MoreBikes December issue **FREE TO READ!**

INSIDE THIS MONTH

t’sbeen an exciting few weeks putting this issue together and learning about all the new bikes that areheaded our way.Needless to say,there’splenty on the cards for 2025, covering everything from tourers to nakeds, sports bikes to adventurebikes… and Ican’twaittosee them in the flesh.

By the time you’rereading this Motorcycle Live willhave come and gone, but if youmade it to the show, make sure to write in with the bikes you liked the

most and what’stop of yourwish list. Of course, it’sone thing wanting abike and another thing buyingone…whichis why we’ve put together afew pointers on how to max your money (page 38) if you decide to go down that route.

As forme, as excited as Iget about the new stuff, I’ve got alist just as long of used bikes Icrave. Whether it’sjusta case of nostalgiaplaying tricks on me, or I’m just trying to stay younger than I actually am, I’m notquite surebut there’s

Youcan have MoreBikes delivered straight to your door –and get your hands on the latest andgreatest reviews, road tests andproduct reviews from some of the best in the game. We’renot asking much, just cover the cost of delivery,and it’syours. Want to know more? Scan the QR code (or visit www morebikes.co.uk and look out for the subscriptions section on the drop-down menu). Easy

ANTRIM

guide to this must-do Northern Irish blast

bwilson@mortons.co.uk

awhole world of motorcycles I’d like in my line-up, notleast of all theGSX-R750 SRAD that’sthe star of our Cost Effective Classics section (page 48) this month Does that float your boat? Whether it does or doesn’t,one thing’sfor sure; when it comes to motorcycles, new or old, we’re spoilt for choice.

Moremetalforthe masses…

Justwhenyouthinkthe floodof newand excitingbikes wouldstarttoslowdown, there’sanew wave on theway… andwe’re notcomplaining.

Words:SirAlan of Dowds

Ballistic Beemers

S1000R,S1000RR,M1000R andM1000RR

There’saheapoffresh updatesforBMW’sinlinefour999ccS1000andM1000 models,inbothsingleR nakedanddouble Rsuperbike format.

Thebignewsisthe2025 M1000RR,finallycrowned asWSBKkingunderToprak Razgatlıogˇlu,whichgetsa stonkingsixextrabhppeak power.

TheWSBKchampnow makes218bhp,upfrom 212lastyear,thankstoa top-end refresh,whichis anamazingoutputfroma normally-aspirated999cc street-legalunit. There’smore compression,now aneardiesel14.5:1compression from13.4:1,new-shape titaniumvalvesand rejigged seats,ovalintakeandexhaust ports,newpistonsand bigger 52mmthrottlebodies(upfrom 48mm).

Toprak’stopridealsogets anewframeforthisyear with relocatedenginemount andalteredstiffness,newM Winglets3.0forevenmore downforce(30kgat186mph) whilekeepingthe195mph claimedtopspeed,eek!The rideraidspackagenowaddsa steeringanglesensortomake theslidemodesevensmarter (carshavehadthissortof thingfordecades,butthisisa firston abikewe reckon).

TheotherBMW1000toget enginemodsistheS1000R supernaked.It’sgot amild 5bhptweakupto apeak of170bhpnow –analmost

sensiblenumberinthis company –thankstoaltered intakeportsandmapping adjustments.

Asyouprobablyworked out, theS1000RRandM1000 Rbothstickwiththesame enginespecaslastyear,with ‘only’210bhpforthestandard superbikeandpremium hypernakedmachines.How willwesurvive?

Awayfromtheengine, theS1000RRgets anew aerodynamicpackagewith updatedwinglets,newbrake coolingductsandmore downforce;upby6kgto 23.1kgat186mph. Youalso get anewquick-action58° throttletwistgrip(shared onallthesenewmodels), tweaked bodyworkdesign, andupgradestotherideraid packagewhichnow includes the‘PRO’modesasstandard. FortheS1000 Ryouget anew ‘dualflow’twinheadlightand bodyworkdesignandmore rideraids:enginebrakecontrol isstandard.TheM1000 Ralso has abodyworkrefresh, finetuning tothetractioncontrol, and thenew quick-action throttle.

TheS1000RRstartsat £17,990andarrives inJanuary, theM1000 Rcostsfrom £19,990andS1000 R£13,760, bothhereinMarch,whilethe newM1000RRwillsetyou back aWSBK-approved(and verydecentconsideringthe performance) £32,850.

Ithits BMWdealers in April 2025.

HornetCB1000/SP CMX500and1100

Iknowwhatyou’rethinking –didn’twedo thisalready?

Well,yes:Hondafirstshowedthenew Hornet1000offaround thistimelastyear, as a2024model.It’skindahearteningto thinkthattheenormousmoto-industrial complexwhichisHondaisjustlikeus: Projectbikestakingmuchlongerthanyou thoughttheywouldtofinishoff…

Thebike,now a2025model,isa fairly standardHondatakeonthe roadstertheme: Anold(2017)CBR1000RRFirebladeengine, suitablydetunedfrom190to150bhpwith softcamsandlesscompression,boltedinto asteelframewithcookingrunninggearand neatstyling.Itweighs211kgwet,whichisn’t amazing,butisn’tterrible,andyouget afairly unremarkable2025-specsetofrideraids includingwheelieandenginebrakecontrols.

ButthebigH hasmadeupforthat 12-monthdelayintwoways: Firstly, it’s madethenewbike astone-cold bargain, with retailpricingthat’sseemingly from the1990s.Andtheengineershavealso produced acheekySPversion,thatnot onlyhasBremboStylemabrakesandan ÖhlinsTTX36 rearshock,butalsohasa unique new‘RevolutionaryControlled’(RC) valveintheendcan,whichclosesatlow revsthenopensat5700rpmforfull-power breathing.

Aswesaidthough,themostamazing thingisthepricing.Thestockbikeisjust £8999,whichlookslikeyou’dneedtoadd VATtoitorsomething.TheSPis agrand more,at£9999,alsoimpressive.Both bikeswillbeonsaleinJanuaryandwe’llbe ridingthemverysoon…

YoumaynotloveHonda’s CMXrangeofsoft-ish Japanesecruisers,but youhaveto respectthem fortheirmassivesales performance.

TheCMX500Rebelisa bighitwiththeA2licence brigade,somuchsothat Kawasakivirtuallycopied itwithitslatestEliminator 500,andtheAfrica Twin-poweredCMX1100 provides afull-powerhitin thesamevein.

Bothbikesget amodest refreshfor2025: The500 mostlyonthecosmetic andEuro5+homologation front,withthe46bhp 471cctwinmotorlargely unchanged.The1100now comesinthreemodels: BaseCMX1100, anew ‘T’touringvariantwith half-fairingandbaggerstylepanniersandan SEversionpackedwith bolt-onfactorycustom bits.Themotorhassome oftheupgradesseenon theAfrica Twinthisyear, withmore compression, differentcams,heavier flywheelandnewexhaust,plusride-by-wirethrottle. Peak powerisabout the same at 87bhp,butthere’s muchmorelow-downandmidrangegrunt. PricesandavailabilityfortheRebelsistbc,expectmorenews nextmonth.

CoolKawasaki

Z900

It’softenoverlookedforitsfancier retrosister,the Z900RS,butKawasaki’sZ900is abighitwith itsowners,andsitsnicelyinbetweenthemental supercharged ZH2and thesmallerZ650twinnaked.

It’sbeenoverlooked abit by Kawasaki too arguably:Butnolonger.For2025,the124bhpinlinefour948ccmotorgets ride-by-wirefuelinjection,the ancientaxial-mountfrontbrakecalipersare finally binnedinfavourofproperradial-mountparts,and there’s anIMU-basedsuiteof electronicrideraids. Youalsoget anew5inTFTcolourLCDdashboard thatincludesnavigationfunctions,pluscruise controlandanup/down quickshifter.

Asever,Kawasaki’salsoofferinganSEversion, whichfeaturesanÖhlins rear shockwith remote preloadadjusterandBremboradialmonobloc caliperswithBrembodiscs.No priceaswewentto press,buttheZ900willbeintheshopsinMarch.

Triumph’stastytrio

TigerSport800

Déjàvu? Well,yes –theHinckley firmsold aTiger800modelbetween 2010-2019,butit’skeentostress thisnewmachinehasnothingtodo withtheold‘un.Infact,it’sbasically agrown-up’sversionofthefirm’s verysuccessfulentry-levelTiger Sport660model.

Indeed,theengineonthisnew 798cc800triple isbasedon the samecrankcasesandcylinder headonthe660,butwith abigger boreandlongerstroketogetthose extraCC.

Thereare newpistons,withthe sameboresizeasthe765Street Triple, alongerthrowcrankthanthe 660,andfurthermodstothehead. The800alsohastriplethrottlebodies insteadofthelow-performance singlethroatdesignonthe660,and the resultis abeefy114bhppeak power,with83Nm(61lb-ft)oftorque and abroadrangeofgrunt. Similarly,thechassistakesits basiclayoutfromthe660,witha similarsteeltubeframedesign,and upratedrunninggear.

Triumph’saddedfully-adjustable 41mmUSDShowaforksanda rebound/preloadadjustable rear monoshockwith remotepreload

adjuster,Triumph-brandedfourpistonfrontbrakesand road-friendly castaluminiumwheelswithMichelin Road 5rubber.

Theelectronicspackageincludes corneringABSandtractioncontrol, cruisecontrol,quickshifter,LCD dashandBluetoothconnectivity, andtheTigerSport800willbe on saleinMarch,costingfrom £10,995.

Speed Twin900

Triumph’sgiventhenovice-friendly Speed Twin 900 retroroadstera tweakingforthenewyear.

Thefundamentalsare asyouwere: Theengineisthesamefriendly 64bhpparalleltwinSOHCunit,in alightlymoddedsteeltubeframe. SuspensionisnowbyMarzocchi, incommonwithmuch of the rest ofthe Triumphrange,andthere’s aradial-mountfrontbrakecaliper, freshbodyworkdesign anduprated electronickit.It’llbeintheshopsin Februarypricedat£9,195

Trident660

Aminor refreshforHinckley’s budget81bhp roadster:the£7,895

Trident660 getscorneringABS,new ShowaBigPistonforksandcruise control,aswellas astyling refresh.

TheKTMcollection

990DukeR

It’slike ahamsterwheelwithperformancebikesthese days:Thebig‘unshavebeengrowingandgrowingso the1000sarenow1100sandeven1350s,whilethe smallermiddleweightmachineshave alsoexpanded.

That’swhythenew2025990DukeR– an‘upper middleweight’machine– actually tipsitsmetaphorical hattothefull-boreKTMsupernaked of20 years ago:The 2005990SuperDuke.The2025990nowhas asimilar capacity andperformancetotheold990,albeitfroma 947cc parallel twin motorinstead ofthe999ccV-twinof old.Gotallthat?Good.

Fornextyearthen,the990DukeR getsanextra5bhp, upfrom 122bhp to127bhp, anda littlelessmass,down 2kgto190kg(thisis wheretheold bikeswin:The2005 990was just179kg).

Thepowergaincomes purelyfrommapping changes ratherthanany modstotheengineitself,so thecheeky Austrian gnomes alreadyhadthose 4bhp intheirpocket. We’restillpleasedtohave‘em though. Awayfromtheengine,KTM’smoddedtheframeand

swingarm,with anewlinkagefor more grip,extraground clearance,and afewdegreesmoreleanangle. TheWP APEXsuspensionisalsonew,withanOpenCartridge dampingmechanism on theforks,whichnowhave 48mmstanchions,upfrom 43mm.

Brakesaretop-endtoo, withBremboStylemafront calipers,larger320mmdiscsand aBremboMCSmaster cylinder,whileMichelinPowerCup 2tyresand1390 SuperDuke Rwheelscompletesthechassismods.

The electronicsaresharpenedup of course,withthe newKTM8.88inlandscape TFTLCD touchscreendash, refreshedswitchgear,andimprovedrideraids,including SportandSupermoto+ABSmodes.

Pricingistbc,andthebikeswillbeinshopsinJanuary.

2025KTM1390Super Adventure SEVO

Self-drivingcarsarestillscience-fiction,despitethe promises of ElonMusk.Butmanynewmodelscome close:Allmanner of computers,camerasandsensors takethestrainout of driving,withactivecruise-control andautomaticlane-keeping.

AndthislatestKTM SuperAdventure SEVOcomes closerthananythingwe’veseenintermsofapplyingthat technologytotwowheels.

Thebasictop-endadventurebikeisthere underall thetech,with asaucy170bhp,245kgwetmass,all the performanceridingaids,and anew CAMSHIFTvariable valvetimingsetupinthe1,350cc75° V-twin-powered motor.

ButKTM’sadded aseriesofclevertechupgrades, includingitsgiganticnew8.88inLCDdashboard,WP semi-activeelectronicsuspension,radar-assistedcruise controlandthefirm’snewautomatedmanualtransmission, withcentrifugalclutchandcomputerisedgearchanges. Evenmoreimpressively,theradarcruisecontroland automatictransmissionworktogetherintraffic,sothe bikewillactuallycometo acomplete stopwhenthe vehicleinfronthalts,thenpullawayagainwhenthetraffic movesoff. We imagineanautomaticsidestandwillbethe nextinnovation,forthetrulydenseridersoutthere… Nowordonpriceforthe2025 1390 Super AdventureS EVO,butitwillbeonsaleinFebruary.

MT-07

Yamaha’sdelightfulduo

Yamaha’sMT-07sitsattheheartof atasty middleweightrange:Itsengineand basicchassis layoutformsthebasisfortheR7,XSR700, Tracer 700and Ténéré models.Andfor 2025,thetuningforkfirmhasgiventhe neat roadster achassis andtechupgrade,aswellastheY-AMT automatic transmissionoption.

AndintheDucaticorner

There’sanewsteeltubeframewith revised swingarmpivotdesign,lessmassandmore rigidity.You alsoget alighter,slimmerswingarm design,andnewsuspension units:41mmUSD forksupfront,nowwithradial-mountfrontbrake calipersforthefirsttime. LighterSpinForged aluminiumrimswithDunlopSportmax Q5Atyres, newbodyworkandrevisedridingposition rounds offthechassismods.

Theelectronicssee abigger5incolourLCDdash fitment,andextendedrideraids,withtraction controlandpowermodes. Andyoucanalso specthebikewiththe Y-AMTautomatedmanual transmission,asseenontheMT-09lastmonth.No bigchangestotheenginefor2025:Itstickswith the74bhp 689cc 270°paralleltwinsetup. Pricingis tobeconfirmed,andit’llbeavailableearly 2025.

Tracer9

We’redefinitefansof Yamaha’sexcellent Tracer 900range:It’sapractical,quick,capableallrounderwithminimal‘adventure’styling. And for 2025, Yamaha’sgoneall-in,launchingarange offourmodels,withoptional Y-AMTautomatic transmission,premiumGTandGT+specversions, and aradicalnew LEDMatrixmultiple-headlight setupthatlookslike nothingelseoutthere. Thefour Tracermodelsstartoutwiththebase Tracer9,whichfeaturesthesamenew 7in colour LCDdashwhichiscommonacrosstherange, and aversionofthe LEDMatrixheadlight,witha corneringfunction.

TheposhGTandGT+models have asmarter LEDMatrixlightingsetup,adding asmart computerisedECUanda built-incameratothe mix.Thissetupanalysesthesceneaheadfor oncomingtraffic andambientlightlevels,before fine-tuningthelightoutputfromthebanksof highandlow-beamlightingpanelstosuit –cleverstuff. There’supratedKYBsuspension,withsemiactiveelectronickiton the GTandGT+,anoptional Y-AMTautomatictransmission,radar-assisted cruisecontrolonthepremiummodels,and upgradestotheIMU-assistedrideraidspackage. Asmartkeylessignitionoption nowalsooperates thesteeringlock,fuelcapandevencentrallyunlocksthefactorythree-case hard luggagesetup. No finalwordonprice –thoughthemassivespec listsuggeststhehigh-endmodelsmaybeonthe expensiveside.Thenew Tracer 9rangewillbein shopsinthespring.

Next-genDucatiV2motor released

Releasedjustbeforethe EICMA show;thenewmid-powerDucati V2engine fortheforeseeable future.

Thebignewsisthe firm’s droppedthedesmodromicvalves, andisusingcommonoldcoil springsforitsvalvecontrol.What next -hairpinsprings? Anyway,whatwelosein unique enginetech,we regainineasier servicing,possibly.Themotor islight -54.5kg –andisan 890ccDOHC8v90° V-twinwith oversquaredimensions(borex stroke of 96x61.5mm)andhigh compression, 13.1:1.There’s variabletimingontheintake camshaftwith ahydraulicvariator, chaincamdriveanda clever designthatlocatesthewaterpump inthefrontcylinder head,formore compactness.

It’snot amega-powerfulunit–just120bhpinhighpowerformat–andthere’salso a115bhpversion. That’snotbadfor asub-900twin (somethinglike aBMWF900R makesjust105bhp)andwillbe fineforthelikesoftheMultistrada V2,DesertXandMonstermodels. Butit’swelldownonthecurrent PanigaleV2’s 157bhp,soyou imagineit’llhavetodosomething elseforthat.

OURTOP THISMONTH PRODUCTS

Words: AlanDowds

Alpinestars Apriliajacket

RRP:£195 /https://store.aprilia.com

Alpinestarshas released anew rangeofkit,co-brandedwithAprilia.So,youget solid Astarsqualitygear,withthesweetdesigncuesofthe Noalebikemaker –smart. We like thisSpeedBlastAir Texjacket.It’sa textileitem,withextensiveventing andmeshpanels, idealforthe40-degreeheatItaly’sbeenhavingthissummer,perhapslesssoifyou livein GlasgoworNewcastle…FullNucleonFlexCEarmourpackagefor protection inshoulders andelbows,andyou’llwanttoadd yourownbackprotectororairbag.

Bull-it Trojan men’s

BritishridingjeansmakerBull-it has redesigneditsrangerecently,withthe firm’s ownCovecOneskin reinforceddenimcloth, andREZROlevel 1CEarmour. These Trojan jeanscomeinblack,withcopperstitching andantiquecopperrivets,andhavethe countouredarmourpanelsin hips andknees. Thebestbitisthesizesavailable:Bull-it offersshort, regularandlongleg fittings, so thosewhoarestumpyorstonkinginlimb lengthcanget abetter fit,withthearmour intherightplaces… Theyalsocomeinslim, straightoreasycutstylestosuitdifferent tastesandbodyshapes.Bull-italso has loadsofother optionsformenandwomen.

Summermighthave gottenawayforthisyear,butthat’snotstopped usthinkingtothe nextone.TheseDucatiCarreraSilverstoneshadeslookmuchbetterthan theoldgarage specialswe’vebeen reducedtolatelyandarespeciallydesignedtowearunder alid (thoughthefashion policewillbewatching…).Redlenses, redrubberleg tips,anda subtleDucatilogo roundofftheidealfancysunnies recipe.Nice.

ChineselidmakerLS2isexpandingitsrangeoncemore,with anewmattblack andorange‘Mud’graphicforitsDriftermulti-purpose urbanlid.TheDrifterisa convertibledesign,with aremovablechinbarandpeak,soitcanbeanopenfacejet lidonhotdays, afull-facewiththechinbar,oradventure stylewiththe peakaswell.Bothpartscomeoffinsecondswithouttools. Youget aproper ECE22.06-certifiedshellmadefrom LS2’s exclusiveKineticPolymerAlloy(KPA), compositematerial,whichweighsinatonly1300g.It’spackedwithventsand internalchannelling,has aremovablebreathable,hypoallergeniclining,anda micrometricbucklefastener.

micrometric buckle fastener.

Add-onLEDdrivinglightsare alltherageandmakeabigdifferenceto bothseeing and beingseenon abike. TheseOxfordCubeunitsare madefromtoughCNC anodised aluminiumpods,with 2.7-wattLEDlightelementsand afullywaterproofIPX7 rating.They comeinpairs,withintegralstainless-steelbracketsandeasy-connectingwire splices, sowillbesimpletoinstallonmost bikes.Oxfordalsooffers a‘Strip’linear version with similarspecs.

/www.oxfordproducts.com £319.99/ www.rst-moto.com RRP:£112.99 /www.sw-motech.co.uk

BritishaccessorymakerPyramidhas released anewsumpguardforthenew BMWR1300GS.It’saproperlysolidunit, madefromextra-strong AW5083aluminium/ magnesiumalloy,andprotects the entire undersideofthemotor –enginecasings, headerpipesandsump –fromstones,logs andotherdebristhrownupfromthefront wheel.Pyramidclaimsit’s muchtougherthan BMW’sstandardguard,andthe Britishunit ispowder-coatedintexturedmatteblack, withglosssilverinserts,forthat OEMlook. It’seasyto fit,usingthe bike’sstandard fitting holesandcomes withall fixings andfull instructions.

www.ruroc.com

WhetheryoulikeMarvelcomicsor not, manyofthesuperheroes haveentered thecultureingeneral.You’ll definitely recognisethe Wolverine,Deadpooland Venomcharacters,and nowBritish helmetmakerRuroc haslicensedthe graphicsforitshigh-endEOXrangeof helmets. TheDeadpooldesignfeatures metallicfoilswordlogos andsatin finish, whilethe Wolverinescheme hasamatt finish, andthe Venomlid hasadeep glosslacquer on top.Underthepaintis Ruroc’sflagshipcarbonEOX helmet,with 22.06approval,quick-releasevisorand super-wide215° field ofview. The Marveldesignsdolookpretty smart –butyou’llknowifthisisthesort ofthingforyou.

/www.nippynormans.com RRP:£174.99 /www.pyramidmoto.co.uk

Bikes liketheIndian FTR1200 don’thave anormalmetalfueltank,sothere’snoway to stickon amagnetictankbag.AndtheFTRalso hasaweirdlypositionedfuel filler capwith nosurround,soyou can’thave aclip-onone.So,onbikeslikethat,you need astrap-on device(fnnarr!)likethisSWMotech Legendsbag.Itattacheswithneatbuckles andquickreleaseclips,andadds asmallbutperfectlyformed 5.5-litre storagespace to anybike withease.Ithas adoubleoverlaplid,andanadd-onraincoverfortotalwaterproofing, has anicepremiumfeel,andsemi-classicdesigncues –idealfortheIndian.

Smartsport-styleleatherjacketfromUKbrandRST,the Tractechhasallthespec you’d want:toughcowhideoutershell;CELevelAAAapprovedconstruction; Level 2CEarmour in elbowsand shoulders; as well as asupplied Level 2backprotector.Aremovable thermallineraddscomfortall-year round,andthere’s auniversal joiningzipthatlets you attachthejackettoanyotherRSTridingjeans/trousers.Ithas alessaggressivecutfor morecomfortoffthebike,comeswithstacksofpockets,andhasfour colouroptions: black,white,blueorred.

Fitting alongermudguardisalmost thedefinitionofdull.Butcleaning up crapfromthefront of yourengineand watchingthe finish flakeoffand start to corrodeafter afewthousandwinter milesisarguablyworsethan dull.This AvantfenderextenderfromAmerican firmMachineartMotohas acunning designthatclips on tothestock mudguardwithoutdrillingormodifying anything.Itadds15.6cmtothelength and3.15cmtothewidth,andmatches the finish of thestockpart,which makes abig differencetothewater, mudanddebriscomingoffthe front wheel. Fitsinthreeminuteswithtwo screws is theclaim –easypeasy! Also availablefromtheUKimporterNippy Normansforloads of otherbikes.

Halvarssons Racken Jacketand RinnPants Jacket and Rinn Pants

I’msuremostofushavebeencaughtout by asudden change inthe weather, watching as thunder clouds rollin, withnoescape route. Perhapsthat iswhythosebikerswhoenjoy touringsooftenoptfor textiles.They keep you dry;theykeepyouwarm withtheir layering system;andtheykeepyou cool withexcellent ventingoptions.Sowhy bother to even consider aleather outfit? Doesn’t make sense, eh.Ordoesit?

Howabout awaterproof,leathertwo-piece suitthat you canwearyear-round? Asuit that you cantourin, enjoydailyridesin,or commutein,andnot worryifitrainsduring the journey? Nah. Notpossible.Well,allowme to introduce youtoHalvarssons.Established in Malung,asmall town in Sweden’sback country,thebrand boasts apassionfor

detailandthehighestlevelofprotection, developingitsleatherand textile garments usingonlythe finestqualitymaterials andfeatures to accommodate andprotect riders.

There wasonlyone waytocheck outthis claimandthat wastodonthe gearand ventureout on abike. Admittedly,the first time Iworethe jacketand pantsitwasdry, butwindy. Ispent agoodfewhoursout, stoppingfor abrew,and felt so relaxedin the outfitIalmostforgotIwas wearingfull leathers. Comfortable,light, and supple? Oh yes. Early days,but Iwasextremely impressed.

The Racken’scomfortisdowntothedurable water-repellenttreated softcownappa leather and concertinapanels inserted behindthe neck and runningdownfromeachshoulder with verticalzipsandmeshinner to aid airflow. ADryway+ 2.0functionalmembrane completesthetraditional, clean-cutdesign, protectingthe riderfromshowers.Weare alsotreated to TFL Cool System® technology whichhelps you, well, stay cool. Ihave known people sayyou should avoid wearing blackinhot weather,but apparently the colouractuallyhelpscool youdownduring the summer! So,inessence,thankstothe innovativetechnology builtinto the Racken, theblackleatherdoesn’t absorb moreheat thanlightercoloured materials.Oncetreated, 80 percentoftheheat radiationis reflected

away,andthe garmentcan be up to 20°C cooler.

At thehighestCEcertification,the ClassAAA Racken boaststriple stitching invulnerableareas. Reinforcementson theshouldersandelbowsare madeof HI-ART®materialwhichoffersa high abrasion resistance.Inaddition, you’ve got adjustable Level2protectors, andshould you fancyit, the Racken canalsoaccept aHalvarssons Okelbobackprotector insertand/or aHalvarssons Furudalchest protectorinsert, plusexpandingpanels will accept asuitableair bag, all availableasan option.There’s alsoa full waistzipwhich enables easy connection to the Rinn pants. Asittranspired,the rain godsdecidedto dumponmethenexttime Iwas out… and Ihavetosay thewaterproofmembrane reallycameinto its own, keeping me well andtrulydry,withnowettingout.Whether ornotthat would be the case shouldI getcaughtout in aserious thunderstorm would be atestforanother day, butIreckon it would have to be torrential andfora sustainedperiodtowet out.

As to the Rinn pants, material-wisethey areconstructed in asimilarfashion, with water-repellentcowhideand awaterproof, breathable membrane,plus aDWRcoating anduse oftheTFL Cool System Technology. Iwas particularly impressedbythe concertinastretch abovethekneesandin

the back belowthe waistline.You’vegot two zipped pockets,plus10-inch-longzips at the back ofthe bottom halfofthelegswhich arewideenough to fit easily over racingor touringboots.They arealsoverycomfortable to both walkaroundand ridein. Like the Racken,the RinnconformtothehighestCE approval,i.e.AAA.One thingtonoteisthat the Rinn pantsare onlyavailableinoneleg length.I’m sixfoot, withaninsidelegof32, andtheyare spot onforme.

In conclusion,the Rackenand Rinn are withoutdoubtnext-generationproducts. Theyare aqualityset,being versatile, durable,comfortable,and stylish, notwithstandingthefactthat theyset ground-breaking standardsfor safetyonthe road withthe AAACErating… go to the top ofthe class, Halvarssons.

Asfor sizing, the Rinn pantsrange from XS-5XL(28-44/EU46-62), and the Racken jacketXS-5XL(38-54/EU 48-64. Female riderswon’t be disappointedeither, becauseHalvarssons have thoughtofyou, too, inthe Vitsand jacketand Velen pant.

TESTEDBY:Mike

TIME: 6months

PRICE:Jacket£599.99, Pants£499.99

WEB: www.halvarssonsmc.com

WIN!

Youcanwina Duchinni YouthMichiganJacket worth £139.99, bysimply showingus YourRideon theMoreBikes Facebook site.Designed for youngstersfrom6-16 yearsold,theMichiganisa retro-stylewaterproof jacketmadetothesame highstandardsasadult motorcycleclothing.Rated AAforsafety,itcomes withfullCEarmour.For moreinfovisitwww. thekeycollection.co.uk

Forthosethatlovetheir bikes andtellingpeopleallaboutthem, this isyour time to shine.HeadovertotheMoreBikesFacebookpageandupload apic ofyour bike, telluswhereyou’vebeenonitandwhyyouloveit…andyoucould findyourself staringbackatyourselffromwithintheseverypages.Oh,and we’llalso picka winneratrandomeachmonthfor awell-earnedprize courtesy ofourfriendsatthe KeyCollection.Whatare youwaitingfor?

JasonFrancis SuzukiGSX-R1000

Asunnyday,a final-modelSuzuki GSX-R1000inblue,a twistyroad,anda bitofknee-downaction(weassume soonafterthisshot).Lovelystuff!

AnthonyElvy DucatiPanigale V4 SP AnthonyparkedupneartheOld LighthouseatDungeness,hisDucati PanigaleV4lookingverysmartinblack, matchingthelighthousetower…

IanHolme Benelli Tornado Ianwashavingdoublethefunwithnot one,butTWOBenelli TornadoTretriple superbikesatAngleseyoverthesummer. Becoming rarenowthesebikes,you don’toftensee‘em ontheroad.

JustinKrebs DucatiMultistrada Justinisfullyequippedforthelong run withhissmartDucatiMultistrada, completewithengine bars, front bags, GoPromount,andsmartmatching Ducatihelmet.

SteveBird Scooter

Evenonhissunnysummerhols, Steve Birdwasonthelookoutforhot two-wheeledaction.Thisfull-factory scootersidecarcombolookslikeithas seensomeincredibleaction downthe years,topwork.

YourRide

WINNINGRIDE

WINNER -DavidHarrison HondaCB1300 AbigCB’snotsomethingyouseeeveryday.Great choiceofbike,David.

RussellHale Ducati 749S

Mellowyellow –what astunner.Thanks forsharing, Russell.

BarrySmith HondaEnduro

We’reassumingthisisapic fromlast winter,Barry?Nonetheless,we applaudyourantics.Enjoythetrails..

ColinJump BraceofGuzzis

AnyotherGuzzilovers out there? Nicetoseethis pair lookingsoloved.

DaganHyde Isthisthemost iconicbike on themarket?Thanksforsharing,Dagan.

IanTuddenham DucatiScramblers Outinthewildandliving theirbest life.

Jannette Gray YamahaRD350 What acrackingthrowback. Who doesn’twantanRD intheirgarage?

MichaelO’Hara Triumph Tiger Theonlythingbetter than aTigerisa BondTiger.Assumingrocketsandan ejectorseataren’t fittedasstandard?

RobMcGinley TriumphT100 Nicebikeandniceview.Thanksfor sendingitto us,Rob.

BMW R1300 GSA:

Is bigger better?

Words: Bruce Photos: Oli Tennent

With amonstrous30-litretank, 269kilosofBavarianbulk,and moregadgetsthan aBondcar, thenewBMW R1300GSAisn’t exactlylacking.It’spacked with power,tech,andadevilishability totackletrailsandtwistiesalike. Butisthisheavyweight reallythe kingofadventure?

Thatquestionwasbouncing aroundmyheadas Istruggledto takeinthelarger-than-life realities ofthenewGSA.Okay,it’snotas ifthelastiterationwas atiddler butseeingoneoftheseinthe flesh,withitsall-encompassing 30-litrefueltank,hadmeasking questionsaboutBMW’ssanity. Am Isoldonthelooks?Not really, butlotsofpeopleare,soI’llpark myhumbleopiniononthestyling andmoveontothenextfactorto hithome –thesheer weightofthe thing.

At269kiloswet,this isa machinethatyou’dnotwantto droponyourworstenemy(well, maybenot),letaloneyourself.

Buthavingcocked alegoverthe relativelynarrow,longsaddleand wobbledthebikearound,itdidn’t takemuchimaginationtoseehow throwingitatthegroundcouldbe alltooeasy.Admittedly,alotof theweightinthebikeispackaged niceandlow,withthelatest generationBoxertwinmotor (thesame145bhpenginethat’s foundinthe1300GS)sittingat

shinheight,withenoughground clearancefor theoddpesky boulder but stilllowenoughto save therider’supperbodyfrom asadistic-styleworkout.Afterall, motorcyclesare supposedtobe fun,right?Ofcourse,there’sonly somuchreckoningyoucando whenitcomestonewbikesand determininghowgood theyare to ride.Togetthetruestory,you’ve gottogetstuckinand go fora blast,whichiswhathappened soonafterI’dbeengivena talkoverof thenewmodels’features. Inessence, thenew1300GS providesthebackbonetothe GSAinmorewaysthan one, withthesameframe,swingarm, Teleleversystemandfrontcowl styling.Themajordifferencesare thebiggertankandtheheavier dutysubframe,thatcontribute significantlytowardsthebike’s hikeof32kgoveritsslightly smallerbrethren.Asforthetech, alotofthatcrosses over,too, butthisisthepointatwhichI needtoflagupthatthe options andvarietiesofspecfortheGSA are prettygargantuan,withfour colourwaysandthreedifferent specson thecards.

Mybikefortheday wasa fully loaded‘Option719’Karakorum, whichcamewithgreenpaint,gold wheelsandsomanyrideraids ithadmyheadspinning.It’llset youbackatleast£20,905and

there’sscopetocrankthat figure evenhigherifyouchooseany numberof optionalextras,such astheAkrapovicsilencersthat wereslotted on mine –costing atear-jerking£925 –orthe Adaptive VehicleHeightControl, whichmymachinealsosported… tothetuneofanextra£515. You getthepoint.Ifyourwallet’sbig enough,theworld’syouroyster onthisthing.Butincludedinthe TEspec –whichformsthebasis ofthisbike– arequite afew premiumfeatures,suchasPro ridingmodes,heatedpillionand riderseats,plusanelectronicallyadjustedwindshield.Overthe years,BMW’s builtup aplethora ofgreattechforitsmodels, regardlessofthe genre,andit soon hitmethatthe only thing thisbikewaslackingwasthe proverbialkitchensink. Knowingfirsthandhowlooks canbedeceiving on bikeslike this,I’lladmitthat Istillhadhigh hopesfortheridingexperience ofthisthing,thatsoongained momentumwhen Islippedthe fancy719-specadjustablespan leverandfeltthetorque of the Boxercomeintoplay.Asbigas thisbikemightbe,anddespite thefacttheGSA‘only’ claims tomake145bhp,I’lladmitthe torqueofthethingquickly got myadorationastheBeemer scurrieduptospeedat aratea

bikethissizesimplyshouldn’t.

With aclaimed149Nmontap, withpeaktorqueatjust6500rpm, itshouldhavebeennosurprise thatthisthingwouldprovefar morefruitythanitslookswould suggest,withtheonlylimitation beingthesuccession of speed limitswewerefindingonour route. Icouldn’twaittostretchthe bike’slegsandseewhetherthe low-downoomphstayedforthe wholeshow,orwhetheritwasjust apartytrickdownlow?Whatever thecase,onfirstimpressions,it didn’t doitselfanyharm,andnor didthetech.

Anotherfeatureonthebikeis adaptivecruisecontrol,which meant Icouldputmy feetupon thecylinders,whilethemotor cruisedat asetspeed,adapting automaticallywhen avehiclein frontdecidedtothrow havocinto themix.Lifefeltprettychilledon thisthing,madeallthesweeterby thebigscreen,settoitshighest position,thatprettymuchmeant theelementscouldn’ttouchme.

Yougetthepoint.Armedwith alloftheaforementioned,plus abig,comfy seatand relaxed, widebars, Iwasstartingtobuyin tothistouringmalarkey,butthat sideofthepicturesoonvanished whenwemadeitupontosome twisty,mountain roadsandthe lesser-exposedheadbangingside ofthebikegottickled.I’vesaid itbefore,andI’llsayitagainthat

theGSandGSA aresomeofthe mostaudacious,unimaginably playfulmachinesonthemarket. Kneedown,jumps,driftandso much more…I’vedoneitallon thesebikes,thathave alsocarried meacrossfarawaycontinents alongsomeofthemostarduous trailsontheplanet. Whiletheday’s ridingwasn’tsettotakeinany hardcoreoff-road,unfortunately, Ididhave abitof aplay around onsome roughstuffwhilewaiting myturnonaphotoshoot,being remindedhowwellbalanced and pliablethebikewas. Thesecretwiththisthingis confidenceand forgetting about itssize. Dothatandyou’ll beable to capitaliseontheridiculous turningcircletheBeemer’sgot, butalsohowdocileandusable the engineis.Ontick-over, thisthingwillpullyouaround withnoqualms,butbehindthe sedatesideofthetwinis amuch morefierysidethatcomes out toplaythesecondyouaskit. RidinginDynamicPromode, withthetractiondialleddown toitsminimum(youcan’tturn itoffaltogether),theelectronic suspensionstiffenedupandthe characteristicofthebikeinits sportiestof personas,theBMW provedanabsolutehootthrough theflowoftight bends wewere riding.

Youonlyhavetotouchthe ride-by-wirethrottleandthe

connectiontothe rearwheel feelsnotjustinstantaneous,but clinical,too,asyouaskformore orlessdrive.Pullthethrottle fullybackandtheGSAwantsto crackonatanawesomerateof knots,whiletheexhaustbarks out adeep,enticingsoundtrack. Thatnoiseonlygetsbetterwith downshifts,usingthebike’s slickblipper,asthebarksand burblesofthefuellingaddeven morecharacterintothemix.One thing Isoonlearnedwasthelack ofneedtobeabsolutelyclinical withyourgearchoiceastheraft oftorquemeantthemotorwould pullthroughmostscenarios,even whenridinginthecompletely wrongchoice.

Asforthewayithandles,let’s justsayitsurprisesthere,too.It is abigunit,there’snogetting aroundthat,butitisn’tafraid ofleanangle,and,thanksto itslongwheelbaseanddecent suspension, Ifounditpretty stable,too.Anywallowingthat doesjointhepartyissoon ironedout,leaving youwitha bikethatis readytoattackthe nextbend.On apositivenote, the Teleleverfrontenddefinitely offers asupportedstance,but itlacksinfeelandonsomeof thesketchier,awkward hairpins Irode, Ididn’twanttopushmy lucktoomuchwith thisthing–morefeedbackwouldmakethe ride alotbetter. Attherear,you almostgettoomuchinformation, exaggeratedby thesensation ofnothingtolittlehittingyouup front.AsI’velearnedwiththe GS/GSA off-road,it’s something youjusthavetolearntotrustand hopethegrip’sthereasyoulob thisthingonitsside.Rightlyor wrongly,thatwasmyapproach anditdidn’tdomeanyharmas wetickedofftheday’srideand headedto aprivateplaypento exploreabitmoreoftheBMW’s naughtyside. Whilewheeliesmightbe consideredcompletely inappropriatebythelikelyend userthatbuysoneofthese,I couldn’t helpbutindulgein afew, realisingthat,onceagain,looks canbeverymisleading, because thisthingisanabsolutebeastin thatdepartment.Thesamegoes

forskids,with rearwheeldrifts inEnduroPro modeprovingan absolutehoot.Ofcourse,nobox ofridingtrickswouldbecomplete without aburnout,whichproved easiersaidthandone. Whenyou messarounddoingstufflikethis on abike,youlearn thingsyou justwouldn’tknow otherwise, includinghowcontrollingthe bike’stractionsystemis. Asmentioned,youcan’tturn itoffaltogether(or,atleast,I couldn’t),butwiththebikein EnduroPro,theslipislesslimited thaninanyothersetting…butit stillruinsthepartyasataround 3-4000rpmthe revs arelimited. Anotherthingthathadtobe switchedofftodoaburnoutwas theHillHoldfunction;a system

thatmadesenseonthe roads butcausedchaoswhentrying tospinthe rearwheel.Allofthe changing of settingsgavemea good chanceto reacquaintmyself withtheBeemer’stechandhow easily it is altered. Isayeasily–it’sactuallyquiteconvolutedwhen comparedto othermarques’ offerings,because,modesaside, youhavetodivedeep into the TFT dashandskirtthrough severalscreensto findthefeature you’reafter.Withsomuchinfo andchangeability on tap, Iget whythishastobethecase,but Ithinkitcouldbesimpler.To tryandeasethatburden,BMW didintroducewhattheycall the ‘burger’buttonontheleft switchgear,which givesyoua quickaccessmenutofeatures suchasheatedseats,butnot everything’sonthere…andeven ifyouknowwhatyou’re looking for,it’snotalwayseasyto find withinthedepths of themachine’s multitude of screens.Ofcourse,if youownedone, Idaresayyou’d soongetyourheadaroundthe offeringsandmakethechanges requiredsothatyoudon’t haveto faffaroundsomuch.

Withjust alimitedamount of timebehindthebigbars,it’sfair tosaythetechhadmeasking morequestionsthanfinding answers,butmaybethatsays moreaboutmethantheGSA. What Idoknowisthatthelion’s shareofthefeatures reallywon me over,withone of thebestbits oftechbeingthealteringseat height.Below20mphitdrops to itslowestposition,before raising upabovethatspeed.At5’9”,I’m hardly agiant,but Ifeltprettywell perchedontheBMWandcould getbothfeet on the groundwhen needed.

BMW R1300 GSA (Option719)

Engine Type:1300cc, flattwin Bore xStroke:106.5mm x73mm

Compression:13.3:1

Fuelling: Electronicfuelinjection

Claimed Power: 145bhp @7750rpm

Claimed Torque:149Nm @6500rpm

Electronics

RBW/DriveModes: Yes

TractionControl: Yes

ABS: Yes

WheelieControl: Yes

LaunchControl:No

QuickShifter: Yes

Autoblipper: Yes

Chassis Frame: Two-partframeconcept

Front Suspension:BMWMotorradEVO-Telelever

RearSuspension:BMWMotorradEVO-Paralever

Front Brakes: Twin310mmdiscs,4-pistonradialbrake calipers

RearBrakes:Single 285mmdisc, 2-pistonfloatingcaliper

Dimensions

Wheelbase: 1534mm

SeatHeight:870/890mm

WetWeight:269kg

FuelCapacity:30litres

Price:

New: (from)£20,905

Contact: www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk

Asmallerdetail, butsomething worthnotingon abikeofthis size.Andthatbringsme back tomyinitialthoughtsaboutthe sheersizeofthisthing.There’s nogettingawayfromitand, thoughwhenridingyoudon’t appreciatehowvastthattankis, itisstillsomethingof awhopper

whichwillsplitopinionslike MarmiteonChristmascake–justmethen?Thepointis,there willbethosethat’llbedrawnto thisbikelike amothto aflame, whileotherswillseeitinwords that Ibetternottype.The big questionis,whichsideare youon?

NOVEMBER

What’sgoing on?

Ifyou’relookingforanexcusetogetout andabout on yourbike,takea lookatthese upcoming events…

22-24:Fimbulvetr –TheGreatWinter at theSeacote Hotel,Beach Rd,StBees, CumbriaCA270ES.Tickets£20ongate. Moreinfo’fromFacebook

23:NewcastleChopperClub’sMotorcycle AutojumbleatTheClubhouse,Miller’s Lane,Swalwell,Gateshead, Tyne &Wear NE163DZ.Stalls£5,entry£1.Moreinfo’ from07889699673orFacebook

24:MudPluggersDayatthe AceCafe, London. More info’fromwww.london. acecafe.com

24:’NormousNewarkAutojumbleat NewarkShowground,LincolnRoad, Coddington,Newark,NottsNG242NY. Moreinfo’fromwww.newarkautojumble. co.uk

24:Blackpool ToyRunfromTheShovels, CommonEdgeRd,MartonMossSide, Blackpool,LancsFY45DHat11am. Tickets £5.Moreinfo’fromnaomiowen@ outlook.comorFacebook

24:Mid-KentAuto &BikeJumbleat LockmeadowCountyHall,BarkerRoad, Maidstone,KentME16 8LW. Tickets £3.Moreinfo’from 01732840787or midkentsautojumble@outlook.com

30:UnicornDiner’sChristmasToyRun fromUnicornDiner,Hoddins Way, Long Sutton,LincsPE129JBat9.30am. More info’fromFacebook

30:Boyd’sWinterBlastat Rushden TransportMuseum,StationApproach, Rushden,Northants(NN100AW).More info’fromwww.boydsofbedford.com

DECEMBER

1:BikeDay &AceCafeClubDayXmas MeetattheAceCafe,London.Moreinfo fromwww.london.acecafe.com

1:Christmas ToyRunatSammyMiller MotorcycleMuseum,BashleyCrossroads, NewMilton,HampsBH255SZ.More info’ fromwww.sammymiller.co.uk

1:ReadingCMA’sReading ToyRunfrom Thames ValleySciencePark,Gateway Building,CollegiateSquare,South Ave, Reading,BerksRG29LHat11am.More info’fromwww.readingtoyrun.blogspot. com

1:Wishmakers’SurpriseEventat The SmokehouseOrmesby,GrangeHotel, YarmouthRd,OrmesbyStMargaret, Great Yarmouth,NorfolkNR293QG. Moreinfo’fromFacebook

5:KrazyHorseFilmNight(EasyRider) atAbbeygateCinema,HatterSt,BurySt Edmunds,SuffolkIP331LZ.More info’ fromwww.krazyhorse.co.uk

7:Dusty’sCustoms’ChristmasCharity NightatUgieHouseHotel,ChurchRd, Keith,AberdeenAB555BR. Tickets £10.Moreinfo’from 07724136822 or Facebook

8:’NormousNewarkAutojumbleat NewarkShowground,LincolnRoad, Coddington,Newark,Notts NG242NY. Moreinfo’fromwww.newarkautojumble. co.uk

8:BikeDayattheAce Cafe,London. Moreinfo’fromwww.london.acecafe. com

8:Cambridge VolunteerBikers’ Great MincePieRunfromMcDonalds,Abbey RetailPark, Harrison Way, St.Ives, CambsPE274AEat9am.Moreinfo’ fromFacebook

14:QRRAChristmasPartyatThe Clubhouse,off FavershamRd, Newnham,Kent(ME90BE).Moreinfo’ fromwww.qrra.co.uk

14:4Fs’ChristmasPartyatTrimley Sports &SocialClub,HighRd, Trimley StMartin,Felixstowe,SuffolkIP110RJ. Moreinfo’fromFacebook 15:XmasToyRunat10.30amatthe AceCafe,London.Moreinfo’from www.london.acecafe.com

15:XmasCarolServiceattheAceCafe, London.Moreinfo’fromwww.london. acecafe.com

15:MablethorpeSandRacingatThe Beach,Mablethorpe,Lincs.Moreinfo’ fromwww.mablethorpesandracing. co.uk

22: Bike Day at theAceCafe,London. Moreinfo’fromwww.london.acecafe. com

26:Cold Turkey MeetattheAceCafe, London.Moreinfo’fromwww.london. acecafe.com

29: Bike Day at theAceCafe,London. Moreinfo’fromwww.london.acecafe. com

JANUARY2025

1:New Year’sDayMotorcycleMeet atSammyMillerMotorcycleMuseum,

BashleyCrossRoad,NewMilton, HampsBH255SZ.Moreinfo’fromwww. sammymiller.co.uk

2:KrazyHorseFilmNight(TheBlues Brothers)atAbbeygateCinema, Hatter St,BuryStEdmunds,SuffolkIP331LZ. Moreinfo’fromwww.krazyhorse.co.uk

5:New YearAutojumble at Whitewebbs Museumof Transport,WhitewebbsRd, Enfield,LondonEN29HW.Moreinfo’ fromwww.whitewebbsmuseum.co.uk

19:MablethorpeSandRacing at The Beach,Mablethorpe,Lincs.Moreinfo’ fromwww.mablethorpesandracing.co.uk 24-26:OgriMCC’sKickstartRally at the OgriClubhouse,KembleAirfield,Gloucs GL76BQ.Moreinfo’fromwww.ogrimcc. org 26: Talmag50thAnniversaryPre65 Trial atHungryHill,offtheA325,Aldershot, HantsGU111PZ.Moreinfo’fromwww. talmag.co.uk

FEBRUARY

2:MablethorpeSandRacingat The Beach,Mablethorpe,Lincs.More info’ fromwww.mablethorpesandracing. co.uk

6:KrazyHorseFilmNight(WildHogs) atAbbeygateCinema,HatterSt,Bury StEdmunds,SuffolkIP331LZ.More info’fromwww.krazyhorse.co.uk

16:MablethorpeSandRacing at The Beach,Mablethorpe,Lincs.More info’ fromwww.mablethorpesandracing. co.uk

YamahaMT-09 Y-AMT: Allthegear…

Bikeswithautogearboxesseemtobethe ‘in thing’rightnow,withrecentadditionstothe marketcomingfromBMW,KTM,Honda and, now,Yamaha. We gavethe latter brand’s new,fancy Y-AMTsystem aspintosee whether it’s thegamechangerwe’relookingfor.

Words: JohnMcAvoy

Thisisn’tthe first timethat Yamahahave dabbledwithgearboxesthatare operatedby hand.They dipped theirtoeintothe concept backin2006withtheFJR1300YCCS,which was aprettyagriculturalhydraulicsystem,even bythestandardsoftheday.However, itdid signalintentby Yamahathatthere wassome merittobehadbypushing abuttoninstead ofactuating acrude,leverlongenoughto accommodate abootedfootunderneathit. The FJR1300YCCScameandwentinthe blinkof aneye, andbeingblunt,it wasnever missed. Fastforward nearly20years,andthanks entirelytothefactthatbikesarenowallrideby-wire–something Yamahawere thefirst to putintoproduction –andwithseemingly alltheelectronicrideraidsknowntoman havingbeeninventedandimplemented onto justabouteveryqualitymotorcycle,Yamaha havedecidedtorevisit theclutchlessgearbox again,butthistimefrom adifferentangle.Now withthe benefit ofquickshifters andECUs whichfeedoff informationaboutliterallyevery aspectofthemotorbikeANDwhichinturn makesdecisionswiththatinformation,the clutchlessgearboxnowhas awholenewset oftechavailabletodaythanwhatitdidback in2006.Thinkofthenew Y-AMT(Yamaha–AutomatedManual Transmission)systemdoing togearboxesandclutcheswhatride-by-wire didtothrottlebodies.It’sstill amechanical movement,butelectricallycontrolledbased on dataprovidedbythebike’s mainECUabout whatthebikeisdoingatanygivenmoment. Thegeniusofhowthesystemworksisits simplicity.Itliterallyusestheexact same

clutchand gearbox astheMT-09,buthas one electricmotor/solenoid thatvia averysimple mechanicalleversetupactuates theclutch, andanotherwhich rotatesthe gearboxselector drumdependingonwhetherit’sanupshift or downshift.Thereisliterallynodifference betweenthetwoenginesandenginecases becausethe Y-AMTsystem retrofitstothe engine,and can be retrofittedtoany current Yamahaengine.

Thesystemhasits owncontrol unit(anMCU) which,inautomaticmode,controls the twosolenoidsbased on revs,throttle position,speedand gear position to decidewhatsort ofgearshiftyou’re goingto get –upordown– ifanyat all,andwhenyou’re goingtogetit.In manualmode,thesystemdoeswhatever youtellitto,whenyoutellit.

When Ipressedthe Y-AMTdesigner, Tamemasa Tukuma,ifwe’re likelytoseethe systemon asportsbike,all Icould getfrom himwasthatit fitsdirectlytotheirCP-2and CP-3enginesasitis,soexpecttoseeitat somepointdownthelineasanoptiononany of Yamaha’sbikeswiththoseengines,but whether or notit’llappear on asportsbike remainstobeseen.Havingsaidthat, Imust admittobeing abit surprisedthat of allthe bikesintheirrangeYamahachosetodebut thesystem on,theychosetodoawaywiththe clutch on the onebikewhicharguablybenefits fromhaving aclutchthemost.

TheMT-09 issuchabrilliantbike,andit’s greatfora lotof reasons,notleasthoweasy itistowheeliewith awhiffofclutch in just

Likewhatyou’ve read? Well,fora wholelotmorehighoctane,fast-paced news, reviewsand testslikenoother, scan thislinkand bagyourselfanissue ofFastBikes today.

aboutanygear.Granted,wheelies aren’tforeveryone,butifindulgingin theoddspontaneous,impromptubitof tomfooleryis,nothaving aclutchlever to maketheprocesssmoothandeasy is aproblem.

TheMT-09 Y-AMTworksoutat£550 dearerthanthe regularMT-09,which istheonlyonethatthesystemis optionalon –inall colours–butnotthe MT-09SP,sothequestionis,isitworth it? Well,typicallythereisn’tastraight answertothatquestion,but Iwasone oftheluckyoneswith aseatonthe planetoBarcelonafor a350kmride intothePre-PyreneesregionofSpain ononetofindout.

Asthenamesuggests,there’retwo modesthatthesystemcanworkin: Automatic(whichyoucanactually overridemanually),orfullymanual, whichwon’t doanythingunlessyoutell itto. Istartedoutinautomaticmode, becausetheabsenceofaclutchlever andgearleverwere alreadymessing withmybraintoomuchtoalsohave to dealwithpushingbuttonstochange gearaswell. Ipreferredtogosoftlysoftlytobeginwith,andall Ihadto dowasengage firstgear bypushinga button,thenforgetaboutit. Pressing thebuttonproducesthefamiliar mechanicalsoundof abikeclunking into firstgear,whichwas abitodd becausemyleftfoothadn’tdoneit.

We headedout andgotintothe ride, whichstartedwithsomemotorway mileswhich revealedthe firstsignthat thisautomaticgearboxis nothinglike anyother automaticgearboxbefore. Of course,strictlyspeakingit’snot automatic,it’sacompletelynormal manualgearboxthat’sjustbeing controlledbymotorsinsteadofme. Ifyou’recruisingalongat aconstant speedandcrackthethrottleopenfor aquickburstofacceleration,there’s nodelaywaitingforthegearbox to‘kickdown’.Instead,bythetime thethrottle reachesthestop,it’s alreadyshifteddown agear,andthe accelerationispilingon.It’sseriously impressiveandisdowntolotsof factorsofcourse –principallyall theinformationgoingtotheMCU fromthebike’sECU –butalsothe factthatintegratedin thesystemis Yamaha’slatestquickshifter,whichwill downshiftonanopenthrottle.Asthe gearboxswopscogs,itdoessowith areassuringlyfamiliarandpositive clunkthatmakesanentirelydigitally controlledprocessfeelsurprisingly analogue.It’sbrilliant.

Whenthe roadstartedgettingtwisty, andthepaceincreased, Iwas really impressedhowitwasswoppinggears atvirtuallytheexactsamemoment Ithought,‘Abackshift wouldbe goodright now’or‘Icould do with ashortshifthere’or‘Ireallyhopeit doesn’tshiftatallhere,andjustlets mehangontotherevstomynext brakingmarker’.I’dsaythatafterabout 50kmoffairlyhightempo ridingon mountainpasses,itprobablydid ashift that Iwasn’texpecting,ordidn’twant maybejustthreeorfourtimes.

What’sreallyimpressiveaboutit

inautomaticmode, is howunlike normal/actualautomatic gearboxes, whenyou’rebraking,itdoesn’twait untilyoupickthe throttlebackupin thecornertodoit’sdownshifting, the Y-AMTsystemdownshiftswhen you’rebraking,sowhenyougetinto thecorner,you’reattheright revsand gear readytogetbackonthegas. Thegearpatternandtimingofshiftsis verynatural.

Timetouptheantebyputtingthe MT-09insportmode,andthe Y-AMT intomanualmode.I’m genuinely nervousat first, because I’mworried thatthere’ssomuchmusclememory in my brainandbody that Ijust won’t beabletoadapt to it. It’s truethatat first Icouldn’t rememberwhichway topushthebuttonforupordown, orevenwherethebuttonwas,but justlikeadapting to abikewhich hasitsgearleverset to theraceshift pattern,after awhileyoujuststart doingit,anditseemsnatural.Even thoughitdidn’ttakelongatalltoget comfortablewiththewholeidea of notusingmylefthandandfoot to shiftgear,itwasalwaysin theback ofmymindthatwhat if something unexpectedhappenedand Ineeded to relyon reflex?

One-hundred-and-fiftykilometresin, andconsideringwewereagroup of eightpeoplefromtheUKmotorcycle press,andwewereridingMT-09s, universally recognisedasone of the mostwheelie-ablebikesintheworld, thelackofone-wheelanticswas notablebytheirabsence. Therewere plentyofattemptsusingbruteforce, whichmostlyjust fizzled outbefore reachingthepreciousbalancepoint, butnothinglikewhatwouldhavebeen thecaseiftheywere‘normal’MT-09s. Thetruthis,thereare only twoways youcanwheelieanMT-09 Y-AMT. Oneofthemiswiththeassistanceof acrest,andtheotheristouse first gearquite aggressivelyandstabthe +buttonto get second gear engaged justasthefront wheelapproaches thebalancepoint,andyou’re away. So,you’rebasicallylimitedtothose twoscenariosfor somenaughtiness, whereasonthenormalMT-09,you can flicktheclutch leveratanytime in thefirstthreegears,whichcoversjust abouteverycorneryou’llevercome acrossanywhereintheworld.

Whyam Igoing on aboutwheelieing somuch? Well,there’retwo reasons. Oneisthatwe’vealreadycovered thelatest2024MT-09andMT-09SP inthemag,soI don’twanttouseup valuablepagespace on regurgitating whatwe’vealreadysaidaboutthe bike,and Iwanttofocusontheonly thingthatisdifferentwiththisone, whichisthe gearshift,andhowifatall itchangesthebike’sdynamicswhich wealreadyknow, andbeing alotless accommodatingat oneofitsparty tricksisworthyofnote.Thesecond reason is thatitmatters,becausefor somepeoplewheeliesareabig partof whytheyenjoyridingbikes,andwhile withthe Y-AMTtheycanbedone,the circumstancesinwhichtheycanbe

donearelimitedsomuchso,thatI’d havetosayforanyonewho getstheir kicksthatway,the Y-MATprobably isn’tforyou.

However,withthegreyareaof wheeliesdealtwith, andconcentrating onjusttheridingexperience, the Y-AMT systemis alittlegem.It’sseriously impressivehowitbringstogether all the bike’senginebrakingstrategies,blipper, andnow apairofsolenoidstooperate theclutchandgearbox’sshiftdrumis brilliant.It’ssofastatback-shiftingthat it’slike avideogame, andifa thirdgear cornerunexpectedlyturnsinto asecond gearcornerwhenyou’realreadyleant over,asitdidonme afewtimesduring theday,juststabthe ‘–‘buttonwithyourthumb, andlike thatyou’reintherightgear,andthe extra revsarepullingyouupmid-corner withoutoverloadingthefronttyre. Igotseparatedfromthe group at onepoint,andforaboutthenext 10km Iwentintofull‘beast’mode tocatchthembackup. Iwasfully focusedonwhereIwasbrakingand howmuch Iwasgoingtocommit toeachcornerdependingonhow far Icouldseethroughit,andhow earlyandhowhardIcouldget on the throttle. Icompletelystoppedthinking aboutusingthebuttonstoshift gear andwasjustdoing it. Idon’thonestly think Iwouldhavebeenabletoride anyquickerusingmyfoottoshiftgear with aquickshifter/blipper.

Yamahaclaimthatthe Y-AMTsystem swopsthecogsin0.1 seconds,which isthesameas aquickshifter/blipper setup,andwhilethatmightbethe case, Ifeltlikethe Y-AMTshiftwas muchmoredirectandpositivethan aquickshifter/blipperwhichcan–dependingonthesystem –feel abit lazyanddigital. Withthe Y-AMT,you canfeelthecogs swoppingvia ajolt throughthe chassis; it’s amuchmore mechanicalsensationwhich Imuch preferto ashifter/blippersetup.

So,backtomyoriginalquestion,is itanygood? Yes,as apieceofnew technologyitisextremelyclever,and veryinnovativehowitworksbyusing what’salreadythere.Thesystemadds 2.8kgtothebike’sweight,whichis probablywhyyouwon’t seeitona hardcoresportsbikefor awhile,ifever. Onsomethingwhere weightislessof anissue, Iexpectthe Y-AMT system willstartpopping up, andthe casefor itisstrong.

It’snotwithoutitsshortcomings though. Youcan’t bumpstart abike whichhas aY-AMT system fitted,so ifyouget aflat batteryonone, apush downthestreettogetitstartedisn’t anoption,you’llneed ajump-pack,or tochargeyourbatterybeforeyougo anywhere. Also,ifitfailswhenyou’rein agear,togetitinto neutralyou haveto remove asidecoverand fiddle about with alever,whichisnotideal.Better tojust fit aclutchlever,whichisentirely possiblesincetheengine,clutchand gearboxareidenticaltotheMT-09,but Yamahasayno. Also,onmorethan oneoccasionthematerialonthetipof thethumbofmyglovewouldcatchthe ‘–‘button,andactuate adownshift,so there’ssomeworktobedoneoneither thesensitivityofthebutton(s)ortheir location,orboth.

As apieceoftechnology,Y-AMT is simplybrillianthowitdeliversinboth automaticandmanualmode.It’staken thewholeride-by-wiretechnologyand applieditto anewelementoftheriding experience.Itworks,it reallydoes, buthasit revolutionisedtheprocess ofshiftinggear?I’mnotsure,butthen realistically,I’mnotthetargetcustomer for aY-AMT bike. Yamahaarequite openthatthey’reaimingthisat amuch, muchyoungergenerationofriders, andfurthermoreriderswhoare more interestedintouringoradventuring thanme,andinthosescenarios,the Y-AMTsystemcouldbetransformative, justnotforme.

Q&A

Q.Iamnot afanof ourLycra-cladcousinson twowheelsLastsummerIhadtakenmyold PanEuropean(Iknowit’snotthesexiest bike inthe world, butitisbloomin’ reliable!)fora pre-bookedMoT.Now,whilstthe MoThad run out, itis perfectlylegal to ride to an MoTstation, as you wellknow,andthat iswhat Iwasdoing (despitetheanticipationofitfailingthe MoT, as thereartyrewas balderthan PatrickStewart!!!). Iwas aboutthree milesfromthe testingstation when Iclipped somedozy cyclistwho wobbled as Iwentpasthim.Thenet resultofthatwas we bothendeduponthe floorandthe OldBill then turnedup. The policeofficer wasfairly sympatheticuntilshe sawthe rear tyre andthen sheturnedonme. The outcomeofthat wasshe hasstuck meonforthe bald tyre aftergiving me apropertellingoffasitwas raining. Then, to addinsult to injury, my insurer hassaid that iftheyhavetopay outanything to thecyclist, theywillcomeafter me forthemoneybecause Iwas ridingaround withoutanMoT.Infact, nowIhavechecked,the insurance policystates Imust‘…ensure[my]motorcycleistaxed,hasa valid MoTandisin aroadworthycondition’. My argumentisthatlegallyIdon’tneed to have an MoTtoride to the MoTstationandthereforeI

Eachissueourspecialistmotoring solicitorAndrewPrendergast guidesreadersthroughtheirlegal trialsandtroubles SOLICITORS www.whitedalton.co.uk

have adefence to the bald tyre;and my insurer should payout withoutcomingafterme.What do you reckon?

A.Thereare severalissues to unpack here. The first isthecriminal lawsideofthings.The secondisthecivil lawsideofthings.Asa general startingpoint, youshouldn’t ride your motorcycleonthe roadifthe MoThas run out. However, youare correctinthat there isanexception to thisif youare ridingtoa pre-bookedMoT test.However,itisstillillegal to ridearound with abald tyre.Therefore, the policeofficer wascorrect to ‘stick youon’ for that. If you plead guilty(andyou should)or arefound guilty,it’s three pointsand afine forthe bald tyre. As forthecivil sideofthings, whilstitislegal to ride to apre-bookedMoT,it appearsyou have aproblem with your insurer ascontractuallythe policyisclearinthat you needed a‘valid MoT’and your bikeneededto be ‘in aroadworthycondition’.Unfortunately, you falldown on bothcounts.Ifthe cyclistdoes notclaim,thenall welland good.However, ifthe cyclistdoesclaimforhisinjuries,etc., yourinsurer maywell have to payout to himif youweretoblame (eitherin full, orin part). However, as youhavebreachedthe terms

ofthe policy, your insurer willlikelybewithin their rights to comeafteryou for anymoneythey paid outdue to theaccident. In this scenario, if youdonot payyourinsurer back,thenthey couldtakeyou to Courtandtheywill likelywin Iamafraid.

Q.Iamdeepinthe‘brownstuff’.MyDad told methe speedcamerainour town hasn’t worked for fiveyears so Ithoughtitwas pretty safe to ignorethe30mph signswhilstriding my KTM125 Duke to university andback.I haven’t been flyingaround, butequallyIhaven’t stucktothe‘letterofthe law’and Ihavenow received twoNoticesof IntendedProsecution fordoing40mphin a30mph.MyDad laughed and toldme Iamamanand will have to sort it outmyself.However,myMum didherbiscuit, andit hasbeensomewhatfrostyforthe past few days.Ihavereadontheinternetthat Ishould getoffereda fixed penaltyfor each offence.If Iacceptthe twofixedpenaltyoffers,will Ibe bannedfromridingasIhaveaprovisional licence? Idon’t have acardrivinglicence either.I have read somewhereelsethatI am only allowedtoget sixpoints beforebeing bannedas I’monly21years old.

The MB legalcolumn iscompiled bymanagingpartnerAndrew‘Chef’ Prendergastandhisbike-ridingbarristers andsolicitorsatWhiteDaltonMotorcycle Solicitors. Thefirmdealswithpersonalinjuryclaims anditssistercompany, MotorDefence Solicitors,dealswithallthemotoring offences.WhiteDaltonlawyers havea vastknowledgeofbikelaw,and theyhave fullbikelicences,too.Theydon’tactfor insurancecompaniesortheprosecution. White DaltonisBritain’s premierspecialist motorcyclelawpractice,andifits professionalsdon’t knowtheanswer

A.Nooneneedsanangry mother!!I remembermyMumdoingherbiscuitwhen Iwasaround15 yearsold,after Iwheeliedmy motorbikethroughtheshed. Acloudof twostroke smoke;me laying therelikeasackof potatoes;and abrokensheddoor! Leavingthat aside,asyou will be aware, afixedpenaltyoffer involves three penaltypoints beingendorsed onthelicenceand a£100 fine.Inyourcase that would be for each offence.Asfor being bannedfor havingsix points,asyou have not taken your‘full’motorbike(orfull car) test the RoadTraffic(NewDrivers) Act1995 doesn’t affect you.Ifyou hada ‘full’licenceand you gotsix ormorepointsonit within twoyears of obtainingit, the fulllicence will be revoked. In this scenario youwould have to redo all your tests. So bizarrely,you arelucky inasmuchas you have not yetdone yourfull test withinthe last twoyears.Lastly, Iwould just add that you mayget offered aspeed awarenesscourse. You canonlyaccept thisforoneofthe offences,not both.However,ifyou paythefeeand attend the course,itwillavoidthree ofthe points.Please notethatonce you’ve attendeda course,you won’t be allowedtogotoanotherone forthree years.

toyourquestion,there probablyisn’t one. Don’t relyonthe advicefromyour insurance-appointedsolicitor,get proper independentadvice.

For roadtraffic offences,calltheMotor Defencesolicitorson0800 2800912. Fornon-offencecases,call WhiteDaltonmotorcyclesolicitorson 08007836191.

Ifyouneedadviceona biking-relatedlegal questionorquery,emailmail@whitedalton. co.uk.ThebestQ&Awillbepublishedin MB,inconfidence,ofcourse.

Theclassic starttoyour biking year

Maythewhole ClassicBike Guide magazineWinter Classicgangwishyou aHappyNew Year!

Let’shopeit’sagoodone,so whenthedaycomesputthat oldmincepiedown,head toNewark andenjoyagreat lookaroundthehundredsofgreat bikes,scooters,stallsand events. With anew yearcomesnew goalsformanyofus,whetherthat betofinishthatbikeintheshed, toridemore,getto arallyor even tohave agarageclearout. TheWinterClassicshowhopes tohelpwithallofthose,withparts andtoolstohelpfinishprojects, gorgeousclubstandstoenthuse youtotakeyourbikeoutmore(or further),andperhaps evenhave yourownstandtopassonparts

youdon’tneedbutothersmay. Therealwaysseemstobea buzzattheWinterClassic, Iknow we go away feeling we’rereadyto accomplishsomethingmorethis

Timetable

Saturday

10am WayneGardnerandRogerMarshalltalktoStevePlateron themainstage

11am to 12pm

Blastfromthepast: Fire-upareademonstration. Bikesand scooterswithSteve Plater,WayneGardner,Roger Marshall plusJohnandNormanRonald

12.15pm WayneGardnerwithStevePlateronthe main stage

1.30pm to 2.30pm Blastfromthepast: Fire-upareademonstration. Bikesand scooterswithSteve Plater,WayneGardner,Roger Marshall plusJohnandNormanRonald

3.30pm WayneGardner,RogerMarshallandStevePlateronstage

Sunday

10am WayneGardnerandRogerMarshalltalktoSteve Plateron themainstage

11am to 12pm

Blastfromthepast: Fire-upareademonstration. Bikesand scooterswithSteve Plater,WayneGardner,Roger Marshall plusJohnandNormanRonald

12.15pm WayneGardnerwithStevePlateronthe main stage

1pm to 2pm

Blastfromthepast: Fire-upareademonstration. Bikesand scooterswithSteve Plater,WayneGardner,Roger Marshall plusJohnandNormanRonald

3pm Awardswith WayneGardnerandRogerMarshall onthestage

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newyearandhopeyoudotoo. Helpingcreateanexciting buzztostartoffthisyearisnone otherthan WorldGPchampion from1987, Wayne Gardner.The Australian waspartofagolden era,battlingLawson,Spencer, RaineyandSarron; whenthebikes wereexcitingtousanddangerous totheriders.Soexpectsome rivetingstoriesonthestagetalking toStevePlater.Hisgreatmate fromtheUK,11-timeBritishchamp andTTpodiumfinisher Roger Marshall,willalsobe withus, sharingtheshowspotlightandno doubtrememberingthoseon-track battles.

Whenyou’re wanderingaround andfind aclubstandyoulike,don’t beafraidtochattothevolunteers –theknowledgethesegroupshave isincredible.Letthempassiton toyoutomakeyourlifebetter! Bikefans,goandseethe

scooters,andscooter fans,havea lookat the bikes –I alwaysmake abeeline forthe scooterhallas themachinesarebrilliant, the folk areonly too happytochatand the superbsoundtrack in theremakes itfeellikearealparty.

With most of the show

undercover,even the weather will find it hard foranyone to nothave agood time at theWinterClassic. We’llseeyou there.

and the Classic BikeGuide gang

Meet WayneGardner

Australia’sfirst500cc GP champion

StarguestattheClassicBikeGuideWinterClassicshowis

VisitorstotheNewark event willhavethechancetomeeta racernicknamed‘IronMan’ by Japanesefansandadmired theworld over:WayneGardner –the WollongongWhiz –was thefirst Aussietobecomeworldchampin motorcycling’spremierclass.

The65-year-old’s passionfor motorbikesstartedatanearlyage, andhe wasracingonminibikes by theageof12inhisnativeNew South Wales.Afterfinishingschool, hebegananapprenticeshipbut

soonquittochasehisdreamof racingglory.

Launchinghiscareer in1977 and riding asecond-hand 250ccYamaha intheAustralian championship, he madeanimpressivedebut, finishingsecondatSydney’s Amaroo Park.Hethensecuredhis firstvictoryshortlyafterat Oran Park Raceway. With a‘win orcrash trying’mentality,hequickly moved up tothe350cccategory, buthis aggressivestyle raised eyebrows withinthe racingcommunity,leading theAutoCycleUniontoconsider banninghim.Hissponsoratthe time,KarlPraml, amotorcycledealer inhishometownof Wollongong, intervened,encouragingGardner torefinehisskillsandfocuson winningchampionships instead of justindividual races.

By1979,Gardner was‘promoted’ andexcelledonboth 350ccand 750ccbikes.In1980, hedominated averywetSandown racein Victoria. His Japaneseengineerand then teamowner,Mamor Moriwaki, sought atalented riderforthe AustralianSuperbikeChampionship as wellas tocompete overseas. ThisledGardnerandco-riderJohn

Paceto securepolepositionat the prestigious1981Suzuka8 Hours, beatingthefactoryteams.

In1981 Gardnerfinished fourth inthe Superbikeraceat Daytona before winning his first racein Englandandcomingunderthewing ofBritishtrack and TT starRoger Marshall.Lifelongfriends,Marshall helped GardnerlearntheBritish tracks andhonehisskillsstill further.Not long afterbeing inthe UK,Gardnerfound himself racing against legendslikeKennyRoberts andBarry Sheeneand,despite suffering afractured ankle inthe May, he removedhisplastercast and won atSuzukathatsame year. GardnerjoinedHondain1982, winningmultipleraces andentering his first500cc worldchampionship event. However,hiswholeracing future andcommitmentcame into question whenreigningchampion FrancoUncinicrashedheavily in front ofhim. The Italian wasleft in acomafor aweek,the whole experience leaving Gardner shaken. In1984, withHonda prioritising British racing overEuropean GPs,Gardnerhad to self-fundhis campaign.Hisimpressiveresults

earnedhim areputation inEurope as well as the British500cc championship. Suzukibegan to show interest,prompting Hondato providehim with achance to pursue theworld championship in1985. However,his three-cylinder bike struggledagainst thecompetition’s V4s,forcinghim to pushbeyondits limits.

In1986, Honda equippedhim withcompetitive machinery. Gardner made historyasthe first Australian towin a500ccGPrace in nine yearsand ended the season in secondplace. By1987 everything fell into place,andhe clinched the blue riband world championship, becoming thefirst Australian to achieve thismilestone.

Astandout moment in his career came at the inauguralAustralian Motorcycle Grand PrixatPhillip Island in1989. Thisthrillingrace sawhim triumph against formidable opponents,andhe repeatedthis featin1990,despiteriding witha broken wrist anddamaged fairing. His newteammate, fellowAustralian MickDoohan, wasinspired by Gardner’ssuccessand wenton to win fiveworld championships.

Gardner wasinducted intothe SportAustralia Hall of Fame in1991 andhe retiredfromGrand Prix racing in1992, concludinghis careerwith avictoryatthe British Grand Prix. His legacyincludes 18 Grand Prix wins and four victories at the Suzuka 8-HourEnduranceEvent. However, he remained involvedin motorsport, mentoringriderssuchas Daryl Beattie.

After his time in Grands Prix, Gardner shifted his focusto V8 Supercars,debuting in1993 and achievingvictoryattheAustralian Grand Prix. He later founded Wayne Gardner Racing and competed until 2000, earning areputation for his adventurousdrivingstyleand anew nickname, ‘Captain Chaos’. He alsoparticipated in the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championshipuntil 2001, securing victories in1999 and 2001, and wastheonly Toyotadriver tofinish everyrace that season in the points. In1998, Gardnermade aone-off appearanceat the 24 HoursofLe Mans, drivingalongsidePhilippe Gache and Didier de Radigues. They qualified 26thbutdidnot finish due to engine issues.

Waynewill be joined by hisformer teammate andBritish champion RogerMarshallatthe Newark event.

Essential W

viewing

MartinArmstrong’sstunning1995 YamahaYZF750

It’shardtobelievethat Yamaha’sYZF750 willbe 32yearsoldin2025. It’sabikethat wasfull ofpromiseandsettobe perhapsthebenchmark superbikeintheearly 1990s,exceptforonesmall problem...Honda’slaunch

ayearearlierofthegame changing Fireblade. Martin Armstrong’sbike isn’ta‘pinky’butthelater, 1995colourschememore associatedwithNoriHaga inhisdebut yearof World Superbikes.Itissimplya beautifulexample.

Oneofonly afew remainingexamples;the1977Honda CB750PhilReadracereplica

There areveryfew bikes overtheyearsthatcarrya racer’sname;sureyouget racereppaintschemesbut not aspecificmodelnamed afterthem.

This1977PhilReadrace replica HondaCB750 was oneofonly150produced by ColinSeeley, ofwhich onlyaroundhalfremainin existencetoday. It wasthe

firsteverfully-fairedrace replicaavailablestraight fromtheshowroomfrom anyJapanesemotorcycle importerintheworld. Itcosta whopping£360 morethanthestandard machineat£1895(alarge sumatthetime).Ifnothing elseyoujusthavetocheck outtheexhaust,whichisa trueworkofart.

inter is abusy timefor allofusclassic bike and scooterenthusiasts. If you’re not working ona fullrestoration, then you’refettling yourpride andjoyand tendingto all thoselittle jobs. Oncefinished, surelyyouneed toshow it off? So theseason

Aglorious1947

TrevorRatcliffe’s1947

TriumphSpeed Twin500 is apostwarbabyand finished inresplendent maroon (there were only afew coloursavailable straight after the war). Thisexampleisfrom

the firstyear ofproduction and itwould be madefora further 10years.498cc,air cooledwith aheadyoutput of28bhpat6000rpm, this old girl couldcertainly get down theroad. Could it be the best in show?

Checkout thisTVstar.No not the owner PaulReynolds (or isit Corporal Jones?), buthis1949BSA M21 Combination. Does itlook familiar?That’s because it wasused inDad’sArmyand also inOntheBuses. With a600ccsingle cylinder sidevalveengine, rigidframe, girderforks and

four-speed,hand-change gearbox, thesebikes were rugged andendowed with copiouslow-speedpulling power.The model washighly successful intheirintended role assidecar tugsand its stablematethe M20,did sterling serviceasdespatch riders’ mounts during the Second WorldWar.

Discoverrarefindsand expert traders

Forthe tradersonsite, Newark offers agreat rangeofitems including spares,parts,paints, clothing,registration plates,oils, lubes, chains andcarbs;infactjust abouteverythingyou could possibly need to complete your winter project. Allthe indoor halls andoutdoor stalls will be packed with motorcycle autojumblers offering plenty of unique items. Whynot come alongand meet thelikes of SteelCity Classics,Midland Scooter Centre,AmalCarburettor Company, Spicers Auctioneers&Valuers, andMTC Exhausts?And that’s notall.Manymore expert traderswillbe on hand to help youfind exactlywhatyouneed and perhapseveninspire your next project.

openeratNewark’s Classic Bike Guide WinterClassiciswithout doubt the perfectplace to showcase your work. Here is aselectionofjust four bikesand twoscootsthat have come outof thegaragereadyfor the 2025 seasonthat youneed to check outat thisyear’sshow.

If ever the love someone has fortheir scootcan be demonstratedinonepicture, thensurely thisisit. Meet this 1960 Lambretta TV175 Series2 owned by KirkWattis. Boasting apoweroutput of 8.6bhp, with atop speed risingto65mph(although with atrailerthatmightbe ambitious), itis simplya

showstopper.Backinthe dayitwas marketed as “theSportsmanscooter” withthestyling basedon the lateLi Series 1, but this example hasa few changessuchasanew headlight whichturned with thesteering,and floor mats insteadof runners. Visitthe ScooterWorld halls.

TheLambrettaLi Series1 waslaunched inApril 1958, seven monthsafter theTV175 Series 1was launched.By then, Innocenti hadeliminated mostof the engineproblemsthe TV175 Series 1had. The Lambretta Li150 wasadramatic departure fromtheshaft-drivenLD rangethathadpreceded it.

Thenew enclosed chaindriven engine wascentrally positionedunderthe frame and had more power than theLD.Withlarger 10in wheelsandbeautifully designedpanelworkitwas asuperbscootertoride and an instant hit. Steve Bains’1958 Framebreather exampleisasympathetic and beautifulrestoration.

TriumphSpeed Triple500

1949 BSAM21 Combination; astar inits ownright

SteveBains’beautiful 1958 Lambretta Series1 Framebreather

Love is… a1960 Lambretta TV175 Series2

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Meet theclubs and theirbeloved machines

The ClassicBikeGuide WinterClassicpromisestobea true delightfor anymotorcycle or scooterenthusiast, with afantastic lineupofclubs expected forour 2025 event.

Sincetheshow’s inceptionin2012, we’veproudlyhosteda numberofgreatclubs, eachreadytoshine alighton theirfavouritemachines.

Withclubmemberson handtodiscusstheinsand outsoftheirprideandjoy, here’saglimpseofwhoyou canlookforwardtomeeting.

Firstupwehavethe BanditOwners’Club, foundedin2003forlikemindedenthusiasts witha passionfortheiconicSuzuki machines.

Theclubprovides aspace formemberstomeet, makefriends,andattend

showsand events,proudly displaying adiverserange ofBanditmotorcyclesfrom variousyearsandsizes.

Evenaftermorethan20 years,theclubremains strong,withsomefounding membersstillaroundto sharestoriesfromtheearly days.

Today, itstandsasthe largestBandit-onlyclubinthe UK, aclose-knitfamilyunited by sharedinterests.

Next, we have aclubthat willbecelebratingits50th anniversary–theUK Gold StarOwners’Club which was formedbackin1975. Fivedecadeslateritis

still the place to be ifyou ownorenjoyGoldStars, with regular attendanceat shows and eventsthroughout the countryallowingthemtokeep inthe public eye. Dedicated tothe preservation, maintenance andenjoyment of Gold Stars, we can’twaitto seethemagain.

Theseclubs arecertainly notalone. Avarietyofother bike-focusedclubs will be joiningus,suchas lastyear’s winner of thebestbikingclub stand, the ItalianMotorcycle Owners’Club.Its display for the2024 showfeatured well-known models and some very classyrarities,including

a75cc Pirotta. We’llbekeen to seeiftheycanpulloff anotherbeautifuldisplay. Ifscootersaremoreyour style,why not visit thelikes of the MaicoOwners’Club or the GenerationsSC club –two of themanyScooter clubsthatwillbejoiningus.

The MaicoOwners’ Club cantraceitsroots backtothelate 1950s, originating fromthe heydayof Scootering.

Likewise,theGenerations SC will be takingthe short tripfromthis newspaper’s home town of Horncastle in Lincolnshiretocelebrate25 yearsasa club.

Feel thethrill of thefire-uparea

Thesuperbfire-upareawill roar tolifeonceagainintheStanley SheldonHallattheNewark Showground,whereyoucansee, hearandfeelthepowerofincredible machinesfromalleras.

Stepintothispartoftheshow andyou’llbeabletoimmerse yourselfinthesmokyatmosphere, wheretheechoesofrevving enginesandthesmellofburning fuelfilltheair.It’syour chanceto getupcloseandpersonalwith theaction,asourstarguest –the formerworldchamp WayneGardner –andcompereStevePlaterlightup thehallwithanimpressivelineup.

Youcanexpecttoseeall kinds ofmachinesbeingfiredup, from classicracebikesandsleekroad bikestohigh-speedsprintmachines,

iconic scooters, thunderingdrag bikes,and evennostalgic strokers. Eachstart-upbrings its own thrill,withengines glowinghotand

exhaustscracklingin awonderful displayofpowerandengineering. It’s atruecelebration that helps kick startthenewyear.

Competition

Ifyou signup foryour WinterClassic tickets ASAP,you’ll have ashotat winninga 741-piecetoolkit worth £8995from TengTools! Don’tworry if youmisstheadvanceticketdeadline, as therewillstill be anopportunityto enterfor thisgrand prize overat the ClassicBikeGuide stand in theLady Eastwood Pavilion. The competitioncloseson September 1,2025.Thereare no cash alternativesavailable.The winner will bedrawn at random.Winners will be contacted via an officialMortons email. We never askforbank details. Termsand conditions apply.Toviewthe privacy policy of MMGLtd(publisherof Classic Bike Guide andalsothis publication)please visit www.mortons.co.uk/privacy

30 FANCYA SCOOTERING SUBSCRIPTION? SEESTANAND

Scoot overtoNewarkin January forall things Scootering

JoinusinJanuary forareal scooterextravaganza! This annual gatheringbrings together apassionategroup of scooterenthusiasts showing offsomeofthe UK’s finest rides–whether custom,classic, or just downrightcool. Asthefirstmajorgatheringof theyear,this eventkicksoffthe seasonwithclubsfromacross thecountryshowcasingtheirtwowheeledbeautiesandsharing storiesfromyearsgoneby.

With twoofthe Crocker Hallsdedicated to theone andonlyScooter World, Newark becomesthe ultimate destinationfor amix of custom, club,classic,and trade displays.You’llfind everything from meticulously restored vintageVespasand Lambrettas to cutting-edge custom builds that push theboundariesof scooterdesign.

At the2024show, the

VeteranVespa Club earned the covetedtitle of Best Scooter Club Standwithadisplay commemoratingthe 60th anniversaryofits inauguralride from London to Brighton. Featuring26oftheir finest Vespas andtwo membersfrom theoriginalrun,theyset thebar high –sowho will triumphthis year?Alongside theClubStand award, therewillalsobeprizes forthe Best ScooterinShow. Whetheryou’realifelong enthusiast or simply curious aboutthe excitement,there’s somethingfor everyone at this year’s ScooterWorld.From browsing partsand accessories in thetrade stalls to admiring theuniquemodificationson display, you’re sure to leave with inspirationand maybeeven afew newadditions foryour owncollection. Don’tmissout on this fantasticstart to theseason!

Celebrate Scootering’s 40th anniversary with editor Stan andthe magazine team

When you’vehadyour fillofmincepies, what better waytostartthe seasonthan with avisit toour winter warmer show!

Heldoverthe weekendof January 11-12 atthemassive Newark Showground, theWinter Classicis establishedastheshow thatkicksoffthenew yearto agreatstart. Withhallsfullof two-wheeledexhibits, tradestands,guest speakersandthe legendary‘live run’ area,there’ssomething for everyone. Highon thelistofattractions

forscooteristsare the twohallsdedicated to Scooter World.There you’llfind agathering ofclubs,tradersand exhibitstobrighten even thedarkestof winter days, whilstoutside, there’sanautojumble andenoughfoodoutlets tosatisfy even the largestappetite. Alwaysaspectacular event,the2025show has aspecialplace in ourheartsas it kicksoff Scootering magazine’s 40thanniversaryyear. Our team will be there, will you?

Stan and the Scootering team.

Useful bits to know

Established backin2012, the Classic Bike Guide Winter Classic offersawelcome respite from the hectic holidayseason and achance to get lost exploring the many hundreds of stunning classic machines on display

What better waytokickstart your 2025 than with amix of traders, dealers, and autojumble plots? It’sthe perfectplace to grab abox of parts andspares, as well as findingthat inspiration needed to finishyour restoration forasummer of riding… or perhaps pick up anew project.

Not only that, butwealso offer free parkingfor all, including aclearly signposted disabled parking area, along with avariety of amenities includingbar, catering andtoilet facilities.

Open to all ages, the show provides free entry forkidsunder 16 yearsofage

If you’re not sure what’sgoing

on or where you are, there’san information desk situated in the George Stephenson Hall, where our cracking private entries can also be found along with other trade and club areas. Not only that but you can also download the CBS app for the latest updates and show news: Simply go to www.classicbikeshows.com/app and getthe app today.

LocatedatNewarkShowground NG24 2NY,our visitor entrance is located at the showground’s blue gate as shown on the corresponding map.

Check us out on Facebook @ classicbikeshows and Instagram @classicbikeshows and twitter @classicbikeshow for the latest news. To learnmore about the show visitwww.classicbikeshow com/newark where you can sign up to our newsletter list.

WELCOME TO

DayRide: AntrimCoastRoad

TheAntrimCoast Road isoneofthetop ridesinthe UK,but IwouldbelyingifIsaid thatthis wasa greatwinterridefromstart tofinish.Notbecausethecoastroaditself isn’tgreat(itreallyis!),butbecause Ihad togettherefirst,and Iwas in theEnglish Midlands.Withtime beingoftheessence, thatmeantalongslogonmotorwaysto gettowhere Iwantedtobe.

Slowlybutsurelythingsdidimprove though. IhadpickedaStenaLinecrossing fromCairnryaninScotlandto Belfastin NorthernIreland,andonce Ihadsaid goodbyetothemotorwaysthattookme fromEnglandtoScotland,theA75to thecoastwas ahugeimprovement.It’s abig,fast roadthat attimesofferswild viewsoftheIrishSeawhile serving the mostdelicioussetofbends. It’sdifficult toconcentrate onboththeroadandthe sceneryatthesametime.Thingswere improving,forsure.

Ihadbeenluckywiththeweathermost oftheway,butbythetime Igottotheferry terminalinCairnryanit wasraining.Andas soonaswesetsail,thecaptainannounced thatthecrossingwould be aroughone, withgale-forcewinds blowingoverthe IrishSea.

Itwasn’ttoobad,though.Theferry ploughedthroughthewaves,gently swaying,whichmadememoresleepythan worried...until IstartedGooglingBelfast sights andgottotheTitanicMuseum.I quicklymovedon…

Talkingaboutthe crossing,here’sapro tip:TheStenaLineferriesarefullofthings todofromshoppingtocinema,andall mannerofdiningoptions,soyouwon’t getbored,butthesmartmoneygoesfor theStena+loungeaccess.Itonlycosts £20butincludescomfyseating plus allthe snacksand drinksyoucanmanage.You haveovertwohourstogetyourmoney’s worth,sobasicallyitpaysforitself.

TheAntrimCoastRoadtakeslessthan adaytodo,butwithphotostopsand possibledetours, Iwantedtogiveit afull day.Also,thatgavemethe perfectexcuse to stayatmymateGeoffHill’splacein Belfastbeforehittingthe road. Ireallywish Geoff ranhis placeas anAirbnb,somore peoplecouldenjoyit.Hehas aproper

Finnishsauna;hetellsfabulousstories fromhistravels;andhekeeps relentlessly filling your glassuntilyou seeitindouble vision,andyourealiseit’s probably best nottopickitupanymore.Unfortunately, Ican’textendtheinvitetoyoualltogo andstaywithhim,butyoucanenjoy his terrificwritingandfascinatingstoriesin hismotorcycletravelbooks(do aquick Amazonsearch).

IfyouasktheNorthernIrishtraffic planningauthorities,the firstruleof promotingtheAntrimCoastRoadisthat youdon’ttalkabouttheAntrimCoast Road. Instead,asyouwillsoonnoticeon allthe roadsignsguidingyourwayaroundit,you talkabouttheCausewayCoastalRoute.I’m surethatmanyimportantpeople attended manyimportantbrandingmeetingsbefore thathappened.But Idigress…

Geoffand Istartedtheridefrom Belfast, followingthecoastnorth. Therearea couple of waysto get toLarnefrom Belfast,butitdoesn’treallymattertoo muchwhichwayyouchoose,asit’sfrom Larneonwardsthattheinterestingbitof the routestarts.

Assoon asyouleaveLarne,theAntrim CoastRoad opensup.Itfollowsthecoast asclosetothewaterasyoupossiblycan, providingwonderfulviews of theIrishSea. Thereare gentlecornersthatseemtobe hangingoverthesea,littletunnelsthrough thecliffs,and asense of freedomyou only getthisclosetotheseaside.

Ridingisnotfasthere. Theroad isnot reallysuitedtospeed,andit goes through anumber of villages. Thebestthingtodo istojusttakeiteasyandenjoy theviews. Youare temptedtostopandtake photosatalmosteverybendandevery village,butGeoffand Imanagedtopush onuntilCarnloughbefore jumping off ourbikesandsniffingtheairfor abrew. Incidentally, thisiswhereyoucan findthe LondonderryArmsHotel, onceownedby WinstonChurchill,right on themainstreet. However,thatwasnogoodtousasitwas closedonMondays,and it was indeed Mondaywhenweknocked on thedoor. Nottoworry,wepicked acafébythelittle harbour,justintimetodiveinbefore the raincaughtupwithus.

Bythetimewewereoutagaintherain hadgone,andwecontinuednorthin glorioussunshine.The nextstopwasat Cushendun, avillagewithCornish-style housesdesignedby SirBertramClough Williams-Ellis.Notquitewhatyou’dexpect toseeinNorthernIreland…

Ourride took alittlediversionfromthe AntrimCoastRoadtoincorporateabit of the TorrHeadRoutetogettoMurloughBay,a beautifulandwonderfullyquietlittlespotat theendof asingle-track road.It’sadetour fromthemain road,nodoubtaboutthat,but it’sonedefinitelyworthtaking.

The TorrHeadRouteis niceriding,too, although Icouldn’thelpmyselfgiggling mostofthewaybecausethey have diligentlypainted adashedwhitelinein themiddleofthe road,eventhoughat timesyoucouldn’teven fit amotorcyclein your‘lane’,letaloneacar.Isupposethat therehadbeen atimewhencouncilmoney neededspendingquickly…

FromMurloughBaywepickedourway toBallycastleforsomeessentialshopping: Dulse.Ifyoulookitup,thedefinition

Words: MikkoNieminen Pics: GeoffHill andMikkoNieminen

ofdulseissomethingalong‘adark red edibleseaweedwithflattenedbranching fronds’,but in plaintermsit’smuchlike eating ahouseplantsprinkledwith salt. Yet, somehow,insmallquantities,it’sactually quitenice.

Withourbelliesfullofseaweed,we continuedalongthecoast.Thisstretch fromBallycastletotheendofour routeis absolutelypepperedwiththingstosee, andifyouwanttomakesureyoudon’t missanything, adaywillnotbeenough. Our firststopafterBallycastlewas BallintoyHarbour.It’sjust alittleskipoffthe route,andwellworthtaking.Thecoastline looksruggedandunforgiving,andon acold winter’sdayyouwonderhowbadlypeople musthavewantedtogetouttotheseato build aharbourhere.Justthethoughtof itgavemethechills,and Imadesuremy heatedjacketandgloveswereonfullblast whenwesetoffagain.Itwouldcertainly take averycalmandwarmdayformeto wantto sailanywherenearhere. Themainattractionaroundthispartof thecountryisinnodoubt.TheGiant’s

Causewaydrawsthecrowdsfrom near andfar.Mostwillpay£10toparkatthe visitorcentreandwalkortake ashuttle bustothestoneformations.Nothing wrongwiththat,butjustaseasilyyoucan parknextdoorattheCausewayHotel.It coststhesame£10forcarstoparkthere, butourtwobikes fittedinoneparking place,soweonlypaidthatbetweenus, andthethingisthatifyougoandhave drinksorfoodatthehotel,yougetthe parkingoff yourbill.So,you park,havea sandwich,andthenwanderdowntothe stones.Nice!

TheGiant’sCausewayismade of about 40,000interlockingstonecolumns. Whethertheywerestackedtherebyan ancientvolcaniceruption orquarrelling giantsisupfordebate,buteitherway,itis animpressivesight.

Afterthecauseway,thenextobvious placetostopisthe oldBushmills distillery,justdownthe road.Possibly the oldestdistilleryin theworld,ithas agreat shopandpre-bookedtoursifyouare into yourwhiskey.

Ouroriginalplanhadbeentocontinue toPortrushandPortstewartbefore turningbacktowardsBelfast,but we had beendawdling,it was gettinglate,and therewasstillsomewherewewanted toseebeforeheadinghome.So,we abandonedthecoastandheadedsouth

Withadventureand ‘goingthe distance’at itsheart,Motorcycle SportandLeisureis themust-havemagfor thosewithitchyfeetor lookingfor first-class motorcyclinginspiration on aglobalscale. Treat yourselfto acopyby scanningthislink.

toBallymoneyandJoey’s Bar,aplace thatusedtobeownedbynoneotherthan JoeyDunlop.Filledwithracinghistory,the barisnicelylocatedifyouwantto explore theNW200 route.

FromBallymoneyweoptedforthequick routetoBelfast,becauseevenwhenthe ridingisgood,youneedtomaketime fora post-ridesauna,too.Andit’snoteveryday yougettodothatinBelfast.

But,saunaornosauna,theAntrimCoast Roadisoneofthe finest routestorideat anytimeofthe year.Butjustbecauseitis sogood,ridingitinwintermeansthatthere arealotfewerpeopleonthe roadsand crowdingtheattractionsatthe roadside.All youneedtodoisdigoutyourheatedjacket andgloves,book acrossing,andoffyou go.Andifyoudo, sendus apostcard! NorthernIrelandhassomeexcellent routesonoffer,withtheAntrimCoast Road aperfectwinterride.

Therideinbrief:The routecovers roads greatandsmall.Thisisnot afastride; the roadscanbebusy, andtheyarebest enjoyedat aleisurelypace.Thereare plenty ofplacestostopalongthewayforcoffees, culture,or averycolddipinthesea. Give yourself afulldayforthisride,which sitsa littleunder100milesallin.

TrackRider Clinic: BuildingA TrackReady Machine

Ifyou’rewonderingwhetherornottobuild atrackbikeforthenewseason, Dean’swisdomwon’tgoamiss…

Words: DeanEllison

Whileitcouldbearguedthat buying areadilybuilttrackbikeis agreat routetogo down,it’s not withoutitspitfalls.Itis abitofa lotterybecausequiteoftenyou’re buyingonfaith,andthehope thatthebikeyou’repurchasing iswhatthesellerclaimsittobe. Asmentioned,that realitycan oftenbequite adifferentstory and alotofpeopleendup being burntbytheir newbuy,withvery littlescopeofgoingbacktotheir sellerandgettinganyhelpor compensation.Withthesefactors inmind,you’llprobablygraspwhy mypreferred routetogodown isbuildingmyownbike.The downsidesofthispathinclude thebuildcost,the priceofnew parts,andthetimeitwilltakeyou toputittogether,butthebonus ofowning abikethatyouknow isstraightandthespecyouwant is rewarding.Ifyou’retemptedto godownthispath,hereare some pointstoconsider…

Bike– Wherepossibleyoushould startwithneworevenex-demo from adealerifyoucan.Ifnot, you reallywanttostartsearching for alowmileageandwellmaintainedpre-ownedbike.Ifyou don’tknowexactlywhatbikeyou wouldlike,thenthinkaboutfuture repairsandgeneralmaintenance. Buyinganexoticorobscure modelbikecouldbiteyoubackin lateryears,especiallywhenyou needpartsfortheengineorany electricalcomponents.

Exhaust– We allknowhowmuch acatalyticconverter restricts engineperformance;eachyear manufacturershavetomeet increasinglystringentemission regulationsandalthoughyour newbikewillfeelprettyfaston the road,there’ssomuchmoreto come,like acoiledspringwaiting toburstfree.Dependingonyour availablefunds,thiscould bethe

singlebiggestspendifyou buya full replacementtitaniumexhaust system,soconsiderifyoureally needtosqueezethatlastfew BHPfromthebike or couldyou settlefor adecatlinkpipeand silencer andspendthemoney yousaveonsomeotherparts or investinsomeseattimeandbook afewmoreNoLimitstrackdays. If Iwasonlybuilding atrackbike, I’dbehappywiththestandard systemandjust removethecat, butifyou’reonlyplanningtoride ontrackdaysthenbuy aquiet silencerso thatyoudon’tlimitthe circuitsyoucan ride intheUKunder 102dbgetsyouon most.

Fuelling– Thisshouldbedone assoonasyoubuythebike anyway, evenifusing onthe road;havingthecorrectair:fuel ratiomakesthebikesomuch easiertorideandwillimprove yourfuelconsumption.Butmore importantlythanimprovingyour fuelconsumption,theair:fuelratio needsadjustingand finetuning afteryouchangecomponents suchastheexhaustandairfilter. Ifitwasmyproject, Iwould get mybikecompletelybuiltand thentakeitto adynocentrefor atuneonthe rolling road,either aplug-insystem suchasthe DynojetPowerCommander Vor anECU reflash,although ifjust goingfor arefuellingoptionthen Iwouldalwaysjust opt forthe PowerCommander Vbecause ofDynojet’s experienceand technicalsupport.

Suspension– Thisisanother heftyinvestmentanddepending onyourpace,youshould probablyonlyupgrade when youfeelyouneedto.Ifyou’rea racer,thendefinitelylook atan aftermarketshockwith aspring ratetomatchyourbodyweight andsomeupgradedfrontfork internalstoprevent overworking

thestandarddamping. For trackday only use, Ithinkthe originalequipmentismore than adequate.Get abasesetupfrom thetrackdaysuspension support serviceandthenupgradeasand whenyouneedit;asyourpace improves,youwilleventuallyrun outofadjustmentandthenyou can introducehardersprings andupgradeddampingkits, or even areplacementshock,fork internalsandultimatelysome replacementforks.Ifyou’re notup tospeed,youwillfind aracebike toohardandthat’snot good for yourconfidence.I’vealwayshad greatserviceandsupportfrom K-TechandÖhlins,theyhavethe highestqualityproducts,years ofexperience,andsomeoneat theotherend of thephonefor technicalsupport.

Brakes– Unlessyou’rebuilding afullspecificationsuperbike, you reallyonlyneedtoupgrade certainbrakecomponentsand whateveryourpace,youwill getbetterfeelandmore braking confidenceifyoudisableand completely removethebike’s ABSsystem.As aminimum, replacethestandardbrake linesforbraidedhosesandthe standardpadsfor arace-quality pad,suchastheBremboZ04, then flushthroughsome really hightemperatureracingbrake fluidtohelp preventcookingyour brakeswhenyoustartuppingthe pace.Ifyouwantmore braking power,thenyoucouldgradually addsomemore components depending on yourbudget.Start withaftermarketdiscsandthen anupgraded replacementmaster cylinderwhichshouldfinishoff yourbuildnicely. Ifyoudowantto upgradeeverything,you canbuy some great valuebrakesystems fromHelinthe UK ortheultimate inmy opinionwouldbeBrembo, butthat’sgoingtocostyou.

Wheels– Superstock specificationbikescanrun seriouslyfastlaptimesandoften getwithin asecondof afront runningsuperbiketime,soallthe bolt-ongoodiesdon’t actually amounttoasmuchtimeasyou think.Ifyou’reracing,thenyou shouldreally have aspareset ofwheels,if nottwosparesets, butconsiderthesepointswhen choosingwhattobuy. Race wheelsarestrongerandlighter thanoriginalequipmentwheels, butasexpected,moreexpensive. Butonthe flipside,youmight actually findthattheOEMwheels areeasiertosellonafterwards ifneeded.They holdtheirvalue becauseofthe highnumberof superstockracersacrossvarious championshipsandprobably thankstotheincreasingpopularity oftrackdaysintheUK,where having asparesetofwheelswith wettyres fittedisessential. Racewheelsandcarbon fibre wheelsdoimprovethe handling of abike;thebikewillchange directionquickerandobviously looksomuchbetterthanyour standardrims. Youcanalsoorder racewheelsinyourpreferred colourandhavethespacers

GetontrackwithDean… Ifyouwanttoupyour gameontrack,Dean’sthe manyouwantinyourpit box.Anex-WorldandBSB specracer,he’salsohoned hiscraftinendurance racingandhassincegone ontoestablish,arguably, thebesttrackridingtuition onofferhereintheUK. Checkouthispageon Facebookanddrophim alineifyou’reaftersome nextlevelridercoaching–www.facebook.com/ deanellison42

easilymodifiedtosuitaftermarket swingarmsandfrontforks,so theygive awiderrangeof useand canbekeptfor afewseasonsand usedondifferentmachines.

Bodywork– Ifyouhavepurchased anewbikeforthisproject,thenyou must removeallthebodyworkand replaceitwithanaftermarketrace fairing.Roadbikekitseventually goupinvalue(notbymuch), but theolderthebikegets,themore valuablethekitwillbecome,so removeeverythingandwrapitup straightaway.Find akitthatwill boltstraightonandmakesure youpurchasethescreen,fueltank coverandfrontfender(mudguard). Replacingthesecomponentswill makeyourbikecheapertocrash andyoucanactually buyafull replacementbodykitforbetween £400and£800,with astandard setcostingover£2,000.Inaddition tothebodywork,youshould alsostartswitchingthestandard handlebarsandfootrestsforracereadyparts;thesecomponents allowyoutoadjustyourriding positionandagain,they’re designedtobecrashedandmuch cheaperto repairor replacethan genuineparts.

SMARTWAYS TO BUYA BIKE

Ifyou’reon thehuntfor anewbikeandlookingforthebest way tofundit,you mightwanttohave areadof this. We explore the smartest,cheapest,andbestwaysto finance anewbike…

Words: AlanDowds

Formostofus, abikeisoneof thebiggest thingswebuy.After ahouse and acar,aproper motorcyclewillbethethingthatsoaksupmost cash.Timesarehardfor lots of people,butwe stillneedourbikes,don’twe?Andbeing alittle bitsmartercanmean gettingthebikewewant, whilestillhavingmoneyforthoselittleluxuries likefood,electricityandschool shoesforthe kids.Blessthem.

Pickingtherightwayto get thecashtogetheris essentialthough.Nomatterwhatyou’rebuying,or how– superbike or scooter,new or used,dealeror privatesale–thereare loads of waysofgettingthe financesright.Now,I’mnotanysortof financial advisor,obviously,sodon’t takeanydecisions onthisstuffwithoutmakingsureyouknowwhat you’redoingandasking agrown-up,if required.

Thesimplestwaytobuy abikeis,of course, withhardcash.Andforprivatebikesales,that’s thewaymost folkstillliketowork.Inthesedays ofcreditcardfraud, fake PayPalpayments, banker’sdrafts from farawayprinces andthelike, having apileofcrisp£50notesonthekitchen tableissimple,easy,andstraightforward.It’s notwithoutrisk,of course –carrying£15kin casharoundin aTescocarrierbagis anervy situation,andthere’snocomebackoncecash hasbeenhandedover,unlikewithotherfinancial transactions.Dealerscanalsobelesskeenon cash;itbringssecurityworries forthem,they havetogetittothebank,orkeep itonthe premises,plustheyhavetothinkabout madstuff likemoney-laundering regulationsandProceeds ofCrimeactions.Wheretogetsaid cash though?

Unleashequity… Yourgrannywouldtellyoutosave up,andwhileit’sdeeplyuncool, stickingsomemoney away eachmonthinanISA or another savingsaccountcanquicklybuild upinthebackground.Attheother endofthesensiblescale,renting afront-loaderfromHSSHireand liberatingthecashpointfromthe TescoMetronexttothe pubisa quickwayofgettingholdof aload ofused£20notes.Butthere’s notmuchusefor aGSAdventure insideHMPStrangeways,sadly.

Backontherightsideofthe tracks,ifyou’reahomeowner, withequityinyourhouse, releasing someaspartofa remortgagecanbethecheapest wayofgetting achunkofcash –although rememberyour houseisatriskifyoucan’t makemortgage repayments. Andit’shardtosleepinsidean S1000XRtopboxifitallgoes wrong.Ifyou’re comingtothe endof afixed-ratemortgage,or youhaven’tchangedmortgage providerin awhile,youmightbe ableto switchto abetterinterest rateatthesametime –and thesavingscouldevencancel outthecostofyourbike.Even thesternestspousecouldn’t disagreewiththat,couldthey? Especiallyif youdon’ttellthem anythingaboutit.

Oneotherpossiblewayto access readymoneyisfromyour

pensionpot.ThatthereGeorge Osborne,ToryChancellorinDavid Cameron’sgovernment,changed therulessothatpeoplecould take aloadofcash out of their pensionsavingspot. Therules havechangedsince,butit’sstill possibletogetsomemoney out, withincertainparameters. Now, again, likewiththemortgage deal,you havetotreadcarefully here.Sellingyour gold-plated final-salarycivilservicepension for ahandfulofmagicbeansand/ or abrand-newHarley-Davidson trikemightseem like agrandplan atthetime.Butyourkidswon’t thankyouforitwhenyouhave

tolive out your finalyearsintheir gardenshedbecauseyouhaveno money.Pensionruleschangeall thetimeand,jokingaside,itisa reallyseriousmatter,sodefinitely takeprofessionaladvicebefore youjumpin.Ifit’srightforyou though,youcould releaseenough cashfor asweeeetsetofwheels (probablynotthatmetal-flaketrike though,eh?).

Thecreditroute… Ifyoudon’tfancyany of these routes,thenit’smaybetime tothinkaboutsome‘normal’ finance. Acreditarrangement–or,asmyold grannywouldsay:

“it’snocredit,son,it’sdebtttt!!!!” She’sright,ofcourse,butifyou gocarefully,youcanpickup theBenjaminsfairlycheaply.If you’reinworkandhavedecent credit,you’llbeabletopick up anunsecuredpersonalloanat around fourpercentinterest –five minutesonlinewill reveal aload ofoptions. Allyou needis aquick onlineapplicationwith asimple creditcheck,themoneycanbein yourbankwithin afewdays,and youcanwheelieyour£10kright into aditchbeforetheweekend’s out. Yay. Theymightsound abitworthy andcommunist-y(notthatthere’s anythingwrongwiththat),but creditunionsmightbeworth investigating.Community-based non-profit financialorganisations, they’re generallysetuptohelp peoplewith‘unconventional’ credithistoriesbutareessentially opentoall.They’renormally basedarounda geographical area, or atypeofwork,andcan belinkedtocertainindustries. Theycangivedecentrates andmightwellbewortha look.Checkouthttps://www. moneysavingexpert.com/loans/ credit-unions/formoredetails andlinks.

Anotherleft-fieldoption nowadaysisso-called‘peer-topeer lending’.Thescoop here is puttingpeoplewithsparecash in touchwithpeoplewhoneed

aloan,in asemi-formalway, with apeer-to-peer‘platform’as themiddleman.Soratherthan borrowingfrom abig financial institution,you’reborrowingfrom apersonwho’sgot asparelump sum.Theycanget aslightly highersavingsinterest returnthan theymightgetfrom abank,and youcanget aloanwithslightly lowerinterestcharges –soyou bothwin.

Again,there’slotsofinfoonthis online –butonethingtomake sureisthattheplatformyou’re usingis apropermemberof theindustrybody:https://www. p2pfa.org.uk.Moreinfofromthe Government’smoneyadvicesite: www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/ en/articles/peer-to-peer-loans

Getyourcardsout… Finally,we’reatthe dealership now.And,ofcourse,thereare aloadof finance optionshere. Thatmakessense,ofcourse.The dealerwantstomakethingseasy foryou,andthey’dalsoquitelike toget alittlecutoff any finance dealyoudosignupwith. So, theyallhaveveryslickoptions –oftenbrandedschemeswhich arebackedbythemanufacturers, likeDucati Trioptionsor Triumph’s Tristarscheme.Honda,BMW, Yamaha, Suzuki,Kawasaki–theyall havetheirownset ups, whichcovernew(andsometimes approvedused)bikesales.

They’retailoredtowardsthe bikeindustry,andsomecanbe extendedtocoveraccessories andnewridingkit,orevenrider trainingcostsifyou’rea novice rider(BMW’sfinancescheme offersthis).

Beforewegetintothosethough, there’sonemore interesting route –using acreditcard.Now, normallythisis abadplan –credit cardsusuallyhaveveryhigh interestrates.Butthereare loads ofdealsouttherethesedays, wherethecardissuersoffercheap orevenzeropercentinterest periodstotemptyouintosigning upfor anewcard.Theirplanis togetyoutosignup,thennot payofftheamountsyouspend intheallottedtimescale,soyou enduppayingthehighinterest charges.Oneotherpossiblecredit cardschemeiswhereyouget cashback,orairmiles,orsome otherbenefit,basedonhowmuch youspend.Also,yougetsome additionalconsumerprotectionif youbuythingson acreditcard, soyoumaybeableto getyour moneybackeasierifthe bike turnsouttobe alemon.

Ifyou’recertain –100percent –thatyou’llbeabletopayoffthe balanceinthetimescale required, using acreditcardcanbea smartwayofgettingonto abike withoutpayingthefullamountup front.Bewarethough –missing anyofthepaymentdeadlinescan meansuddenlybeingcharged aloadofinterest,cancelling outanysavingsyoumighthave made.Inaddition,dealershave topayhigherbankchargeson creditcardpayments, so they mightbeunwillingtogiveyoua reallygooddealonthepurchase price.Beawareoftheswingsand roundabouts here.

Downatthedealers…

Backonthedealer financeroute, andthereare afewmainoptions: anormalloan-type financedeal whereyouborrowthemoneyand buythebikewiththat;anHPdeal, whereyoudon’townthebiketill thefinalpayment; aleasedeal whereyou’resimply rentingthe bikeandwillneverownit;and apersonalcontractpurchaseor PCPdeal.

Theloanissimpleenough –you mightnotgetasgood adealas youcouldwith abank or building societyloan,butthedealermay giveyou abetterpurchaseprice, sinceyou’rearrangingtheloan throughthemratherthanjust turningupwithcash. HP deals arelike aloan,butit’ssecuredon thebikeitself,somay be abetter optionifyoudon’thave agreat creditrating.Theideaisifyou defaultonthepaymentsthebike canbeseized,soyoudon’treally ownituntilthe finalpaymentis made.

Leasingismorecommoninthe carworldbutcanbeanoption forbikes.Ifyouneed abikefor work,andhavenointerestin owningit,itmightmakesense–theservicingwillalsobebuiltinto thecosts.Butthereare limitson mileage,anydamagehasto be paidfor,andit’sanexpensive, poorvaluewaytogetontwo wheels.

PCPdealshavebecomemuch morepopularinbikesoverthe

pastfiveyears.Somedealers wespoketoaremakinghalf theirfinancedealsviaPCP,and it’sgiventhenewbiketrade amassiveboost. The idea is simpleenough. Youget anew (orused)bikeforanaffordable depositandasmallmonthly paymentover aperiodofafew years.Theamountyoupayisn’t enoughtopayfor thebike,so attheendofthedealyoucan eitherkeepthebikeandpaythe difference(aso-calledballo payment),orhandthebikeb tothedealer.Assumingthe mileagehasbeen kept within limitsandthere’snodamage, thedealergets abiketosell whichpaysforthedifference betweenwhatyoupaidand thepurchaseprice.

tocuttheticketpricemuchatall. That’sbecausebigheadlineprice dropscanaffectsecondhandbike prices –andifthe guywhopaid £15kforthatnewlitresuperbike lastweekhearsyoubought onefor£13k,he’llnotbebest pleased.Instead,look for‘hidden’ deals –anAkrapovicexhaust system or aspareset of tyres throwninontheside.Maybeyou can get anewArailid or aSpidi

suitwith 75 percentoff.The dealercangiveyou abetterdeal, whilekeepingthepoundsand pencepricewhichyou’ve‘paid’ forthebike up, andeveryone’sa winner.

Onethingtowatchforhere though,is‘freeservicing’.This soundsgood,butwithbike serviceintervalsextendingallthe time,it’snot asgood adealasit usedtobe.The firstfewservices

nowadaysaregenerallyjustoil and filterchangespluschecks, andyou’reoftenchargedfor partsandmaterialsanyway.So, unlessthey’reofferingyoufree tyresandallpartsandmaterials, freeservicingisn’tnecessarily abigdeal-maker.Unlessyou’re planningondoinglapsofthe world?Whateveryourplans, hopefullyyou’veseenthere’s morethanoneway.

difference (a so-called balloon payment), or hand the bike back mileage has been within limits and there’s no damage, the dealer gets a bike to sell which pays for the difference between what you paid and

so it’s a bit like leasing Some folk are happy to do this – even ‘rolling over’ a PCP deal at the end of the period into another,

this suits you, fair enough, but good value in terms of metal for your money in the long run,

Theadvantagesof PCParesimpleenough –potentially asmall depositandlow monthly payments.So,youcan ride abikewhichyou couldn’treallyaffordtobuy. Youdon’townituntilyou paythatextracashthough, soit’s abitlikeleasing.Some folkare happytodothis –even ‘rollingover’a PCPdealatthe endoftheperiodintoanother, newbikeandsigningupfor anotherpayment scheme.If thissuitsyou,fairenough,but it’snotthe bestwaytoget goodvalueintermsofmetal foryourmoneyinthelongrun, andwe’davoidit ourselves.

Dealornodeal?

Neverbuy abike using…

Nomatterhowdesperate you arefor anewGoldWingoran RSV4,thereare afewthingsyou shouldneverdotoget abike:

*Paydaylenders

They’vebeenbroughttoheel bygovernmentregulations andaren’taswildasthey used tobe.Butshort-term,highinterestloansfromso-called ‘paydaylenders’areabadplan. Youcanendupowingmuch more thanyouborrowandcan find yourselfpayingthesums backforanindefinitetime.

*Buyatnormalcreditcard terms

Creditcards havemuch higher interestratesthanpersonal loansor financedeals. Avoid unlessthere’saverygood reasontodoso –like azeroper-centdeal,or acashback scheme.Eventhen,makesure youpaythebalanceoffintime toavoidanycharges!

The finalthingtowork on atthe dealersisthe,er,dealitself.Now, it’snotalwaysjustabouttheprice you’repaying.Indeed, acou bikeshopswespoketodon’

final thing to work on at the dealers is the, er, deal itself. Now, it’s not always just about the price you’re paying. Indeed, a couple of bike shops we spoke to don’t like

*Tradeinyourcurrentbike

Okay,it’squickandeasyto justdo atrade-inwiththe

dealerwho’ssellingyouthe newbike.Butyou’llgenerally getmoreforyourpresent machinebysellingitprivately beforehand.Makesureit’s clean,hasanMoT,andis ingoodorder,andgetit advertisedonline. Takeoffany sweetadd-onpartslikepipes, PowerCommandersandthe like,andsellthemseparately forthebest returns.

Quick Spin: VmotoStash

Words: AndyBell/ Pics: Gary Chapman

Ifyoufancy aplug andplayprotagonistwith everydayversatilityandlearner-legal credentials,theStash couldbe exactlywhatyou’re after.

Whatisit?

IntheUK,Vmotoisone ofthe maincompanieswithintheelectric motorcyclemarket.The Stashwas first revealedin2021butwasn’t available onthemarketuntilearlierthisyear.It isattheupperendofthepricerange forVmoto’smachinesbutwithan advertisedpotentialrangeof90miles andplentyofstorageforpracticality,I waskeentoseewhatotherqualities this upmarketstyledelectricmotorcyclehad tooffer.

Talkingtech…

Ihavetostartwiththeperformanceside hereas althoughtheelectricmotoris

ratedat8kwto keep it belowthelegal limitforlearner-legalbikes,thereisa loopholeinthesystem whichallows a‘boost’functionforshorterperiods pushingthepowerupto14.4kw(about 20bhp),whileall thetimekeeping theStashCBTfriendly. It’sgot nonadjustableupside-downforksupfront and amonoshockat therearwithwavy brakediscsand17” wheels, which combinetogether to give theStash aniceandsportylook.ThebikeIam testinghassomePirelliDiabloRosso tyres fittedwith a100/80/17frontand 120/70/17 rear.Afterdouble-checkinga fewdetails, Ihavesincediscovered that theDiabloswereonly fittedtothe first

fewbikessoldbut areavailableas an option.Likewith manymanufacturers nowadays, aVmotoappcanbe downloadedtoyoursmartphoneto checkthecriticalinformationlikebattery life,bikelocation,etc.

Crackingon…

Swingingyourlegoverit,the immediatethingyounoticeisthe riding position.Whilethisisverymucha bike,thepegsareverylowin relation tothe810mmseatheight. Iwouldsay thishelpstoappealtothecommuter marketwith amorerelaxed,almost standingposition,butforwhereI was riding, Ifeltlikegroundclearance could

44 QUICKSPIN

havebeenanissueif Iwasto pushtoohard. ThecolourTFTscreenhas differentdisplaymodesandcan alsobeconnectedtoyourphone. Therewasnothingcomplicated hereandwiththreeridingmodes onoffer(Eco,NormalandSport) itwassecondsbeforeI clicked itintosportforthe roads Iwas tobeheadingouton.Getting outandjoiningthemain roads waswithoutanydramas. Ihad expectedpickuptobe abit labouredwiththeStashbeing CBTcompliant.However,mixing withothertrafficwasanareathat Ineverfeltuncomfortablewith. Thereismoremotornoisethan Ihaveexperiencedwithelectric bikesof asimilarpowerwhichI didn’t mindatall;ifanything,it helpscontributetoknowingwhat isgoingonbelowyou.

Whenbrakingorslowingdown ingeneralthereisaregeneration systemtohelpkeepthebattery chargedup abit,butitwas

thebrakeswhereIhad alittle grievance.Withnothaving aclutch orgearshifttoworryabout,both leversonthehandlebarsoperate thebrakeswith acombinedbrake system, meaningwhenyoupull thefrontbrakeonitadds alittle rear,andviceversa,which Ican getmyheadaroundafterriding otherbikeswiththissetup.The problem Iwashavingwaswith wantingmorebrakingforce, resultinginmeendingupusing bothleversmuchofthetime.

On amorepositivenote,the tyresarea brilliantmatchfora bikewiththis weightandpower output;theywarmedveryquickly andprovidedallthefeedbackI waswantingwhilehavingplenty ofgrip. Iknowforsure,if Iwas buyingoneofthese, Iwouldlike thesePirellisfittingfrom day one.

AstheStashisaimedmore atthecommutermarket,the practicalsideshould get some focushere asthereisa fairbit worth noting. Ihavealready

mentionedthelongerlegposition which Iguesswouldcomeinto itsownifyouweretravellingin trouserstothe office,buthaving storageforyourhelmetwould alsocomeinhandywhenyou arrive,whichissuppliedin alarge compartmentwherethetank wouldnormallybe on apetroldrivenmachine.Thereisareverse geartohelpwithmanoeuvring, butthisdid require alittlepractice asyouhavetoholdthe reverse buttonlocatedunderthethrottle whiletwistingthe grip. To be honest,withbothfeeteasily planted on the floor andwithsuch alightweightmachine, Idid only trythisjustto‘have ago’ andI wouldguessmostriderswouldn’t evenneedtouseit.

Batteryrangeisadvertised witha potentialofover90miles,butwe allknowthatthisvaries regarding thebike’suseandwhichpower modeisselected.Livinginquite arurallocation, Iwaslimitedto testingmainlyonopen roads

insportmodeandmanagedto achieve alittleover40mileswith acharge,buttobefair Icouldsee thatinecomodewithin acitythen theadvertised90-milerangecould beachieved.Thechargersupplied took alittleover five hoursto chargethebatteryfrom flat,but thereisanoptiontopurchasea quickchargerwhichshouldhalf thattime.

Worth apunt?...

Quicktogetuptospeedand acomfortable ridingposition

withloadsofstorageare someofthisbike’s strengths, butwith alongchargetime and afixedbattery mean you’llneedtopark neartoa powersource,whichmightbe somethingthatneedstaking intoconsideration.Pricewise, yes,itismorethanthepetrolpoweredbikesthatareavailable toCBTlicenceholders,butits styleandpracticabilitymight helpitdemandthatpricetagto thepotentialbuyeroverother electric rivals.

Thestuffthatmatters… Power: 8-14.4kw(roughly20bhp)

Weight153kg

Price:£6599

Contact:salesuk@vmotosoco.com

Torquingpoints: Carsvs. Bikes

Words: AlanDowds

Whilethere’snodenyingmotorcycletechand engine designs are prettycuttingedge,the carworldnowappearstobeleadingtheway. But that’snot always beenthecase...

MyDad,JimDowds,startedhisworkinglifeas acar mechanic,though by thetime Icamealong,hehad movedon towork at theIBMcomputerfactoryin Greenock.Amazingly, backinthe1960s,computershad alotofmechanicalpartsinthem –solenoids, relaysand thelike –meaninghands-onpracticalskillswereusefulto theAmericanmainframemaker.

Healwaysworkedonhisowncarsthough,so Igrew upwatchinghimmaintainand repair aseries of 1970s and80smotors –fromaFordAnglia and acoupleof AustinAllegrosto aVauxhall Viva. Then,when Igot my firstmotorbike –a HondaCG125 –hehadthe tools,the skillsandtheconfidencetohelpmelearnhowto fix the bloodything.Sixmonthslater,I hadpassedmytestand had adecent summerjob, thatletmebuy abigbike –a Kawasaki GPz550, whichfeltlike anutter rocketship.Of course, Isoonblewthatup,andwasstrippingitdownon thekitchentable,withhelpfrom my oldDadagain. Now,though,hewasamazedbythehi-techkitbefore him.TheGPz550enginewasan olddesignby1990when Iboughtit,withair-coolingandtwovalvespercylinder –butithaddoubleoverheadcamshafts,fourindividual carburettors,CDIignitionand130bhp/litreperformance. Bycomparison,the1960sand70scarshewasused to hadpushrods,ormaybe asingleoverheadcamshaft. Theyhadpointsignition, onerathernastycarburettor, littleinthewayofperformanceengineeringatall,and mademaybe70bhpfrom a1600ccinline-four. Overthenextcoupleofdecades, Iworked away on myownbikes –andmy own cars.And thathands-on experienceconfirmed thatmotorcycleengineswere milesaheadofcars.TheJapanesebikes Iownedhad engineswithall-aluminiumcrankcasesandbarrels insteadofcastironblocks,four-orfive-valveheads insteadoftwo,andelectronicignitioninstead of points, coilandmechanicaldistributor. Okay,I wasdealing with normalfamilycars,nothigh-endsportscars,but the point remained.Carenginesseemed to bedesigned withtheminimumpossibleeffortwhereasmodern Japanesebikes –evenfairlystandardmodels –were onthecuttingedge,making150bhp/litre withtotal reliability.It’swildtothink of it,but the2002Ford Ka wasusing a60bhp,1297ccversionofthesameKent OHVengine usedinthe1959 Ford Anglia myDad learnedtospanneron.EvenHarleywasn’ttryingto flog a1950sengineinthe21st century.

In recentyearsthough,thingshaveswappedaround alittle.Car enginesarenow muchhighertech –partly becausetheyhavetobetomeetemissions regs. They’re nowcrammedwithhigh-poweredcomputersand sensorstoanalysecombustionandexhaustprocesses, whileturbochargersare commontohelpcleaner, smallercapacityenginesmakethepowerneeded to

driveincreasinglylardySUVsaround. Variablevalve timing,direct fuel injection, lightweightall-aluminium construction,they’ve got thelot,andeven afairly standardfamilycarnowmakesover 140bhp/litre. Bycomparison,bikeenginetecharguably has stagnated alittle.Thereare exceptions:theKawasakiH2 hasadded acompactengine-drivensupercharger(though developmentthereseemstohavestalled),whilethe litre-classsuperbikesaremaking215bhp/litrewith natural aspiration,whichisanincredibleachievement.Things liketheBMWBoxerunitpoweringthe newR1300GSare fabulousdesigns,makinggreatpowerwiththeShiftCam variablevalvesetup.Ducati’sdesmodromicvalve actuationisstillunique, giving it aparticularadvantage. Andtherehavebeen impressiveadvancesinelectronic ridingaids,coupledwithever-smarterride-by-wirefuel injectionandenginemanagement.

Butfundamentally,bikeenginedesign hasstoodstill, oreven retrenched,withcheaper,lesspowerfulparallel twinenginesnowdominatingseveralimportantareasof themarket. They’re great powerplantsintheirownway, ofcourse,butthey’re notdoingmuchtodriveforwards technologyinthewaythatcarenginedesign hasbeen doing of late.Ifyoutooka2024 HondaCBR1000RR Firebladeengineback40yearsto 1984,theperformance wouldblowthemind of anyengineerwholookedatit.But theywouldtakethedesignas read:there’snothingweird aboutitwhencomparedwith acontemporarymachine likethe CB900 or VF750:fourvalvespercylinder;twin overheadchain-drivecams;plain-bearingcrankshaft;light aluminiumpistons;aluminiumcrankcases;wetclutch; sequentialdog gearbox;chain finaldrive…

The reasonsaremanifold,butthegradualdeclinein theEuropean ‘big’bikemarket hastoplay apart,while thehigh-performancebikemarkethasdeclinedeven more,for reasonsweallknow:anagingdemographic, withless interestinsportsbikesforuseoncongested, heavilypoliced roadshigh up onthelist.Bikes have hadtomeetemissions regs,too,inthepast20years, andhavetendedtodosowithlessinnovativemethods. Indeed, firms arestartingtogiveup. Yamaha’sR1and R6havebeendiscontinuedbecausethefirmdoesn’t wanttospendthemoney neededtopasstighter regs. The engines in the replacementR9and R7aremuchless powerful,butcleanerandcheaperdesigns.

MyDadpassedaway afewyearsago,andwhile he mostly gaveupworkingoncarsashegotolder,hestill knewwhatwaswhat. He wasalwaysamazedbythe tech in thebikes Ivisitedonoverthepast20or 30 years –andevenmore sobythepowertheymade. Andina pleasingly symmetricaltwist,thecomputerskillsthathe gainedfromworkingforIBMwouldnowtransfer nicely backintothecarandbikeworldwherehebegan…

Cost-effectiveClassics:

SUZUKI GSX-R 750SRAD

Bigsportsbikethrillsforrelativelysmallmoney

Thesportsbikessceneisn’t whatitoncewashereinthe UKbutthere’sstillenoughofa followingforthevarious600,750 and1000ccmissilesthatwere oncesodominantonBritain’s roads. Trendscomeandgo, evenonhigh-endperformance machines,butifthere’sbeen oneconstantthroughoutit’s thethree-quarterlitreSuzuki GSX-R750.Kawasakiand Yamahahaveofferedstrong competitiononoccasionwith Hondadoingitsownthing,but onlytheHamamatsubrandhas sosteadfastlykeptthefaith.

Thosethatgobacktothe mid-1980scanrememberthe impactcreatedbythe firstSuzuki GSX-R750.Quitesimply,it bleweverythingelseout of the water,pureandsimple.On road andtrackthebikeprovedtobe aphenomenalsuccesstothe pointwhere therivalfactoriesfelt compelledtouptheirgame orget leftbehind.Thebikehas remained incontinuousproductionever sinceandeveniftheoddmodel wasn’talwaysquiteasgoodasit mighthavebeen,there’salways been astrongandloyalfollowing forthethree-quarterlitreGixxer.

TheSuzukiGSX-R750SRAD waslaunchedin1996withmuch fanfareand agraphicoverlay againstKevinSchwantz’sRGV500 GPbike. Thenew750hadthe samewheelbaseandsteering rakeastheracebikethereby implying,byassociation,it was goingtobe aseriousweapon. The chassiswasnew,having movedawayfrom adouble cradledesignto atwinsparset upforgreaterrigidity.Insidethe heavily revisedenginethebores werecoatedwithSCEM(Silicon CarbideElectro-Plate)to reduce friction.The revisedbore/stroke

Words: SteveCooper Photos: MortonsArchive

BUILDQUALITY

Finishisn’tthebestsoavoid cosmeticallychallenged examples.Good examplesneed cleaningandcoatinginquality protectants.

FUELLING

Carburatedversionscan sufferfromcarbicingin cold/dampweather. Later fuel-injectedmodelscanfeel alittleprimitivebymodernFI standards.

BRAKES

Six-pot Tokicocalipersare knowntoseize.Regular cleaning and fittingstainlesssteelpistons sorttheproblem.Alternatively, manywereretro fitted with four-potcaliperswhichalso fixes theissues.

HANDLING

Shouldbeimpressive even now. Ifnot,checkheadstockbearings andsuspensionlinkages.Highmileagebikeswillbenefit from forkservicingandnewrear shock.

ENGINE

Robustifregularlyserviced. Rattlingsoundswhencoldindicate camchaintensioner issues.

EXHAUST

Lookforscabbyheaderpipes. Aftermarketcans vary massively inquality.Bikesfitted withOEM unitscancommand apremium.

REAREND

Originallycamewithpillionpad andseathump.Makesureboth arewiththebike.

dimensionswereintendedto releasemore poweratincreased RPM.Electronicallycontrolled 39mmcarburetorswerefedby thenewSRAD(SuzukiRamAir Direct)inductionsystem,hence thenewacronym. Adetermined programmeofweightsavinghad beenundertakenwithmagnesium alloysbeingusedforthecovers ofthecylinderhead,starter motor,clutch,drive gear,etc. The followingyear’smodel carried onlyminorchangestocosmetics andaerodynamicimprovements. 1998’sGSX-R750SRADcame withanall-newfuelinjection system,makinganalready strongengineevenbetterwitha claimedpoweroutput of some

135horses. Some gains hadbeen madelighteninginternalengine components,butelsewherethe on-boardelectricspackageshad beenupgradedtobetteroptimise fuellingforprettymuchevery givensituation. 1999’s750 SRAD changedlittleotherthangraphics and awider rearwheelrim. After justfourmodelyearsthebikewas officially retiredfromthesales lists. Ithadbeen astrongseller, butSuzukineededtokeepup with, or aheadof,the fieldwhich meant atotaland utter,head-totoe redesignfortheir750. Not thatthe resultantbikewas goingtobesignificantly better atbringingin profits. Theentire gamehadmovedonandthere

1996 Honda CBR900RR FireBlade

Private:£2195Dealer:£2495

Boasting abiggercapacity motorthantheoriginalBlade, thisgenerationis atouch lardybutmakesfor agreat roadsportsbikethatisless wildthanearliermodels. Engine:918cc,l/c,16vinline four

Power:118bhp@ 10,200rpm Torque: 89Nm @7800rpm

1996Kawasaki ZX-7R

Private:£2599Dealer:£3000

Anabsolutelyiconic-looking bikewith asuperbchassis. Theengineis atouchweak, butyoucaneasilysortthis outwithcheapmods.Sadly,it isnowquitesoughtafter. Engine:748cc,l/c,16vinline four

Power: 112bhp @12,000rpm Torque:76Nm @8800rpm

1996 Yamaha YZF750R

Private:£2500Dealer:£3200

Aclassicbikeofthe 1990s, the YZF has agreatchassis andissolidlybuilt. Also,its horrific paintschemesare nowso hideoustheyarecool! Almost… Engine:749cc,l/c,16v,inline four

Tested Power: 113bhp@ 12,000rpm

Tested Torque:75Nm@ 9000rpm

werenewerdesignsoutthere. EvenastheSRADhadbroken cover,Honda’sFirebladewas being revisedandupdated,yet eventheonceall-conquering CBR900RRwaslooking rather tiredwhencomparedto Yamaha’s phenomenalYZF-R1.Ifanybike reallysoundedthedeathknellfor the750class,itwasthegamechangingR1.

Withallthehypeaboutthelater one-litresportsbikesthatwere theweightandsize of 750syou might,quite reasonably, thinkthe oncesupremethree-quarterlitre missileswere oldhat.Suzukiin theUKwasobligedtodrop the 750fromthestocklistscirca2016 whentheever-tighteningEuro emissions regulationseffectively outlawedthe bike.However,in

marketsthathavelessstringent requirementstheGixxer750 is still amarketableentity.Atthetime ofwriting anewSuzukiGSX-R 750wasavailableinAmericafor $12,849,provingthere’sstilla marketforagood 750ccsports bike.

Whenthe originalGSX-R750 cameoutin1985it rewrotethe ruleswith itsalloyframeand high-performancemotorthat wascooledbyairand oil.Over some30modelspeppered across fourdecades,thebike hasbeencontinually revisedand honedto give anexceptional ridingexperience.Somemodels havebeenbetterthanothers, butthey’vealwaysdeliveredthe goods.If, onoccasion, agiven modelhasn’tbeenascuttingedgeasthecompetitions’,on occasionSuzukihassteppedup totheplateand revisedthethreequarter litreGixxer. TheseSRADscurrentlyfall betweentwostools.Theearlier andearliestGSX-R750sare alreadyat, or approaching, classicstatusduetomisty-eyed previous owners gettingtothe pointwheretheycanafford to

relivetheiryouth.Atthe other endthenewermodelsarestill considered relativelymodernand thuscommand apremium.Ifyou wantedtoexperiencewhatallthe hypewasaboutsportsbikes, now istheperfecttimetobuyamid90sSRADbeforethey, too,start risinginprice.Knowthatthecarb versionisalsothemodel used by TeamClassicSuzukiinthe ClassicTTand wonthecentenary ClassicTTlastyearwithMichael Dunloponboardandcameback fromSouth Africawinningallfour

ClassicraceswithDanny Webb onboard.They reallyarerather special!

Manymightbeinclinedtoruna milewhen abikeisdescribedas beingcheapaschips,butwiththe Gixxer’slong-established record youshouldbeonsolidground. Avoidingtrackdaybikes,the 9699 SRAD750sseemtostartfrom aslittleas £1500forsomething roadlegalandsub-40konthe clock. At between £2000to £2700 there’splentytochoosefromand ifyouwantawarranty,aclean andtidyexamplefrom adealer reallyshouldn’tbemorethan £3500to£4000.

Forcontext,ifsomeoneoffered you abikethatcouldtopout inexcessof165mphyou’dbe interested.Ifthesamemachine coulddispatchthequarter-milein 10.6secondsyou’dbeimpressed. Now realisethatthisanda whole lotmorecouldbeyourforless thanhalfthepriceof anew GSX-R125andwonderwhythe hellnot?

FROM THEARCHIVE

Withalltheplayersnow runningV4smostwere ator aboutthesamelevel.Chassis, tyresandridersmadethesignificant differences…well,untilHondafired uptheir1992NSR.Firingallfourpots within70degrees ofeachother provided smoothertorqueanddeliveredthepower tothetyremoreeffectively.

Cagiva,Suzukiand Yamahahadto playcatch-uporgetleftbehindinthe wakeanddroneofHonda’sbig-bang motor.TheYZRgotanurgent rethink astheseasongotunderway,butthe upgradesweren’twithouttheirissues. Hondahadenjoyedtheentireclosed seasontodeveloptheirnewengine,and

itshowed.Suzuki’stakeonthesubject wouldseecrankfailures with Yamaha’s versionsufferingfromtransmission problems.Theseandmanymoreissues wereaddressedasmattersofsupreme urgency.And,ofcourse, Yamahadidn’t blindlycopyHonda’sleadeither–theirmotor firedat 0and90degrees producing asubtlydifferentexhaustnote. Yamahastartedtheseasonwith the‘old’ 180-degree firingordermotor withRainey foreverchasingDoohanontheNSR,but amassiveaccidentsidelinedtheHonda riderjustasthenew‘big-bang’YZR wasabouttocomeonstream. Yamaha teammate JohnKocinksi’searlyseason wasn’tthebestbutlatterlypickedupwith awinatthe final roundinSouthAfrica. WiththeHondastaroutofactionand the newbig-bangengine,Raineyturneda

63-point,mid-seasondeficitinto afourpointwin. Yamahahadbaggedanother title,butithadbeenattainedmorebyluck thanjudgement.WithKocinskitakingthird spot,JuanGarriga was the next Yamaha riderinseventhplacewithRandyMamola (Global Motorsports/BudweiserRacing) tenthandNiallMackenzie(Yamaha France/Banco)eleventh. Thankfully,thestartinggridshadswelled andin Yamaha’sown words:“Theleasing ofYZR500machineshadbegun from the previousyear,andfrom 1992, Yamaha begansales ofitsYZR500enginesto European constructors.As aresult,66 percentofthe grid (intheJapaneseGP) had Yamahaengines,andthenumberof competitorshadgrownagain.Thenew Yamahaengine-powered500ccmachines nowenteringtheGPwithchassis

reflectingthedesignphilosophiesofthe respectiveconstructors madetheraces evenmoreinteresting.Seventeenofthe 28point-scoringriderswereonmachines poweredby Yamahaengines.Inthissense itwasclearthat Yamaha’spolicywas successfullypromotingthesport.”

Yamahamighthavetakenthetitle,butit wasmorebyhappenstancethanstrategic planningandthe 1993 seasonwasgoing tobe achallengewithorwithoutHonda’s starrider.

TheVJMC;run by motorcyclists formotorcyclists Formembership enquiriesonly Tel: 01454501310 website: www.vjmc.com

Email: membership_vjmc@yahoo.co.uk Address: PO Box1949, Yate,BristolBS370BX Office hours: OfficehoursMon-Thu10am-4pm01454501310(please leaveamessage)

WORDS: SteveCooper PHOTOS: MortonsArchive

ForSale

BMW F650CS,2003,metallic titanium,lovelyoriginalcondition noissues,MoTMarch2025, 25,000miles,twoservicebooks andtwosetofkeys,£1500Tel. 07951067803.Warwickshire. Email.tara.mulryne@live.co.uk

BMW R60/2combination, 1962,superconditionwithan originalSteibTR500sidecar, V5C,£13,500candeliverTel. 07798 866071.Middx.Email. peterpaulmoore@hotmail.co.uk

BSA BB32A,1955,presented inGoldStartrim,tank,silencer, brakes,stainlessmudguards, chromeHagonshocks,new battery,reartyre,dating certificate,photos,V5C,soldas aproject,freedeliveryarranged, £4450Tel.01723372219.Yorks.

BRIDGESTONE 100Sport, 1968,needsnewpiston &barrel replating,over£1000spenton newparts,ienewwheels,tyres, tubes,wireharnessplusother sparessealforoilpump &carbs, crankpinalsotheseathasbeen recoveredsellingcan’tfinishthe workcontactformoredetailson, £1100.Tel.07929747650.

BSA ShootingStar,1956, metallicgreenwithcorrectdark greenframe,manyreceiptsfrom previousrestoration,including enginerebuild,new exhausts, silencers,reartyre,battery, V5Cavailable,runningwell,free deliveryarranged,£3950Tel. 01723372219.Yorkshire.

BSA BantamB175,1970,175cc, 4speed,originalgreenlogbook, V5C,onSorn,matchingengine, framenumbers,everything works,£2750Tel.01268 735135.Essex.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON Touring FLHTCElectraGlideclassic, 2010,excellentcondition,full servicehistorywithHarleyDavidsondealer,MoTuntil March2025, 2owners,comes withHarley-Davidsoncover andinsertsforpanniers,also includedbatterycharger,pump forsuspensionandwheellock, lowmileage,welllookedafter, twokeys,£9000Tel.07815 652516.Email.neilkhosking@ gmail.com

Classified

HARLEY-DAVIDSON Iron1200, 2020,fantasticcondition, recentlyfittedAvon Cobra chrometyres,heated gripsfitted, Ledheadlight,Cobraexhausts, Sissybar,luggagerack, immaculatecondition,absolute bargainatthisprice,£7600 Email.streety2012@yahoo.co.uk

HONDA 250Hornet1997, 6000kms,amazingcondition, MoTtill31stAugust2025,two Hondakeysand originaltoolkit, thisisthefirstversionofHornet a250ccFourwith a16kredline, smoothengine,messagefor morepicturesanddetails,£3250 Tel.07470833270.Hampshire. Email.davep8@tiscali.co.uk

KTM Adventure1190R,2014, oneownerfromnew,57,700 miles,excellentconditionwith goodservicehistory,KTM panniers,Akrapovic,spots, heatedgrips,powerparts seat,radiatorprotector, full engineprotection,alloriginal fittings included,recent front tyre,chain andsprockets, battery,£4000Tel.07815 186070.NorthYorkshire.Email. bobatkinson58@gmail.com

HONDA XBR500,1986, exchangefor125/250 4stroke, trailbikeworthabout,£2500 mustbefourstrokecashwaiting, adjustmenteitherway,hasnew MoTTel.Peter01959577788.

HONDA CB250N,1981,86,000 miles,black,lotsofworkdone butneedsfinishing,beendry storeforlast10 years,easy winterproject,£700onoTel. 07391048529.Herefordshire.

KAWASAKI ZRX1200S,2004, MoTMay2025,38,000miles, nicecleanbike,Beowulfexhaust, enginecrashbars,doublebubble screen,regularlyserviced,new bikeforcessale,£2500.Tel. 07940836997.Northants.Email. loasby19@hotmail.com

LAVERDA RGS1000,virtually asnew,engineblockrebored andnewlinersandheadunit reconditionedcarbsareKeihin fromLaverdaScotia,newJota thickenedexhausts,tankhas beenextensivelyrenovatedand resprayedSpeedotachounit new, lovelybike, £8000Tel. 07899985770.Exeter. Email. john998@icloud.com

NORTON Dominator99,1973, wideline600cc,twinsilver/ black,newfrontrim,new tyres, silencers,battery,V5C,light recommissionrequired,free deliveryarranged,£4450Tel. 01723372219.Yorkshire.

SUZUKI TS250Savage1973 USimportnowUKregistered, DreamMachinerecentlypainted inSunset Orange fantasticjob, allchromeworkcarriedout newexhaustseals,newMoto Battbatteryregulatornewgear selectorgreatlookingbike,not&t required,£3600ovnoTel.07342 980505.Kent.

SWM SilverVase440,445cc, 5speedsingle, finished in classicorangeandsilver‘Steve McQueenHusqvarna’colour scheme,lowmileage,verygood condition,MoTtoMarch2025, £2650onoTel.07910285178. MiltonKeynes.Email.blandfamily@sky.com

TRIUMPH Thunderbird,1600SP, 2009,20,000miles,fsh,recent service,new tyres,brakesetc, manyextras,longMoT,£4500. Also manyaccessoriesavailable luggage,screens,touringseat, £4500Tel.07746639782.Kent.

READY madeItaliancollection forsale,BenelliTornedoTRE900, green/silver.GileraCX125,blue. MoriniDartblue/white,£10,000 thelotTel.01707870769.Herts.

TRIUMPH SpeedTriple,2008, (2007model),36,800miles, goodcondition,fsh,toomany extrastolist,fullArrowexhaust, K&NfiltersfullyULEZcompliant, currentlyonSornbutMoTtill August2025,£3250.London. Email.max@londonplay.org.uk

TRI UMPH Bo nn ev ille Newchurch,2015,8000miles, inmintcondition,neverbeen ridden in therain,personally servicedbyex-engineerowner, soinexcellentmechanical order,nofaults,withnumerous sensibleextrasanddata-tagged, MoTtillMay2025,£4950Tel. Steve07941496481.Preston.

TRIUMPH TigerExplorer1200, 2012, 45,500km on theclock, MoTuntilMarch2025,newfork sealsandbushes,newHagon rearshock,newstainlesssteel headers,stainlesscan,new heatedgrips,newreardisc, newcylinderheadfittedunder warrantybyLingsin2019,full setofluggage,twosetsofkeys, £3800Tel.07577586148. Suffolk.Email.nufkamp@gmail. com

SUZUKI Burgman,2021,71reg, 400cc,LimitedEdition,colour grey andblue, wheels model 4600miles,MoTAugust2025, showroomcondition,garaged, FSH-E5,newmaxiscooterforces sale,£3999.Tel.07784499299. Yorkshire.

TRIUMPH 2016Speedmaster 865,wellkeptmachine, beautiful runner,12months MoTOxfordheatedgripsLED headlightcocktailshaker pipes,Vikingpanniers,original gunslinger seat, backrest withluggagerack,servicing kit,13,530miles,£5500.Tel. 07399523454.Email.angela@ haystackselection.co.uk

TRIUMPH Bonneville,1970, T120R650cc,matchingframe andenginenumbers,excellent condition, runsverywell,no smokeorrattles,cansendphoto byphone, £6195. Tel. 07887 674467.Hants.

YAMAHA Nmax,2022, asnew condition,165milesonclock, mirrorextenders,pearl/white £2900.Tel.07805617964. Wolverhampton.Email.susan. athersmith@sky.com

PartsForSale

ACCUMULATION of Triumph, BSA,BMW,Guzzi,Cagiva, MarstonSunbeampartsetc,also Dexionandcubbyholeshelving, offersinvitedTel.John07833 906288.

BSA Bantam gear change lever, £10. Eversure carramps,one owner, no damage,£20.Pitmans BookoftheRoyalEnfield,194658,slightlytattyreadable,£5Tel. 01299266565.Worcs.

DUNLOP tyreleversforsale 4at 7”, 3at9”, 1at6”plus 1Melco 9”,£45phoneformoredetails canpostifrequiredTel.07929 747650.

GARAGE clearoutparts,available forHondaCB/CL250/350K, KawasakiW650,W800Tel. 01291423392.SouthWales. GIVI topbox,holdshelmet,£45. HRAscreenKBA90512,£50. Pairnewchrometearshaped mirrors, L+RHthreads,£20. Pair newreargrab handles CB500 &R,13-17,£35.Bar riserkit,£10 pairpro grips, £7. PairgenuineHondagripsCB500 13-17, £6 allaboveasnewTel. 07984352539.Worcs. HARLEY-DAVIDSON SportGlide OEM 2into 1exhaustsystem,60 milesonit,excellentcondition, £100.Alsohaveoriginallow riderSTsystemforsale,£200 Tel.07402989970.

Wanted

CLASSIC bike,willconsider anythingBritishorJap,good pricespaid,anyconditionTel. Mark07908623649.Email. kelsm86@icloud.com HONDA CD175,1973,wanted servicerepairmanualand variouspartsTel.07464346931. Worcs.

WANTED variouspartsfor SuzukiRV125Van-Van2003, 2017modelTel.01291423392. SouthWales.

Miscellaneous

OXFORD Bone Dry,gents motorcyclejacket,black/blue, thermallining,elbowshoulder backprotection,sizeXL,as new£25. Grivitopenface helmetvisor,grey,sizeL,£12. Motorcyclegloves,XL,black, £10allasnewconditionTel. 01299266565.Worcs. WANNER grease gunlever,type action (pressure) adjustable crankednozzle(angled)good quality,madeinSwitzerland, nolongerused,£12Tel.01268 735135.Essex.