and you are soon paying for an extra bag. Being miserly, I don’t.

I wear them. Yes, really. There are pros and cons. The cons are taking them off to go through security. The upsides include having overtly drawn attention to yourself by dressing like an idiot means that security are really not interested in you. Getting on the plane, I take them off and stow them in the overhead.

I also love the fact that it will get you in to all sorts of conversations. Obviously mainly with bikers, although several people have asked me if I was going skiing – it’s the boots I think? However, the vast majority of people don’t give you a second glance.

Strolling through the terminal in massive boots, pale white knees peaking out below my shorts and a bulky armoured jacket, but this is an airport and there are plenty of more weirdly dressed people than me.

EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE

Another advantage of keeping your jacket with you is that it allows you to have everything in the correct place: Left inner pocket, wallet; Right inner pocket, phone and passport; Left outer pocket, camera; Right outer pocket, glasses and sunglasses. Everything is in place for the trip and starting out like this is reassuring and easy. I actually don’t like travelling without a bike jacket now. I spend the whole time checking which pocket everything is in!

Maybe a bit OCD, but in a good way, right?

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Who is Millington?

Richard Millington has been riding for more than 30 years, touring for more than 25, and has never looked back.

He’s the founder of Motorrad Tours, and has ridden on five continents, guiding motorcycle tours in Europe, Africa, North and South America and Asia. www. motorrad-tours.com offers a wide range of adventures, with something for every rider...

Think about what tools and kit you really need to take.

You should be doing this anyway as weight on the bike is as critical as weight in your bags, but somehow when you have to pay for the privilege of taking the widget spanner you have never used it becomes a frivolous extra as opposed to the essential bit of kit you thought it was. Don’t take tyre inflation cylinders.

There are varying rules being bandied around. You can’t take them at all, or you can take one and a spare if it is for an inflating vest. Certainly for tyre inflation it is safer not to take them and just take a small compressor. It is a better solution on the road and a safer one to fly with.

So there you have it. Hopefully five tips that will make your flight experience a bit better next time you are flying with biking in mind. Here is a final one and it applies not just to flying, but also to every border crossing. As my aunt used to say, you will catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Courtesy and patience will nearly always win the day.

RI

Spe mor

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OFF THE BEATEN TRACK IN PORTUGAL WORDS: Sam Manicom PHOTOGRAPHY: Sam Manicom and Birgit Schuenemann

Do you ever go riding with the aim of getting lost? I love it. Birgit and I did that just about every day on a recent trip through northern and central Portugal

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think we are all prepared to accept a motorcycling fact. Once we are past the first nervous riding miles, the hunt for new, exciting and challenging places to ride never stops; it’s an itch isn’t it. Out of the corners of our eyes, Birgit and I had been looking at Portugal and that itch needed scratching.

Portugal is now an almost bankrupt country that’s held a place in history in a way that few but history buffs are aware of, and that was part of the fascination for us; we knew so little. Portugal was one of the world’s major powers and its colonies once included countries such as Brazil, Angola and Mozambique; even a part of India.

Portuguese explorers had sailed off the shores of Australia way before Captain Cook ventured into that part of the world, and it’s also worth checking out Ferdinand Magellan. This man left his mark in more places than the Magellan Strait in South America.

Was a country that was apparently well past the 72 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

prime of historical life going to be a place worth visiting? Was Portugal going to be a ramshackle shambles of crumbling buildings and roads that not even a developing world would envy? Would its current economic state make it a depressing place to be, or a journey where we would be eyes-wide-open geckos on the wall? The more we learnt, the more intrigued we became. The planning began and so a new adventure started to roll.

HEADING SOUTH

Our research revealed five important facts. It’s a long, lean country with a mountainous north and centre.

Michelin maps were going to be the best we could get hold of for the country. Accommodation – camping or local hotels – is incredibly cheap in comparison to the UK. The Police are very keen about stopping people driving under the influence; they have a no tolerance policy, and are pretty hot on speeding, too. Next, you have to know what the weather patterns are doing and

TOP: Castelo Linhares ABOVE: Castello Brancaga

TOURING & ADVENTURE

Sam Manicom

Sam Manicom travelled the world on his trusty 1992 BMW R80GS, with his partner Birgit on her 1971 BMW R60/5, for eight years. He is the author of four acclaimed motorcycle travel books.

Signed copies are available from Sam-Manicom. com with free UK delivery, and with worldwide free delivery via bookdepository.com

TOP: Spanish motorcycle cops ABOVE: End of the world LEFT: Quiet streets of Guimaraes BELOW: Architecture is worth slowing down for

Getting there Ride through from northern France, or catch a Brittany Ferry to either Santander or to Bilbao in northern Spain. They aren’t far apart, but it depends where you get the ferry from in the UK, Plymouth or Portsmouth.

that the main holiday season of July and August was not the ideal time to be there, not only because it can be intensely hot, but also because key parts of this country were going to be crammed with visitors. I had visions of being on superb mountain roads, and stuck behind endless streams of lumbering camper vans.

There are down sides to being in Portugal during the off season, but we were happy to deal with the point that many camping sites close by midSeptember. The maps showed us that this is a country of wide-open spaces and as we love wild camping, this point just increased the anticipation.

Living in the UK, getting there involved no more than an overnight ferry to Santander and a meander through northern Spain. The first section took us through the magnificent Picos d’Europa mountains of northern Spain, and on to the end of the world. That’s better known as Cape Finisterre, and if you ever listen to the Shipping Forecast you’ll know of it. While on our way to the Cape we found ourselves criss-crossing some of the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela. Have you ever watched the movie ‘The Way’ with Martin Sheen? I suspected that many of the pilgrims had been inspired by that rather poignant movie. Many others were hiking to prove a personal point, or to raise money for charity. I could only admire their determination.

FROM PICOS TO PORTO

Part of the beauty of touring by motorcycle in this part of the world is that you don’t have to ride far to be fascinated; the scenery is ever changing. Following the last section of Spain’s coastline roads and tiny villages, we dropped down into Portugal. Of course, being part of the EU, there are no border formalities, just a large sign letting you know that you are about to move on from Spanish to Portuguese speakers. The other things that change straight away are the style of buildings, the foods on menus, and the price of fuel; much more than in Spain. Our research made us decide that the northwestern city of Braga would be a great first stop.

There’s an all-year camping site within 10 minutes’ walk of the city centre, and historically the city’s of major importance with some superb buildings, churches and gardens.

It’s also just an hour’s ride from Guimaraes; perhaps the most important city in Portugal’s history. This small city, which is rightly on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, is thought to be the birthplace of www.mslmagazine.co.uk 73

the Portuguese nation. Portugal’s first king was born there, and the battle of Sao Mamede, fought close by, was a battle that’s considered to be the foundation stone of the country. The narrow streets, many of which are cobbled and meandering, are home to buildings that stretch right back to mediaeval times.

It’s also a town of money. You just have to look at the swanky cars and the high-end cafés and shops to see that, but drop back from the main streets and you find that prices fall dramatically. In Birgit terms we are talking the price of coffee and cake! Talking of coffee, it’s served in small cups, is wonderfully strong, and has an excellent flavour. Frankly, it starts your day off with a caffeine bang, and you easily become a repeat offender. I had the feeling that we were considered to be philistines when we asked for water to be added and for it to be turned into an Americano. As for adding milk…

The nearby city of Porto also lived up to its reputation. With the temperatures happily sitting at 34C we decided to hop on the train from Braga to Porto. I’m not a fan of big cities and when there’s an alternative, hunting affordable accommodation in our mobile sauna suits is not high on my joy list.

The one-hour train journey was cheap, spotlessly clean, on time, and dropped us off in Porto’s famous blue tile railway station.

The high ceiling entranceway is covered in handpainted ceramic tiles. The blue tiles magnificently depict scenes of life through the ages; the farmers, the fighters, the wine trade of the Douro Valley, Moorish invasions, the Knights Templar and much more. Porto

is where, if you delve a bit, you realise the close connection that the Portuguese and the Brits have had over the centuries. That’s both politically and the matter of port wine. Both subjects make interesting reading; I’m not sure that the subject was ever covered in my school history lessons. The churches, with their gold leaf-clad interiors, were almost an assault on the eyeballs and made Birgit and I feel as if we were on intake overload.

After a day wandering the ancient building-lined cobbled streets, listening to 15 different languages from the other visitors, testing port wine samples, checking out the waterfront, and marvelling at the golden interiors of the churches, we’d had enough. We like that sort of thing but sated, the road was calling.

SLOWING DOWN

Michelin maps make it very easy to plan your rides as they use their traditional green shading for sections of outstanding beauty, and in my book they were never wrong. I want to add to that comment with a thought.

Just because it isn’t green doesn’t mean it’s not worth riding. We fast discovered that away from the cities, just about every road we took was worth a bimble. As for dirt roads, there are hundreds, and the joy of these is that Portuguese law says that if it’s a road you can

TOP: Steps at the Church of Bom Jesus LEFT: Street life in Braga BOTTOM: View from Bom Jesus over Braga

TOURING & ADVENTURE

Accommodation

Camping sites marked on the Michelin maps all seemed to be open off season, too. There is a book that you can get which shows the 800-plus camping sites to be found. The lowest price we paid was €11 and the highest, €17. Local hotels can be found for around €30 per night. It’s well worth keeping your eyes on the hotel booking comparison websites. The prices can be rock bottom. We stayed, just the once for the experience, in a 4-star hotel for €60. The full price should have been €160.

ride it. That means you can spend endless hours away from anything to do with asphalt.

I’m fascinated by castles and my pre-trip idea was to visit as many of Portugal’s 80 castles as possible; some of which are ruins and some in such good condition that you can stay in them. When you dig into the country’s history you can see why there are so many.

With Spain making frequent attempts to invade, border castles were needed, and when you add in all the other invaders over the centuries, you’ll see that they have a rightful place in the landscape. As you ride you can see the legacy of the various invaders: art and architecture. Moorish buildings are some of the most magnificent you’ll see. Religion has played a very powerful role in the country’s development too, and you see signs of that just about everywhere.

Within a couple of days in the country we decided to stop planning, as it simply didn’t fit with the mood that Portugal was infusing us with. We didn’t need to chase. We could let each day roll out as it wanted to and back in Overlander mode, we would see what we would see.

Don’t get me wrong, when the roads are like

Portugal’s I could happily spend all day riding, but if I travel too fast I’m not taking time out for those special moments, which are always filled with something unique. The insight of everyday village life that people watching from a street-side café table gives you; the elderly man clad in what looked like his Sunday best, sitting on his usual street corner perch, peacefully watching life roll before him and watching us watching him. Then there are those viewpoints in the mountains that absolutely deserved more than a quick look. There are places where getting off your bike and going for a river boat trip adds a layer of significant quality to your journey. One such trip took us along the Douro River for a couple of hours. We eased on past quintas belonging to the likes of Sandemann, Grahams and Croft. Their buildings surrounded by the stunning contrasts in colours of steep vine-covered slopes under the typical azure sky. Perversely, part of

TOP: Porto waterfront and traditional wine cask carrier BOTTOM: Castello Roderigo

the buzz from exploring this country is the peace. In the autumn you are far more likely to find yourself enjoying the view while practicing your slow riding technique behind cowherds-man on his mule, as he gently eases half-a dozen well-fed cows around the bends in front of you.

WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE?

The really fun roads are the back road twisties. These take you through an ever-changing landscape, which at times is so dramatic that you are torn between dropping into the next corner, or stopping and view soaking for a while. If your bike is well set up and you have the right tyres on, then you can max out the feeling those twisties give you. I’d put 50-50 Avon Trek Riders on my bike and I surprised myself with my ability in the corners. Fair goes though, it wasn’t me; it was the tyres that were giving the confidence to go for it. There wasn’t much of the treaded curve of the tyres that I didn’t ride on. It was a wake-up call when I grounded the bottom of a pannier on a corner!

I had the feeling that every day was rammed full of moments. Moments that were as diverse as wandering

TOP LEFT: Backroads fun ABOVE: Duoro Valley RIGHT: Traditional river boat for a Duoro River cruise

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a castle’s walls, to that pannier clipping hit of adrenaline, and to working hard on the narrow and steep cobbled roads in out-of-the-way villages. Birgit and I loved the dirt roads and not once did we meet another vehicle as the tracks took us scooting through scent-filled forests of eucalyptus and pine. They led us along the sides of rivers with the most perfect wild camping spots, and through valleys where the power of glaciers had obviously been at work.

Birgit speaks a fair bit of Spanish, left over from our round-the-world trip. I can make myself understood, and entertain the locals when I cock it up. But for both of us, Portuguese was a very different ball game. Some of the words are similar to Spanish, but the pronunciation... With the fact that in Portuguese we only knew how to say such things as hello, please, thank you, goodbye, and so on, we put a word translator app on my phone. I’ve never used one of these before so it was a good opportunity to see if they are any use. You simply set the languages involved; English and Portuguese of course. You speak into your phone and out comes Portuguese. As it happened we hardly used the thing, but it did help us to get our

History

There are plenty of quirky facts about this country and an example is Christopher Columbus. He was Italian, wasn’t he? It now seems likely that he was born in Cuba... the small Portuguese town of Cuba, that is.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Porto railway station

Places to visit

History y Boy y recommends:

SCRAESDON FORT

MSL’s ride location scout, History Boy Alfred Earnest, discovers a hidden fort worth exploring WORDS: Alfred Earnest PHOTOGRAPHY: James Lancaster / CastlesFortsBattles.co.uk

A30 Landulph

A38

Tavistock Saltash

Princetown

A38 Yelverton

Scaresdon Fort Plymouth A38

Ivybridge

Millbrook

A379

Kingsand

I

get on well with my parents. I am the youngest of six but as my older sister Loretta likes to point out, I was a ‘mistake’. This means that in the school hols I haven’t really got my folks to do stuff with. I am not really abandoned but I seek succour in the arms of others, mainly the scouts (11th Harrow) and the school CCF. Last term I saw a poster on the CCF notice board outside the science block. It read: ‘Physical boys required – Seven Day Cadet Commando Course – delicate flowers need not apply.’ My mate Stek had a biro and I signed up there and then. I just got back and I have to tell you what I discovered and then I want you to go there, and see what I saw….

The course was hosted by 29 Commando, the independent artillery support squadron to the Royal Marines. They were based at Plymouth Citadel, the old fort that sits alongside the Hoe. We basically spent the

78 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

TOURING & ADVENTURE

ALFRED EARNEST Age 11¾

QMSI Watkins beckoned me over and gestured for the rope with a hand action that suggested masturbation, more than, ‘surprise attack’. As I shimmied forward, suddenly, there it was: I beheld a vast trench, completely hidden, maybe 15m deep and just as wide.

Both sides were lined with huge stone blocks, yet the floor of the trench was overgrown with weeds and brambles. There was ivy creeping up all surfaces and I realised this was my very own Machu Picchu moment.

The scale of this construction was shocking, since only a few yards away I hadn’t even realised it was there. I looked up and down the trench. To one side a vast retaining wall kicked out at a right angle. Just above ground level it was punctured by fluted openings.

Clearly, small arms embrasures that afford perfect enfilade fire from a defilade position. To my left, the trench went off down the hill and about 150 metres distant turned away from me on its way to girdle the perimeter. I suddenly realised I was looking at a moat, but epic in proportions. I did a mental assessment and estimated that this fort’s perimeter must easily be a kilometre. We descended the knotted rope and I knew I had to find out more about this creepy, but undeniable hidden Cornish fortress…

MSL has hired a trainspotting schoolboy to give us some destination ideas for this year’s road trips. Wise beyond his years, Alfred won the History Prize at St Cuthbert’s-inthe-Marsh in both the fifth year and the lower fourths, so his expertise is to be taken seriously.

He’s still restricted to his bicycle, but looks forward to hearing back from readers that have taken heed of his recommendations of biking destinations.

You can reach him at msleditor@mortons. co.uk

week running. Either around the fort, Plymouth town or the fringes of Dartmoor. The last two days were spent on an exercise that involved a lot of ‘yomping’, but despite being knackered, caused my history antennae to prick up.

We had brewed up in a massive complex called Tregantle Fort, just inside Cornwall on the Rame peninsula. It was pretty cool, but like my pending adolescence, better was yet to come. We had spent the evening before prepping up back in barracks and I was given the job of creating ‘the knotted rope’. It was a masterpiece of creative thinking as I tied knots every 12 inches in a normal rope, by the end of which I had fashioned: the knotted rope. Now, we crept towards a bush, our tactics sharp as we reached the climax of the exercise and, indeed, the week. Gingerly slithering forwards on our tummies towards the ‘enemy’ position I saw nothing. Just grass and light scrub. www.mslmagazine.co.uk 79

Visit Scraesdon Fort My research revealed extraordinary results. We had been ‘attacking’ an abandoned fortress that was one of 29 that circled Plymouth. Not only that, these Plymouth forts were part of a broader mid-Victorian defensive scheme that have become known as ‘Palmerston’s Follies’. They had been built around the land side of every major Royal Navy installation in the British Isles. Hence, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Milford Haven, Edinburgh, Chatham, Gibraltar and, of course, Dover. There were over 70 constructed in the mid-1800s and the strategy was simple: Britain was a maritime power whose strength lay in the Royal Navy.

Every Navy port (but NOT civilian ports) was circled with forts, their guns aligned ‘outwards’, i.e., inland.

The thinking was that were a squad of crack Napoleonic ‘special forces’ to land at, say, Ilfracombe, advance south across Dartmoor and then conduct a surprise attack on Devonport Docks ‘from the rear’.

The 29 forts surrounding Plymouth would prevent this, their establishment including the brand new Montcrieff ‘disappearing’ gun. Not an invisible sci-fi weapon of the future, but instead a massive 64-pounder whose massive recoil flicked its carriage backwards and ‘down’ behind a massive concrete parapet. This put the weapon totally out of view of enemy observers, but also allowed the gun crew to reload in ‘cover’ and with the breech physically close to ground level, making for a far less tiring and quicker reload turnaround time. A huge counterweight helped flick it back ‘up’.

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Where is it?

Scraesdon Fort is found to the west of Antony, itself just west of Plymouth.

It’s off an unnamed road leading to the adjacent farm. No part of the fort can be seen from the road, and unfortunately it isn’t accessible.

How close can you get on a motorcycle?

Not very close, but Wacker Quay is found off the A374 and is signposted.

There is a handy lay-by there.

The fort is tricky to access, but offers an intriguing glimpse into history

How do I find out more?

There’s plenty of information on www.castlesfortsbattles.co.uk

The main ramparts were packed with tens of gun positions, offering a 270-degree field of fire over many miles. If, under cover of darkness, the enemy reached the fort’s perimeter, they could do nothing but climb down into the moat, where they would be cut to pieces by cannon, firing grape. French troops were prone to make wine from this ordnance so lead was eventually added. The moats were covered by protruding caponniers, double decker two-tier gun platforms.

Any Frenchman that even made it to the fort, once they scaled down those mighty retaining walls, would be shredded by fire. Brutal!

All the forts took at least a decade to build, by which time, in the 1870s, the Napoleonic threat had withered, smashed against a Prussian anvil rather than Dartmoor granite. With their ‘revolutionary’ artillery in open pits, they became obsolete with the advent of the aeroplane. Totally exposed, the installations couldn’t even be up-gunned when the next threat of invasion came in WW2. In the 40s, Tregantle became an assembly area for Americans, whilst Scraesdon Fort (the one I had ‘discovered’) fell into disrepair and was slowly reclaimed by nature. Sadly, it’s not open to the public to clamber around unless, that is, you take your own ‘knotted rope’…

www.mslmagazine.co.uk 81

TOURING & ADVENTURE

EVENTS JANUARY 2020 1

The Hangover Meet Ace Café, Ace Corner, N Circular Rd, Stonebridge, London NW10 7UD. london.acecafe.com 5 Bike Day Ace Café, Ace Corner, N Circular Rd, Stonebridge, London NW10 7UD london.acecafe.com 5 Rich Moore’s Chilly Willy Charity Ride Start: All Seasons Café, Billing Garden Village, Northampton NN3 9EX. Ride leaves at noon. Email chillywillynbc@gmail.com.

11-12 The Carole Nash Classic Bike Guide Winter Classic The Showground, Drove Lane, Winthorpe, Newark, Notts NG24 2NY. www.newarkclassicbikeshow. com Tel 01507 529529.

12 Bike Day Ace Café, Ace Corner, N Circular Rd, Stonebridge, London NW10 7UD london.acecafe.com.

12 Maldon British Motorcycle Owners Club Bike Jumble Royal British Legion Hall, Newland Street, Witham CM8 2AZ. Email rogerbeadle@btinternet.com.

18 Kempton Park Motorcycle Autojumble Kempton Park, Staines Road East, Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex TW16 5AQ. www. kemptonautojumble.co.uk Tel 01507 529529.

19 VMCC Sporting Trial Stainby. www.thetaverners.co.uk Tel Peter Hydemonk 07826 683600. Email pmonk83@yahoo. com.

24 Bike Night Ace Café, Ace Corner, N Circular Rd, Stonebridge, London NW10 7UD. london.acecafe.com 26 Normous Newark Autojumble The Showground, Drove Lane, Winthorpe, Newark, Notts NG24 2NY. www.newarkautojumble.co. uk Tel 01507 529529.

FEBRUARY 2020 1-2

2

The 40th Carole Nash Bristol Classic Motorcycle Show Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA4 6QN. www.bristolclassicbikeshow. com Tel 01507 529529.

Bike Day Ace Café, Ace Corner, N Circular Rd,

Stonebridge, London NW10 7UD. london.acecafe.com 8 Mathewson’s Motorcycle Auction Roxby Garage, Pickering Road, Thornton-le-Dale, Pickering, North Yorkshir, YO18 7LH. mathewsons. co.uk Tel 01751 474455; 07507 210031. Email enquiries@ mathewsons.co.uk 8-9 The 11th Footman James Great Western Classic Car Show Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA4 6QN. www.bristolclassiccarshows. com Tel 01507 529529.

9 Bike Day Ace Café, Ace Corner, N Circular Rd, Stonebridge, London NW10 7UD. london.acecafe.com 9 MAG ‘Fred Hill’ Memorial Ride Out Ace Café, Ace Corner, N Circular Rd, Stonebridge, London NW10 7UD. london.acecafe.com 15 Stunt Fest Santa Pod Raceway, Airfield Road, Podington, Wellingborough, Northants NN29 7XA. www. stuntfest.co.uk Tel 01234 782828.

15-16 Classic Dirt Bike Show (Sponsored by Hagon Shocks) International Centre, Telford, Shropshire TF3 4JH. www.classicdirtbikeshow.com Tel 01507 529529.

16 Bike Day Ace Café, Ace Corner, N Circular Rd, Stonebridge, London NW10 7UD. london.acecafe.com 16 Ride Out to MCN Bike Show Excel Ace Café, Ace Corner, N Circular Rd, Stonebridge, London NW10 7UD. london.acecafe.com 23 59 Club Day Ace Café, Ace Corner, N Circular Rd, Stonebridge, London NW10 7UD. london.acecafe.com 23 VMCC Pre-65 Sporting Trial Rileys Railway, Tilton, Leicestershire. www.thetaverners. co.uk Tel Peter Hydemonk 07826 683600. Email pmonk83@yahoo. com.

Featured Event

Bustling Bristol What: Bristol Bike Show When: Sat & Sun, Feb 1-2, 2019 Where: The Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA4 6QN How much: From £11 – under 15s go free. Free on-site parking.

The 40th Carole Nash Bristol Classic MotorCycle Show turns the clocks back to the 1970s and 80s with a special themed birthday celebration.

Held over the weekend of February 1-2, the hugely anticipated event will see enthusiasts flock to the southwest of England to scour the vast autojumble for that highly sought-after treasure, watch the hammer fall in the Charterhouse auction, and bathe in the sense of occasion generated by motorcycle club members proudly displaying their classic steeds.

With a 70s/80s-style 40th birthday bonanza planned, visitors, traders and club members alike are encouraged to show off their best clobber with cash prizes available. There is £100 per day for the best-dressed visitor.

The first 1000 people who purchase their ticket in advance will be given one FREE party bag per transaction, complete with an assortment of products and offers for any motorcycle enthusiast to enjoy.

Discounted advance tickets are now on sale for the show, with a one-day adult pass costing just £11. Tickets will also be available on the gate at £13, and under-15s get free admission. Free parking is available on site.

For more information visit bristolclassicbikeshow.com

RI

Spen more

SUBSCRIBE ON PAGE 26

Please email your event details to jclements@mortons.co.uk 82 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

Tell T ll us about b t your event

For the chance to be featured in MSL, email us at jclements@mortons.co.uk

KNOWLEDGE Riding ◆ Buying ◆ Rating

Electric bikes go custom

E-Racer Motorcycle presents two new Specials based on electric Zero Motorcycles

C

ustom motorcycles and electric bikes aren’t really a mix that many spanner wielders entertain.

But E-Racer Motorcycle has opened the game with these two rather interesting models.

E-RACER EDGE

Based on the Zero Motorcycles SR/F, the E-Racer Edge has been customised and evolved in three different parts: the front, the side and the tail. The bodywork is reversible, so it can be mounted to the original model, which can then be put back to as it was.

The Edge is a lighter bike than the original version. On an aesthetic level, the livery emphasises a mix of classic and sport-modern: the tank, partially transformed, is more compact and muscular, the front headlight, a full-led unit, is minimal. The superbike handlebars, the handmade saddle with exclusive handstitched texture, the full CNC-machined steering plate, the racing wave brakes and rear

AirTender regressive suspension system complete the list of primary changes.

The E-Racer team has also given the bike a soundtrack, controlled by an App to produce high and low frequencies sound waves with a dual function. The first function is to warn pedestrians and other road users of the presence of the electric vehicle’s presence. The second function is to provide a force-feedback to the rider.

The subsonic speaker produces vibrations that changes according to the speed of the motorcycle, to give the rider a sensory feel of the performance.

E-RACER RUGGED MARK2

One of the main features of the Rugged (based on the Zero FXS) is the auxiliary aluminum frame with side rings to allow it to be easily tied, towed or hoisted on boats or pickups. Originally, the Zero FXS was a military purposes motorcycle.

With the E-Racer upgrade this attitude has been emphasised.

The front and back lights are full LED, consisting of two polyellipsoidal micro units of just 4cm in width.

Compared to the original model, the Rugged has an illuminated underseat storage compartment with a double USB socket and room enough to contain a rain jacket or a 15m charging cable for times when a nearby power outlet is not available. The saddle is handmade with an exclusive hand-stitched texture.

One of the ‘missions’ for which the Rugged is designed is to be a land tender for large boats.

The Rugged is equipped with 12 small ‘Eagle Eye’ LED lights that allow the rider to have a 360° illuminated view at night, very useful when riding at night in difficult terrain.

The whole bike has been treated with Line X armor paint, which makes this bike resistant to corrosion.

The Rugged also gets the same audio system as the Edge.

Prices and delivery

The price of both kits starts from €6000 each. In addition, you obviously need to purchase the Zero motorcycle to bolt the kit to.

The first five units of each model, entirely made to meet the specifications required by the pre-order customers, will be delivered by spring 2020.

For further info: www.e-racer.it info@e-racer.it, Tel. +39 3383896963

www.mslmagazine.co.uk 83

HOW WELL OILED IS

your machine?

We all know that having good-quality clean oil lubricating the moving parts of our bikes is vital. But how much do we really know about the black gold?

WORDS: Chris Moss PHOTOGRAPHY: James Sharpe

84 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

KNOWLEDGE

E

ngine oil is one of the most crucial ‘parts’ of any motorcycle. With so many key roles to play, not least of which is to keep all the moving parts lubricated, engine oil determines a motor’s reliability, performance, cooling, noise, economy and emissions. It’s a hugely complex, scientific component. Yet it’s generally taken for granted, sometimes ignored, often misunderstood, and largely not given anywhere near the sort of attention it deserves.

To gain a better understanding of engine oil, we visited the HQ of leading oil manufacturer, Motorex.

At its base in Langenthal, Switzerland, we got the chance to learn more about this fascinating product and just what goes into making it as special and effective as it is.

MIXOLOGY

You don’t have to be at the factory for long to realise producing top-quality oil is a highly intensive and involved business. As one of the world’s leading bike engine oil firms, it’s obvious Motorex puts a massive amount of time, energy and investment into creating the premium standard of product it does.

In the trade since 1917, the family-owned firm has grown to become one of the industry’s most highly respected players.

Our guided tour of key parts of the HQ quickly reveals it to be very modern, well-equipped, technically advanced and highly automated.

Switzerland is not an oil producing nation, so the Motorex factory is not a refinery, but a blending plant.

Think of its engine oil as a mix of top-quality ingredients, blended together in precisely measured quantities to make a product best suited to its role within a motorcycle engine. Depending on key factors, such as the age and type of engine and the way it will be used, a specific choice will be recommended for it.

In the case of Motorex oil, the decision on the suitability of that final concoction comes from a result of over seven decades of experience and expertise, along with continual testing, research and development, clever chemistry and scientific analysis.

There’s absolutely no guesswork in this game!

Motorex doesn’t do all the work on oil development tself, though. Working in association with anufacturers also plays a significant part in the earning process so crucial to improving the product. s does involvement with racing. On its own dmission, being technical partners with KTM since 003 has boosted Motorex’s knowledge and experience ignificantly. All the Austrian-made production

www.mslmagazine.co.uk 85

machines’ engines come filled with Motorex oils, and 16 of KTM’s last 18 Dakar Rally-winning race bikes have been lubricated with its products. Motorex currently partners factory KTM Grand Prix road race teams in all three main classes, along with KTM, Husqvarna, and Kawasaki world motocross squads.

The Swiss firm has also had success in World Endurance, AMA and BSB championships.

BASIC INGREDIENTS

Back at the factory, a brief and simplified overview of the process that helps create the stuff you and I can buy, helped give us a basic appreciation of the complexity of what’s involved. Different types of refined and synthesised base oils, originating from high spec crude oil, arrive at Langenthal by road or rail. Before it can even begin its manufacturing journey through the factory, the oil’s quality and spec is verified via sampling by the nine-strong staff in the busy on-site lab. Once it’s deemed fit from that analysis, the day-long blending process, mixing on average two-three base oils (from the 70 available) with 15-20 synthetic additives (there are 600 to choose from) can start. As well as its end-user suitability, the choice of these base oils and additives dictate the precise spec of the final product influencing other main issues like its viscosity, and whether it’s a mineral, semi, or fully synthetic lubricant.

Getting the exact quantities of the ingredients correct is absolutely crucial, with finely controlled amounts added by computer-controlled valves along the pipeline. Our host, Martin Wabnegger, Motorex’s powersports marketing coordinator, describes the whole process like making a soup. Though I do think that’s something of an understatement!

Samples of each and every ingredient of the ‘soup’ are continually tested in the lab to ensure quality and consistency, with around 8500 of them checked each year. Samples of the finished oil are held at the factory for five years. This allows Motorex to keep a record of its produce, giving it the opportunity to contest any claims made against its lubricants’ quality and effectiveness. Every one of the handful of requests to retrospectively analyse oil quality have shown the ‘problem’ has been caused by post production contamination, usually by water. Common causes of this are quite simply leaving lids off the tops of oil barrels and allowing water ingress to degrade the oil’s performance. Once the cocktail of base oils and additives has been mixed and considered fit for sale, it’s then either pumped into heated underground storage tanks or via the impressive ‘Robi’ robot, used 86 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

TOP LEFT: This is proper science, not just chucking some ingredients together and hoping for the best TOP RIGHT: Robots do the heavy lifting ABOVE: Mixing the ingredients is a precise art

to fill 200-litre barrels in less than one minute.

Underlining the automated nature of the plant all the more, Robi then lifts and places barrels for storage on a pallet. Once four are in place, the oil is sent to a designated area ready for shipment or storage by an automated conveyor system.

The whole process is computer controlled and recorded to allow staff to instantly learn of detailed information on the nature and whereabouts of any produced oil. It’s a super-effective system that highlights the factory’s efficiency very impressively.

Smaller quantities of oil for the retail market are pumped to automated production lines, where plastic bottles ranging in capacity from 0.5 to 10 litres are filled. The speed of the packaging is impressive to witness, with one-litre bottles being filled, labelled and boxed at an incredible rate of 1000 per hour. Over the course of a year, over 2.5 million of the trademarkshaped containers with their distinctive ‘elephant’s trunk’ design are manufactured.

It’s an impressive rate of production for the Langenthal factory, where all of the numerous motorcycle-related products are made. In total, in its factories in France, Poland and the USA, Motorex makes over 2500 different products for bikes, cars, trucks, snowmobiles and agricultural machinery.

Motorex is sold in 85 different countries including the UK, where there are currently 700 dealers, with a hope to double that number in the future. It’s only sold by approved motorcycle retailers and can’t be found in petrol stations or motoring outlets.

KNOWLEDGE

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOTOREX AND ITS ENGINE OIL, I ASKED MARTIN WABNEGGER A FEW QUESTIONS

MSL: How important is engine oil in a motorcycle?

MW: I’d say it’s more crucial than many people think it

is. They understand it’s a lubricant, which is, of course, its main job. But it has to do a lot more than just that, so it’s very important to use the right sort of oil. Oils can be very different, so it needs more attention than it’s often given. It would help if more people were more aware. But the main problem is, it’s not so easy for a rider to see the oil doing its job as it’s hidden within the engine. It’s not like a chain lube, or cleaner where you can clearly see how those things do their job, either well or not so well. The outcome of an engine oil not doing its job is something you’re

ABOVE RIGHT: Seeing the moving parts helps appreciate how much work oil has in an engine

BELOW: Mossy getting to the bottom of all this oil business with Martin Wabnegger

possibly only going to see a long time later. Perhaps in the form of a failure. I think most of today’s road bike riders fortunately get their bikes serviced in dealers, and the professionals who run those places know which is the correct oil to use. Off-road riders usually change their oil themselves, but they’re usually very knowledgeable about servicing and normally choose the right oil. My best advice is to follow what’s recommended in your bike’s manual.

MSL: What other things do engine oil do apart from lubricate?

GM: It cools, it cleans, and it seals. The final seal between

the piston rings and the bores is done by the oil. There’s always a tolerance there, and the oil fills that gap.

MSL: What are the key differences between oils?

GM: The main ones are the types of oils: mineral,

semi-synthetic and fully synthetic. The other key one for a customer to look at is the viscosity. This choice of ‘thickness’ of oil is determined by the tolerances in the engine and the ambient temperatures it’s going to run in. Of course, a motorcycle normally has a wet clutch so it’s important to use oil that’s approved for that sort of use. It needs the right JASO (Japanese Automotive Standards Organisation) friction value for the clutch to bite, which sets it apart from car oils. You should never use a car oil in a bike engine with a wet clutch.

How appropriate an oil is for your bike is determined completely by its ingredients. Price is often a good guide to the quality of those ingredients, with semi and fully synthetic base oils always being quite a bit more expensive. It depends what sort of riding you do.

But you don’t need to spend too much if you’re not riding your bike hard on track, or not using your bike off-road. If you’re just commuting or using your bike for gentle weekend leisure rides some of the lower priced, lower spec oils are fine. There can be a big www.mslmagazine.co.uk 87

difference in the price and quality of oils, but the most important determining factor to the correct choice of oil is what’s recommended for your bike.

ABOVE LEFT: Racing requires great quality oil.

And we all reap the benefits on our road bikes

MSL: Is it worth spending more on oil?

GM: If you spend more on good quality oil, you’ll save

ABOVE RIGHT: Different engine types have different oil

in the long run. Cheaper oils can mean less protection so you run the risk of increased wear, which can lead to either a need for a rebuild or some sort of failure.

It’s worth spending a little bit more on better quality oil than it is on an engine rebuild or repair. Our oils are more expensive because we use the best ingredients; we always keep up with the latest technological developments, thanks to working closely with manufacturers and race teams.

MSL: How important is it to change the oil at the recommended time intervals?

GM: It’s definitely important. Even if you only ride a

little bit, you get condensation in the engine that degrades the oil via oxidation and corrosion. If you are going to store your bike for a couple of months, it’s always better to change the oil and filter before you do.

Get all the dirt and impurities out to keep the engine safe. Run it for a minute to get the oil round the engine, then it’s ok to leave it. It’s ok to do this very briefly a few times during storage. Leaving it with used oil in the engine is harmful.

MSL: Does oil in a motorcycle engine have a harder life?

GM: Yes. Engines in bikes are usually very compact so

the oil capacity is generally lower, and you run at much higher revs compared to a car engine. The loads on a bike engine are higher, and can change often when you open and close the throttle a lot. A lot of gear changes affect an oil’s life. The loads on the oil between the gear pinions are very high and cause the oil to deteriorate.

The easiest life for an oil is when the engine is running at a steady temperature and load at more constant revs, just as it is on a motorway, for instance. Oil in an engine that runs in different temperatures ranging from really cold to really high, revving high, with lots of stop-start riding and gear changes, hurts engine oil more. Riding in cities all the time puts a lot of stress on the oil. Off-roading produces quite a thermal issue, with the engine reaching very high temperatures if you get stuck in a rut and you rev the engine hard trying to get out without actually moving to get cool air through the radiator. It’s the same if it gets clogged by mud and stuff like that. Off-road riding is generally a lot harder on oil than on road. The mechanical friction and load between moving surfaces help to break down oil, and heat in bike engines also reduces its life. As does condensation and oxidation. Once the oil comes out of the bottle it starts to wear and deteriorate, which is why you need to change it. It becomes less effective, especially the additives, which can no longer do the job they’re supposed to.

MSL: Who decides how often engine oil should be changed?

GM: It’s always the engine manufacturer. They will

determine the mileage, and it’s up to us to develop an oil that will do the job for that period. As long as you

88 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

use the right type and quality of oil, and keep it at the right level, you should be ok. Manufacturers factor in all the things that can harm the oil, like shorter journeys, for instance. They have a responsibility to the owner when they set the intervals, and they are liable if things go wrong. They’re trying to reduce running costs.

MSL: Does an oil work ok when the engine is started from stone cold?

GM: When the engine is first started all the oil is at the

BELOW: Lyndon Poskitt is sponsored by Motorex

bottom of the engine and it takes a little time for it to reach the components at the top of the engine. It can take a couple of seconds, or a little longer if it’s really cold. You should never rev an engine straight away.

You should let everything warm up a bit. It’s a good idea to let it idle for a minute or so before you ride off.

MSL: How do you do your research to develop oil for road bikes?

GM: This is where we benefit from working with KTM.

Whenever they develop a new bike, they do lots of high mileage testing on the road. That’s a perfect test and helps us a lot because it’s real life testing. KTM is a really innovative manufacturer, always pushing the boundaries, and we gain lots from working with them and their R&D departments. Working with their race teams is very useful, too.

MSL: Does the work you do with motorcycle oils help you in your other fields?

GM: Yes, definitely. You can use the same technologies

in some of our other lubricants in other fields. The motorcycle side of the business is like our spearhead in terms of development, but also in terms of marketing the brand. MotoGP and Motocross involvement help promote our products and brand.

MSL: Why do engines use oil?

GM: In a new engine during the running-in period you

will always use oil as the parts like piston rings still have to bed in. After that, it’s mainly from evaporation loss via high temperature of the oil. The higher the temperature, the higher the loss. We can counter that by using better ingredients, better base oils mainly. It’s why it’s important to check levels. Our Boxer 15W50 oil for BMW Boxer engines has been specifically designed to counter loss through evaporation.

MSL: If my engine is using a lot of oil, should I not need to change it so often as I’m refreshing it regularly?

GM: In the short term no, but you need to find out

why it’s using so much oil and replace things like pistons and rings if you need to. You can try a higher viscosity oil to reduce the loss, but the oil can only seal the piston ring/bore gap so well.

MSL: Is it important to use different oils in older designs of engines?

GM: Yes, definitely. Obviously, the development of

newer oils matches the development of newer engines.

But some of the additives can harm some of the older engine parts like its seals and rubbers. Some metal parts can also suffer as the additives can be too acidic.

Classic bikes need classic oils.

MSL: Is it OK to mix different brands of oil?

GM: It doesn’t help if you use a lower quality oil, so it’s

best to check levels and cater for any loss by carrying a top-up. At least try to match the right viscosity if you need to use a different brand.

MSL: Why do you think your oil is so good?

GM: I’m 100% sure they are some of the best oils on

the market. We only use premium ingredients and the best technologies because our customers want the best. We invest a lot of money, and our laboratory is really big for the size of our company to ensure the best quality control, something we view as a top priority.

MSL: Will we see big advances in engine oil in the future?

GM: I don’t think it will make sense to extend the life

of an oil as riders don’t ride their bikes so much these days. We’ll concentrate more on the target reducing emissions by reducing fuel consumption by reducing friction. But we’ll still have the issue of the wet clutch, because we want to reduce the friction on all the moving parts except the clutch plates. It’s a bigger technological challenge than it is in cars, for example. www.mslmagazine.co.uk 89

LONG-TERM REVIEW The GT screen is good, but even taller is better

Test fleet: Yamaha Niken

THIS MONTH Rider: Chris Moss Cost new: £13,499

A chance to compare my Niken with a new one shows how well it’s worn

Engine: 847cc, liquid-cooled, inline triple

he vast majority of bikes I test are brand new, factory-fresh machines performing at their very best. Long termers are a different case as I get to ride them for far longer. As time goes by and distance is covered, quite naturally some of their components wear and performance begins to deteriorate. Trouble is, that drop can be so gradual it’s sometimes hard to detect unless you can compare the bike directly to a new one. That’s an opportunity I took recently when I had a run out on my local Yamaha dealer’s Niken GT. A demo bike with just 1300 miles on the clock, it’s quite a bit younger than my own near-6000 mile long termer. It certainly looks a hell of a lot newer. I must give my bike a good wash!

Spec: 114bhp/65lb-ft

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LET’S SEE HOW THE NEW ONE RIDES

First impressions of the demo Niken GT were very positive, with the three-wheeler unsurprisingly having a fully sorted feel about it. I suspected

I’d feel my own bike might seem marginally more used when I got back on it. But no, generally that wasn’t the case. Happily, its engine, brakes and suspension all performed just as well as the dealer bike’s. Being a ‘genuine’ gold-forked GT, and not an upgraded standard version like mine, means some differences in spec. I wasn’t on it long enough to notice if the comfort seat felt superior and the extra power socket wasn’t relevant. But I did miss the distinctly better wind protection of my Niken, as it has an even taller screen than the GT version. I also felt a bit lost without the panniers the dealer hadn’t fitted to his bike.

NOW THAT’S A BIT DIFFERENT

One important distinction I could make between the two bikes though, was the performance of the tyres. From stone cold, the movement in the aftermarket sportier spec Bridgestone S22 rear tyre was noticeable. But so too was its extra grip when it got up to full temperature. It’s pretty much worn out now after nearly 3000

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miles of service, and given how much cooler the weather’s set to become, I intend to revert back to the more versatile standard fitment A41 rubber.

I KNOW HOW TO IMPROVE THINGS

I’ll probably have some new front tyres fitted soon, too.

It’s not exactly an issue, but when I’ve been asking a lot from the Niken’s sharp end, recently it’s not felt quite as reassuring as it once did. I seem to be nearing what feels to be the limit of front grip sooner with a tendency for it drop into corners when I’m heeling the bike over a lot more. It’s something the newer GT doesn’t exhibit with its more consistent and predictable steering. I can see the profiles of the old Bridgestones don’t really look any different to those of the newer tyres, and though my summer laps of Silverstone have caused some ‘blueing’ of the tread pattern, suggesting some possible overheating, I’m not sure that would explain things either. Let’s see what happens when I switch to new rubber.

Kerb weight: 263kg Tank: 18 litres Seat: 820mm Miles this month: 298 Miles on clock: 5989 Average mpg: 45mpg Current tyres: Bridgestone A41/S22 Modifications: Tall screen £189.82, panniers and frames £610.13, tank bag and mounting £177.31, centre stand £233.24, heated grips £151.10 Total value of mods: £1361.16

PROS & CONS + Still feels pretty much as good as new in key areas + Suited to cooler rides, heated grips and tall screen are welcome – Front grip’s ultimately not feeling quite as predictable

LONG-TERM REVIEW

THIS MONTH Rider: Matt Hull Cost new: £11,500 Engine: 1200cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin Spec: 89bhp/110lb-ft Dry weight: 205kg Tank: 16 litres Seat: 840mm Miles this month: 411 Miles on clock: 4156 Average mpg: 48 Current tyres: Metzeler Tourance Modifications: Rear rack £225, Rugged pannier £210, Fitting kit £85, Fog lights £295, Touring screen £74, Power socket (on top yoke) £25 (fitting extra)

Test fleet: Triumph Scrambler 1200 XC Summing up seven months with the big ‘T’ att has spent many months and covered thousands of miles on the Scrambler, but it’s time to hand the keys back and sum up the experience. So here goes…

ENGINE

The engine is great, those huge 600cc slugs feeling happy at low or high revs, with instant power, yet smooth when you want.

Fuelling is better than any Triumph I’ve tried to date. It sounds great and looks good, though the faux carbs/throttle bodies divide opinion (but I like them). There’s been no issues at all, and I still don’t tire of riding it.

As mentioned a few months ago, the lighter flywheel meant Triumph were worried riders may stall it (really?) so as you let the clutch out, the revs rise automatically. This is a pain, and can actually lead to you stalling it if you let the clutch out before raising the revs, as I do, to meet the biting point. Just when you need to know what the bike is

doing, when pulling away on a big, tall, heavy bike, it thinks it knows best. I thought I’d get used to it, but I haven’t.

GEARS

The gearbox is superb, with perfect ratios for the road. Town riding is simple, though it does need clutch slip at crawling speeds, just like any largeengined bike, which again brings into play that clutch switch-operated rev rising. For cruising, it is fine for ‘Motorway speeds’, shall we say, all day.

Gearing is also fine for faster off-road riding; a larger rear/ smaller front sprocket would improve off-road manners for tighter/ hilly/ muddy offroading, to prevent slipping the clutch too much.

BRAKES & SUSPENSION

Brakes are demon. No issues at all, totally predictable, confidence-inspiring and ABS can be switched off for offroading.

Suspension is 50mm shorter than the XE model, but

absolutely fine. It feels different to a road bike because it has a 21in front wheel and off-road geometry, but with wide bars I found it fun, sure-footed and until the tyres started wearing square through lots of miles, completely accurate. There is adjustment, which I used to help minimise the ‘nose up’ feel I had with rear preload and I also slowed the rebound slightly on the front. Rear preload is a bugger to adjust as the righthand unit has the silencers next to it and it may just be because this is a Press bike, but there was no preload spanner provided.

COMFORT

Comfort is a disappointment. I like naked bikes and this is an off-road bike in essence, so the riding position is upright.

But this is also a bike that will spend most of its time, in reality, on the road. As such, higher speeds see you fighting against the wind on your chest, which makes longer journeys very tiring. The small screen may help, a larger one would be

PROS & CONS + Great engine and chassis – Lacking in long-distance comfort

better. Pegs are nicely mounted, the tank is sculpted nicely (and has a good range depending on how you ride), but the seat is harsh. No padding, no comfort, and for the pillion, it’s even worse. And then there is the heat from the exhaust. Well, from the catalytic converter. In hot, wear leather trousers, because in town your right leg will get very hot.

But then, in winter, that’s a comfort!

VERDICT

The Triumph Scrambler 1200XC is a superb bike, which fulfils most, if not all of its design remit. It’s good on- and off-road, is well made, quick, handsome, spot on price-wise with the opposition, and its spec is very good. Would I personally buy one? I’d love to, but as it stands, no, because while it fulfils what I’d like from a bike, it doesn’t fit what I need in a bike (namely, covering big distances in comfort). But if you decide it does what you need, then you shouldn’t be disappointed. It’s a great bike. www.mslmagazine.co.uk 91

LONG-TERM REVIEW THIS MONTH Rider: Ross Mowbray Cost new: £8979 Engine: 550cc liquid-cooled Twin Spec: 53bhp Kerb weight: 226kg Tank: 15 litres Seat: 785mm Miles this month: 200 Miles on clock: 4050 Average mpg: 49.5 Current tyres: Metzeler Feel Free (F) 120-70 15 (R) 160-60 15 Modifications: Shad Top Box and frame, plus bag £318.97. Puig £129.50 screen £129 50

PROS & CONS

Test: KYMCO AK550 It’s time to part ways with Kymco’s AK550. Our winter fling is over and it’s heading home

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t’s time for the Kymco AK550 to go home. Our time together may have been brief, but it was special. It’s looked after me on cold, lonely, winter nights – keeping me warm, safe and secure.

After spending the last couple of months together through the depths of winter, I’ve really warmed to the Kymco. Our winter fling has only helped to cement what I already knew about the big scooter from the Taiwanese factory; it’s a genuine multipurpose tool. Seven days a week, 365 days a year you can blast down motorways and back roads with equal vigour, and splice through traffic and splash through puddles with confidence.

Having nabbed the keys earlier in the year when the weather was warmer and the roads were drier, I already had a fairly favourable opinion of the big scooter. And as much fun as Kymco’s AK550 is as a summertime scratcher, over the

last couple of months of ice and rain, I reckon it’s really come into its own. We’ve seen it all in our time together, from torrential rain and biblical hailstone showers, to bright, icy mornings and wild winds.

Now I recognise that the majority of the British biking fraternity hang up their boots when the nights draw in and the weather takes a turn for the worse. But if you own a Kymco AK550, you won’t have to.

The bigger than most (well, most other scooters) 15-inch wheels and Metzeler FeelFree sport touring rubber help the AK550 handle in the worst of weathers, while its smooth power delivery, which is aided by having the choice between riding modes, means you’re not going to get caught out by grabbing a handful of the throttle. The brakes are up to the job, too. The front in particular is smooth and progressive, with enough bite to slow you up when the road conditions are far from favourable (and enough

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feel to make it easy to work out exactly how aggressive you can be). The back’s not quite so purposeful, though. You have to give it a real pull to get any sort of serious bite. However, that does mean that you’re unlikely to lock the back wheel up by accident. And to be fair, it comes into its own when you’re turning in the road or cutting through the traffic.

In short, Kymco’s AK550 is a perfect all-year-round commuter, although that’s not its only use. You could comfortably tour two, use it for the big shop or even just use it for some Sunday fun-day action in the summer. I know there’s not all that much love for big scooters in the UK, but after spending the last couple of months in the saddle of Kymco’s AK550, I’m struggling to see why. If you’ve not had a go, you should ride one. I reckon it’ll surprise you – just like it did me.

+ With the added Shad top box there’s an absolute abundance of space.

Admittedly, I’m a light packer, but I’m confident I could comfortably tour for two weeks without the need for a rucksack or a roll bag. + It’s a proper winter weapon.

In the last couple of months we’ve seen all weathers and the AK550’s taken the lot in its stride.

– The seat isn’t the most comfortable in the world. It’s not exactly uncomfortable, but after a full day in the saddle, you can definitely feel it.

– There’s a very subtle delay when you wind open the throttle from tickover. To be honest, it’s to be expected of an automatic scooter, but if you’re stepping off a bike, it’ll take a little bit of getting used to.

THIS MONTH Rider: Bertie Simmonds Cost new: £11,399 Engine: 999cc liquid-cooled inline-four Spec: 148bhp/80lb-ft Kerb weight: 215kg Tank: 12 litres Seat: 825mm Miles this month: 7 Miles on clock: 2066 Average mpg: 44.7 Current tyres: Dunlop Sportsmax Modifications: None

Test fleet: Suzuki Katana All too soon, the rightful owners have knocked on his door to re-claim their Kat: Bertie wonders if it was chipped?

F

arewell then, Suzuki Katana: our time together was all-too brief.

Sadly, not getting the keys to the Kat meant that I’d missed most of the summer, which my predecessor Stuart Barker frustratingly enjoyed.

I say ‘frustratingly’ because Stu bemoaned the lack of practicality and that it was a tad thirsty and with a small tank (Stu, we could say the same about you mate), but that he loved the overall performance and improvement on throttle response over the bike it’s based on, the GSX-S1000F. I’d agree, but my (short) time and few miles were limited by the time I had on the bike, the fact that I had an infinitely more practical bike in the garage (the Versys) and so the Kat would be used on short hops only… and not in rain. It’s not a pillion machine either… just seven

miles this month had my (not large, average sized) mate pummel my kidneys and wave me home. Shame, as the original Katana was ‘real’ sized and could see a rider and pillion enjoy some good long rides together.

ALL ABOUT THE TWO ‘P’S

Yes, the two Ps: they stand for ‘petrol’ and ‘potential.’ We’ve dealt with the former, but it’s the latter I’d like to discuss.

I don’t think I could ever consider a Katana as my only bike, not in the way I shared good times with the GSX-S – but that’s not what this bike is aimed at, nor whom. This is a silhouette homage to one of the greatest machines of the 1980s and it is in this light that it needs to be judged.

If you go back to when the Katana was first launched it was from the basis of a previous

model made to look different.

Since then, and over the intervening decades, it has inspired a following that the original base bike really did not.

That’s because it’s been taken to owners’ hearts and formed the basis of a wide range of racers, trick machines and specials, and it is here that I think this new Kat will also succeed – eventually.

A simple internet search today will show you what I mean: this bike is already being taken up by aftermarket parts specialists across the world and specials builders, meaning that you can uber-Kat your Kat, making it more like the original or just better and more unique all-round. One ‘part’ I’d like to see being replaced or updated on a ‘new’ 2021 Kat would be those awful clocks. They’re muddled and mixed up at the best of times and can hardly be seen in bright sunshine.

They also – despite what Suzuki says – don’t reflect the original Katana clocks, which were unique. A missed opportunity…

For me, while the new Katana still needs time to be considered in the same light as the original (like, another decade or so) it does seem to have been welcomed into the family by Katana aficionados and it’s this area that I will watch with interest. With the likes of the Suzuki Katana Owners Club and Air-Cooled Suzuki having members buying the new Kat, I for one can’t wait to see what creations they come up with.

Watch this space.

PROS & CONS + A brilliant base to build your perfect Kat – Needs longer range… bigger rear seat…

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THIS MONTH Rider: Tony Carter Cost new: £19,985 Spec: 159bhp (with pipe it’s 169bhp) / 95lb-ft (102lb-ft with pipe fitted) Engine: 1262cc L-twin Kerb weight: 244kg Tank: 17 litres Seat: 780mm Miles this month: 145 Miles on the clock: 1373 Average mpg: 49.3 Current tyres: Pirelli Diablo Corsa III Modifications: Termignoni (£2279.92) exhaust (£2279 92)

Test fleet: Ducati Diavel 1260 S The Diavel is going home so Tony takes stock of his months with it

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ear Ducati, A Happy New Year to you and all your people. I hope you’ve had a lovely festive period and Claudio hasn’t had all the mince pies.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for the use of your exemplary Diavel 1260 S, a motorcycle that has clearly been taken apart and put back together again by engineering wizards – you guys are the Harry Potters of going quickly with style.

During my short time with the Diavel 1260 S I have made a few observations which, in the spirit of bonhomie, I would share with you on the eve of this motorcycle returning to its home here in Blighty.

Let us start with the negative aspects. To get things underway I shall start with the noise.

It is… how can I put this… outrageous. Sitting on the bike at a standstill, even as the motor sits idling, one feels that one needs to apologise to anyone within a mile radius. Pensioners in particular need a reassurance

that the literal rumble they can feel isn’t as much the result of nearby fracking as actually Bologna’s finest waiting for a blip of throttle.

Then there’s the split screen dash situation which harks back to the old Diavel days but… look, in a universe where even a Ford Fiesta has an iPad doppelganger upon which it conveys all riding information and whatever app you want – I don’t necessarily think that this bike should have a tiny screen. Nothing about the Diavel is tiny. It’s big and brash.

It’s loud (as mentioned). It’s visually imposing. The tiny screen doesn’t go.

And the pillion footrests now don’t tuck up and away under the pillion seat itself like it did

10 years ago, which I would like to see. I’m also not a fan of the grip pattern used on the grips.

So that’s the not brilliant.

No doubt you’ll have noticed that not on my pick list includes things like: engine (you HAVE to ride it if you can – Ducati simply doesn’t make a better V-twin for the road than this with this gearing, etc.); suspension (sublime but a touch on the stiff side for some people, not for me though); comfort (way better than you think); or EVERYTHING else to do with this motorcycle. Including the launch control and fastestaccelerating-motorcycle-up-to100mph credit.

Mikko wants me to offer you insight and final thoughts on the

Diavel – of course he does, he’s the Editor and he’s right to want that – but the simple, last message I have after riding this bike on track, road and in a mild flood more recently is this: The Diavel 1260 S from Ducati is the best version of the Diavel I’ve ever ridden. And I’ve ridden every version of this motorcycle, including the first one on the first launch.

I fell in love with the original bike, I fell out of love with the X Diavel. I’ve not only been drawn back into Diavel world with the 1260 S, but I wonder why on earth you’d want any other motorcycle for riding on British roads. It’s quick, big and a bit Batman-y.

I love it. You will too.

PROS & CONS + + + – – – That’s a £2 coin for a size comparison, it’s a small screen.

94 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

There’s a little bit of corrosion at the exhaust sensor mount.

The sound The look The quickshifter Screen size Clunky pillion footrest build Whoever decided that this bike goes back to Ducati

THIS MONTH Rider: Stuart Barker Cost new: £10,499 Engine: 1037cc liquid-cooled 90-degree V-Twin Spec: 100bhp/74ft-lb Kerb weight: 233kg Tank: 20 litres Seat: 850mm Miles this month: 461 Miles on clock: 2293 Average mpg: 44 Current tyres: Bridgestone Battle Wings Modifications: SW Motech tank bag (£180.55), Diamondbrite Pro Sealant protective treatment (£150), Suzuki Aluminium Luggage Pack (£1,360), Suzuki Heated Grips (£325), Suzuki LED g lamp p set (£470), ( ), Fog Accessory Bar for fog lamps (£260).

There are places where even go-anywhere bikes don't go

Test fleet: Suzuki V-Strom 1000XT A few more mods get the V-Strom ready for winter

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admit I used to snigger at owners of adventure bikes, wondering what big adventures they were likely to be going on – no farther than Tesco in most cases. Even fewer of them would fully realise the off-road potential of their expensive bikes, I thought.

While the latter observation might still hold true, I now realise that the former thought was missing the point. You don't have to be planning to ride to Cape Town to make an adventure bike a worthy buy – they're just the most practical bikes you can buy for everyday riding.

Take the other week when I decided to go and lose myself along country lanes I'd never been on before. Unclassified roads, mostly, and they were full of surprises that a sports bike or a cruiser could never have hoped to deal with. Massive potholes, endless ruts, farmer's muck, mud, gravel, huge pools of standing water and whole roads submerged beneath it after the recent floods. The V-Strom took every obstacle in its stride, the heavily-treaded Bridgestone

Battle Wing tyres finding traction where there shouldn't really have been any; the soft, long-travel suspension and wire-spoked wheels easily soaking up the bumps and ruts; and the sheer height of the bike allowing me to pass through standing water without getting soaked.

To be fair, I wouldn't have ventured down roads like that on a Fireblade or an R1, but it's just nice to know that, whatever kind of riding conditions you come across, your bike can handle them. Add to that the convenience of having a top box to store my helmet in or pick up some shopping along the way, and the V-Strom just makes more and more sense to me.

WINTER IS COMING

With winter upon us, I decided to make just two more mods to make the Suzuki even more practical and better suited to cold, dark, wet riding. First some official Suzuki heated grips and then a set of LED fog lamps Now, in the past I've been quite vocal in my criticism of Suzuki's heated grips on certain

bikes (like on my old GSXS1000F) because they were so weak you couldn't even tell if they were switched on. But these aftermarket ones (£325) are a revelation. In fact, they're so effective that I have found myself turning them down to a lower setting as my hands were getting too hot! Luxury!

The fog lamps are another great addition for winter. Not only do they make me more visible to inattentive car drivers, but they transform night-time riding, especially on dark country back roads, and allow me to see far better than I ever have on a motorcycle at night before. Angled on dip so they're not blinding other road users, the lamps cast a wide, low arc of light that works in conjunction with the main lights to turn night-time riding almost into daytime riding. They cost £470 (and a further £260 for the accessory bar to mount them on), but if you do a lot of riding after dark or early in the morning then they’re a must-have accessory. Right, bring on winter. I’m ready – and so is the V-Strom.

Heated grips offer three settings

Fog lamps help in the dark

PROS & CONS + Good aftermarket options + Capable of tackling any kind of road with ease – Feels very top-heavy with full luggage system and pillion on board

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THIS MONTH Rider: Bertie Simmonds Cost new: £14,399 Engine: 1043cc liquid-cooled inline-four Spec: 120bhp/55lb-ft Kerb weight: 245kg Tank: 20.8 litres Seat: 820/840mm Miles this month: 280 Miles on clock: 3098 Average mpg: 49.5 Current tyres: Bridgestone T31 Modifications: None

Test fleet: Kawasaki Versys 1000 SE Grand Tourer He’s a big unit, but even we think it’s harsh of Bert to compare himself to a ruddy great battleship. Or is it?

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ast month I briefly touched upon the fact that the colour scheme is the only thing that aesthetically is letting down my Versys. I think it goes deeper than that…

Since ride one I’ve had people pull out on me. And it’s been getting worse as the weather deteriorates and the evenings darken. I’ve said before I basically now always keep those auxiliary lights on. When I don’t have them on, it seems I disappear into the background, doubtless not helped by the all black RST kit and black and white Caberg helmet. I actually

have a theory about this. Go look up the ‘dazzle’ camouflage of WW1 Allied ships. It was designed by Royal Navy reservist Norman Wilkinson.

And while making the ships conspicuous to German U-boats, the patterns meant that it was hard to discern the ship’s size, speed, distance and direction. Just like me on the bike!

RAIN, RAIN…

With bad weather mentioned, you must have noticed the amount of rain we’ve had recently. I know I’m now a bit of a wuss in my frail dotage, but I

Bertie and the WW1 ship – the likeness is uncanny!

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have been out in rain in recent weeks and it’s interesting how the Versys fares.

Firstly, the best bike I’ve ridden in the wet is BMW’s R1150RT and later 1200, etc.

These two just seem contoured around the rider’s body in a way that keeps most of the elements off you in anything other than a torrential downpour. The Pan European is pretty good too, as was one of my previous mounts – the wonderful and brilliant 1400GTR – but the Versys is up there.

What helps is that the moveable screen helps more than you’d think and – even if it’s not electric – it takes seconds to pull over and unscrew the fastenings and move it up. Also helping are those handlebar brush guards, which help keep the rain off and help in low temperatures.

Finally, the Kawasaki heated grips are just ruddy superb.

All of this means that the bike is more comfortable than most in difficult conditions.

AFTER THE RAIN…

The inevitable aftermath of even a few miles in the wet means dirt, detritus and road muck is spread liberally over the front and rear of the Versys. Unless it’s still peeing down when I get home, I do try at least to hose down the obvious grime from the bike before putting her to bed. If I can, the bike gets a liberal dousing with Shiny Bike Sauce and then a low-pressure jet wash before a rub ‘n’ buff finish. I then try and put some form of protectant on any metal bits (ACF-50 is a fave) then lube the chain. Yes, the chain. If there is one thing I’d change, it would be to give this baby a shaft drive system… but hey ho!

With my time on the Versys nearly up I’m hoping for one last clear, crisp day to enjoy her.

Keep your fingers crossed for me!

PROS & CONS + Good in all weathers – Colour scheme

LONG-TERM REVIEW THIS MONTH Rider: Roger Jones Cost New: £6069 Engine: 471cc Liquid Cooled, DOHC parallel twin Spec: 47bhp – maximum power output 35kw @ 8,600rpm Kerb Weight: 197kg Tank: 17.7 litres Seat: 830mm Miles this month: 197 Miles on clock: 2769 Average mpg: 73.1mpg Current Tyres: Dunlop Trailmax Mixtour Modifications: R & G Radiator cover (£52.99). Honda Comfort Pack – (heated grips, 12v socket, knuckle guards, deflector kit) £765. Front side pipe (crash bards) £240. 35-litre Top Box £570. Main Stand £150. Honda Tank Bag £115.

Total cost of Mods: £1892.99

Test Fleet: Honda CB500X Roger has been out for cold rides with warm pinkies

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t’s a cold Saturday morning when I set off for a ride to Skegness to watch the guys from our sister magazine Fast Bikes compete in the 10th Anniversary Skegness Beach Race.

Recently fitted Honda heated grips along with a heated vest plugged into the recently fitted 12v socket made the ride more pleasurable on the two-degree ambient temperature ride.

Amazing how many competitors and spectators turned out to the event, and this was the Clubman event – the Elite riders were out in force on the following day. An estimated 25,000 spectators turn up for the two days’ racing. Considering this was a first for our Fast Bikes boys, they turned in creditable results.

Just as I was about to put my helmet on and leave for home, a fellow CB500X parked next to me. Motorcycle conversation soon started, and I was surprised that his 2014 model

had covered 32,000 miles, 9000 of these being in his ownership.

No problems with this bike, just consumables needed. Honda quality!

For my return home ride, a layer of clothing and both heated units turned down to low made for another pleasurable ride.

REGULAR CLEANING

Lincolnshire’s muddy roads had taken their toll on the bike, so the good old pressure washer and cleaning materials were in force, just a couple of hours after getting home. A recently fitted centre stand became a godsend for cleaning purposes, not only the wheels, but the chain could easily be dealt with (no moving forward several times when just the side stand was the norm).

If the bike cleaning is dealt with regularly, then the onset of corrosion is kept at bay. Ok, so not everyone is in a position to pressure wash after every ride, but there are products out there

to protect paintwork and frame parts for days, if not weeks.

A proprietary chain cleaner and lube finished the cleaning session off. The CB500X really does clean up easily and I admire Mr Honda’s quality finish – I know there are people out there who have a go at the build quality of some motorcycles, but keep on top of the cleaning and all will be okay.

SOME MODIFICATIONS

Number one modification for me was the centre stand, necessary for cleaning, as already mentioned.

In these colder days the heated grips with their threestep variable heat settings are a real treat. At £460 (if purchased as a separate item and not part of the comfort pack) as an aftermarket fit, these heated grips are not a cheap item. If it were me, a serious deal would have to be struck with my supplying dealer...

Heated grips are pricey, but such a treat in cold weather

Used in conjunction with the knuckle guards that deflect wind and rain away from the hands, pinkies are well looked after. A pair of deflectors fitted to the plastics at the side of the tank help to deflect the legs from wind. They don’t look much, but I can assure you they do the job.

Just bear in mind that all modifications listed do not include fitting – again talk to your dealer.

Yet again a few modifications have turned a good bike into an excellent one.

PROS & CONS + Still 70mpg-plus + Heated grips now fitted – Screen difficult to adjust

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Used test: 2017 Triumph Thruxton 1200R

THE SPORTY SIDE OF

BONNEVILLE The Thruxton’s got the looks, build quality and performance. What’s not to like?

WORDS: Chris Moss PHOTOGRAPHY: Andy Dutton

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modern motorcycle manufacturer Triumph may well be, but there’s no doubt the British firm draws heavily on its original history for selected models. The Thruxton 1200R is one of them.

When early Triumphs were built in its Meriden factory between 1942 and 1983, the first Thruxton was a specifically designed, hand-built homologation special. Named after the famous Hampshire race circuit, the ‘Thruxton Bonneville’ model was made from 1965 to compete in the prestigious 500-mile endurance race. In the 1969 race, the Triumph filled the top three places.

When the first Triumph company ceased trading, it was brought back to life by the entrepreneur John Bloor in 1983. His new firm began building machines in Hinckley, Leicestershire, in 1991. The first batch of the second-generation Thruxton 900s started leaving the production line in 2004, the 68bhp air-cooled 360° parallel twins coming in an 865cc capacity. These café racers were essentially sportier, more powerful versions of the Bonneville model, featuring rear-sets, analogue clocks, reverse-cone silencers and a flyscreen. Despite the nationality of the company, the Thruxton was made in Thailand.

In 2016, the Thruxton 900 was replaced by two 1200cc versions, also built in the Far East. They may have looked similar to the older model, but they featured distinct differences. Following the established trend, the new Thruxtons bore a close relation to the existing T120 Bonneville models. Each featured ‘high power’ tuned variants of the now liquid-cooled parallel twin motor, with a 270° firing order.

The 96bhp engine produced an extra 17bhp, courtesy of increased compression, and a lighter crankshaft allowing it to rev 500rpm higher. It also featured an additional Sport mode to join the T120’s Road and Rain options, which sharpened throttle response still further. It shared the same tubular steel double cradle frame as the ‘Bonnie’, though ran steeper geometry and a 17” front wheel instead of the softer bike’s 18” item.

BUYER’S GUIDE

The R version of the Thruxton, which we’ve tested here, has a higher spec chassis. It’s suspended by Showa big piston BPF forks, and Ohlins remote reservoir twin rear shocks rather than the standard Thruxton’s Kayaba equipment. Superior braking power is provided by Brembo four-piston Monobloc calipers, with additional grip coming from softer Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa tyres. The standard Thruxton was priced at £10,800-10,950 depending on colour, with the R version costing £12,200. The Track Racer and Café Racer models, featuring lower bars, Vince and Hines cans, tail tidys and a fairing or flyscreen respectively were added to the range later.

The lighter and more powerful limited-edition TFC came to market this year.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO RIDE

Never mind any theories about how successful the original Triumph company could have been. Instead,

I OWN ONE

Dominic Smith was seduced into making a biking comeback by his Thruxton 1200R, and he’s very glad he came out of ‘retirement’.

“I’d been away from bikes for around 10 years, probably a bit more if I actually do the maths. But when I got lured along to the NEC bike show in 2015, ‘just for a look’, I saw the Thruxton 1200R and really fell for it.

Just its style and the way it seemed so well made had me fall for it. I had it in my mind all the way home, and when it was still in my thoughts some weeks and months later I went down to the dealers. As soon as I clapped eyes on it I put in an order. To be honest, I still

DEALER SERVICING

EVERY 10,000 MILES/12 MONTHS =

£200-250

AT 20,000 MILES =

£400-450

* Costs will vary depending on labour rates and condition of your bike and parts required

BELOW RIGHT: Minimalism works for the clocks

wasn’t sure if I’d made the right decision when I went to pick it up the following spring. But the grin on my face all the way home told me all I needed to know!

“I’ve only done just over 4000 miles on it since I got it, as I only use it for fun and when the weather’s good. I’ve enjoyed every mile, though. I love the handling and the engine’s pull is very impressive. But I think the style and sound of it are my most favourite things. It’s brought me back to life really, and the fact that it’s British really makes me proud too,” says the 60-year-old retired company director from Tewkesbury.

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let’s celebrate the fact that the current British firm IS flourishing and prosperous. It might have taken a while for it to become as highly respected in the market as it used to be, but the fact that Triumph can compete with the best once again is something to be very proud of.

When you ride bikes like its superb Thruxton 1200R it’s easy to see why things are so rosy these days. A little more difficult, is to see just where to begin the praise, as there are so many aspects to rate so highly.

Let’s start with something appreciable from the moment you first set eyes on the café racer – its classy, classic style. The Thruxton really is a great looking bike, likely to turn heads wherever it goes.

Very well built and finished, the Triumph deliberately mimics the basic appearance of machines produced in the firm’s original heyday. Move in closer, and the effort to reflect that halcyon era in more detail is all the more evident. Quite apart from obvious retro-aping components like spoked wheels, analogue clocks and reverse cone silencers, there’s things like the clever crafting of the throttle bodies to fool you into thinking they’re good old-fashioned carbs. The

BUYER’S GUIDE

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

ABOVE: The design of the engine has the same retro feel as the rest of the bike LEFT: 1200cc engine has plenty of poke BELOW LEFT: Clever styling makes the throttle bodies look like carbs

In good supply, and more often than not, very well looked after by more affluent and conscientious owners, the Thruxton 1200R is an excellent used buy. The Triumph is the product of years of development and improvement, thanks to it being based on some extent on existing models, so problems are very rare. Early stalling issues should all have been sorted by now. Providing you look after it and maintain it well, you’d to be very unfortunate to be troubled by any issues.

Check the overall condition of the bike very carefully. It’s an excellent guide to the sort of life it’s led. The Triumph’s build quality is very good and its finish strong. Scruffy-looking models are very rarely seen and reflect continued neglect, so walk away.

Check the service history and make sure all work has been done when it should have, and ideally by an official dealer. Reputable non-franchised experts exist, but check their reputations first.

Home maintenance isn’t that tricky, and most jobs can be done by anyone competent with good tools.

The vast majority of owners have their bikes dealer serviced. Higher mileage 1200s are rare as owners usually prefer shorter rides in fine weather.

Triumphs with very low mileage need evidence of being looked after appropriately, too. They need to be stored in the right sort of environment, have had their batteries kept charged with the correct device, and their engine oil and filter changed annually, regardless of mileage.

Specification TRIUMPH THRUXTON 1200R (2017) Engine: 1200cc, liquid-cooled, sohc, 8v, 270° parallel twin Power: 96bhp (72kW) @ 6750rpm Torque: 83lb-ft (112Nm) @ 4950rpm Transmission: Six-speed, chain drive

layout of the engine cases suggests a bygone era too, the motor looking like a pre-unit version – a term given to designs of days gone by when the engine and gearbox were mounted separately. In essence, the Thruxton 1200R boasts all the visual appeal of a former iconic period, but is actually a completely bang up-to-date machine.

Contemporary in feel and sound, the 1200R is a lovely bike to ride. Support from its quality Ohlins suspension suggests an effort’s been made to give the Thruxton an ability to cope with higher speeds. Both ends of the bike definitely have a firm feel to them which, though it doesn’t seem too harsh, does make more sense when they’re loaded more by swifter riding. You’re unlikely to complain about a lack of wheel control on this Triumph. Together with its light, agile feel (even though it’s actually quite weighty at 203kg dry), lovely steering, and very impressive radial brakes, the control the 1200R provides offers a very satisfying and secure ride, and one from which much pleasure can be derived. This model’s sticky Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa tyres only add to the precise and confidence-inspiring nature of the bike’s handling, regardless of how hard you want to push it.

Frame: Steel tubed double cradle Suspension: (F) 43mm inverted forks, fully adjustable damping (R): Twin shocks, fully adjustable Brakes: (F) Twin 310mm discs, four-piston radial ABS calipers (R) 220mm disc, two-piston ABS caliper Tyres: (F) 120/70-17; (R) 160/60-17 Seat height: 810mm Wheelbase: 1415mm Dry weight: 203kg Fuel capacity: 14.5 litres

ABOVE RIGHT: Bar end mirrors are a bit Marmite…

RIGHT: Liquid cooling is a fairly new thing for Thruxton

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But it’s not just the chassis that brings warmth to the heart. Just as deserving of compliment is the excellent engine. Its twin cylinder layout delivers its impressive pulling power in a prompt, linear, and very usable fashion. Better still, its well-mannered nature never slips, so even when you’re getting a bit keener with the throttle, you’re unlikely to sample any unexpected scares. It’s not just really pleasant to use, it’s very safe and friendly too, with the added bonus of having lots of character. There’s ample evidence of the Thruxton being a product of the current era, with its flawless fuel-injection system, switchable traction control and ABS, three power modes, and slipper clutch all helping the level of rider control to meet today’s expectations.

I didn’t get to spend too much time in the saddle of the Triumph, though I got the impression longer days spent on board might need to be punctuated with a few stops for recuperation. The riding position, though slightly sporty in the way it cants you forward, is fine for higher mile runs, but the seat itself seems a little too thin and firm to be described as touring friendly. Being a single seater rules out passengers, unless you fit a twin seat and pillion footrests.

In saying that, the Triumph is definitely a versatile machine, and should you fit some of the official accessories from the 160 available, like a comfort seat, taller screen and luggage, then jaunts round Europe could be readily entertained. I wasn’t sure how well

ABOVE: The pipe sounds good, but could be louder ABOVE LEFT: Suspension is adjustable to get the feel right

RIGHT: No pillions, thank you very much!

VALUES

£750011,000

* Prices are for early R models sold privately in good condition to newer, 2019 examples available at dealers.

the bar end mirrors might affect filtering through traffic either, and swapping them for some more conventionally mounted items might make sense. Y ou might also want to consider some noisier exhaust cans while you were shopping. The sound of the standard ones, though attractive, does seem a little restrictive. A pair of freer-flowing ones would be far more appealing to the ears. As it is though, even if it stays in the same trim as it left the shop, the Triumph Thruxton 1200R is a truly appealing bike to both look at and ride. I’d imagine owning one would bring even more contentment.

I SELL THEM

David Lilley, of Triumph dealer Jack Lilley in Ashford, has plenty of experience of dealing with Thruxton 1200Rs. “It’s been a good bike for us, and is far more popular than the standard version. Though that can be had for up to £1500 less as demand for it is a lot lower. There isn’t a typical buyer of the R, and ages range a great deal, though almost all of them are experienced and always look after their bikes very well. They’re rarely used for longer tours, and no one uses them for everyday use. I’ve never seen a snotter of a bike. Virtually all owners use their Thruxton Rs for pleasure only and average annual mileage is around 3-5000 miles. Many are modified with official Triumph parts, which may not add too much value, but do make them more desirable. The early ‘not for road use’ noisy Triumph aftermarket pipes were very popular, but are no longer available. Fairings, engine covers, lower bars and tail tidys are commonly seen. There have been several service bulletins for things like stalling on the early bikes, but any bike will be sorted by dealers if necessary.

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BUYER’S GUIDE DIFFERENT MODELS

The basic version of the Thruxton 1200 doesn’t feature the higher spec suspension, brakes and tyres of the R model, and has a different swingarm finish. The Track Racer and Café Racer models feature lower bars, Vance and Hines cans, tail tidys and a fairing or flyscreen respectively.

CUSTOMISING

FINISH

Like a supermodel, the Thruxton 1200R lives on its looks. It’s essential to keep the Triumph clean and tidy if it’s to retain its value and appeal. Avoid riding it in poor weather to avoid cleaning jobs lasting several hours! Buying anything looking even slightly rough is unwise unless it’s very cheap.

ACCESSORIES

A massive, 160-item range of official aftermarket accessories is available from Triumph dealers.

They include dual seat conversations and pillion footrests, screens, end cans, luggage, crash bars, heated grips, and comfort seats.

Performance Parts, www.performanceparts-ltd.com offer a good choice of components including taller bars, suspension, screens, lithium batteries, hinged levers, brake discs, crash protection, exhaust cans, footrest kits and lighting.

ENGINE

Very well-proven, the parallel twin engine warrants plenty of compliment. Friendly, linear pulling power makes accelerating easy, and perfect fuelling adds to the control.

Reliability is very good if it’s maintained well.

GEARCHANGE ACTION

Gear selection should be light and slick. Any difficulty could be caused by a bent selector, easily caused if the gear lever suffers a heavy impact. It’s not an easy or cheap fix.

BRAKE CHECK

The R model’s front brake lever can occasionally feel a little spongy.

Try bleeding the system, or place a strap round the lever to keep it under pressure while it’s parked up.

OTHER BIKES TO CONSIDER

MOTO GUZZI GRISO

2007-2015, 1200cc, 90° V-twin, 110bhp, 240kg Second generation 8v Griso is laden with style and character. Unique looks make it a hit with the hipsters, but there’s some go to match the show. Good-quality running gear gives the Guzzi stable, if weighty handling, and the lazy V-twin motor swiftly gets you up to speed in a relaxed fashion. Needs plenty of TLC.

YAMAHA XSR900

2016-present, 847cc, in-line triple, 113bhp, 195kg Essentially a MT-09 in retro-styled bodywork, the XSR looks great and has a brilliantly usable engine boasting excellent torque and flexibility. It makes a lovely sound and has much better fuelling than the original motor.

Chassis is also very good, but can’t show its very best performance due to average suspension. Easy to live with.

BMW RNINET

2014-present, 1170cc, flat twin, 110bhp, 222kg Another old-school styled beauty with strong, up-to-date performance. A little quirky, the Beemer has plenty of character to make it endearing and lovely to own. Very torquey air-cooled flat twin delivers speed with little effort. Not exactly light, the German bike handles nicely enough. Suspension’s a bit firm for some, but looks are liked by many.

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Used test: Laverda Jota 1980

MASTERPIECE WORDS: Roland Brown PHOTOGRAPHY: Phil Masters

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aked Italian superbikes are big news these days, judging by the response to Ducati’s Streetfighter V4 and MV Agusta’s similarly spectacular Brutale 1000 at Milan’s recent EICMA show. But those modern multi-cylinder musclebikes will have to go a long way to approach the impact of the first of their breed: the Laverda Jota that ruled the superbike world in the late Seventies.

Back in the final months of 1979, the Jota was slightly past its peak, but still very much among the world’s fastest and most glamorous motorcycles. Racer Peter ‘PK’ Davies had just won a third British production racing championship aboard a Jota prepared by Slater Brothers, the UK Laverda importer. And the Laverda factory at Breganze in northern Italy was producing the handsome 981cc dohc triple, featuring that year’s updates including orange paintwork and silver frame, that would become regarded as arguably the finest version of the mighty Seventies triple.

In this age of 200bhp naked bikes it seems almost bizarre to recall that on the Jota’s arrival in 1976 its hotted-up dohc, air-cooled engine’s output of 90bhp and the bike’s 140mph top speed were enough to crush all opposition and earn it cult status. The big triple’s blend of performance, cleancut styling and that racetrack success would make it extremely popular despite its high price and some hot competition from machines including Ducati’s 900SS and Moto Guzzi’s 850 Le Mans.

Motorcycle testers of the day waxed lyrical over the Jota, notably Bruce Preston of Motorcycle Sport, this magazine’s predecessor. ‘Perfection, sheer perfection,’ he wrote in the July 1977 issue.

‘That is the only way we can describe the most recent addition to the range offered by those purveyors of fine machinery, Moto Laverda. It’s a pure motorcycle, designed to do just one thing – that is, to go fast in all conditions. In this context it is unsurpassable.

‘The engine is quite the most potent, brutal and exhilarating motor that we have ever had the pleasure of trying and, coupled with brakes, handling and almost Japanese-like sophistication, it sets a performance standard that is unlikely to be surpassed until Suzuki or Yamaha fit silencers and a speedometer to their grand prix racers.’

The Jota famously owed much to Britain, or at least to Laverda’s UK importer. The model was essentially created by brothers Richard and Roger Slater, who tuned the firm’s 3CL triple with hot cams and high-compression pistons, as used by factory endurance racers, plus free-breathing pipes that increased maximum output considerably, to a claimed 90bhp at 8000rpm. The Slaters also came up with the name Jota, after a Spanish dance in three-four time.

The resultant bike was not for the faint-hearted, but it sure was fast, loud and memorable, as SuperBike magazine’s Mike Scott confirmed. ‘It’s a strange sort of sound, like the guttural warning growl of an enraged animal about to rip your entrails out. It happens around 4500rpm, a sudden syncopated rattle in the hitherto mellow sound of the exhaust. Warning growl it is – it means the Laverda Jota is about to bare its fangs. And that’s not an experience you’re going to forget.

‘Whatever gear you’re in, whatever speed you’re doing, the effect is magnificent. One thousand solid Italian centimetres of squalling fury grip the bike and hurl it forward. It’s the genuine arm-wrenching stuff that has you hanging on to the handlebars for life and sliding back along the seat, until the momentary relief of the next gear change. Then it all begins again...’

The big, heavy Laverda’s chassis was less spectacular than the engine, but made a decent fist of keeping all that power under control. The Jota needed plenty of muscle to steer quickly, and could weave at high speed 106 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

ABOVE: When the bike was launched, the Press went wild in praising it

BELOW: The tubular steel frame was rigid by Seventies standards

when pushed really hard. But its relatively stiff frame and taut suspension gave cornering performance which, combined with its straight-line speed, put the triple ahead of all opposition apart from a few hand-built specials.

‘There is absolutely no use in making it the world’s fastest bike if it is not possible to use the performance safely, and the Jota’s capabilities here are such that we found ourselves willing, and able, to ride the bike through corners considerably faster than we are normally accustomed to without frightening ourselves or passers-by,’ wrote Preston, who also rated the Laverda’s triple Brembo set up the best brakes he had ever used.

The Jota required commitment and strength to ride, both in muscling it through turns and coping with its ergonomics. Its riding position was aggressive; its throttle and clutch heavy; neutral not always easy to

REFLECTIONS

What they cost

ABOVE: Instruments are from Japan; pretty much everything else is Italian LEFT: Brembo brakes don’t look like much by today’s standards, but they were top spec back in the day BELOW: If you fancy buying one of these in decent condition it will cost you a pretty penny

Jota prices have increased by about 50 per cent over the last decade, but haven’t reached the stratospheric level of some models from Ducati or MV Agusta. “The maximum for a Jota these days is about £18,000, for an original UK bike from Slaters with orange paint and silver frame,” says Neil Ridgewell from Made In Italy. “That’s the one, from 1979 or 80, that most people seem to go for.”

Steel City Classics of Sheffield (www. steelcityclassics.co.uk) recently advertised a ‘fully restored and stunning’ Jota from 1980, with almost 30,000 miles on the clock, for £17,999.

Later, half-faired Jotas are worth slightly less, Neil says, and earlier examples in other colours quite a bit less again. The first Jotas came in red or green; then silver and gold, before the factory turned to its now familiar orange. “I’d say £16,000 would be about the top for an early red or green Jota,” says Neil.

The 120 Jota from 1982 is even less valuable, although the smoother running 120-degree crankshaft engine means it’s arguably a nicer bike to ride. “Tops for one of those would be £1214,000, and I’m not sure we’d want to take one in at the moment,” says Neil. “The triples aren’t quite as in demand as they once were. Perhaps that’s partly because they’re tall, heavy bikes and the riders who remember them best aren’t as young as they were.”

find. ‘Riding a Jota beats a Bullworker any day,’ wrote Scott. ‘And if you’re introduced to a Jota owner, try to avoid shaking his hand. He’ll crush your puny fingers to a pulp in an iron grip without even noticing it.’

Although the Jota was originally produced only by Slaters, its tuning parts were fitted to some of the softer 3C triples built for other markets. Some of these bikes were called Jota by the factory. In this country all Laverda’s triples benefited from the reputation of the genuine Jota, which Pete Davies wrestled to those three National production race championships in 1976, 77 and 79. (Roy Armstrong won on a Guzzi Le Mans in 1978, when Davies missed much of the season after a big crash.)

Despite that continued racetrack success, Laverda’s reputation and influence had begun to fade by the end of the Seventies, as the Japanese firms released multi-cylinder models, including Honda’s CBX1000, Suzuki’s GS1000 and Kawasaki’s Z1300. But the Italian marque had another card to play with the 1982 model Jota 120, which combined a familiar look and chassis layout with a smoother engine, thanks to its crankshaft’s more even, 120-degree firing order.

It was a fine machine (and a hell of a way for this youthful, recently hired bike journalist to start my career as a road tester) but couldn’t match its predecessor’s brutal appeal.

The Jota name was also used two years later for a hotted-up version of the factory’s restyled RGS triple, which was stylish and slightly more refined. But by this time the ageing air-cooled warrior struggled to match the increasingly powerful and sophisticated Japanese opposition, and Laverda lacked the resources for a significant redesign. The triple’s reign was over, but its impact would not be forgotten – especially by those privileged to have ridden the machine described

by Superbike’s Scott as the ‘ultimate expression of modern motorcycling’. www.mslmagazine.co.uk 107

‘The Jota’s reputation – built on competition victory and reinforced by journalistic ecstasy – is deserved,’ he’d concluded. ‘The Laverda Jota is the meanest, mightiest and most magnificent motorcycle built today. It has earned the right to be what it is: a legend in its own lifetime.’ No wonder, then, that more than four decades later the Jota remains among the most famous and revered of Seventies superbike stars.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO RIDE?

This 981cc triple has a fearsome reputation

My blast down some East Anglian lanes on this potent orange triple was the sort of ride that helped forge the Jota legend. Whenever the throttle was open, the result was fierce acceleration, a howling three-cylinder soundtrack and plenty of vibration through the low bars. Through the bends the bike’s firm ride twitched the handlebars and sometimes made me feel as though I was trying to hang on to the uncontrollable wild animal of Seventies road-test fame.

Previous Jotas I’ve ridden have been kinder to my kidneys than this firmly set up, but otherwise immaculate and utterly intoxicating example, borrowed from Suffolk-based specialist Made in Italy.

But Laverda’s flagship was always a physically demanding machine, best suited to riders big enough to cope with its stretched-out riding position, tall seat, and substantial wet weight figure of 237kg.

That 90bhp dohc motor was always the Jota’s main attraction, and this bike’s powerplant fully lived up to expectations.

Specification LAVERDA JOTA (1980) ENGINE: Air-cooled dohc 6-valve triple CAPACITY: 981cc BORE X STROKE: 75 x 74mm COMPRESSION RATIO: 10:1 INDUCTION: Three 32mm Dell’Ortos MAX POWER: 90bhp @ 8000rpm TRANSMISSION: 5-speed/chain FRAME: Tubular steel FRONT SUSPENSION: 38mm telescopic Marzocchi REAR SUSPENSION: Twin Koni dampers, adjustments for preload and rebound damping FRONT BRAKE: 2, twin-piston Brembo calipers, 280mm discs REAR BRAKE: Doubleaction Brembo caliper, 280mm disc FRONT WHEEL: 3.00 x 18in; cast aluminum REAR WHEEL: 3.50 x 18in; cast aluminum FRONT TYRE: 100/90 x 18in REAR TYRE: 120/90 x 18in WEIGHT: 237kg with 4 litres fuel FUEL CAPACITY: 20 litres BIKE SUPPLIED BY: Made in Italy Motorcycles, www.madeinitaly motorcycles.com

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REFLECTIONS HANDLEBARS

INSTRUMENTS

The famed adjustable ‘Jota bars’ essentially comprise a single handlebar with a serrated joint, secured by a bolt on each side.

FRONT BRAKE

Brembo provided discs and calipers, which gave outstanding stopping power and worked far better in the rain than many contemporaries.

Laverda’s factory at Breganze used mostly Italian components, but the Jota’s speedo and tacho were from Nippon Denso of Japan.

ENGINE

Slater Brothers tuned Laverda’s 981cc, dohc three-cylinder engine with endurance race pistons and cams, increasing output to 90bhp.

It started at the press of the button, burbling a rich three-pot sound through its minimally silenced pipes.

For a tuned motor it ran reasonably well at low revs, responding respectably cleanly through its bank of 32mm Dell’Ortos. As the revs rose towards the 8000rpm redline it came alive, storming forward with an exhilarating, high-pitched howl and with a force that made me hang on tight.

This bike wasn’t so keen on corners, on a route that mostly consisted of bumpy lanes that made me grateful for its thoughtfully added steering damper. Its Koni shocks, in particular, were harsh, despite being on their lowest preload settings. At least the excellent Brembo triple-disc brake set up soon brought its speed back down to more controllable levels. The relatively modern Metzeler tyres on its 18-inch wheels provided plenty of grip, too.

This Jota did enough to show its power and potential, and just needed some suspension finetuning in order to approach its full performance. Still, perhaps that wasn’t such a bad thing. Many old bikes fail to justify their reputations when they’re ridden long after their heyday, but this Laverda lived up to its image. If the Jota was a bit hairy at times, it was also memorably exciting.

PETROL TANK

Using the Jota’s performance results in fuel being swigged at up to 30mpg, but at least the shapely tank holds a useful 20 litres.

SILENCER

A free-breathing exhaust system, made in Britain and fitted by Slater Brothers, made a big contribution to the Jota’s speed and appeal.

REAR SHOCKS

FRAME

This Jota matches its Marzocchi front forks with a pair of Koni shocks. Laverda also fitted Ceriani suspension parts to some Jotas.

Laverda’s duplex cradle steel frame was admirably stiff by Seventies standards, and did a good job of harnessing the Jota’s power.

What to look out for Laverda triples were well designed and built by Seventies Italian superbike standards, and even the tuned Jota was generally reliable. “It’s a very robust design – over-engineered, with a massive crank and very strong gearbox,” says Neil Ridgewell of Suffolk specialists Made In Italy (www. madeinitalymotorcycles.com), who supplied the test bike. Early models had problems with ignitions and cracking cylinder heads, and a 1979 crankshaft bearing update triggered a spate of engine failures, but most of these problems were sorted out decades ago.

Early ignitions and alternators weren’t very good, and a lot of bikes have been upgraded with ignitions from firms such as Moto Witt in Germany, or Boyer units from renowned UK Laverda tuner Phil Todd back in the day. “The ignition is a good upgrade, they do run better with it fitted. And the alternators were pretty weak, so a lot of low-speed running with the headlight on can make the battery go flat,” says

Neil. But a good, well-charged battery should sort that, and a well-maintained Jota is unlikely to give problems.

One thing to make sure of when buying a Jota is that the bike is the genuine article – an original, full power, UK spec Jota, as sold via Slater Brothers complete with hot cams, high-compression pistons and loud pipes. From 1979 the factory used the Jota name for triples sold in other markets, but most of these were in a softer state of tune, to pass emissions tests.

“A lot of Jotas weren’t the real thing, including American and most of the European ones,” says Richard Slater, who still sells Laverda parts from Slater Laverda (www.slaterlaverda. com) at Collington in Herefordshire. A Jota’s engine and frame numbers should be identical, unlike many Ducatis and Moto Guzzis of the same period. Richard has a register of official UK Jotas, and can confirm whether a bike is genuine, for a small fee if written approval is required.

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TRIED &TESTED Things we’ve worn ◆ Kit we like ◆ Things we put on our bike

Heated jackets Winter is coming. Oh wait, it’s already here! So it’s time to turn up the heat and take the chill out of riding. Designed specifically for motorcyclists, these heated jackets will go a long way to making winter riding more enjoyable.

Keis J501 Premium Heated JJacket k t

Tested by: Mikko Nieminen | £199 | www.keisa apparel.co.uk Constructed from breathable soft shell fabric and elasticated panels, the J501 is flexible, thin and light (925g with the heat controller).

Providing the heat are Micro Carbon Fibre panels around the chest, back, arms and collar. The panels are very thin, and according to Keis so reliable that they are covered by a lifetime warranty.

There are three ‘normal’ external pockets, plus dedicated zipped pockets for the cables. One cable runs to the motorcycle battery or portable power pack, another to the optional £34.99 heat controller (handy if you want the ability to choose from the three heat settings); the sleeves hide cables to connect heated gloves, and there’s a socket to plug in heated trousers. All the cables have been routed without them getting in the way, and the plugs are well placed. It’s quick to figure out what goes where and how it all works.

The jacket can be powered directly from the motorcycle's 12v battery (wiring harness included), with a claimed current draw of 5.5 Amps and

typical power of 66 Watts. It can also be powered by the optiona al Keis portable battery (not tested).

In practice, the jacket performs very well. The amount of heat h is impressive, and it’s nicely spread around the body, arms and d neck, so it keeps you warm all ro ound without any annoying hot spots.

I found the fit good, and d the garment comfortable, but for my body shape, the arms could have been a little longer and the neck opening a bit smaller. In use these were not an issue though, as the outer layer pressed the heated panels of the neck to my skin, and the large heated panels in the arms kept my limbs nice and toasty.

Out of the three jackets, this one combines high-quality y components and a well-th houghtthrough finish with perform mance, ease of use and practicality the e best.

Exotogg inflatable body warmer Tested by: Mikko Nieminen | £99 | www.exotogg.com This is a bit of an odd one out. Ok, so it’s not a heated jacket at all, but it does a similar job. The Exotogg body warmer is an inflatable vest that you can ‘activate’ by blowing air into it. It sounds simple, and it is, but it also works with the air creating a warm and cosy feel.

The downsides are that if you blow the vest full of air to create the biggest possible barrier against the cold, you start to resemble the Michelin man. And if your outer layer is quite snug, you won’t be able to fill the vest with

110 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

quite as much air as you might like. The positives are that it works, it’s easy to use, it requires no electricity or connections, and once deflated it’s very small and light (270g). It’s also cheaper than the electric jackets (MSL readers get a 10% discount by using the code MSL10 at www.exotogg.com) and can double up as a travel pillow, sleeping mat or a soft seat cover.

This is an interesting alternative to the more heavy-duty options.

KIT

Gerbing Heated Premium Jacket Liner with MicroWirePro Tested by: Mikko Nieminen | £199 | www.gerbing.co o.uk k Gerbing’s premium heated jacket has 35 metres of heating wire distributed throughout the front, back, collar and sleeves of the garment. Gerbing calls the wires MicroWirePro, given their small size and effective heating capabilities.

The sizes of the heating panels are very similar to those in the Keis jacket, with the back panel being slightly larger in this one.

Gerbing offers a lifetime warranty on the heating elements.

In terms of weight, this jacket is the heaviest at 1268g with the heat controller, but doesn’t feel like a heavy layer at all.

The jacket is made from a soft, wind-resistant nylon shell with Thinsulate insulation and stretch material – it feels nice and snug all round. It’s slightly thicker than the Keis jacket, but not so much that it makes a real difference. I found the fit to be perfect for me, with the arms pleasantly long and the neck snug and close fitting. There are four ‘normal’ outside pockets, and two more on the inside.

The wiring is a little more complex than the other jackets.

There are three input connections in the dedicated cable pocket: one for the jacket, another for heated gloves (which can be connected to the sleeves of the jacket), and a third for heated trousers and/or heated socks.

You can wire the included battery harness into your bike, but the jacket can also be powered from Gerbing’s portable battery (not tested). Gerbing says that the jacket draws 6.4 Amps and has power of 76 Watts – in practice the heat feels pretty much the same as the Keis jacket.

For me, the Gerbing jacket was the best fitting of the three, and matched the Keis item’s quality of heating and feel. I’m just not a fan of the wiring with the optional heat controller (five settings, £49) placed in-line so that it’s part of the cable that runs to the battery.

Mind you, that’s a minor niggle in an otherwise excellent jacket.

Bl Blaze Heate H ted Motorcycle Jacket Liner Tested by: Mikko o Nieminen | £169 | www.blazewear.com The Bllaze jacket is significantly thinne er and lighter (592g) than the other o two, which brings with it both pros and cons.

If the other two items are akin n to Soft Shell jackets in terms of their construction, this one is more like a shell su uit. It’s lighter and thinner, but also less hugging and snug. s The heat elements are made of flexible carbon fibre pads, covering chest, back, neck and sleeves.

The only main difference compared to the other jackets is that the panels in the sleeves are a bit smaller, and only cover the top of your arms. Overall, this jacket doesn’t feel as warm as the others, which is understandable given its light material and the lower claimed power figures: 42 Watts, and a current draw of 3.5 Amps.

The jacket comes with the wiring harness to connect it to your bike’s battery, but it can also be powered by an optional Blaze battery (not tested). Blaze gives the jacket a one-year warranty.

One area where the Blaze jacket scores highly is the heat controller, which is a part of the jacket, so you don’t have to pay extra to be able to switch between low, medium and full heat (positioning it isn’t as flexible, though).

The jacket has one ‘normal’ external pocket, and zipped pockets for the cables to connect heated gloves. There is no connection to other heated garments.

This jacket doesn’t have the premium feel of the other two or the same amount of heat on offer, but it’s a little cheaper and significantly lighter and smaller to pack away, while still offering some respite from the cold. You just have to be a bit tougher to live with this one.

www.mslmagazine.co.uk 111

Classified

BMC ITALIAN MOPED 16” wheels, all complete, lights and horn work, with Nova cert, some light corrosion to paintwork, easy restoration or ride as is, failing health, sell £300. Tel. 01293 410976. Gatwick.

BMW R1200GS 2013, 18,278 miles, full BMW service log incl, recent service, ABS, ASC, ESA, cruise, sat nav ready, LED, spotlights, h/grips, immac, MoT Jun 20, £7900 ono. Tel. 07854 387346. Northants.

BSA A10 GOLD FLASH in nutley blue, electronic ignition installed, excellent condition and starter, nice bike to ride, £5200 ono Tel. 07787 352119 for further details. Darlington.

BSA C15 good condition, engine and frame serial no match log book, used for steam and motorcycle shows, selling due to bereavement, £2500 ono. Tel. 07727 256978. Worcs.

BSA ROCKET 3 Mk 2, 1971, vgc, 850cc conversion, Rob Norton e/start, 3-phase alternator, LED lights thr’out, s/s rims and spokes, engine rebuilt by Jack Shemans, £12,000 ono. Tel. 07941 928952. Warks.

DUCATI S4R 996cc Monster, 2004, 4,995 miles, MoT June 2020, new tyres, belts, battery, rides as it should, no issues, might p/x for small British motorcycle, £3650.

Tel. 07541 852021. Conwy.

HONDA CB500X 2015 small Adventure styled m/c, part Honda s/h, r/hugger, top box, uprated f/fork springs, light, eco, 75mpg, ideal commuter, 15k, £2900. Tel. 075990 86357 for details. Warks.

HONDA CBR1000F MoT, 1995, very quick and smooth, 24,400 miles, taken in p/x but too much for me, full luggage set, lovely attractive classic, good investment, £1400. Tel. 077510 66492. Glam.

HONDA GOLDWING TRIKE reg. WBY 577X, maroon, 1100cc, 73,889 miles, petrol, 1982, Sorned, owned by skilled enthusiast, modified to high std, £4995 ono. Tel. 01939 232112; 07530 138596.

HONDA VARADERO XL125 2006, Super reliable V-Twin, silver, unmodified, great runner, never let me down, tidy, 18,567 miles, top box, MoT, £1500. Tel. 07798 827625. brianthorpe@btinternet.com Man.

HONDA VF1000F 1986, vgc, 30k miles, all MoTs, excellent runner, stainless exhaust throughout, c/w Krauser panniers, always garaged, £22,000 ono. Tel. 07855 615496.

Cardiff. emanuelalun@hotmail.com

HONDA VTR250 1999, grey import, one lady owner, MoT, new pads, f/disc, oil and filter, 9,682 km, £990. Tel. 01539 824747. paulwalker327@btinternet.com S Cumbria.

HYOSUNG COMET GT250 EFI 11 reg, excellent condition, only 4,500 miles, MoT July 2020, £875. Tel. 07810 162057.

Northumberland.

KAWASAKI 08 black, MoT, good condition, recent full service, 8,400 miles, only recent new tyres, brake pads, V&H pipes, £3795 ono Tel. Paul 01142 589093. paul.pench@gmail.com S Yorks

KAWASAKI EX650-KKF 2018, with extras, only 500 miles, ready for it’s first service, reason for sale bad health, £5300 Tel. 07882 607847; 01202 610138. Poole, Dorset.

KAWASAKI VN800 Classic, fully loaded, many recent parts, battery, chain and sprockets, tyres, etc, loads spent on pillion comfort, MoT Sept 20, 21k, £3250 ono.

Tel. 07980 663859. Cambs.

KAWASAKI ZRX1100 green, only 10,403 miles, R reg, MoT, std apart from polished s/arm, rear f/rests, fork bottoms. Tel. Paul 0191 4319799 for details. Tyne & Wear. paulm675r@gmail.com

KTM RC8 1190 2011, 7,500 miles, exc cond, will only go up in value, less than 1k miles last year, all orig parts available inc rear seat! MoT Sept 2020, £6700 ono. Tel. Steve 07980 663859. Cambs.

MONTESA COTER 242 1984, new cables, new mudguards, good tyres, needs new crank seals, £650 ono. Tel. 01983 508230. Isle of Wight.

MOTO GUZZI CALIFORNIA EV 2001, 24,426 miles, good used condition, recent 24k, service & MoT til June 2020, part s/h, top box and Hepco & Becker pannier rack, £3250 ono. Tel. 01524 413629. Lancs.

MOTO GUZZI V9 Roamer, 2017, ‘17’ reg, white, h/guards, immob, 6,500 miles, full MG dealer serviced, v eco, immac, £5795; possible p/x smaller bike or combination.

Tel. 079130 32864. Yorks.

TRIUMPH 1050 Tiger, 2008, ideal long distance tourer, ready to go, one previous owner, exc cond, exc tyres, 48k, over £1000 of extras, full s/h, currently Sorn, £2950 Tel. 0151 3068745. Cheshire.

TRIUMPH SPRINT ST 16,000 miles, 2000, superb condition, 6 months’ MoT, history to include all past MoTÕs, no body damage, £1500 Tel. 077990 42256.

Cambs/Lincs border

CLASSIC BIKE

INSURANCE 0800 781 9318

Carole Nash Insurance Consultants Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

112 mslmagazine.co.uk

CLASSIC BIKE TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE R 2017, immac, dealer serviced, seat cowl, engine protectors, battery Optimiser, datatag, ABS, 3,600 miles, £6100. Tel. 01379 854522. Norfolk. eric.barker@tiscali.co.uk

VESPA PX200 2002, immaculate condition, not yet run in, garage kept, has had new tyres and refurbished as has not been used, time warp condition, £2500.

Tel. 01255 675947. Essex.

YAMAHA FZR 600 1993, 65,360 miles, Streetfighter style, braided brake hose, new front fork seals and good tyres, full MoT will be done with sale, £495. Tel. Trev 07812 693617. Leics.

Parts for sale

YAMAHA RD250E 1979, new tyres, pistons and rings, chain, nut and bolt rest, new calipers and pads, f/braided brake hoses, frame, tank and oil tank painted, 24k, £3000. Tel. 01159 321923. Notts.

YAMAHA YBR CUSTOM 2015, this motorcycle is in as new condition, used occasionally by mature owner, hence low mileage of 1,750, bargain £1350. Tel. 01724 733996. Lincs.

YAMAHA XV950A 2012, midnight star, 1,521 miles, MoT May 2020, rides as it should, no issues, might p/x for small British motorcycle, £4500. Tel. 07541 852021. Conwy.

ZONTES MONSTER ZT 2015, 125cc, one owner from new, 3,926 km, MoT, vgc, top box available for £25 if wanted, £895. Tel. 07878 732480; 01603 717522. gabbott57@gmail.com

BIKE TRAILER. Single bike trailer with built in ramp and Bumpstop f/wheel clamp to lock front wheel in place plus top box to keep ratchet straps etc in. It also has built in ratchet straps and c/w Ancra r/wheel tiedown to keep bike securely in place, exc cond, £400. Tel. 07745 317543. Norfolk.

BRENDERUP MC2 two bike trailer, vgc, little used, c/w 2 loading ramps, winch, hitch lock, wheel clamp and no plate spring clips, £450. ono Tel. 01530 460413. Leics.

COLLECTION OF WORKSHOP MANUAL CDs, Ducati Multi-strada 1200 & 1098 Superbike, Kawasaki GTR1400, Yamaha FJR1300 & XTZ1200, Suzuki SV1000, DL1000 V-Strom & GSF600, Honda ST1300, GL1800, CG125, Aprilia V twins Tuono, Caponord 1200 £5. each or £15 lot post free Tel. 01255 818331.

Essex. david.bexley@talktalk.net CORBIN SEAT for Suzuki Burgman 650, up to year 2012, exc cond, c/w Corbin back rest for rider, £250. Tel. 07543 628695. Coulsdon, Surrey.

INSURANCE 0800 781 9318

Carole Nash Insurance Consultants Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

HONDA NT650N Deauville spares, inc: complete HISS system, £60; headlight, £25; clocks, £20; fuel pump, £15; speedo drive, £10; water pump, £25; stator, £25; various callipers and master cylinder, etc.

Tel. Simon 07944 542821; 01784 461961 for details. Surrey.

Wanted VESPA GS150 old mod looking for GS150 to restore or tidy up for use, good price paid for right scooter. Tel. 01245 281620. Essex.

Miscellaneous APRILIA CAPONORD 1200 £25. Tel. Dave 01255 818331. Clacton, Essex.

BMW 1200GS 2009, spares, BMW exhaust, stainless downpipes, £80 ono; 2004-2009 MRA vario screen for GS1200, £60 ono; Sargent pillion seat for 2009 GS1200, £125. ono Tel. 01654 702562. Powys. dyfiguest@yahoo.co.uk DAINESE SP-R £70 ono. Tel. 07796 211952. Chelmsford, Essex.

HALVARSSONS DRIWAY PLUS £40.

Tel. 07796 211952. Essex.

MSL Aug 07 to Dec 17 complete, collection only, £100. Tel. 01732 849656; 07763 679646. Kent/S E London.

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mslmagazine.co.uk 113

What torque curves tell us Kevin Cameron

T

orque is the average twisting force that a running engine generates. It is directly proportional to what is called the brake mean effective pressure, (bmep), which is the stroke-averaged net combustion pressure. The actual combustion pressure rises above compression pressure as the piston nears TDC on its compression stroke, as a result of the ignition spark having set the air/fuel mixture in the cylinder burning – converting chemical energy into heat, and heat into pressure.

That combustion pressure arises from other variables – how well the intake system can fill the cylinder (called volumetric efficiency); how efficiently the combustion process converts fuel energy into pressure (generally small or flat combustion chambers with limited surface area do better than do those that are deep or have large diameter); and the engine’s compression ratio (the engineer’s rule of thumb is that peak combustion pressure in a well-designed engine will be roughly 100 times its compression ratio).

Older engines of modest performance often have maximum bmeps in the range of 150psi, while road-racing engines define the other extreme – peak numbers of 200psi and greater.

Riders of all kinds seem to prefer the simplest of torque curves – a high horizontal line – constant torque from the bottom of the powerband to the top.

An example of this is Indian’s four-valve engine for American Flat Track racing. Its torque is essentially flat from 7000 to just short of 11,000, giving the rider no surprises as he or she feels for the tyre grip that is so hard to realise in this form of racing.

The previous king of that particular hill was HarleyDavidson’s air-cooled 2V V-twin XR-750. Its torque was at its impressive maximum at the lowest rpm at which it could pull the dyno load – about 5500 (like a Manx Norton, its cam timings kept it from carbureting below that level – call it ‘megaphonitis’).

From there it slowly declined, sloping downward at about 6lb-ft per 1000rpm to the engine’s rpm of peak power, somewhere a bit north of 9000.

Why this decline? First, the functional argument.

When the great XR entered service in 1972 there was no such thing as electronic traction control. But with torque falling as rpm rose, such an engine would lose torque if rear tyre slippage allowed the revs to rise. That surely had some value as a natural anti-spin system.

Now the argument of design accident. Having only two valves per cylinder and needing all its torque from lower revs to accelerate off dirt-track turns, the XR’s intake system was dimensioned and timed to 114 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

We all love bikes with plenty of poke.

But what determines how torque is delivered?

Who is Cameron?

Kevin is one of the most widely-respected technical gurus on the planet. Author of some of the most iconic and landmark books in motorcycle publishing, the American brings the innermost workings of what goes on in an engine to the fore in an easy-to-access way.

Simply put, Cameron is a genius of all things metal that are fixed to two wheels.

work best at that speed. As revs increased, the result was what English IC-engines pioneer Harry Ricardo called “wire-drawing” – the harder the engine pulled air through an intake system optimised for 5500-6000, the less it received, causing torque to fall.

It fell slowly because that intake system was constantly being refined by the top airflow wizards.

Air loved those ports!

Today’s big V-twin cruisers, ridden by older gents in leather vests and fingerless gloves, show a similar ‘shed roof ’ torque curve, sloping down after an early, low rpm peak. In their case, peak torque is needed down low to get such heavy motorbikes started, and to prevent their feeling sluggish around town. Being optimised for low revs, their modest valves and short cam timings cause torque to fall on a slope as the engine revs up.

Now I learn that US touring riders on those giant twins have demanded something different. With twoup and heavy luggage on board, they need acceleration to pass at motorway speeds. Indian’s latest ‘Challenger’ engine has four valves per cylinder and its torque curve is ‘rainbow-shaped’, with the peak located above the usual highway cruising speed. When the rider turns the grip, he/she feels torque increasing rather than sloping downward. Ah! And what about starting that 800-pounder from rest? The large displacement and high 11:1 compression ratio can handle it.

Now, let’s shift our gaze to sportbike torque curves.

We all know about ‘GSX-R-itis’, which is weak torque down low, somewhat better in the mid, and WHAMMO at around 10,000 with trouble holding on to the bars until peak (gym membership advised).

On the graph, what we see is that rainbow torque curve, but shifted radically to the right, putting peak torque up at an rpm level that makes tremendous horsepower. This is in case we need to go 200mph to beat the Swiss businessmen in their grosser Mercedes, trying to book the best Spanish seaview hotel rooms.

To get maximum torque, wave effects from intake and exhaust must be used. Because their range of effect is small, the result is a narrowed band of very strong torque, forcing the user to constantly stir even a quite close-ratio gearbox.

Pick the advantage you seek or the limitations you wish to avoid.