MoreBikes January 2025 issue **FREE TO READ!**

Perfect Panigale PerfectPanigale

INSIDE THIS MONTH

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PERFECT PANIGALE

Ducati’s

By the time you’re reading this Christmas will probably be a distant memory and the New Year will be in full swing. It never fails to amaze me how quick the time goes, but I also like to think about the opportunity a new season of two-wheeled antics brings. If 2024 is anything to go by, 25 has got its work cut out. Or, more to the point, I’ve got my work cut out making sure I tick as many boxes as possible. There are places I want to ride, bikes I

want to test, and mates I want to catch up with from all over the country. What are your goals? Anything in particular on the cards? If I’ve learned anything throughout my years, it’s that quite often the best times are the unplanned moments when you just set off down a path and nd yourself in a situation you didn’t even know was possible. My motorcycling highlight of 2024 was getting lost in the Sahara on an Africa Twin, which is a story for another day, but that adventure proved

You can have MoreBikes delivered straight to your door – and get your hands on the latest and greatest reviews, road tests and product reviews from some of the best in the game. We’re not asking much, just cover the cost of delivery, and it’s yours. Want to know more? Scan the QR code (or visit www. morebikes.co.uk and look out for the subscriptions section on the drop-down menu). Easy.

TORQUING

POINTS… Double-sided swingarms – what are they good for?

bwilson@mortons.co.uk

to be a tting reminder that there’s a big world out there and plenty going on… you just need to put one wheel in front of the other to make it happen. And I hope that you do just that in the year ahead. Whatever your riding ambition, however big or small it might be, go and make it happen – then tell us all about it. We’re all in this together.

More and morebikes…

It seemsa long timesince we’ve hadquite so many bikes to shout about… andwe’re definitely notcomplaining. 2025 looks to be rammed with great models, made allthe sweeter by this latest raft of offerings

Words: AlanDowds

Therewereplenty of famous guests wandering around Birmingham NEC at Motorcycle Live last month, and we halfexpected to see Marty McFly and Doc Brown on the Suzuki stand. Because it was back to the futurefor the Japanese brand,which unveiled the new DR-Z4S and SM at the show.The neat, lightweight supermoto and dirt bike area2025 takeon one of the great little Suzukis from 20years ago–the DR-Z400S andSM. The original DR-Z was ahigh-performance machine for its day,but the 40bhp 398cc DOHC motor was fed by an old-school carburettor,and it didn’tsurvive tightening Euroemissions rules, going offsale in the UK and the EU in 2007 without any replacement (though it remained on sale in other global markets). Fast-forwardacouple of decades, and the market crazy for small-bore, well-pr lightweight bikes,and Suzuki’ back are-engineered DR-Z new generation.

Fast-forward a coup of decades, and the market is going crazy for small-bore, well-pri bikes, and Suzuk a re-engineered for

Suzu S/M

Suzuki DR-Z4S/M

Suzuki says all-new – it’s similar to four-valve lump, wi same bore and str layout

public’s demand for a six-speed has gone

The overhaul

Suzuki says the engine is all-new– but extremely similar DOHC four-val the same bor nd crankcase layout five-speed gearbo (the public’sdemand for asix-speed box hasgone unheeded, sadly). The overhaul needed to meetEuro5+emissions regs has been comprehensive, though. As well as the obligatory ride-by-wire fuel injectionwith 42mm throttle body,O2sensors and emissions und, there’sa n, redesigned cylinder head with flatter combustionchamber,and titanium intake/ sodium-cooledsteel exhaust valves. Cams arealtered, there’sanew dualplug ignition set

42mm throttle body, O2 sensors and all round, there’s a new piston, head with mbustion chamber, and new sodium-cooled steel exhaust valves. are altered, there’s a new set

up, and both the airbox and exhaust system areall-new Peak power is 37bhp –not bad, but awhole three ponies less than yougot 20 years ago. ogress!

up, and both the airbox and system are all-new Peak power 37bhp – not but a whole three ponies less than you got 20 years ago. ogress!

between the Sdirtbike and SM supermoto: the Shas a21” front and 18” rear wheel, with IRC dirt rubber,while the SM gets 17” rims both ends, and grippy Dunlop Sportmax Q5A road tyres in 120/70 17 and 140/70 17 fitments.

The DR-Z chassis follows a similar path, which is to say the same basic set up as before, but amodernised take. There’s tube frame with KYB USD and rear monoshock, and wheels. Here’sthe big difference

The DR-Z chassis similar which is to say the same basic set up as but with a modernised a steel ont forks and rear and e-spoked wheels. Here’s the big

Back in 2005, theonly electronics on aDR-Z was atiny calculator-spec LCD display.Now you get loads more, including probably superfluous traction control, switchable ABS and rider power modes, together with LEDlighting and amuchbigger (but still retromonochrome) LCDdash. No word on price as we went to press but expect adecent tag when they arrive in the summer

2025 Aprilia Tuono 457, plus RSV4 and TuonoV4updates

Aprilia had aheap of updates and new kit at the Milan show, with the neat little Tuono 457 catching the eye. As withthe RS457 sportsbike, the miniTuono has kept things premium, with the only aluminium frame in its class, together withpreloadadjustable suspension: 41mm USD front forks and arear monoshock. ByBredisc brakes at both ends look after stopping, and theneatchassis set up givesalight 159kgdry mass Theengineisthe same parallel twin DOHCliquid-cooled unit as on the RS457, with an A2-licence friendly 48bhp peak power.Aprilia’s given the ride-by-wirepowertrain afull set of electronic rideraids –again, unique in the class. The little supernaked comes with aproper 5” TFT colour LCD dash and backlit switchgear, to control the traction control, rider power modes, switchable rear ABS and optional up/down quickshifter

Away from the A2-class, the insane RSV4 1100 superbike and Tuono V4 1100 supernaked both get aslew of upgrades

for2025. The superbike now boasts aheady 217bhp from the 1099cc Euro5+compliant engine,and the Tuono isn’tfar behind with 178bhp from the same capacity.The electronics areupgraded on both bikes, with the latest riding aids, and there arenew Brembo Hypure brake calipers on the RSV4.

Bestofall,the firm’s producing new posh Factory variants ofboth bikes for 2025: forged rims, semi-active Öhlins suspension, cornering headlights, and loads more. We’ll be ridingboth bikes as soon as we can –much more on theseflashweapons then…

MV Agusta F3Competizione

Its parent firm Pierermight be suffering financial woes, but MV Agusta keeps turning up to bike shows with outstanding machinery

This F3 Competizione is a solid upgrade to thefirm’s 800 supersports weapon, with radical aerodynamic bodywork, and an even moreradical weight loss programme all over. The engineers have cut wet weight to just 185kg with the supplied titanium race Akrapovic exhaust fitted. With that pipe in place, it also makes 160bhp @ 13,500rpm, giving avery tasty power-to-weight ratio of 0.9bhp/kg.

The big changes over the RR version the chassis fr Competizione Öhlins suspension both ends of steel tubular frame. The fr fork is afully adjustable NIX30 USD unit with 43mm TiN-coated stanchions.

Out back is an Öhlins TTX 36 shock absorber,also fully adjustable, andoperated through the gorgeous singlesided swingarm.

The Competizionealso has trick new carbon wheels, specifically developed for the bike, and which cutunsprung mass by amassive 3kg over aluminium rims. Agusta says the mods ‘sharpen up the bike’shandling and agility, especially in quick direction changes, while also adding atouch of aesthetic prestige with their matte-finished exposed carbon’. Thetrick chassis is rounded offbya new braking system, with 320mm discs and Brembo Stylema monobloc radialmount calipers. No price as yet on the F3 Competizione–but expect it to be pretty stiff.

Honda updatesfor the 750 twins

It’sfairtosay that both of Honda’s latest 750 twins –the XL750 Transalp and CB750Hornet–weren’tcrying outfor anyupdates. Launched less than two years ago, the naked roadster anduppermiddleweight adventure machines have wowed customers with their solid performance, high spec list and premium finish, at agreat price. But the big Hhas been tweakingthem anyway,with Euro5+compliance round the corner,and some slick updates to the chassis and equipment levels. The Transalp hasa new fairing with dual LEDheadlights, arevised airintake and improved aerodynamics, together with anew 5” LCDTFT colour dashboard, with suitable switchgear and updated

phone connectivity (this dash has been rolled out across much of the Honda range this year).

Meanwhile, theHornet has hada similar update to thelighting, with a new dual LED headlamp, anew 5” colour dashboard, andthe engineers have also tweaked thesuspension, dialling in newdamping settings on the Showa 41mm SFF-BP USD forks and Pro-link seven-stage preloadadjustable rear shock.

The sweet 755cc parallel twin engine makes the same 91bhppeak power in both bikes for 2025, and the CB750 Hornet weighs in at 192kg, with the Transalp tippingthe scales at 210kg. Prices for both models are tbc but expect them in the shops early in 2025.

DucatiPanigale and SF V2

Last issue we got our first sight of the new DucatiV2 engine –an890cc DOHC non-desmo 90° V-twin, making 115 or 120bhp, but withanew lighter construction, tipping the proverbial scales at 54.5kg. We pondered whethersucha unit would be phat enough (he means powerful enough –plain English Ed)for aPanigale or Streetfighter,both of which had nearer 160bhp in theirprevious configurations. ‘Ducatimay have to do something else’, we opined in our frank ignorance. How they must have chuckled inBorgo Panigale when they opened their PocketMags app last month.

Anyway,since then, we’ve seen these, the two new DucatiV-twin performance bikes: the Panigale sportsbike and Streetfighter supernaked. Both come withthe new engine, both hencechalk up some neat weight losses, but both also come with the fairly hefty power downgrade inherent in thenew engine. The old Superquadrounit hadmore than 35bhp more, and even with weight drops of around 15kg, that’salotta ponies to lose.

We’ll come back to thatin amoment. In themeantime though, the rest of the new Panigale and Streetfighter updates arepretty tempting. Both bikes arebroadlysimilar, with the same new main frame and double-sided swingarm, similar to the one on the new Panigale V4 (the Streetfighter V2 arm is 30mm longer than the Panigale’s, presumably for morestability to suit the upright riding position). Aconventional swingarm like this willalways be lighter than asingle-sider, all other things beingequal, and Ducati also says the newunit is tuned in terms of stiffness to give better stability and feel, while also making the most

of modernslick rubber.The rest of the chassispackage is impressive, though alevel below the full-on V4 superbike kit–Brembo M50 calipers instead of Hypures, and mechanical Öhlins kit on the V2 Sinstead of semi-active electronic gizmos. The electronicspackagealso is beyond reproach: the latest in terms of IMU-assisted software, including sports ABS Cornering with slide-by-brake, DucatiTraction Control, Ducati Wheelie Control, Engine Brake Control, and the new Ducati QuickShift 2.0, as seen on the newPanigale V4. TheSversions arealso equipped with Ducati PowerLaunch and PitLimiter as standard. Youget four Riding Modes(Race, Sport,Road, Wet), and the dashboardisa new5”TFT with afresh user interface derived from the new Panigale V4.Updated bodywork completes the picture.

But whatexactly is that picture? We’restarting to get avision of areturn to ‘proper’ supersportsroots forthis type of bike.Less focusonpower,and morethinking about weightand the overallriding package –like the original Ducati 748, which wasdown on power compared with the 916 (and also no lighter), but offered something different in terms of feeland experience. Youcan seethe flaws in simply aiming for moreand more powerand capacity with a ‘middleweight’ machine; perhaps aresetisexactly what was needed. We’ll be riding both new DucatiV2machines soon, and we’ll findout thenifBolognahas managedtodojustthat.

•Both bikeswillbeonsale for February,priced at £13,990 for the StreetfighterV2or£15,990 for the V2S,and £14,995 forthe Panigale V2 or £16,995 forthe V2 Sversion

CFMoto V4 engine

Royal Enfield Bear 650

Named afterthe Big Bear run desert race, which Royal Enfield won back in 1960 with 16-year-old racer Eddie Mulder,the Bear650 is asoftish street scrambler,based on the Interceptor 650. The Bear usesthe same air-cooled 47bhp 650 twin asthe firm’s other classically styled uppermiddleweight machines, but with ascrambler restyle, slightly different frame, longer-travel suspension and 19” front wheel. Irode the Bear 650 on the ridinglaunch in California, and it worked well, in the vein of Enfield’sothermodernbikes.

The styling is sharp, build qualityimpressive,and on the backroads aroundPalm

Here’sone from the left field: Chinese budget bike maker released imagery of an all-new V-four superbike-spec engine at the Milan Show –and just aboutnofacts about it. Dubbed the V.04, it’sa999cc 90°V-4,makingaround 210bhp, and will, accordingtothe firm, be ‘competition ready’ which,weassume, means aWSBKeffort at some stage (internet rumours that it hassomethingtodowith the KTM MotoGP engineare way offthe mark). Thefirm also showed aconcept model of aradical superbike, dubbed the Master of Speed, cornily enough. There’slittle that looks real about the bike model, butthe intentisclear: expect to see this motor in afuturistic, but(hopefully) very well priced superbike in acouple of years’ time!

Flying Flea

One thing you can’taccuse Royal Enfield of isunderselling itsheritage (and rightlyso)

The firm’sBritishancestor firmbuilt small, folding 125ccR.E. model motorbikes for Alliedparatroopers in the Second World War, nicknamedthe Flying Flea.Theyweredropped into battle alongside the soldiers, giving quick, easy field transport and communications in the hoursand days beforeproper reinforcements arrived. And now Enfield’sreused the namefor anew electric sub-brand: FlyingFlea. The firm showed offits first prototype electric urban mobility machine, the Flying FleaC6roadster and S6 scrambler.Both bikes have a striking design, withbeltdrive, girderfront end and minimalist styling. There’renomoretech details –but expecttosee them in production from early 2026

Springs, it was easy to get on with. The engine is abit underpowered for themass (214kg) and thefront forks quite firm over potholes and catseyes, while the brakes could do with another disc up front. The off-road performance is largely nominal, thanks to that mass and the road-biased tyres, but some gentle, dry green lanes would be fun for sure.

The best part of the Bear,after the styling andfinish, is the price: around £6750 for abrandnew,stylish retroscrambler.Pick one up on finance, park it next to the S1000 RR, anduse it for sunny backroad bimbles. You’ll have aball.

BMW F450 GS concept and F900 twin updates

BMW’s‘F’ range has sometimes beenoverlooked in the past, which is ashame.The Bavarian bike-mongers was ploughing alonely furrow in theparallel-twin world nearly 20 years ago with theoriginalF800 models, and now everyone’sinon(arguably) the dullestofthe twocylinder layouts.Itmust be fuming. But nottoo much, since it unveiled atrio of new F-models at the Milan and NECshows. First up is what it calls a‘concept’ (these generally end up as production machines) F450 GS, which is asmall-capacity twin-cylinder adventure machine, astep up from thetruly entry-levelG310 single, but aleveldown from the likes of the F700/750/800 models of yore.It’sthe famedA2-compliant machine that we all know and hate so much these days, withthe associated 47bhp peak power output (thoughwe’re still hoping BMW will make two versions, onewith moreponies). The release also mentions an A2 licence lower weight limit, which suggests 175kgdry,whichis encouraging enoughonanoff-road beastie.

The engine is an all-new jobbie, designed by Munich from scratch,rather than arejiggedversion of something else, which is encouraging. BMW says it’s extra compact andlight (not thatyou’d expect themto say anything else…) and usesmagnesium and other lightweight solutions. The chassis looksfairly standard for BMW’sGSmachinery, with asteeltrellis main frame, aluminiumswingarmand bolt-onsubframe. Long-travel conventional suspension, wire-spoked wheels anda Brembo brake at eachend rounds offwhatwecan see

of the design. There’s little in the way of solid detail from BMW at the moment but going on past form, we’dexpect afull release in the new year,and bikes in showrooms late summer 2025, all being well.

•What we do have full facts on is the new F900 range, with anew XR road-based adventuretourer and Rnaked roadster hitting theshowrooms next year.Both get anew fully adjustable43mm USD front fork replacing the old unadjustableunit,and they also get lighter wheels, saving aclaimed 1.8kg over the old parts. Other mods, including an 800 gramme lighter battery,mean atotal weight saving of 3kg –not bad. The 895cc 270° engine has the same peak power

output –105bhp –but is now Euro5+compliant, and thereare detail upgrades to the electronics, riding position and equipment levels

KTM statement

As we went to press, some verysad newswas coming out of Austria. The KTM firmannounced that it was entering aform of administration, in an attempt to restructurethe business and resolve its woeful financial situation. The company had been struggling over the past year, with poor performancefromthe bicycle division it expanded post-Covid, and the downturninthe bike trade in 2024 didn’thelp. The shareprice of theparent firm, PiererMobility, plummeted through the autumn, and now the company, which also owns MV Agusta, GASGAS and Husqvarna, is fighting for its future.

The UK arm of KTM has issued astatement aimed at reassuring customers though. Released, just after the Motorcycle Live show, the statement said customersdon’tneedto worry,and therewill be no consequences for them. It continued: ‘Nothing willchange for our customers. Of course, we guaranteethatwe will continue to delivermotorcycles, spareparts and accessories under the usual conditions. Therewill be no irregularities –neitherinthe flow of goods nor in customer service.KTM is undergoing arestructuring phase overthe next 90 days to align the company withglobal demand. Until then,customers will notnotice this pit stop for the future.

‘KTM is also well preparedfor the upcoming road season thanks tonew models such as the KTM 125 SMC R, KTM 390 SMC Rand the KTM 125 ENDURO R, KTM 390 ENDUROR,aswell as theKTM 390 ADVENTUREand ADVENTURE

R. These models will bedeliveredin the first quarter of 2025.’

OURTOP THIS MONTH PRODUCTS 10

Words: Alan Dowds

1

AGV Pista GP-RRPerformance Carbon helmet

RRP: £1249.99/ www agv com

AGV says this is an exactreplicaofthe lids wornbythe folks in MotoGP –whichgoes some way to excusing the chunky pricetag. It’sthe top-end 100 per cent carbonfibre FIM-approved race lid fromthe Italian helmetbrandand is packed with high-end features. Youget atitanium double D-ring fastening; hydration system; customisableinner padding forideal fit;tear-offkit; metal vent trims; detachable PRO spoiler; and muchmore. It weighs just 1450g in the small shell size,and is, of course, ECE 22.06 approved. It’snot yetbeen SHARP tested, but the previous GP-R variant got fivestars and full marks in the UK Government safety testing scheme. Available in these subtle red, green, or matt black/ redcolourways.

2

Alpinestars GP-R7 race suit

RRP: £1199.99 /www.alpinestars.com

Just out, this is Alpinestars’ upper-class one-piece leather suit, priced well below the pricey Absolute V2 kangaroo suit, but still packed with features. Themain construction uses 1.3mm cowhide with dual layers in vital areas; stretch Kevlar panels and accordionleather sections for comfort; plus extensive perforations for cooling air flowontrack. It has afull race cut with pre-curved arms, and the aerodynamic hump is shaped especially to fit the Alpinestars Supertech R10 helmet. It is, of course, designed to incorporate the firm’sTech-Air 5, 7X and 10 model airbags (includingthe new 7X wiredLED display and10Bluetooth display) –but also has Alpinestars NucleonPLASMA level 2armour in the limbs, plus outer shoulder andknee protectors. Thereare pockets for chest and back protectors, andknee andelbow sliders arereplaceable, too. The inner liner zips out forwashing,and there’sanew internal ‘suspender’ system that supports the suit when youhave the top offbetween track sessions, which sounds amazing.

3

Ducati Ogio Redline T4 Trolley bag

RRP: £159 /www.ducati.com

Amedium-sized wheeled case from Ducati, made by top luggagefirm Ogio, with a 38-litrecapacity and carry-on sizingof 53x35.5x20cm. Looksproper smart, and is ideal for weekends away,work trips, or as cabin baggage when going on aEuro trackday with all your riding gear sent separatelywiththe bike.

4Isotta seats

RRP: from£170.99 /www.pyramidmoto.co.uk

Premium aftermarket seats to fit arangeofcurrent adventurebikes, the Isotta range comes in lowered, raised and extra comfort versions. And in asignthat the firmknows its market well, there’seven aspecial designthat improves cosiness around the prostate area… Rider and pillion seats available, with customisablecolours and fitments.

RRP: £79.99plain/£89.99 graphics /www.ls2helmets.com

It looks like apureMXhelmet, but this LS2 FAST II lid is fully road legal, withECE22.06 approval as well as an ACU Gold sticker for competitionuse. Youcan even fit LS2’sown integrated Bluetooth headsetkit. The FAST II shell is LS2’sKinetic Polymer Alloy, which is super-light at just 1400g, but claims to rival full composite constructions for strength and impact protection. The peak is adjustable without tools, and the apertureisbig enough to suit most goggle styles.It’spacked with vents,too, andhas adouble-D ring fastening strap.

6Mint cleaning brushes

RRP: £29.99 /www.oxfordproducts.com

Youdon’tneed to beaneco-zealot to be bored with nasty plasticbrushes. These Mint designsare muchhigher qualityand aremade with proper old-school wooden handles. The kit includesfour brushestosuit drivetrain, tyre/wheel, detailing and a big soft bristlebrush

£19.99 /www.oxfordproducts.com

Exhaust wrap is oneofthose things whichneeds to be used carefully: itcan damage some pipes if fitted incorrectly and needs to be maintained –running it all-yearroundand nevercleaning out dirt and salt is arecipe fortrouble. But if youneed abit of extraheat insulation, with some retrostyle, this Oxfordkit will do the job. Youget afive-metre-long roll of glass fibre wrap, with six stainless steel tiewraps forfitting. Bobbersaway!

RRP: £143.99 (LC1small), £156.98 (LC2 medium)

Big black plastic luggage cases arefine for conventionaltouring bikes, but somemachines needalittle bit moreofaclassic, subtle design. This SW-Motech Legends side bag is made of thick, tough canvas with leather reinforcement, and uses arain-resistant roll-top fastening, with aluminium D-buckleclosures and afully waterproof inner bag for extra reassurance in the worst weather.The bag is available in two sizes, small (9.8l) and medium (13.5l), to fit to SW-Motech’sown pannier mounts, and looks great on scrambler,neo-retroorcruiserstyle machinery

SW-Motech adjustable brake and clutch levers

RRP: £130 (gear) £121.99 (brake), bothfor the new HondaHornet. www.sw-motech.co.uk

German aftermarket specialist SWMotech has produced anew range of replacement gear and brake foot levers, with extra adjustability,crashproof sprung ends, and high-quality construction. Thelevers feature adjustabletoe pegsthat can move back and forwardover 50mm travel, with stepless adjustment which are secured with an Allen bolt. They’re milled from aluminium alloy and finishedwithaspecial HART-COAT electrolyticprocess that’stougher than normal anodising.Available for a wide rangeofcurrent bikes, including adventure, naked, touring, andretro machines.

RRP: from £40 /www.feridax.com or www.zerofit.co.uk

Winteristhe time for extensive base layer use, and these Zerofitgarments arenow being distributed by top kit firmFeridax,sowillbemuch more widely available. TheZerofit Heatrub Ultimate kitclaims to provide five times morewarmth than standard base layers thanks to ‘heat thread’ technology within the material itself. And its Cold Skin products give optimal cooling in warmer months.

Youcan win apair of WEISE NOMAD 120 GLOVES worth £69.99.Warm, waterproof and well-designed, Nomad gloves have got what it takes to keep you riding through the cold and wet winter months Featuring full -grain leather and textile construction, with a waterproof Hipora® membrane and 120gsm Thinsulate™ innerliner.Plus,a two-layer storm cuff closure system and touchscreencompatible fingers. Find out more at Weise Clothing

For those that love their bikes and telling people all about them, this is your time to shine. Head over to the MoreBikesFacebook page andupload apic of your bike, tell us whereyou’ve beenonitand why you love it… and youcould findyourself staring back at yourself from within these verypages. Oh, and we’llalso pick a winner at random each monthfor awell-earned prize,courtesy of our friendsatthe Key Collection. What areyou waiting for?

Jim Tirrell Honda FT500

He’shad three of these rare beasts and he’snever had an issue with any.His current one is aUSimport with just over 1000 miles on it.

Ian Tuddenham Benelli 504 Sport

Here’ssomething you don’tsee every day

Graham Seward Ducati 998

Apparently,his bike was one of the very last of its type to enterthe UK.Nice.

James McPake BMW R1250RS Loving life up in the Cairngorms on his Beemer

Mike Too Honda CBX

Youwait alifetime for asix cylinder, then two owners enter in amonth. Check out this lovely CBX.

Andrew Robinson Royal Enfield 350

Getting into the Xmas spiritearlydoors with his Royal Enfield 350 and the trusty Santa suit. Fully CE-approved we hope

Your Ride

WINNER -RobertHindle Yamaha RD250

Hats off to Robert, who’snot only restored this beauty over the past 10 years,but also has toured Scotland on it and taken it to the IoM, too.A worthy winner,ifyou ask us

Jonny Pollard Moto Morini 500

Hailing from 1978, this Morini 500 truly is aclassic.And by the look on Jonny’s face,he’spretty chuffed with it.

Martin Bond Triumph Tiger 900

Martin loaded up and headed to Andalucia on his Trumpet. Not abad place to stretch its legs

Scola KawasakiGPZ900 If it’sgood enoughfor TomCruise,it’s good enoughfor Pasquale.What a crackingchoice

Andy Purvis Kawasaki Z1300

Like ‘em big? Andy does. There’s somethingreally iconic about these six-cylinder sensations,don’t you think?

Stock Suzuki Hayabusa Chaz checkingthe view on his Gen 3 Hayabusa.

Craig JDixon BMW G310 R Fully loaded up on his G310 RBaby Beemer,all set for the Relay Riders UK final leg.But he broke his ankle afew days later and hasn’t been able to ride since,boooh!

Chaz

Ducati PanigaleV4S

In abid to ensure it stays firmly at the top of the sportsbikepecking order,Ducati’sgoneall out to create nothing shortofa modernmasterpiece.

Words: Bruce Pics Ducati

Thereare some new bikesthat come along and grab your attention for less time than it takes to tie ashoelace And then thereare bikes like Ducati’snew Panigale V4. Amachinethat’ssimply exceptional and litteredin so many performance-inducing intricacies that even the likes of Einstein would need alie down after getting through half of them. As for me, my brain was fried after reading the first of manypages surrounding

this new model’sraft of features and heavily revised focus. To put it simply,there’snever been a Ducati quite like this before so, beforeyou go down the route of thinking it’sjust atarted-up take on the modelthat came before it, think again. No less than 94 per cent of the Panigaleisnew, while it could be saidthat 100 per cent of the thinking behind it is fresher than amountain glade coveredwith Febreze. Building on the success of the three previous versions of PanigaleV4, Ducati’s

seventh generation sportsbike has blown the doorsoff of convention, delivering to the market a masterclass in innovation, while hammering home the point that Ducati will stopatnothing in itsbid to build the very best of the best. If there’sone thing we allknow about Ducati,itisits insatiablethirst for winning; athirst so profound it couldmake aseasoned alcoholic appear like they’re having their first pint.Winning is very much in Ducati’sDNA and that’sapoint the Italian marque hammers home with

conviction on the racetrack. Be it at MotoGP or World Superbikes, it’satthe top… or at leastfor now.But if history has taught us anything, it’snever to be forgotten that complacency comes at a hefty,and often heartbreaking, price. Take your hand offthe throttle for amoment and arival will willingly escort you offofthe podium. So how does Ducati ensureit remains at the very forefront, while taking on manufacturers with far more budget andresource at

world championship level? Well, it has to work harder, smarter,faster.Ifyou’reafan of racing you’ll have seen innovation after innovation appearingonDucati’srace machines, often starting out at MotoGP level, where the gloves arelargely off in terms of development, beforetrickling its way down to production bikes, in order to fuel the homologated machines we see on the World Superbike grid, such

as the Panigale V4R that took back-to-back wins in the hands of Bautista in 2022 and 2023. Okay,itmight have slipped from its perch in 2024, but that only hammers home the need for the major overhaul of the brand’s flagship road-going sportsbike It only seems like yesterday I was on the launch of the original version of the Panigale V4at Valencia, back in 2018, being blown away by its brute force, smart tech and unmistakably GP-inspired soundtrack. It was apivotal point for the brand that then decided to turnits back on along and successful v-twin lineage in pursuit of thatnext step.Fast-forwardto2020 and refinements came the V4’sway, followed by moretweaksin2022. But if there’samessage in the launch of this latest iteration of the model, it’sthat tweaks alone aren’tenough to stay aheadof the game. To be the best,you have to build the best and that’s

thereasonfor the top-to-bottom rework of this protagonist. To call it revolutionary would encourage chuntering from armchairwarriors, but rest assured that pretty much all of the bike is new… notjust the addition of anunexpected double-sidedswingarm or 916-inspirednose job.

So, beforeI get stuck into the riding experience, I’ll tick offthe major focuses that were hammeredhome during the model’spresentation at aswelteringly hot Vallelunga racetrack, just outside of Rome. From apurenumbers pointof view,the gains simplydon’t do the modeljustice with the headlines being that this latest iteration weighs one kilo less than the last offering, while making 0.5bhp more. Of course, more powerand less weight is what it’sall about, but if youwere expecting to see some massive hike in power,orslash in weight, now’sthe time to send an angrily

headed letter to the fun police that govern Euro5+ emissions.

The fact that Ducati’sactually seen any kind of increase over the last Panigale is irrefutably impressive and it’shad to work hardtoachieve it. Howso?

Well, the addition of new,higher durationlift cams have helped thingsalong, while longer travel velocity stacks (going farther in each direction) has helped to achieve abetter level of induction throughout the revrange. These enhancements aside, the V4 motor also benefitsfromthe same gearbox as the onefound in the Superleggera V4, while the alternatorrotor and oilpump have been donated by the race-inclined V4R. The combination of which means morepower with less heat, made all the sweeter by a big radiator to ensureoptimised thermodynamics. In the presentation room, neatly arranged along its walls werea variety of core components, with

the ‘front frame’ being amongst the most enticingofall. For such abig,powerfulbike, it beggars belief that the unit holdingthe motor to the forks is quite so minute, weighinginatjust 3.5kg (a reduction of 700 grams). While aloss of weightwas onegoal of the new unit,the 40 per cent drop in lateral flexwas perhapsthe biggerofthe aims. As good as the old frame was, complaints of its stiffness didn’tfall on deaf ears, and the same can be said about the swingarm. It seems strange to see aDucati sportsbike with a double-sided unit,but that’sthe place the brand now finds itself at, having been urged by Ducati Corse to go down this route. Less weight, moreflex, amassive hike in mechanical grip andconsistent tyrewear formed the basis for this trajectory into new territory.Taking slimming to another level was the addition of forged,five-spoke alloy wheels that saved further kilosfromthe mix. The bad news

is that if you want to become the proud owner of aset, you’d have to invest in the pricier V4S version of the Panigale, which hits home at £29,995, butfor that sum you’ll also gain ownership of Ohlins’ third-generation electronic suspension

While I’m on the topic of tech, a major emphasis of thenew bike is the Ducati Vehicle Observer suite. That’sthe name that’sbeen given to the nextlevel of digital governance that incorporates 70 different sensor inputs, plus those detected by theIMU, to refine and master the model’sraft of rider aids. Access to these is granted via anew,super-sexy seveninch, full-colour dash.There’s not enough time in the day to go through its plethora of features and options, but needless to say it’slittered with multiple levels of traction control, wheelie control, engine brake management and engine outputs. Thereare also five different rider modes on tap,

DUCATI Panigale V4S

Engine Type: 90° V4,liquid cooled

BorexStroke: 81mm x53.5mm

Compression: 14.0:1

Fuelling: EFI

Claimed Power: 213bhp@ 13,500rpm

Claimed Torque:120.9Nm @11,250rpm

Electronics

Riding Modes: Yes

Traction Control: Yes

ABS: Yes

Quickshifter/Autoblipper: Yes

Wheelie Control: Yes

Launch Control: Yes

Pit Limiter: No

Cruise Control: No

Chassis

Frame: Aluminum ‘Front Frame’

FSuspension:Ohlins 43mm NPX25/30forks, TiN treatment, Ohlins Smart EC 3.0

RSuspension:Öhlins TTX36unit, Ohlins Smart EC 3.0

Front Brake: Twin 330mm floatingdiscs, Brembo Hypure monobloc calipers

Rear Brake: Single 245mm disc, Brembo twin piston caliper

Dimensions

Wheelbase: 1485mm

Seat Height: 850mm

WetWeight: 187kg (minus fuel)

Fuel Capacity: 17 litres

Info –

Price: £29,995

From: www.ducati.com

that areeach customisable. One thing Ihadn’texpected wasthe seven levels of ABS. Thehigher the number,the moreengaging the system, but it was the lower

two settings that really captured my attention. In level 2, youget a track-focused, front-only ABS set up thateven apro couldgoracing on. But for those that want to

explore something wholly different to the Panigale’spedigree, level one sees combined braking performance, with the rear brake being moderated to complement

the stopping force of the boxfresh Brembo Hypures that adorn this ballistic beauty From an aesthetic pointof view there’snomistaking this

to be anythingother than a Panigale V4, but the changes to the bike’sbodywork ensures it’snot only four per cent moreaerodynamically efficient than its predecessor,but also unmistakably different. As already mentioned, Ducati claims the 916 influenced thelook andlines of the bike, which maybe rings true after abit of squinting, with asuggestion that even the new design of wings followed the lines of the iconic machine’sbodywork. Whatever the influence, thebike seems smaller,morecompacted, and encapsulatingofthe rider thanks to anew narrower,taller 17-litretank and areworked tail unit, too. The ergonomic triangle is pretty similar to before, but the same can’tbesaid of the seat that is now flatter,longer and wider.And to complete the racier,yet comfier, directive, the pegs have been made narrower (for moreground clearance), the screen has been made taller (to make life easier on the rider), and the bottom of the tank features textured areas so you can get better grip when hangingoff farther than Bagnaia. With abrain full of facts, figures and countless more questions based on what we’d just heard, the time had finally come to put this bike to test, and to ensure those of us riding gotthe best experience from the package, we wereeach given ourown Ducati engineer… which only added to the experience. Whether or not it was aconsiderationfromthe Italian brand to ensureweactually rode the bike in the direction of

its potential is adiscussion for another day,but what it meant to me wasthere wasablokeonhand to helpmeexplorethe potential of this 213bhp reprobate, that felt anything other than overwhelming when Itootled around thecircuit to get some idea of its layout Vallelunga is abeautiful track, blending absolute all-outmadness in the first half of the circuit witha tight and technical latter half that demanded you used first gear whether you liked it or not. As the day went on, it would growonme massively,but the initial 15-minute session was nothing short of mind-boggling and Iwas thankful that the Panigale wassoforgiving as Istabbed at the throttle and brakes with the finesse of afouryear-old. The engine was so much smoother than I’d imagined, being plentifully potent when asked to perform, yet docile enough to stay composed and restrained at lesser speeds in away the oldPanigale V4 motor simply wouldn’t. And to make things even better,Iquickly came to realise how slick and effortless the shifter and blipper were. As mentioned, agood few corners on the track demanded first gear,which is a selection Irarely make because it necessitates going past neutral. But my concerns werepointless as the downshift was slicker than agreased dolphin. The new bike sports adevelopment called Ducati QuickShift 2.0, which basically means it’sgot rid of the need for amicroswitch, so gear

changes feelmoredirect and natural. Honestly,inmyopinion, thereare few,ifany,systems on production bikesthat can go toeto-toe withthis piece of tech –it wasawesome. The other thing that jumped out duringthat initial ridewas how easy it was to place the Ducati, evenonthe tighter, slower bends on track, such as a corner called Tornantino, which was all about big lean anda sundial-paced apex.

In the blink of an eye, that first session wasinthe bag,withmy best time being ahumbling 1m 53seclap –around 13 seconds offthe front rowpace of litre bikes in theItalian superbike championship. I’d like to think I was just takingmytimetoget to know theV4, which felt wholly different during my second outing As warm and welcoming as the Ducatiwas first time out, Iwas hoping for fireworks asI left pitlane for thatsecond thrashing. The only change to the bikewas aswitch from ABS level 2(front only,race attack-inclined) to ABS level1(The same from the front but with the addedbenefit of a linkedrear brake),with the same ‘High’ powerengine delivery ashad been selected before Arguably,Icould have been in for acopy and paste performance from the V4, but what Igot blew my mind. Ipusheda bitharder, brakedabit later, and tried to capitalise on the more familiar layout of the circuit, which only seemed to get madder and more

addictive with pace. Likewise, that’show I’d describe the Ducati Having only tickled it on my first onslaught, Inever really got the bike working hardenough to showoff its character… but that all changed. Icould feel the front squirming on the anchors, the rear beginning to move on the gas, and the weave of the bike, pinned in fifth, tackling the kinky start straight really got my heart rate racing. Admittedly, it’sa fine line between wanting abit of character and being conspicuously battered by abike for taking the mick, but what the Ducati was nowdelivering was that perfect middle ground: all the excitement without any of the pain. Iwas loving it and felt egged on by the added level of feel and movement that was translating through the tyres to the suspension and the telling frame. Arguably,the bike needed abit more support from the Ohlins, but the Pirelli slicks weredoing acracking jobofkeeping the Panigalepinned to the track, and the tech was, too. Only nowwas I getting the traction control kicking in, and only thenonone or two of the corners. The thing is, I’d see the fancy dash light up as the TC got leaned on, but I’d be lying if Isaid Icould feel its interaction. The set up was seamless and so, too,was the wheelie control. Out of the slower bends, despite amapping of power in the lower gears to limit torque for safety’ssake, wheelies wereas

inevitable as governments raising taxes; they werenothingshort of guaranteed, with the only variable being how high or how long they’d last beforetheygot brought intocheck. Again, all this happened without any angry intervention to the drive, allowing me to keep the throttle firmly pinned as the tech did its thing. As the sessions clicked by and the mocking from my mate on the data ramped up, the Panigale and Ireally started to gel. By the early afternoon Iwas feeling supercomfy on the bike, having made little-to-no changes to its extensive web of electronic warfare. Yeah, I’d firmed the bike alittle but everything else was pretty much as it came. This being the case, my pace was ramping up nicely with consistent 1min 46s being the order of the day by the second half of our innings.I knew where therewas moretime to be found and that came down to trusting the bike to do what it was capable of. What had also hit home by this point in the day was how consistent the experience was, quite unlike the Panigales of old. Iknew that if Ibraked at acertain point, I’d be guaranteed to make that corner entry,orthat by braving it out of abend at full throttle, the tyres and chassis would happily take the abuse. Moretothe point, the traction control, as dialled down as it was, was unequivocally dependable, whatever the speed. It became agame of point and shoot, pre-anticipating the reaction

of the bike and building trust in it when that exact thing happened again. Even when moretenths weretaken from the time, the Ducati’sbehaviour was up there with aloyal Labrador… It’shard to describe how much the thing grew on me, and the same has to be said of all its tech. The system on the bike that probably won me over the most was the traction control, but the rider aid Ihadn’t expected to be so surprised by was the linked brakes. In the latter part of the day,I went back to ABS level 2(front brake only) and not only did the bike feel harder to slow,italso became harder to turnand hold aline. Icouldn’twait to change it back and regain that rear brake support that Ididn’t know Iwanted or needed. I’m telling you, that system is genious and agamechanger to riding fast. Apparently,factory Ducati GP rider and two times world champion, Peco, had said asimilar thing when asked for his thoughts on it at the end of his testing of the bike, which says it all when arider of his level has such thoughts. The moreIrodethat bike, the moreIliked it, notjustfroma mechanical pointofview,but also from the pointofergonomics. I liked how spaciousitwas, with plenty of room to hustle around the seat. For me at 5’ 10”, the pegs offered morethanample leg room and the flatter seat meant my wrists weren’tquite so laboured on the wide bars. The big screen felt easy to tuck in behind and thelarge dash was so easy on the eye. During the test Ibecame pretty obsessed by my lap time andmyeyes weredrawn at key moments to the live splits that flashed up if Iwas up or down on my best sector time. Likewise, thebuzz of seeing your new best lap pop up on the display was something else and made me appreciate just how advanced and focused this model is. Sure, it’sgot indicators, headlights and ahorn, butthe truth is that beneath all that roadgoing clutter lies aballistic beauty bornand bred with performance at heart… even the sound of it made me feel like Iwas on a pukka race bike. Igenuinely fell for everythingthat this bike was about, butalso wound up the test realising that despite six, 15-minute sessions in the bag and having knocked over 10 seconds offmyinaugural lap time, I’d only just touched thesurface with this thing. What apiece of kit.

Taking it to the NMAX

Yamaha’ssold nearly 400,000 NMAXs globally in 2024, and it’s likely to proveeven more popular next year afteracomprehensive overhaul. Here’s our takeonthe next generationNMAX 125

Words: Bruce / Pics ANT Productions/JonathanGodin

It’stime to be honest withyou… Idon’t know that muchabout scooters, but Ican read apress release just as well as anyone. The thing is, whengoing over thefacts and figures surrounding Yamaha’s deliveranceof its thirdgeneration NMAX, 10 yearsonfrom its inauguration, Icouldn’thelp butfeel taken abackbythe stats on show Despitemyignorance, theNMAX is clearly very well-known globally,purporting to be oneofthe Japanesebrand’s best-selling products…and especially so inAsia. But that’s not to say itsnot ahit back home in Blighty, whereit’ssold over 3200 unitsin2024alone, making it the best-selling two-wheeler in the UK. For context, around 100 R1sportsbikes weresold in the same period, hammering home how significant this learner legal scooter is to the foundations of the firm’sfinances. Andit’sprobably for that veryreason that the model’sbeengiven asolid update for 2025, not just in abid to make themotor Euro5+ eligible, but also to repaythe platform and its loyal fanbase for the NMAX’s success. What’snew about it? Well, quite alot

Aesthetically,it’simpossible to ignorethe sportier,morealluring lines of the bodywork that have brought the model astep closer to the likes of the XMAX and TMAX,withits moresheer-facedfront end and the tightening of the overhangs atthe backofthe Yamaha. To encapsulate that morepremium and sportier look, there arealso new LED projector headlights and an equally snazzy LEDrear lightassembly that integrates the indicators to encourage asharper look and loftier projection of the warning to fellow road users.

The handling of the bike has also been given aboost thanks to stiffer springs in the forks and longer,stiffer shocks at the back, increasing the seat heightby5mm as aconsequence (now 770mm). There’salso atwo-step preload adjuster on the shocks, should youfind you’ve over-indulged at lunch… or rammed fullthe spacious23-litre underseat storagecompartment. In the cockpit you’ll finda new LCD dash that’seasy on the eye and covers all the basics. Below that, in the footwell, there’sthe keyless ignitionswitch that not only allows youtoswitch on the scoot, but also plays host to the steering lock, fuel fillercover and the hinged seat. Either side of the switch arehandy pockets. Theleft side is open and comes kitted with aUSB-C socket, while the right side is lockable and waterproof. Of course, ascooter is only the measureofits motor and to ensurethe NMAX stays at the top of its game, the 125cc Blue Core engine’sbeen given abit of aseeing to. Thislatest iteration sees ahostofnew items including adifferent tensioner,new barrel,analtered crankshaft and cam sprocket, plus different rotordimensions. Then, of course, there’sa new O2 sensor to add into the mix, alongside an emissionhugging stop-start function to limit exhaust gasses when the engine’snot needed. You get the point, it’sthe same but different… still claiming to make 12bhp and produce 11.2Nm of torque.

On face value those performance figures might notseem all that grand, but when you factor in the scooteronlyweighs132kg,the output on tap is actually pretty decent, as I experienced firsthand in and around Barcelona

on the global launch of this machine.

First impressions really do count, and the thing that hit me instantly from the very first turn of thethrottlewas the pleasant connection between what I asked for and what Igot,with marginal buffering beforethe revs translated to drive, powering me on to the city streets at acredible rate of knots. The 0-30mph speed of this thing is hardtofault, so for urban riding, zipping around and squeezing into and out of tight spaces, it’schild’splay.But how would it cope on thesurrounding hillsand the dual carriageways that would take us out of the city? In short, it could hold its own, but Ifound abit of forethought was needed, especially when trying to overtake at higher speeds. Isaw a comfortable 70mph on my clocks, but it seemed to take forever to wind up to that speed, with exponential gains once I’d crested 40-50mph.

On simple roads with little-to-no traffic, the Blue Coremotor was in its elements, chugging along nicely and making for some enjoyable riding, but on occasionwe’d hita bit of traffic anditfelt like one had to run the gauntlet when putting a pass in. Of course, the moretime Ispent behind the bars,the more predictable and pleasurable these instancesbecame.

Coming back to those aforementionedperformance figures, the NMAX certainly seemed more potent thanthey’d have you believe.The only thing I did question wasthe need for the integrated traction control, which can be turned off, but wasthere by default every time theignition got reset. Overkill? Well, I’ll keep my mouth shut becauseI’m the type of bloke to spout offand then come unstuckonaslippery,wet white line. Moretothe point, why wouldn’tYamaha want tomake this scooter as user-friendly and safe as possible? If anything, they should get anotherstar for that One area of the scooterthatwas extremely hardtoquestion was its handling. Right from the get-go I’d been impressed by the agility of the NMAX that provedable to switch lines and smash apexes with ease. The balance of the product is fantastic, and the riding position not only encourages lithe handling, but also provides agreat connection with the 13”

tyres beneath. Apparently,the previous modelhad suffered from aslightly soggy front end, but this iteration felt firmand supported at all times, talking nicely to me as I threwitin andout of the hundreds of bendsthatlitteredour route. The rear wasniceand firm, though aslightly stiffer spring rate wouldn’thavegoneamiss for my 80-kilo frame.Asagile as the Yamaha was, the other thing that hit me washow stablethe thing felt, stomaching bumps in the road nicely,even when the NMAX was on itsear

It’satthis point Ishould probably mention the ground clearancelimitations that became apparently not very long into the ride.The centre-stand was asucker for grinding out, which made for afew sketchy moments asthe rear tyrebegan to go light around abend, but only because Ididn’theed the warningson tap. For most riders, scraping the

underside of this scooter won’t be anything to worry about, and Idaresay that if Iactually owned one of these, I’d showita lot morerespect than Idid on this joyride in Espana.

The truth is that the NMAX was proving to be much more fun than Icould have ever imagined, and it was stupendouslyeasy to ride, too.Good handling, good brakes and apredictable motor only added to its virtues, that werealso bolstered by the relaxed riding position and the solid level of protectionfromthe elements. Our NMAXs featured asport screen, but there’salso ahighscreen availablefor the new model,alongside ahostof other accessory goodies, such as heated grips, fancy levers and a 34-litretop case.

On this short but sweet taster of the Yamaha, Ididn’t feel like the base optionlacked foranything, opening my eyes to this other side

of two wheels that Iknowsolittle about. If anything, theNMAX did a good job of whettingmyappetite for more of the same, making me wonderjust how capable the XMAX or TMAXare in turn. And that’sperhaps abig part of the logic behind Yamaha’sdecision to bridge this 125cc offering closer towards its bigger bored

If the NMAX has got yourjuices going but you’recraving abit moreinthe tech department, you’ll be pleased to know that there’sahigher spec, smarter option on the cards that’scalled the TechMAX. It wasn’t available for test on this launch, but it is said to be in the UK around May time and it offers a few enticing differences to the base model for not alot moremoney.Inessence, the highlight of the TechMax is the addition of a4.2” TFT infotainment display that incorporates aload of new features, including GarminStreetCross navigation, which is free of charge on this model. The actual display is much more engaging, too, and better suited to those that aretech-dependent for connectivity on the go. While most of the scooter otherwisemirrors the base model, the addition of TechMAX-specific colourways and amorepremium finished seat aresuretomake the Yamaha stand out. When it arrives, it will cost around £3900.

brethren… this forms theperfect first step into the MAX family.If this is anythingtogoby, Idare say they’repretty epic.

SPECS: Yamaha NMAX 125 Engine: Type: 125cc, single-cylinder, SOHC Bore xStroke: 52mm x58.7mm

Compression: 11.2:1

Fuelling: EFI

Claimed Power: 12bhp @8000rpm

Claimed Torque: 11.2Nm @6000rpm

Chassis: Frame: Tubular steelframe

FSuspension: Telescopic forks, non-adjustable

DayRide: Wales in thewinter

Heading from Shropshire over to CardiganBay,this stunning, 84-mile joyrideissure to put asmile on your face

For this Winter Ride, focussing within Wales, Idecided on starting from Oswestry,the town of my birth. Now,while the town isn’tactuallyinWales, but aspit over the borderintoShropshire, it couldbe argued that it wasn’tthe right place to start for theWelsh Winter Ride.However,when I was bornmysisterswereboth atschoolin Oswestry,and were both taught Welsh, so that’sclose enough for me…

The plan was to rideacross thecountry, heading west, to end up at the coast for the potential of warmingfish and chips. And, with it being in the colder halfofthe year,and with an awareness of how bleak the conditions can get when riding through Snowdonia or into theBrecon Beacons, the decision was made to stay away from the moreremote areas andhigher altitudes.

So, an easy place to start is at theservices on the A5, just outsideofOswestry,an easy point to get to from the Midlands, via Shrewsbury,orfromfurthernorth by using the A483 from Chesterand past NetflixpromotedWrexham. It’sworthwhile filling up with fuel here, as if you decide tospend any time off-piste, you maystruggle to find apetrol station in the wildsofWales, given not only that so manysmallerfilling stations have closed, but also because eventhe larger ones may be closed on aSunday (or, bizarrely,occasionally during the week, too).

Croeso iGymru

Alongside my two KTM-mounted colleagues, Andy and Graeme,we left the servicesroundabout on the A483, headed past Sweeney Hall and Llynclys

Farm shop, beforeturning right on to the A495 and following the road as it becomes the B4396 when the A495 forks left for Machynlleth. You’ll finally crossthe border into Wales along this piece of curvaceous Tarmac, about seven miles after your fuel/ coffee/breakfast stopatthe services, and you’llbefeeling the draw of the Welsh countryside by now.

After you’ve passed the Fork Handles Farm Shop(yes, really) on the right, you’ll soonsee signs to the right forLlanrhaeadrym-Mochnant, which is an easy and quick diversiontogoand look at the very impressive Llanrhaeadr waterfall, which will be in full spate during the winter months, althoughthe little dead-end lane that runs to the falls(and the café right next to them) is narrow,and will be greasyand leafridden, so take your time!

Another few miles along the B4396 you’ll arrive at aT-junction, turning right on to the B4391, signposted for Bala. This is abeauty of aroad, with the hills of the easternedgeofSnowdoniaahead of you as youbegin to climb. You’ll shortly ride throughPentreand then Llangynog, with the New Inn on the right-hand side being convenient accommodationfor the nearby off-roadschooloperated by Dakar legend, Mick Extance. Therewas also the Revolution Bike Park mountainbike organisation close by,but sadlythis closed down on January 2, thanks to the larch trees in the forestry surrounding the park being infected by phytophthora ramorum, anasty pathogen that also causes the Sudden Oak Death disease.

We stopped for picturesalongthe climb up on to the moors overlooking Lake Bala (actually called LlynTegid). It can get incredibly bleak hereifthe weather isn’tplaying ball, makingthe twistingdrop down into Bala town itself rather welcome. Once in Bala, we turnedleft to ride through the middle of the town on the A494 and to the café at the end of thelake for a warming cuppa. Although, this time, the café was closed, so no brew for us –we’d have to wait.

Thereare afew cafés in the town though, but having stopped, taken afew pics by the lake and had achinwag with afew fellow motorcyclists also out for amidweek ride, we werekeen to keep moving, so threaded ourselves back through Bala, this time turning left at the easternend of town and on to the A4212 heading for Trawsfynydd.

White water and history

The fact that this road passes the National White Water Centregives aclue as to the contours through which it travels, but you also pass theFrongoch Internment Camp, amakeshift place of imprisonment during the First World Warand subsequently the 1916 Easter Rising, when over 1600 Irish Republicanswereheld there, the camp later becoming known as the ‘University of Revolution’, thanks to the way theRepublicanscould train and influence other inmates!

After passing LlynCelwyn on the left, with little hope of spotting the flooded village of Capel Celwyn in wintertime –

Words and Pic: Dave Manning

the lake being amanmade reservoir that floodedthe village in 1965 –the road begins to drop down towardsTrawsfynydd, andthe junction withthe A470. It’s abig, fast, open road,withsome superb views, andsohappens to go past the mountain bike centre at Coed-y-Brenin, which rather conveniently has acafé and toilets. It’sanideal stop for awarming stew,chunk of fresh breadand abrew.

OFTH

Althoughitwas something of alast-minute decisionfor us, requiring ajump on the brakes and some franticindicating,but a great decisionthanks to the great food and charming high-level café. Fed and watered, it was back outon to the A470, continuing south away from Llyn Trawsfynydd and its hydro-electric powerplant, bypassing Dolgellau and then turning right at the CrossFoxes Inn, on to the A487, and the road that is wellknown for fans of military aviation.For this is the road that goes through the area known as the ‘Mach Loop’,avalley renowned for its views of Royal AirForce jets flying at low level. So low,infact, that it’spossible to clamber up the valley sides and actually be at apoint above the planes as they fly past! But we didn’tstop, didnoclambering and saw no aircraft, as we werekeen to press on towards the coast.

Dropping down from the valley,ahead you can see agloriouslake, Llyn Mwyngil, that the main road veers south to avoid. Fortunately,there’saright-hand turn, signposted for Tywyn, that snakes away from the main road to then follow the southernedgeofthe lake. There’sapub on the left, just as the lake starts to taper off–the Tyn-y-Cornel Hotel –that has

With adventureand ‘going the distance’ at its heart, Motorcycle Sport and Leisureis the must-have mag for those with itchy feet or looking for first-class motorcycling inspiration on aglobal scale. Treat yourself to acopy by scanning this link.

aslate wall inscribed with fishthat have been caughtinthe lake –‘brown trout 5½lb, 2nd September 72’, etc.

The road soon starts to level off, and you see the evidence of holiday caravan sites beforeyou arrive at Tywyn itself. Atrundle straight through the town, following signs for the railway station and the beach, and you findyourself in acar park with atruly tremendous view of this part of the Welsh coast, look northwards towards the Llyn Peninsular and Anglesey,and south into Cardigan Bay,Aberyrstwyth and New Quay

Thereare various options if you’rewanting to extend the route by following the coast north or south, retracing your route inland and then heading south on the A493 to Aberdyfi, or just finding anearby hotel or pub to warm yourself in front of an open fire.

The ride in brief: The route covers roads great and small. This is not afast ride; the roads can be busy,and they arebest enjoyed at aleisurely pace. Thereare plenty of places to stop along the way for coffee, culture, or avery cold dip in the sea. Give yourself afull day for this ride, that sits alittle under 100miles all in.

Q&A

Each issue our specialist motoring solicitor Andrew Prendergast guides readers through their legal trials and troubles

Q.Ihavebeenabiker for the last 40-oddyears and hadall sortsoverthe yearsfromBSAs to VFRs.Now Iamabit older and have abit moremoney, Ientered the Gold Wing eraof my life abouttwo yearsago.Itwas somethingI thoughtIwould neverdo! However, amatelent me his and Iinstantlygot it.Itwas likeriding on afloatingarmchair. After that, it became an expensiveyearasI purchaseda new Gold Wing alongwith atrailer that Ihad sprayedto match. Ialsogot involved with alocal group who do alot of meet-ups and ride-outs,etc.WhilstI wasout with theseguys headingtoa camping weekend, we were cruisingdownthe motorway when we came acrossthe classicmiddle lane hogger.I understand ourrideleader flashed him to getout of the way, buthesimply satthere ploddingalongataround 65mph. Eventually, ourrideleader pulledout into the outsidelane andwaggedhis fingerathim as he passed and wavedthe rest of ourgroup to followhim.It’sfair to saythat wound up the middlelanehoggerand as ourgroup of eightor10 bikes passed him (at around 70mph,sonot speeding) he wassticking his fingers up,aswas his teenagekid inthe back As my intendedaudience of the occupantsofthe carwas outofhearing range, Idulyrepliedwith aone-handedgesture as Ipassedhim.Theidiot Ididn’t think toomuchabout it.However,I have nowreceived aNotice of IntendedProsecution for drivinginthe offside lane of amotorway

whilsttowingatrailer (I hadmycampingkit in the back). The Police have alsosentphotographs, presumably taken from the middle lane hogger’s dashcam,ofmeonmybikeinthe outside lane I’mthinkingofdefending it on the basisthatI wasforcedtoovertakethe middle lane hogger by his actions and alsobecause it wouldhave been dangeroustohold up the rest of my group. Alternatively, ourrideleader (a retired insurance lossadjusterwho knows his stuff)saidIcould simply ignorethe police letterrequesting the rider’s details,and it will probably just go away What do you think Ishould do?

A.ForgetGeorgeOrwell’s dystopian 1949 novel

NineteenEighty-Fourand the ubiquitous slogan, ‘Big Brother is watchingyou’. Instead, we,the people,appeartobetakinggreat selfrighteousdelightinvideoingand reportingeach other dailyand doingthe Police’s jobfor them and/or puttingitonsocialmedia for ‘likes.’ . Parkingthat ‘phenomena’ for now, it appearsthe middle lane hogger hasuploadedhis videoto the Police’s system.Justbyway of background, thereissomething called‘Operation SNAP’, whichallows the publictosubmit videoand photographic evidence relatingtodriving offences that theyhavewitnessed. As for what to do,I am afraid your suggestions arenot legal defences and your ride leader is wrong. So you areaware,apersonconvicted of failingto provide information would be fined up to £1000

and either have their licence endorsedwithsix penaltypointsorbedisqualifiedfromdriving. Therefore, you areadvised to return the driver identification questionnairewithin anytime period specifiedbythe authorities.Following that,Isuspect youwillbeoffereda fixed penalty offer of three points and afine for £100 for riding with atrailer in the outside line of amotorway becauseitisillegal. My advice is that whilst it maybeabitterpill to swallow, youshould accept the fixed penaltyoffer becauseyou are guiltyofthe offence.Lastly, without wantingto preach,the speedlimit for towing atrailer on the motorwayis60mph,not 70mph,soyou need to be careful in the futureifyou aretryingtokeep up with yourgroup

Q.Mydailyride is aTriumph Street Triple 765

RS.Ihaveabout a10-mile commutewith the latter part alongabusyhighstreettomyoffice(I am an estate agent).Ihad just passed adouble deckerbus whichhad stopped,unsurprisingly, at abus stop.AsIhad just pulledbackinfront of the bus, on my side of the road, Iwas confronted with apolice carspeedingonthe wrongside of the road. Apparently,hehad overtakentraffic at around 40mph in a20mph zone,and had gone to the rightofa‘Keep Left’bollardashe wasonanemergencycall. Ihad nowheretogo and hit him head on. NowIhaveatrashedbike, abrokenleg,and aboutthree months’lossof income (sofar). Ithoughtthis would be a‘slam

dunk’caseashewas on the wrongside of the road, and Iwould not have been able to seehim beforehand becauseofthe bus. However, my insurer hasjusttold me the Police have denied liabilityastheyhavea‘legalexemption’ and can speedand driveonthe wrongside of the road if they have their blue lights on. Theytold me I would losemycase. Help!

A.Thereare exemptions available to drivers of police vehicles from criminal prosecution in certain circumstances.For example,under section 87 of the Road TrafficRegulationAct 1984, thereisan‘Exemption of firebrigade, ambulance and police vehicles from speed limits’when …‘it is beingusedfor …police purposes,ifthe observance of that provision would be likelytohinder the useofthe vehicle for the purposefor whichitisbeing used on that occasion’.Inshort, apolice officer mayhavea ‘legalexemption’ from beingprosecutedinthe criminal courts for speeding, etc. However, that doesn’t mean that s/hecan drivearound, ignore all the trafficand hazards,beonthe wrong side of the road,cause an accidentand injurea biker,and not be held liable in acivil court. My advice is ignoreyourinsurer andget aspecialist road traffic solicitor to bringaclaim against the Police.You should winfromwhatyou have said. The Police do not have a‘legalexemption’ from drivingaround causingaccidents and hurtingpeople

So you want more

REVolutions?

Ducati’sPanigale V4R mawkes massive power,thankstoasky-highrev limit. How does it do it? And why arerevs so important forpower?Let’sfind out.

Words: AlanDowds Photos: Mortons Archive

Ifreelyconfessthat I’mabit jaded andcynical thesedays. It takes a lot to impresstheseold bones,and while I’mall for new bikes,itseems alot of them lack quitealot in the inspirational department. Onebike that’s certain duckedthat trend of late is thefancy-pants V4R.Not for the

obvious glitzand glamofits carbon wings, or super-trickÖhlins NPX25/30 forks,but moresobecause of what canbefound onits spec sheet

Namely, its peak poweroutput –and morespecifically, the revs at which it makessaid power. Abrain-frying 221bhp, at 15,250rpm.Yep,fifteen

thousand, twohundred and fifty revs Everyminute. That’sinroadtrim. And the actual redline is even higher! The limiter kicksinat16,000rpm in gears one-to-five, butintop gear (sixth),it gets another 500 revs,to16,500rpm

To putthis in perspective,the Yamaha R6 made ourheads fall off when it waslaunchedbackin2008 with peak powermadeat14,500rpm

The legendaryHondaCBR400RR NC29 wasa proper high-revver, although it waslaunched25years ago, and it onlyhit 14,500rpm.You have to go down to the lunatic 250cc inline-four Japanesedomestic market machineryofthe early1990s to finda road bikethatrevshigher –the MC22 CBR250RR redlinedat19,000rpm, thankstothe teeny33.8mm stroke

The CBR250 onlymadeabout 40bhp though.And its pistons were more liketinythimbles than the coffeecupsizedslugs in alitresuperbike

More revs, more power So,totruly putthings in perspective, howdoesthe Panigale V4R redline compare with its peersnowadays? Well, it’s fair to sayitmakesthem all look abit donkey-like. Itsrivallitre sportsbikes on the market include BMW’sS1000RR and Kawasaki’s ZX10R.TheBeemer makespeakpower at 13,500rpm,with aredline marked on the tacho at 14k.Pfft.Meanwhile, in the greencorner,the RR version of the ZX-10 Ninjahas aspecial valvetrain designaimedtoraiserevs by 600rpm,and makesits peak power at 13,500rpm and the revlimiter calls time at 14,800rpm.That’s good,but it’s still ahefty1700 revs shyofthe V4R. So,the Panigale is the revboss. But whyare high revs such agoodthing? Well, broadlyspeaking, revs means power. Literally. The poweroutput from an internal combustion engine is calculated by the force applied at the crank (wecall this torque), multipliedbythe rpm (the equation is pretty simple: power=torque x rpm /5,252, usinglb-ft fortorque and bhpfor power). That’swhy,when you look at adyno chart, thepower curvekindafollows the shapeofthe torque curve–ifthe torque stays steady,the powerincreases gradually as therevsincrease –but if there’s asudden spikeinthe torque curve, then you getacorrespondingpeakin thepower curve.

Increasing the torque you getfrom an engine canget yousofar.Incrude terms, the torque is ameasure of the force createdatthe pistontop by the combustingfuel/air mix.A bigger bang will, all things beingequal, give abiggershove to the piston. Imagine aTourdeFrance cyclist. Give him a bigger pair of thighs (say,byinjecting him with elephantsteroids), and he’ll be able to shove harder on the pedals,pull ahigher gear,get up asteeper hill faster–makemore power, in other words.

Performance at aprice

If you’relimited by the amountoffuel and air youcan burn in each cylinder, then therecomes apoint whereyou hit the limits of the force producedon each combustion stroke.Improving efficiencyisone routetomakinga bigger bang –makingsureall the fuel burns efficiently, increasing compression ratio,havinga strong ignition system,ensuringthe fuel/air mixtureisexactlyright. If youcan fit a turbocharger,orincrease the cylinder bore, youcan force morefuel and air in and make abiggerbangthat way.

Butifyou can’t do this (as with a WSBK homologated999cc motor), then the onlyway to make more poweristomakethe same size of bang, butathigher revs.Our massively-thighedcyclistcan go even fasterifhemanages to pump his giantlegsupand down fasteronthe pedals.Morerevs–orpedal pushes –per minute, with the same force makesyou go faster– becauseyou’re producingmorepower

Thereare afew enemies ofrevs in an engine.Asthe rpm increases, thereislessand lesstime to getfuel/ air into the cylinder, burn it,and get the exhaust gasses outagain. Even at alowly 5000rpm,afour-stroke engine

Maxing out Howfastdoesapistonmovethen?

We work outthe *average*speed of the pistonbyafairly simple equation: averagepistonspeed =2 xstrokex (RPM¸60). If you’ve gota spare10minutes on Excel, youcan work outthe pistonspeedsfor some engines,and you’ll quicklysee the currentlimits.Onabasic commuter enginelikea HondaCB500, which makespeakpower at just 8600rpm, with astrokeof66.8mm,the average pistonspeed at peak poweris 19.15m/s. The S1000 RR makespeak powerat13,500rpm with astrokeof 49.7mm,and at that pointits piston speed is 22.36m/s.Atthe redline of 14,600rpmthough,the little Bavarian pistons arewhistlingalong at 24.18m/s.TheV4S pistons move at 25.85m/s at its 14,500rpmredline, while the newV4R pushesthis up to 26.62m/s at the 16,500rpm topgear redline.Erk

This explains whythe Panigale V4R pistonissuchanadvanceddesign. Ducati’s used atwo-ringforged designrather than the threepiston ringsusedonnormalroadengines

is firingnearly 42 times asecond, and the pistonmoves up and down the bore four times as often–about 170 times asecond. So,ifthe inlet valve opens for the whole of the pistoninlet stroke,there’sjust1/170th of asecond to getthe whole fuel/air charge into the cylinder beforethe valvecloses

At the redline of the Panigale V4R –16,500rpm in topgearremember –thereare 137.5 combustions per second, in each cylinder.And the

(the only4-strokeproduction bike onthe market that goesdownthis route). Athree-ringdesignuses twocompression ringsand one oil scraperring, butthe V4R hasjustone compression ring and one oil ring to cutfriction. It’s abold step –and with one lessring, youmight expectmore in the wayofoil consumption.

Ducati hasaloadofexperience here, of course.Its bigtwinsuperbikes had to make massivepistons move at big speeds –the 1299 Panigale’s soupbowl pistons were hitting25.6m/s at 11,500rpm.And the 1199 Panigale Rrevved500rpm higher: its pistons were doingastunning26.72m/s at the 12,000rpm redline –the highestpiston speedwecan findina ‘road’ bike. So, making smaller pistons that canhold together at thesespeedsiswellwithin the Bolognaskill set. The final problem with high revs is the valves.Remember that whilethe crank spins once per engine revolution, the camshafts rotate twice as fast, and the valves have to open and closeinavanishinglysmall period of time at high revs.

As we worked outearlier,at 16,500rpm there’s 1/550th of asecond

piston makesthe journeyupand down the cylinder 550 times each second. So,there’s1/550th of a second to fill the cylinder with fuel and air

Okay,air canbemoved fast–big portsand valves,large throttle bodies,carefully-sized inlet trumpets, cunningexhaust systems all help here. Butthere’sadownside to all this,too.Big portsand valves work lesswellatlow speeds, so what you

gain up topyou canlosedownlow if you’renot careful. And having 220bhpatthe topend of arace engine is no good if your competitors aremaking50bhpmorethrough the midrange,when you’repullingout of ahairpin bend. So just making an engine breathe efficientlyat super-high revs is difficultenough Butthe nextenemyisamechanical one –maximum pistonspeed.As we pointedout earlier,athighrevs,

the pistonmoves up and down the bore alot.And therecomes apoint wherethe speedgets so high,that normalaluminium can’t hold up any more– the forces on the rings, and the friction createdbythe high speed is badenough –but you alsoneedto copewith the massiveforces at top and bottom dead centre, when the pistonand rodhavetobestopped, then startedmovingagain in the other direction.

for an intakeand exhauststroke, so the intakevalves have to open fully, let the charge into the motor,then closeagain, sealing in the massive combustion pressuresinaround that time period.Then the exhaustvalves have to open and let the red-hot gasses outagain in the same kind of time.With conventional engine designs,the valvesprings need to be very strong and stiff to bang the valves closed in time –this adds friction. There’sabig advantage in cutting weight here, of course;lighter parts canbeaccelerated and decelerated much faster, and the forces involved aresmaller,soyou canuse lighter springs. Ducati uses titanium inlet valves and titanium valveretainer collets to cutmass– butthe (smaller) exhaust valves aresteel, becausethe weight saving wasn’t worththe effort. Getthe valvecontrol wrong, and the valves canstart to ‘float’ –staying open afraction longerthandesired, and that’s when the pistons can

hit the valves,wreckingthe motor Ducati hasa bigadvantage here. Its desmodromic valveoperationlets it useradical camprofiles,big valves, and high revs,because its engines use twocam profiles for each valve–one to open the valveand one to positively closeitagain. Usingamechanical camtoslamavalveclosed rather than aspringmeans moreexact valvemovements,whichisa massive benefit at high revs. So,inthe end, maybeit’snot such abig surprisethat Ducati is able to do this.It’sbeenworking for years with massivepistonspeedsonits big-twinsuperbikes, and its decades of experience with desmodromic valves lets it applythattechnology to the problem,too.Add in the closenessofthe MotoGP Desmosedici engine designtothe Panigale V4 motor,and perhapsweshouldn’t be so gobsmacked,disconcerted, or dumbfoundedatthe V4R’s powerand revs at all…

RoyalEnfield SuperMeteor

Words: Bob Picket

The Super Meteor is, in Enfield’s own words, one of their flagship models, featuringupside-down Showasuspension, an LED headlightand aTripper navigation systemasstandard. The 648cc parallel twin is lifted from the Interceptor/Continental models, but with revised mapping togive a wider spread of torque with80per cent available at just 2500rpm. On thelaunch ride in Rajasthan (India’slargest and most sparsely inhabited province) testers gave special praise to the engine and suspension. But howwell would it handle the East London/Essex borders?

Give me some spec Its tubular steel spine-type frame plays hosts to a648cc parallel twin engine, pumping outa claimed 46bhp@7250rpm, with maximum torque of 2.3 Nm @ 5650rpm. Seat height is 740mm. Afirst for Enfield arethe bike’s 43mm upside-down telescopic fork, while hauling up its 241kg (90 per cent fuel and oil) wet weight is asingle 320mm disc, twin piston floating caliper up front, supported by asingle 300mm disc, twin piston floating caliper rear

What’sitlike to ride?

The Super Meteor is anice place to sit. Its bars curve gently back, its pegs sit atouch forwardof

centre. Idisagree with the ‘ideal for even the shortest of riders’ comment from the worldlaunch. Tallerthan its nearest rivals and broad, too, smaller riders try beforeyou buy

Idoagree with the praise dished out on the engine.Lifted from the Interceptor/Continental models, remappedtosupply awider spread of torque with 80 per cent available from just 2500 revs. Power is smooth, instant, and linear.You can bimbleinany gear, or if you want to push on (it’ll take it), drop agear andrev harder

Thesuspension also deserves praise.It’ssoft but never bottomedout,soaking up everything thrown at it. Add to the neutralhandling, corners are simplicity itself. Once you turnin its assuredand solid; that extra weight (around 30kg)over the Interceptor hasithuggingthe road. That said,the extra mass impactsbraking performance. The single 320mm frontdischas to work alot harder.It’ll stop, but the extra effort is noticeable. That said, Enfield has increased the rear disc to 300mm (from 240), adding significant extrastopping power

Thatrelaxed riding positionand comfortable saddlemean racking up the milesiseasy (two hours in the saddle,neverfidgeted). This is thestandard model. For ultra distanceslook at the Celestial

with highway screen and different saddle.

The clocks aregreat (no rev counter but aselected gear counter,which is nice); mirrors give tons of feedback. Acentrestand is anice bonus. One gripe is the short gear pedal. Imissed it acouple of times, making a conscious effort to locate.

Howmuch does it cost?

The Astral (single tone colours) is £6799; pay £200 more forthe Interstellar (same bike, two-tone colours). TheCelestial (touring version with screen and different seat) is £7200.

Quick Spin: KeewayV302C

If you’re into your cruisersand want alightweight oneatthat, the Keeway V302C could be right up your street.

What is it?

With its low stance,wide bars and feet forwardriding position this bike certainly falls well into the cruiser class. Styling looks the part for sureand this is definitely one of its selling points withbar-end mirrors, chunky tyres front and rear,and aclassic round headlight amongst the first of alist of features you notice. With av-twin motor at its heart and ablackedout image, it’snot until you approach the Keeway that yourealise this is quitea compactmachine,which makesit appear lessintimidating up close

Talking tech…

The design of this V302C is also joined by some beefy upside-down forks at the front and twin shocks at the rear, with thelatterhelpingtokeepthe back end looking tidy andlow -solow in fact the seat height is amere690mm. LED lights arefitted allround and, alongside the classic headlight Ihave mentioned, the bike also comes with minimalistic bullet lights at the rear to addtothe look Keeway is after

The 298cc 4-stroke liquid cooled V-twin engine produces 29bhp with 26.5Nm of torque, which happens to be spread well across the range of power to thefinal belt-driven rear tyre.

The small, round clock is very retroyet simple but does showthe essentials needed for aride out. The switchgear on the handlebars is also minimalisticbut at the same time it’srefreshing not tohave an array of buttons thatyou don’talways use when just going out foraspin.

Cracking on…

The already mentioned low ride height did take me abit of time to get used to, dialling in to howlow you had to go beforemaking contact with the saddle.

Once in the seat (and Idomean in the seat)itwas wide and comfy,and the shape flowedwell, keeping the overall profile low. Thereisanoptionfor apillion, but Iwouldn’tfancy the back seat on here as Idon’t think it is really aimed forthat, although another seat optionwitha rest is available should you wish.

Tech-wise, theredoesn’tseem much to really get overly excited about obviously you get ABSbut there is no traction control or cruise control, and the suspension is non-adjustable, let alone not having any fancyphone connectivity

Backing out of the garage was an easy affair,withbothfeet more than easily touching the floor thanks to its relatively lightweight nature. Iwas pleasantly surprised by the sound produced from the matt black 2-in-to-1 exhaust which seemingly lookeduninspiring. There wasa noticeablebark from the 298cc motor which improved with speed and a distinctive grunt couldbeheardthrough eachgear,even at 60mph, unlike some other similar-capacity machines.

Idon’twant to sound too negative because Idid actually enjoy my time on the Keeway.However, one thing that Idid notice from the very firstmile untilIfinally parked it up, was the vibration through

Words: Andy Bell Pics Pics: Gary Chapman

The stuffthat matters…

Power: 29bhp@ 6500rpm

Weight 167kg

Price: £4799.00

Contact: sales@motogb.co.uk

the pegs. While it wasn’t enough to shake your boots off, it was very much present and hardnot to focus on. The Timsun tyresthat come as standarddidn’tfill me with agreat deal of confidence, especially after acouple of mini slides in the first few milesfrom the rear when Ididn’teven think I was pushing too hard, so I’d look to change them if Ibought one

On amorepositive note, the brakesdid feelmorethan up to the job of pulling up the Keyway for the style of riding intended, but the chunky front forks did dive alittle too much when asking for anything morethan half of thestopping power available.

While I’m on aroll of negatives Ialso took alittle dislike to the fact Iwas never sureifthe next

gear had been selected on the upshifts, asmall point maybe, but with notsomuch as aclick or clunk from the lever Ispent afair amount of time early on looking down to double-check until Igot used to this ‘feature’, forwant of a betterword.

Iguess Ishould add some positives now notjust for the sake of it, but thereweresome

other notable points thatI did findpleasing. While this is no sports bike or even trying to be one, Idid expect the changing of direction to be abit of aproblem. However,this was carried out with relative ease and with minimal input despite my initial thoughts. Ialso expectedthe rear to wallow around in the corners and, while this did happen, it

was only when Idid get into some faster corners and was pushing on alittle more. For the majority of my ride,I wasquite content cruising along with the bumps being soaked up nicely and effortlessly tipping into one corner after another Ihad covered afair few miles on this bike while testing it, taking it on both bumpyback roads and some normal A-roads whereIcould stretch the legs of the engine and take in avariety of slower bendsand some faster sweeping ones, and found both to be within the bike’s capability.Without the time to do so myself, Iwould say that this would also be aconfident machine to take on motorways if you had the need to travel on them as well.

Worth apunt?...

This is notabig engine HarleyDavidson by anymeans, butthen maybe that is whereitcan findits gap in the market. Youdon’tget the Harley badge, butyou only spend afraction of the price. You don’tget the big monster engine, but you get asmaller,lighter bike to get to grips with.You get the idea. Ican imagineifyou area smaller-framed person wanting a taste of acruiser or maybe you have another bike of adifferent natureand fancy acheaper one as asecondbike for the garage, this could be an option. It just depends on if you think the low-tech Keeway is worthy of its askingprice, butifyou are thinking aboutit, it just mightbe worth atry

TORQUING POINT: SINGLE-SIDED REAR SWINGARMS

Words: AlanDowds

Ever seen ared squirrel? Unless youlive in the rightpart of Scotland, it’sunlikely; the ginger rodents have been outcompeted by their dull sciuridaen relatives from North America, the easterngreysquirrel. And we allprefer thetufty-eared red variant over the grey,don’t we?

Why is that? My theory is that it’smostly just because they’re less common. If the redsquirrel discovered firearms, they would soon be in charge, the greys would be screwed, and we’d whineabout that. It’sthe same with bike technology

Everyone loves asingle-sided rear swinging arm –but mostly because they’re unusual and look cool, like the fluffy redsquirrel. Also like the red squirrel, they’resimply not as good at the job in hand –though that means holding aspinningrear wheel and transmitting suspension forces rather than gathering nuts, hibernating, and making new squirrels.

The main practical advantage of a single sider is very modest: when it comes to rear wheel maintenance, it’s quicker and easier to unfasten abig nut, or some bolts, and lift the wheel offa fixedhub than to mess about with axle, nut, spacers, brake caliper mounts, and chain or shaft drive components. The only place where this is an advantage is endurance racing,whereteams need to swap wheelsinand out during pit stops. Seconds saved here mean positions on the track. Youcan also arguethat chain tensionadjustmentismore elegant, with an eccentric hub mount. That’sitfor advantages then –apart from the style. Thedownsides arepureengineering: supportinga structureonone side –acantilever –is always harder than doingitateach end. Spreading the forces transmitted by abridge, aroof, or aspinningrear wheel evenly over two endsisclearly moreeffective. At this point, awriter will perhaps implorethe reader to try and support aspinningbicycle wheel first with one handholdingthe axle at either end, then try to do thesame holding it on just one side. Have a go if you like, butyou can probably envisage how it will go.

So –asingle-sided arm needs to be designed with much morecomplex, stronger structures to keep the rear wheel in line, transmit the driving and braking forces to thetyre, and transfer wheel movement to the suspension. All the time, thewheel is trying to twist its way out of line, meaning alarge, expensive, heavy hub and arm.

Asub-optimal design then. Butfor 30 or 40 years now, asingle-sided swingarm has been an ostentatious

sign of ‘trickness’. Thefull history of aone-sided rear swingarm goes back to the 1940s, when small bike and scooter makers worked outthey could save money by mounting the wheel on ahub held on oneside like acar.Anintegrated engine/swinging arm became par for the course on step-thru scooters, and with so much mass and material in that unit, it was no big thingtobeef it up into a single-sided unit.

BMW was the first to bring singlesided arms to mainstream bikes, adding one to its R80 G/S in 1980. Here, the chunky shaft drive used on the firm’sBoxer engine helped asingle-sider make sense. That Monolever design became the Paralever,and every new Boxer design up to today has asingle-sided arm. Look at one now,and you’ll see how chunky it is, and the mass penalty incurred is part of the reason that the Bavarian twins have always been abit heavier than the competition. It was Japan that really made the single-sider cool, though. Honda had worked with ELF on new suspension systems for its GP race bikes, including asingle-sided arm called Pro-Arm. By the late 1980s, avariant on the patented system made it to the road, on the NC24 VFR400 and RC30 VFR750R.The no-holds-barred techfest that was the 1992 NR750 used one, of course, as did the RVF750R RC45, and the Pro-Arm even extended its remit into that most mainstream of bikes, the VFR750, in 1990.

It’sItalian exotica that has stuck with asingle arm in recentyears though, led by Ducati. When the 916 appeared back in 1994, one of the biggest chassis mods from previous superbikes was agiant cast aluminium mono-arm. Ducati stuck with the 916-based design for a decade, beforegoingtoadual-sided arm on the999.Itwas abetter bike, but even its best friend would agree it was far less pretty.WhenDucati went back to amoreconventionally attractive design with the 1098, it also went back to asingle-sided arm and has stuck with that –untilnow That’sbecause for 2025, Ducati has dropped the mono-arm on its premium Panigale V4 superbike. The double-sided replacementunit is gorgeous –massive lightening cut-outs, slim aluminiumbeams, neat chain adjuster.But it’snot asinglesider.Good news for the mass, and the chassis engineers, whonow have one less headachetocope with.But as with the squirrels, we’remaybe all just alittle sad that thepretty, unusual oneisbecomingabit rarer once again

Buyingaused…

KAWASAKI ZZR1400

If you want serious performance, you need aZZR...

Words: JonUrry Photos: Mortons

Thereisanold adage that goes, ‘Thereisnoreplacementfor displacement’ –astatement that rings very true when it comes to Kawasaki’smind-bending hyperbike, the ZZR1400. Although when the supercharged H2 SX was launched in 2018 the aging ZZR fell out of favour and was subsequently dropped from the firm’smodel range as it didn’t meet Euro5 requirements, aflashy forced air induction system on a litreenginecan only getyou so far in terms of smooth torque. Nope, if you want the ultimate gruntmonster that delivers mountainlevelling amounts of mid-range in an ultra-smooth fashion, there

is only one way to getit– buy abig capacity hyperbike. If this appeals, andyou want it to also contain aload ofmoderntech, then theZZR is by far and away your best option. Initially launchedin2006, the first generationofZZR1400 is abit forgettable as although it is (predictably...) very fast, it is also very much old-school in its approach andlacks the modern electronic systems. And it is this factthat sets the ZZR aside from its main rival, the Hayabusa, as where Suzuki basically stood still with its hyperbike’sdevelopment, Kawasaki actually allowed the ZZR to evolve. Okay,this wrong

has nowbeen rectified, but you need to spend £17,999 on anew or £15,000 on aused currentgeneration Busa to gain traction control, wherejust £6000 will getyou aZZR with this on it. If youare acanny used bike buyer,that’sabit of ano-brainer decision...

If youhave never ridden ahyperbike before,initial impressions of the ZZR can make it seem abit unappealing.There is no denying its look is atouch dull and its sheer size is also quite intimidating. Tipping the scales at 265kg, the Kawasaki is abig old bus and despite areassuringly lowseat height of 800mm, pulling

it up and offits side-standdoes take effort. But this weighthas its benefits, somethingyou notice as soon as you get properly rolling. Once out of town,where admittedly the Kawasaki can feel abit top-heavy and ponderous, the ZZR’sweight really starts to play into its hands. Absolutely rock-solid at all speeds (even 186mph) in astraightline, aim the ZZR at aset of sweeping bends and although notthe fastest turning it is incredibly solid and sure-footed. Its bulk means it’sno scratcher,but if you ride mainly on A-roads it is an absolute joy and its stable chassis gives you bags of feedback andconfidence.

Although the Performance Sport model comes with an Öhlins shock, thestock bike’sunitisfully adjustable so the benefits in terms of handling arefairly minimal. However,the fact theÖhlins unit is fully rebuildable where the stock one isn’tshould be a consideration for used buyers. A replacementshock will be in the region of £500-£700 for aquality one wheregetting the Öhlins item refreshed will be closer to £250. As the miles click past (very quickly if you want) it is hardnot to be impressed by theplushness of the ZZR. Not only is the suspension set for comfort, also the seat is beautifully squishy

Other things to know…

Model updates

Although the ZZR1400 hasbeen around since2006, the 1441cc bikes areradically different to the early 1352cc model. Launched in 2012, this bigger capacity and moretech-heavy generation was only updatedin 2016 with small engine and ECU mods to allow it to pass Euro4 and anew dash, so nothing to really to write home about

Performance Sport editions

The Performance Sportvariant first arrived in 2014 and features an Öhlins shock and road-legal Akrapovicexhaust end cans. In 2016itreceived the same Euro4-pleasing updates as the base ZZR1400, but the Sport also gained braided brakeand clutch linesand newBrembo M50caliperswitharadial master cylinder to sitalongside the Akraexhaustsand Öhlins shock. ASport will setyou back

£500-1000morethan abase bike.

Servicing

The ZZR1400’sclever monocoque chassis makes servicing an absolute nightmare, especially when youare talking abig one,asthereisnext to no room. Getting the plugsout (every 7500 miles) is tricky,but the valve clearances (15,000 miles) is aright fight thatwillset you back about £800. Always check abike’s service history as although the engine is understressed, these checks do need to be performed at the required intervals to ensurereliability.

Variations

Kawasaki did like to give owners options with the ZZR and aside from the Performance Sport, which is aseparate model in its ownright, therewere also Performance editions. The Performancejust gains Akrapovic exhausts from the parts and accessories catalogue (the same asonthe Sport) and

2012 BMW K1300S

Private: £7400 Dealer: £8000

ataller screen, pillion seat cover and tank pad.

Brakes

Althoughthe Performance Sport model comes with Brembo calipers (on later models) and braided lines wherethe stock model has Nissin units and rubber lines, they suffer from the same issues on used bikes. As the ZZR is both heavy and fast, the discs tend to wear out and so do the pads. Check both have plenty of meat left on them as new OE discs are£279 each from Kawasaki.Ifyou are buying astock model,consider uprating the brake lines to braided units forsafety

Corrosion

Alot of ZZR owners take their bike touring and that means being ridden in all conditions. As aresult,corrosion can be a bit of an issue, especially on the radiator. Always check this area well for any signs of leaks as a new unit is £795 from Kawasaki! Don’tjust assume all is well

behind the fairing, get on your hands and knees and with a torch give it agood inspection as rust can set in wherewater is trapped.

Cam chain tensioner

The ZZR’scam chain tensioner is always abit noisy when first starting the bike. However,if the rattle persists then be abit concerned as that isn’t normal. It may just need anew tensioner or theremay be somethingabit moreuntoward...

Accessories

Afair few ZZRs come with a top boxfitterorpanniers, which is goodtosee, and alot also have ataller screen as theOE unit is quite short. Heated grips arecommon (Kawasaki did sell aftermarket ones) and also replacementexhausts and a (very helpful) centrestand. Afew owners fit items to remove the speed restriction (a TRE or via an ECUremap)but these are rareand for road riders, abit of awaste of time.

Introduced in 2009, the K1300S hasanadvanced electronics package but is a little too touring-orientated to be fun. Fast, just lacking a ‘wow factor’ Engine: 1298cc, l/c, 16v inline four

Power: 163bhp@ 9250rpm Torque: 131Nm @8000rpm

2013 Suzuki Hayabusa

Private: £6499 Dealer: £7200

The Busa has outlived the ZZR and despite being far moreanalogue, is still an amazing machine. ABS arrived in 2013 alongside uprated Brembo brakes Engine: 1340cc, l/c, 16v inline four

Power: 178bhp @9600rpm Torque: 143Nm @7000rpm

2008 Honda Blackbird

Private: £3600 Dealer: £4200

The choice of thespeed junky who also wants refinement and alow price tag, the Blackbirdisold but abrilliant sports tourer with excellent build quality andreliability Engine: 1137cc, l/c, 16v inline four

Power: 139bhp @9300rpm Torque: 115Nm @7100rpm

and the riding position sporty without being over the top. It’s a great bike for devouring miles on and even pillions arefairly well catered for.And amajor factor in this overall feeling of ease is the astounding motor

Able to pull top gear from as little as 3000rpm, the inline four is just one huge turbine-like

producer of torque that is notonly blisteringly fast but also incredibly flexible. Thanks tothe genuine 148Nm on tap, gear changes are kept to aminimum and once you areover 30mph, it is effectively a big twist-and-go. And abloody fast one at that!

Youreallydoneed to treat the ZZR’sthrottle with respect. Not so

much due to the outright poweras the traction control system is pretty good, but moredown to the fact the speeds creep up imperceptibly as the motor is so smooth andthat makes being caught doing silly velocities avery real possibility

To be fair,this is always an issue with ahyperbike but wherethe H2 SX has afew dips andpeaks in

its power delivery that give youan indication of whereyou areat, the ZZR’soutput is just so smooth you never really get this help –officer Thereisnodenyingthat owing aZZR1400 requires ahighdegree of restraint but if you areafter a bike for touring Europe on it is a great option.Sitting at constant motorway speeds is effortless

(maybe go via an autobahn to allow it to stretch it legs...), overtakes requiresimply asmall extra application of throttle, and once you reach the twisty roads, the chassis is morethan up for abit of fun. Fast, versatile, and reliable, the Kawasaki ZZR1400 is one heck of aused bike for avery reasonable amount of money

YOU’VEBEEN FRAMED

WORDS: Steve Cooper PHOTOS: Mortons Archive

The best-laid plans of mice and men –things went alittle sideways forYamahaatthe start of the 1993 season and didn’tend well either With everyone pretty muchhappy with the revised big bang motors, the factory decided to focus on the chassis. Using extruded alloy sections rather than the previous welded and fabricated Deltabox, the new set up should have resulted in a perfect marriage of running gear and power unit. However,itdidn’twork out that way due to thesignificantly increased rigidity of the arrangement, meaning riders were suffering from adramatic lackoffeedback.

Luca Cadalora in particular struggled and evenhis Marlboro Team Roberts partner Wayne Rainey didn’tfind the 0WF2the easiest thing to ride.

Revisions wererolledout in time for the JapaneseGP, allowing the American to make the best of the situation in aseason wherehe andfellow countrymanSchwantzona Suzuki werefighting tooth and nail most of the time. Anew framewas tried at Assenatextremely short notice, but Rainey persisted with the ‘Mk.2’ metalworkfor the race,coming in fifth.With GPs at two-weeklyintervals, there simply wasn’tthe time or resources to get Yamaha’srace team back in Japan to build, test, and ship revised chassisback to Europe for the next GP

The Assen prototype frame had been built by Serge Rosset’sROC firm and

based heavily aroundthe 1991 0WC1, and on shakedown it proved to be agodsend. Afirst at Catalunya followedbya thirdat San Remo saw Rainey take backcontrol now that the back end of the bike wasno longer breaking away.AtDonington, Mick Doohan skittled Alex Barros and Kevin Schwantz off, allowing Yamaha to take a1-2 with Cadalorafinally mastering the 500 to takethe win. Things werelooking good at lastfor Yamaha with another 1-2 (Rainey then Cadalora) at the Czech GP,but the Italian GP at Misano cast a shadow over the entirepadlock for the rest of the season.

Acombination of latebraking anda minor problem with the Tarmac saw Rainey crash out.What looked like a ‘normal racing crash’ was complicated

by agravel trap that beenbuilt morewith race cars than motorcycle riders in mind. Wayne Rainey’sspine was broken, andhe would never walk again.

Could the American have won the championship? Almostcertainly,given how the ROC chassishad proved to be so effective and even moresogive Rainey was still second at the end of the season to Schwantz –248 to 214 points. Luca Cadalora carried the flag, managing to gain fifth in the overall results.

With the 1994 season just around the corner,Yamaha was going to finditan uphill struggle without its top man.

The VJMC;run by motorcyclistsfor motorcyclists www.vjmc.com 01454 501310 Office hoursMon-Thu10am- 4pm 01454 501310

CLASSIFIEDS

For Sale

BMW G310R 2022 (72) white/ blue/red, showroom condition, 3300 miles, BMW warranty till September 2025,full BMW service history, 2keys, service and owners manual, datatag, fly screen, rear hugger, assist/slipper clutch, USD forks, electronic throttlecontroller, always garaged, fine/dry use only,cash on collection only, £2950. Tel. 01513 345927. Wirral.

BRIDGESTONE 100 Sport,1968, needs new piston and barrel replating, over £1000 spent on new parts, ie new wheels, tyres, tubes, wire harness plus other spares seal for oil pumpand carbs, crank pin also the seat has been recovered selling can’t finish the work contact for more details on, £1100. Tel. 07929 747650.

BSA Bantam B175, 1970, 175cc, 4speed, original green log book, V5C, on Sorn, matching engine, frame numbers everything works, £2750 Tel. 01268 735135. Essex.

BSA BB32A, 1955, presented in Gold Star trim, tank, silencer, brakes, stainless mudguards, chrome Hagon shocks, new battery, rear tyre, dating certificate, photos, V5C, sold as aproject, free delivery arranged, £4450 Tel. 01723 372219. Yorkshire.

BSA Golden Flash, 1960, black, 650cc twin, very original with enclosed chaincase, airfilter housing, new battery, photos, V5C, running well, ready toride, free delivery arranged, £4950 Tel. 01723 372219. Yorkshire

BSA Shooting Star, 1958, metallicgreen,wellpresented, 500cc twin, Akront alloys, Avons, new battery, Craven panniers, topbox, photos, V5C,very genuine, running well, from my private collection, free delivery arranged, £5750 Tel. 01723 372219. Yorkshire.

CLASSIC Japanese bikes allin need of some work, Yamaha XS650SE; Kawasaki Z1000 Ltd, £2500;Honda CBR1000,1995, £800, no offers, all V5Cs available Tel. 07474128407.Email. sprudence1900@gmail.com

HONDA CB250N, 1981, 86,000 miles, black, lots of work done butneeds finishing,beendry store for last 10 years, easy winter project, £700 ono Tel. 07391 048529. Herefordshire.

HONDA XBR500, 1986, exchange for 125/250 4stroke, trail bike worth about, £2500 must be four stroke cash waiting, adjustment either way, has new MoT Tel. Peter 01959 577788.

HONDA CG125, 1996 Brazil, scruffy but reliable, 32,000 miles, owned since 2005, regularly serviced with history, new chain and sprockets 2000 miles ago, will have 12 months MoT, ride or renovate, £550. Wolverhampton.Email. paul_ aesuk@yahoo.com

HARLEY-DAVIDSON 1996,FXD

DynaSuper Glide, only done 9072 miles, recentnew tyres and battery, £5750 ono, might deal for British bike Tel. 07866 909192. Leeds.

KTM Adventure 1190R, 2014, oneowner from new, 57,700 miles, vgcwith good service history, KTM panniers, Akrapovic,spots, heatedgrips, power parts seat, radiator protector, full engine protection, alloriginalfittings included, recentfront tyre,chain and sprockets, battery, £3250 Tel. 07815 186070. North Yorkshire.

MOTO GUZZI V650 Special, 1992, my bike from new, 20,000 miles, rebuilt as CafeSport, newbattery,tyres, alloy rims, stainless spokes +exhaust, single and dual seats Tel. 01313 332725. Edinburgh.

KAWASAKI ZRX1200S, 2004, MoT May 2025, 38,000 miles, nice clean bike, Beowulf exhaust,engine crash bars, double bubble screen, regularly serviced, new bike forces sale, £2500. Tel. 07940 836997. Northants. Email. loasby19@ hotmail.com

LAVERDA RGS 1000, virtually as new, engine block rebored and new liners and head unit reconditioned carbs areKeihin from Laverda Scotia, new Jota thickened exhausts, tank has been extensively renovated and resprayed Speedo tacho unit new, lovelybike, £8000Tel. 07899985770.Exeter. Email john998@icloud.com

NORTON Dominator 99, 1973, wideline 600cc, twin silver/ black, new front rim, new tyres, silencers, battery, V5C, light recommission required, free delivery arranged, £4450 Tel. 01723 372219. Yorkshire.

READY made Italian collection for sale, Benelli Tornedo TRE900, green/silver. Gilera CX125, blue. Morini Dart blue/white, £10,000 the lot Tel. 01707 870769. Herts. SUZUKI GS125, 1991, red, very good condition, miniature Katana, 10,800 miles, cruiser, £1250 possible p/x Tel. 07880 868316.

PIAGGIO Vespa, 2011, 124cc, 2 owners, full servicehistory, blue, runs smooth and fast, ready to go, twist, and go ride, readyto collect, one bump on the side is covered by stickers, givingit amore colourful characteristic vibe, fun little Vespa, £1600 Tel. 07555 149178. Email. Kayleypearman@gmail.com

ROYAL ENFIELD 1964, 250cc Olympic, no skirt, otherwise complete, roadworthy, used regularly, starts and runs well, decent tyres, ride or restore, contact for photos, £1600ovno Email. Badger491@outlook.com

ROYAL ENFIELD Crusader, 1962, red/black, immaculate paintwork, new parts include chrome Hagons, tyres, seat, speedo, lightweight, 250cc single cylinder, easy to manoeuvre, photos, V5C, from my private collection, free delivery, £2950 Tel. 01723 372219. Yorkshire. YAMAHA NMax, 2022, as new condition, 165 miles on clock, mirror extenders, pearl/white £2900. Tel. 07805 617964. Wolverhampton. Email. susan. athersmith@sky.com

SUZUKI TS250 Savage 1973 US import now UK registered, Dream Machine recently painted in Sunset Orange fantasticjob, all chrome work carried out new exhaust seals, new Moto Batt battery regulator new gear selector great looking bike, no t&t required, £3600 ovno Tel. 07342 980505. Kent. SWM Silver Vase 440, 445cc, 5speed single,finishedin classic orange and silver ‘Steve McQueen Husqvarna’ colour scheme, low mileage, very good condition, MoT to March 2025, £2650 ono Tel. 07910 285178. Milton Keynes. Email. blandfamily@sky.com

SUZUKI Burgman, 2021, 71 reg, Euro 5Lez compliant showroom condition, 400cc, maxi scooter, garaged, no winter use, 4600 miles, box included, MoT July 2025, grey, blue wheels, big comfy reliable scooter £3999. Tel. 07784 499299. Yorkshire. SYM Crui sym, 2024, 300cc, grey gloss paintwork, 400 miles, showroom condition, new Sym forces sale, 24 reg, great reliable maxi scooter, automatic Euro 5100 mpg, garaged, FSH, big, storage, £3699. Tel. 07784 499299. Yorkshire.

TRIUMPH Tiger Cub, 200cc 1957, excellent conditionwith lots of spares, all originaland running, £2500. Tel. 07930 012038. Warwickshire.Email. jenhibberd245@gmail.com

TRIUMPH Rocket Roadster 2300cc, excellent condition, exceptional special paint job, owned for 10 years absolutely no issues ever, spare pipes and seat, £6000. Tel. 07930 012038. Warwickshire.Email. jenhibberd245@gmail.com

YAMAHA MT-07 showroom condition, immaculate, this is genuinely agreat bike, just had the 600 mile service done on 11/11/2024, only selling due to work commitments overseas and it will be in the garage for over 2years, £5800 Tel. 07359 763857. Email. andrew86cory@ aol.co.uk

YAMAHA NMax,2022, as new condition, 165 miles on clock, mirror extenders, pearl/white £2900. Tel. 07805 617964. Wolverhampton. Email. susan. athersmith@sky.com

Parts For Sale

ACCUMULATION of Triumph, BSA, BMW, Guzzi, Cagiva, Marston Sunbeam parts etc, also Dexion and cubbyhole shelving, offers invited Tel. John 07833 906288.

BSA Bantam gear change lever, £10. Eversure carramps,one owner, no damage,£20.Pitmans Book of the Royal Enfield, 194658, slightly tatty readable, £5 Tel. 01299 266565. Worcs.

DUNLOP tyre levers for sale 4at 7”, 3at9”, 1at6”plus 1Melco 9”, £45 phone for more details can post if required Tel.07929 747650.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON Sport Glide oem 2into 1exhaust system, 60 miles on it, excellent condition, £100. Also have original low rider ST system for sale, £200 Tel. 07402 989970.

KAWASAKI KLX250, 2016, Supermoto wheels 2.50x17 front, 3.50x17 rear adonised gold +discs andsprocket,+ standard rims £450. ono Tel. 01226 297119. South Yorkshire. TRIUMPH Thunderbird 900, Peashooter rear silencers, brand new stock, original box and packaging superb for concours or museum, quality restoration, £1000 +£30 p&p, also fits Legend. Owners Manual, £40 Tel. 07434 513161. Lancashire.

Wanted

CLASSIC bike, will consider anything British or Jap, good prices paid, any condition Tel. Mark 07908 623649. Email. kelsm86@icloud.com

HONDA CD175, 1973, wanted service repair manual and various parts Tel. 07464 346931. Worcs.

WANTED Campervan, any model, lookingfor acheap model, age andcondition reasonable, wanted for aproject to occupymyselfoverwinter Tel. 01790 512582. Shropshire.

Miscellaneous

BRENDERUP double/single motorcycle trailer, which can be configured to carry asingle or two motorcycles, in good used condition, complete withloading ramp, £499. Cornwall. Email. glennnomadrider@icloud.com