**FREE TO READ** MoreBikes November 2024 issue

Ourguidetoclockingthemilesandsmileson twowheels,fromwheretogotowhattowear

Welcometotheissue…

Hi,I’mnew.Well,kindof. Around 14yearsagoI got draftedinto help on thistitle, whenitwas knownasMotorCycleMonthly, soitfeelsbothstrangeyetexciting tobebackonthispaper,steppingin whereRossleftoff. Ireallylikewhathe’s donewiththetitle,and Iaspire tokeep thediverse,broad-thinkingnatureof MoreBikesverymuchthesame.WhileI’ll

admitmy go-toontwowheelsistypically sportsbikes, overthepast 20 yearsI’ve beenluckyenoughtosamplejustabout every genre going –andthat’show Ilike it.Infact, oneofmybiggestpassions ofall is adventurebikeriding,whichis whatformsthecore tothisspecialissue. Hopefully,you’ll findsome interesting featureswithinthesepages,alongside plentyofkitfocusedandbike reviews,

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plustipsfromridingexpertsandthose ofthelegalvariety.It’sarightmixedbag, butitsomehowallmakessense.That said,I’mverymuchthekindof person whowantstodeliverforthereaders,so ifyou’vegotanysuggestionstomake,or storiestotell,dropmealine.Butinthe meantime,enjoyyourread.

Freshmetalincoming

It’sthattimeoftheyearagain,whenmanufacturersfromaroundtheglobestartshowinguswhatthey’ve been workingawayatbehindclosed doors. We take alookat some ofthemost exitingnewmodels headedourway…

Words:AlanDowds

2025Ducati MultistradaV4 rangeupdates

There’sdefinitelyanargumentthat themightyMultistrada V4 doesn’t needtoomuchinthewayofupdates (£5kofftheaskingpricewouldbe ourfavourite2025upgradebutthen weareverycheap).Theunique V4 Granturismoengine,saucychassis, heapsofluxurytouring kit and incredibleperformancemakeitoneof ourtopadventuretouring rocketships.

But the folksfromBorgoPanigale don’treston theirlaurels,so there’samodestupdateonthe wholeMultistradaV4rangefor 2025.Thatstunningenginestays muchthesame,stillmaking 170bhpfrom1158cc, butisnow Euro5+compliant,andhasan extendedcylinderdeactivation strategy.Before,theECUcould turnoff the rearbankofcylinders whenidling, to reduceheat generationandcut bothemissions andfuelconsumption.Now,itcan alsodo thattrickwhenmoving, albeitonlyonlow-loadcruising. The resultis asix percent drop inbothfuelconsumptionand emissions –notearth-shattering butworthhavingweguess. Awayfromtheengine,the chassisgetsminoradjustments totheswingarmpivot –now 1mm higher –whilethe Smodelgets theAutomaticLoweringmodeas standardontheMarzocchi Skyhook semi-activeelectronicsuspension.

ThatmeansthebigMultidrops downautomaticallywhenyou cometo ahalt,tomakeiteasierto get afootdownforthestumpyof limb.Theworking-classstandard V4makesdowith non-electronic Marzocchiforksandshock,while thepremium Pikes Peak variant showsoffwith revisedgoldenÖhlins EC2.0semi-activesportsuspension. Thatmatchesthesingle-sided swingarmandforgedsuperbikesizedMarchesinirimsnicely.

ThewholeMultistradaline-upalso getstweakedbodyworkandnew graphicsfor2025,as wellas ageneral upgradingof the variouselectronics, fromtheradar-assistedcruisecontrol andridermodes, tothe interfaceon thegiant6.5-inchLCDdash.

Thepriceforallthisloveliness? Well, abaselevelV4startsat £17,695,theV4Scomesinat £21,495,andthetop-endPikesPeak machineis ahefty £27,795.Best hopeSantahasyouon his goodlist thisyear!

Scramblers of Mercy KTMreleasestech detailsonnewauto gearbox

OneforthegothicDucatistioutthere:a braceofnewScrambler800modelstoits line-upfor2025.ThenewIconBlackand FullThrottlemodelscaterto aperhapsnichesector:gothswholike rorty,classy, novice-friendly V-twin roadsters,withboth newmodelsavailableinblackonly. The FullThrottledoesaddsomeclassybronze highlightstothefinish,aswellasaneat

Termignoniendcan,sumpguardandan up/ downquickshifter.There’renoothermods tothebasicScramblerengineorchassis package,soyougetthe 73bhp803cctwovalveDesmodue V-twinmotorin a176kg wetsetup,whichworks reallywellon the road,aswellaslookingprettysweet.No pricesaswewenttopress,butbothbikes willbeavailablebeforeChristmas.

KTM’sfinallyunveileditsautomatic transmissionfor2025 –andit’s pleasinglydifferentfromthethreeother setupswe’veseenthisyearalready fromHonda,BMWand Yamaha. KTM’sAMTtakesadifferent route fromthosesystems,opting to usea mechanicalcentrifugalclutchrather thana computer-controlledelectronic clutchactuatorunit.Thatsimpleset uptakescareofpullingawayand stopping,while a‘normal’quickshifter setuptakescareofcuttingdrivewhen changinggear.

The gearchangeitselfnow has anelectromechanicaldriverinthe shiftdrum,soallowingbothfully automaticoperation,anda manual overridemode.Intheautomode,the centrifugalclutchkicksinwhenyou openthethrottle,smoothlyfeedingin drive,andthetransmissionelectronicsthentakeovergearshifting,cuttingthe rideby-wirethrottleandfuellingwhenchangingup,andauto-blippingwhenchanging down,ason anormalup/downquickshifter.Selectmanualmode,andyoucan selectyourowncogs, eitherwiththefootlever,whichisstillinplace,orelsewitha paddleswitchontheleft-handbar.The AMT has asix-speedsequentialgearchange sequence,withneutralpositionedbelow first ratherthanbetween first andsecond gear,andthere’salsoanadditional Pparkingpositionwhichlocksthegearboxlike anautomaticcar.Expecttoseeitonthe new1390 Super Adventurefirst, thenon otherbikesintheKTMrange.

YamahaR1RaceandGYTR

We knewthiswascoming–butitstillhitshard.Thefirst YamahaR1appearedjust sixyearsafterFastBikes itselfhitthestreets –so inmanywayswegrewup together.Itwastheoriginal rulebook-rewriter;the superbikethattoppledthe mightyHondaFireBlade;the firstofthemodernbreedof 999ccsuperbikesthatled tothelikesoftheSuzuki GSX-R1000,KawasakiZX10RandBMWS1000RR. Nothinglastsforever though,and Yamaha’s throwninthetowelonthe superbikeclassin roadgoingform, forEurope andtheUKatleast.It’s reclassifiedtheR1asa competitionmachineonly,as itdidwiththeR6 acoupleof yearsago,soit’slikebuying amotocrossbike.The2025 R1Raceisn’thomologated for roaduse,comeswithout roadgearornumberplates, andcan’tberegisteredatall. Whichis amassiveshame, sinceit’sthebest-looking R1yet.Thefirm’sgiven it aset ofcarbonfibre aerowings,aswellas upratedBrembo Stylema brakecalipersandmaster cylinder,revisedKYBforks

and alight magnesium rear wheel(wegiveitabouta fortnightbeforesomeone hot-gluesallthiskitontoa 2024 roadbike…). Weirdly, itlookslikeitkeeps aroadgoingexhaustwithcatalyst, aswellastheABSsetup, sidestandandignitionlock. Why? Well,theR1willstayas aroadbikeonsaleintheUS, andothermarketswhere they don’tneedtoget aEuro5+ homologation.Clickonthe YamahaMotorUSAwebsite andyoucanseeitonsale there,withlights, for just $19,000…

Yamaha’salsoofferinga fancyGYTRtrackversionof thenewR1,whichcomes withmorecircuit-focusedkit: nostands,anAkrapovicrace pipe,racebodywork,Brembo racebrakepads,keyless ignitionandmore.It’sFIM Superstock-compliantinterms of regsandis readytorace (thoughthe 100dBAkramight struggleonsomeUKtracks). Bothnewbikesareonsale now.Pricesweretbcwhenwe wenttopress,butthe old road R1wasaround £18,500and theR1GYTRfrom2023cost £26,500,sothatwillpresumably betheballpark.Moreinfo: www.yamaha-motor.eu

2025Kawasaki Versys 1100 andNinja 1100SX

Kawasaki’sgot alotof previouswiththe1100cc capacity:itsGPz1100in1983wasarguablyone ofthefirstpropermodernsuperbikes,withhalffairing,fuelinjectionandmonoshocksuspension. TheZZ-R1100in1990wasthefastestbikeinthe worldforsevenyears,andit’s hadvariousother ZRX,GPZandZephyr1100ssince.So, thesetwo upgraded1000shavesomeheritagebehindthem. The Versys1000adventuretourerandNinja1000 SXsportytourerhavebeendoinggoodworkin recentyears,offeringstronggruntyperformancein usablepracticalpackages,andfor2025theyget extracapacityforevenmoredrive.

Theenginemodsaresimilaronboth bikes: capacitygoesupfrom1043ccto1099ccthanks to a3mmlongerstrokeandthat, plusintake mods,boosttorque.The Versysalsogetsanextra 14bhppeakpower– whichit arguablyneeded, havingjust120bhpin1000form.TheNinjasticks with140-oddbhppeakoutput,withtheextra midrangedrive.

Thereare otherdetailmodsonboth bikes, butthebigstoryisprobablythenewSEvariant oftheNinja,whichcomeswithBremboM4.32 calipers,Brembomastercylinderanddiscs,plus braidedsteelhoses.ItalsogetsanÖhlinsS46 rearmonoshockwithremotepreloadadjuster,and standard fitheatedgrips.

BothnewKawasaki1100swillbeintheshops forChristmas,withtheNinjacosting£12,249for thestandardmodelor£13,999fortheSE.The standardVersyscosts£11,899and theSE(which comeswithShowasemi-active suspension)is £15,649.

HusqvarnaVitpilen801

We sawmostofthisearlierin thesummer;thenewHusqvarna 801 roadsterhasalreadybeen releasedinSvartpilen(black arrow) scramblerform,andfor2025we gettheotheroption,theVitpilen (whitearrow).Aswiththesmaller modelsintheHusqvarna roadbike range,bothbikessharethe basic engineandframefrom aKTM Duke –thistimethe790parallel twin.SotheVitpilen801hasthe same105bhpLC8cengineina steeltubetrellisframe,withWP Apexadjustable suspension,J.Juan brakes,MichelinRoad 6rubberand thefirm’susualelectronicriding aids –corneringABSandtraction andBluetoothphonelink.Theup/ downquickshifterisanextra-cost optionthough,whichis abitcheap we reckon.

It’sthestylethatwecomeherefor though,andtheVitpilenhasmuch moreofaclassy,qualityfeelthan theslightlygarishorangeDuke. Detailsliketheslash-cutsilencer, angularbodywork,neat bellypan andthebi-LEDprojectorheadlamp areallprettysweet,andtheoverall caféracerdesignis reallyappealing –especiallyifyou’reonthehunt forsomething abit different.It’ll be intheshopsinearly2025,withthe pricetobeconfirmed.

HondaNT1100getsmore gruntandoptional electronic suspensionfor 2025

Hondaspecialisesinmaking bikesthatgo muchbetterthantheirspecsheetsuggests. Andthat’strueforthe100bhp/238kgNT1100 sporttourer.BasedontheAfrica Twin engine andframe,it’sbeen abighitinEurope and theUKsincelaunchin2022,sellingmore than12,000unitssofar.For2025it’s gettinga moderately comprehensiveupdate,withnew moreprotectivebodywork, extramidrange torqueandoptionalsemi-activesuspension.

Theenginegetsa classictop-endtweak formoregrunt:alteredintakeandinjector geometry,abitmorecompression, different fuelmappingandbiggerintaketrumpets, allofwhichgiveanextra7Nm,withpeak torquecomingin750rpmsooner –112Nm @5500rpm.Peak powerstaysasyouwere: 100bhp @7500rpm.

Theoptionalsemi-activesuspension comesfromJapanesefirmShowa, dubbed ShowaElectronicallyEquippedRide Adjustment(Showa-EERA).Specially developedforthe NT1100,theEERAclaims toautomaticallyprovideoptimum damping relativetostrokespeed,adjusting damping basedonbikespeed(fromtheECU), bike stanceandattitude(fromtheIMU),andfork behaviour(fromthestrokesensor).Anditall happensin15milliseconds.Thereare three pre-defined suspensionmodes: Urban, Tour andRain,plus acustomisableUsersetup that’sfullytweakable.

Nowordonpriceoravailabilityaswe went topress:expectfulldetailsatthe NECbike showinNovember.

Meet Yamaha’snewsupersport sensation:theR9

Aswegotopress,we’rejust receivingthe final detailson Yamaha’s long-awaitedR9sportsbike. Andit’squite atemptinglittlepropositiononthe quiet.Yamaha’sgoneaboveandbeyond our expectationsinsome respects, givingthenew upper-middleweightsportstersomeclassychassis componentsand anewlightweightbespoke aluminiumframe,aswellasmodernaerodynamic bodyworkwithwinglets.Butwithpeakpower outputof117bhpand awetweight of 195kg,the bareperformancefigureswerealready attracting criticismonsocialmedia,withunflattering comparisonsto15-year-old600supersportsbikes (neverchange,Facebook!).

Thisissimplisticstuff,ofcourse.The890cc CP3triplemotor insidethe newR9isa fabulous powerplant,withstrong,torqueydelivery(and compliancewiththeEuro5rulesthatkilledtheold R6).Onthe roadit’sa verycapableunit,withallthe modernbellsandwhistlesthatcomewith ride-bywirethrottleand2024electronics.It’sbeentweaked fromtheversionintheMT-09,withdifferent fuel injectionsettingsandalteredfinaldriveratios–but thefundamentalsofthe890ccinline-threeDOHC 12vunit remainthesame,with aboreandstrokeof 78x62mmand11.5:1compressionratio.

Thechassisisall-newthough,startingwiththat Deltaboxframe,whichhasbeenspeciallydesigned forthesportyR9,andweighsjust9.7kg,thanks toclevergravity-castproductiontechniques. HangingoffeitherendisnewfullyadjustableKYB suspension,with43mmUSDforksand anew monoshockdesign.Theforksfeatureseparate dampingcircuitsineachleg –rightfor rebound andleftforcompression –andbothforksand shockweredevelopedalongsidethenew2025R1 suspensionpackage.

Perhapsthebiggestchassissurpriseisthe brakesthough –Yamahafinallydroppingthe silver/gold/bluespotfour-pistoncalipersthat

havegracedallitsperformancebikesin recent decadesinfavour of fancyBremboStylemafourpistonradialmountcalipers. Thesearepairedup with aBrembomastercylinder,320mmdiscsand braidedsteelhoses,toprovide amplestopping poweryou’dimagine.Bridgestoneissupplyingthe rubber:sweetRS11hoops thatwilldogreatwork ontrackand road, in classicsupersport120/70 front and180/55 rearsizes.

ThebodyworkisfamiliarR-bikefamilystyle stuff,withthecorporateblue giving auniformlook withtheR125,R3andR7models.The 9getsa setofwingsthough,whichclaimto reducefront wheelliftby6-7percentatspeed,andtheoverall aerodynamicsofthefullfairingisclaimedtobe betterthanonthe oldR6,despitehaving abigger engineandradiator.

R9techhighlights

Lastbutnotleast,theR9ispackedwithup-todateelectronics,withlean-sensitivetraction,ABS (switchableonthe rear),anti-wheelie,slidecontrol, enginebrakecontrolandpowermodes.There’salso thelatestgenerationup/downquickshifter,cruise controlandBluetoothconnectivity,allaccessedvia afullcolour5-inchLCDdashboard.There’salsoan optional Y-Tracsetupaimedattrackusers,which addsfulldataloggingofallbikefunctionsincluding leanangleandtractionintervention,GPS,throttle position,gear,speedandengine revs,aswellas avirtualpitboard,thatletsyourpalsinpitlane message‘Get amoveon’every30 secondswhile you’retryingtowinintersagain.

Thepriceforallthis? Afranklynotunreasonable £12,250,andthenewR9willbeavailable in March2025.

• All-newlightweight gravitycastaluminiumDeltaboxframe

• BrembofrontmastercylinderandStylemacaliperswith 320mmdiscsandbraidedsteellines

• NewKYB43mmfrontforkswithSeparateDampingForcedesign

• Fullyadjustablelatest generationKYB rearshockwith remoteadjuster

• 195kgwetweight

• Award-winningCP3,890cc,EU5+,119PSengine

• 6-axsIMUwithfullsuite of lean-sensitiverideraids

• ThirdGenerationQuickShiftSystem(QSS)

• Exclusive TracksettingswithrearABSoffmodeandfull YRCadjustability

• CCUanddataloggingcapability

• 5-inchfullcolour TFT displaywithconnectivityfeatures

• Powerdelivery,TractionControl, SlideControl System, BrakeControl,Back Slip Regulator, EngineBrakeManagementandfront wheelLiftControl

• BridgestoneRS11supersporttyres

• Adjustablelevers

• Forgedaluminium gearshiftpedal

• Optional Y-Tracfunctionoffers a‘Virtual Pitboard’,wheretherider’spitcrewcansendmessages totheirdashboardwhile on track

OURTOP THISMONTH PRODUCTS FIVE

1

AlpinestarsTech Air 7Airbag

Motorcycleairbagsarebecoming morewidespreadthanksto firmslikeAlpinestars, Dainese andIn&Motion,whichareall expandingtheirproductranges. Thisisthelatesthigh-enddesign fromAlpinestars,aimedat race/trackand roaduse,which features adualinflatorsystem so itcan energisetwicein abadorextendedcrash. Thegasgeneratorsare easily replaced, andtheairbagworks as astandaloneunit orintegratedinto asuitable Alpinestars suit/jacket.Itprotectstheback,chestand shoulders,withanextendedback protector paneltocoverthecoccyx.

2

£139.99 /www.spadaclothing.com

ACE-approvedriding bootin aslicktrainer style,the Tachiboot features anaturalgum soleandperforated syntheticupperwith silver3M reflective fabricand awaterproof membrane.There’s fullCEprotection,and extracomfortfroma ballisticnylonpadded collar.Concealedlace loopsandpull-onheel tabmakethemeasy to geton,andthereare smoothheelandshifter overlays.

3

£169 /www.louis-moto.co.uk

German firmLouisMoto hasitsownRothewald rangeofgarage kitand tools,including this 180-piecemetricsocket set.Itcomesin atough, hingedplasticcase, with 1/2in,3/8inand1/4indrive ratchetsandsocketsthat will covermostcommon bikejobs. Youalsoget T-bars,extensions, universaljoints,sparkplug socketsand arangeof Torx,femalestar,hexand screwdriverbits. Agood basefor afirsttoolkit,ora handyupgradeforoldrusty kit,we reckon.

4

backprotector)/ www.ls2helmets.com

Okay,it’sbeen adisappointing yearforblazingtemperaturesin theUKsofar(andevenmore disappointinginAlba…),but there’sstillhope –and amesh ridingjacketis agreat thingto haveforthosesuper-hotdays, whenyouwanttostaycoolbut remainprotected. This LS2Alba is awell-pricedoption:it’sfully ventedwithmeshpanelsfront and rear,CEarmour,and hasan optionalbackprotectorpocket. Impactareashaveextralayers ofripstopmaterial,andthereare five pockets,includingonethat’s waterproof.SizesS-5XL,inblack or grey,withredhighlights.

5

He’sbeen retiredfor agood fewyearsnow,but Valentino Rossiisstillthe topbikestar formany.Andfanscanstill celebratehis royalGOATnesswith avariety of replica Rossilids.ThisAGVK1-Sis abudget-priced roadlidwith asportydesign,and itlooks aceinthis‘Mugello1999’ replicapaintjob. The shellis alightweightthermoplastic construction,withtwoouter sizesandanaero-spoiler. It’sfullyCE22.06approved, uses adouble-Dstrap,has aquick-releasePinlock Maxvisor,andwashable, removableliner.It’slight,too, atjust1500gclaimed.

Tried Out: AeronGP

Ineverliketotakechanceswhenit comes to ridingkit,with perhapsthe biggestred line beingwhatIput on my head.Afterall, you’ve onlygot oneofthem,sowhy risk it? That said, price canhavealotofinfluence on decision-making, andwhen you hear that thenew SharkAeron GP will set you back £949.99of King Charles’ finestpounds,it’ll possiblymakeyou stopandthink twicebeforeclicking the‘buy now’ button. Ofcourse, there’sreasonbehind theGP’s price tag… infact,thereare many that add together to make upthe marvel ofthis latest-generationlid.

At itsheartisa class-leading levelofsafety, benefitingfroman innovativeCOVA(Carbon On View: Aramid)construction type that not onlybringsstrengthtothe party, butlightness, too. Hittingthe scales at just 1410g,you’d be worriedif it weighedmuchless, especially when youappreciate howmany componentscome together within itsshell,whichcomesin twosizes to suitdifferentheadshapes– largeror smaller.Theinnerprotectionis made upoftriedand tested EPS, while three-dimensional ‘Morpho’cheek padsalsofindthemselves at home, alongsideanemergencyquickrelease system.Thechinstrap is adouble-D type,andthereare fiveairinletsplus sevenexhausts, ensuringgood air flowshould youneedit. There’salso aremovable chin guard,an easy-fit systemforglasseswearers,andthe wholeinterior canalsoberemoved and washedifyou findyourselfa sweaty mess. In short, thishelmet doesn’t lack foranything. Itsbiggest talkingpoint isits aerodynamicprowess. Anindustry first,the Aeronboastssome funky flapsonthe rear spoilerthat are actuatedwith speedtonotonly minimisedragina straight line (by up to fiveper cent), butalsotoreduce turbulence by 50 percent. Dubbed the AdaptiveAeroSystem, Shark claimsit canreducethe flageffect on ridersbyasmuchas80per cent also, whichisnobad thingifyou find yourselfonthegridof a24-hour endurance race.

So,that’s the spec,but what’s itlike to ridein? I’lladmit,I’venotalways been afanof past Sharkhelmets,my biggestcomplaint beingthatthey just didn’t fit me that well. Buttime hasmoved on,and so hasthe shape anddesignofits flagshipsports helmet,whichisgood newsforme.

Off theshelf withno tweaking, Iwas impressedbythefit andcomfortof thelid,whichgripped my facenicely withoutleavingany extremepressure points to moan about. The thickness ofthe chin straptookabitof getting used to,but thebrillianceofthe huge visor wasappealing fromthe get-go. Sharkhelmetsareprettysizeable comparedtosome rivalbrands,but that’s not abad thingwhen youget to benefit from such greatperipheral. Within afew rides,Ifound myself accustomedtothehelmet,which surprised me.ItfeltlikeI’d been wearingitformonths,havingbecome used to the weight, design, andthe functionsofthe Aeron,whichfeatures alockablevisortoguaranteeitdoesn’t pingupwhen you’repinningthe throttle.

The first majoruse oftheGP was ontrack, over twodaysand14 sessions.That amountofriding, at afair pace,tells youall youneedto knowabout ahelmet –shortofwhat it’s likeina crash.Thecomfortwas pretty exceptional,andwhile Ican’t commentonwhether Icouldfeel ifthe Aeron’saerodynamicvirtues offered me amorepleasurable riding experience,whatIwould sayisthere wasnobuffeting to noteandthat my neck felt remarkably unstrainedafter so much ridinginshortsuccession. Ishouldalsopoint outthat the quietnessofthe Sharkwas notable, andanothergreattalkingpoint isthe ease withwhichyou canchangea visor.Ihateinstructions,andthanks to the simplicityofthefoolproof system,none were needed to change fromthe stockclear visor to the dark tintthatcomes with everyAeron purchased, withinits ownhelmet bag, alongside fivetear-offs…incaseyou want to make yourselffeel reallyfast. Long storyshort, it’s ahardhelmet to fault,and I’ve continuedenjoying wearingitonmanyroadridessince that trackdebut.Despitenot being much of aZarco fan, Iquitelikethe coloursofhis replica, too, though there’sa whole rangeofcoloursand carbondesigns to pickfrom. Formore info,headtothe Neviswebsite or, better still, popdowntoyourlocal dealerandtryoneonfor size.

Testedby:Bruce

Time:Threemonths

RRP:From£949.99

Web:www.nevis.uk.com

Q&A

Eachissueourspecialistmotoring solicitorAndrewPrendergast guidesreadersthroughtheirlegal trialsandtroubles

Q.Iwasupand outearly as Iwasheadingto meet amatenearWorcestertoheadwest into Wales.Itwaslininguptobea beautiful day asthe sunwas just comingup, thebirdswere startingtosing, and Iwasastride my new(to me) ApriliaRSV4. Ialwaystakethe BroadswhenI canasit’squieterand generallyprettier.I came round aleft-hand benddoingabout40-50mph when my wheels went fromunder me andas quickasaflash Iwas on my backsideand sliding acrossthe roadandinto amuddy verge. Ilay therefor aminuteortwo shakenup,knowing not to rush to my feetand just catch my breath. Thankfully,the main pain wasonlyinmyarm,so Igingerly gotuptocheck outthe damage.And damage therewas.Mybeautifulbikewasinbits andthe road waslikeasheetofice (exceptthis wasn’ticeasit wasalready about15degrees in themiddleofsummer!). Iworkedoutthe road wascovered with aslippery substance.At first,Icouldn’t work outwhat it was, orwhereit hadcomefrom.However,a postal workerthen stopped inhis vantosee if Iwasall rightandas he gotout,henearly fell overas well. Anyway, longstory short, we trackedthe substance back to awallwherethe slipperysubstance was

comingfrom(Ihaveitallonvideoandinphotos on my phone). We looked overthe wall to seea loadofold, largeoildrums(the sort you seeat an ‘old-schoolgarage’)stackedup. It turnedout fourdrums were ontheir sideand hadleaked through agap/crackinthe wallandon to the road.Thepostal worker reckoneditwas just oneofthosethingsand Ihadno claim,but my insurer reckonedIshould bringaclaim against the MotorInsurer’s Bureau underthe Untraced Driver’s Agreement. What do youthink? Ihad atrashedbikeand abrokenwrist (that needed screwsandmetalplates to fixit).

A.The postal workeriswrong. Thisisn’t‘just oneofthosethings’. Yourinsurer isalsowrong becausetheoldoilonthe roaddidnotcome fromavehicle. It leaked outofdrums stored on landnexttoa road. Therefore, you cannot claim againsttheMIB.Assuch, it appearsyour onlypathofrecourseistobring aclaim against the person/company who stored theold oil andletitleakon to the road.Practically, make sure youhaveyourphotosandvideosaved somewhereotherthan just on your phone. They will be keyevidence.Thenextissueis tracking

SOLICITORS www.whitedalton.co.uk

down who owns the landwheretheoildrums were stored.Again,practically, you can’t beat knockingonafewdoorstofind out. However, if youcannotworkoutwho owns the land, youmay need to do aland registrysearch(it costs afew pounds). Once youtrack down the owner,then youcan crackonwithadvancing your claim.Fingers crossedtheyhavehouse/ businessinsurance,etc.Ifnot,theymay have to compensateyou outoftheir ownpocket. Lastly,I suspectyou have afew practicalandlegalhurdles to overcomewiththis onesoIsuspect youwill need to geta solicitorinvolved to help you.

Q.Ihad been outraggingaround the Cotswolds with some matesand my missus whoalsorides. Betweenmeand you, we had been flyingasthe sunwas outand we have an unwrittenrule that if we seebluelights we will splitupand ragoffhome.Anyways,about 10 days laterafter ‘SuperbikeSunday’(that’s the nameof ourgroup) thedreadedNotice of IntendedProsecution camethroughthe letterbox.77mphin a60mphlimit(whichwas lucky as we hadbeenuptoabout 150mph that day!).Now,inall honesty IknowIhad

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

been speedingbut Ireadonsocialmedia that if you don’t replytothe Police,theycan’t get you to court. So,Itoreupthe paperworkand ignored that andthe subsequentthree orfour letters.TheproblemisnowIhavegot acourt summonsforfailingtogiveinformation. Is that right?Also, Ihaveaplanbecause my matesare happytocome to courtand sayweall swapped bikes (eventhough we didn’t) so theycouldn’t provewho wasspeeding. Icould alsosay thatI neverreceivedany ofthepreviousletters andlet themproveit. What do youreckon?

A.Ireckonyou areone sandwichshort of apicnic and need to giveyourheada wobble.Lyingtoacourt isnot ageniusidea becauseiftheycatch you, theycouldlock you upinprison!As such,myadviceisdon’tdo it.Asforfailingtogiveinformation, because you didn’tidentifythe rider(whichisa legal requirementunderthe Road TrafficAct) you have been correctlysummonsed to court. My adviceisdon’t make thisanyworse;don’tlisten to idiotson social media; takeitonthe chin and plead guiltyASAP. If youjustplead guilty,it will be sixpointsand afine.

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.

WIN!

Youcanwina Duchinni YouthMichiganJacket worth £139.99, by simply showingus YourRideon theMoreBikes Facebook site. Designedfor 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?

DavidJamesMckelvie KawasakiZ1000

Davidlooksabsolutelyon-brand withhistasty,modified KawasakiZ1000gen1,Scream slidersandpaintedlid.Smart.

Frankie Kocsis YamahaYZ Frankiewaskeepingitdirtyover thesummeronthe YamahaYZ stroker, nice.

LewisSims TriumphSpeed Triple ClassicstufffromLewisSims:a tidySpeed Triple,sunnyday, twistyroad -theessence of YourRide,wesay!

JamesHampson Aprilia Tuono Jamesiskeepingittidyonthis gleamingAprilia Tuonowithfull Astarskit,outenjoyingthesun.

ScottDuffield Triumph Trident660 Scott,outonhis Triumph Trident660duringTTweek. We reallylikethetastefulGPRend can,andsmart fluoroyellow highlightsonthebike.

HibaRabbitfoot FullFactoryDucati GP

Thismonth’sentrytothe‘start themyoung’category,greatstuff.

YourRide

JoePayne KTM690SMC

Do not trythisat home(unless youhave avery,verybighome).

AndyMann YamahaXTZ660 Outofthegarageandready forsomefun. Arealgemfrom the90s.

KennethRattledge KawasakiZZR1400 Thebeautyandthebeast. Kenneth’sKwacker overshadowed by thestunning AVROLancaster.

WINNINGRIDE

DavePeirson KawasakiZX12R Dave’sbigKwacker has justclockedanimpressive 50,000miles.

MalcolmCupis HondaCB1100F Retromuscle bike, anyone? Malcolm’sHondalooks everybitasspecialnowas itdidwhenitwas new.

IanBurton YamahaXJR1300

Ian’sXJRlooks acracking ride. Anyone else abigfan ofthese?

DaveStayner KawasakiZX-10 Howaboutthisfor ablastform thepast?Here’sDave’siconic ZX-10.

JohnMendoza DucatiDesertX Johnmaking asplashonhis bigDucatidirtypuddlesplash. Topwork!

ShaneRoxby HondaFireblade Nonemoreblackthan Shane Roxby,onhisHondaFireblade, stoppingtocatchhisbreathon asunnyrideout.

WINNER -LynnBee YamahaMT-07 Lynnandhershiny, new YamahaMT-07.

KawasakiZX-6R

JohnMcAvoy /Onemonth /278miles

When Ispent afew daysontheZX-6R afewissues ago, Iwassotakenbyitthat IdroppedKawasakiUK alineandaskedif Icouldkeepitonlong-termloan. To mydelight,the replycamebackin myfavourandI’m now theproud(iftemporary)owneroftheverysame ZX-6Ryousaw.And Icouldn’tbehappier –becauseI absolutelylovethisbike.

Typically,theKawasakihasenteredmylifeata particularlybusyperiodeachyear, whichmeans getting anyqualitytimewithithasbeeninshortsupply.I spendprettymuchmostofMayandJuneworking forBatham’sRacingduringtherun-upto,andat,the Northwest200andIsleofMan TTraces,soI’vebeen usingtheZX-6Rmainlytogetaboutlocallyand on the oddruntocollectpartsfortheteam’sracebikes.

So,mytimewiththeKawasakihas beenfairly mundanesofar,withoutevena sniffofgettingontrack or ameaningfulridethatneedsmorethana coupleof tanksoffueltocomplete.

However,duringoneofmytripstoMSSPerformance inColchesterinthenameofBatham’sRacing –for whichsadly Ihadtouse avan –thesubjectofZX-6Rs inevitablycameup.Isay inevitably because MSS are prettymuchthego-to peoplein the countryforfast Kawasakis,andwegottalkingaboutthelatestnextgenerationsupersportrulesandhowthey’veimpacted theKawasaki.

Inshort,theyareallowingthemtotunethehelloutof ZX-6Rs,butthemostinterestingthingthatcameupinthe chatandwhichmademe prickmyearsupwasthatbyfar thebiggestgainofallthethingstheycan dotothe engine is asimpleupgradeto arace exhaust,effectivelydecattingthestandardone,and are-flashofthe ECU.This soundedlikesomething worthlookingatmoreclosely. Somebignumbersare mentionedintermsofpower gains,somuchsothat Idecide thatifitisthecase,

thenthecost of afullreplacementexhaustsystem wouldbejustifiable.Now,thisisanimportantpoint, becauseaswellasallthestuffIcoveredinmy report ontheZX-6Rwhichmakesitso good,byfaritsprice tagis oneoftheKawasaki’s mostattractivethings. Throwingthousands of pounds on upgradeseatsinto thisadvantageithas overitssimilarlypricedrivals.But ifthe gainsarebigenough,thenit’sjustifiable.

Aftersome research,itturnsoutthatthecatalytic convertorsontheKawasakiarelocatedintheheader pipes,thennextcomesthe resonatorbox,whichis mainlytodampenthesound,andthentheendcan.Once upon atime,thesound-deadening resonatorboxwould belocatedintheendcan,butthesedays,theendcans onbikesare moreorlessstraightthroughduetothe sounddampingstuffbeinglocatedseparatelybetween theendcanandheaderpipes.Itis possibleto buyjusta linkpipe,whichdoesawaywiththe resonatorbox –the equivalentof replacingtheendcanon a1990s bike –and nodoubtthiswouldmake adifferencesimplyduetothe exhaustgassesbeingabletoflow better. However,for theexhaustgassestohavethemost efficient path from exhaustvalvetooutsideworld,thecatalytic convertor hastogo,too.Inshort,whenonceupon atimecatalytic convertorsdidn’texistonbikes,youjusthadto replace thesound-deadeningendcantogetyourself afully freeflowing exhaust. Today, youneed alink pipe togetridof the resonatorboxandheaderpipestojunkthepowersapping catalytic convertors –thescourge ofsupersport bikes.Basically,youneed afullsystemtogetthe full benefit.So, IhitthephonetoArrowExhausts,andithas got afullsystemonthewaytome.The planthenisto takeit andtheZX-6RtoMSSanddo a‘beforeandafter’ ofthebikewiththefullsystem–and get tothetruth. Intheory,thehype Iencounteredat MSSislogical. Thesupersportbikewithsignificantlylesspower

than alitrebikehastomeetthesameemission standards,butwithoutthesurpluspower alitrebike enjoys,andthereforeisabletosacrificesomeforthe convertorstosap.Theimpactof acatalytic convertor to asupersportbike’sengineperformanceismuch greater.Ifa catalyticconvertor robs anengineof, say,10percentofitspower,you’renot really going tonoticethatif your startingpointis200bhp,butif yourstartingpointisjustover100bhp, you’regoing tonoticethat.

Now,itshouldbesaidatthispointthattheKawasaki isnot aslowbikeindesperateneedofasmuchpower ascanbehadtobeabletodelivershotsofadrenalin –farfromit. At thetimeofwriting,havingputthetest ofsub-litrenakedbikestobed,theyareallinthesame ballparkastheZX-6Rintermsofpoweroutput. At no pointduringthattestdidanyonesay:“Iwishthese bikeshadmorepower.”

So,thewholepointofde-catingtheZX-6Risonly reallytoseeifthehypearoundreleasingwhat’salready thereisa)true,andb)worththecost.

Imayhaveonlydoneacoupleof hundredmileson itsofar,butthere’snogettingawayfromthefactthat theZX-6R needs adifferentapproachtoridinganda recalibrationofthebrain.Itswheelbaseis amassive 50mmshorterthan aZX-10R’sand 56mmshorterthan aBMWS1000RR’sforstarters;plus,its rearwheelis half-an-inch narrower,soitwears a180 section Pirelli DiabloRossoIV –and, ofcourse,it’sagood 10-15kg lighterthan atypicallitrebike.So,ifyou’ve never thrown alegover asupersportbike,youcanprobably guessfromthosedimensionsalonewhatthedifference isto alitrebiketoride –youfrightenyourselfonthe wayintocornerson asupersportbikeandonyourway outofcornerson asuperbike.CodeBrownmoments areequallyachievableonbothtypes.

Thisistheboysfrom FastBikes’breadand butter.Theyridehard soyoudon’thave to –and as they’ve riddeneveryimportant sportsbikefromthe past20years(and beyond),you can trust them,too.Ifyoulike thesoundofthat,scan theQRcode andswipe yourself acopy.You won’tbedisappointed.

ADIFFERENT BREED

Youmighthavewonderedwhetherthename‘Daytona’was to belostinthe annalsof Triumph’srife sportinghistory, butwiththeintroductionofthe 660, it’sverymuchaliveand kickingoncemore

WORDS: BruceWilson/ PHOTOS: Chippy Wood

Hotofftheheels ofarguablyoneofthemostlovedand best-sellingmiddleweightsportsbikesonthemarket, thenewsof a660tripleeffectivelytaking thename andplace ofthemasterpiecethatcamebeforeitdidn’t bode well,especiallywiththoseof an agewho’ve seen,riddenand lovedthe675thatfirstblewtheworld awaybackin2006whenitsupersededthelesser-liked Daytona600/650 (four-cylinders).

Buthere’s thething.Puttingnostalgiatooneside for asecond,this isn’taimedat replacingwhat’s beenbefore,orevenchasingsalesfromthatcore ofexperiencedsportsbike riders.It’smoreacaseof capturingtheimaginationanddesireofthemarketthat hasseenanuptickindemandfortheemergedtwins (andnow triple)middleweightentry-levelsportsbike sector.Think YamahaR7,KawasakiNinja650and ApriliaRS660.

WiththedemiseofthetraditionalSupersport600 scene,theaforementionedupstartshavebrought significantsalessuccessestothe brandsthat have invested inthis route.And thebestthingforthosebold enoughtohavesteppedintothe ringisthatin almost allcases,thesportypropositionsthathavecomeabout havebeenderivedfrom readilyproduced,fairing-less brethren,meaningproductionandR&Dcostsare minimal,atmost.Andthat’stheexactcasewiththe Daytona,whichisunsurprisinglybasedlargelyaround the Trident660, whichhas been abighitsinceits inception. Bastardisingthesebikesjustmakes sense, butso, too,dotheraftofchangesthat havegoneinto making theDaytona aDaytona –andnotjusta Trident in afancyfrock.

Bythehalfwaypointintheride, Ihad aprettygood graspofthemachine.Ithadmanygreatattributes,the enginebeingkingofthemall.It’s impossibletosayjust howmuchbetteritfeltthanitsrivals,becausetoplay

that game youreallyneedtodoback-to-backtesting, butneedlesstosayitwasstonkingandarguablyclass leading.Thetorquewasprettydamnexcitinglowdown, totheextentthat Ileftthebike’stractioncontrol on at alltimesbecause on theslippy roadswewereriding, theabundance of pokethisthingwasbootingthrough its reartyremeant gripwas oftenfoundwanting.Luckily forme,assoonasslipwasdetected,theTCwould calmthingsdownwithoutsomuchashavingto roll the throttle.

Iwaslovingit,havingbeenwon overwholesaleby thecharmofthetriplethatnotonlypacked apunchat thebottom,butalsocarried alinearandsmoothspread ofpowerrightuptoitsheavenly-sounding revlimiter. Somebikesfeelnumband go quietwhenyouhitthe redline,buttheDaytonaboomed like abearwhenyou tooklibertieswithitsengine’stolerancefor revolutions, makingme wanttodosomore,andmore often –sorry, Triumph.

Thetruthisthattheenginefeltdisproportionately capablewhencomparedtothe restofthepackage. Entry-levelitmostcertainlywasnot –orshyofpopping wheelies,forthatmatter.Butforallitsferociousness and firepower,itcould alsodocalm,andwhentootling throughtowns,itwassilky-smoothandtotally obliging. Thefuellingthroughoutwasfaultlessandthe gearbox good,but Iwassurprisedthatthebikehadcometo marketwithout aquickshifter fitted.

Havingtravelledonsomegreat roadsandwith somesolidhoursclocked,theendofourridewas insight.Over time, I’dgained aprettygoodgrasp of thisbike, findingfarmorereason to bepositive thannegative,with thecomfortontapbeingone of thebiggesthooks.Therearen’tmanysporty bikesyoucanrideforsix to eighthoursandstill feelprettyfresh,but theDaytonamadelightwork

ofthat distance.Itwas acomfymachine,eggedon bythe relaxedpositionfromtheaboveyoke,’bars andthenicelyplaced pegsthatdidn’tforceyour kneestobendlike apieceoforigami. Also,Iliked thesimplicityofthetech.Some bikesaredripping unnecessarilyinfeaturesthesedays.ABSwasnonswitchable,andasfortractioncontrol,whichwas eitheronoroff–whichis fine. Noteveryoneneeds ninelevelsofwheeliecontrol,but afew different levelsof powerdeliverywereawelcomeadditionto themix,accessedviathe bike’sthreeridermodes. Ipulledupatourhotelamid aspectrumofriders. Somewereveryexperienced,withthescarstoprove it,whileothershadneverridden a‘sportsbike’ before. Andwithinthatlattermix,arguablytheactualtarget audienceforthismodel,jawsweredropped,tongues werewagging,andtheyweretrulyspellboundbythe Trumpet.Itwas apleasure tobearoundsuchfolk, soexcitedandkeentotalkoverthemotor’sepic performance,great handlingand all-daycomfort, becauseontheothersideofthefencewas awholly differentappraisalfromthemoreexperiencedriders ofthegroup,lookingtocriticisethebikeforallthe obvious reasonsyoucanthinkof,chiefofwhichwas thehandling,which Iget.Buthearingbothsidesof theargumenthelpedmetodiscernmytakeonthe Daytona.It’snotperfectwhenviewedfromthelikes ofsomeonelikeme,butit’sexactlywhatit needs tobe,and Idaresaythatevenifyouwereamore experiencedsportsbikerider,youcouldsoonenhance thecapabilitiesofthisbikewith anewshockandsome cartridgesintheforks.Ultimately,forup-and-coming sportsbikeriders,thisthingisnext-level,andwhen compareddirectlyagainstits naturalrivals,you’dbe daftnottoseriouslyconsideritas afront-runnerinthat scene.

Triumph Daytona660

ITALIAN Stallion

It’sbeen alongtimesinceMVhasthrown anew bikeour way,and thisone’squitea departurefromitsusualsportyfare. Here’s whatyou need toknow

Right,sportsfans,withoutfurtherado, letmeintroduceyoutotheMVAgusta EnduroVeloce(pronounced‘velochai’).It isMV’sfirstnewbike tobereleasedina fewyearsnow,andit’s aboldstatement todecidetogodowntheadventurebike route,butit’sa hugelypopularsector, with Triumph,Ducati, YamahaandHonda allhaving astrongpresence,soaswell asbeing aboldmove,it’sa sensible decision,inmyopinion;ifMVwantsto sellbikes,thenit needstodiversifyinto othersectorsofthemotorcyclemarket.

Theengineershaveexplainedthat, althoughit’smarketedas‘all-purpose’, theDNAofthisbikeis moresportsbikespecific. Thedesignerswantedtocreate abikethatcould handleoff-road,while stillkeepingthe racingheritage and performancethatissynonymous withthe brand. If youdecideto part withabout £20,000ofyourhard-earnedcash,then there’sthechoiceofhavingtheEnduro VeloceineitherAgoRed/AgoSilverOR AgoRed/AgoSilver, which Iagreewith,to behonest.MVsshouldbe redandsilver, endof!

Theheartof anyvehicleistheengine, andI’msopleasedto be abletotellyou thatMVhasabsolutelynailedthisarea ofthebike.The newly-designed950cc three-cylindermotormakes124hpand 102Nmoftorque -whichismorethan itsmaincompetitors,theDucatiDesert X(110hp)andthe TriumphTiger900 (106hp).Thenewenginehasbeen ahuge undertaking,andthedesignbriefwas tobuildsomethingthatwouldproduce power, torqueand performance,allthe whilebeingsmooth,while ensuringthey adhere to Euro 5emissionsregulations, whichjustmakes thejob evenharder!

Thequickshiftersystemmeansthat youcankeepthrowinggearsupand downtheboxwithease,andeachgear changegivesyou alittlepopandcrackle

likeyou’dhearfrom asuperbike. We found ourselvesjustshiftingupanddown theboxtolistentosaidpoppingand crackling.Whilewe’re on gearboxtalk, again,megajob from theengineers.I don’tlikelight, fluffy, super-smoothand almostvague gearboxes; Iwanttofeel likeI’minvolvedandthatI’m requiredto putsomeinputintothechanges,andI thinkMV’sgotthebalancejustright.It’s notclunkyandagricultural,butithasa nice,positivemechanicalfeel.

Thereare fourridermodes: Touring, Urban,Off-roadandUser-specific. These arenotjust gimmickseither;thereisa noticeabledifferencebetweenthemall, andtheydoworkwell in their respective environments. Ithinkthereshouldbe asportmodeaswell.MVhasmade quite abig pointabouthowit’screated aperformancemachine,andwhenwe gotout on thetwisty roadsandstarted topushon abit,Ifoundmyselflooking for asportmodetosharpenthingsup alittleandmakeeverything abit more aggressive.

WhatIdid noticewasjusthowgood the chassisis,andthesetup of theSachs suspension. Ifindadventurebikeslike thiscantendtofeelsaggy andsoft –and thewidehandlebarscan give areallylight feelingthroughtherider’shands. With the EnduroVeloce,noneofthiswasthecase. The front endfeltplanted;itdidn’tdive underbrakes;andwhenyouopenedthe taps on thatjoyousscreamingbanshee ofanengine,the reardidn’tsquatdown, makingthefrontgolightandcausingthe biketowanderacrossthe road.Itwas like riding asportsbike,butmyarsewas sittingin acomfyAlcantara/suede-esque coveredsaddleandmywristsdidn’thurt. Idohave abit of anigglewhenit comestothesuspension,though. The chassisandsuspension setupisvery good,butforthethickend of £20,000,I

wantelectronicsuspension.Whowants tocarry roundsocketspannersand screwdriverssotheycanset up their bikeforthevariousconditionsthey’re goingtoencounter?Andhowmanyof you readingthisactuallyknow howto setupsuspensionor understandwhat you’redoingwhenitcomestotwiddling thosenobs?For abikethatisallpurpose, havingtheabilitytochangethe suspensionset up onthe fly reallyisa missingkeycomponent. TheMVcomeswithtwodifferent homologatedtyreoptions:the BridgestoneA41 (roadtyre)andthe BridgestoneAX41(off-roadbiastyre). Thecleverbodsatthefactory have programmedtheECUtoworkdifferently andmoreeffectivelydependingonwhich tyreyouchooseto fit.Allyou have todo istellthebike,viathedashcontrols,and itdoesthe restforyou –veryclever.We didourmainrideonthe A41s andwith thebikeset up forthe road,butwealso got achancetosamplethebikeoffroadwiththeAX41s andthe suspension setupspecificallyforoff-road. Iwas pleasantlysurprisedathowitperformed. It’snot alightmachine,butifyoudid find yourselfwantingtotackletheoff-road, thenitsmorethancapable. Idon’t think itwasquiteasagileasitscompetitors; itfeltheavierthanotherlower-capacity adventurebikesonthemarket. Ialso foundthethrottle responsetobetoo aggressiveforoffroad-riding. Ilikethisbike alot.Butforme,the biggeststickingpointisthe cost.Atmore than£20,000,thisputsit £7-8kmorethan theDucatiDesert Xand theTiger900.For thepeoplewhowillbuythisbike,money willbe no object.Thebuyersofthe EnduroVelocewillsimplywanttoownan MVAgustathattheycanrideeveryday, andforthesecustomers,MV hasdonea crackingjob.

Words: JoeAkroyd Photos: MVAgusta

MVAgusta Enduro Veloce

WhileFastBikes’bread andbutterisstillthelatest sportsbikes,they’vebeen diversifyingin recentyears –andnowadays,they cover abroaderbreadth ofbikesthaneverbefore. Thebasicideaisthatifit canberiddenhard,they’re keen.ThisMV fits thebill perfectly; asportsbikeon stilts –andwhobetterto giveit agoodrun-inthan topbloke andtopracer Joe Ackroyd.Snagyourselfa copyofthemagazinefor thefulllowdown.

FOUNDATIONS Firm

Switchingsuperbikesforstarter bikes, TimmyheadedtoSpain totryout Kawasaki’s new Z500 andNinja500s

Igetsousedtoridingbigbikesthat it’softenalltoo easytooverlookthe smaller-capacitymotorcycles–andjust likemyself,goodthings comeinsmall packages.WiththeEuropeanmidrange marketslookingashealthyasever,this isexactlywhereKawasakineedstobe withexcitingnewmachinery,sowithout furtherado,allowmetointroducethenew KawasakiZ500andNinja500.

Idon’tspendmuchtimeinthesaddle oftwinsanymore,butit’s notthatmany yearsagosinceI startedout on myvery own Tarmacjourneywithtwin-cylinder motorcyclesandcanvividly remember howfunandfasttheyfelt –andriding Kawasaki’snew ZandNinjaprompteda lovelytripdownmemorylane.

Fortheeagle-eyedKawasakifans out there,you’dberightinthinkingthisnew 500isbasicallyidenticaltotheoutgoing 2023 ZandNinja400s,whichhavebeen aroundfor awhile;it’s still atwin-cylinder A2machine,butwith aslighterbigger ‘500’engine –namely,a longerstroke withthesamesizebore,whichtakesit upto451ccratherthat399cc.Withthe revisedengine,Kawasakihasdramatically closedthegaptorival thecompetition fromothermanufacturers,andeven thoughitfallsslightlyshortonccand horsepowercomparedtotheHonda CB500,forexample,itwinsby10per centwhenit comestopower-to-weight ratio,whichisa hugeadvantage.In racing,thisadvantage willprobablygoout thewindowwhenallbikesare stripped oftheir road-goingclobber,but it’sstilla bloodygoodstatfortheKawasakirider. This revisedmotorpopsout45.4hp at9000rpmand42.6Nmoftorqueat 6500rpm,andforyouspecnerds out there,whilethepeakhorsepowershows littleimprovement to the old 400,the torquefiguresskyrocketinthemidrange, whichiswhereyou’llfeelthe real gains withthismachine –a hugestepforward whenyoucompareittothe figures fromthe previous400. Alongside the biggerstroke,thishasbeenachieved byimprovedairflow tothecylindersand larger32mmcircularthrottle valves, resultinginimprovedthrottle response, acceleration,andfueleconomy,whichis always alittlesweetener.

Asfarasthechassisisconcerned,there reallyisn’tanythingnewaboutitwhenyou compareittotheold400machine,and lookingevenfurtherback,it’sbasicallyan evolutionofthe250frame,makingfora slimandlightweightdesign.Itcomprises atubularsteeltrelliscradlingtheengine, andtheswingarmissquaresection, whichbringssomerigiditytothepackage. Adjustable41mmShowaforksanda bottomlinkuni-trakShowashockis fitted tosoakupthebumpsand giveyouall thesupporttoring itsneck.Interestingly enough,theforkspring is slightlystiffer in theNinja(tocopewiththeexpected sportierridingstyle)thanintheZ500,a nicelittledetailfromKawasakisoweget themostfromthepackage. Theyareverydifferentto look at,and Idon’tneedtospell it out:theyare appealingtotwocompletelydifferent styles of rider.The Zleanstowardsthe commuterwhomightride in theircasuals, whilethe Ninja is fortheracefanwearing aleathersuit.Itgoeswithoutsayingthat I’mofthe latterpersuasion,andI’m really diggingthesportystyleandKRTcolours on the Ninja.However,fromapractical ridingpointofview,the Zwasmore favourable in termsofriderpositioning, andthatwouldbethankstothestraight handlebarswhichnaturallyputsthe weightoftheridermore overthefront of thebikeand,forme,gave amuchbetter senseofconnectionwiththe Tarmac; Ifelt more confidenttopushthefront.

Thebiggestdownfallwiththe Ninja, inmyopinion,istheswept-back,racestylehandlebars,whicharefixedinafar toonarrowposition.As good asthisis for atuckposition,whoactuallyridesin such apositiononthe road? TheNinja fairingalsoextendsway outin frontof theclocks,whichmadethebikefeellong andboat-likewith adistantfrontend, but Ithinkridingbothmodelsback-toback reallybroughtthisdifferencetothe forefront.It’ssomethingI’dsoondismiss ifridingonlythisbike,asthe geometries arefundamentallythesame,soit really can’tbetoodifferent in termsofweight distribution.

Otherthanitsappearance, theonly otherperkoftheNinjawouldbe itsfirmer suspensionsetup,whichprovidedmore

supportwhilebrakingandaccelerating, andmadethebikefeelmorereactive andprecise.Otherthanthat,bothbikes performedvery similarlyandsharethe samedimensionsandDNA,soit reallyis downtopreferredaestheticwhenitcomes tochoosingbetweenthesetwo, I’d say. Asfarastechgoes,thesebikesarevery primitive,with no quickshifter,blipperor ridermodes,butthe factofthematter isthatthesebikes reallydon’t needany ofthat.Itsavesmoneyandisoneless thingtogowrong.Thatsaid,would Iwant sometechonmysportylittleNinja?Of course Iwould! Aquickshifterwouldn’t havegoneamisssinceitis aracylittle number,butwedidn’thavethatluxury, andnordid Iwhen Iwasracingmini-twins afewyearsago,soI’m notgoingtolose anysleepoverit.

Thepowerdeliveryissosmoothand linear,andforwantof abetterword, numb,sotractioncontrolandanti-wheelie isalsoonthe not-necessarylist.ABS is astaple,however,andisverymuch abonusifyou’reanewriderlooking forthatextraconfidenceboostwhenit comestobraking. Although Icouldfeel the ABSworking,with aslightpumping sensationthroughthebrakeleverwhenI reallyanchoredup,itwasn’treleasingthe brakesandgivingmethatheart-skipping scarelikesomebikesdo,sothatwasa goodpoint.

Theslip-assistclutchworked fantasticallywhilepushingintocorners andbackshiftingthroughthegearbox moretimesthan IcaretorememberasI meanderedmywayaroundthetechnical, mountainousroads.Notoncedidit chatterorlockthe rearwheel,whichis prettygoodgoingfor abikeonskinny wheels.

Whenwe returnedtobaseafteran incredibledayofriding, Icouldn’thelp butlaughas Itriedto rememberthelast time Ihadsomuchfunoutonthe roads, thrashinga bikethroughitsentirerev rangeandchuckingitaroundfromone kneetotheother.That’sthebeautyof theselittlebikes,whichyoudon’tget withthebigbikes:youcanliterallypinthe throttlebackwithoutworryingifit’sgoing tospityouofforwhetheryou’regoingto getdoneforspeeding.

WORDS: TimNeave/ PHOTOS: Kawasaki

KawasakiZ500and Ninja 500

TimNeavetestinga pairof A2-legal 500s. That’sprettycool,right? Iftheseriouslyfastlad fromLincolnshire’sa fan,thentheymustbe decent. And ifyou’dlike toknowwhathethinks aboutotherbikes(and whywouldn’tyou…?), pickup acopyofFast Bikesmagazine.He’sin theresharinghiswords ofwisdomonthe reg.

NOVEMBER

What’sgoing on?

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

1-3:Derbyshire623MCC’sPheasant PluckerRallyat anew sitenearMatlock, Derbys.Tickets£20prebookonly.More infofromFacebook.

3: TonUpDay(TheLeatherBoys60th Anniversary)attheAceCafe,London. Moreinfofromwww.london.acecafe.com

8-10: WelshCoastMCC’sRallyDraig FEBBWatTheLodgeSocialClub, AlexandraRoad,Gorseinon,Swansea SA44PE.Tickets£15.Moreinfofrom 07766490483orwelshcoastmcc@yahoo. co.ukorFacebook.

10:PoppyDayParade &Service& Military VehicleMeetattheAceCafe, London.Moreinfofromwww.london. acecafe.com

10:MidKentBikeJumbleat LockmeadowMarketHall,BarkerRoad, Maidstone,KentME168LW. Moreinfo from01732840787orFacebook.

16-17:Fly LowIndoorBikeShowatThe Entrepot,Binnenweg4,8000Brugge, Belgium.MoreinfofromFacebook.

17:ArielOCFoundersDay &ClassicBike DayattheAceCafe,London.More info from www.london.acecafe.com

22-24: Fimbulvetr –TheGreat Winterat theSeacote Hotel,BeachRd,StBees, Cumbria CA270ES. Tickets£20on gate. More infofromFacebook.

23:NewcastleChopper Club’s MotorcycleAutojumbleat The Clubhouse, Miller’sLane,Swalwell, Gateshead, Tyne &WearNE163DZ. Stalls£5,entry£1.Moreinfofrom07889 699673orFacebook.

24:MudPluggersDayattheAceCafe, London.Moreinfofrom www.london. acecafe.com

24:‘NormousNewarkAutojumbleat theNewarkShowground,Lincoln Road, Coddington,Newark,NottsNG242NY. Moreinfofromwww.newarkautojumble. co.uk

29-Dec1:Custombike(Germany)at Benzstraße23,32108BadSalzuflen, Germany.Moreinfofrom www. custombike-show.de

DECEMBER

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

1:Christmas ToyRunatSammyMiller MotorcycleMuseum,BashleyCrossroads, NewMilton,HampsBH255SZ. Moreinfo fromwww.sammymiller.co.uk

7:UnwantedMCC’sKids’PartyatThe Rockbar,ShobnallSports &SocialClub, ShobnallRoad,Burtonupon Trent, StaffsDE14 2BB.More infofromwww. unwantedmcc.co.uk

8:UnwantedMCC’sToy RunatThe Rockbar,ShobnallSports &SocialClub, ShobnallRoad,Burtonupon Trent, StaffsDE14 2BB.More infofromwww. unwantedmcc.co.uk

8:‘NormousNewarkAutojumbleatthe NewarkShowground,LincolnRoad, Coddington,Newark,NottsNG242NY. Moreinfofromwww.newarkautojumble. co.uk

8:BikeDayattheAceCafe, London. Moreinfofromwww.london.acecafe.com

14:UnwantedMCC’sChristmasPartyat TheRockbar,ShobnallSports &Social Club,ShobnallRoad,Burtonupon Trent,StaffsDE142BB.Moreinfofrom www.unwantedmcc.co.uk

15:Xmas ToyRunat10.30amatthe AceCafe,London.Moreinfofromwww. london.acecafe.com

15:XmasCarolServiceattheAceCafe, London.Moreinfofromwww.london. acecafe.com

22:BikeDayattheAceCafe,London. Moreinfofromwww.london.acecafe. com

26:Cold TurkeyMeetattheAceCafe, London.Moreinfofromwww.london. acecafe.com

29: BikeDayattheAceCafe,London. Moreinfofromwww.london.acecafe. com

31:UnwantedMCC’sNew Year’sEve PartyatTheRockbar,ShobnallSports &SocialClub,ShobnallRoad,Burton upon Trent,StaffsDE142BB.Moreinfo fromwww.unwantedmcc.co.uk

Get your cornering right

GOING ROUND the bend

Ridinground aniceseriesofbends,andgettingit right,is oneofthebestfeelingsyougeton amotorcycle. Get the cornerswrong,however,and youare in aworld of trouble. We spoke to EnhancedRiderScheme(ERS) trainer IanBurchell fromPhoenixMotorcycle Trainingtofind outhow togetyour corneringjust rightandenjoytheride as muchaspossible.

Thatfeelingofgliding through asetofbends,withthebike andriderinperfectharmony, issomethingthatonly bikers know.Ifyouhave experienced it,youknowexactly whatweare talkingabout.Ifyouhaven’tgot thatelatedfeelingyet,hereare sometoptipsforyou,soyou canjointheclub.

First awordofwarning:As muchfunasriding roundcorners canbe,itisnotwithoutits dangers.Ifyour speedistoo high,yourridinglinenottaking youwhereyouwanttobe,your balanceunsettled,orthebike notgrippingtothe road properly, youare indangerofgettingthe cornerwrong,andthatcanhave veryseriousconsequences.The phrase,‘Weshouldonlytravelat aspeedsuchthatwecanstop safelyonoursideofthe road withinthedistancewecansee tobeclear’applieson bends aswellaseverywhereelse–perhapsevenmoreso.

So,whatshouldyoudoto makesureyouridethrough thebendswiththebiggest smileonyourface? Well,we could fillthewholepaper with detailedadvice,but in anutshell, this iswhatyoushouldbe concentratingon:

Firstly,youneedtolookand planwellahead.Thisgivesyou more timetoassessthebend anddecideonthelineyou wanttotakethroughit.Also,it givesyoutimetoadjustyour speedandpositiontobestsuit the routeahead,andyoudon’t enduppanicking andmaking last-minutedecisions.With good

planning,youwillbe readyforthe corner,perfectlyplacedonthe road,travellingattheoptimum speedwithyourbikeinthe right gear,andallsetforenjoyingthe ride.Planningahead,looking inthedistance, andobserving yoursurroundingsalsohelpyou identifyanysignsofpotential hazardsthatmightmakeyou changeyourridingplan.

Ifyougetsome advancedrider training,youwill cover some usefulplanningtoolsfor cornering, suchasvanishingpoints(orlimit pointsastheyaresometimes called),observationallinks, readingthe road, andplanning andanticipationingeneral.

Beingabletocontrolyourbike throughthecornerisessential, and agood understandingof boththegeneralphysics of ridingmotorcyclesaswellasthe particularitiesofyour ownbike (howithandles,doesithaveany corner-sensitiverideraids,etc.) areimportanttogetthecorner right.Useofcontrols,brakes, throttleandsteeringareallskills thatwilldevelopovertime,andthe moretimeyouspend on honing yourskills,thebiggerthe rewards.

Thereare lotsofdetailed aspectsaboutcorneringthatwe couldspendtimewith,butoneof thekeyonesis counter-steering. Understandinghow countersteeringeffectsyourmachineis essentialtocorneringandwill makeyourridingmuchsmoother andmoreenjoyable.Theshort explanationisthatyoupushthe handlebarsforwardontheside thatyouwanttoturnto.Itsounds weird,butifyouhave ever ridden

ERSPART SEVEN

Howtoridebends andcorners

around a corner, you will have

around acorner,youwillhave alreadydoneitwithout realising. Itmakesyourbikeleanintothe cornerandtakesyouonthe right line.It’satechniquethatdeserves itsownarticle,sofornowjust trustus.It’sphysics.Itworks.

Agoodwaytoapproach corneringisbyusing asafe systemtonegotiatebends.A systemsuchas IPSGA (shortfor Information,Position,Speed,Gear, Acceleration).Thisisthesystem thatpolice ridersusetoapproach andnegotiatehazardsonthe roads,anditcanbe appliedto bends,too.The Information partof thesystemcontinuesthroughout theprocesswiththeridertaking, usingandgivinginformation abouttheridingsituationbefore, duringandafterthebend.The otherpartsofthesystemare runinsuccession,startingwith consideringyour Position onthe road,the Speed youaretravelling at,the Gear youareusing,and finally Acceleration onceyouhave dealtwiththebend.Allofthese aredonetoputyouinthe right position,atthe rightspeed,and intherightgeartobestnegotiate thebend,thenaccelerate outof it. IPSGA worksgreatforcorners, butalsoprovides asystemtodeal withprettymuchanyhazardthat youmayfaceonyourbike.

Asalways,theonly waytoget betteratcorneringispractice. Whetheryoudoitonyourown orjoin atrainingcoursesuch astheERS,it’simportantto keep repeatingthedrills,and notgetdisheartenedifyouget itwrong –weallsometimesget itwrong.Thekeyis to persist andalwaysimprove.

Howto get better quick?

Unfortunately,thereare noshortcutstobecoming anadvancedrider;itwilltaketime andpractice. However, youcanmakethe processmuch quickerandeasierbysigningupto do atraining dayliketheone-dayEnhanced RiderScheme (ERS)with aqualifiedandDVSAapprovedtrainer.

Wheretogetthe skills?

PhoenixMotorcycle Trainingisthe UK’s largest motorcycle trainingorganisation,withERS coursesavailableatseverallocations. To findyour nearestlocation, visit phoenixmotorcycletraining. co.ukorcall03302234000.

Whenit comestoadventure,nothingletsyouseewhatliesbeyondyour garden gatelike amotorcycle. Whether theambitionsare global,or just achancetoexploreanadjoiningcounty, forover acentury motorcycleshavebeenthevesselofchoiceformanyanexplorer, andthat’ssomething wewant to celebrate.Bigtrips or small;theyallcount,theyallmatter,theyallshouldbeundertakenandshared withinourtwo-wheeledfraternity.Anddon’tworryifyou’venevergotfarther than the localbikemeeton yourssofar, becauseoverthenextfewpageswe’ve gotsomegreat storiesofinspiration,and toptips andkittoget you on yourway on anadventureofyour own…

Lookingfor adventure?

ROUGHINGIT

Inouropinion,therearefewthingsbetterthananightunder canvasafter alongday exploring anew place on thebike.Thegoodnewsisthatit’seasier thanevertoensure you’recarryingafewcreaturecomfortsthat’ll makesureyoustayfed,wateredandwellrested

Canyougocamping on amotorbike?

Ofcourse,you just need to plan awholelotbetterthanthose peoplewhodrivecars, motorhomes, or campervans.

Takenonboard.Whatshould Itakewithme?

TheKISSprinciple applies(KeepItSimple, Stupid).Imaginea day inthe saddle,stopping, unpacking, spending the night, morning ablutions,breakfast, packingagainandheading off.Doyouwant to spendhoursunpacking, thenmorehourspackingthe next day insteadofridingtoyournextadventure?

Coverthebasics

• Sidestand puck.You don’t want thebike to sink.Acrushed beer/colacan works.

• Youneedatentthatpacks down small, preferably onethat is quicktoputupandtakedown. Aimone person largerthan will be stayinginthe tent to allowspace for your ridinggear, luggage, etc. Amallettobanginthe tent pegs/pullthemup again.

• It’s goingtogetcold, so adecentsleepingbag is vital. Athermal sleepingmat is agood idea. Youneedapillow, too. Inflatable onesaregreat,takinguplittle spaceoncedeflated.

• Atorch,lanternorpreferably acombinationlight. You’ll want lightinthe tent,and you’llneed lightfor thosenighttime bathroomvisits.

• Talkingbathroom… Toiletriesandlooroll(you neverknowif theplace youstopatwill have runout).

• Powerpacks,solar chargers.You need away of keepingyour mobile charged.

• Afirstaid kit(be prepared)… suncream,insectrepellent, wet wipes.

• EyeMaskandEarplugs.Tentsdon’tfilterlightand sound well; abikershould ownearplugsanyway.

• Awater carrier(water bottle,jerry can).Greatfor adrink,or just some watertowash/rinseyourmouth.

• Aspork.Sporksare wonderfulthings.Combinationknife,fork, spoon, bottleopener,you need nothingelse.

• Binbags. Be responsible,clear up your crap.They’realsogreat for separatingyourstinkyclothesfrom clean.And at apinch they’reagreat wayofkeeping thingsdry.

Howaboutcooking?Should Itake astove? Do Ineed afryingpan?Everyonetellsme Ineed afryingpan? If you have space andif youare goingtowild camp at siteswith little/nofacilities,then acamping stove, pan,cookingutensils, cup/plateare agreat idea. Don’tforgetfuelforthe stoveanda waytolight it.

Wheredo Iputallthisstuff?

Welldone.You have to secure it to thebike. Hard or softluggage, straps to secure.Again, we’vetalked aboutthiselsewhere. Make sure yourluggagecan handlethe kityou’retaking.

SLUMITGOBIIIITENT

DomHumby/ £179.99(+ £78 forextrapoles,guys,andground protector)/www.slumit.co.uk

TheGobiIIIisa3-mantentwithSlumit’s Flashframetechnologyinstalledsoinstead ofmultiplepolesyou simplylayitdown andspreaditout,liftfromthecentre topsupportsand clipthebottompart in.Thenyourtenthasbeenerectedand youcanbeginpeggingandpoptheone manualpole requiredtosupporttheporch, guy ropesinandyou’redone!Itcanbe completedinlessthan15minutesand you’rereadytogo.

Itissuggestedthatyoushouldalsouse theGobiIIIfootprintgroundsheet(£30) tohelpkeepthelongevityoftheGobiIII

whichmakescompletesense.Insideyou’ll findplenty of spaceintheporchalone foryourboots/sidepanniers(mineare GiviMonokeyand fit easily). Throughthe mainentrance,there’sadouble-zipped closureincludinginsectnettingtostop youfromgettingbitteninthenightanda literaltonneofspace;itwastheperfect sizetokeepallmytextilekit,helmetand bagofclothesinwithoutbeingcramped, andplentyofsleeping room onmy Slumit Matchu80SleepingMat.Itwaswarm, comfortable,andwaterproof, whichinmy bookisallyouneedfrom atent.

ROBENSPIONEER3EX

£239.99 /RossMowbray /www.robens.de

I’vegot abitof athingfortents.It’snot quiteanaddiction –butI’vealreadygotfive ofthethings,withoneforeveryoccasion readytogoat amoment’snotice.None ofthemhavebeenseriouslyexpensive, rangingfrom£40foranoldPolishLavuto £200for athree-manOEXone.

Thisthree-seasonPioneer3EXfrom Robensquicklybypassedthelotand cementeditsplaceasmygo-tochoice whenwe’reawayonthebike.It’snotsmall

orespeciallylightweightinhikingterms, but forstrappingtotheluggagerackit’sjust right –anditoffers agoodamountofspace thatcouldaccommodatethreepeople comfortably,ortwopeoplewithalltheirgear instead.There’sa whoppinggreatporch, too,whichwas perfectforthrowingallmy bikegearinafter adusty dayonthe trails. Oneofthebestthingsishow easyitis topitch.Recently IwentawaywithSimon andhismammothNordkap Avesta,andI

NORDKAP AVESTA- DOUBLESKINTUNNEL TENT

SimonMeyer /£120.23 /www.louis-moto.co.uk

The Avestais atentthatwillsurprise. Beforemyjourney Ipitcheditinmy gardenandwasstalledbythelackof room.Itmight‘only’be atwo-man,but it’sbeendesignedlike Dr Who’sTardis. Thisspacioustentweighsaround 7.8kgbut Iwasabletosecureiton my500ccwithoutanyproblems.It wasn’tquitesoeasytopitchforthe firsttime,though.Ittooktwoof us to figureitout,whilebattlingthewind. Butafter40minuteswehadit up and secure–andthenexttime Iusedit,I haditdownandmanagedonmyown inabout20minutes.Easy. Oneofitsbestfeaturesisthat there’sspaceforyourrideinits porch,iftheweather’snafforyou’re worriedaboutkeepingitclose.My

bulky Voge525DSXadventurebike fittedeasilyintheporchwithspaceto spare,andthetwosidedoorsmakeit easytorideinandthenrideout again withoutanydramas.

Thereare moredoors,too.Fourin total,there’soneupfront,anda small circulardooratthereartoallowyouto nipoutoftheseparatesleepingspace whichclipsintopositiononceyou’ve erectedtheouter.

We didgetquite abitofwindon thefirst nightandbeingonthetaller sideofthingsyoudotake abitofa beating.Butwiththe ropesoutand thepegssecure,itdidn’tgoanywhere –andit’sheld up wellintherain,too, thoughI’myettoexperienceanything tooextreme.Butsofar,sogood.

waspitchedinabout athirdofthetimeit tookhim.Thethreepolesarelightweight butsturdy,slottingintoaninternalslot builtintothetentouter(ratherthanbeing exposedtothe elementsonbothsides) –andthenoncethat’supandpeggedin, youcanclipintheinternalliningwithbuiltingroundsheetin acoupleofminutes. It’snotexactlytall,butyoucan comfortablysitupwithspacetospare, anditslowprofilehelps itdealwithany

badweather reallywell.I’veseen abit ofraininit,too –nothingtorrential,but heavyenough –andit’sheld up verywell. There’salottolikeaboutthe3EX.It’s well-built,easytoassembleandplenty spaciousifyou’reusedtocamping.The goodnewsisthatRobens hasgotsome dealsonatthemomentaheadofthe releaseofits 2025line-up.Ifyougetover theresharpishyoumightbeabletosave yourself afewquid.

SLUMITMACHU80SLEEPINGMAT

DomHumby /£99.00 /www.slumit.co.uk

TheMachu80SleepingMatis awell-packed,easyto-use,andwell-sizedanswerforanyoneaftera comfortablesleep whencamping.Itssmallcarrycase alsodoublesupasaninflationdevice,likeawindsock, butwith ascrewattachmentononeend.Once connectedtothetwo-wayvalveonthesleepingmat, eightorninewindsocksfullofairandit’sreadytobe slepton. Slumithas really thoughtaboutthesimplicity andeffectivenessofthe designhere.

TheMachu80iscalledassuchbecauseithas80gof thermalinsulationonitsbrushedpolyesterfabrictop, keepingmewarmandcomfortableallnight. Thebaseis adifferentcolourandhasnon-slippropertiestoprevent itfrommovingaroundunderneathyou atnight,andif you’renot asolocamperyoucanconnecttwoormore ofthemtomakeadoubleortriple-widthbed.Deflation iseasyaspie.Simplypulloutthetwo-wayvalveandit’s downinsecondsand readytopackaway, leavingmore timetoget thebikeloadedandontheroad.

NORKAP(JAREN)MIDGARDEVO

SimonMeyer /£34.35 /www.louis-moto.co.uk

This is agreatsleepingbagfornot alotofcash. Itweighsinataround1.2kgand packsdowntoa relativelycompact35x20cm.Butthebestbit aboutit ishowwarmitis.Designedfortemperaturesranging from-5to10degrees, Imighthaveonlyusedit throughthesummersofar,butit’snotexactlybeen roasting –andwiththe temperaturewelldownin singledigits,I’vebeencosy.

Ultimately,it’salwayshelpedmesleepwell.Although Iamhardlythesmallestoccupant,Ionlyfelt restricted acoupleoftimesinthenight,andwith abitofa wriggleallwaswell again.

There’sanabsoluteabundanceofsleeping bags availableonthemarket,butthere’refewotheroptions thatcomeinatsuch agoodpricewithsomany features.I’dhighly recommendeditforanyonelooking forsomethingwellpricedandmorethancapableand comfortablefor afewlongweekends away.

NORDKAP SORTVIKAIRMATTRESS

SimonMeyer /£42.94/www.louis-moto.co.uk

Thesleepingmatt is greatforthose looking forcomfort, butwithlittlespace.TheSortvikcomesinits own bag and rollsupincrediblysmall. Thismakesitperfectfor storing in apannier.

Onceunrolledittakesverylittletimetoinflate –and youdon’tevenneed apump.Althoughitisthinwhen fullyinflated,it’sstillverycomfortable. Islept on itfor fournightsand only ononeoccasiondid Iwakeand findmyself onthe floor.I propped myselfback on the mattandwasfullysupported oncemore. To packitawayyousimplyunplugand pushallthe airout. Ithen rolledituptosqueeze outwhatwas remainingandtuckeditbackinitsbag, readyfor mynext adventure.Perfect.

NORKAPKEMI ULTRA-LIGHT FOLDINGCHAIR

SimonMeyer /£55.81/www.louis-moto.co.uk

ThisKemiultra-lightchairhastobeoneofmyfavourite bitsofcampingkit.Itpacksdowntoaneasy-tomanage35x13cm andiseasytowhipoutof itscarrying bag,slottogether andberelaxinginmeremoments. It’snotjust afold-out one,asyou’vegottosecure thelegsandfeetinplacebefore you’regoodtogo, butit’sstraightforward, only requiring alittlebrute forcetostretcheverythingintoposition. Itissmalland relativelylowtothe ground,butthere’s plentyofsupportforyourback.Ofallthethings Itook withme,thiswasmyfavourite. Thereisnothinglike gettingbacktocampandsittingincomfort,somewhat smuglyasyourmatesloungearoundonthefloor aroundyou!

ROBENSICESHIELD55 SLEEPING MAT

RossMowbray /£79.99 /www.robens.de

Icansleepjustaboutanywhereand havequiteoften madedowithgood,old-fashionedfoammats.I upgraded recentlyandsplashedouton apairofsub£40sleepmatsfrom VangoandMultimat.They’reall right,andcertainlybetterthanwhat Iwas usedto,but paleincomparisontothispositivelyplushIceshield55 sleepingmatfromRobens.

Withan Rvalueof4.2 (whichmeansit’sgooddownto -12°C),I’veneverbeen so toastyoncoldnights –and it’scomfortabletoo,withplentyofcushioning from its slimlinedesign.Itcamepackedin asurprisingly small bagandwasinflatedin aflash. I’venothadsuchluck gettingitbackintothatbagagain,despite rollingand squeezingandfoldingineveryconceivable manner. That’smoreusererrorthananythingthough, Ireckon. It’sjusttherightsizeforme,measuring 180x53x5.5cm. Anyonemuchtallermightstruggle,but youcouldeasilystickyourheadonyourbagandlet yourbodybenefitfromthemat.

There’snowayI’llbegoingbacktothefoamafter usingthis,andat£79.99(downfrom£89.99), Ireckon it’sverygoodvalueindeed.

PYRAMID 40LROLL-TOP DUFFELBAG

DomHumby /£39.99 /www.pyramidmoto.co.uk

I’vehad alotofluggageovermyyearsontwowheels: hardcases,softpanniers, tankbagsand alegholster. However,Ineverexpected abagtocomefromPyramid, yethereweare…andI’msohappyI’vegotone! NewfromPyramidisits40LRoll-TopDuffelbagwitha two-wayairvalve.It’sconstructedfrom500DPVCwith aseamlessdesignforultimateprotectioninthewet. The rolltopdesignisnot anewfeatureformotorcycle luggage.However,itssimplicityandeffectivenessare sogood,whybotherchangingit?TheonlyissueI usedtohavewithithasbeentakencareofbywayofa screw-topvalve,meaninggettingyourbagdone up and packeddownsmallhasneverbeeneasier.Onceall the airisoutjustshut thevalveandstrapittoyourbike. Withthatinmind,the Duffel BagfromPyramidcomes equippedwith ashoulder strapand fourpushcliploop straps.Theshoulderstrapiseasytoattachandcan clippedinseveralvariationsdependingonyourneeds. Attachingtoyourbikeiseasyandstraightforward: simplylooptheclipstrapthroughitselfatthedesired locations,popthebagonthebike,clipitdownand tighten.It’ssuch asimple,yeteffective,designthatwill stayputafterhoursofmotorway speeds.Therearea coupleofothernicetoucheslike reflectivepanelsfor nighttimevisibilityandan ID pocket,too. Having a40Lcapacityisratherlargeand will hold plentyofessentialkit.I overpackedforABR this yearby alongshotandstill had roomtobringstuff back(Ihave athing forhats).Butthe Pyramid40LRoll-Top DuffelBaghandled everything withease andat£39.99for aversatilepieceof luggage,it’sabig thumbsupfromme.

LOUISMOTO FOLDABLELED CAMPINGLIGHT

£8.58 /SimonMeyer /www.louis-moto.co.uk

Thislittlecampinglantern’sgreat.Itfoldeddown tothe heightofmyhand–8x8cm –makingitsuper-easyto stashinmyluggage.

Ahandleuptopmadeitsimple to cliptotheroofof mytent,andwhileit wasn’texactlybright,itoffered plentyoflighttohelpmeseewhat Iwasuptoat night.It’llalsohappilystandonthefloorandcaneven beusedas atorchwhenpackeddown. Versatile, lightweight,andeasytouse.Anditcostslessthana tenner.What’snottolike?

ECOSLURPSSPORK

BobPickett /£9.99 /www.ecoslurps.com

Asporkisanessentialpieceofcamping kit, comprisingfiveitemsinone:knife,fork, spoon,can openerandbottleopener.TheEcoslurpssporkis madefromstainlesssteel,andit’s extremelydurable yet light. It comeswitha carabiner clipsoyoucanclip itto your rucksack/carrybelt.

Theserratedcutterwillslicethrough asteak/piecrust withease;thebottle openerdoesthejob(notopened acan);andtheforkandspoonarea goodsize.I’ve ownedmyspork forthreeyears.Itisusedon aregular basisandisstillassharpaseverandscratch-free. EcoslurpsisaUKcompanycommittedto reducing carbonfootprintandsupporting reforestationprojects aroundtheworld.Foreveryproductitsells.Itpledges toplant atreethroughitspartnershipwithnon-profit organisation OneTreePlanted.

CAMPINGAZ TWISTERPLUSPZ GASSTOVE

RossMowbray /£27.00 /www.gooutdoors.co.uk

Youcanspend afortune on stovesandcookinggear, andalthoughI’dlove aJetboilor aTrangia,I’vebeen quitehappilymakingdowithmylittleCampingaz Twisterforyears.It’ssuper-compact,the gas canisters areavailableprettymucheverywhere,andit’s affordable,too.Itmightnotbethemostpotent,but if Icanhave abrewinthemorning,I’mhappy.Good value, Ireckon.

LOUISMOTO FOLDABLE WATER CANISTER

SimonMeyer /£4.28 /www.louis-moto.co.uk

Whilethere’snot ahugeamounttosayaboutthis,it’s asuper-handybitofkitthatallowsyoutokeepwater closebyfordrinking,cleaningyourteethandwashing up.Itholds10litres,whichwasplentyto keepthree of usgoing forthreedays.

The spouthas asimpletwist locktoopenand close,stoppinganycampsite leakswhennot inuse. Anadditionalsmallerspoutmade it easiertopour accuratelyinto cupsand othercontainers.Forsucha smallcost,itwas avaluableaddition.

OXFORDCAMPINGCUTLERY

RossMowbray /£7.99 /www.oxfordproducts.com

Goodbitofkitthis.Itincludes adurablestainless steelfoldablefork,knife,andspoonin ahandycarry case.They’renotthe finestqualitybuttheydothejob perfectlyandpackdownto nothing.

OXFORDCAMPING TOWEL

RossMowbray /£11.99 /www.oxfordproducts.com

Ireckon atowel’sanessentialbitofgear,too,and the lighterthebetterinmybook.ThisonefromOxford’sa properlylightweightmicrofibre towel thatsoaksupwater wellanddries remarkablyquickly,anditpacksdown super-small,too.Ifyoudon’thavetime to dryitproperly, youcanjustwringitoutandstickitinyourbag.

ACCESSIBLEADVENTURE

There’smorechoicethaneverifyou’reintoadventure butdon’tfeeltheneedtogobigwith a200kg,150bhp, £15,000behemoth.

HondaNX500 and Voge 525DSX

WORDS: RossMowbrayandSimonMeyer/ PHOTOS: GaryChapman

Thesmallcapacityadventure market’sbooming.There’s Royal Enfield’sHimalayan452, KTM’s390 Adventure,CFMoto’s450MT,BMW’s G310GS,Rieju’snew Aventura500, Sinnis’ Terrain380,Honda’sNX500, andVoge’s525DSX. We’rebigfansofrideslikethese. Theyalloffervaryingdegreesof roadandoff-roadfocus,butthe basicpremiseisthesame:value-formoneythrillsandproper,real-world practicalityforridersofall shapes andsizes.What’s nottolike?

To see whatthey’reallabout, weswipedHonda’sNX500, whichbuildson the bigsuccess oftheoutgoingCB500X,and Voge’s525DSX,whichoffers asurprisinglevelofquality equipmentwhenyouconsider itsbudget-focusedprice tag, andsetoursat-navforthe Cotswolds to haveanaffordable adventure,avoiding the swanky markettownsandbusy roadsin lieuofnadgerylittlelanesand ancientbyways.

HONDANX500

Thesafebetifroadmilesare yourbag

Itwas abitof asurprisewhen Hondaannounceditwasgoing tobedroppingthemuch-loved CB500Xfromitsrange.Overthe years,itearneditselfanarmyof fanswho firstfellforitssimple charmsandsolidbuild,before realisingjusthowcapable itiswhenyouworkithard. Thankfully,it’sacaseofgone butnotforgotten –becauseit’s takenthebonesof theCBand nipped,tuckedandtweaked to createitsnewNX500.

Whileit’seasytolookatthe NXandthinkit’sa CB500X in afancynewfrock,there’s been ahandfulofmeaningful changestohelpitstandapart fromtheoutgoing model. There’sa slickTFTdashwith connectivity,lighterwheels, updatedsuspensionand tractioncontrolasstandard. Honda’seventweakedthe ECUtohelpofferslightly strongeracceleration.Itmight notbeanythingparticularly groundbreaking,but youdon’t fixwhat’snotbroken,and the smallchangesareallabout making agoodbikeeven better.Makessensetous.

I’m abig fanofthenew looks,too. The CB wasnever thesexiestmachineinthe world,andwhileNXisn’twhat I’ddescribeashandsome,I reckonit’sabig improvement –sharper,sleekerandfarmore modern.It’scomfortable,too, with itseasy-to-manage830mm seatheight,wide-ishbarsand low-ishpegscombiningto create areasonably relaxed and roomyride –evenformy long-legged6ft1inframe.Many ‘serious’riderswoulddismiss thisasaneasy-to-manage bikeforlearners or ladieswith ashorterinsideleg,andwhile itwouldbeperfectforthose kindsofpeople,itfeelsplenty substantialfor a’smallbike’. It’sprobablynosurprisethat it’sanabsolutejoytoride aroundtown,withitslightand easyhandlingmakingiteasy toweavepasttraffic and turn inthetightestofspots –butI wasblown away withjusthow well it goeswhenthepace picksup.It’sfun. Ididn’treally expectthat.You can reallythrow itaroundandworkitsparallel twinmotor.Itmakesthesame

A2-legal46.7bhpand31.7lb-ft oftorqueasthe outgoingCB–and Ireckonit’splenty.Itpicks upwell,hasenoughpunch forpurposefulovertakes,and willcruise on themotorwayat 75mphalldaylongwith nextto-novibration.The gearbox andclutchareslick,too, inthat typicalHondaway. It’saproperlysortedpackage, andwithsomebig-name componentsthatshouldn’t be agreatsurprise. Thereare invertedShowaSFF-BP forks, Nissinbrakes(withABS),and yougetDunlop Trailmaxtyres asstandard,too(whichwe swappedoutforsomemore budget-friendlyCSTs).

Thesuspensionis on the softersideofthings,butit’s wellenoughsetuptosmooth outallbutthe roughest of surfaceswhile offeringenough poisewhenthepacepicksup. Thebrakesaredecent,too, sharpenoughtohaulthe 197kg rideupin ahurryin acalm, controlledway.There’sABSas standard,andHonda’straction control system,too, whichis switchable. Ilikethat.

Ionly flickeditoffwhen wetooktothetrails,butit definitely helpedmefeelmore comfortablewhenpicking up thepace.TheNXisn’treally builtfortherough stuffthough. It’sgotcastwheelsandthere’s nobashplate,butIwas pleasantlysurprisedathow wellitboundedalongthedry laneswetookon.Thestanding positionwasn’t perfectformy lankyframe,butit’scertainlynot theworst,and Ireckonsmaller riderswouldfeelalright. There’salottolikeabout Honda’sNX500.Itstickstothe sameethosastheoldCB500X, with afewtweakstomakeit evenbetter.Whileits £6829 pricetagisatthetopendof thecurrentcropofsimilarspecificationadventurers,you cannotarguewiththatfamed Hondabuildquality,and I’ve everyconfidencethisbike wouldbedamn nearbulletproof evenifyouwerewringingits neckeverywhereyougo.It’snot thecoolestthingintheworld butleaveyouregoatthedoor andappreciateitforwhatitis:a bloodygoodbike.

VOGE 525DSX

The onethatpuncheswell above itspricetag

There’sstill alargeproportionofthe motorcyclebuyingpublicwhobalkatthe ideaofbuying aChinesebike.They’ve beenputoffbythecheapandcheerful commutersofthepast,whichhaverusted and rottedandproventobeunreliable. Igetit –butthingshavechangedinthe last20years,andyoucannotarguewith thequalityofbikescomingfromthemost populatedcountryintheworld. Voge’sarelativelynewbrand,having been firstestablishedin2018,butit’s

actuallyownedbyLoncin,who’s been producingmotorcyclesforthedomestic marketsince1983(andhaspickedup somebigcontractswithBMWsince).

We’vespenttimeon afewofits rides intheinterveningyearsandhavebeen impressed.Its firstgeneration500DSwas prettymuch adirectcopyofHonda’s CB500X,anditsnewer300Rallyhas Honda’sCRF300LRallysquarelyinits sights.Theycamekittedoutwithdecent qualitycomponents,wentwell, and

undercutthecompetitionbyquite some stretch. Youcan’treallyarguewiththat. The525DSXstickstothesame principles,comingpackedwithsome qualitykitincludingNissinbrakes,KYB suspension andMetzeler Tourancetyres (whichweswapped outforCSTs forthis test).Andthat’sjustthestart…There’re adventure-readyfoglights;crashbars; acentre-stand;hardluggage;spoked wheels;anadjustablescreen;switchable tractioncontrol andABS; abigdashthat

offerssmartphoneconnectivity; a1080p forward-facingcamera;anda couple ofchargingoutlets.Notbadforjusta shadeoversixgrand.

Inthe fleshitlooks massive –likea ‘proper’adventurebike.Butlookscan bedeceiving.Itmightbechunky,butits swept-down 810mm seatislowerthan theHonda’sand itonlyweighsafraction moreat206kg.Thatmeansitshould beunintimidatingenoughforsmaller ridersandthoseworkingtheirway up

thelicencecategories.I’m6ft1inandI couldgetbothfeetplantedon the floor withroom to spare– andI’mconfident someone afew inches shorter would be able to do thesame. Low-speed manoeuvresareadoddle,withthewide bars,uprightseatingpositionandlow centreofgravityofferingeasyhandling whetheryou’returninginthe roador pickingyourway throughtraffic.

There’sanicewhackofpower available fromitsliquid-cooled494cc paralleltwin motor.We’retalking47bhpand32.5lbftoftorque,whichis remarkablyclose totheHonda,too.TheHondadefinitely picksupquickerfromslowerspeeds, with asmootherthrottle responseand amorefree-revvingnature,butthe DSXpullsbetteruptop,evenifitis

in aslightlymorerugged way.You’ll havetoworkthe gearboxhardifyou wanttomakeanyseriousprogress andovertakeswillneedthinkingabout. Thatsaid,it’sstill rewardingtorideon faster roads,providingyou’re activeand engagedandworkithard,whilethere’s enough in thetanktomake relatively easyworkofmotorwaymiles.

Ithandlesmore thanwell,too, despite itsbulk. Ihadnoqualmschuckingitinto corners,trustingthatthefullyadjustable KYBforks,andpreloadadjustableshock wouldkeepthingssteady.The setupis soft,andthere’sabit of forkdiveunder heavybraking,althoughit’snot really detrimentaltothe overallride.

Forstoppingthere’resomeNissinbrake caliperswhichgrip apairofdiscsatthe

frontand asingleatthe rear.It’snota hugelysophisticatedarrangement and they’reprobablytheweakestpointofthe bike,butitisnicetohaveproperbranded calipers,andthere’sstillenoughpower fromthemtostopitswiftlyenough.The ABSsystemworkswell,onlycuttingin when Itriedtocatchitoutbygrabbinga handfulon agravel-strewnbackroad. Off-roaditis astepupfromtheHonda. Unfortunately,thestanding positionisn’t quiterightandit’smissing abashplate, butatleastithasengineprotectionand spokedwheels. We only tackledsome lighttrailsand acouple of fords,whichit managedwithnodramas,butIsuspect it’dquicklycomeunstuckonanything toomuchmoretaxing.I’dwelcomethe chanceto findoutthough.

There’snodoubtthatthe Vogeisan impressivebitofkit.It’s£600cheaper thantheHondaat£6199,butthat doesn’treallytellthefullstory.Ifyou loadeduptheNX500withthesame levelofequipment,you’d be looking atspendinganothergrand,atleast –andthatmakesthe Vogelookand feellike remarkablevalueformoney. Okay,it’snotquiteas refined, butit wenteverywheretheHondadidand lookedgoodwhiledoingit.Itmightfeel like abitof apunt buyingintosucha newbrand, butthebrandseemsto be goingfromstrengthtostrengthand has adecentspreadofdealersacross theUK. Best thingtodowould be go andrideoneyourself. Isuspectyou’d besurprised.

THETYRES

After asetofaffordable rubberfor your adventure bike? HowaboutsomeCSTs?

TheChinese firmisbiginthelearner legal world,butit’sgot arange of tyres tosuitanybike –including asuiteof adventure-readyoptionsthatwon’tbreak thebank.

To seewhatthey’remadeof,weswiped asetofitsRideAmbroCM-A1sand fitted them to theHondaand Voge ahead ofourtwo-daytriptotheCotswolds.

Justlooking at thetreadpattern,itwas clearthattheyweren’tgoingtobeupfor anythingtoohardcore.Bestdescribed as90/10s –90percentroad,10per centoff-road –we soughtout ahandful ofwide-opengraveltrails(includingpart oftheoldFosse Way)andgotstuckin.

Theydida goodjob,providingmore thanenough griptomakeswiftprogress withoutgetting outofshapedespite mybestefforts. The limitingfactorwas actuallythebikes;they’resosoftly sprungthatbottoming outwasfartoo easywhenthe going got bumpy,forcing metoslowdownlongbeforeI foundthe limit of thetyre.

Ifyoukeptthingssensible,thetrails wetookonprobablywouldhavebeen manageableonaroadbikewith road tyres –butthat’snot reallythepoint. Theydidit.Quitehappily.Andifyouare aftersomething abitmore aggressive, you’ve gotitsRideAmbroCM-A3and

Ride AmbroCM-AD01tochoosefrom. Theyoffer a70/30splitofon-roadand off-roadperformanceandwith amore aggressivetread,wouldbefarmore suitableifyou’regoingtobeexploring anything abitmorechallenging. However,itwasonthe roadthatthe tyresmostimpressed,allowingusto coverplentyofgroundfullyconfident thatthey had ourback.Theywarmedup fast,offereddecentfeel,anddispersed waterverywell. And CSTclaimsthey’re hardwearing,too,whichis never abad thing.In atimewherevalueformoney meanseverything, Ireckonthey’rewell worth alook.

IN IT Together

From2017to2019,MattBishopandReece Gilkes (knownas‘TheSidecarGuys’)circumnavigated the globeon aHondaSH300iscooterwith aspecially-builtsidecar -setting aGuinness WorldRecordinthe process-withtwo mainaims: toshowtheworldis filledwithgoodpeopleandtohighlighttheterrifyingscale of modernslavery

In455days,thepairracked up1361hoursonthe road, travelling34,000milesasthey visited35countries acrossfive continents.Sincearrivingback intheUK,thepairfoundedthe ArmchairFestival, acelebrationof adventuretravel,andestablished TheSidecarGuysExperience Centrewheretheyhostsidecar days(youcanlearntorideoneor have adayoutas apassenger). Theyalsobecamepoint-of-sale agentsforUralinthe UK. Inthemiddleofthistheyfound timetowrite abookabouttheir record-settingworldtour(‘Our Ridiculous World(Trip)’). Icaught upwithMattat abikeshow wheretheywerepromotingthe book…in-betweenhittingthe stagethroughoutthedayto takepartininterviewsand talks! Mattinvitedustotakepartinan

ExperienceDay(moreonthat later),afterwhichI satdownwith Reece(Matthadtohead offtorun aPassengerExperience)totalk abouttheir round-the-worldride andallthathascomeafter.

Whatledyoutohighlightthe horrorsofmodernslavery? Whenwedecidedtodothisbig trip,obviouslywewantedto support aworthycause.Looking atoptions,whatattractedusto highlightingmodernslaverywas itbeing aborderlessissue; one thatishappening in everycountry onearth.Thestatisticspiqued ourinterestaswe lookedfurther intoit. We werelike,‘OhmyGod, itdoesn’t matterwhereyouare intheworldit’sa problem’,and thesymptomsofitareoften thesame:humanexploitation, traffickingandso on.

Butthere’re stillgoodpeoplein the world…?

We often refertoSudan;when weweregoingintoitallwe really knewaboutwasthewar-torn SouthSudan. Whenwearrived, westruggledtobuy amealasthe peopleweresofriendly,offering usplacestocamp,placesto stay.Itwasamazingtostayina countrythathassolittle,yetthey wereofferingussomuch.

I’mnotsurewhosaidit, but Ilistened to aninterview withanother round-the-world traveller who said wherever they wentpeople wouldoffer them aplacetostay,and wondered would theydoitifpositions werereversed? IliketothinkI would,butthereare somany countriesaroundthe worldthat aresowelcoming, we canmost certainlylearnfromthem.

WORDS: BobPickett/ PHOTOS: TheSidecarGuys

Genuinely,ifnotforthepeople wemetaroundthe routewe wouldnothavemadeit,which waskindofthemain reasonfor thetrip.InRussiathat wasmost certainlythecase.

Foranyoneelseplanningon takingoffon alife-changing adventure, whatadvicewould yougive?

Honestly,there’reloadsofthings youcouldpotentiallylearn.Of course,itwouldbegoodto do amechanicscourse,and researchingtheareasyou’re planningtovisit,butthe best advice Icouldgiveyouis:Just go! You’lllearnthingsenroute. We spenttwoyearsplanningour trip;90percentofthethings weplannedforwedidn’tneed. Gettingoutonthe roadwasthe bestpreparationinmanyways. So,Iwouldn’tpointto onething inparticular.Pick adatewhenitis goingtohappenanddon’tovercomplicatethings,justdoit.

Doyoueversitstill?

Whenwegotbackfromthetrip,a lotofpeoplewouldsay:“Doyou missit?” We werejustgladtobe back;notbecausewedidn’twant

tobeonthe road,butthelastride wasRussia…itwassointense. Frankly,wewererollingthedice everydaywewentonthe road becauseoftheconditions.That wasprobablytheonlytimewetook abreather.Butgenerallyspeaking, everythingwedo is fun, andwe reallyenjoywhatwe’redoingso we’rehappytojustcrackon.

What’stheArmchairAdventure Festival?

We callit‘TheUK’sBest CelebrationofAdventureTravel’. We haveloadsofamazingspeakers, notonlymotorcycleridersbut peoplewhohavedonekayaking, paddleboarding,thatsortofstuff. It reallyisallaboutencouraging peopletodoadventurousthings. Itstartedas alockdownproject, hencethe Armchair Adventure Festival,withpeople sat in their armchairs,watching thewhole thing on ascreen. Theoriginalidea wasfora three-dayevent. We werebooking peoplelikeCharleyBoorman. We’dneverinterviewedanyone. We’dbeenbackfromthetripless thana year,sowefelt abit out of ourdepth,butbefore weknewit, wehad20,000 people watching

on YouTube! We kept rollingand oncetheworld returnedtosome kindofnormality,weknewwe wantedtodoanin-personfestival andwherewewantedtodoit (MountEdgcumbeCountryPark inCornwall,wherewedid some survivaltrainingbefore ourtrip).

Sonowitsits on aCornish hilltopsurroundedbythe Tamar Estuary.Inmyopinion,youcan listentotalksfromsome of the world’sbestadventurersbutalso somepeopleyouwouldnever knowhaddoneadventurous things. Whenwedidthe firstone, wedidn’tknowiftherewould beanother,sowedecidedthere hadtobe greatmusic.Thisseta precedent,aseachyearthereare greatbands.Itcostsusa fortune to put on,butit’sa greatpartyas wellashopefullybeinginspiring. Howdidyouendupgetting involvedwithUral?

Whenwedidtheoriginalsidecar andscootertrip,theideawasthat oncewewereback,we’dreturn tonormal life,getjobs,andthat wasit.ThenCovidhappened,we startedtheArmchairandthatset usonthepathtodoadventurous stuffandthelifestylewehave.

We hadalwayslikedUralsthelookofthem, the heritage andhistory -thenlearnedthey plannedtoreturn totheUKhaving re-engineeredthe two-wheeled drivetofitleftaswellasright-side sidecars. We contactedUraltosay wewouldliketoridetheirsidecars oncetheycamebacktotheUK. Theysaid:“Whydon’tyoucome andvisitthe ExperienceCentre in Portugal?” We wentout,rodeUrals, whichwent reallywell,andoffthe backofthatdecidedwe’dhelp bringthemto the UK.Thisledtous tobecomeUralagents,establishing aSidecar Experience where you canlearntoridesidecars,beit Uralsor Watsonians.It’s alotoffun andgoing reallywell. We’reallbut bookedupfor the restoftheyear inourthirdyearofrunningit,soyes there isplentygoingon.

Isthereanythingnewinthe pipeline?

We alwayshadplanstodomore adventures.It’sabithardatthe moment,asMatt hasatwo-year oldand Ihaveaneight-month-old child,buttherewilldefinitelybe moresidecartripsatsomepoint. Theimportantthingwereally wanttodo, nowwe’vebeen

runningthesidecarexperience for afewyears,isgrowitand developourowndestination(what we’rereferringtoas‘Sidecar Paradise’). We wanttocreatea community hubforadventure travellers,motorcyclistsandsoon inthenorth-eastoftheUKwhere wewillcontinuetodothesidecar experiences, haveanexpedition planning room,run abar/café; ahubwherepeoplecanmeet. To fundthis,we havelaunched aCrowdfunder,theculmination ofwhichwillbegivingawaya £25,000Uraloutfit.

To learnmoreabout MattandReece’s adventures,buythebook,andalso learnaboutthehorrorsofmodern slavery, howtorecognisethe signs, andwhatyoucandotoassist,by visiting:www.asseenfromthesidecar. org /www.thesidecarguys.com £1fromeach salegoestoUnseenUK forthefightagainstmodern slavery

ForinformationontheArmchair Adventure Festival,visit:www. armchairadventurefestival.com

To learnmoreabout,andbook,a sidecar experience,visit:www. sidecarexperience.co.uk

MattandReecewanttocreate asidecar-themedbikercafé/hang-out andevent space, amultifunctionalarea servingas ahometoallthings sidecarsaswellas acommunityhubforadventuretravellersandbikers inthenorth-east.

Theyarelookingtoraise£100,000todothis. To helpachievethisthey areofferingthechancetowina brand-newUralmotorcycleandsidecar (I’veseenit,itlooksamazing)worth over£25,000. Youcanenterthe prizedrawandsupportthecrowdfunderfromaslittleas£10.Formore information,visit:www.sidecarexperience.co.uk

A NORTHERN Adventure Advent

IattendedtheSidecarRiderExperienceDay withmyfriendJohnMitchell.Johnowneda sidecar20-somethingyearsagoandraced anMZoutfit(everybitassillyasitsounds). Me? Takenoutinoneatagesix,kittedout inleatherflyinghat, goggles,andgauntlets! ThedaybeganattheExperience CentrejustoutsideofMorpeth.Aftera cuppaandcompletingtheformalities, themorningwouldbemostly takenup withassessingeachrider’sabilitylevel beforemovingontothefinerpoints ofcontrollingthesidecar, followedby lunchandanafternoonexploringthe Northumberlandcountryside.

Formostriders,oncetheygetpastthe hurdleofthings asolo bikedoes(lean) comparedtosteeringanoutfit (itdoesn’t lean), itstartscomingtogether. Some find itmoreof achallenge.Sadly,I fell into this category.AsMattsaid,theywould getme there,adaptingourdaytoconcentrating onmyskills,but Imadethecallto retire tothechairtogeta feelforthePassenger Experience,allowingJohntogetthemost outofthedayriding.Theformat of the dayisas flexibleasyou need(ifdon’t

getonwith controllingthe outfit,theywill switchtheexperience).

Startingoutwithheadingin astraightline, turningattheend(onewaythenthenext) andstopping,theybuilttherider’s skillswith anumberoffunexercisesthatgradually introducedmorecomplexity.Both Mattand Reece areexcellentinstructors,keepingit relaxedandlight-hearted, gettingthepoint acrosswithoutiteverfeelinglike alesson. Watchingfromthesidelines,itwas fascinatingseeingtheridersbuildin confidence,theircontrolincrease.Once everyonefeltcomfortable,theysetoff riding withtheirpassengersonboardforthe first time, beforeheadingontothe roads forthe firsttimewith abrieftripbeforestopping forlunch -perhapsfittingly -atThe NorthumberlandCheeseCompany.

FancyblastingaroundtheNorthumberland countrysidewiththelads whorode alittleHondaSH300i and sidecar around theworld?Here’show

Theafternoonwas given overtoriding thebeautifulNorthumbriancountryside, keepingtocountrylanesasmuchas possible.Reeceled on asolo, taking thelinethe outfitshouldhold,steadily buildingthepace.Sittinginthesidecar, observingpeoplethathadmostlynever riddenanoutfitbefore,confidentlyand

smoothlypilotingthenarrowandattimes quitetwisty roadswasinspiring –atribute toMattandReece’sskillsasinstructors. Twooftheoutfits(theUrals)headedoffroadfor acoupleofmiles.Unfortunately, ourrig(anEnfieldInterceptor pairedwith aWatsonianoutfit)wasn’tsuitableforoffroadingsowesetoffonour owncourse withanotherinstructorbeforemeeting up. Youcouldfeelthebuzzastheothers camebackontothe road! Duringtheride,weneverwentmorethan about45mph,butthat’snotthepoint. Ifyouwanttorideasfastas youcan, you’rebetteroffonatrackday.Thisisall abouttryingsomethingnew,havingfun in arelaxedenvironment,andsharingan experiencethatwilllivelonginthememory. As areturningsidecarpilot,Johngotloads outoftheday,fresheningup asetofskills unusedfor awhileand reallyenjoyingthe local roads.Is apassengerexperienceworth it?Itwasn’ttheintentionformetotryitbut havingspent afewhoursinthechairitisa definiteyes. Youseetheworldfrom avery differentperspectiveandbelieveme,30mph isprettyexcitingthatlowtotheground!

STAY

TheBeresfordArms,Whalton www.theberesfordarmswhalton.co.uk Beautiful, recently refurbishedpubwithseparate accommodationin aformerstables blockwithan excellentbarandsuperbfood,just afewmiles fromthe SidecarExperienceCentre. Exceptionalfood,too.Thechefchangesthe menuseasonally,usingherbsgrownatthepuband awiderangeofdrinksincludinglocalales.

EAT

TheHighlander Gastropub, Ponteland www.highlander-ponteland.co.uk Gastropubwith arelaxedatmospherespecialising indishesusinglocallysourcedproduce

TheNorthumberlandCheeseCompany, CheeseLoftCafe www.northumberlandcheese.co.uk Usingtheirownproducedcheeses(theygiveout sampleswithyourmeal)thereisawiderangeof sandwiches,platters,jacketpotatoesandother dishes –yes,thereare non-cheeseoptions! After lunch,exploretheshopandbuysomeoftheir cheeses(they’redelicious)orifyou’regetting marriedorder acheeseweddingcake!

WORDS: BobPickett/ PHOTOS: Sidecar Guys

ADVENTUREOASIS

Deepintheheartofcentral Wales,highupinthe CambrianMountains,there’sa placewhereadventurebikes reignsupreme

Off-the-beaten-track,down alittlelane on theedgeoftheHafren Forest,theJones familyhavebeenshowingmud-lovingbikers whatenduroand adventurebikesare all about,foroverthreedecades.

Ten-timeBritishEnduroChampionand eight-timeInternationalSixDays TrialGold Medallist,GeraintJonesfirststartedoffering enduro training back in themid-80s,making useof hisspecialist setofskillsbackatthe expansivefamilyfarm.He’dfounda winning formula,andin1994, Yamahawantedinon

theaction. TheYamahaOff-RoadExperience wasborn –and overthesubsequentyears they’vehostedthousands of riders of all shapes,sizesandskillsetslookingfortheir off-roadfix.

Nowadays,it’smorelikelyyou’llbelooked afterbyhissonsRowanandDylan –both seriouslyhandyridersintheir ownright,with thegoldmedalsandtrophiestoproveit–andtheirsmallbutmightyteam of bike-mad blokeswithdecades of racing,teachingand spanneringbehindthem.

Thebikeshavechanged,too.Backin thedayitwasXT500sandDT125s,thenit wasSuper TénérésandWR200s,andnow you’vegotyourpickfrom awhopping fleet ofWR450Fsand WR250Fs andTénéré 700s,includingthenew, specced-up Extreme.

Havingheardnothingbutgoodthingsfrom ourpalswho’vespentadayortwoexploring withtheJones’,wedecideditwasabout timeto headwestourselvesandseewhatall thefusswasabout.

Thispartoftheworldisabit specialifyou’re intoriding adventurebikesoff-road. In additiontothe YamahaOff-Road Experience’sown300acres of farmland,encompassing fireroads,forestandwide-open fields,they’ve got accesstoa whopping10,000acresacross the HafrenForestandtheSweet Lambmotorsportcomplex. With someseriouslymixed terrainthat’llchallengethemost experiencedoff-road rider(if they’re upforit),it’snosurprise thatthisneckofthewoods has stagedBritish,European and WorldEnduroevents overthe past20-oddyears.It’saproper paradiseformotorcyclistswitha penchantforthe roughstuff. We couldn’twaittogetstuckin. Fromtheirplush,newlybuilt,and fully-kitted-outHQ,you’ve gota rangeofdifferentoptionsdepending onwhatyou’reinto.There’sanOffRoadExperienceCourse,Enduro Training,anAdventureBikeSkills Course,and achoiceofone, two, threeorfour-day TénéréExperience. Oh,andthey’llevendoone-to-one training,ortailor aday to suityouif you’reaftersomethingspecific. We’rebig,big fans of the Yamaha Ténéré,andwith ashiny newfleet of the recently released Extreme’ssatintheworkshop,we wereontoa winner.

Arrivingearlyfrom ourdigsin Rhyaderdownthe road,wewere warmlywelcomedbyDylanand theteam,signed on (including alicencecheck)andloadedup withcoffeebeforebeingshown thechangingroomstoget kitted up.TheHQhastobe oneofthe best in thegame. Anice areawith sofas,tablesandchairswhere youcan grab abrewand ogle somebikes, apairofimmaculate changing roomswithshowers, and akit roomthat’dmakeSports BikeShowjealous. Ashed on the side of amountainthisisnot. Gear on,anditwastimetobe introducedtothebikes.I’vespent

THEOPTIONS

ONE-DAY TOUR

alot of timeonvariousiterations ofthe Ténéré700 intheyears sinceits release.It’sabike Ireally love,offering anear-perfectblend of roadandoff-roadperformance. That’sespeciallytrueforthenew Extreme.It’sthelatestrideto beaddedtotheever-evolving range–and ittakesthefully adjustableKYBsuspensionfrom the WorldRaidbutforgoesits whopping23-litrefueltank(it gets astandard-size 16-litreone instead).There’smoregoodstuff: ahighmudguard,largerfootpegs, aradiatorguard, achainguide, and aflatterseat. Addina setof Dunlop’sTrail MaxRaidknobblies, and it soundslike apretty muchperfectpackagefor aday exploringthe Welsh hills,right? Dylanshowedusaround,with themainfocusbeinghowtoturn offandkeepofftheover-eager ABS-system –whichautomatically turnsbackonifyoukillthebike usingthekeyorswitch.Histop tipwastostallthebikewhenwe neededtotalk,andthenwe’dnot havetofaffabout flickingthrough themenuseverytimewewanted togetmovingagain.

I’vedone afairbitofoffroadinginthe past;riding TénérésalongCumbrianlanes, Africa Twinsonenduroloopsin Sardinia,andFanticsup,down andacrossSalisburyPlain.It’s something Ilove doing,butdon’t getasmuchchancetogetstuck intoasI’doftenlike,withthe road-riding demandsofthe day jobcurtailing regulartrail-based fun.I’mnoexpert,butI’mnota beginnereither –though Iwas confidentDylanwouldhave somewisdomhecouldshareto bringmyridingup anotch. But firstheneededtogetanideaof what Iwascapableof.

Aquickblastonthe road, andweweresoononthetrails headingforthecentre’straining area.Basically,it’sabiggravel bowl,withplentyofspacetolearn correctpositioningforbothsitting

£320withbikeandkithire/£120withyour ownbike Tuitioninthemorningbefore hittingthetrails

TWO-DAY TOUR

andstanding,braking,cornering, andhowtomanageclimbsand descents. Acoupleofpointers encouragingmetogetover thefrontendmore,andtotrust thebike’senginetohandlethe majorityofthebrakingon asteep downhillsection,andwewere goodtogo.

Ourdaywas alittledifferentto theusualbecauseitwasjustthe twoofusandthe photographer (whowasn’tontwowheels). To makeiteasierforhim,we’dbe focusingourridingon asmall, easy-to-accesschunkofthe whoppingsite.Buttypically,on theone-day TénéréExperience, you’dspend agoodchunkofthe morningworkingonkeyskills, beforegettingachancetoput themintopracticeasyouwind yourwayalongthelocallanes andbackroadsto alocalpubfor aspotoflunch. After refuelling, you’dheadbacktoHQ,across amixtureoftechnicaltrailsand fast-flowingfire roads,withthe oddbitof Tarmacthrowninfor goodmeasure. You’llgetabout threehoursoffull-onriding intheafternoon,givingyoua properchancetoexploreandget acquaintedwiththe Ténéré 700. We tookinslipperysingletracks throughtheforest,boundingover lumps,bumpsandjumps;fast, flowingfiretrailswhereacrackof thethrottlewouldseetheback enddancinginthegravel;and narrow,rock-strewnlaneswith tightturns andtheoccasional climbanddescent.It’sa spectacularplacetoride,andthe viewsaren’ttooshabbyeither. UnderDylan’swatchfuleye, myridingimproved,too. Iwas morerelaxed,morecomposed andlookingfurtherahead.With eachsection Iwassmoother andswifter,withanincreasingly largegrinplasteredacrossmy face.It’seasytoseewhyit’sthe UK’slongestrunningmotorcycle experienceandtrainingcentre.I’ll bebackassoonas Icanswingit.

£550withbikeandkithire/£220withyour ownbike Dayone’sthesame,but on thesecondyou’llheadofffor aproper150-mileadventureacross thebest trailsand TarmacMid-Waleshastooffer.

THREE-ANDFOUR-DAY TOUR

£550withbikeandkithire/£220withyour ownbike Acontinuationofthe Two-Day TénéréExperience, thisisoneformoreexperienced riders,which’llsee youcoveringbigdistancesacross someofthemostspectacular, ruggedand remote partsof Wales.

Formoreinformation,visit:www.yamaha-offroad-experience.co.uk

Yamaha Ténéré 700 Extreme

Sinceitsreleasein2019, Yamaha’smiddleweight adventurebike’sbeen astormingsuccess. In its various guises, it’s been snappedupby seriousandpseudo-adventurersleft,right andcentre –buttheExtreme’s areal stepforward if you’re all about hitting thelanes,withthe upratedKYBsuspensiontransformingtheridetohelpmake itmorecapable thaneverbefore.

WORDS: ChrisMoss/ PHOTOS: TooFastMedia

BasedonthestandardTénéré modelwithitsslimmer16-litre tank,but fittedwithhigherquality, fullyadjustableKYBsuspension featuringanextra20mmoftravel, asumpguard,radiatormesh, flatone-piecerallyseat,bigger titaniumrallyfootrests,anda high-levelenduro-stylefront mudguard,theExtreme really looksthe partandIwasdead keentogetonit. Thoughthat wasn’t easy!

LookingforwardasmuchasI wastotheideaofspending aday onthenew Ténéré,justgetting underwaypresented afairly sizeablechallengeforme.Asan off-roadfanandhavingridden manydifferentbikesspecifically designedtoworkinthatmore testingenvironment,I’mawareof afeaturetheyallshare– verytall seatheights.However,ata lofty 910mm,thenewExtremehasone ofthehighest.Infact,soelevated isthe700’snewrallyseat,Ihad littlechoicebutto requestthe slightlylowersaddleoption, reducingthingsto aslightlymore acceptable890mm.

Onceyoudogetthewheels turning,the Yamaha’smainnew feature (andtheprimary reason theExtremesitsashighasit doestogiveits rock-clearing 260mmofgroundclearance) instantlyfeelssobeneficialyou canlargelyforgiveitsdownside. Theexcellentactionofthelonger

travelKYBsuspension reallydoes helpthelatest700’sridequality andcontrol.Itmightbedifficult forthosewhohaven’tridden on higher-specforkandshock packagestorealise just how muchbetterthey make abike perform –onboth roadand offroad.Butbelieveme,withinjust afewyardsyoucanappreciate theenhancedactionthissort of suspensionoffers.

WherethestandardTénéré 700’ssuspensioncangeta bit overwhelmedattimeswhenthe goinggetsespecially roughand tough,theExtreme’skitsoldierson admirablyin arelativelyunflustered fashion.Itswheels can drop intoholesorcatchtheedgesof rockstepsat speed,andboth theforksandshockcushionthe blowsveryeffectively,allowingthe tyrestostaymatedtothe course thatmuchbetter.The resultisfar superiorgrip retentionandthe chanceto maintaincomposure. Alsobenefittingpredictability were theDunlopRaid50/50 dual-purposetyresspecially fitted forthistest. I’veused themon several differentbikes,and just as before,theRaidsdid aremarkable job,offeringimpressive gripon rock,shale,andmudalike. We mightnothavetestedthenew 700onthe road, as Yamaha wantedtoemphasisethebike’s off-roadqualities,but Iknowfrom experiencetheDunlops provide

equallyimpressiveadhesion onthosesorts of routes. Their versatilityistrulyastonishing. StandardOEfitmentonthe Extreme isthemore road-biased PirelliScorpion STRs. ManyoftheExtreme’skey componentsareidenticaltothe standardTénéré,andit’s noworse forit.Onesignificantexampleis the Yamaha’sveryimpressive, highlyprovenengine. Fittedto somany othermodelsinthe range –includingevery Ténéré –thesuper-flexible689ccCP2 paralleltwinisarealvirtueof thebike.It’s such amanageable andpredictablemotor,toa large degreebecauseitsuneven270° crank’sfiringorderprovidessuch akeen,butverycontrollable, throttle response. Theconnection fromthetwistgriptothe rear wheel reallyisquitesomething and arealally. Withabasic electronicspackagewhich doesn’tincludeanyform of tractioncontrol,theveryusable andwell-mannerednatureofthe engineplays abig partinhow easythe Ténéréistoget on with –evenwhenthe goinggetsalot less grippy.It’sahellofanasset andaddsmassivelytothebike’s easy-goingcharacter. Givenitssizeandweight, the Ténéréisstill amassively competentmotorcycleonthedirt, itjustneedstoberiddenwith somecommonsense.Choiceof

terrainiscrucialtomaintaining continuedsafeprogress,and aslongasyouavoidthemost challenging routes,the 700will reallysurpriseyouwith how much athomeitcanfeel.Itschassis gives it averyimpressiveoverall balanceandmanageabilitywhich helpskeepyououtoftrouble. Ialwaysfeltcomfortableand evencheekilystartedto rely onitsexcellent ABSbraking systemtostay upright.Withthe optiontorunwithitswitchedoff completely,orremaineffective onlyonthe rearwheel, Ijust used thebrakesas hard as Ifancied andlefttheelectronicsystemto control theslipofbothwheels. The‘technique’allowedmeto entercornerssafelyatspeed, relyingonthe ABStostayon track.Callitcheatingifyoulike, Ijustfoundthe techmassively useful.Itcan’t changethelaws ofphysics,ofcourse,butaslong asyoustay realisticwithyour brakingexpectationsthenthe Ténéré’sstoppingkitwillvery muchhelpyouout.

There’snodoubtingthe new Extreme’smodifications really helpitcopewithadventuring off-roadnoticeablybetterthan thestandardversion,thankstoits appreciablysuperiorsuspension performance.Ofcourse,theother detailedimprovementslikethe sumpandradguards(alongwith thefoldablegearandrearbrake

levers)willalsohelpprotectit fromthetypicalrigoursinvolved withlifeonthe roughstuffand thoseinevitableslip-offs.

For roaduse,the 700’smore basicspecmightlackthecreature comfortsofthemajorityofother adventurebikesanddoesn’t, forexample,possessthemore comprehensiveelectronics packagesofsomeofitsrivals.But itiscomfortableenoughtospend alldayon,withitssufficiently plushseatandimpressivewind protectionprovidedbyitsfairing andscreen happilypermitting non-stop,big-mileoutings.

The Yamaha hasadecentfuel range,too,whichisvery useful forkeepingupaveragespeeds onlongerrangeriding.With itsproven reliabilityit’llmakea brilliantmachinefortakingonstuff likethe TransEuro Trailnetworks, givingthenew TénéréExtreme some realpotentialfor having agenuinebikingadventure.If youneedtobepampered alittle morewithstufflikeelectronic suspensionandcruisecontrol, thenthe Yamahawon’t beyour numberonechoice.Butifyou fancytheideaof headingoffto somewheremoredistantlikethe Alpsor Pyrenees,toexplorethe mountaintrailsofthoseareas morefully,thenthe new700 shouldheadyourwishlist.Just takecareif,likeme,you’reabit shortintheleg!

AFFORDABLEADVENTUREKIT

You’venotgottospend afortunetogetdecentadventurebike kit, as we’vediscoveredfirsthand.Here’sourtake on some cracking kitatattractiveprices…

FASTWAY TOURINGMEN’STEXTILEJACKETANDTROUSERS

TESTEDBY: Simon

TIME: Twomonths

PRICE: Jacket(£206.10) /Trousers(£128.80) FROM: www.louis-moto.co.uk

Fastwaymightbe aname unfamiliartomost –me included –butthequalityoftheirjacket was ahugesurprisetome. Havingstartedtestingthisin summer,thefirstthing Idid waspullouttheinner lining; the thermalquiltedliningzipsout andonceyourelease atoggle eyeatthewrist,itsoonslips outofplace.Thereare airvents totheshouldersandplentyof storagepockets,withfouroutside thejacket,ofwhichtwoare waterproof,plusanadditionaltwo ontheinside.TheFastwayalso comesequippedwithshoulder andelbowarmour,though backarmourissoldseparately. Unusually,theelbowarmouris

adjustable,whichis anicetouch andhelpsyoutofindthesweet spot.Aswithmostmodern jackets,thereare reflective componentstotheouterjacket foraddedvisibility at night. Foraddedcomfort,fittingcan beadjustedatthewaist,sleeves andcuffstoensurea good fit. Anotherthingworthnoting is thesizing.Comingfromoutof theUK, Ifoundthesizeguideto be alittle on thesmallsize,soI wouldsuggestthatyougo asize up.However,LouisMoto,who suppliedmewiththejacket,offer several returnsoptionsshouldyou need alarger/smallersize. Inever gotthechanceto properlytestit inthewetbeforewritingthis,butit

issaidtobewaterproofand,with theadditionofthethermallinings, Isuspectitshouldprovetobea goodgarmentin colderclimates. Asforthetrousers,theyalso impressedme.Muchlikethe jacket,thereisa removable thermallininginthetrousers, securedinplacewith azip. Two pocketsatthehiphavezipsto secureanythingyouplaceinside, thoughitisworthnotingthat theyarenotwaterproof.Theyare comfortableonlongjourneys, andespeciallysobecause of the stretchpanels overtheknees thatmeanthematerialisn’t pullingagainstyourkneecap. Anotherkeyfeatureistheantislipmaterialoverthebackto

helpyoustayinthesaddlemore easily. Protectionissupplied withkneearmourthatcomes withthetrousers.Thereare also reflectivepanelsovertheknees andlowerlegs,withoptionsfor hipprotectionifyouwanted. Overall,theFastwaytrousers look good andarecomfortable,

andwiththejacket,complete thetouringlook,offergood protection,andwind resistance.

FASTWAY TOURINGUNI211 GLOVES

TESTEDBY: Simon

TIME: Twomonths

PRICE: £51.51

FROM: www.louis-moto.co.uk

Theseglovesaren’tjustsuper-comfy,theyalsooffer greatprotectionovertheknucklesintheformoffoam withadditionalleather.Theyare lightlypadded andare designedmoreforsummeruse.Ifoundthe fit tobe verygoodandthey’ve been agreat companionover bigdistancerides.Theyfeelsecurethankstodual wriststrapsthatallowyoutogettheperfectfitforyour hands.I’vealsofoundtheycanbeworninorovera jacket. Agoodchoicefor distance work.

LS2PIONEER II HELMET

TESTEDBY: Simon

TIME: Twomonths

PRICE: £119.99

FROM: www.ls2helmets.com

Inneedofanadventurehelmet, Iturned toLS2,andtheyhelpedmeoutmassively withtheirPioneerII. Ihadnoideawhatto expect,as Ihaveneverwornanadventure lidbefore.Firstimpressionsincluded beingshockedbyhowlightthePioneerII was.Itwasalsoincredibly comfortable.I havebeenwearing afliplidforthemost parttodateandoftenlifted thechinbar tomakeiteasiertoputon.So,pulling onthePioneerwasunexpectedlyeasy andverycomfortable. Ventilationis reallyimportant,andthePioneercomes equippedwithmoreventsthansome of my touringjackets,withthreeonthetop and achinvent as well.Multipleports on thebackhelptokeeptheaircirculated. Aswithmostmodernhelmets,theinterior is removablesoitcanbecleanedmore

VANUCCIVTBSYMPAX BOOTS

TESTEDBY: Simon TIME: Twomonths

PRICE: £214.68

FROM: www.louis-moto.co.uk

ThesearethebestbootsIhaveworn todate. AhugeclaimIknowbutletmeexplain. Irode thesewhiletouringandafteraninitialperiod ofwearingthemin,thesequicklybecame incrediblycomfortable. Thefitandfeel through themissomethingelse,soridinginthemisa joy.Thething Ilikeaboutthemequallyasmuch isthattheyareeverybitaswaterproofasthey claimtobe.On onetestwiththem, Ihadtoride through adeepfordseveraltimesandnomatter howwaterhitthem,theyneverleaked. To me, that’samassivewin,especiallyifyouplan to useyourkitonterrainthatdemandsthe odd rivercrossing.

Asforthespec,it’sgood, aidedbytough panelsoverthetoestomakeiteasiertochange gear,andzips on eitherside of theankle ensuringthey’re easyto getonandoff,while guaranteeing agoodandsecurefitthanksto an additionalVelcroflap.These trulyareexceptional boots andaremynewgo-toforanyride. They areavailable in shortor longstyles.

PYRAMID 40LROLL-TOPDUFFELBAG

TESTEDBY: Dom TIME: Twomonths

PRICE: £39.99

FROM: www.pyramidmoto.co.uk

easily.ThePioneerIIalsocomeswitha drop-downsunvisor;thiswas easyto usewith asimpleswitchonthebottom. Myonesmallcomplaintthough,wasthat Iwouldhavelikedan extracentimetreor twoatthebottomtomakeitslightly lower andsocovermyfacebetter. Thepeaktooksomegettingusedto, asatmotorwayspeedsmyhead didflick upasit caughtthewind.Thelonger chin alsomakesiteasiertomountanintercom systemwithoutthefeelingofkissingthe mic. Ihavenot fittedmine as Iwritethis, but Idid puttheboommicfrommySena insideandsecureittomakesureIwas right.Allinall,thisis afantastic adventure helmetwith alotofversatility anda really comfortable fit.Whatmorecouldyou ask for?And at £120it’sanabsolutebargain.

I’vehad alotofluggage overmyyears on two wheels:hardcases,soft panniers,tankbagsand alegholster.However, Ineverexpecteda bagtocomefrom Pyramid,yetherewe are…andI’msohappy I’ve got one!Newfrom Pyramidistheir40L Roll-Top Duffelbagwith atwo-wayairvalve. Constructedfrom500D PVC, it has aseamless designforultimate protectioninthewet. The roll-topdesignis notanewfeaturefor motorcycleluggage. However,itssimplicity andeffectivenessare sogood,whybother changingit?The only issueIusedto havewith onehasbeentakencareof bywayof ascrew-topvalvePyramid used,meaninggettingyourbagdoneup andpackeddownsmall has neverbeen easier.Oncealltheairisoutyousimply shutthevalveandstrapittoyour bike. With thatinmind,theDuffelBagfrom Pyramidcomesequippedwith ashoulder strapandfourpushcliploopstraps. Theshoulderstrapiseasytoattach andcanbeclippedinseveralvariations dependingonyourneeds.Attachingto yourbikeiseasyandstraightforward: simplylooptheclipstrapthroughitselfat

thedesiredlocations,popthebagonthe bike,clipitdownandtighten.It’ssuch asimple,yeteffective,designthatwill stayputafter hours ofmotorwayspeeds. Thereare acoupleofothernicetouches like reflective panelsfor nighttime visibilityandanIDpocket,too.Having a40Lcapacityisratherlargeandwill holdplentyofessentialkit. Ioverpacked for ABRthis yearby alongshotandstill had roomtobringstuffback(Ihavea thingforhats).ThePyramid40LRoll-Top DuffelBaghandledeverythingwithease andat£39.99for aversatilepieceof luggage,it’sabigthumbsupfromme.

TAKETOTHETRAILS

There’snothingquitelikemuscling abig adventurebikearoundoff-road.ButintheUK,it’s notalwaysbeenthateasytofindaccessiblelanesthat won’tendindisaster.Untilnow

The TransEuroTrail’s been arip-roaring successoverthepastfewyears,bringing together awholecommunityoftrail-loving motorcyclistsandprovidinganinvaluable resourceforriderslookingtogetoff-thebeaten-track.Butthe onlyproblem isthata goodchunkofthelanesis abittoognarly totakeyourbig200kg,150bhp,£20,000 adventurebikedownwithoutriskingdamageor injury(unlessyou’renextlevelhandy,ofcourse). That’swhere AdventureCountryTracks comesin.It’s asimilarconcept,with bikers across EuropedoingGod’sworkestablishing andmaintainingoff-road routesandbringing themtogetherinonecentrallocation.The only real differenceisthat you’ve got to fork outfor amembershiptoget tothe good stuff. Butrangingfromjustovera tennerto lessthan£100annually –dependingonthe levelofaccessandbenefitsyou’reafter –it

seems likeprettygood valuetous.Andit’sa charity,too,soallthemoneythattheymake is reinvestedintheproject.

Foundedby abunchof adventure-loving Touratechstaff,it’sbeenfundedbysomebig bikingnamesincluding Touratech(ofcourse), Yamaha,Harley-Davidson,Sena andMetzeler, withtheintentionofbringingtogetherthe last remainingoff-roadtracksinEuropetopreserve themwiththecooperation oflocalauthorities andpartners.Soundslike awinnertous. Thereareroutesavailableall overEurope, butit’stheUK onethat’scaught oureyeand whetted ourappetite.Brokendownover five stages,the915km/569-mile routetakes insomeofthefinestmountainroads and adventurebike-friendlytracks ourlittleisland hastooffer.

Itstarts in theheart of theBreconBeacons NationalParkandendsupintheNorth York

MoorsinWhitby,bywayoftheMachynlleth in Wales,DouglasintheIsleofMan,and HawesintheYorkshireDales. Admittedly, onlyabout30percentoftheroute isactually ‘off-road’,butwhatthereis,isprettyspecial, asarethe roadsyou’llencounteralongthe way.We’vealreadybeenlookingatthediary toseewhenwecanmakeit happen. Andwe’vebeendreamingofother places,too,becausethere’reAdventure Country Tracks routesin afewprettycool destinationsacrossEurope,includingCroatia, thePyrenees,Italy,Greece,Romania,and Portugal.That’sour holidayssortedforthe nextfewyearsthen…

If youwanttoknowmoreaboutthe ACT, visit: www.adventurecountrytracks.comTherearealsoa bunchofseriously-slickvideosabouttheUKroute, with acameofromnoneotherthan Mr.Adventure, CharleyBoorman.

VOTELEAVE!

RegardlessofwhatyourviewonEuropeis,whenit comestomotorcycling adventuresabroad,there’smoretoexplore thanEuro-tripping. We’renot goingto putthesumsonthesideof abus,butyoumightbe abletogoeven furtherafield atnoextracost.So,takebackcontrol, andrideoutofEurope!

RidinginEuropeisgreat.Thereare amazing roads,incrediblesights,andno endofinterestingplacestovisit.Many ofushaveeitherriddenordreamtabout ridingtheAlps,theAmalficoast,the Pyrenees,anddozensofotheramazing Eurodestinations.Europeisstill agreat ridingdestination,nodoubtaboutthat. However,ifyoufeellikespreadingyour wingsandgoingfurtherafield, thereare someamazingoptionsoutsideEurope. HereatMoreBikes,wehavebeenlucky enoughtoride in someofthemost exquisitemotorcyclinglocationsyoucan thinkof,bothinandoutofEurope.Since thisistheadventureissueofMoreBikes, wethoughtthatwe’dhighlightoneofour favouriteridinglocationsthatoffers areal senseofadventure.It’s outsideEurope, butnotsofarthatit’sa botherto getto. It’sexoticandexciting,butit’s also safe andorderly.Itoffersincredibleriding,but itdoesn’tsufferfromheavytraffic.It’s Morocco.

Thebeautyof Moroccoisthatit’sonlya shortishbudgetflightaway.Ithas arich andcompelling cultureforgedbycenturies oftraditionsfromdifferentcontinents, andit’sfulloftheold-worldcharmthat comeswithhaving ahistorythatlong. To theuninitiated,itmayseemlike awild place,butit’sactuallysaferthanmostof Europe.It’srapidlyemergingas atourist destination,butit’sstillveryaffordable. Andmostimportantly,forbikersitoffers milesandmilesofvelvet-smoothTarmac, twistingupmountainsidesandcrossing desertswithnext-to-notrafficinsight.

For thosewhowantanadventurewith anevenbigger ‘A’, leavingthe Tarmac behindgivesyoua chancetoimagine yourselftakingpartinthemostfamous offroadmotorcyclecompetition intheworld asyouvisitthelocations of the original Paris-Dakar route.There’snowhereelse intheworldthatcanofferquitethesame experience.

AndalthoughMorocco isfullof adventure,itdoesn’tnecessarilyhaveto comeattheexpense of creaturecomforts. Youcanexplorethecountryjustaseasily fromthecomfort of afive-starhotelasyou canbygoinglocal.It’syourchoice.

To get abetteridea of whatMorocco islike,wetalkedtoGreg Fatrai,the AdventurerinChiefatmotorcycletour companyWheelsofMorocco. We have riddenwithhiminMorocco andcan’tthink ofanyonebettertomakethecasefor ridinginMorocco.Here’swhathesaid:

“One ofthebestthingsaboutMorocco is thatalthoughit’sexcitinganddifferentfor Europeanvisitors,it’sincrediblysafe. You can leaveallyourstuffonyourbikewhen youstopfor abreak,pay afewpenniesto someonetolookafterthebike,and return toeverythingjustwhereyou left it.That justdoesn’thappen in Europe.

“Another revelationtomany is that Moroccoissuch aversatileplacefor holidays.Forbikersit offersepic roads withnext-to-notraffic,butmanyofour customersbringtheirfamiliesalongto enjoytheluxuryhospitality,beaches,sights andculturewhiletheyareonthebikes.It canbe afantasticbreakforeveryoneeven

iftheyaren’tinterestedinridingbikesin theslightest.

“Asanadventureridingdestination, Moroccohas alottooffer withthe perfectmixtureofgreatweather, interestingculture, friendlypeopleand fantasticbiking roads.Dependingon howmuchyouwanttoimmerseyourself intheculture,youcanaddtothat some exoticcuisine,local fashionsandarts, excursionstomore remoteareas, andno endofminttea.”

Thereare plentyofwaystoexplore Morocco,dependingonwhetheryouwant tojoin aguidedtourorgosolo.Ifyouwant toget abetterideaofeverythingyoucan dothere,andhowtogoaboutit,oursister titleMSLhas adigital guideat https:// www.mslmagazine.co.uk/morocco/that willprovideeverythingyou needtoget started.Or,ifyou wouldratherjustget onwithit,wehaveriddenwithWheelsof Moroccointhepastandcanthoroughly recommendthemifyouareaftera meticulouslyplanned,superblyorganised andprofessionallyexecutedtourwhere everythingistakencareofforyou –allyou needtodoisshowupandenjoytheride. Ifyouwanttoget atasteofwhatthey have onoffer,theWheelsofMoroccowebsiteat www.wheelsofmorocco.netis agreatplace tostart.

Butbefore youdothat,let’sgetback tothetitle,andhavealittletouring referendumofourown. Areyouinorout ofEuropewhenitcomestobiking? Send yourvotesand opinions toeditorial@ morebikes.co.uk.

Top3thingstodo inMorocco

Spend anightinthedesert Anightin adesertcamp underthestarsinthe dunesofthe Sahara isan unforgettableexperience.

Checkoutthepaintedrocks

Avisitto Tafraouteiswell worthmakingjusttoseethe famouspainted rocks,butit’s also agreatplacetochill.

Ridethebestswitchbacks

TheDades Valleyishometo themostphotographed road inMorocco,withthefamous switchbackscallingallbikers.

Buyingtheright adventure bike…

Soyouwanttogoonanadventure? Well,you’reprobablygoing toneedanadventurebike…butwhich one? There’snodenyingthatwe’re absolutelyspoiltforoptions thesedays, anddon’tforgetthatforall the glitz and glam of thelatestpropositionsthere’sawholeworldofpre-loved, super-capableusedoptionsout there. In essence, as faraschoicesgo,theworldisyour oyster butalsoitshouldbesaidthatnotalladventure bikes are the same. Withthatrealityinmind,hereare afew pointsthatare worth raisingin abidto findtherightadventure bikefor you.

WORDS: Bruce

Whatareyouplanning?

Itmightseemmadtoquestionyourself whenlookingfortheidealbike,but the reasonsareplentiful.Firstly,if you’realesserexperiencedrider that’swanting abikeforlightoff-road riding,with agreaterfocusonbig road miles,youdon’tneedan all-singing, performancefuelledenduro…chances aresomethingthat’seasytorideand supercomfywillbe amoresuited option.Likewise,if roadmilesareyour nemesisandtheonlyplaceyouwant torideisinthedirt,itwouldprobably paytodiscard halfofthebigger, heavieroptionson themarket.Lighter enduro-basedmachinestypically accountforbikesthataresub-500cc, whereas,traditionally,adventure bikes havetickedtheboxofbeingbigger incapacity,weightandluxury.Both bagshavetheirprosandcons,with comfortcomingatthepriceofagility andversatilityonabigadventure bike, whilesmallerendurostendtobe much morecapableoff-roadbutfarless comfortableandpractical.Knowing this,it’stimetoaskyourselfwhatkind ofadventure riding youwanttodo? Weekendridesthroughtheoccasional fordcrossing,ormuduptoyouraxels alongoneofthemost remote,lesser -riddenbywaysintheUK?Andthen experiencecomesintotheequation; bothcategoriesofmachinescomein araftofsizesandwithdifferingpower outputs.Youcangetlesspotent,more manageableendurobikesinthesame waythatyoucangetlessforgiving, moreaggressiveadventurebikes–whatisitthatyou’reafter?Anddon’t forgettofactorinyoursize,yourweight andyourstrength.50bhpmightnot soundmuchbytoday’sstandardsbut thatamountofpoweron apowerful endurobikeisenoughtocauseyoua headacheif youdon’t havetheskillsto handleit. Whilethereare endurobikes withlimitedrideraids,ittendstobe thatbiggeradventurebikescarryso

muchmoretechthesedays, including switchablelevelsofABS,electronic suspensionanddifferingpowermaps. Butitallcomesat aprice.

Neworused?

Onlyyouknowwhatyourgoalsare and,inthesame sense, what budget you’vegottospend.A quicklook onlinewillshow youthegoingrateofa contemporaryadventurebike,and for thisinstance,we’lluseBMWas abrand thatoffersadventurebikesin abroad rangeof sizes,includingsub-500cc withtheir G310GS,whichwillset you back£5890ifyoubuyonenew.The bigger,much morecapable F900GS unsurprisinglycosts agoodchunkmore –startingfrom £11,995. And then you’ve gottheheadlineacts:the R1300GS (£16,470)andtheflagship R13000GSA weighinginat£18,870.Ontheenduro front, anewKTM450EXC-Fwill cost you£11,299whilethebrand’ssmaller, butnolesser focused 250EXC-FSix Dayswillhithomeat£11,399.Having readthis,hopefullyit’sgiven abitof contextastonewbikepricing.The upsidesofnewareobviouslythe (hopefully) reliabilityandpieceof mind thatcomesfrombuyingsomething that’snotbeenusedandabused by someoneelse, but arenewbikesworth thepremium?Endurobikesthese days, largelyspeaking,arenothing shortof racebikes,hencewhytheycostso much,whilebigadventurebikestend tobeconsummatetourerswiththe abilitytogooff-road.Thebestoptions ineitherfieldareexceptional, so I’mnot heretostartquestioningtheircosts, but Iamheretomakeyouawarethat buyingusedisn’talwayssuch abad thing,especiallyifyou’reabletobuy abikewith agood service historyor, betterstill,somewarrantyfrom adealer. Thereare loadsofbikesouttherethat mightseemold from aregistration pointofviewbuthaveactuallydone veryfew miles,whichisgoodnewsif

you’relookingat some ofthebigger optionadventurebikesthatsometimes arekittedwithexpensivecomponents that mightneed replacingintime,such asshaftdrive systems.Knowing first handhowgood a2009R 1200 GS is, for roadandtrail,that’sa bikethat’d beon my radarif Iwereinthemarket for amachineofthistype,andthe goodnewsisthereare plentyonlineat under£5k…andthedepreciationfrom thispointwillbe minimal,too.Asfor enduros,lookingatKTM’soption from asimilarperiod,you’dexpecttopick up adecentoption for around£3000. Ofcourse,thereare bikes farmore affordableagain,should youwishto take apuntonanolder,simplermachine ineithercategory;ifyoulookintheright places, agrandcould bagyou abargain HondaXRorSuzukiDR-Z.Thatsaid, someofthese machinesarebeginning toacquiremoredesirabilityagainso expecttofindtheoddoldermachine at aludicrouslyhighprice.What is probablyworth sayingisthat if you’re mechanicallycapableandhave agood eyeforspottingwornpartsordamaged components,itmightbeworthtaking apuntonanoldermachineifyouhave got astrictbudget…andespeciallysoif allyou’reafterisa bitofweekendfunto potteraround afewgreenlanes.

Whataboutmid-capacity,used options?

Thiswillopen acan of worms becauseeveryone’sexperiences andexpectationsaredifferent,but if Iwereinthemarketfor aused, mid-capacityadventurebikeI’dbe drawntosomething like Yamaha’s first generation Ténéré700.Nottoo bigbutstillplentifullypowerful,it’s amachinethatpossessesgenuine off-roadcapabilitiesas wellasthe comforttotacklebigdistanceson road orotherwise.The tech is primitive,it lacksthebellsand whistles,butthe CP2engineis acorker andallthatyou

reallyneed.It’salsoversatileenough togoboltingluggageandaccessories ontoit.Anotherbikethatjumpsoutis BMW’sG650GS.Itwasamachinethat wasn’taroundonthemarket for long, butimpressedallthesame.Ithas alow seat,torqueysingle-cylindermotor and genuinego-anywhere capabilities –a greatchoiceforlanesoradventures farther afield. Triumph’sTiger800is anotherusedbikethatwouldmake mywishlist –havingtravelledoff-road acrossSouthAfricaonone, Idon’t doubtitscapabilitiesonoroff-road, withmyonlyqualmbeingthehighset massthatcan feel alittleawkwardon moretrickyterrain.Thetripleengineis agreatcompanion,andthecomfortof thebikeisanotherpluspoint.

Howcan Itry before Ibuy?

Thegoodnews is thatifyou’re genuinelyinterestedinbuying anew adventureorendurobike,there’soften awaytotryoneoutforsizebefore handingoverthedosh.Organising aroadtestfrom adealership is an obviouswayto figureouthowthebike performsonthe road,buttogetto knowthatmachineproperly in anoffroadcontext,mysuggestionwouldbe toseeifthemanufacturerofyourchoice (ofbike)hasanoff-roadexperienceto hand. Anumberofthebrandssupport experienceswithnewmachinery, suchas Yamahawiththebrilliantlyrun Yamahaoff-roadexperience.BMW’s awesomeOff-RoadSkillscentrewillgive youthechancetotrytheiradventure bikesonthedirt,andKTMsupports theSweetLambExperiencewith araft oftheiradventurebikes,whilstyoucan checkouttheirenduromachinesinthe capablehandsofAdySmith. Whether you’retryingtopickyournextbikeor simplywanttoexperiencewhichsize ofmachinewillbebestforyou,go aboutthingsthiswaywillbeafunand informativeapproachthatwillopenyour eyesbeforemaking apurchase.

PACK IT IN

Shadhasjustreleased anewsuiteofexpandableluggagethatmakesiteasierthanevertolug your gearaboutonyour next adventure

Panniersmustbeoneofman’sgreatestinventions.They’retheperfecttoolforstashing yourstuffand keepingit safe and secure whileyou’reout exploringonthe bike –but if you’rein themarketforsome,you’vegotto decide howbigyouwantthem. Bigger’salwaysbetter,right?Morespacemeansmorestuff,meansmore

comfort.Butifyou gotoobig,there’s agood chanceyou’regoing to end trapped in traffic ifandwhenyou comeacross alineof carsrubberneckingpastanaccidentontheother lane.Sosmaller mightmake more sense,then…?Slimlineenough to makefiltering abreeze,providingyou can livewithbeing alittlelimitedwithwhatyoucanactuallycarry.Butmaybethere’s another solution,inShad’snewSH38Xexpandablepanniers.

We’rebigfansofShad’sluggage. We’vehadourshareofitsgear overtheyears,andit’salways provedtop-notch.Hardwearing, easyto fit andeasytolivewith –andsowhentheSpanish firmannounceditsnewSH38X expandablepanniers,wewere in.

We reckonthey’rea greatidea, adding aloadofversatilitytoits ever-practicalpanniersand top boxes –andtoseewhatthey’re liketolivewith,weswipeda pair ofitscarbon-cladSH38Xsand

fittedthemtotheHondaNX500 wetookon acampingtriptothe Cotswolds(seepages33-38). Thebasicideaisthatthey’ll telescopically expandby70mm, thus increasingtheirvolumeby awhopping40percent.How good’sthat? Iactuallymanaged tostashallofmycamping gear whenit wasinitsslimmest setting(withthehelpofaroll-top bag),butitstillcameinsuperhandythroughoutthetripas Iwasabletoopenthemup,

expandthemandthensafely stashmyhelmettosaveme carryingitaroundtown. Yep, theywerebig enoughtostash mypeakedadventurelid.Andit’s adoddletodo,too;just flipthe leversandpushitout.

It’dalsobeidealforriderswho aren’tregularlycarryingbig loads butwantto leavetheirpanniers in situratherthanwhipthem on and offaftereverytrip.Not that it’sahardshiptoputthem in position.There’sadouble

lockingsystemwhich uses akey tosecurethecasestothebike andlockthem,too. Intypical Shadfashion,they’re suitableforanabsoluteswathe ofbikes –over300sowe’retold –andthey’realsocompatible withbothofShad’sexisting 3Pand4Ppannierrails,soif you’vealreadygotsomeShad panniers fitted toyourride,then youshouldbeablewhackthem straightintoposition.That’s gooddesign,rightthere.

They’renotcheap,pricedat £487.99withthe 3P fitting kit and £492.98 withthe4P–and thenyoucanaddpremiuminner barsanddifferentcoloured coversontopofthat –but we knowpeoplethat’vehadShad luggageforover10years,soit quitequicklystartstofeellike goodvalueindeed,ifyoucan stomachtheinitialoutlay. FormoreinformationontheShad SH38Xluggage, visit:www.shad. co.uk

SCORPIONHELMETS Specialist Spotlight

We’rebigfansofScorpion’slids. We’ve been wearing themalotover the pastfewyearsand have beennothing but impressed–anditseemslikeplentyofotherridersare catching on,too. Here’swhatyouneedtoknow about theever-growing Chinesefirm

WHAT’SITCOST?

Scorpionproducesa seriouslywiderangeof helmets,andpricesstart fromaslittleas£100. Here’sthelowdown:

OpenFace

Exo-City –£109.99

Belfast –£169.99(Carbon –£259.99)

Adventure

ADX-2 flip –£209.99plain, £249.99colour

ADF9000 –£339.99plain, £369.99colour

Full-Face

EX0-391– £89.99plain, £99.99colour

EXO-491 –£134.99plain, £159.99colour

EXO-520 –£169.99plain, £209.99colour

Retro

EXO-Combat –£169.99

EXO-Covert-FX –£229.99

EXO-HX-1 –£249.99

Carbon

EXO-1400CF –from £299.99

Scorpion is arelativelynewplayerinthe worldofmotorcyclehelmets,butinthe shorttimesinceitscreation,ithas forged astrongmarketpositionandwona numberofawards.

Thestorybeganin2002whenMr. JangParkteamedupwithtophelmet engineerstoestablish afactoryin Qingdao,China. TheScorpionEXO brandwaslaunchedin2004,with aUS subsidiarysoonfollowing. To service the Europeanmarket, afurthersubsidiary wasestablishedin2006inStrasbourg, France.Thehelmet divisionofKido Industrial(Kido Sports)wasspunoffin 2006toconcentratepurelyonhelmet manufacture.Kidoproducesmotorcycle helmets(viathe ScorpionEXObrand), skihelmetsandsnowmobilehelmets.

Fromtheoutset,theintentionwas tomanagetheentireprocess(design,

manufacture,testinganddistribution) in-house,toensurerigidqualitycontrol ateverystep.Mr. Parkexplained: “Our visioncanbedescribedinthesewords: Protection,Aesthetics,Comfortand Innovation. This iswhy,incontrastto someotherhelmetmanufacturers,the productionandtestingiscompletelyin ourownfactory.”

Everyoperationneededtocreate world-classhelmetsisinitsQingdao facilityincludingfibreglass/Kevlarand polycarbonateshellconstruction;EPSliner manufacturing;linersewing;water-decal production;clean-roompaintbooths; drying rooms;assembly;packagingand shipping.Every ScorpionEXOmotorcycle helmetiscertifiedbythemostdemanding safetystandardsintheworld.

ThemainproductionfacilityinQingdao boasts astate-of-the-art,810,000sq.ft.

(95,381sq.m.)campus,staffedbysome 500skilledtechnicians.Anadditional facilityhasbeenestablishedinGimpo, Korea,toensureworldwidedemandcan bemet.

Scorpionhasintroduced anumber ofinnovationsincluding Airfit (permits aridertopersonalisethe helmet fit throughair-adjustablecheekpadswith additionalnoise reduction),and TCT (Thermodynamic Composite Technology) shell –afive-layerproprietaryblend ofinterlacedandspeciallyformulated materialsthatworktodecreaseweight yetprovide structuralstability, Scorpionworkscloselywith anumber ofMoto3,Moto2,MotoGPandDakar Rallyridersforfeedbacktoimprovenot onlyits raceproductsbut alsoforthese technological improvementstotrickle down into itsroadhelmets.

Race

CFEXO-R1 –from£389.99

EXO-HX-1 SE v£389.99

EXO-TechCF –£379.99)

FlipFronts

EXO930 –from£199.99

EXO-TechEVO –from £269.99(Carbon –£379.99)

WHEREARETHEY?

KidoSportsisbasedin Qingdao,China(themain manufacturingcapacity) withadditionalfacilitiesin Gimpo,Korea.Scorpion Sportshas aEuropean HQin Strasbourg,France, andUKdistributionis handledby TranAmvia theextensiveBikerheadz retailernetwork.

ScorpionEXOTechEVOCarbon

LauraPickett

TheScorpionEXO Tech EVOCarbonhaswon alotof praiseforcomfort,and deservedly so.The removable KickWick3linerisextremelycomfortable,mouldingto myfacequickly.There areno pressurepoints,andit’s aniceplacetobe.At1573gramsit’saroundthesame as afull-facehelmet.It haspassedthenewECE22:06 rating,makingitoneofthesafesthelmetsoutthere. Iprefer flip-overtoflip-upin amodularhelmet,as Ifeelitgivesbetterbalancewhenopen.Andthe Scorpionexcelshere.Whenopen,theweightis distributedevenlywiththeopenfaceslidingneatly on tothe rearofthe helmet,andbeingableto flipopen makesitmucheasiertogetonandoff.The release is deadcentreofthechin;ittook awhiletogetusedto

whereitwas,butcanbe operatedone-handed,though itis areachtoflip itright over.I tendtoridewithitopen onshortrides,but flippeddownonA roads,etc. Closedup, it’s definitelynoisierthanmyfull-face helmetsbutI’dsayit’samid-rangeperformer comparedto othermodularhelmetsI’ve owned (independenttestingby amajorEuropeanhelmet retailer returned102db @130kph,puttingitinseventh place in theirtop10modularlist). Idon’ttendto operateairvents onthemove,butitcanget alittle warminside on ahot day.

Stickingwiththepractical,thevisoriseasy to open/ closeandthe releasemechanismis oneofthebetter ones,makingiteasyto fit thesuppliedPinlock. The

micrometricchinbuckleisveryeasy to usewitha quick- releasetab.Thesunvisorisoperatedviaa sliderlowdownontheleft.It’ssmoothtooperate,but Idosometimesneed asecondattempttolocateon themove.Oncedown,thetintdoesitsjob,anda nice touchisitbeingcoatedonbothsideswithananti-fog treatment.(Thatmuchclosertotheface,sunvisorsare morelikelytomist.)

Averyminorniggle…itonlycomesinglossblack. ‘Girly’graphicswouldbenicebut failingthata wider choiceofgraphicsandcolourways wouldbegood. ButtheScorpionEXO TechEVOCarbonhas–inthe sixmonths Ihavebeenevaluatingit –becomemy go-tohelmet.

BUILTINBRITAIN CCM

TheBritishmotorcycleindustryisinthe kind ofrudehealthnotseenindecades -buthowmany firmsare actuallymakingbikesintheUK?There’s one firmthat’sbeendoingit sinceitsinception:CCM

WORDS: BobPickett andRossMowbray/ PHOTOS: CCM andGaryChapman

Askmostpeoplewhenthe rebirthof theBritishmotorcycleindustrybegan, theywillpointto1983and Triumph.It’s moreaccuratetosayit -fittingly -rose like aphoenixfromtheashesa dozen

yearsearlierintheform of CCM.In1971 BSAwasonitslastlegs.Inseriousdebt afterthefailureofitsnewroad range, theSmallHeathcompanyannounced theclosureofitscompetition section to cutcosts. SuccessfulMotocrosser Alan Clewssawanopportunityandbought adozenframesandotherpartsforthe princelysumof £750. ClewsCompetition Machineswasborn.

Opening asmallfactoryin1972, overthenextyeartheCCM‘crossers underwenthugeimprovementsin suspension.Clewsengagednoted ignitionspecialistFredStoneham todesign afarmorereliableelectric systembuilttoClew’s exact specifications.Atthistime,theCCM raceteamwasborn-ahugeleapfor such ayoungcompany.Theteamdid notperhapsgainthe resultsit wanted, butgeneratedinterestandanorderfor 26bikes(paidinadvance)wasmade. Thenextcoupleofseasonssawfurther improvements(newsuspension,frame, engineconfiguration)astheorder booksgrew,withordersforatleast 170bikeseachyearinplace. Bytheendofthe70sCCMhada fullline-upofmachinesbutfellfoulof itsownsuccess.Expanding rapidly tofulfilorders,thecompanyraninto financialtroubleandwasacquired byArmstrong,whocontinuedto buildtheMT500militarybike,butin 1987ArmstrongsoldCCMtoprivate

investors. Thefollowing yearssaw CCMdogged bypoor qualitycontrol issues, finallygoingunderin2004. AlanClews returnedthecompanyto familyownership,bringingbackthe ethos of smallerproductionrunsand increasedattentiontodetail.

Alan’sfinalprojectwasthe‘Spitfire’ range of 600ccsingles.Hewas workingonaspecialversionwhenhe wastakenillandsadlypassedaway before completion(CCMhasbrought outanincrediblyhigh-specedition, the71 Heritage,inhishonour).CCM’s legacywascontinuedthrough hissons AustinandRussell,aswellasbrotherin-lawGaryHarthernandgrandsons Ben,JackandBilly.

In2021CCMformed asignificant partnershipwithPitaliaCapital, allowingthecompanyto investin newproductdevelopmentand to expandavailability of theSpitfire rangeacrossEurope. JohnDavies, managingpartner of Pitalia,said: “CCMbikesareanincrediblyemotive

creation,andthepassioninthe productsandthepeopleofthis businessissomething that has clearly shonethrough.Itissoimportant for CCMtoforgeandmaintainpersonal relationshipswithourcustomers. We lookforwardtoinvestingheavilyin thisareatotheirbenefit.”

Commentingfor CCM, AustinClews said:“Iamsoproud ofmyfather’s achievementshereatCCM.It’s been atruefamilyaffair,withthree generationsinvolved in drivingthe brandthroughitscompetitiondays towardsbecoming awell-known Britishiconinthe worldofbikes. We arereallyexcitedaboutthenext stageofourjourney,whichwillsee anewambitionto take CCMinto internationalmarkets.”

CCMhasambitious expansionplans, so howdoyouseethistransitionintonew marketswiththeresultant expanded productionevolving,whilestillretaining thecompany’scorestrengthofhand-built machines?

“ThepartnershipwithPitalia CapitalhasenabledCCMtoinvest intechnologyandincreasethe experiencewithintheteamto allow theBolton-basedbusinesstoretain thehandmade aspectsofthebikes whilsteliminatingtheinefficiencies andgrowthpainsmanysmaller businesses face.”

CCMproductionrunsarelimited,giving eachrun alevelof exclusivitywhilst retaining acoreproduct.Do you seethis remaining akeycomponentofhowCCM works?

“Oneofthebiggestpointsof differentiationforCCMisthelevel ofcustomisation,uniqueness,and personalisationeachbikehas.Even onourexistingexclusiverange,very fewbikesgooutthedoorlookingthe same,somethingour customerslove. We’recommittedtokeepingthisas partofthemagicwithin aCCMbike. CCMentersitssixthdecadewith excitingnewplansand partners. Ican’t waittoseewherethis takesthem.”

RIDDEN

CCM TRACKER

CCM’sbeendoingsolidbusinessturning outseriouslyspecialretrobikesonasmall scale. We’ve beentryingtogetourhands ononefor yearstoseewhat they’remade of –andwefinallymanagedtoswipethe keys toits classicflattrack-inspiredride.

LOOKS

Stylingissubjective,butthisthingis aworkofart.Itgets lookswhereveryougo,anditstandsapartfrompretty mucheveryproductionbikeonthemarkettoday. The build-qualityismega,too;there’retop-qualityparts,

ENGINE

IntypicalCCMstyle,the Tracker’spoweredbya punchyold-schoolsinglecylindermotor (thoughit isliquid-cooled).It’struly agloriousthing;rawand rough-edgedbutsuper-rewardingtoride.It’sonlya 600cc,withwhat readslike arelativelymeagre55bhp and40.5lb-ftoftorquetoplaywith. Butin practice, thelightweight145kgbeastfeelsrabidand readyfor action.Itsoundsglorious,too.

ERGONOMICS

The Tracker’sactuallythetallestbikeinCCM’severgrowingrange,dependingonwhichsizewheelsyou gofor.Ifyouoptforthe19-inchers,theseatheightwill be atowering880mm.Ifyouoptforthe17-inchers, it

dropsrightdownto averyeasy-to-manage830mm. It’sa compactpackagethough,whicheverwheelsyou choose –andat6ft1” Ifeltlike Idwarfedthediminutive machine.Thankfully,thewidebarsandlow-ishpegs helpedme get comfortableenough,but Idon’t thinkI’d havefancieddoingbigmiles on thatstiff seat. That’snot reallywhatit’sforthough…

SUSPENSION

Asyou’dexpectforitsheftypricetag,there’ssome crackingqualityadjustableMarzocchifrontforksandan equallygood offsetsingle YSSspring.They’re onthe stiffersideofthespectrum,anddon’tofferthesame plushfeelasbikesfrom theestablishedcompetition,but theyfitinwellwiththe overallpackageandhelpprovide properlyagile,supermoto-stylehandling.

BRAKES

Itstopsplentywell,too.Thesingle frontand reardisc brakesarefromJ.Juanandalthoughthey’re notexactly pin-sharp,there’splenty of bitetohaulthelightweight

Trackerto ahaltinseconds. Iliketheset up alot,and withnoelectronicwizardryon handtokeepthingsin check,youwouldn’twantthemany moreaggressive.

PRICES

Thebasemodel Tracker‘CORE’startsat afairlyhefty £12,499.Butthat’sjustthestart.There’sa‘PREMIUM’ versionfor £14,269,whichgets aloadofextracarbon fibregoodiesanda fewchoiceaccessories.Thenthe ‘INFINITE’for£15,119 hasalloftheabovebutgetssome 19-inchEXCELwheels,too.Finally,there’sthe £15,619 ‘ULTIMATE’which receivessomeBrembobrakesand benefitsfrom aStage 1engineremap.There’replenty moreextrastochoosefrom,too. Youcan fitDymag 17-inchwheels; upgradethesuspensiontosometopspecOhlins;getyourowndesignonthefueltank;add numberboards;andfitafruitierexhaust.Thewebsite’s veryslick –and it’ssuper-straightforwardtoworkyour waythroughallthecategoriesandaddallthegoodies you’dwanttoyourdreambike. You’llneedsomedeep pocketsthough,forsure.

FROM THEARCHIVE

LEVELLING UP

The1991 season had marked thestartofwhat manyhadhoped would be anewera.KennyRoberts wasone of ahandfulofteammanagerswho realisedtheshrinkinggridsizesat500 GPswereduetomoneyissues.He lobbied Yamahatosellenginesand sparespackagestoEuropeanteams whocouldthenbuildtheirownbikes. £75,000bought astarterkitwithhalfa-season’sspareswith£7500securing thesecondhalf’s components.

Suzuki’sRG500squarefourhad beenoneofthego-toprivateer machinesasthe firmhad priced itwithin reachofmanyaspiring

riders,butthatwasnever goingto happenwiththeRGV Vfour.Honda’s concessiontoloweringthecost of racingatthetoplevelwouldbethe NSR500 Vtwin,butthatwasstillsome yearsintothefuture.

SteveHarrisofHarris Performance andSergeRossetofROCtookup thechallengewheremostteams politelydeclined.TheHarris bike wasessentially areplicaofthe1990 YZR500,withtheROCbikesbeing replicasofthemachinesRuggia and Sarronhadcampaignedacrossthe 1991season.Rossethadbeen looking aftertheSonautobikesforsomeyears sohadanintimateknowledgeofwhat wasneeded.

Despitethegoodintentions,the ‘privateerYZR500s’weren’tcapable

ofbestingthe£2,000,000factory machinesandmost ridersthus mountedfoundthemselves struggling withthe150bhponoffer.Theseguys wereracingon abudgetthatwas so muchtighterthan anythingthefactory teamshadtodealwith.Perhapsthe only realincentivewasthenegotiations carriedoutbyIRTA (International Racing TeamsAssociation).Hard bargainingdivviedupbetter startand prizemoney –notthattheprivateer ridersattainedsubstantial results. Elsewheretherewasyetagain increasingconcernsthatrider safetywasbeingvariouslyignored, overlookedand/ormarginalised. TheInternationalMotorcycleRacers Association(IMRA)wassetupbya group of ridersledby WayneRainey

tolobbyforbettertracksafetyand conditions.Onceagain,some hardnosednegotiatingwasneededto improveonthestatusquo.Unforgiving crashbarriers,run-offareasandso muchmoreneededtobeimproved ifinjuriesandfatalitiesweretobe avoided.Ithadhappenedbeforeinthe late1960sandagaininthemid-1970s. Itwouldn’tbethelasttimeridersand organiserslockedhorns!

TheVJMC;run by motorcyclists formotorcyclists For membershipenquiriesonly Tel: 01454501310

website: www.vjmc.com

Email: membership_vjmc@yahoo.co.uk

Address: PO Box1949, Yate,BristolBS370BX

Office hours: Office hoursMon-Thu10am-4pm 01454501310(pleaseleave amessage)

WORDS: SteveCooper PHOTOS: MortonsMediaArchive

TrackRiderClinic: BestUK tracks…

Which isthebestcircuitin theUKfor trackdays? It’s aquestionweget askedquiteoftenandit’s nottheeasiesttoanswer,sowe’veasked ourresidenttrackexpertand ridercoachDeanEllison togivehis take

Personally,Ican’tsingleout my numberonecircuit. Ihave threefavouriteswhenitcomes tocoachingandfrom my distant memoriesas aracer,theyall requireaslightlydifferentriding techniquetoget agoodlapin, andeachfeelsveryspecial to ride at.Inalphabeticalorder,these are myfavouritesandwhy...

BrandsHatchGP

BecauseI’manoldboy,Brands HatchisstillthehomeofWSBK tome.Thelate1990sandearly 2000shostedsomeofthemost excitingraceswiththebiggest crowds,andtheatmosphere wasjustelectric;I’ve never attended amotorcycleevent withthesamevibesince,and it’sbecausethecircuitflowsand allowsmultipleriders to getin thesamegroove.

Donington Park

Youridethiscircuitintwoparts, withthefirsttwosectorsbeing veryopenandflowing,andthe finalsectorbeingvery stop-start andaggressive.I’veprobably donemorelapsofDoningtonPark thananyothertrackandI never gettiredofit;thewide run-off areasmakefor asafeenvironment formycoachingdaysandthe splitcharacterofthetrackgives prettymucheverythingyouneed as arider.

Agoodlapstartsfromthetipinpointatturnone.Thatmay soundobviousbutifyoudon’t nailthefirstcorneryouneverget thetimebackbecauseyouneed thedriveandmomentuminto thefastandflowingHollywood andCranerCurvessections. Ialwayslikenthefirsthalfof DoningtonParkto roadriding or roadracing –notthatit

KeytoridingBrandsHatch GPfastisfirstlybybeingon therightline– whereyouturn inforeachcorneristheplace tostart –butonceyouhave thelinesorted,yournextstep istoworkonyourbraking.For mostracetracksyoujustfocus

onwheretobrake,butBrands HatchGPcircuitneeds toflow, soit’s downtotheamountof brakepressureapplied;ifyou brake toohardthenyoulose momentumand thenitdoesn’t flow.Tipsforriding afastlapat BrandsHatch GP:

feelsanythinglike the IoMTT, butbecauseofthetechniques neededtogetitright. Lineofsightis so important–keepingyoureyesupandtowards yourturnpointswilltakeaway thatsensationofspeed;itmakes everythinghappeninslowmotion. Asanexample,theslowestpoint

atCranerCurvesisbetween100120mphdepending on thelevel you’reriding,butbykeepingyour eyesfocusedahead,itdoesn’t feelfastatall. Aswellaskeepingyoureyesup andfocusedontheflowofthe track,youneedtostay connected throughthethrottleduringthe

■ Getthelinesorted,usethefull trackwidthatyourturning,corner apexandexitpoints.

■ Workonyourbrakemarkers, thenstarttobrakeearlierwith lesspressure.Onceyou’re comfortablewiththis,gobackto youroriginalbrakemarkersand

brakewithlesspressuretokeep theflow.

■ Find agearpatternwiththe minimumamountofgearchanges; foreveryextragearyougoup, that’sanothergeartogodown, andinsomesectionsyouwill really benefitfromholding the samegear.

high-speeddirectionchanges, sowhenyou rolloffforCraneror Starkeys,youshouldneverfully closethethrottleandthatwill reallyhelpwithincreasingyour confidencetogofaster. Afteryouexitthedoubleapex cornerofCoppice,youneedto switchyourbraininto adifferent mode –nowyouneedtopush thebrakepointsandusefull brakepressureandmakesure you’rehittinglateapexpoints forMelbourne,Goddards,and Redgatecorners.Lateapex points,slowcornerspeed,then getanearlyandaggressive driveout.

Oulton Park

Thisisthemostchallenging circuitintheUKandbyfarthe mostdifficulttolearn–because aftereachcorner,thenextsection oftrackiscompletely blind. Ifyou don’tknowwhereyou’regoing, thenyoudon’tridenaturally; youtendtobelateonthegas andearlyonthebrakes.This justupsetsyourflow,anditcan becomeveryfrustrating.

OultonParkflowsin asimilar waytoBrandsHatchGP,but thebrakingareasareabitmore aggressive.There’sturnoneto tackle, arapidlyapproached hairpin,twochicanes,andthe fastattackedfinalturnthatalso requiressomehardbraking.

Eachblindsectionishigh speedand requiresyoutoplan yourturningpointsin advance.

To getthebestspeedinto Cascadesyouneedtostayleft ontheapproachtothebrowand keepacceleratingasyouswitch fromthelefttotherightside overthebrow.ClayHill requires anaccurateturnpointatthe bottomofthehillsoyoucanstay acceleratingoverandpastthe brow.Thatwillthensetyouup widefortherunintoyournext blindsectionatDruids.

Oneofthemostexciting cornersatOultonistheShell OilsHairpinwhichis abanked corner,allowingsomuchmore cornerspeedthan aregularflat hairpin.Normally Irecommend avoidingcoasting;youshould eitherbeonthegasoronthe

brake,butfor abriefmoment youcanrunintothiscornerso fastandletgoof thebrakeon aclosedthrottle,allowingthe camberofthecorner to giveyou traction.Whenyougetitright youcanfeelthesuspension compress,andthenyoupick upthegasforthedriveout. It’s awesomewhenyougetitright. Infact,allofthese tracksare somethingspecial whenyou nailthem.Ittakestime,patience

andunderstandingtogetthe bestoutofany of thesecircuits andthesamegoesforthe other greatcircuitswehavehereinthe UK.Whatevereffortis required, itiswellworthitandmyadvice toyouwouldbeto learnhow togetthebestout of atrack, studyingthetechniquesand lines ratherthanjustlappingitup.Not onlywillyougofasterandride safer,butalsoyou’llenjoythe experienceevenmore.

GetontrackwithDean… Ifyouwanttoupyour gameontrack,Dean’s themanyouwantinyour pitbox.Anex-Worldand BSBspecracer,he’s alsohonedhiscraftin enduranceracingandhas sincegoneontoestablish, arguably,thebesttrack ridingtuitiononofferhere intheUK.Checkouthis pageonFacebookand drophim alineifyou’re aftersomenext-levelrider coaching:www.facebook. com/deanellison42

CLASSIFIEDS

ACCESSORIES

ForSale

AJS DesertScambler,retro, showroomcondition,black/ sunburstredtank,twoyearsold, rarelyridden500miles,never riddeninwetconditions,kept coveredingarage,unwantedgift, accessoriesavailableifwanted, £2250Tel.07423019620. Email.jelly4bean@talktalk.net Kent.

BSA GoldenFlash,1951, matchingnumbers,green logbookandV5C,BSAOCdating certificate,Plungermodel,well presented,newtyres,exhausts, silencers,battery, running well, freedeliveryarranged,£5950 Tel.01723372219.Yorkshire.

BMW K1200GT,2003,38,000 miles,colourcodedpannier, topbox,welllookedafter,looking to sellor p/xGTS300willingto sell£2550ono,ringformore detailsTel.Ray07904443524. Derbyshire.

BMW C400GT,2021,maxi scooter, MoTJune2025,8700 miles,excellentcondition,BMW box,FSH,nowinteruse,new scooterforcessale,SEmodel 350cc,glossblack,garaged, £4699.Tel.07784499299. SouthYorkshire.

FANTIC 250trialsbike, monoshock,1991,good condition,£650.Tel.01275 743415.

BSA A65Lightning,1966, immaculateredpaintwork, chromemudguards,headlamp, forktops,newalternator, battery,silencers,reartyre,well presented650cctwin,offered fromprivatecollection,V5C,free deliveryarranged,£5750Tel. 01723372219.Yorkshire.

DUCATI 996,8500miles, standardwellkept,original, Ducatibeltsreplaced,fully servicedwithnewfiltersall round,newbattery,newfuel pump,fuelfilterandalltubing replaced,paintworkexcellent, carbon rearhugger,tyresgood, comeswithmonoandpillion seatsandrearfootpegs,£7999 Tel.07495550640.Email. steven.osborne.esq@gmail.com

HARDKNOCK Kikker5150, Bobber125ccengine,thebike needstoberegistered,shifter toyourleftsidetochangegear, noclutch,justpushandpull, enginegonethroughanditruns perfectly,onlydone 3miles, comeswithanotherbrandnew engineandloadsmorebits,I havechangedthebarstostraight ones,£2500Tel.07766165105. Colwyn Bay.Email. guyop@ btinternet.com

Classified

HONDA CB250N,Superdream, 1978,37,000miles,original condition,runs &rides lovely,not&t required,wellmaintained,£2100 Tel.07754870327.Essexborder. Email.Stephenbentleyupholstery@ hotmail.com

HONDA CB500X,2017,one owner,heatedgrips, lower crashbars,Lithiumbattery,gear indicator,spotlights,MoTApril 2025,ABS80mpg,48,094miles, goodcondition,£2000onoTel. 07990882776.Hampshire.

KAWASAKI KE175,contact fordetails,£3500Tel. 07711112795.Hull.Email. shaunjamieson68@gmail.com

KAWASAKI Vulcan,2021, 650cc, 2owners,4600miles, MoTFeb2025,underwarranty tillJan 2025, screen, heated grips,topbox,daytimerunning lights,crash bars,£4500Tel. 07770891023.NorthWales.

KAWASAKI Z1000SXSport Tourer,2018,7456miles, 1043cc,MoTSeptember 2025,garagedandonly summerdryweatherridden, £5500Tel.07726462564. SouthLincolnshire.Email. philhomeport2@gmail.com

NORTON Dominator99,1960, silver/black,slimlinefeatherbed frame,twincylinder600cc, matchingnumbers,original registration,bufflogbook,V5C, newsilencer,12V,rewound magneto,Avon tyres,running well,freedelivery arranged, £5750Tel.01723372219.

ROYALENFIELD Interceptor 650,2019reg,fullMoTand servicehistory,oneowner fromnew,1200miles,black, flyscreen,oilfilterguard,rack, EnfieldPrecisionsilencers,crash bars,mirrorextenders,£3200 Email.everetts@ntlworld.com

SUZUKI 125 EN2A,2007,MoT June 2025, newexhaust and tyres,battery,goodcondition, 9000miles,twokeys,red,£600. Tel.07779098009.Shropshire.

SUZUKI Marauder,800cc,new MoT,wellmaintainedandlooked after,plentyofchrome,looks lovelyinredandcream,bikeis standard,apartfromrearleather bags andfrontscreen,£3500 onoTel.01275830361.Bristol. Email.Michaela.hall@hotmail.com

SUZUKI GS750, 1978,needs finishing,loadsspares,Marshall newexhaust, CDI ignition,spare wheels,head,haveV5,£1000. Tel.07395910839.

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

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

YAMAHA N-Max125,2024, white, automatic800 miles fromnew,cleanasnew,2 yearmanufacturerswarranty inforce,£2800Tel.07739 860715.NorthYorkshire.Email. melvynkhilsley@hotmail.com

YAMAHA TW125,2000,red, 21,400miles,MoTJune 2025, newbrakeshoesontherear, brakepadsonthefront,oil &filter change,£1800ovnoTel.07896 034557.Gloucester.Email. jamessheerin727@gmail.com

YAMAHA NMax 125cc,‘72 plate,asnew,mirrorextenders, only160ontheclock,£3300. Tel.Mick07583019959. YAMAHA 125YBRCustom, 2011,twoowners,under 2000milesfromnew,MoT August2025,twokeys,toolkit, handbook,fullhistoryasnew, red,£1300.Tel.07779068009. Shropshire.

PartsForSale

BSA Bantam,gearchange lever,£10.Eversurecarramps, nodamage,drystored,£20. PitmansBookofRoyalEnfield, 1946-58,wellused,slightlytatty, readable,£7Tel.01299266565. Worcs. GIVI topbox,holdshelmet,£45. HRAscreenKBA90512,£50. Pairnewchrometearshaped mirrors, L+RHthreads,£20. Pair newreargrab handles CB500 &R,13-17,£35.Bar riserkit,£10.Pairprogrips,£7. PairgenuineHondagripsCB500 13-17,£6allaboveasnewTel. 07984352539.Worcs. KAWASAKI KLX250SFG 2016,Supermotowheels,2.5 x17front,3.5x 17rear,gold adonisedcompletewithdisks andsprocket,cost£400each, standardrimsincluded,£450 Tel.01226297119.South Yorkshire.Email.philippepsley@ hotmail.co.ukP

GARAGE clearoutparts,available forHondaCB/CL250/350K, KawasakiW650,W800Tel. 01291423392.SouthWales.

SUZUKI EN2A,2007,noncone fairing,incorporatedheadlight and fittings,plus belly pan andhandlebarsandmounting, allgoodcondition, red,£50. Alsoengineforabove,very lowmileage,£20.Tel.07779 068009.Shropshire.

YAMAHA XJ600,2000spares orrepair,MoTfailedfrontdisc, goodengine,canbeheard running,stainlessexhaust,good tyres,allelectricwork,£400.Tel. 01392279602.Devon.

Wanted

LOOKING for areasonable campervanat areasonable price, don’t have afortuneto spend,MoTifpossible,wanted for awinterprojectTel.07790 512582.Shropshire. WANTED variousparts for SuzukiRV125Van-Van2003, 2017modelTel.01291423392. SouthWales.

Miscellaneous

BKS boots,toptouringwaterproof motorcycleboots, size43,worn once,buyercollects,£50Tel. 07815208886.Berkshire.

HONDA NT700Deauville, topbox,withrack,maroon,two keys,mountingplate,some fittings,£75.HondaSH300I topbox,maroon,onekey,£45. HondaNT700pannierinner bags,£25allgoodconditionTel. 01302340181.SouthYorkshire. MV hat 1998rallyItalyrare,£20. 750S minichamp,newboxed, £175.Largecollectionmagazine articles,swapforanything Curtiss/aircraftmagazines, badges:bikes,races,TT,GP,£5 each.Googlehub,newboxed, £100.Leather jacket with tasselsmedium,hardlyworn, £30.Engineerstoolscallforlist Tel.01277200530.

CABERG JustissimoGThelmet, white,large,brandnew,boxed, bargain£55Tel.01513349674. Wirral.

OXFORD BoneDrygents motorcyclejacket,black/blue,XL detachablethermallining.Elbow shoulders,backprotection,£25. Crivitopenfacemotorcycle helmet,visor,grey, size large, £15.Motorcyclegloves,black, knuckleprotection,£10,all as newconditionTel.01299 266565.Worcs.

TOOLS all brandnewsocketsets, spannersets,unwantedLegacy 25tools,£50,collectiononlyTel. 07708701866.Scotland.

VINCENT books,MPH magazines,badges,DVDs,large collectionmagazinesandclub articles,classic/racebooks, magazines,articles,badges,sell/ swapforanythingCurtiss/aircraft magazines.Sheenet-shirt, poster,book,allnew,£30. MBA125owner/sparesmanual 2x,£20.BillLomassignedCB showguides85/81Tel.01277 200530.

VIPER gentsmotorcyclejacket, black,safetypadshardly used,sizeXL, £30. Ladies motorcyclejacket,size16,very goodcondition,black,hardly used,£30.Lewis blackleather motorcycletrousers,size32” waist,verygoodcondition, hardlyused,£30.Blackleather motorcycleboots,size8,hardly used,calflength,£30Tel.07968 315098.Wiltshire.

WANTED jackets,Belstaff, Trailmaster,D.Lewis‘Lightning’ 1960-1970s,size38-40. T-shirts:Heuer,AssenTT,AGV helmets,etc1960-70logo’sTel. 01277200530.