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WORLD LAUNCH

S EPTEM B ER 2022 # 195

We ride the latest bike from the Indian factory, which has been built from the bones of its Himalayan adventurer

CRUISE MISSILE RIDDEN: BMW’s K1600 range

ROUTE FINDER

COSTEFFECTIVE CLASSICS Looking for some of the best riding roads in the UK? We’ve got you covered.

PLUS

Yamaha’s affordable adventurer: the XTZ660

We bring you some of the biggest news stories from the past month, including a look at Ducati’s revamped Panigale V4; the lowdown on Triumph’s electric TE-1; and a glimpse at CCM’s new Dakar-inspired creation.

NEWS 3

A nod from the Editor What we’ve been up to this month...

rmowbray@mortons.co.uk

Budget biking

A

n email from a reader this month has got me thinking. He got in touch to gently ask why the kit we feature is predominantly the expensive stuff from the big names in the game – and he mentioned that not everyone’s got hundreds or even thousands of pounds to splash out on the latest kit. And he’s right.

We do tend to focus on gear from established brands and it’s quite rare that we have a proper look at stuff that’s going to do the job nearly as well but without breaking the bank. That’s true right across the motorcycle industry; we seem to get caught up with what’s new and shiny and sometimes forget plenty of people don’t want to (or can't) be tied up to finance deals just to afford their next ride.

Times are particularly tough at the moment, with the rising cost of living causing the majority of us to have to think about tightening our belts and being a bit more careful about how we spend our hardearned cash. And we want to try and help in some small way, by making sure we’re covering stuff that's not all about riding the newest bikes in the latest kit. In addition to the regular Cost-Effective Classics and small bike tests, we’ve just launched a new touring section which will highlight some of best places to ride in the UK (so you don’t have to spend a fortune on fuel or ferries to go abroad). That’s just the start, though. We’re going to be revamping our products page to ensure we cover more competively priced gear and we’re also going to be introducing a new project section that’ll hopefully teach you a few things about how to work on an tired old bike on the cheap.

But we also want to hear from you.

What do you want to see? We’re always striving to bring you the best paper we can, filled with as much good stuff as we can get our hands on, so if there’s something you really like, or something you really don't, we’d love for you to get in touch and tell us why.

In the meantime, ride safe and be sure to keep your eyes peeled for lots of cool new content over the coming months.

Editor

​ oreBikes, Media Centre, M Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6JR Tel: 01507 529529 Editor Ross Mowbray

Electronic updates for the Ducati Panigale V4 The Italian factory has just revealed a range of updates for its range of Panigale V4s for 2023.

It’s only been a year since Ducati released the third generation of its 213bhp rockets, so the list of changes isn’t extensive, but there’s enough stuff going on to get excited about.

The headline news is an electronics package which consists of new engine braking controls, in addition to increased levels of quickshifter and traction control adjustability.

Getting into specifics, the flagship Panigales will receive Ducati’s Engine Brake Control Evo 2 software, which offers three different levels to flick between, and different gear-by-gear calibration depending on which mode you’re in. It works by increasing the amount of engine braking in line with the amount of load on the rear wheel.

It’s at its least intrusive under heavy braking as riders quickly scrub off speed on approach to a corner, before gradually increasing in intensity as you hit the middle of a turn. Ducati claims it’s been done in an effort to improve cornering stability and reduce the risk of the rear wheel locking up.

There’ve also been changes made to the quickshifter software, particularly for when you’re at full and partial throttle. It works by retarding the ignition timing rather than cutting the injection during a gear shift when the throttle is open. That means the changes are made without the engine cutting, which should make things smoother, more stable and arguably faster, too.

The factory’s also made tweaks to the accuracy of the ride-by-wire throttle and traction control systems.

And away from the software, Ducati’s also made some small changes to the cooling fan to help it cope better with the high temperatures, while trying to improve things for riders who’ve often found things getting a little bit toasty on their Panigale. Ducati also says

that the update will reduce the typical heat build-up often found at the end of track sessions.

Priced at an eye-watering £21,495 for the standard V4, £26,595 for the V4 S, and £34,295 V4 SP2, it’s good to see Ducati continuing to develop and improve its top-of-the-line sportbikes.

Interestingly, the new software updates can actually be installed on 2022 models, too. All you’ve got to do is contact your local Ducati dealership and it’ll hook you up. It’s a nice touch which shows that the Italian factory cares about its current customers as much as the new ones.

DAKAR-STYLE RETRO ON THE WAY FROM CCM? British factory CCM might have made its name building competition-ready off-road bikes, but in recent years it’s focused its attention on creating a selection of seriously stylish retro-styled scramblers, flat trackers and café racers for the road.

And now it looks like the Bolton-born firm could be preparing to marry the two periods of its history in the most perfect way – with a Dakar-inspired bike built from the bones of its Spitfire roadster.

It’s all go at CCM. The news about the pseudo desert-racer (which was first revealed to the public at the Adventure Bike Rider Festival alongside another concept called the Beach Cruiser) comes not long after the launch of its Maverick scrambler, and even more recently, its yet-to-be-released Street Moto and Classic Tracker were spotted undergoing final testing ahead of going into production.

Admittedly, the snappily-tilted ‘Retro Trailie’ is still in the early stages of development, and CCM has said it’ll be gauging the response to the bike before it cracks on with production. But if the initial excitement from potential punters is anything to go by, hopefully we won’t have to wait too much longer to see this bike in the flesh.

E​ ditorial design Fran Lovely Publishing Director Dan Savage Publisher Tim Hartley Email editorial@morebikes.co.uk Production Editor Mike Cowton

Getting into specifics, the prototype bike makes use of CCM’s tried and tested 600cc liquid-cooled single which kicks out a healthy 56bhp and 43lb-ft of torque, which is cradled neatly in the usual handcrafted tubular steel frame. So far, so familiar.

As you’d hope, it comes kitted out with 21-inch front and 19-inch rear alloy-rimmed wire wheels which are shod with some proper knobblies; gets a high-mounted mudguard up front; a big Dakar-style tank; front fairing and screen combination; numberboards; and a retro endurostyle bench seat.

It looks to get the same wavy disc set up as the Spitfire (likely grabbed by J.Juan callipers) up front, although it does feature a pair of long-travel USD Ohlins forks instead of CCM’s favoured Marzocchi forks for suspension – and there’s also a set of old-school Öhlins twin shocks at the rear.

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One of the best bits about it is its glorious Camel Trophy paint job, which completes the bike and gives it a real retro Dakar racer feel. It’s also been rumoured that CCM is considering a Marlboro paint scheme instead, paying tribute to Gaston Rahier’s 1985 win on a works BMW GS.

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4 NEWS

RUMOURS: Could a learner-legal Triumph be on the way from India?

KTM’s ‘high-end’ electric motorcycles The Austrian firm is rumoured to be extending its partnership with Bajaj to develop a new range of 'high-end' electric motorcycles.

While the deal isn’t set in stone, Bajaj Executive Director Rakesh Sharma said recently: “We are also in discussion with KTM (and) there is joint work going on where we are looking at platforms for high-end electric motorcycles.”

It’s no great shock that KTM’s looking to increase its electric range with the help of Bajaj – particularly considering the imminent release of its E-Duke, which is similar in size and power to the petrol-powered Duke 125 and is being built at the Indian factory’s newest production facility in Pune (alongside the Husqvarna E-Pilen bike and Vektorr scooter).

With the plant up and running and a fruitful working relationship already in place, it seems sensible to expect that KTM will continue to develop more electric machines with the help of Bajaj. Together they’re ready to roll – and with more competition than ever from Kawasaki, Yamaha and BMW (and many more), they need to be.

Is the British factory preparing to reveal the first bike that’s been built as part of its partnership with Indian automotive giant Bajaj?

Rumours are swirling that Triumph’s getting ready for the launch of the first bike in its new small-capacity range at the big bike shows towards the end of the year.

It wouldn’t be a massive surprise, as the British factory has been open about the aims of its partnership with Bajaj ever since it first signed a deal to collaborate on development and manufacturing back in 2019.

What that actually meant was that Bajaj would be helping Triumph out with the creation of an all-new range of entry-level machines for Asian markets and beyond.

Over the last couple of years, behind (mostly) closed doors, that’s exactly what’s been happening. And now, news has broken that we could see the first fruits of the partnership within a couple of months.

Admittedly, Triumph (and Bajaj) have given very little away about what exactly we might be able to expect from the partnership.

Rumours suggest that it’ll be likely that the pair will launch a fairly extensive selection of motorcycles that’ll feature engines from 250cc right up to 750cc.

Thankfully, a set of spy shots from earlier this year did give us a bit more to go at – and a close inspection of the

bikes suggests that Triumph’s working on (at least) two bikes: smallercapacity versions of its Speed Twin and Bonneville Scrambler which will feature 400 or 450cc twin-cylinder engines.

RUMOURS: Kawasaki’s big plans for 2023

France’s fuel subsidy keeps cost low A series of discounts in France means that fuel in the country could be as much as 60 pence per litre less than in the UK. Earlier this year, the French authorities announced a government-subsidised fuel discount of 18 cents per litre. It was due to end in July, but the Government has just announced it’s going to extend the scheme and increase the amount of discount offered to 30 cents per litre from September to October, before reducing it to 10 cents per litre in November and December.

That’s not all, as TotalEnergies has also committed to extend its 12 cent per litre discount at motorway petrol stations, which was originally planned to run through July and August, through to the end of the year.

Official documents filed in the USA suggest that there’re three new motorcycles from the Japanese factory on the way. Things have been quiet from Kawasaki of late; we’ve only really had the updated Versys 650 and H2 SX SE to get excited about, since the latest generation ZX-10R was revealed at the end of 2020. It looks as though that’s all about to change though, with selection of new Vehicle Identification Number documents filed in America which indicate that there’re three bikes set to be released imminently.

The big news is the expected arrival of the ZX-4R, which is rumoured to be a reworked version of Kawasaki’s hot 250cc ZX-25R which never made it over to the Europe, as a result of ever-tightening emissions regulations. The ZX-25R has been available in Japan since 2020, but it clearly needed a bit of work and an increase in capacity to meet European standards without losing out on power. However, it’ll no doubt still be a punchy number that’ll be more than up for challenging the likes of Yamaha’s R3 and KTM’s RC390.

The documents also suggest that Kawasaki will debut two electric motorcycles. The factory’s been fairly open about its plans to go ‘green’ – with its Endeavour prototype followed by plans for new electric products over the next couple of years (ahead of electrifying its entire range by 2035).

Thankfully, it looks like we won’t have to wait too much longer to find out, with the Indian motorcycling press reporting that ‘at least one’ of these new models will be shown to the world at the annual EICMA show which kicks off in Milan on November 8. And given Triumph’s recent enthusiasm for teasers and trickling information, there’s a very good chance we might find out a few key bits about the bike before then.

One thing that’s certain is that there’s plenty of people out there (us included) who are very excited to see if Triumph and Bajaj come up with the goods. Of course, Triumph will be looking to keep the good times rolling after selling close to 80,000 motorcycles in 2021, in addition to its Trident 660 claiming the title of best-

selling motorcycle above 125cc in the UK from BMW’s R1250GS in 2022.

A range of small capacity bikes can only help…

A big part of the reason Triumph’s decided now’s the time is because it’s been missing out on a substantial chunk of sales in Asia, where lowcapacity models sell in much greater volumes, and having a manufacturing base in India (which it’s actually sharing with Bajaj’s other European partner KTM) will help avoid the worst of the import and export fees its currently hit with.

It’s expected that more bikes will follow the ‘baby’ Speed Twin and Scrambler, with rumours that smallercapacity versions of the Trident 660, Tiger, Street Triple and Street Twin could all appear in the not-toodistant future.

5

6 NEWS

Vertigo reveals plans to hit the road

The Dougie Lampkin-affiliated trials bike specialists are gearing up to launch a new bike that’s ready for the road If you’re into trials you’ll know all about Vertigo. In recent years the firm has had some serious success, with trials legend Dougie Lampkin amassing an impressive five wins in the notoriously tough Scottish Six Days Trial since 2015.

Having proved itself in the world of trials, Vertigo has decided it’s time to get into building bikes for the road, too. And that’s exactly what’s about to happen, with some recently filed design registration documents in the EU confirming that there’s a roadlegal ride coming in the not-toodistant future.

This actually won’t be the first time Vertigo’s had a crack at building something for the Tarmac. Back in

UPDATED

2015 it revealed the Ursus, a funky scooter which combined a twist-andgo transmission with some hardcore off-road styling. It never happened – but Vertigo decided it was about time to try again. This time it’s sticking to what it knows, with the leaked designs showing a bike that’s a kind of crossover between its tried-and-tested trials bike and a more conventional dual-sport enduro machine.

As yet there’s been no official word from the factory, and as such details are scarce, but a close inspection of the design shows a bike powered by what appears to be a liquid-cooled four-stroke single-cylinder motor.

Elsewhere it features a trellis-style frame which looks very much like an

extended version of the ones it uses for its trial bikes. And the same goes for the swingarm, which is nearly identical to the design on Vertigo’s competition machines.

But arguably most importantly there are lights, indicators, a registrations plate bracket and some grab rails, which all suggest that this is indeed going to be a bike that we’ll see on the road. When that’ll be is another question, but considering the details of the drawings and the fact it’s filed official documents to register the bike, hopefully we won’t have to wait too much longer.

Adventure-ready Benelli is coming

It seems like we bring you an update about the latest rumoured Benelli motorcycle every issue. The Chineseowned, Italian-based factory appears to be intent on growing its already extensive range at an increasingly frantic pace – and the latest bike to catch our eye is the rumoured TRK702.

Following on from the huge success of its TRK502, which has cemented its place at the top of Italy’s sales charts, it looks as though Benelli has big plans to increase its range of adventure bikes. We’ve already told you about the TRK800, essentially a larger version of the mostly road-going TRK502, but the resurgent factory looks to have some serious off-road adventure aspirations, too, shown by its recently dropped TRK702.

Recently filed patent drawings confirm that the newest TRK to join the line-up will have a significantly more aggressive outlook, building on the design language of the TRK800 while adding some kit that wouldn’t be out of place on the most rugged of rides, including luggage racks, protection bars and (what appears to be) a much larger fuel tank. The news doesn’t end there. It’s also expected to come kitted out with some top-quality technology.

The designs show that the TRK702 features two built-in

cameras which are mounted at the front and the rear. At this stage we won’t know if they’re simply dash cameras or if they’re something slightly more sophisticated which would be used in conjunction with rider assistance software, but either way it’s a pretty big leap when compared to the notably sparse TRK502 and TRK800.

Elsewhere, the only thing we’re sure about is that the TRK702 is powered by a 693cc twin-cylinder engine that’s been sourced from Kawasaki (and has also been used in CFMoto’s 700CL-X).

At this stage we know nothing more about the bike, but considering the speed at which Benelli tends to roll out its new bikes, it’s unlikely we’ll have to wait too much longer to actually see one in the flesh.

Here’s hoping it goes as well as it looks.

New colours for Honda’s Africa Twin for 2023 It’s not exactly groundbreaking news, but Honda has just announced it’ll be offering new colours for its much-loved Africa Twin and Africa Twin Adventure Sports in 2023.

We’ve spent a lot of time on a whole host of Honda’s flagship adventure bike – and ahead of it likely receiving a major update next year, Honda’s decided to freshen things up with some visual updates that’ll help make its newest bikes stand out from the crowd.

More specifically, Honda’s revealed that there are three new colours to choose from. The standard Africa Twin will be available in its usual Grand Prix Red, but it’ll now also be available in Mat Ballistic Black Metallic and Glint Wave Blue Metallic Tricolour. The Black Metallic model will feature an all-black frame, while the Blue

Metallic Tricolour will feature a blue front fairing and a rear-end section with red and white detailing.

The Adventure Sports model will continue to come in the Pearl Glare White Tricolour scheme for 202, and you’ll also be able to get your hands on it in Mat Iridium Grey Metallic, which features a few bits of extra black detailing in addition to some black wheels.

They all look great, but if we had to choose just one we’d go for the snappily-named Glint Wave Blue Metallic Tricolour. What about you?

Which one would you go for?

NEWS 7

RACE READY

Racing is expensive. Bikes, spare parts, tyres and travel all add up, and it's a struggle for all but the most deep-pocketed of racers to be competitive. To help level the playing field at the sharp end of motorcycle competition BMW has revealed a new support series which features ready-to-race bikes worth £11,000.

The F900R Cup will join the BSB circus for 2023, replacing the Ducati TriOptions Cup in a move that’ll see the first exclusive naked class to be run alongside the championship since the HarleyDavidson XR1200 Cup joined back in 2009.

It's an exciting proposition which will see up to 40 riders competing over two races each race weekend on identical machines. The bikes they’ll be riding (which’ll be available to buy race-ready from local BMW dealerships) will be based around BMW’s F900R, which is powered by the same 895cc parallel-twin that powers the F850GS. They’ll come fitted with a standard track package which includes K-Tech fork internals, a K-Tech rear shock, an Arrow exhaust, new rear sets, a quickshifter, racing bodywork and some Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SC (or Diablo Rain) tyres.

BMW launches new one-make British Superbike support series with its £11,000 F900R.

While the bikes will all be the same, racers can choose whether they want to buy the bike and have the kit fitted by a BMW dealership, Fortis Racing or their own support team – although Fortis Racing will be on hand at every round to offer race support and spares.

Speaking about the news, BMW UK’s Scott Grimsdall said: “We wanted to offer up-andcoming riders the opportunity to race at a national level with greater exposure, in a onemake series where rider talent rather than budget dictates how competitive you are. The F900R provides a perfect

platform of power and agility for riders looking to make their mark on a bigger stage, and the new series can become a stepping-stone to Superstock or Superbike racing.”

BSB Series Director Stuart Higgs added: “A much repeated question is when can we

offer an unfaired ‘naked’ bike class on our racing platform?

History reminds us of simple, accessible race classes that provide great competition and action. Combined with the prestige of the BMW brand, the F900R Cup deserves to be a success.”

8 NEWS

SWAPPABLE SOLUTION Could Toyota’s clever hydrogen technology pave the way for the future of motorcycling?

The Japanese automotive giant has found a way to safely use hydrogen as a fuel – and this could be the start of the next wave of clean, green vehicles to hit the road.

For years the motorcycle industry has been speculating that hydrogen could be a big part of our green future, as a more environmentally and efficient alternative to electric. It’s attractive for a number of reasons, but mostly because of its versatility.

It can either be converted directly into

electricity using a fuel cell stack, or it can be burned in more conventional combustion engines in much the same way as petrol.

But there’s a problem. To have to make it portable enough to transport in a bike or car, hydrogen needs to be stored at an extremely high pressure (between 5000 and 10,000psi).

And the need for such high pressures means that filling up a hydrogen tank is much more difficult than topping up a petrol tank or charging a battery.

Stay in your lane Leaked patents reveal that Honda is working on a lane assistance system for its next generation of bikes

Honda has filed a series of design drawings which confirm that it’s working on a rider assistance system which aims to make motorcycling safer.

With the recent introduction of radar-assisted cruise control across a whole host of big bikes, it seems the next obvious step is a lane assistance system. And that’s exactly what these patents Honda has filed in Japan detail.

Of course, the technology is nothing new. It’s been a standard feature in cars for years, but with motorcycle technology often taking a few years to catch up, it looks like we could be about to see it on the next generation of bikes.

In cars the systems often work by monitoring white lines on the road, using cameras or sensors to either look ahead or at the piece of Tarmac just ahead of the wheels. It’ll then trigger an alert if you start to drift off course. If you use an indicator, then the system will be temporarily deactivated.

Simple. There are also slightly more sophisticated systems which will gently correct any drifting, and there are also seriously clever lane-centring systems which require very minimal driver input.

Honda’s design sits somewhere in the middle. It’s capable of countersteering very briefly to introduce a change of direction (whether that’s staying in the correct lane or avoid a hazard), but it never takes over entirely.

It manages that through a system which features a front radar and camera to keep an eye on the white lines and the traffic ahead, in addition to an actuator which monitors changes in magnetic flux to work out whether the rider is making steering inputs – and, if necessary, there’s an electric motor which can make inputs of its own.

It’s a crazy bit of kit that many of you will likely hate the sound of. But the good news is that the patents show that if there’s input from the rider and they’re making a move on purpose, it won’t try to stop you – and if you resist its corrective countersteer it will stop trying. Whether we’ll see this exact technology any time soon remains to be seen, but with Honda’s plans to slash car and motorcycle deaths in half within the next eight years, it’s likely that we’re going to see plenty more of these rider assistance systems very soon.

Thankfully, Toyota reckons it’s found a solution. Created by subsidiary Woven Planet in association with energy company ENEOS, they’ve worked out that instead of using a tank which you fill up, it’s much easier and much safer to create swappable cartridges which you simply swap out for a fresh one when you’re running out of hydrogen. The depleted ones are sent away to be refilled and the cycle continues.

It might not sound particularly groundbreaking, it’s just some hydrogen in a tank, right…? That doesn’t matter because Toyota’s actually created a working prototype for technology. It’s essentially a 40cm by 18cm canister which weighs in at 5kg when full and is capable of producing 3.3kWh of power. For reference, a 3.3kWh Li Ion battery is a similar size, but it weighs in at around 25kg more. That’s a big, big difference.

The system is set to be used in

Toyota’s Woven City – which is an actual city it’s constructing on a 175-acre site at the base of Mt Fuji.

Hydrogen will be the main source of fuel for the city, being used in bikes, cars and even in homes. Amazing stuff, right?

Of course, bike manufacturers have been working on their own hydrogen solutions for years. Honda had a fuel cell scooter back in 2004; Yamaha and Kawasaki have recently joined forces to work on a hydrogen-powered engine based around the supercharged H2 motor; and Suzuki’s even trialled hyrodgenpowered Burgman scooters with the Metropolitan Police in London. But up until now, we’ve seen nothing concrete from any of them.

With the leaps that Toyota is making, it’s reasonable to assume we won’t have to wait too much longer for hydrogen production bikes – and who knows, maybe they’ll feature hydrogen canisters, too.

READERS’ RIDE 9

In partnership with Forcefield Body Armour

We love to see what you lot are riding – and we know the rest of you like it, too. It’s just like pottering around a bike night and checking out what’s been brought out for a ride. Now we’ve decided to bring the bike night to you, asking readers to send us photos of their pride and joy for the world to see.

Here’re some of our top picks from the last month.

Brian Groves’ 1975 Honda CB400F. Looks as good today as it did when it first came out.

Peter Fletcher’s Moto Guzzi V85 TT getting run in and loving every minute of it. Taken at Newlyn, Cornwall.

Shaun Metcalf’s Yamaha DT250. It’ll be going up for sale soon – so keep your eyes peeled!

Neil Tiffin’s immaculate ’Blade in what might be our favourite ever Honda colour scheme.

Stephen Hill’s BMW RS takes a pause on the A39 between Porlock and Lynmouth. Cracking stretch of road.

Tim Roberts’ tidy 1980 Yamaha RD250LC. The stuff teenage dreams were made of.

Simon Gibson’s 2010 Yamaha R6.

He sold it soon after this photo was taken - and the new owner wrote it off a month later... Ooops.

Graham Hutchison’s BMW F900XR and his partner’s Suzuki SV650 take in the views on Lofoten, Norway, during a 4,500mile round trip from Scotland.

A trio of bikes from Robert Sutton: a modified Honda 400/4 in Team Lotus colours; a Speed Quattro 1200 (which was formerly a Triumph Speed Triple 900); and a Superlight 1 with bikini fairing panels. Cool.

10 EVENTS

AUGUST

DIARY DATES

11-13 – Yorkshire Rock & Bike Show 2022 Live bands, a bike show, trade stalls and more at the infamous Squires Café in North Yorkshire. If you’re into bikes, beers and rock music, this is the place to be. www.yorkshirerocknbikeshow.co.uk 12-14 – British Superbike Championship – Thruxton The BSB Championship heads to Thruxton for three days of action-packed bike racing, including support races from the British Supersport Championship, the British Talent Cup and the National Superstock 1000 Championship. www.britishsuperbike.com

13-14 – Darley Moor Racing A packed weekend of grassroots racing with the Darley Moor Motor Cycle Road Racing Club playing host to races from the British Historic Racing Club Championship and many others. www.darleymoor.co.uk/www.britishhistoricracing.co.uk 14 – Normous Newark Autojumble An autojumble just off the A1 near Newark, next door to an Air Museum. It’s a great day out with an array of bikes, parts, restoration services and consumables all up for grabs. www.newarkautojumble.co.uk 20-21 – AMCA MX Championship – Foxhill It’s time for the sixth round of the AMCA MX Championship. This time it’s at Foxhill near Swindon, with the usual array of 85, 125, MX2, MX1 and Veteran races to keep you entertained throughout the day. www.amca.uk.com 21-29 – Manx Grand Prix The much-loved Manx Grand Prix (which now includes the Classic TT) is back for the first time since 2019. As usual, we can expect some quality racing from some of the big-name riders signed up to race – including John McGuinness, Michael Dunlop, Michael Rutter, David Johnson, Jamie Coward, Gary Johnson, James Hillier, Lee Johnston and Ian Lougher. www.manxgrandprix.org

Dawn to Dusk Enduro 27-28 August

25-28 – Nick Sanders Adventure Gathering Nick Sanders has just launched a new mini-festival that’s all about having an adventure on your bike. No specifics just yet, but expect short talks about making adventure cheaper, safer, more inclusive and local – and a load of entertainment, too. www.machfestival.co.uk

27 – Squires Café Autojumble Another autojumble. This one’s at the infamous Squires Café just outside Leeds. Jump on the bike, go for a butty and have a nosy around the pitches. www.squires-cafe.co.uk 27-28 – Dawn to Dusk Enduro This is a properly cool event. Taking place in the spectacular Brecon Beacons, there’re four races to choose from – including the UK’s only 24-hour race. www.dawntoduskenduro.co.uk 27-29 – British Superbike Championship – Cadwell Park It’s time for another action-packed weekend of racing as some of the best riders in the land go head-to-head.

This one’s at the tight, undulating Cadwell Park which is nestled in the Lincolnshire Wolds. www.britishsuperbike.com

SEPTEMBER

3-4 – British MotorCycle Racing Club Bemsee is back at Donington Park for some of the finest club racing in the land. www.bemsee.net 4 – AMCA MX Championship – Bevercotes The off-road action heads to Bevercotes in Nottinghamshire for the usual mix of 85, 125, MX2, MX1 and Veteran races. www.amca.uk.com

4 – Stratford Autojumble More jumble fun. This time the bargains are at Stratfordupon-Avon racecourse. Expect parts, restoration services and related products for bikes, cars and more. www.autojumble.info 8-11 – FIA/FIM Euro Finals If you’re into speed, then you need to check out the FIA/ FIM European Finals at Santa Pod for some full-on drag racing fun. www.santapod.co.uk 9-11 – British Superbike Championship – Snetterton More BSB racing. This time at Snetterton Circuit in Norfolk. www.britishsuperbike.com 9-10 – Netley Marsh Eurojumble From tyres to tinware and engines to oil, Netley Marsh is the place to go if you’re into bikes and you like hunting for a bargain. www.classicbikeshows.com

10-11 – MotoFest Coventry Coventry’s big weekend of all things automotive is back for 2022. For bike fans there’s the MotoFest Ride, a loaf of two-wheeled action at the City Centre Sprint Circuit and a dedicated Motorcycle Village, too. www.coventrymotofest.com 10 – Kempton Park Autojumble Another jumble. This time at Kempton Park racecourse on the outskirts of London. It’s a good one, with plenty of stuff up for grabs. www.kemptonautojumble.co.uk

The MB legal column is compiled by managing partner Andrew ‘Chef’ Prendergast and his bike-riding barristers and solicitors at White Dalton Motorcycle Solicitors.

The firm deals with personal injury claims and its sister company, Motor Defence Solicitors, deals with all the motoring offences.

White Dalton lawyers have a vast knowledge of bike law, and they have full bike licences, too. They don’t act for insurance companies or the prosecution. White Dalton is Britain’s premier specialist motorcycle law practice, and if its professionals don’t know the answer to your question, there probably isn’t one. Don’t rely on the advice from your insuranceappointed solicitor, get proper independent advice.

For road traffic offences, call the Motor Defence solicitors on 0800 280 0912.

For non-offence cases, call White Dalton motorcycle solicitors on 0800 783 6191.

Need advice If you need advice on a biking-related legal question or query, email mail@whitedalton.co.uk. The best Q&A will be published in MB, in confidence, of course.

WHITE DALTON 11

Q&A

Our specialist motoring solicitor Andrew Prendergast guides readers through their legal trials and troubles

Q

The sun was shining, the Tarmac was cooking, and I have to confess I was flying… until I wasn’t… and then the Lord Pompous was shouting at me… and now he reckons I have a big bill to pay. I have had better Sunday mornings. So, what you ask is the reason for all this. Well, a few weeks ago I decided to take out my new GS1250 Triple Black. I had had the bike a few months and despite it being the size of a tractor, it handled like it was on rails. As the weather was mega, I was hustling my ‘tractor’ around some tight, twisty country lanes. I need to stress I was only doing 60mph in a 60mph limit so well within my rights when I suddenly encountered a real tractor coming in the opposite direction towing a trailer. He stopped, but because he was so wide I had nowhere to go apart from swerve to the right. Thereafter, I went up a verge, lost the front end and ploughed through a big hedge. After blinking a few times I realised I wasn’t dead, and the tractor boy was helping me out. Thankfully, I survived to tell the tale with nothing broken. However, my bike had taken a kicking, and the hedge had a GS-sized hole in it. After catching my breath, the owner of the hedge turned up. Now, at this point it is worth noting he was Lord someone or other and the hedge in question was 20ft tall and pruned to perfection. It was outside his big drive leading to his big house, the pompous so-and-so. He then lost the plot, shouting about speeding bikers and said I would have to pay to fix the hedge. I told him to poke off and said it was the tractor’s fault because if it hadn’t taken up the whole road I would not have had to swerve. The tractor

driver just laughed at me and said good luck.

Anyway, after some back and forth with my insurer, they reckon they will have to pay out £10,000 for the hedge. I told them they’re having a laugh and either the tractor boy can pay for it for causing the accident, or Lord Pompous will just have to wait for it to grow back after a few years. I don’t see how any of this is my fault as the tractor shouldn’t have been taking up the whole road.

As his tractor and trailer were that big, he should have taken a different route and he was driving illegally. What do you think? I’ve told my insurer I want my day in Court, but they reckon I will have to pay for that as they’re not footing the bill. I now have a complaint in with them as I instruct them, not the other way round.

A

I think the answer is simple. As it appears, you, are. Let’s break this down. Whilst I accept you can ride at 60mph in a 60mph limit, it doesn’t mean you should. It’s a limit, not something to aim for at all times. The rules of the road are pretty simple in this regard and the Highway Code states, ‘[ride] at a speed that will allow you to stop well within the distance you can see to be clear.’ If you had been doing that instead of ‘flying’, you would have been able to do that. After all, even the actual tractor was able to stop. As for the tractor, who would have guessed it would be big and using country lanes to do tractor-type activities like driving to

fields and farms, etc. You need to give your head a wobble. In light of the information you have given, no judge is going to find this is the tractor driver’s fault. As for the trashed country house hedge, it’s clearly not the Lord’s fault. And if it’s not the tractor driver’s fault… you know who is to blame?… yep… you. My advice is let your insurer pay out for the damage you caused and wind your neck in.

For more info, go to:

SOLICITORS

www.whitedalton.co.uk

12 COMPETITION

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To be in with a chance of winning this brilliant armoured shirt from Weise, all you’ve got to do is identify the blacked-out bike in the image and send us your answer and your details either online or in the post. We’ll then pick the winner from an upturned helmet crammed with correct answers – and that person will be sent a brand-new shirt that’ll help look after them out on the open road. It’s that simple. So, what are you waiting for? Get cracking for the chance to win. Good luck!

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■ For even more information visit: www.thekeycollection.co.uk or www.weiseclothing.com

■ YOU can also ENTER online! Just check out the MoreBikes social media channels for more information.

COMPETITION 13

Last Month: Did you get it?

Last month’s bike was the gorgeous MV Agusta F4 1190RR

Here’s the legal bit that you need to know

To be in with a chance of winning, fill in your details on the form or enter online and return to: MoreBikes, Weise shirt, 2022 Competition, Mortons Media Group Ltd, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR. Competition closes: September 9, 2022 Answer:.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Mr / Mrs / Miss / Ms (please circle) First name:...................................................................................... Surname:..........................................................................................................................

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There are no cash alternatives available. The winner(s) of the Weise shirt will be the first name(s) drawn at random from the upturned MB helmet. Terms and conditions apply.

To view the privacy policy of MMG Ltd (publisher of MB) please visit www.mortons.co.uk/privacy

14 RECOMMENDED RIDE

BRITAIN’S BEST RIDING ROADS

Ilfracombe to Minehead Enjoy a coastal run passing sublime scenery before heading back via the middle of Exmoor National Park

T

his is a great opportunity to head along one of the best, uninterrupted coastal roads in the country. You will ride across cliff-top moorland at the top of the national park, tackle steep descents and have the opportunity to linger in some quaint Devonshire villages. Starting in Ilfracombe, the route travels along the A399 past Hele Bay and Combe Martin Bay before heading southwest to join the A3123 at Kentisbury, where you turn left. Upon reaching the A39, turn left and ride through Churchtown towards Lynmouth. If you are stopping for a break in Lymouth, you will find a nice selection of eateries along the harbour front. From here you head on to Lynton, passing close by the stunning Valley of the Rocks before emerging in the coastal town. Back on the A39, keep heading east, following the coast.

It is pretty much a straight run to Minehead, passing to your left the lovely Exmoor Heritage Coast. At a junction with the A396, it is worth taking a deviation right to Dunster, where you can visit Dunster Castle.

If you want to make a big circle and continue to enjoy a splendid day’s riding, continue south along the A396 and upon reaching Wheddon Cross, turn right on to the B3224, which will take through the centre of Exmoor National Park. Pass through Edgcott and Simonsbath, continuing to Challacombe where to your left lies Shoulsbury Castle. At Stowford, turn right on to the A399 and continue north back to Ilfracombe, our starting point.

FRECOMMENDED RIDE 15

While you’re there...

Exmoor activities ■ Starry, starry night: Exmoor was Europe’s first International Dark Sky Reserve, and is one of the best places in the country for stargazing. Be there on a clear night, and the Milky Way, shooting stars and thousands of stars and constellations are clearly visible to the naked eye. Head to Wimbleball Lake, Webbers Post or the highest point on Exmoor, Dunkery Beacon, to enjoy a late-night show of astronomical delights, or head there in October for the annual Exmoor Dark Skies Festival.

■ Hollow Brook at Martinhoe is arguably the highest waterfall in the West Country and amongst the highest in Britain, depending on the definition of a waterfall. It drops 200 metres to the sea in a series of cascades over a horizontal distance of 400 metres and includes two nearly vertical leaps of 50 metres each.

■ Wimbleball Lake, a stunning spot towards the southeast of Exmoor, is well worth a visit. A reservoir lake, the area is open to the public for watersports, walking and other outdoor activities.

There are facilities such as changing rooms and showers available, as well as a cafe. Around the lake, archery, high ropes, climbing and fishing are also available. To stretch your legs, walk the entire perimeter of the lake.

■ Funicular fun: Lynmouth was once known for herring fishing. Perched 500 feet above the pretty harbourside town is Lynton, full of 19th century buildings, independent shops, galleries and tea rooms. Connecting them both is a distinctive Grade II listed funicular Cliff Railway, the highest and steepest waterpowered railway in the world.

Originally built to transport Victorian holidaymakers up the hill to Lynton, the funicular is still popular today thanks to its postcard-perfect coastal views and retro aesthetic.

■ Rock solid: Half-a-mile from Lynton on the northern edge of Exmoor, The Valley of Rocks is famous for its dramatic views and population of feral goats. Travelling west from Minehead or Porlock, follow the stunning coast road towards Lynton. The ride is well worth doing in its own right, with stunning views across the Bristol Channel to

the north or over the rolling hills of the open moor and farmland to the south. Once at Lynton, you can leave the bike and continue on foot for 10 minutes. Alternatively, continue riding into the valley to park up.

■ Dunster Castle & Gardens: The castle was first constructed in timber in the 11th century, with the addition of a stone shell keep in the 12th century. Over the years the castle has been expanded, mostly by the Luttrell family, who have owned the castle since the 14th Century. Today, the heart of the modern castle is a manor house, but a few features of the medieval castle remain. These include the Great Gatehouse and several of the towers in the Lower Ward, as well as other features such as 13th Century gates and various artworks and tapestries. Mill Lane, Dunster, Minehead, Somerset TA24 6SL

16

LAUNCH RIDE – ROYAL ENFIELD SCRAM 411 17

LET’S

SCRAMBLE Royal Enfield states that the Sram 411 is an ‘Adventure Crossover’. We went to find out what that actually means…

WORDS: Maria Hull PHOTOS: Jason Critchell

18 LAUNCH RIDE – ROYAL ENFIELD SCRAM 411 TECH SPEC Royal Enfield Scram 411

Price: From £4599 Engine: 411cc single cylinder, air-cooled, SOHC, 2 valves Power: 24bhp (17.9kW) @ 6500rpm Torque: 23.6lb-ft (32Nm) @ 4250rpm Transmission: 5-speed, chain final drive Frame: Half-duplex split cradle frame Tyres & Wheels: 100/90-19”, 120/90-17” Suspension: (F) Telescopic, 41mm forks, 190mm travel, (R) Monoshock with linkage, 180mm travel Brakes: (F) 300mm disc, 2-piston floating calliper, (R) 240mm disc, single piston floating calliper. Dual channel ABS Seat height: 795mm Tank capacity: 15 litres Kerb weight: 185kg Service intervals: 300 miles, then 3000 miles or annually Warranty: 3 years Roadside recovery: 3 years Contact: www.royalenfield.com

There is a new Royal Enfield in town, and he goes by the name of Scram 411. He’s neat, modern and smart.

Anyone who knows of Royal Enfield will know it has battled with having had the same, unchanged model for a whopping 90 years by way of the Bullet. We have seen very few new motorcycles from the manufacturer since 1932, with the line-up currently standing at six. The guys at Royal Enfield have been looking for a gap in the market and appear to have found one in the ‘Adventure Crossover’ known as Scram 411, aimed at young motorcyclists who lead an active lifestyle. Royal Enfield claims the Scram 411 is an ‘engaging, accessible and capable street scrambler with the heart of an adventure motorcycle’.

We were invited to have a play with the new metal from Royal Enfield in Brighton for the launch, to see if the description was true.

What is it?

The Scram 411 is based on the very popular Himalayan with only a few small changes. The Scram 411 sees a smaller 19-inch front wheel, which promises to be more capable on urban roads, a slight drop in the suspension and a drop and tucked headlight. It has slightly different gearing to the Himalayan, and the handlebars are slightly lower. The frame is exactly the same as the Himalayan, as is the suspension.

Some changes and improvements have been made to the Scram 411 seat to make it more comfortable for longer periods. RE has also included

its new Tripper turn-by-turn satnav system as standard.

At 185kg and 795mm seat height, the Scram 411 appears to be just right for taller and smaller riders alike. At a starting price of £4599, this bike will no doubt have lots of people heading to their local dealer for a test ride.

In hindsight, my first impression (‘cor, that looks tall’) was wrong. I was almost trying not to look at it as we rushed past it for the presentation.

I wanted my first proper look of the bike to be true and not a quick glance. When I got the proper first look, this is what I saw: It’s modern with wonderful pops of colour on an otherwise monochrome surface; it’s compact and neatly packed with nothing sticking out or hanging

about. When I chucked my leg over, the suspension almost sighed and dropped quite a bit (maybe I shouldn’t have had those biscuits earlier) but that reduced my ground clearance a lot, and I felt comfortable.

Heading off in our two groups, the first thing I noticed was that I didn’t stall it pulling away uphill (we have very few hills in Norfolk, and only a splattering of inclines, so hill starts are rare). As we made our way on to a dual carriageway I felt very aware of how high and tall the handlebars and clocks were, not something I was used to. They felt imposing and in my face to start with but this soon died away once I settled into the bike. It didn’t take long to get to know the bike, and I found that it was absolutely fantastic

LAUNCH RIDE – ROYAL ENFIELD SCRAM 411 19

“The comfort of this bike is outstanding.

I’m not quite sure how many miles we did but I could easily have done a lot more, the whole day in fact. After what was said in the presentation before the ride about the improvements to the seat, I was sceptical but Royal Enfield has nailed it.” at slow speed riding. For example, when coming up to a roundabout and having that battle with yourself trying to balance without having to put your feet down. The Scram 411 really excelled at this, and made a great game of how far could I go before I had to touch down.

Which way do we go?

In our group of eight we were fairly restricted due to the traffic around, and it felt a bit like a convoy so I wasn’t able to really get a feel for the bike. That soon changed when the tail rider and I managed to lose the rest of the group. We had a quick, side-ofthe-road chat, and decided to do our own thing and try to find our way to the meeting point for photos. The tail rider, Brian, was now the outrider and he didn’t know the area any better than I did, so we ended up with a couple of very sudden turns.

Being used to the brakes on a 1957 Tribsa, the Scram 411 made very light work of reducing speed, quickly and safely, allowing me to make the turn in comfort. We aren’t talking a 1000cc sportsbike nor 1957 Tribsa but somewhere, very comfortably in the middle. If you needed to pull the Scram 411 up quickly due to a hazard

in the road for example, it would do so with ease and competency.

The comfort of this bike is outstanding, I’m not quite sure how many miles we did but I could easily have done a lot more, the whole day, in fact. After what was said in the presentation before the ride about the improvements to the seat, I was sceptical but Royal Enfield have nailed it. My arms, hands and bum were all fine with no aches or numbness. Being a 411cc, I was unsure whether the Scram 411 would be a little lacklustre in the power department, but it delivered. It pulled in every gear, was forgiving if you missed a gear, and had plenty of grunt if you opened it up in fifth. Fifth gear was my favourite; it was like you had given it a tickle on the chin, and it just purred away up to motorway speeds.

Being a four-stroke single it sounded as if it was ‘busy’ when in the higher rev ranges of third and fourth gear, but I found that added to its charm. I noticed that first gear was quite low, and I was changing up very quickly into second.

At low speeds first gear was very jerky, and I had to be very smooth with the throttle otherwise one ended up lurching up to a junction.

“The Scram 411 is a fantastic bike for those that want a weekday workhorse and a weekend toy. A brilliant everyday bike that is fun and does everything you need and everything you want.”

20 LAUNCH RIDE – ROYAL ENFIELD SCRAM 411

Highways and byways

After our slight detour we missed the green lane section of our planned route so I can’t comment on how the Scram 411 would fare off-road, although we frequented several rough, gravel car parks and I didn’t notice any sort of nonsense from the handling or the bike in general. To test the Scram 411’s full potential, Royal Enfield had come up with a route that involved some green laning, winding country roads and

some urban riding through the centre of Brighton and right on to the sea front. The winding ups and downs of the roads from Findon to Brighton where a pleasure on the Scram 411.

The 19-inch front wheel (two inches smaller than the 21-inch front wheel on the Himalayan) and the centre of gravity work in great harmony and the bike seems to just drop into the corners with little effort from the rider. Once I had evaluated the bike and given everything some real

What’s the difference?

Royal Enfield Himalayan – From £4699 There’s not much between the Scram 411 and the Himalayan, which is the donor bike. The Himi has a 21-inch front wheel and slightly taller suspension, which means that the seat is 5mm higher at 800mm. There’s also a little more weight on the Himalayan, with its 199kg kerb weight. The engine, frame and many components are shared, but you will have to pay an extra £100 for the Himalayan.

thought I stopped thinking about the bike and just loved riding it. While it was just the outrider and I, I found myself edging him on as I wanted to go faster. The Scram 411 felt so effortless and willing to please. The trip into the centre of Brighton faced us with a lot of traffic and people. The Scram 411 fared well and didn’t have any issues filtering, nor did it mind all the stop/start that city riding requires.

Also being a 411cc, the Scram 411 isn’t a small bike, and it certainly has great road presence; you are unlikely to find yourself bullied by other road users. The Scram 411 is nimble and very agile, and this added to the way it performed in and around town.

Getting it right

All the switch gear and dials were easy to read, and there was no need to look down to turn the indicators off or beeping when trying to do so. The Scram 411 comes with Royal Enfield’s Tripper Sat Nav as standard. I didn’t get to test this on the launch but essentially it is a turn-by-turn satnav.

You download the Royal Enfield app to your phone, enter your destination (it uses Google Maps) and the Tripper will then give you turn-by-turn directions. No fancy maps like a car or phone, but you will be notified of turns coming up by a direction arrow that gradually fills with colour as you get closer to the junction. Once you are just about there the arrow will start to flash to catch your attention and make the turn. Royal Enfield is very excited about this bit of kit as it is the first such technology it have built and included on a bike.

I spoke to one of the Royal Enfield technicians about the tyres on the Scram 411, and they said they had worked very hard to get the tyres right.

They have added 100/90-19” to the front and 120/90-17” to the rear, and they are both CEAT tyres. Although not a household name tyre, they certainly complemented the bike and after speaking to the tech I wouldn’t swap them out for another brand for fear that the bike wouldn’t handle the same. A tyre is a tyre, right? Nope, that’s the only thing connecting you to the ground, so best to get it right.

Those designers and techs haven’t spent months/years getting the right tyre for you to swap it straight out.

Anyway, moving on....

It seems to me that Royal Enfield has indeed found a gap in the market, and carefully and thoughtfully slotted the

Scram 411 into that gap. The audience this bike is aimed at is spot on, and I can see many youngsters (and everyone else for that matter) wanting to have a Scram 411 for work during weekdays and fun at the weekends.

The busyness of third and fourth gear wouldn’t be enough to put me off buying one. The badge on the tank possibly would be. Royal Enfield is doing its best to beat that stigma, and is heading in the right direction.

The ultimate question: would I buy one? After a week to reflect on it, yes I would. It keeps popping back into my mind, which is usually a good sign.

The Scram 411 is a fantastic bike for those that want a weekday workhorse and a weekend toy; a brilliant everyday bike that is fun and does everything you need and everything you want.

While the Scram 411 is essentially a Himalayan with a new frock, Royal Enfield’s done an excellent job of reimagining its accessible adventure bike to help it appeal to more styleconscious riders. It looks great.

LOOKS

Surprise, surprise - it’s powered by the same 411cc four-stroke single as the Himalayan.

Over the last few years its proved itself as a capable and resilient little motor which has enough punch to make easy work of all but the fastest of roads. You’ll have to work it hard to get the most out of it though, with peak power of 24bhp available at 6500rpm, while peak torque of 23.6lb-ft comes in at a much more relaxed 4250rpm.

ENGINE

It’s perfect for a long day on the road, thanks to its wide bars, low pegs and wide (and relatively flat) seat. But best of all, it’s accessible for all. The seat height measures in at a not ungainly 795mm and it weighs in at a relatively manageable 185kg, so shorter, slighter and less experienced riders should all find it very easy to get on with.

COMFORT

Scrambler-style bikes are all the rage (just look at the sales figures for Triumph’s Street Scrambler and Ducati’s Scrambler), so it’s no great surprise that Royal Enfield’s after a slice of the pie. Don't expect hardcore off-road ability – but the 19-inch inch front (which is smaller than the 21-inch of the Himalayan) and 17-inch rear wheel will do a decent enough job on all but the roughest of terrain. The bash plate is a nice touch.

OFF-ROAD

It’s not exactly dripping with gadgets, but it does come with Royal Enfield’s Tripper Sat Nav as standard. It's a turn-byturn one that works through the Royal Enfield smartphone app. Download it, enter your destination and away you go.

TECHNOLOGY

LAUNCH RIDE – ROYAL ENFIELD SCRAM 411 21

22

LAUNCH RIDE – BMW K1600 23

is the

The K1600 range of bikes enjoys a special place in the touring segment, exchanging punches with the likes of the Honda Gold Wing and the biggest American touring machinery. But what makes this six-cylinder beast such an important player in the elite-level touring game?

WORDS: Mikko Nieminen PHOTOS: BMW On the face of it, six cylinders in a motorcycle engine sounds preposterous. Too many. Too big.

Too heavy. Just no. It’s never going to work. Neeext…

But history disagrees. You only have to look at the likes of the Honda RC166 to see what can be achieved with six cylinders – two 250cc world titles for Mike Hailwood, that’s what.

And six is the magic number of cylinders that BMW has in its touring rocket ship, the K1600. With a history of three- and four-cylinder bikes, by 2010 the K-range had grown into six cylinders, and that’s where it has stayed ever since.

Meet the family

For this year BMW has updated the K1600 range, which offers four different models: the B (strippedback bagger take on touring); the GT (the classic Grand Tourer); the GTL (adding more creature comforts to the GT); and the Grand America (full-on two-up tourer based on the bagger). The differences between the models are mainly directed at creating different ride feels. The bagger, for instance, not only has the slung-back panniers and low rear, but also a shorter windscreen and foot boards in addition to the pegs for relaxed cruising. The GT offers more touring practicality with a higher screen; more active riding position with a higher seat; better weather protection

around your legs with deflectors that also double up as lockable cubby holes; and much more of a touring rather than cruising feel. The GTL and Grand America add top cases and audio systems as standard equipment, and make the bikes better suited to two-up touring.

That engine

All the bikes share the same engine.

That newly tweaked, 1649cc sixcylinder inline powerhouse that makes the bike so special. Although the updates make the engine Euro5 compliant, the peak power has remained the same 158bhp as before, and the peak torque has even increased a bit with 180Nm now on offer. Notably, peak power is now achieved lower in the rev range (at 6750rpm compared to 7750rpm of the previous model), making the muscles even more useable.

The impressive power is transferred to the rear wheel through shaft drive, removing the need for regular maintenance, and making touring long distances a little more carefree.

A new feature for the engine is the ‘engine drag torque control’. It tries not to lock the rear wheel when you are downshifting and losing speed quickly. In a nutshell, it does the same job for deceleration as traction control does for acceleration. Naturally, traction control is standard on the bikes, too.

24 LAUNCH RIDE – BMW K1600

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There’re also pages full of travel to give you an idea for a destination for your ride next weekend, as well as inspiration for a tour of a lifetime.

Add to that the latest news and products, buying guides for kit and bikes, and plenty of long-term bike tests, and you will get a picture of what’s on offer. We ride all kinds of bikes, all over the place, so there’s bound to be something in the mag that takes your fancy.

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No need to head out to town to find a newsagent, just click and enjoy. Cheers!

Cycle parts

The main elements of the chassis are the same in all the bikes – the frame, suspension, brakes, wheels and tyres are all shared by the different models.

Suspension is fully electric, with analogue system not even available as an option. Preload is determined automatically based on the load, and for damping you have two pre-set options: ‘Road’ or slightly firmer ‘Dynamic’, which you can use to determine the damping profile – everything else is done for you. The six-axis sensor monitors the riding environment all the time, and makes sure that suspension through the duolever front and paralever back is working at an optimal rate, regardless of whether you are on the gas or the brakes, cornering or going straight.

Having the Duolever set up at the front also means that the front wheel

moves vertically as the suspension expands and contracts, so the wheel can be slightly closer to the frame than it could be if traditional telescopic forks had been used.

I was surprised to see that BMW hadn’t gone for radial brake callipers at the front for such a flagship model, instead opting for its own-brand axial callipers. In practice, I soon realised that the brakes offered plenty of stopping power, and provided a good feel. It also helped that both the brake and clutch levers were adjustable, and you could get the feel just right for your reach and preference.

Wheels are 17-inch cast aluminium ones, so there’s nothing unusual about them, but curiously BMW had opted to dress the test bikes in Bridgestone T30 rubber, which has by now been succeeded by T31 and T32, with the T30 not even listed as a current offering on the Bridgestone website anymore.

Strange.If I was to purchase a 158bhp motorcycle, I’d want it on the stickiest, most technologically advanced tyres possible.

Electronics

The K1600 is not short of gadgets.

In addition to the electronic suspension and traction control already mentioned, these bikes all come with ride modes; cruise control (not the adaptive sort); tyre pressure monitoring system; hill start assist; heated seat and grips; 12V sockets;

reverse gear operated through the starter motor; emergency call button; full-LED headlights with adaptive cornering function; and, last but not least, that big 10.25-inch TFT screen and a phone compartment with charging point, so you can use your phone as a satnav and music player while riding.

Finding your way through all the settings requires a little practice, but once you get the gist of it, it’s all pretty straightforward. To control most things, you use the BMW trademark control wheel between the left handlebar grip and the switchgear.

In addition to the wheel, there are four quick-access buttons that you can assign to tasks you do regularly, saving time going through the menu screens.

The Grand America and the GTL come with BMW’s new audio 2.0 system as standard. For the other two it’s an accessory.

What this system does is that it turns your motorcycle into a big, twowheeled ghetto blaster, pumping out music from your phone or the radio. I have never understood the attraction of having speakers on your bike, but if that’s your thing then the K1600 satisfies that need with aplomb.

Ride

The proof is in the pudding. You can have all the gizmos in the world, but if the ride doesn’t make you grin like a Cheshire cat, it’s just a bunch of

LAUNCH RIDE – BMW K1600 25

TECH SPEC BMW K1600

Price: £20,215 (B), £20,395 (GT), £21,920 (GTL), £24,410 (Grand Am) Engine: 1649cc six-cylinder in-line Power: 158bhp (118kW) @ 6750rpm Torque: 180Nm (132lb-ft) @ 5250rpm Transmission: 6-speed, shaft final drive Frame: Main frame die-cast, rear frame aluminium Suspension: Dynamic ESA electronic suspension. (F) BMW Motorrad Duolever (double trailing arm), central spring strut, (R) Cast aluminium single-sided swinging arm with BMW Motorrad paralever, central spring strut Brakes: (F) 2 x 320mm discs, four-piston fixed callipers, (R) single 320mm disc, two-piston floating calliper Wheels: Cast aluminium wheels. (F) 3.50 x 17”, (R) 6.00 x 17” Tyres: Bridgestone Battlax T30. (F) 120/70 ZR 17, (R) 190/55 R 17 Wheelbase: 1618mm Seat height: 750mm (B, GTL, Grand Am.), 810mm (GT) Fuel capacity: 26.5 litres (5.8 gallons) Fuel consumption: Claimed 47.9mpg (16.9km/l). Tested 42.2mpg (14.9km/l) Service intervals: First service 350-700 miles, then every 6000 miles or annually Warranty: 3 years Roadside assistance: 3 years European cover Contact: www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk

“The proof is in the pudding. You can have all the gizmos in the world, but if the ride doesn’t make you grin like a Cheshire cat, it’s just a bunch of trinkets on two wheels.” trinkets on two wheels. Luckily for BMW, the K1600 models can provide a riding experience so good that you don’t even remember all the fancy stuff on the bike.

Before our test ride I found myself questioning BMW’s wisdom in creating the K-series bikes in the first place. The firm already has a top-level big tourer in the RT. Why introduce another tool for essentially the same job, and eat into your own sales?

It didn’t take very long into the ride for me to realise that the comparison with the RT was rather superficial.

Yes, the bikes have been built for the same job – big-distance touring – and they even look quite similar if you ignore the boxer cylinders sticking out of the RT, but the different engine configurations make these two motorcycles very different indeed.

Yes, they are both big-mile bikes, but they approach that task in almost opposite ways. Where the RT is undoubtedly a part of the longstanding boxer twin clan, and boasts all the pros and cons that come with that, the K1600 is almost the antithesis of the boxer ideology – instead of the old-skool character and relaxed touring vibes, you get effortless power served on six silver plates. The K1600 is silky smooth and razor sharp at the same time. It’s the James Bond of motorcycles.

Power delivery is incredibly smooth across the rev range. And the sheer amount of power is such that it

doesn’t really matter where you are in the rev range, the K will keep pulling as long as you ask it to.

Such is the wave of torque, predictability of the power curve, and the untouchable but reassuring existence of the rider aids, that the experience of getting on the gas almost reminds me of how powerful electric bikes throw their punches – if the RT is the pinnacle of analogue touring, then the K1600 is leading the digital charge.

In town the big bike hides its weight and size, and lets you wind your way through the traffic. On motorways the luxurious touring comfort comes into its own, and you could easily cover any number of miles in no time. Move off the highway, into the twisties, and the K1600 shows you still another side of its personality – now it’s a sharpcornering backroad scratcher.

Whatever the riding environment, the electronic suspension works brilliantly. Attacking corners, you can feel the suspension keeping everything firmly in place.

Choices

There are effectively two families in the K1600 clan: the B and the Grand American are based on the same cruising ethos, but the latter is better equipped for two-up mile-munching; the GT and GTL are more what you’d expect a BMW tourer to be like, almost identical but with the GTL having the edge with extra equipment.

I spent most of the test ride on the B and the GT, so I got a reasonable feel for both approaches. What was to be expected was that the B was the more relaxed, more cruisery side of the coin, while the GT was the more traditionally Euro-Japanese style tourer. What surprised me though, was that I rather preferred the B over the GT – I didn’t see that one coming.

Maybe a multi-day tour would make me change my mind, and I would put more emphasis on the bigger screen of the GT, or the better weather protection round your legs that it offers, but if I’d been asked to pick my favourite after a day’s ride, it would have been the bagger.

26 LAUNCH RIDE – BMW K1600

“I spent most of the test ride on the B and the GT, so I got a reasonable feel for both approaches.”

The main difference between the two bikes is the riding position. On the bagger, the seat is lower, giving you easier reach to the ground (which is essential when the bikes weigh upwards of 343kg).

The flip-side of this is that your knees are a bit more bent, but then again you have the foot boards that you can use while cruising on highways – and that really ticked the comfort boxes for me.

The bars are different, although the reach and arm position are similar, and the screens differ in size with the GT having a much taller item. For me, the big thing was that while you were perfectly comfortable on the GT, you felt more relaxed and at one with the B. Naturally, this is a hugely personal preference, but that’s how it felt to me.

Closest competitor

Verdict

The K1600 is a difficult one to criticise. If you take it as a stand-alone bike, there is vey little that you would want to change in a hurry. But even putting it next to the competition, it stands tall.

Compared to the Honda Gold Wing, the K has a significant advantage in power and torque figures, it weighs less, carries more fuel, and costs less than the Wing.

Closer to home, the BMW R1250RT is much cheaper, but it’s also lower spec in many ways, and lacks the K’s thrilling and addictive performance.

Other makes and models are available, but if you want a shaftdriven six-cylinder mega-tourer, the K1600 is a tough one to beat.

Reverse gear

Select neutral, press the reverse button, and then use the starter button to ride backwards, powered by the starter motor. For a bike this size, it’s brilliant.

Seats

Seat height is 810mm for the GT, and 750mm for the other models.

Higher and lower options are available.

All seats are heated for both rider and pillion.

Emergency call

The Emergency Call button on the handlebars is a standard fitment to all K1600 models, adding to the electronic safety net.

Ride modes

Different ride modes not only adjust the throttle feel, but also set the suspension damping. If you prefer a different damping setting you can override this.

Audio system

BMW’s audio 2.0 system is a powerful set up with speakers on the bike loud enough to let you hear your music while riding.

Dash

Honda Gold Wing There is only really one direct competitor here: the Honda Gold Wing features the same six-cylinder configuration, and offers the same promise of big miles in big comfort. It comes in either a bagger or Tour trim, which matches it nicely with the B and GTL in BMW’s K-range.

The K has higher power and torque figures (158bhp/180Nm against 125bhp/170Nm); lower weight (depending on the model, but around 20kg); it carries five litres more petrol; and there’s a big price advantage in BMW’s favour, too (2022 prices for the Wing haven’t been announced yet, but unless there are big changes from 2021, there are a few thousand pounds in it).

What the Wing offers over the K is the DCT automatic transmission, which has proved popular for Honda over recent years.

The big 10.25-inch TFT dash is the central point for not only checking your speed, fuel and such, but also connecting to your phone, using the satnav, playing music, and much more.

Lights

The adaptive cornering lights don’t just activate extra bulbs, instead the whole lighting unit swivels as you corner the bike.

27

BSA SUPER ROCKET A10 PHOTO: Gary Chapman

&

30 FIRST RIDE: MASH X-RIDE CLASSIC 650

BANGERS Is this Yamaha XT500 replica from France (via China) a worthy investment for retro bike fans? Or is it a case of style over substance for the A2 licence-friendly thumper?

WORDS: Ross Mowbray PHOTOS: Gary Chapman

FIRST RIDE: MASH X-RIDE CLASSIC 650 31 TECH SPEC MASH X-RIDE CLASSIC 650

Engine: 644cc air-cooled single cylinder, SOHC, 4V Power: 40bhp Torque: 32lb-ft Frame: Steel tube cradle Suspension: (F) 41mm telescopic forks (R) Monoshock (preload adjustable) Brakes: (F) 320mm disc with four-piston callipers and ABS (R) 240mm disc with onepiston calliper and ABS Tyres: (F) 120/70 x 17 (R) 150/60 x 17 Fuel capacity: 12 litres Seat height: 860mm Weight: 183kg MPG: 50mpg Warranty: Two years Price: £5,599 Contact: www.motomondo.com / www. mashmotors.co.uk

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past few years, you’ll have no doubt heard of Mash. No, not the TV show, nor the creamy potato accompaniment to the perfect roast… the motorcycle manufacturer.

The French firm is the brainchild of distribution experts SIMA. It’s been on the go since 1976, and over the years it’s imported Ducati, Husqvarna and GasGas bikes into France. Today it looks after Royal Enfield, Moto Morini and Hyosung which is more than enough to keep it busy – but back in 2012, it decided it was time to launch its own bike brand, too.

So, that’s exactly what it did – punting production out to Shineray in China to create a now extensive range of 60s and 70s-inspired motorcycles (and a few scooters, too) under the Mash name. And the fledgling brand has gone from strength to strength since, building up a decent reputation with its eclectic range of retro-styled 125, 250, 400 and 650cc singles – all while establishing close to 400 dealers across Europe. That’s quite impressive in such a short space of time, don’t you think…?

Mash was previously looked after on British shores by HQB before it went bust, but now it’s in the safe hands of the UK arm of MotoMondo, a Dutch company that’s been importing bikes across Europe for years. It knows what it’s doing – and it means that Mash bikes, parts and spares are relatively easily accessible right across the UK. I’ve actually ridden a few bikes from Mash over the years, spending time on the Dirt Track 125, Black Seven 250 and TT40 (its bikini-faired 400cc café

racer). They’ve impressed. Simple, straightforward, stylish and good value for money, they’re a sure sign that the bikes coming out of China are becoming ever more capable with each passing year. But I’ve never had a proper chance to ride its flagship bike, the X-Ride 650 (aside from a quick blast on the recent launch of the Moto Morini X-Cape 650 over in Corsica).

It caught my eye back when it was first revealed to the world back in 2020, offering what looked to be a near-perfect balance of modern reliability and retro-styling.

But despite its age, the X-Ride 650 isn’t actually all that modern. That’s because Mash’s partner Shineray specialises in building motorcycles based around existing designs, and in this case it’s knocked up a version of the tried and tested single-cylinder engine that was used to power Honda’s now iconic NX650 Dominator.

Based on looks alone, the X-Ride has more than a hint of Yamaha’s muchloved and increasingly desirable XT500. It works well – even if its pair of diminutive-sized 17-inch wheels hint that it’s not quite the old school trail bike it first appears to be. That said, the simple and straightforward bike does come kitted out with some nice bits of kit as standard, including radial brakes; Kenda tyres; adjustable levers; a twin exhaust; gold rims; a rear rack; LED lights; and ABS – although the plastic sump guard is a bit of a letdown.

It's comfortable, though. While it might not be the biggest bike in the world, its 860mm-high bench

seat, wide bars and neutral peg position combine to create a riding position that’s plenty roomy enough to accommodate my 6ft 1in frame.

There’s little in the way of technology to play with; the dash is just a simple, era-appropriate circular clock with a small LCD screen to show a few key bits of information, including which gear you’re in and how much fuel you’ve got left (among other things).

Out on the road the X-Ride quietly impresses. While there’s nothing particularly groundbreaking about the bike, it’s a fine example of a back-tobasics machine that evokes the simple pleasures of motorcycling from ‘back in the day’. As you’d probably expect, the engine’s the highlight. The aircooled 644cc single is a Honda design (utilised for the NX650 and XR650), for which Shineray acquired the rights

32 FIRST RIDE: MASH X-RIDE CLASSIC 650

Rubber revolution We all know that a fresh set of rubber hoops have the potential to completely transform a motorcycle – and with some gentle criticism levelled at the X-Ride 650’s handling characteristics as a result of its standard knobbly tyres, we thought it’d be worth doing a little experiment and hooking up with Bridgestone to kit it out with a set of its seriously sticky S22s.

For those in the know, Bridgestone’s S22 tyres are a properly capable bit of kit. They’re much more commonly found on sportbikes, so fitting a pair to what’s essentially a 70s scrambler might initially appear to be a slightly odd choice. It’s not. All we’re doing is converting the pseudoscrambler into something that’s much more akin to a sporty supermoto. Sounds like a good time to me. And when you consider that the X-Ride 650’s got 17-inch wheels front and rear, rather than the usual 19-inch or 21-inch front you’d expect to find on an off-road oriented machine, it starts to make a lot of sense.

We’d already heard good things about the Bridgestone Battlax S22.

Our wheelie-loving, leather-clad, sportbike riding pals over at Fast Bikes magazine were out on the launch of the tyres a few years ago and were seriously impressed with the highperformance hoops out on track.

Speaking about the tyres, they reported: “After the first session, I switched to a BMW S1000RR to see how the tyres could cope with a more powerful, more agile bike.

And they coped just fine.

Again, the tyres dished out plenty of confidence straight from the off to bury your knee into the Tarmac, and it wasn’t long before I felt like I could start to take liberties with what is, essentially, a road tyre.

“As I started to increase the speed, the first minor limitation with the S22s was the ever so

slight lethargy that the bike seemed to suffer from when being pulled from left to right. This is really only when compared to a proper track-focused tyre, like Bridgestone’s R11, or V02 slick, and in all honesty is only a limitation on track – in fact, realistically on the road (which is where this tyre was designed for), aggressive, track-focused handling would often hinder you more than help you. I’m just being super critical.

“What I cannot be critical about, though, is the front tyre. Not on the ZX-10, the S1000RR or the Gixer 1000 that I had ridden in the morning did I manage to push the front or cause the front tyre to do anything untoward. It was completely and utterly planted, no matter how hard I seemed to push it.”

While we didn’t get the chance to go full supermoto racer and take the X-Ride out on track, it must be said that the road-going rubber transformed the ride.

Sure, the Kenda knobblies look great and they definitely have their place, particularly if you’re up for a bit of light trail riding, but realistically the 17-inch wheels were always going to be much, much happier when they were clad in the S22s.

Once I’d covered the cursory 100-mile running-in period, I was chucking the bike around like never before, assured in the knowledge that there was more grip than I knew what to do with.

I know that many of you will have your own preference, and considering the factory has already made the choice to kit it out with off-road oriented rubber, you’d most likely be inclined to stick to something similar, but I think it’s quite cool to be able to have the choice and switch from ‘enduro’ to supermoto so easily. You just need a second set of wheels to make it even easier.

“In general the ride’s good.

The suspension might be softer than I’d like, but it helps the bike soak up sketchy road surfaces.”

FIRST RIDE: MASH X-RIDE CLASSIC 650 33

in 2016. Sadly, tightening emissions regulations mean that the modern version isn’t quite as punchy as Honda’s original which made around 39lb-ft of torque and 44bhp back in the day, compared to the Mash’s respectable but not exactly thrilling 32ft-lb of torque and 40bhp. Still, it pulls swiftly and smoothly up to motorway speeds and beyond.

You won’t want to ride it flatout though, as the front end has a tendency to get a bit loose and shaky.

Not exactly confidence-inspiring, though I must say it never felt like I was out of control. I suspected that the knobbly tyres from Kenda weren’t exactly helping the situation (even if they do offer perfectly decent levels of grip both on- and off-road).

In general the ride’s good. The suspension might be softer than I’d like, but it helps the bike soak up sketchy road surfaces – and providing

you get your braking done early and let the spring settle before you bank into a corner, you won’t have any problems with it getting unsettled.

The brakes are decent enough, too, with the Hangte four-pot calliper and disc brake combination offering enough bite to pull the bike up quickly and safely. Don’t expect lots of feel and nice progressive braking though, it’s more of a case of grabbing a handful and trusting that you’ll slow up quickly and safely. You will – though it might take you a bit of time to get used to the lack of refinement when compared to bikes from bigger manufacturers.

It might have a few shortcomings, but personally, I’m a big fan of the Mash X-Ride 650. It’s by no means a serious off-roader (the plastic bash plate and 17-inch wheels should tell you that), and you definitely wouldn’t have much fun with it if you

were forced to spend a lot of time sitting on the motorway (or even fast A roads), but get it off-the-beatentrack and on to some quieter, twistier and tighter roads and you’ll start to find plenty to love about the retro pseudo-scrambler.

There’s very little in the way of competition either (particularly for the money), so if 1970s-style scramblers are your thing and you haven’t got the cash to splash out on an original, the Mash is probably the next best thing.

34 BUYER’S GUIDE

Buying a

Heart vs. head Your first question to yourself is – why? What image is in your mind? Do you have a particular make and model in mind... perhaps one that you used to have, or always fancied? Or is it the constant tinkering you are liking the idea of? Maybe it’s the riding position and lack of sophistication. Being part of a club has a large appeal. Work out what you want.

classic bike

There is a lot of information out there about buying a classic bike, so we’ve sorted through the chaff to bring you a simple guide to buying your first one

If you’re reading this, then hurrah! We have helped yet another dear soul delve into the wonderful world that is old bikes. May your lights forever be bright and your magneto forever spark. But we want you to enjoy this escapade, so have a read. It does involve some questions you need to ask yourself, as well as some home truths. But honesty will bring more fun and avoid most pitfalls.

What is it that you really want?

The answer to the above could lie in a retro classic, like the Bonneville range from Triumph, the Royal Enfield Intercepter 650 or a Moto Guzzi V7. They offer all the looks with most of the feeling, yet most of the

time, better performance, better brakes and much, much better reliability.

They hold their price well and tinkering is less about fixing and more about personalising – a lot more fun!

Where are you coming from?

Are you new to motorcycling or are you coming from a break? Perhaps you want to try old bikes after riding modern sportsbikes for years? Any of the above is great but affects the right bike for you. As a new rider, a bike similar to the one you rode during training could build your confidence

well, so a Japanese bike offers left-foot gear changes, often electric start, and such modcons as indicators. A sportsbike rider may want something completely different depending on if they are keeping their modern bike, so what about a vintage bike, with all controls proving a challenge?

BUYER’S GUIDE 35 How proficient are you mechanically?

You are buying an old bike – be aware of that

You cannot just take a classic bike to the average bike shop for a service. They’re just not kitted up for working on old bikes with imperial fastenings and where parts have to be made and are not off-the-shelf.

It’s best to use someone used to old bikes, but therein lies a problem. These are becoming scarce, as many worked on old bikes when new, so they are of (and often over) retirement age. Not knowing how to fix a problem is enough

Old bikes can break, leak, misfire, not start, and will have scratches. They don’t have a warranty and they do assume some amount of common sense.

for some to ruin this new pursuit, so speak to clubs and owners about the bike you’re thinking of. Is it imperial or metric fastenings? Is parts availability good, or have you got to scour the autojumbles just to keep going? Some bikes could almost be built from new parts; others are like finding a spare plug for the Mary Rose.

There are often parts that are unobtainable, like Japanese side panels, rare model exhausts, or clocks.

Brakes are poor and lights are terrible – as in you cannot see.

Sorry to be harsh, but be aware of what you are getting into.

We say this as most problems

old bike specialists see are owners who have not done their homework and don’t know what they’ve got into.

What do you want to use it for?

Investment

A classic 350cc bike has the performance of a modern 125cc bike. It will prefer to cruise at a lower speed and will need an oil change in half the time.

However, a 1970s Honda 350cc will be more spritely and more reliable. Also look at the clubs, the local bike meets, and

If you want an investment, take out an ISA or learn how to play the markets. If you believe dealers offering ‘surefire investments’ in the shape of old bikes, then have a word with yourself. Yes, they may go up a little in price – we’ve all seen old cars or bikes we used to have now worth more – but then you may also win the lottery. Bikes are for enjoying.

shows, especially if you have a particular bike in mind. What are they like? I’ve been completely ignored and welcomed with open arms, depending on which club I was at. Club ride-outs can be a great way to enjoy your old bike.

OUT NOW

Classic Bike Guide magazine is your first step into the incredible world of old bikes. In a world of nonsense, we break through to bring you what you need to know when choosing an old bike, looking to buy one, or just increasing your knowledge of a world gone by.

The buying guides help you to understand a model, what it’s like to ride, to live with, and how easy it is to work on. Our workshop pieces at the back may show you how to perform a job, or may just show you how something is done by the professionals!

Recently we’ve looked at how to build wheels and how to fit your own tyres.

Old bikes bring so much enjoyment, from working on them to riding them. Even if you’ve been riding modern bikes for years, the friendliness of the old bike world and the fun of riding a bike built in the 50s or 80s gives you just that little bit more fun.

Try it – you may just love it!

KNOWLEDGE 37

Cost-effective

Classics YAMAHA XT660 Z, X & R Fancy a bargain, do-anything, go-anywhere bike? Here it is and at sensible money WORDS: Steve Cooper PHOTOS: Gary Chapman and Mortons Archive Yamaha should be given full credit for resurrecting the big four-stroke singles that people rave about today. The like of Husqvarna’s 701 Vitpilen and Svartpilen, KTM’s 690 Enduro, Fantic’s Caballero 500 Scrambler, BMW’s F series and many more owe their very existence to the 1975 XT500 that reinvented the genre. From that moment on the big, beefy single has been back in fashion to the point where many younger riders don’t even know they ever fell from grace!

perceptions of the big lusty single. The XT600E ran as late as 2004 before being preplaced by the first generation XTZ660. An all-new design with five valves and liquid cooling, the bike – just like its predecessors – competed successfully in many off-road events. The year 2008 saw the arrival of the XT660m series; another redesign with a fourvalve head and fuel injection and this is the model we’re showcasing.

Background

The bike

Since 1975 there’s always been a big single in Yamaha’s line-up. Early examples were simple two valve, one cam, air-cooled devices that latterly sported two carbs. By the early 90s the motor had grown to 600cc and, finally, was gifted an electric start – something that changed many rider’s

On the assumption that you’re keen to explore the world of modern big four-stroke singles perhaps you’ve come to the right place! Yamaha pretty much invented the genus and the XT660 range is arguably the pinnacle of four decades of serious R&D. Oh, and the very fact that Yamaha has now moved over on

to twin-cylinder bikes in the so-called ‘adventure’ segment of the current market kind of underlines even they couldn’t improve on the final iterations featured here!

All three models share the rather special power unit that’s effectively always been a ‘work in progress’ since the early 1970s. Forty-something years of R&D delivered an over square bore/stroke (100 x 84mm) hosting a forged piston operating within a ceramic composite lined cylinder. Yes, the bike is ‘only’ a single but Yamaha’s engineers equipped it with the same technologies as used on the likes of the R1. There’s no skimping inside, just technology such as the 44mm throttle body that’s at the heart of the fuel-injection system. And because big singles need to breathe efficiently in order to maximise power, the motor exhales via two silencers.

38 KNOWLEDGE

If you want to fast forward across time zones, countries and continents look elsewhere because it’s not what the XT660Z is about. However, should you want genuinely tour, take in the ambience, leave the autobahns, autostradas, freeways, etc. behind then the big single could really be your new best friend. Yamaha built the Z to take its owners off the beaten track, away from the fast roads and into an altogether better place. The Z, also known as the Tenere, is one of those machines that riders get very passionate about and many opine they’ not swap their XT660Z for anything else…could there be a better recommendation? There’s a raft of really good-quality aftermarket kit out there that helps equip an already very competent machine into a genuine, go-anywhere, do-anything machine. If you’ve ever fancied an adventure bike you probably couldn’t pick a better, more accessible, machine.

The XT660X Super Motorard is the supreme urban tool with a pair of Excel 17-inch front wheels that just love the super-sticky rubber that allows you to exploit the bike’s potential. Despite being based around the same motor as the Z and R variants, the XT660X’s motor somehow seems to maximise the flat torque making for interesting urban commutes, fun back roads scratching and exciting riding in general. Unlike some machines that follow the Super Motard theme, the X never gets any hissy diva-like fits or makes stupid servicing demands of its owners.

Yamaha could have gone down the cheapskate route and used a generic exhaust system or used the Z’s, but didn’t, which means the X gets its own unique pair of high-level units exiting out at rear light level to deliver that special look.

And the XT660R? Where does that fit into the scheme of things you might rightly ask? The R

model offers accessible road-going practicality allied to some real dirt road potential. Its 21-inch front wheel (proper off-road size) and a quite generous 225mm of front suspension movement combine to facilitate proper off-road potential. If the majority of your riding is roadbased but you fancy some trails then the XT600R has to be the weapon of choice and particularly so if you only have space at home for one machine.

Pack a pump, drop the tyre pressures to suit your chosen off-road surface and enjoy. Come home time, reinflate the rubber, find a handy jet wash, grab a brew and a buttie, then ride home wearing a huge grin. The XT600R offers the best of both worlds!

Lineage and Legacy

The power unit has history in spades and is arguably one of the best of its kind. The motor has latterly appeared in modern Jawas, Aprilias and, in

SHOULD I BUY ONE?

There are other big fourstroke singles out there that will do some or all of what the Yamaha does but most come with compromises in one form or another.

Genuine world touring ability (depending on model) with an international parts supply means the final XT single is the go-to option for most people. For our selfset £5000 budget you could buy one for less than £4k and equip it to take on the planet. And there’re really very few bikes out there that offer that sort of value for money!

KNOWLEDGE 39

reworked form, Yamaha’s first MT-03.

Knowing the appeal of the big single, Yamaha also carried out a restyling job on the XT660Z to deliver the XT600R with its own unique Super Motard looks. When the bike was pensioned circa 2018 it left a huge void for many fans, but Yamaha had a plan. The all-new, twin-cylinder, Tenere 700 (based on the hugely successful MT-07) has proved to be an instant winner and demand seems to outstrip availability which is good news if you want the older model. The XT660 range is hugely overlooked and undervalued …. which means there are bargains to be had!

Why you might want one now Yamaha’s XT660 selection should offer something for everyone – commuting, weekend fun, a touch of urban hooliganism and some real off-road potential. All you need to do

is work out which of the three versions suits your intended purposes best.

And, given that the oldest models are now 13, they’ll soon begin to qualify for classic insurance.

Typical Prices

Simply put, you’ll struggle not to find a good buy out there. Compiling this article we spotted XT660Rs from as little as £2995 with 27,000 on the clock, maxing out to one on sub 7000 at £4995. Most of the XT660Xs on offer hovered around £3700 to £4300 regardless of mileage and more dependent on condition.

XT660Zs appear to be more desirable/ expensive, starting around £3500 for a high mileage early one, topping out at just shy of £6k for the last model year and sub 5000. With the 700 twin in high demand we reckon there are good deals to be done on any of the used XT660s out there.

The XT660 built on the success of the earlier XT600, which was produced from 1990 to 2004. It’s a cracking bike in its own right but is becoming increasingly less ‘cost-effective’ if you’re in the market for a wallet-friendly trail bike.

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR 1. ABS

As standard the ABS cannot be switched off but there are aftermarket kits out there that do things making off-road riding less fraught.

2. ENGINE

As basic as it gets but it still needs regular servicing. Do this and it’ll go on forever.

3. VIBRATION

It’s not the smoothest big single out there but happy to cruise between 60-70. Some riders play around with sprockets to optimise the gearing for their particular needs.

5. OFF-ROAD

6. SEAT

A lot of latent potential inside!

Crash bars, upgraded bash plate and dirt-oriented tyres make a huge difference if trails are your thing.

Not the most comfortable but does the job – long-distance riders recommend gel pad inserts and/or sheepskin toppers.

7. CUSH DRIVE

4. BRAKES

It’s a big single so throws out power pulses like little else, which means the cush drive rubbers in the rear hub can take a beating.

Callipers benefit from regular cleaning and servicing.

6

7

5

2

1 3

4

40

WATT BIKE NEWS 41

Welcome to Watt Bike. The electric market’s getting bigger and bigger – that’s why we’ve introduced this standalone section that’s dedicated to all things electric. We’ll be bringing you news, products, guidance, tips, tricks and, most importantly, reviews of the latest and greatest electric bikes, scooters and pedalecs to come to market every single month.

THE KEY FACTS

If you’re 14 or over, you can ride an ‘electrically assisted pedal cycle’ without the need for registration, tax or insurance. It must have pedals, and its motor should not propel the bike once it hits speeds of 15.5mph. If it’s not an EAPC and is propelled without pedalling (or exceeds the 15.5mph speed limit), it will be classified as a motorcycle or moped. As a result you’ll need a driving licence to ride one, and it’ll also need to be registered, taxed and insured. Oh, and you’ll need to wear a crash helmet, too. Simple.

There is a bit of confusion about what sort of size of electric bike you can legally ride as you progress through the various licence

categories. But it’s not as complicated as it may first appear. Instead of paying attention to peak power like you would on a conventional petrolpowered motorcycle or scooter, UK regulations for electric machines focus on the amount of continuous power* available. That means you could buy an 11kW (15bhp) electric motorcycle or scooter, which is actually capable of delivering around 45kW (60bhp) of peak power. But because it doesn’t make that power ‘continuously’, you’d still be able to ride it with your CBT certificate.

HOW TO CHARGE

There are a few different ways to charge your motorcycle or scooter, but it all depends on the adaptors

that come with your choice of ride.

Most of the (cheaper) lower-powered machines can only be charged using your standard three-pin plug socket that you’d find in any home in the UK, and generally it’s only the bigger and more expensive machines that can make full use of the network of fast chargers. Speaking of which, the public charging network is growing fast and at the time of printing there are over 45,000 connectors in the UK (according to www.zap-map.com). ✶

Continuous power is defined as the amount of power the motor is capable of sustaining (continuously) for 30 minutes.

Triumph TE-1 takes to the track

The 175bhp British-built electric bike shows what it’s capable of at Oulton Park – but the factory confirms it’s just a prototype and won’t be going into production.

Triumph’s just revealed the end result of its three-year-long TE-1 electric motorcycle development programme; and to show just how capable it is the 175bhp naked bike has been pushed to the limit at Oulton Park by two-time Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch.

Speaking about the TE-1, Paasch said: “I got to peg this thing all the way from zero to 100% throttle and it’s unbelievably quick; it pulls like crazy.

I think this would be a really nice motorcycle to ride on the street, just based on how nimble and agile it is, and how light it feels.”

Sounds good, doesn’t it? But don’t expect to be seeing one in your local dealer anytime soon. Despite Paasch singing its praises and suggesting it’d be a cracking bit of kit for the road, Triumph’s actually confirmed that the TE-1 will not go into production.

That’s right – these past few years of hard work appear to have been an opportunity for the Hinckley factory to explore just what’s possible with electric and learn how it’ll go about

building future electric models.

Of course, Triumph hasn’t delivered the TE-1 alone. It’s been helped by some seriously big names in British electrics and engineering, with Williams Advanced Engineering looking after battery and integration; Integral Powertrain Ltd creating a properly clever scalable electric motor; WMG at the University of Warwick helping with the modelling and simulation; while the Government’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles and Innovate UK offering additional support and funding for the project.

Designed to ride much like the British factory’s 1200RS super naked but with even faster acceleration, Triumph claims the TE-1 is capable of offering a respectable 100-mile range when ridden on A roads and motorways. It also states it’ll manage a full trackday session before needing to be charged up – which can be done for 0-80% in as little as 20 minutes. It weighs in at a healthy 220kg which,

although being 22 kilos heavier than a Speed Triple, is actually 4.5kg less than Ducati’s V21L prototype (which is due to compete in next year’s MotoE race championship).

While it’s disappointing we won’t be seeing a production version of the TE-1 on the market, Triumph has made it clear that it’s learnt a lot over the past few years and has a selection of bikes already on the drawing board which it believes will be more viable for production in the near future. We’ll just have to sit tight for the time being to see what they’ll be.

LIGHTNING STRIKES Leaked designs suggest the American electric specialist is working on an off-road-ready adventurer.

Exposed in design pictures registered in China, the new machine looks set to go toe-to-toe with the Italian-made Energica Experia, which stole the march on battery-powered adventure bikes back in May. Designs filed in China confirm that Lightning is preparing to start work on a new motorcycle that looks poised to challenge Energica’s Experia for the electric adventure crown.

While details are thin on the ground, a close look at the sketches of the appropriately named ‘Dakar’ give us a few hints about what to expect from the fledgling firm. Largely based on Lightning’s £16,631, 120bhp Strike – it appears to feature a near identical electric motor and swingarm design – the Dakar gets longer travel suspension; 21-inch front and 18-inch rear alloy-rimmed wire wheels; a new seat and rear subframe; off-road-ready footpegs; some wide handlebars; an adventure-style faux fuel tank; a front beak; a big windscreen; and a bash plate.

At this stage that’s about all we know – but we’re expecting to find out more very soon, even if the bikes don’t make it to market for some time.

42 MAEVING RM-1

IN CHARGE OF THE CITY The best-looking electric bike yet takes the city by storm WORDS: Mikko Nieminen PHOTOS: Too Fast Media

Every now and again you ride a bike that takes you by surprise. For me, the Maeving RM-1 was one of them.

Pre-ride, I thought that I pretty much had it figured out: another 125ccequivalent electric bike that will eventually turn out to be a bit of a toy without much consideration for what a motorcycle should be like, only what constitutes urban mobility.

I was wrong.

The Maeving is a thoroughly pleasant bike to ride, with quality components and plenty of thought put into making it ride well, not just to get you from A to B. But let’s start from the beginning…

Mae-what?

If you haven’t heard of Maeving, that’s because the company has only been in public existence for a few months, and at the moment it offers only one model – the RM-1.

What you should know about Maeving is that the bike is designed and built in England, making it a home-grown brand.

The RM-1 is an all-electric motorcycle designed purely for city riding, with classic styling and modern power delivery. It’s aimed at e-bike commuters as much as those wanting to ride motorcycles, and it blurs the lines between bicycles and motorcycles. In cities like London where we tested it, it makes perfect sense. It’s ideal for carving through busy streets of the city, but it’s not a do-it-all bike. Take it out of the city, and you will soon start to find its limitations.

Big questions

We had a full day to ride the bike around central London, and I was amazed by how much attention the bike got from the crowds. Pedestrians, cyclists and bikers looked and pointed. Cabbies and bus drivers hung out of their windows to get a better look. All of them wanted to know three things: How fast does it go? How far does it go? How much does it cost? The beauty of it being electric, and completely silent, is that you could actually hear them ask those questions, and because in London traffic you spend a lot of time stationary, you had a chance to answer.

The first question was top speed.

That’s easy: the bike is limited to 45mph. There are three ride modes, which give you either 45mph, 28mph or 20mph. All of them put different

MAEVING RM-1 43

demands on the battery, and offer a different riding experience, but in every mode the power comes on and goes off very smoothly. There is no ‘on/off’ feel to the throttle at all, like some bikes in this category have, and it’s easy to adjust the amount of drive required. Acceleration is nice and crisp in the top power mode, and you can really feel like you are getting a move on. There is ever such a slight delay in the power demand going from the twist grip to the rear wheel, but it’s so marginal as to not be an issue. It’s worth noting that the bike can be bought with a limited top speed of 28mph, in which case it can be classed as a moped.

The second question was the inevitable range issue. We didn’t really have a chance to test the range during our day ride, but the official figures are that with one removable battery which comes with the bike, you get approximately 40 miles of riding. There is an option to buy a second battery, which doubles the range to 80 miles. To reach those distances will take some care and economical riding. The difference that riding style makes was evident when we returned from the test ride back to the base. I had 55% battery left while someone else who had been riding more ‘reservedly’ had 75% left.

The battery takes about four hours to charge from empty to full using a standard three-pin household plug.

The final question, the price, was an easy one, too. The bike costs £4995 with a single battery. An extra battery costs £995.

What people didn’t ask

Most people were happy to know just the headline figures, but many asked more. I can understand why, the bike looks intriguing.

One thing that adds to the allure is that it runs on two 19-inch wheels, running tube-type Dunlop tyres. This gives it an unusual look in today’s market. Apparently, the reason for this was purely aesthetic.

Power is delivered to the back wheel by a Bosch hub motor, which is completely silent, even by electric bike standards.

Peak power is 6hp, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but to compensate,

there’s 160Nm of torque available.

Riding the bike was super-easy. It is nicely balanced, feels stable but nimble, corners very quickly and accurately, and does pretty much everything you want from a city bike.

The whole thing only weighs 111kg, so it’s easy to move around, and the seat is fairly low at 785mm.

There’s no regenerative engine braking in this bike, which means that it just rolls on when you close the throttle.

The brakes are pretty good though, especially the rear brake that also activates one piston in the threepiston front brake. It sounds odd,

TECH SPEC Maeving RM-1 Price: £4995 Motor: Bosch Hub Motor Continuous Rated Power: 3kW (4hp) Maximum power: 4.4kW (5.9hp) Max. torque: 160Nm Maximum speed: 45mph Battery: Dual Battery Pack Design (2nd battery optional), LG MJ1 cells in bespoke Aluminium sealed casing Charging time: Approx. 4h:10min for 0-100% and approx. 2h:55min for 0-80% Frame: CrMo Steel cradle frame Wheelbase: 1395mm Wheels: Spoked wheels with Aluminium rims, (F & R) 2.15 x 19” Tyres: Dunlop K70, (F & R) 3.25 x 19 54P Brakes: (F) 240mm single disc, 3-piston floating calliper, (R) 180mm single disc, singlepiston floating calliper Seat height: 785mm Weight, with single battery: 111kg Contact: maeving.com

but works great in practice.

Suspension is fairly soft and simple, but it does the job required at these speeds perfectly well. There is a preload selector for the twin rear shocks, so a little adjustment can be made.

Fun factor

For me, the initial surprise was just how competent the bike was. I have ridden some of the other bikes in this category, and have come away feeling like they are just toys, not motorcycles. The RM-1 is different.

It has been developed by bikers, with all the consideration needed

to make it nice to ride.

Probably an even bigger surprise was just how much I enjoyed myself on the bike. It was great to ride with no earplugs, able to hear everything that was happening around you, chatting to people you were riding with, and answering the endless questions of passers-by. There was a sense of freedom in all of it.

The riding itself is so easy and the bike handles so intuitively that you really don’t have to concentrate on that, just pay attention to the traffic around you and enjoy.

I can’t think of a better way to carve through a big city.

44 FIRST RIDE: LEXMOTO LS-Z 125

A1 LICENCE

NAKED

AMBITION

Does Lexmoto’s LS-Z 125 learner-legal naked live up to its sporty styling when taking on twisties, town traffic and tackling the daily commute? We found out so you don’t have to.

WORDS: Ross Mowbray PHOTOS: Gary Chapman For the uninitiated, Lexmoto Motorcycles has been selling a whole host of small-capacity bikes built by Chinese manufacturers since 2007.

And over the last 15 years it’s built up an enviable reputation, supplying some of the best-value machines on the market to learners, commuters and cost-conscious riders across the length and breadth of the UK. Lexmoto was actually kind of ahead of its time with the way it imported bikes back in the day. While many companies were selling off-theshelf, rebadged bikes designed and built by Chinese factories, Lexmoto got its hand on prototypes which it

tested, tweaked and collaborated on to create the bikes that it wanted to sell. It seems like a sensible way to do things – which is probably why most importers in the UK have followed suit and do things in much the same way. The Exeter-based firm also recognises the importance of a strong dealer network and a plentiful supply of parts and spares, which is why it’s worked hard to build up an enviable collection of over 120 retailers who all have easy access to every single Lexmoto part (which is also UK based to ensure you can get back on the road as quickly as possible).

That’s more than can be said for

many bigger, more established manufacturers in the UK. Of course, there are still a few issues regarding the perception of Chinese manufactured machines by the wider motorcycling community in the UK. But with each passing year quality improves, and the suggestion that Chinese motorcycles are poor quality machines that’ll fall apart before you’ve even ridden them out of the dealership is increasingly far from the truth. I’ve ridden more than my fair share of cheaper Chinese machines over the past few years and although there’s still some poor quality kit out there, Lexmoto has

more than proved that its bikes are up for taking a bit of a beating.

But that’s more than enough about Lexmoto as a whole, now let’s hone in on its latest learner-legal naked, the LS-Z, which is also known as the Zongshen ZS125-39 in its native China.

Looking at the LS-Z in the flesh for the first time, there’s no denying it’s a good-looking machine. Physically it shares styling cues with Yamaha’s MT range and Kawasaki’s Zs and Ninjas, and from afar you’d easily be forgiven for thinking there’s more than a 125cc on offer, with its bigbike styling disguising its limited,

FIRST RIDE: LEXMOTO LS-Z 125 45

46 FIRST RIDE: LEXMOTO LS-Z 125

TECH SPEC Lexmoto LS-Z 125

Price: £3169.99 + OTR fees Engine: 125cc 4-stroke water-cooled single cylinder Power: 11bhp Transmission: 6 speed gearbox and chain Wheels/Tyres: (F) 100/80-17 (R) 140/70-17 Brakes (F) Hydraulic Disc (R) Hydraulic Disc Suspension: (F) Upside Down Forks (R) Monoshock Weight: 149 kg Fuel tank: 13 litres Seat height: 810mm Contact: www.lexmoto.co.uk

learner friendly power output. But when you get up close and personal, it’s immediately clear that things are a bit more compact than they first appeared.I’m 6ft 1in tall and swinging my leg over the bike and settling into the relatively small and sporty seat I felt a bit more cramped than I’m used to. Of course, it’s important to remember that this bike isn’t really designed for me. It’d be much better suited to a stylish youngster who’s a bit more flexible and less accustomed to roomy adventure bikes with big seats and wide bars.

That said, the LS-Z is well laid out and easy enough to get on with as you flick the ignition and take to the road.

It’s powered by a 125cc four-stroke single-cylinder water-cooled engine which kicks out just 11bhp so it’s not going to be setting any records for speed. But it’s plenty nippy enough off the mark, even if acceleration does quickly become a little more laboured on its way up to its top speed of around 60mph. Consequently, overtakes are pretty much out of the question – and instead, you’d do better to sit back, relax, and enjoy the

ride. Surprisingly, there’re actually six gears to work your way through. You’ll quickly rattle your way through them if you keep the throttle pinned, with the 125cc motor screaming under the strain until it settles down to a more comfortable level of rpms in sixth.

From a braking perspective the Lexmoto is kitted out with a set of single disc brakes at the front and rear.

They’re linked, which is actually now a legal requirement for bikes without ABS (and presumably helps to keep costs down). As you’d probably guess, the linked brakes work together. If you touch the back brake the front one engages, and vice-versa. Although a little strange to get used to, the linked brakes offer ample stopping power, and in an emergency stop they pulled me up with relative ease, with just a little skid from the back wheel.

Suspension comes in the form of a set of upside-down forks up front and a monoshock at the rear. Although the set up is far from sophisticated, the springs are more than up to the job of keeping the lightweight Lexmoto in check – and offer a decent level of performance while leaning towards

the stiffer end of the spectrum. It works for the style of bike, but don’t expect much help if you barrel through a pothole by mistake… you’ll definitely feel it. Touching back on its low weight, the 149kg LS-Z is very easy to hustle around. It’s probably its best when flicking in and out of traffic when riding through towns or cities, but it’ll also come alive being thrown from side to side on twistier stretches of road (where it has a bit more of a chance of keeping up with the traffic).

I think that there’s a lot to like about Lexmoto’s LS-Z. It’s light, compact, efficient on fuel and super, super stylish. But is that enough?

It could be. It kind of depends on who you are. There’s a hell of a lot of competition out there for the hearts and minds of young riders, and there’s

FIRST RIDE: LEXMOTO LS-Z 125 47 no point pretending that you can’t get a hell of a lot of used bike for close to three-and-half-grand – but that’s why I reckon this bike’s probably best suited to a new rider who’s after a brand-new bike with a couple of years’ warranty (and the peace of mind that comes with it). It’s close to a grand cheaper than some of the bigname competition, and when you’re 17 that’s a hell of a lot of money.

In truth, it might not be the most exciting ride in the world (even if it does look like it), but it’s a safe pair of hands from a proven company which has made a name for itself producing exactly these kind of bikes and looking after their customers.

“I think that there’s a lot to like about Lexmoto’s LS-Z. It’s light, compact, efficient on fuel and super, super stylish. But is that enough?”

COMFORT

There’s no getting around the fact that the LS-Z is compact. I’m not exactly a giant, standing at 6ft 1in tall, but I actually felt a bit cooped up on the learner-legal naked. Interestingly, the photos don’t seem to tell the same story – but while the bike might carry its rider well, I think the 810mm tall seat would be better suited to someone shorter.

LOOKS

The little Lexmoto’s actually a pretty stylish number, blending the sharp angles of the Kawasaki Z range with the shockingly bright wheels and futuristic front end of Yamaha’s line-up of MTs. It’s a nice combination.

PRICE

This is no budget bike. In the past I’ve ridden Lexmotos that cost as little as £1500 – but the LS-Z is a different proposition altogether.

Costing £3169.99 (and a bit extra to get it on the road), it is still at the cheaper end of the market, although you could pick up a nearly new bike from a big name and still have a bit of change leftover. You won’t get two years’ warranty, though…

MOTOR

The performance from the LS-Z’s 11bhp 125cc four-stroke single isn’t exactly remarkable, but with it there's enough zip to make good progress in and around town. The factory claims it’s capable of reaching 69mph, but I really struggled to get there as I worked the gearbox hard to make the most of every ounce of power available.

48 PRODUCTS

SPECIALIST SPOTLIGHT: RENAPUR Looking after leather is the best way to help it stand the test of time.

WORDS and PHOTOS: Bob Pickett Renapur – something of an institution amongst owners of leather products (if you’re a biker, it’s pretty much given you will own at least one item of leather clothing) who wants to take care of them.

Renapur Leather Balsam was invented in 1988 by Mr Volker Schindler in Bavaria, southern Germany. Realising he had made something special, he named it for his wife Renate (RENA), adding the German word for ‘pure’ or ‘clean’ (PUR).

Made from a formula of waxes and oils such as Beeswax, Carnauba wax, Jojoba oil

h

Get in touc

Ltd. Renapur shington A , oad London R sex RH20 3AX s u S t s e r.com W @renapu Email: info076884 / 01903 7 Tel: 0800 93990 8 r.com w.renapu Web: ww

and Avocado oil, Renapur Leather Balsam goes a long way; one 200ml pot is enough to treat and protect over 500 pairs of shoes, 100 leather jackets or saddles, or 20 leather suites.

Aside from biker kit, Renapur Leather Balsam is also recommended for equestrian leather care, country sports, car interiors, leather furniture and leather shoes, boots and handbags.

Renapur Ltd took over distribution in 1994. With over 1.2 million pots of Renapur Leather Balsam sold in the UK

alone, and many more than that overseas, its leather care products can be found in households and businesses across the world.

They are recommended by a number of high-end leather goods retailers such as Pickett (no relation), The Brogue Trader and – an important one for bikers – Cobra Leathers in Swindon.

Cobra undertakes repair work for all sorts of leather kit; Renapur is the only leather cleaner or food it uses.

These days while Renapur Ltd in the

UK owns the Renapur trademark in most countries, it still maintains a close friendship with the Schindler family who manufacture all Renapur leather care products for them to this day.

Renapur Leather Balsam is its best-known product, but the range has been expanded, most recently introducing Renapur Leather Cleaner followed by Renapur Hi-Shine.

Testimony to effectiveness, the comment Renapur most commonly get from new customers is: “It was recommended by a friend.”

PRODUCTS 49

Before. Scuffed and scraped with little shine

During. Side by side you can really see the difference.

LEATHER CARE

An important thing to remember about leather: it is a skin. Just like your skin needs maintenance (the cosmetics industry makes untold billions each year doing just that), leather needs care to remain at it’s best.

DO

■ regularly clean leather with a soft brush or cloth ■ regularly air out leather (if it’s kept in a clothes bag, make sure it’s breathable, not plastic) ■ blot away water or moisture ■ dry wet leather naturally, away from artificial heat ■ keep leather supple with a specialised leather conditioner (such as Renapur Leather Balsam) every 3-6 months ■ clean spots and stains with a mixture of soap flakes and warm water ■ test any conditioners, cleaners, polishes or wax in a hidden spot beforehand

DON’T

■ machine wash leather ■ get leather wet wherever possible (I know, we live in the UK…) ■ dry wet leather next to a radiator or with a hairdryer ■ tumble dry leather ■ iron leather ■ immerse leather in water

After. Restored and refreshed after a coat of Renapur.

What does it cost?

The original Renapur Leather Balsam costs £12 for a 200mm pot (there are scented versions for an extra quid), with 1-litre tub (for heavy users) available for £48. A 125mm box set (complete with applicator sponge) costs £10, and for those of you that need to keep their kit protected and looking good on the go, there’s a 50mm travel pot costing £5.99.

A six-pack of application sponge is £1.50.

Renapur has also introduced the ‘Biocare’ balsam (£12 for a 125mm pot), a must-have if your leather goods are at risk from mould or mildew attack.

The Leather Cleaner costs £12 for a 250mm

bottle (it can be diluted with water up to 50 times).

For leathers requiring a shiny look (equestrian kit for example), Renapur’s Hi-Shine (containing Carnauba wax but importantly no silicates) costs £12 for a 250mm bottle. A Suede and Fabric protector is also available for £10 for a 100mm bottle or £15 for 250mm bottle.

If you're after everything you need to clean and maintain your leather in one single hit, Renapur also stocks a range of kits, from the ‘Clean and Feed’ kit for £21 through to the ‘Ultimate Care Kit’ for £45.

TRIED AND TESTED Renapur Leather Balsam £12 for a 200mm pot

I own a pair of TCX Hero leather boots. Since getting them five years ago, they’ve seen me through untold thousands of miles riding a range of different bikes. And how much love have I returned to these faithful servants? Erm (shuffles feet, stares at floor in shame), nothing.

Testimony to their quality, despite my embarrassing lack of care they’re holding up nicely.

But as you can see from the photos, they weren’t looking their best. This became an issue when I signed up for a ride where a core requirement was smart dress (not my default setting). They needed cleaning and made to look presentable again. Thankfully, Motorcycle Sport & Leisure Editor Mikko put me on to Renapur (having been recommended to him by Geoff Hill, backing up what we said earlier).

Renapur issue two warnings:

Renapur products are for use on finished (i.e. smooth) leather only.

Do not use on suede, nubuck or

fully aniline type leather.

Renapur Leather Balsam may darken some types of leather, especially if it has faded over time and with wear. So test on a small concealed area first.

As per instructions, I dipped the application sponge into the balsam, using the tiniest amount and worked a little into a small spot on the heel.

Wow. Really, wow.

Five years of neglect disappeared within moments.

Encouraged by this, I set to applying to the rest of the boot.

Just rub gently into the boot, no buffing needed afterwards (if you are too liberal with the balsam, wipe off the excess with a soft cloth).

I estimate I took two minutes tops on each boot. And as you can see the results are spectacular.

Remember, this isn’t a coloured polish, this is a natural and neutral balsam. What you’re seeing there is the leather’s tones being drawn out once again.

And the bonus? The balsam also waterproofs the leather. Twelve quid for a pot? Even applying on a regular basis to my boots, jackets and gloves, it should last a few years. Absolute bargain.

I am SO impressed with Renapur Leather Balsam. Moments after finishing, yes I was recommending it to my friends.

50 QUICK SPIN

RETRO RIDE Honda Fireblade (1998) WORDS and PHOTOS: Maja Kenney In the 30th anniversary year of the Honda Fireblade it only seemed appropriate I finally got to ride one. It happened that I had the opportunity to take a 1998 RRW or Sc33 Fireblade out for a spin. I was a little bit apprehensive, to say the least. I didn’t know what to expect from a 24-year-old motorcycle. I was worried about how it would handle the corners and whether I would be able to reach the floor when stopped.

Not only that, the fact that its owner was following me on another bike was somewhat unnerving, too.

With no electronics to help the ride, I started rather gingerly. I was warned it liked to pull wheelies if pushed too hard. There was some talk about the 16-inch front wheel but I really wasn’t paying attention anymore. I was busy eyeing up the bike in detail, noticing the smart RR vinyl on the fairings, the appropriately named fox-eyed headlight, and a few tweaks over the years such as the Yoshimura exhaust and the Ohlins suspension; I felt I was ready to go for a spin.

The roads I chose were familiar to me and I knew there were quite a few miles to cover before I had to face the first decent bend. By then, I figured, I would have settled on the bike and started to have fun.

I was wrong. I didn’t need to settle on the bike to start having fun. We gelled instantly and I was surprised at how comfy it was. I can see

how one would happily cover many miles and indeed, I know people have been touring Europe on the models of this era. I mean, there is even a ‘boot’ under the seat to store your essentials.

The seating position means the knees aren’t bent too tightly and nowhere near around your ears; the upper body weight isn’t resting on your wrists only; and if you have to rest, you can lean on the tank with your belly. Not what I imagined riding a sports bike would be like.

The throttle was very responsive; the clutch was light; just the brakes took a bit of getting used to. Luckily, I figured that out before I actually needed them.

The bulky look of the bike had me worried that it might be heavy to manoeuvre when parked, but that was not the case. I hadn’t realised one of the advantages the Fireblade had over the competition wasn’t the power but the fact it was so lightweight. Post-1998 Fireblades especially had a bit of a change and were the year in which the power went up and the weight went down. They also made them more comfortable at the same time.

Not something I was concerned about for my quick spin, but it is worth noting that it doesn’t have a fuel gauge. It does have a fuel reserve switch so when you start to run out you have a few more miles to find the next fuel station.

Despite its large composure compared to modern bikes, it doesn’t feel big when you are riding whether it is at a leisurely pace or a slightly more spirited one. It is incredibly nimble and a joy leaning into the corners and powering out of them. I needn’t have worried about the corners as it was a joy taking them on and I found myself getting excited at the sight of the next one.

Even a couple of hairpins were fairly easy to negotiate.

As the day progressed so did my confidence and the realisation of how easy the Fireblade was to ride; my grin was getting bigger.

The sound of that exhaust was mesmerising and I kept the revs up to hear more of the noise. T he ride was exhilarating for many reasons, and it sure is filed in my memory as one of the most enjoyable rides on a bike that isn’t spotted on the roads very often. It sure did attract some attention when I stopped for a coffee break.

A fantastic day’s riding on some of the most wonderful roads in North Wales on a machine that made me appreciate the evolution of the Fireblade in a whole new way.

Who’s Maja?

‘Maja is an adventurer by heart. From a young age she thrived on the unknown, pushing the boundaries and exploring new frontiers whether in travel or in business. Her zest for life and adventure is both contagious and inspiring. She is running a motorcycle tour business sharing her passion for traveling on two wheels and exploring the beautiful roads worldwide. Originally from Slovenia, she has made North Wales her home for the last 20 years. Join Maja on one of her tours at www. majasmotorcycleadventures. co.uk

QUICK SPIN 51

S R 0 5 6 Z i k a s Kawa

Following the (deserved) success of the retro-styled Z900RS, it was only a matter of time before Kawasaki brought out a middleweight version. Late 2021 saw it finally arrive in the form of the Z650RS. Essentially a Z650 wearing a vintage dress, the Z joins a rapidly growing range of retro-styled 650s. We rode it out on the launch in France, and now we’ve spent some time seeing how well it goes on British soil.

WORDS and PHOTOS: Bob Pickett

Give me some spec

A 649cc parallel twin putting out 67.3bhp/50.2kW @ 8,000rpm with maximum torque of 47.2 lb-ft/42Nm @ 6,700rpm, is seated in a tubular steel trellis frame. Seat height is a tallish 820mm/32.2in. The package weighs in at 187kg/412lb. A 12-litre tank hints at a 150-mile range.

Bringing things to a halt are twin 300mm front discs with 2-piston calliper and a single 220mm single calliper rear, supported by Bosch ABS.

Any updates from last year?

New model for 2021/2.

So what is it like to ride?

Before starting up, it’s worth stopping and taking a look at the attention to detail. Kawasaki’s styling team has done a grand job, dropping in an old-school tank, conventional forks, duck-beak tail, seat with retro-style stitching and round discs. The round headlight and the cast spoke wheels are neat finishing touches.

At 820mm it’s tall but my 29-inch (736mm) legs could all but get both heels down. There is a 20mm thinner seat available. It’s a nice place to sit;

feet rear of neutral, the slender bars angle you lightly forward, and the seat instantly cossets your backside.

The proven 649cc parallel twin has been lightly retuned for more midrange; this bike will live in this part of the range and it’s spot on.

Happy humming along at 5,000rpm, if you need to overtake (or want to drive into a bend) just up the revs and it punches forward with added purpose.

Talking bends, the RS has light, agile handling. I found myself swinging from outside edge to outside edge through the bends, utilising every inch of the road.

The suspension is spot on, though on bumpier surfaces it fed back every lump and ripple. That said, the front was never ruffled, but the rear did pogo a couple of times.

The light clutch is ideal for town work. The box isn’t the slickest, but clunks reassuringly into place. The brakes? Nothing fancy, but they do their job. Solid, good feel, again never ruffled.

Mirrors give decent feedback. The clocks are a nice mix of analogue and digital.

The Z650RS is great in town, on back roads or major A roads. The engine and handling can more than take on motorway pace, but on a gusty day the Z’s lack of weight and wind protection

Want to try one?

To test this bike, contact: East London Kawasaki/ Bacons Motorcycles 737-741 Eastern Avenue Ilford, Essex IG2 7RT Tel: 020 8252 6020 www.baconsmotorcycles. co.uk/

made it hard work. But I’d venture the Z650RS isn’t meant for that grind.

Back off, enjoy that midrange and light, easy handling and this bike has a lot to offer.

How much does it cost?

Prices start from £7,649 in metallic spark black. You will pay a little extra for the (gorgeous) candy emerald green or the metallic moondust grey model we rode (£7,799).

52 VJMC – THE INSIDE LINE TO CLASSIC JAPANESE

The New World Order WORDS: Steve Cooper PHOTOS: MotoGP Archive

1999 saw a change in what had been the established order of things – Mick Doohan retired. A crash during a wet practice session at the Jerez circuit ahead of the Spanish GP saw the five-times world champion with more serious leg injuries ending his career.

No one can race forever and Spanish rider Àlex Crivillé effectively became the No.1 works rider in the Repsol Honda Team. Doohan’s absence effectively reshuffled the premier Honda team with Tadayuki Okada successfully taking up a supporting role to Crivillé’s title challenge. Fellow Spaniard Sete Gibernau had begun the season on board the NSR500V, the V twin, but was soon promoted to pilot the vacant Doohan machine.

It was evident that the nurturing of young riders by the various Spanish motorcycle interests was paying off with two riders in the first team and another on the locally sponsored MoviStar Honda Pons outfit together with Brazilian rider Alex Barros. In total there were 10 Honda teams on the 1999 grid with six Spanish riders.

Honda’s faith in the NSR500V saw nine of the technically intriguing twins running over the season with Sete Gibernau putting the bike on the

podium twice early on. Ultimately the twin would never threaten the four-cylinder machines but it did allow a lot of promising riders to experience GPs at the top level more cost-effectively. Juan Borga managed a hugely creditable 12th position at the end of the season and would probably have been higher had he not failed to retire from three races on the torquey twin.

Max Biaggi’s move from Honda to Yamaha hadn’t gone as well as the ‘Roman Emperor’ had hoped. Four retirements in the first half of the season on the YZR500 had a serious impact on what could have been a race for the title. Max and OWK1 V four got it together at the back half of the season and working well with five podium finishes.

Despite losing their top rider, Honda’s 1999 season turned out better than just okay. With Biaggi struggling to initially bond with the Yamaha, Àlex Crivillé had a golden opportunity to bid for the title and with Doohan out there was little to stop him. Over the 16 GPs that year the lowest placing the Spaniard made was sixth. Five wins and six podiums plus other placings saw Crivillé take the title with 267 points… and that was with two retirements! Kenny Roberts Junior took second place on 220 with Tadayuki Okada third on another Repsol Honda with 211.

Key to Honda’s success was the now legendary engine which, by 1999, was making 200bhp at 12,000rpm and this on the unleaded fuel that had been introduced in an attempt to turn the racing ‘green’.

The use of the lead-free petrol had taken the edge off the ‘big bang motor’ and so all of the Honda V fours went back to the older ‘screamer’ firing order in a bid to get some more power. You could

almost be forgiven for thinking the bike was more important than the rider – Honda’s mastery of the premier class seemed to suggest just that. Yet despite this almost assured dominance, HRC and its satellite teams were still looking around for potential world champions to maintain their supremacy. And a certain young Italian fresh from winning the 25 title for Aprilia was firmly in Honda’s sights.

WANT YOUR FIX OF JAPANESE CLASSICS? THEN YOU NEED...

6 issues for £22* *Followed by £22 every six months

Visit www.classicmagazines.co.uk/cmm215 Call:

01507 529529 and quote: CMM215

Expiry: 31/12/22 *UK only offer

The VJMC – run by motorcyclists for motorcyclists. For membership enquiries only Tel: 01454 501310 Email: membership_vjmc@ yahoo.co.uk Address: PO Box 1949, Yate, Bristol BS37 0BX Office hours: Mon-Thurs,10am4pm (please leave a message)

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For Sale ARIEL Red Hunter, 350cc, 1954, maroon, all complete with V5, good basis for refurb or restoration, dry stored, £2200.

Tel. 01299 266565. Worcs.

BMW R1150R 2002 non ABS, 17,500 miles, blue, cases, vgc, phone for details, £3125 ono Tel. 02380 292047. Hants.

BSA Thunderbolt, 1967, metallic blue with white coachlines, 650cc, twin new Avons controls, cables Siamese exhaust, starts easily, running well, matching numbers bike, V5C, photos available, free delivery arranged Tel. 01723 372219. North Yorks.

HONDA CB250 2002 model, Sorn for 10 years, rebuilt to put on road with new chain and sprockets, battery and genuine Honda exhaust, rides well, very good mileage, 75 +mph, £1200 Tel. 02380 812440.

Southampton.

HONDA CBR600F 2012, ABS, 3 previous owners, consistent MoT and low miles, used for good condition mechanically apart from the cosmetic faults, very easy to ride and good smooth sound from the Akrapovich exhaust, open to good offers, £2800 Tel. 07852 137225.

BSA SPITFIRE Mk11, 1966, full nut & bolt restoration, matching numbers, full SRM engine rebuild, no expense spared, £17,380 Tel. 07834 352300.

DUCATI 899 Panigale ABS Termignoni exhaust, MoT May 2023, 8800 miles, recent service, 2 keys, full service history, original manuals, full carbon replacement plastics, tail tidy, so many extras to list, all original parts/exhaust supplied, £10,500 ono Tel. 07880 554803.

HONDA CROSSRUNNER 2018, 4277 miles, top box, engine bars, centre stand, just serviced, long MoT, immaculate, £7000. Tel. 01455 553254. Leics.

HONDA CD185 1980, t&t exempt, outstanding original condition, very low mileage 4565 miles, lovely smooth twin cylinder engine, good tyres and good brakes, V5 and history, £2250 Tel. 07974 683582.

HONDA VFR800FI 2000 model, 57,000 miles, very good condition, serviced regularly, Scottoiler, Baglux tank harness, Givi rack and topbox, new tyres, £1800 Tel. 07779 783260. North Wales.

HONDA VT1100 Shadow, 1985, classic V twin shaft drive, runs and rides superb, in excellent original condition, even has the original toolkit still in place, must be the cleanest 1985 Shadow out there, low seat height with plenty of power from the big V twin, very smooth quiet engine a real pleasure to ride, new MoT, recent service, new battery, brake fluid, £2995 may consider p/x Tel. 07594 662883. West Sussex.

HONDA FORZA 300 2020, 6000 miles, Givi rack, stainless steel topbox, heated grips, seat, screen deflector, rim tapes etc, tyres ok, two new Michelin Citygrips included, one retired mechanic owner, perfect, £4350. Tel. 07812 748994.

KAWASAKI KH125 K5, very reliable and in occasional use, previous owner did loads of work before I got it, including replacing the tyres, rear shocks, fork seals, front brake pads, chain, plug, piston (0.5 oversize) and crank seals and a few bearings, I’ve only done about 350 miles since, MoT to end August but will happily put 12 months on it if I get the asking price, great useable classic learner bike which is just as practical as it ever was.

Ideal as a daily driver, for a new rider or as the basis for an easy restoration project, collection from Edinburgh, but happy to work with a buyer to arrange courier if necessary, £1650 Tel. 07734 004323.

KAWASAKI ZR-7 2001, blue, 8 months MoT, new tyres, front calipers, all new cables, good all round condition, fly screen, 23,000 miles, valve and carb service, 19,000 miles, £1400 ono Tel. 07951 067803.

KAWASAKI ZX6R-J1 2000 Ninja, immaculate, 21,000 miles, two keys, owners manual, Haynes manual, fitted gear indicator, new radiator and hoses, always garaged, Pilot road 3 tyres, tool kit, datatagged, MoT June 2023, £1900 Tel. 01516 069983. Wirral.

KAWASAKI W800 2012, MoT May 2023, lovely bike, near new tyres, good brakes, front Goodridge hose, good handling, low mileage, replica Corbin seat, original seat cover included, new chain and sprockets, Fed 22, runs smooth and starts on the button, £4400 ono Tel. 07934 291765. North Yorkshire.

KAWASAKI ZX9R EI 2000, on Sorn, one owner, nice original condition, service history, green & purple, 56,518 miles, only done 258 miles since MoT, new Dunlop tyres for test, braided hoses, very tidy Tel. 07973 114305. Cumbria. Email. tbingley777@gmail.com

KTM 990SMT 2013, lovely clean condition, two owners, 23,000 miles, recent service, MoT, nearly new tyres, many extras, £4500 Tel. 07896 046810. Cambridge.

KYMCO XCITING S 2021, 1971 reg, blue, FDSH, mint condition, 5900 miles, 2 keys, new Maxi scooter forces sale, Ace Maxi scooter, 82mpg, 400cc, no winter use, garaged, £4699. Tel. 07784 499299. Yorks.

MALANCA COMPETIZIONE 50 stunning, original, mechanically recommissioned (tyres, seals, brake shoes etc) but otherwise unrestored and very rare, surprisingly rapid and very lightweight 2 stroke sports moped, one of the small, fast bikes by Bologna-based motorcycle manufacturer Malanca, four-speed 4 hp (at 9000rpm) motor with a supposed top speed of 50mph, t&t exempt, collection from Edinburgh, but happy to work with a buyer to arrange courier if necessary, £3000 Tel. 07734 004323.

MASH 500 2020 my last venture into motorcycling time to stop, after 60 years losing confidence and strength, 1750 miles, excellent condition, £2200 Tel. 01892 542256. Kent.

MOLTON STANDARD BICYCLE 1960s, maroon, 16” wheels, 3 speed Sturmey Archer gears, all complete rideable or restoration, £85. Tel. 01299 266565. Worcs.

YAMAHA XT250 Serow, 2009, 11 months MoT, declared Sorn, very good condition, 59,000km, well maintained, new rear tyre, seat cover, battery, front brake discs, very little off road use, mainly road use, £2600. Tel. 01984 640888 lunch time or 07582 656728 evenings.

YAMAHA R6 new MoT, just serviced, new tyres, 25k, looks and rides as it should, comes with a box of spare fairings, leathers size, boots and a lid if wanted, happy for any inspection, £2250 Tel. 07792 542581.

YAMAHA TDM850 1995, 11 months MoT, new tyres, new strut, has done 29,137 miles, good all round condition, with extras, call for viewing, £1700 ono Tel. 07974 030898.

YAMAHA WR450F 2012, bike has been professionally rebuilt from Supermoto to hard Enduro, Yamaha is in perfect condition, doesn’t require financial outlays, engine is powerful and reliable, it starts with first touch of button or kickstart, have V5C/logbook in my name, bike is road legal, £4800 Tel. 07960 249698.

YAMAHA DT250 1978, historic vehicle, no tax/MoT, very low mileage, lovely example, starts and runs perfectly, great on/ off road bike, early mono shock rear suspension, £4500 ono Tel. 07969 181499.

Parts For Sale ALBION 3 speed hand/change gearbox, 1930s-1940s, good condition, all gears plus neutral Tel. 01214 757249.

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ONLINE www.morebikes.co.uk EMAIL freeads@morebikes.co.uk POST MB Reader Adverts, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR

TRACER 9 PARTS FOR SALE: 2015-19, black leatherette Baglux harness, tank bag and map wallet, £60. Ermex dark smoke sports screen, £40.

Powerbronze black short screen, £25. Powerbronze full hand guards, £45. Givi Monokey top box, mount and brackets, £45. Givi quick release pannier brackets. £40. Photos on request Tel. 07908 943153. South Lincs.

Email. jokife79@gmail.com TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD 1600: genuine Triumph aftermarket short de-cat end cans c/w link pipes, £170. Genuine Triumph single rider seat unit plus rear rack (bobber look), £80. BMW R1200RS, Shad Monokey Mount (BMW), £45. BMW R1200 RS/R High Rider seat, £130, GR Moto end can c/w link pipe, BMW R1200RS, £130. MRA short screen BMW 1200RS, £50.

Photos on request Tel. 07908 943153. South Lincolnshire.

Email. jokife79@gmail.com TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD 900 and Legend chrome peashooter silencers, new in original boxes and original packing, suitable for museum or concours restoration, £1800 collection only. Chrome headlight bucket, excellent, £80, £5 p&p Tel. 07434 513161.

Lancs.

Wanted CLASSIC BIKE wanted, looking for anything, project to a good bike, British or Jap, good price paid Tel. 07983 301756.

Bournemouth.

SUZUKI T100 1976, just purchased rusty blue, ‘wife says’ can spend £200 to get fixed, any biker have manual service sheet, no internet but mobile number Tel. Pete 07789 061218.

Yorkshire/Humberside.

Miscellaneous BOOKS: SIDECAR CHAMPIONS since 1923, signed Steve Webster, £20. History of the Clubmans TT Racers, 1947-56, signed, £20. Giacomo Agostini Champions of Champions, £18.50. Bob McIntyre Flying Scot, £12, all as new Tel. 01484 663007. West Yorkshire.

ABBA BIKE STAND with fixing kits for Kawasaki ZXR750 and ZX-6R, (fixing kits for other bikes available from ABBA), little used, £60. Tel. 01516 069983.

BOOKS: ‘From TT to Tokyo’, Robb. ‘Road Racing Takin The Mick’, Grant. ‘Ariel Story’, Hartley.

‘Save the Triumph Bonneville’, Redmond. ‘The Racing Motor Cycle’, Woollett, all £10 each plus p&p Tel. 01543 425795. Staffs.

GIVI MONOKEY Panniers, Trekker 33 x 2, £250. Givi Monokey top box Trekker 46 x 1, £140.

Monokey rack/brackets for Triumph 800, £40. Shad Monokey top box, 48 litre, £150, photos on request Tel. 07908 943153.

South Lincs. Email.jokife79@ gmail.com GIVI TOP BOX and rack for Suzuki Gladius, £75 for both (will not split) Tel. 07952 920397. Croydon.

HYDRAULIC MOTORCYCLE and ATV lift, Clarke CML5, very good condition, £70. Tel. 01159 728634. Notts.

KAWASAKI TT LEATHER JACKET in green and white to match bike with Kawasaki ‘K’ on the shoulders, size 42, not scuffed, never been down, £90 Tel. 01516 069983. Wirral.

MOTO GUZZI Sports, Le Mans Bible, £25. Ken Sprayson Frame Man, £15. The Nazi TT Hitler, 1939, Victory in the I.O.M, £12.

Suzuki at the TT Races Tel. 01484 663007. West Yorkshire.

MOTORCYCLE CLOTHING: Nitro N250VX, small motorcycle helmet, brand new, never worn, ACU approved lime/green, £25. Real leather ladies trousers new, £20, still labelled Tel. 01743 860362.

Shropshire.

MOTORCYCLE JACKET leather, from the 1960s or earlier, in useable condition please, any British make considered, good price paid Tel. 01223 350289 evening.

NITRE N250VX motorcycle helmet, small in bright green pattern, brand new, never used with bag, £25 plus p&p Tel. 07790 512582. Shropshire.

ROLL TOP BAG 50L, blue, never used as new, £10. Large 65L holdall yellow, vgc, only a few scuff marks due to bungees, used once, £15. Tel. 07999 873401.

Flintshire