MoreBikes March issue **FREE**

Bringing YOU the BEST of biking MARCH 2025 # 224

STUNG BYTHE HORNET

Whywe’reraving aboutHonda’snew, naughtynaked

STROKEROF GENIUS

Arewein storefor amodernday2-stroke forthemasses?

A DATE IN THEDESERT:PART 1

Searchingfor adventureintheSahara

USED ICON: SUZUKI TL1000R

Essentialbuyingguideknowledge

INSIDE THIS MONTH

STUNG

SUPERSPORTSAVIOUR

Exploring the virtues of the

ylocal track, Cadwell Park, had its firsttrackday of the year this weekend. For context, I’m writing this in mid-February and the temp’saround 5-10 degrees. It’s fresh, youcould say,but it didn’tstopa solid number of people turning up and going full throttle fortheir first fix of the year.While some look to the snowdrops and daffodils forthe early signs of spring, hearing bikes is allthe cue Ineed to start getting excited about the seasonahead. One big goal of mine is to ride more miles

on afew bikes Iown, startingoff with getting them serviced andMOT’d. It’sthe same process every year butthatkind of task somehow manages to sneak up and catch me out… meaningit’soften mid-year beforeI’m on top of thechores. Why?Well,thereare so manyother bikes to test at thispoint in time, meaningmy own stuffgets pushed back, whether I like it ornot.Weare nowinthe thick of launch season, getting to grips with the latest and greatest offerings that 2025 has on offer.One bike that seems to have

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MODERN-DAY STROKER?

Wishful thinking or are we about to clap eyes on anew and exciting twostoke for the masses?V3 motor… and where it’slikely to end up

really caught people by surprise is the Honda Hornet, which hasimpressed from ariding perspective, as well as its pricing. Perhaps Honda’spulled areal blinder with that one, but I’ll let you be the judge. Make sure to check outthis issue’sreview of it, and if you’reoff to test ride one, let us know what you make of it. Or any of the new 2025 models, for that matter bwilson@mortons.co.uk

Triumph’scontinued need for Speed…

Words: Alan Dowds

The Speed Triple first appearedin 1991, and just afew years later the rebornTriumphbrand sold its first Speed Triple –athree-cylinder naked roadster with bulldog breed spirit and punchy performance, first produced in 750 and 900 formats. It took its name from theold Speed Twin models of the pre-war period and took its engine and chassis from the ‘modular’range of bikesthatthe Hinckley factory launched with.

The three- and four-cylinder engines in that initial model range borrowed engineering cues from 1980s Kawasaki powerplants, and weredesigned so thatcommon rods, 76mm pistons, valves,cranksand casescould be mixed and matched to make arange of capacities in short 55mm and long 65mm stroke formats, from the 750 triple to a 1200four,with 900s and 1000s in between.

The modular range worked well overall,but the900 Speed Triple was one of the bestofthe bunch, andthe 750Triple soon was dropped. The 885cc12-valveDOHC motorwas strong and grunty,the streetfighter design was on-trend for thetimes,and it actually handledwell, too. It swept aside the competition–tame nonsense like the Kawasaki Zephyr 750 andHonda CB750 –and arguably created the classthat saw thelikes of the Suzuki Bandit 1200 –the factory performance supernakedbike.

Over the three decades since,the Speed Triple has been transformed from aparts-bin naked, built from cast-off sportsbike parts, into one of the firm’s highest performance machines. It gainedanaluminium frame, single-sided swingarm and modernfuel-injectedengine parts fromthe Daytona 955i superbike atthe endofthe 1990s, whenthe first bug-eyedtwin headlamps also appeared. Through the 2000s power,capacity and capability soared, beforea full redesign with anew chassis and powerplant for the 2010s. And now,for 2025, it’sa full-on 1200 super-naked design, with the most powerful engine ever built by the Triumph factory –asolid 180.5bhp,with semi-active suspension and track-ready rider aids. But it’sstill recognisably a

Speed Triple with that single-sided swingarm, apairof insectoid headlamps and the trademark three-cylinder motor hanging from the aluminium tubular-style frame.

What’sthe big news forthis latest Triple then? Well, the mods on the 1160cc12-valve DOHCtriple engine arefairly minimal –intake and exhaust tweaks, giving it afew more peak ponies than last year and enoughtolift it to 180.5bhp @10,750rpm with 128Nmoftorque at 8750rpm. Those are goodnumbers –but aresome way offthe ultimate loony supernakeds, the 210bhp BMW M1000 Rand 214bhp Ducati Streetfighter V4S.

Still, a180bhp naked bike is far from adull thing, even in 2025, and Triumph’sgivenita chassisand electronics packagetohelp getthe most out of it. The bigchassis update is the suspension,which nowhas the Öhlins Smart EC3.0 ECU, with an ‘objective-based’ interface. That means instead of just amatrixofnumbers to adjust, youget parameters like ‘firmness’,‘brakesupport’or ‘accelerationsupport’ to tweak instead, making amore user-friendly set up. Thenew semi-active control set up looks after the fully adjustable43mm USD front fork and rear monoshock with compression/rebound adjustment, and there’salso anew steering damper fitment to calm down the front end.

Triumph’sextended the rider aids package for2025, too,soyou nowget four-level adjustablewheelie control, independent of the cornering traction, plus anew brake slide control function for use on track, which gives more rear wheel lift and adegreeoffront end slip to push that bit harder on circuit. Cornering ABS, engine brake control, five power modes and keyless ignition/fuel cap/steering lock, plus Bluetooth phone link, cruise control and an up/down quickshifter all round offthe technology nicely.

New,lighter wheels come shodwiththe finest Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP V3 supersport tyres, the wet weight is now 199kg,and there’sa load of new accessories, including an Akrapovic titanium silencer.Price is asolid £17,495 and it’ll be in dealers in April.

Cruiser corner

2025 sees aslew of updates to some coolcruising kit…

Harley-Davidson2025Pan AmericaSTand Road Glide ST CVO

Harley-Davidson released some new model updatesfor 2025, with acouple of eye-catching machines in there First up is the Pan America 1250 ST,a road-focused versionofits giantadventuretourer, witha lower stance, less suspension travel, cast wheels and 17-inchsporttouring tyres in place of the on/offroad kitfitted to the standard bike.

The engine remains the same 1252cc 60° V-twin DOHC Revolution Max unit, making asolid 149bhp,and it now comes with a47mm USDfront fork and rear monoshockwith electronic preload adjustment, both by Showa. It comeswith aquickshifterasstandard, weighs in at achunky-but-notoutlandish 246kgwet,and is priced to sell at £16,995. At theother end of the scale is this, the 2025 HarleyDavidson Road Glide ST CVO (Custom Vehicle Operations) factory special. It’sbasedaround the bikeusedbyHarley in theKing of the Baggers AMA raceseries, so has the most powerfulfactory H-Dengine ever: atuned 1980cc Milwaukee Eight 121 H.O. engine making 127bhp. It’salso loaded with carbon fibre bodywork– though still somehowweighsinat380kg.A frontend withtwin Brembo monobloc radial calipers, fully adjustable Showa USD 47mm front forks, and Showaremote reservoir twin rear shocks round offthe madspeclist. What’seven crazier is the price though: £41,495.

Indian releases newengine for2025big twin range

The other American big V-twin bike maker, Indian,also has been working on the upgrades. For 2025, it’sgot anew engine, theliquid-cooled 112CI (1834cc)PowerPlus, which puts out adecent126bhp and 181.4Nm of torque and is based on the King of the Baggers race bikemotor.It’s fitted to the new Chieftain and Roadmaster models, both of which areupgraded for 2025 with moreperformance ridingaids and touring kit.

The air-cooled range also getssome tweaks, with the 1890Thunderstroke engine powering the newSport Chief RT and Super Chief DarkHorse.The RT comes with lockinghardluggage, comfortdual seat andPowerBand AudioBluetooth speakeraccessory,while the Dark Horse comes with asuper-blackfinish usingpremium gloss paint. Moreinfo on the Indian website

BMWR18 refreshed–but no R20S,yet

BMW’senormous R18 mega-boxers have had some very minortweaks, aimed at meeting the tighter Euro 5+ emissions rules. So,the 1802cc air-cooled flattwin motor hasa new ECU, which keeps power the same at 91bhp, but adds an extra 5Nm of torque. The new engine is shared amongst the range: the R18 Classic

cruiser,Transcontinental mega-tourer,B bagger and Roctane chopper.There’salso aload of small chassis and equipmentchanges, aimingatimproving handling and comfort. No sign as yet, though, of theR20 S sporty roadster behemoth we’redesperate to see from them, which appeared as aconcept last year

Royal Enfield Classic 350

Royal Enfield’ssmall-bore350 singles have been selling likehot chapatis since they launched afew years back.But with competition from Triumph’s400 singles and the new Honda GB350 S, the Indian firm may have to up itsgame. It’s started here, with an updated Classic 350, thatgets LED lights, disc rear brake, dual ABS, gear indicator and USB-C socket.It’s still quiteslow with20bhp, and still quite cheap, at £4459 new

offer Garmin radar

On-boardradar equipment has been available on some of the fancier bikes for afew years now.And now aftermarket electronics specialistGarmin has developed an aftermarket add-on rearfacing radarset up to addthe safety tech to older bikes

The new Zumo-R1 radarunit provides warning lights on your dash covering your rear blindspotareas, warning if another vehicle is getting too close.You can even linkittoa smartphoneapp, or suitable

Garmin Zumo sat-nav unit for aheads-up radar display showing vehicles behind you. Youalso get audio warnings through alinked Bluetooth headset, and optional rear and side-facing lights make you morevisible to other vehicles, too.

The discreet R1 radar unit mounts unobtrusively on therear mudguard, andcomes with the handlebar-mounted warning lights, and phone link app. It costs £519.99. Moreinfo at www garmin.com

Suzuki

zero per cent

The season is onlyjustkicking off, and the bikefirms arepushing hard for sales already.It’sa buyer’smarket out there, as evidenced by deals like this from Suzuki GB. The brand’s offering 0% finance forfour years across anumber of models, on either PCP or HP,with a minimum deposit

of £1000, and runs until the end of March 2025.

The deal covers the GSX-S1000 family,including the GX and GSXS1000GT,aswell as the naked GSX-S1000 roadster and the Katana. It’salso available on the V-Strom 1050 and 1050DE and Tour versions, as the GSX1300 RHayabusa.

Planet Orange

KTM 390 Adventure

The trend for ever-biggeradventurebikeshas us scratching our heads sometimes. Okay,ifyou’re going on amonth-long jaunt across Europe two-up with luggage for four strapped on, a150-200bhp, 250kg tourer-on-stilts makes alot of sense.But if you actually want to do any off-road antics, smaller and lighter is almost always the waytogo. Hence the success of frankly tiny machinery likethe Honda CRF300 Rally or Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 –both very slow,but much easiertohandle in mud or sand than the 1200ccgiants.

KTM’sbeen in on this action, too, though it took a while to catch on. Its 390 Adventurefirstappeared in 2020 and was abig hit,withsolid performance, up towards thelimits of the A2 licence limitswith 43bhpand 158kg dry.Nimble handling, decent equipment levels and sharp styling lifted it above less-accomplished competition,and it’s carvedout aneatlittlenichefor itself in the market

Five yearsonthen, theAustrian firmhas expandedand updatedthe 390Adventure offering, with two models in the range:a moredirt-focused AdventureR,and acheaper, morebasic roadbiased AdventureX

TheXhas cast aluminiumwheels,witha19inch front and17-inch rear rim, andeither Apollo Tramplr XR or MRF Meteor road-focused tyres. The WP APEX suspension hasless travel,with unadjustable 43mm USD front forks and apreloadonly adjustable rear shock. Add in afixed front brakediscinstead of afloating unit, andthat’sthe mainchassis differences between the Xand R. The R, as you’d expect,getsproper wire-spoked rims with a21-inch frontand 18-inch rear and dirt-capable Mitas Enduro Trail E07+ rubber, plus longer travel suspension. The WP APEXkit has solid spec:a43mmopencartridge USD forkswith 230mm of travel, adjustablefor compression and rebound in 30 click steps, and aSeparate Piston rear shock, also with 230mm of travel plus both preload and rebound adjustment.The front disc is afloating design and uses the same twin-piston floating caliper as the Xmodel.

The two variants use the same engine:a mildly tweaked version of the excellent 399ccDOHC 4v l/c LC4c unit, now Euro5+emissions compliant The cylinder head has beenredesigned,with revised cooling system and athermostathoused directly into the head, while intake and exhaust mods, plus anew double catalyst,clean things up while keeping power about the same as last year: 44bhp claimed. All-up weight is 165kg, without fuel, but otherwise ready toride, so alittle heavier than the old bike

The other main difference between the Xand R is the dash: the Rhas afancy colour LCDTFT,the Xgets acheaper mono display.Bothwork with new switchgear to operate the respective rider aids package, and again the Rhas fancier kit, with an IMU-assisted ECUfor cornering traction control and ABS functions. Both bikes have rider power modes: Off-road, Street and Rain, and the tractioncontrol can be turned offcompletely for use on the dirt. There’s new LED lighting all round, Bluetooth phone link forcalls, music, messaging and navigation, and there’realso options for cruise control, and an up/down quickshifter unit. The new 2025 KTM390 Adventurerangewill arrive in showrooms throughoutthe year -the Rvariant hitting dealers in late March, with the Xvariant following in the autumn. UK pricing is £5,399 for the Xand £6,699 forthe R.

•KTM’salso released abrace of moreserious 390 machineryusing the same LC4c engine as the Adventure. The 390 SMC Risa full-on supermoto with 17-inch wheels, sticky rubber, and a320mm front brake disc, priced at £5699. And the 390 Enduro Rgives aseriousendurooption with 21-inch front wheel,minimalist dirtbike kit and the same £5699 rrp.

KTM 125s

Down in thesmaller eighth-litreclass, KTM’sbeen hardatwork with two newhardcorelearner-legal variants. The125 SMC Rand EnduroR aresimilar to the 390 models, with the same basic set up: 17-inch rims, sticky tyres andstronger brakes on the supermoto SMC, andserious dirt wheels and rubber for the Enduro.Theyalso sharethe 125cc versionofthe LC4c engine, makingthe maximum 15bhp/11kW allowed, which hassimilar Euro5+ updates as the390 motor for this year.Both models cost £4899 andare on sale now.

KTM 790 Duke

Finally –the orange brand has given the 790Dukea bit of aspruce-up for 2025. The mental middleweight hoonigan machine gets anew five-inch TFT dashboardwith access to KTM’sDemo Mode, a telemetry screen and six-setting Anti-wheelie Mode. There’salso all-new backlit switchgear,and the firm’s added afour-year manufacturer’swarranty. It will cost £7999 and is in the shops now

KTM finance story

The situation at KTM and parent firm Pierer Mobility is afast-changing one, and by the time you read this things may look very different. As we went to press, though, therewas some solid news, which seemed positive on the face of it for the futureofthe orange brand. The CEO, Stefan Pierer,left the firm in late January,seen as part of the necessary changes to restructuremassive debts. At the same time, it was announced that the previous owners of MV Agusta, the Sardarov family,had taken back control, and now owns the 50.1 per cent shareholding which Pierer Mobility bought just lastMay.The Russian family now owns the entireVarese brand once again, through its Art of Mobility company

SHARK

offers the bestofboth worlds

For 2025, SHARK has launched the brand-new OXO helmet, but what’sitall about?

The latest announcementto come from the SHARK stable is its first ECE22.06 dual-homologated helmet,the OXO, deliveringthe ultimate versatilityfor thoseriderswantingall the benefits of afulland open-facedhelmet while they’reout and aboutontheir travels

What arethe biggest challenges of making adual-homologated helmet?

Firstly -and most obviously -the helmet must fulfil certification requirements in both full-face and jet positions, which is no mean feat in itself. Not only must they pass the certification, but also the helmet must keepthe same level of comfort, design and balance as much as possible in both positions, as it will be used most of

Knownfor its innovation, it’s no surprisethatSHARK launchedthe firstever dual-homologated lid back in 2011 with its ‘Evo’family so extrapointsto helmet aficionados for thinkingitlooks slightly familiar -but you’dbewrong for thinking it’s the same

the time in open or closed positions depending on the rider’suse. What changes have been madeto the OXO since the ‘EVO’ serieswas launched?

Thereare awholehostofchanges fromthe EVO platformtothe OXO. Most noticeableisthe helmet’s styling.Byusing current dynamic designcodesvisible on other Shark helmets -Skwal i3 and Spartan GT Pro -the EVO is unmistakably SHARK.

transitions betweenmodes and locks the chin guardintothe open position for peace of mind and security

Constructed with high-impact Lexan polycarbonate, the OXOoffers exceptional shock absorption -even under extreme temperatures ranging from -10°C to +50°C -sorestassured wherever youchoosetoride,you’re covered. Talkingoftemperatures, thereare twoadjustable air intakes with full or partialopeningoptions, even with gloveson.

CUSTOMISED FOR YOU

When you’reacompany that has sold millions of helmets worldwide, you’ll knowthatfitisanextremely importantfactor,soSHARKis offeringcheek pads in avariety of thicknessesasanoption with the OXO -acknowledgingthe reality that we all have differentshapedheads! Following acampaignofanatomical 3D head shapescans by the brand, SHARK developed ‘BestFit’bySHARK to contributetowards asecond-skin experience when it comes to fit comfort.

WHAT’S NEW?

The OXObenefits from abrand-new streamlinedshape to reduce drag for peak performance and less neck fatigue. It alsofeaturesSHARK’s‘2 Digit Unlock’mechanism specifically designedtoenable quickand seamless

Simply put, ‘dual homologation’ is the officialway of sayingthat the helmet can legally -and has been tested and passed the necessary certifications -beworn in two different ways. Full face and open face -sometimes called ‘jet’ -are the mostcommon styles chosen. The most recent ECE regulations -that standsfor the Economic Commission for Europe -are ECE 22.06.

of vision of the road ahead,and lockswith acentral tabwhichcan be operated with one hand, even while gloved. There’saninbuilt sun visor,too,whichhas been treated with both anti-scratch and anti-fog coatings for crystal-clear vision, even on those‘lowsun’ rides.There’sa varietyofvisor options to choose from,too,dependingonyourmood or style-includingiridium and tintedoptions.

STAY CONNECTED

There’s achoice of twoshell sizes and sixliner options,too.Talking of liners, the interior is made from recycled fibres usingSHARK’s‘Eco Circle’ technology,and its posh AEGIS anti-bacterialtreatmenthelps keep it fresh on everyride.It’salsowashable for thosewho aresoinclined.

CLEAR VISION

The anti-scratch visor comes with aPinlock 70, offersawidefield

We’ve improved the chin-bar locking system. With bigger components and simplified rotation movement, the chinbar handling from jet to full-face position is even easier to use and there’snow an improved vision field thanks to the bigger visor We also intensified the work regardingthe Intercom integration: the OXO helmet can be equipped with highperformance SENA devices specifically designed for Shark helmets.

SHARK hasreplacedits old ‘SHARKTOOTH’ system and has partnered with Sena to deliver integrated comms systems called ‘Senafor SHARK’.Compatible with the entire 22.06 lineup from SHARK -aside from the all-out-race AeronGP-the units have been designedtomatch thehelmet’s contours. Available in both Mesh and Bluetooth connectivityoptions,the units have 40mm speakers,Advanced NoiseControl, and up to 15 hoursof batterylife

Founded in 1989 by motorcycle enthusiasts, the Teston brothers, SHARK has since soldmorethan 11 millionhelmets in morethan 82 countries around the globe. Based in Marseille, France, the brand is synonymous with racing, safety and cutting-edge innovation. Working with riders in MotoGP such as Johann Zarco, knowledge and technology developed forthe race track filter down the range, such as anti-fog visorcoatings and ventilation systems

OURTOP THIS MONTH PRODUCTS

Words: Alan Dowds

1

RRP: £640 www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk

If you ride aBMW M1000R or RRand want amatching lid, then the Munich massive has just the thing. BMW’sown MPro Race helmet is atop-end, full-face sporty design, with adjustable inner padding for perfect fit,carbon-fibre/ aramid/fibreglass outer shell, aero spoiler,and quick-release visor It’soptimised for track use as you’d expect, with aspecially shapedshell to avoid collarbone impacts, and it’s cut hightofitwith race leathersat the back. The spoiler detaches easily in acrashtoreduce twistingforces, while also reducing drag at speed. Loadsofvents, and nowavailable in this new redSprint colourwayfor 2025.

Desert Fox Fuel cell

RRP: £46 (3l) £49 (6l) £55 (20l) www.nippynormans.com

For some reason bikemakers areshrinking fuel tank sizes: 14 litres isn’tunusualnow, and the days of 18- or 19-litre tanks on ‘normal’ bikesseem to have gone. Okay,modern engines arebetter on fuel, but ifyou’rehitting the gashard, consumption goes up, and you’rehuntingfor unleaded after 100 miles or so. Meaning that on longer trips, in the Scottish Highlands or other rural spots it can be apain. Carrying astandardfuel can is one answer,but these Desert Fox fuel cells from Nippy Norman aremuch moresatisfying. They pack flatwhen not in use,and even when full aremucheasier to pack. They come in three-,six- or 20-litresizes, have built-in webbing straps, securing loops, and an extending spout. They’remade witha tough nylon inner bladder inside aCordura outer,sothey’rebuilt to last.

3

RRP: £319.99 www.nevis.uk.com

Shark has plenty of experience with flip-front lids –its EVO models aregreat daily or touring designs. And it’sput all that wisdom into the new OXO helmet. It’saconvertible lid, which is approved as an open-face and full-face helmet with the chinbar in place. TheOXO switches easilybetween open and closed, with the chinbar locking securelyatthe back for open face use –ideal for riding in hotter weather Away from the chinbar, there’sanadvanced visor system with large aperture, central visor locking tab, and aseparate internal sun visor There’retwo adjustableair intakes, awashableliner with emergency removable cheek pads, and an adjustablefitwith alternative internal padding sizes available. Shark has also developed an integrated communication system for the OXO, in association with SENA, availableasan optional extra.

4

Alpinestars AustralGTX boots

RRP: £209.99 www.alpinestars.com

version of Alpinestars’

Gore-Tex Primaloft upper, and a grippy as on

There’s a lace Velcro strap closure system, outer fit. There’s sole shank, ankle

The latest versionofAlpinestars’ shorty riding boot, the Austral has abreathable, waterproof Gore-Tex membrane, Primaloft thermal insulation in the uppe and agrippy rubber sole which is designed forcomfort when walking as well as on the bike. There’salace and Velcrostrap closuresystem, microfibre ou material construction, anda comfortable fit.There’s plenty of protection, too:reinforced soleshank, dual-density ankle protectors, TPU heel counter, and strengthened toebox.

Another urban/touring short riding boot, this time fromTCX. The Naibak is awaterproof design with aT-Dry membrane, and Britishdesigned D3O armour inserts inthe ankle area. There’salso a reinforced ZPlate insert in the sole to reduce twisting in an impact, Ortholite insoles for extra comfort, and aGroundtrax outer sole for good grip on and offthe bike. The CE-approved Naibak also comes in woman-specific fittings, with thinnertoe and heel and ahigher instep for increased comfort and protection.

6 Akrapovic titaniumcrash bars

RRP: £1399

www.performanceparts-ltd.com

Akrapovic has plentyof experience with titanium and carbon fibre,ofcourse: it’s been making sweet, sweet race pipes out of those materials for decades. And now it’sturned that experience to anew product: titanium crash bars, with carbon fibre impactsliders,designed to fit thenew BMW R1300 GS/ Adventure. The bars areTIGwelded from sandblasted 25mm titanium tubingfor super-lightweight (2.8kg, 40 per cent the weight of steel, with the same strength) and great corrosion resistance The carbon-fibreprotection pads are2.5mm thick to give extra structural strength and areeasily swapped after a crash. Akrapovic says the bars don’treduce the lean angle, and fitstoengine and chassis via stock mounting points and machined 10mm fitting flanges.

Oxford Snapjack stand

RRP: £49.99 www.oxfordproducts.com

Handy little prop stand, designed to lift the back wheel offthe deck for chain and wheel cleaning and maintenance without getting the big paddock stand out. Simple adjustable twopiece design with removable locking pins, and antislip foot, you just engage it with the swingarm and push straight, lifting the tyreoff thedeck.

£359.99 New intercom unit from top brand SENA, the 60S has communication tech including WAVE connectivity, There’s a handy builtflashlight, a magnetic mounting system, and customisable It’s updateable over the air with new firmware to future and of course,

New high-end inter mt EN the latest communi inclu and Mesh3.0 co Harman-Kardon speakers, and anew AIbased noise cancelling algorithm. There’sahandy in flashlight,a mag nting system, and custo faceplates. pdateable ir rmwar improve features in futureand is, of course, fully

RRP: £83.94 (alternator), £89.94 (clutch), £65.22 (starter), or £282.95 for the set.

www.gbracing.eu

Fair play to British crash protection firm GB Racing –it’sstill developing products for older bikes, like the 2016-2020 Triumph Speed Triple 1050 models. These engine guards arethe same tech as the FIM-approved race guards used on BSB and WSBK machinery with toughnylon construction and easy fitting. They’re availableasseparate alternator,clutchand starter covers, or as afull set.

RRP: £233.85 www.louis-moto.co.u

The traditional denim jacket is aclassiclook,and you can nowhave one with some decent riding protectionbuilt in. German firmLouis Moto has released this smart (but appallingly named) DL-JM-13 jacket, with tough denim constructionand CE-approved armour in the shoulders and

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?

Stuart Shaw

Yamaha YZF750

The almighty,five-valve per cylinder YZF750.Aniconic sportsbike

Phil

Peter Callister

765

Triumph Daytona Moto2

Here’ssomething you don’t see every day… the limited-edition Moto2 Daytona. Stunning

LynDavies

Triumph Daytona T595

Snapped up for £500 in parts,Lyn rebuilt the Triumph over alongperiod.

Lloyd Hilldrup

Africa Twin Bought ayear ago,Lloyd is abig fanof his 1999 adventure bike

Julian Kent Yamaha RD350 Who doesn’t want an RD in their collection?

James McPake

Suzuki GSX-R750

James’ wife loves his 91 GSX-R almost asmuch as he does

Your Ride

James BMW K1200S

Having fun in the Scottish Bordersonhis last generation 1200S

Gary Gray

Yamaha FZR1000

Gary’scherished FZR. Still looks great, don’t you think?

Diodoro Godinez

Suzuki Katana

There’ssomething so striking about Katanas

Carl Stokes

Suzuki GP100

Youcan almost smell the two-stroke from here.The kind of bike that’s powered alot of youthful memories, undoubtedly

Mel Jenkins Suzuki GS1000

Another super retro shot from Mel Jenkins and his hairy-chested Suzuki GS1000.

Steve Askew

Aprilia Tuono V4

Steve Askew might have aDucati helmet, but that’sdefinitely an Aprilia he’sonhere

Andrew Bickley Suzuki GSX-S1000F

There’sahappy

Naked ambition: HondaHornet

The naked bike sector ismoltenhot right nowand to ensure Honda’s at theforefrontofpeople’s minds,it’sjust unleashed its latest iteration Hornet. Withimpressivetech, great performance and a price-tag to make its rivals weep,you can be sureafair fewofthese are set to sell fast

Words: John McAvoy Pics Honda

With the big ticket ‘Supernaked’ class well and truly occupied by 200bhp fully loaded KTMs, Ducatis, Kawasakis and Aprilias, the trend towardsmore affordable, simpler naked bikes with enough power to entertain is in full swing. Yamaha, Triumph, Ducati, BMW and Kawasakihave been right in the thick of the action, and while Honda have had the CB1000 in their range, it’s never really ticked the ‘Exciting’ box, but now they’ve only gone and given the CB1000 a‘Hornet’ badge, which should meana whole different proposition.

The 2025 CB1000 Hornet, just like the Hornet 900, gets its engine from adiscontinued Fireblade, but this time not from one that’salready out of date. This one comes from the 20172019 Fireblade which has been slightly detuned to 154bhp in the SP version, and 148bhp in the base version. Both figures are bangonthe money forwhere Honda arepitching this bike at £9999 for the SP and £8999 for the base.

Industry rumours suggestthat Honda originally wanted to use the 2008 Fireblade engineasper

the CB1000, but feedback from European dealers was lukewarm to say the least. Honda listened and turned to the next generation Fireblade engine from the 2017 bike, hence the bigdelay between when Honda first mooted the Hornet and it actually appearing That engine had quite modest power figures by superbike standards at the time, but at 189bhp it’scomfortablyinthe ballpark for an affordable naked bike in 2025, especially when getting it from its Euro4 spec to today’sEuro5+spec would also conveniently just happen to take

it down to the 154bhp quoted for the Hornet, which is plenty This was done courtesy of narrower throttle bodies, lower cam lift and conservative cam timing with atweak to theignition timing,anew ride-by-wireset up, too, plus clipping 2000rpmoff the revs has all helped theFireblade engine make the jump in terms of emissionsand thereforefit for modern-day purpose quite straightforwardwhile also landing on just the rightamount of power and torque. Other key changes to the engine include cast pistons instead of forged ones to keep

the cost down, shorter gear ratios from 1st to 4th,and an up-and-down quickshifter which, curiously,has adjustable cut time for both upshifts and down shifts separately,which Ithink might be afirst on any production bike. Both bikes get an all-new steel twin beam frame, which is bespoke for the Hornet and which has pretty aggressive geometry In case therewas any doubt as to what the intention is with the Hornet’schassis, it’srake and trail is the same as aTriumph Street Triple 765RS and its wheelbase is 21mm shorter than the KTM 990

Duke, and it has a180-section rear tyre–the same as aYamaha MT09. Key differences between the SP and the base model areas well as getting the extra power,the SP also gets Brembo Stylema brake calipers instead of Nissins, and an Ohlins TTX36 rear shock over the base spec which gets Showa

kit which only has adjustment for preload in the rear shock.

Thenthere’s theprice, which at less than £10k for abike with Ohlins suspension, Brembo Stylema brakesand over 150bhp is simply amazing forthe SP,and just under £9000 forthe base bike causes areal headache for

the competition. For reference, aYamaha MT-10 comes in at £14,000, the Ohlins-shodversion is £16,000 –granted it has alittle bit more power,a lot more tech and the Ohlins is electronic. The 2025 Ducati Streetfighter V2S with Ohlins and Stylemas is £16,000, the Suzuki GSX-S1000 which has no bling whatsoever and about the same power and is therefore comparable to the base Hornet is £2,000-£3000 more!The 2025 Kawasaki Z900 has no price released at the time of writing,but the previous SE model –which has the bling but notquite as much power as the Hornet –is/ was just over £11,000.

This could be Honda’sfinest hour,and on paper this could be the worthiest Honda since 1969 to wear the ‘CB’ badge, let alone the ‘Hornet’ badge. If there’s one thing that history tells us about Honda, it is that when they decide to go big and go hard, they have ahabit of doing so with such success that they make everyone else look abit daft. I’m thinking RC30, Fireblade, NR750, RCV213V-S,VFR750 and yes, the CB750 arejust some examples of when Honda go big.

It’sbeen awhile –toput it mildly –since Honda have produced agame-changer,and with the Hornet’sspec sheet promising

acolossal amount for the price, Ispent agood deal of time on the journey to the press launch wonderingwhatthe catch was. Then we arrived in Benidorm… Who knew that Benidorm and Honda could deliver such unexpected surprises? In the case of Benidorm, if you head into the surrounding hills instead of the seafront, not only will you be rewarded with better views, but you will also find the most spectacular riding roads, the likes of which Ican honestly sayhand on heart areamongst the very best I’ve ever ridden on anywherein the world. Billiardtable smooth, virtually traffic free, mostly second and thirdgear corners linked by straight bits of Tarmac rarely more than afew hundred metres long for the whole 150Kkm we spent riding. It was motorcycling nirvana.

As for the Honda, the first thing, and Imean the very first thing,

The Hornet’sroad to redemption…

For some people of acertain age, thename ‘Hornet’ conjures up memories and thoughts of abikethat whenitcame along was right in the thick of the 90s boominmotorcycle salesand can be credited with providing literally thousands of people their first tase of whata ‘proper’ bikewas. Hornets werecool, funand versatile, and were equally competent in the hands of anovice as theywereanexperienced rider.Using the engine from their spectacularly popular CBR600F brought supersport performancetoa different package that waspopular withheadbangersand newbies alike.

Forother people of an evenoldercertain age, the ‘CB’ name represents something even moresignificant. TheHonda CB750 from 1969 is regarded by many to be THE original superbikebyvirtue of the factthat itsfundamentalarchitectureis still to thisday the starting point for many,ifnot all, motorcycledesigners. It was the first mass-produced four-cylinderbike,the first with an electric starter,the firstwithdisc brakes, anditkilled offwhat was left of the British motorcycle industry at astroke. It also caused Kawasaki to stop their ownsuperbike project that they wereworkingonand go back to their drawing boardtostart againon what would laterbetheir Z1. In case youweren’talready aware, hopefully you see now that any bikewhich carries the ‘CB’ and/or ‘Hornet’ badges, has alot to live up to.

The 600 Hornet debuted in 1998, got ahefty updatein2007 with aCBR 600RR engine replacing the old ‘Steelie’ CBR 600F engine. Thenagain in 2011 it got another update, but this one wasmuch less exciting, with anothernew engine, again from the modern-day CBR600F,which, being blunt, was nothing like as good as the originalCBR600F andnot even in the same postcode as the CBR600RR. Some mightsay –meincluded –thatwhenthe final version of the Hornet 600 was discontinuedin2013, it was sweet mercy,becauseitjust wasn’tcut from the same cloth as the previous two versions. The Hornet had lost its sting, and was trading only on its name, which youcan only do for so long… Obviously,in2023 Hondareintroduced the Hornetname and CB derivative,this time on abikewith a755cc parallel twin engine and Transalp frame, so while notatall following the same formulaasthe original Hornet, according toBruce the Hornet 750 is afun, versatile bike thatcan bemade to go very fast if desired or is just ashappypootling around, and so very much worthy of the name. So,itwas with ahugesighofrelief that when Honda announced the new CB1000 Hornet for2025, theyconfirmedthat it would have aFireblade engine at its heart just likethe original,biggerHornet.

Yousee, while the Hornet 600 wasbeing lappedupinthe showrooms in the late 90s, by 2002 Honda figured that with theFireblade also flying out showroom doors, surely they couldapplythe Hornet formula to it, too, and so the Hornet 900 was created. It used an older 919cc Fireblade engine whichhad been around between 1996 and 1999, so arguably they resurrected an engine from aFirebladewhich by virtue of being discontinuedfor several years, was amistake. TheHornet 900 neverreally lit up the sales charts like its 600cc stablemate did, and the Hornet900 was discontinued just fiveyearslater,having never really bothered the salescharts.

Maybe the fact that the 600 Hornet used the same engine from asportsbikeatthe same time while the bigger Hornet used an older,detunedversion of the bigger sportsbike engine might be why the 900 never caught the imagination of the buying public likethe 600 did. Maybe the marketand buying habits hadmoved on by the time the900 came out. Afterall,by2007 when the Hornet 900 got the chop,the KTM SuperDuke990 wasalready getting its first update. The Hornet 900 with its engine from 1996 was already outdated by the time it waslaunched.

you noticeabout the Hornet, beforeyou even get out of the car park of the hotel, is just how light it feels at very low speed, far lighter than a212kg bike has any right to feel. At 212kg fully fuelled, the Hornet is the same as the MT-10 but feels morelike aStreet Triple at low speed. In an instant, it becomes obvious that theHornet is not like any Honda that’sbeen made for along time. When you put aFireblade into gear and pull away, you know instantly that you’reon something very serious and very capable, and the message is clear –‘Youhad better

have brought your A-Game’. The message that theHornet screams loud andclear is, ‘You and me aregoing to have alot of fun today’, which, coming from aHonda, is abit like alibrarian egging you on to do shots of absinth with them –it’sjust not the sort of messaging you’re used to getting from aHonda. And boy oh boy,the Hornet absolutely delivers on its promise and first impression. Once you get dialled into the Hornet’soutrageousagility,and instant playfulness, moregood stuffkeeps jumping out at you, with the next star of the show

being the engine.It’ssimply brilliant. The combination of the delivery of power andtorque with the shorter gears means that it punches hardatlow rpm but doesn’ttail offasthe revs climb. The result is an engine that is incredibly flexible because you can hang on to lowergearsbetween corners and revithard, or if you prefer to, you can short shift and cover the ground just as quick. Leaving it in alower gear and using the upper thirdofthe rev rangeisnot normally something I’d do forlong periods on the road because typically the higher up the revs, the more sensitive the

throttle becomes, which can be tricky,but theway Honda have set up the fuel injection is so goodthat even at those highrevs, the throttle feels really smooth and easy to control theoff/on transition. It never even occurred to me to try any of the other rider modes –the Hornet comes with Rain, Standardand Sport modes, plus acouple of programable User modes –whichissomething usually you would do in search of asmoother throttle.

Idid, however,use oneofthe ‘User’ modes to have the traction control switched offin, butalas unlike pretty much every other bike manufacturer, every time you switch theHornet off, the traction control is reinstated even in the programable ‘User’ mode. This means that you have to access the settings for themode and switch thetraction control off every time you come back to the bike, which earns theHornet one of very few small marks against it. Switchingthe traction control offissomethingreally worth doing for several reasons, not least because there’splenty of grip from the BridgestoneS22s, but also in the eventofawheelie happening, thesystem doesn’t have an IMU to measure what’s going on with the actual position of the bike’schassis. Instead, it uses the same basic set of the very early traction control systems by measuringfront andrear wheel speeds, so you initially get lots of lift,then asudden cutinpower that only restores when the wheel is back on theground, andyou’ve completely shut thethrottle. It’s really not great, and it’sfar better to just have it switched off. With an IMU the process would be much smoother,and it would even

be possible to separate traction control from anti-wheelie. On the one hand, Icould say that the lack of IMU and/or the ability to permanently switch the traction control offvia a programable ‘User’ mode is understandable when you look at the price of theHornet, anditis. However,onreflection it occurs to me that Honda could probably do those two things really easily and it would probably only add afew hundred quid to the price of each bike, given that they already have the technology on other models in their range. Anyway, it is what it is, abasic set of rider aids, which execute their tasks in abasic way, and it takes about fiveseconds to deactivate the traction control, so in the grand scheme of things it’snobig deal especially when the rest of the bike is so brilliant. ABMW-style ‘fun’ button on the switchgear that you can press and hold to switch thetraction control offwithout having to navigate through menus would be perfect. One piece of tech on the Hornet that Ireally did like when I eventually foundit–the interface with all thetech is notespecially intuitive –isthe ability to adjust the quickshifter’scut time independently for up shifts and down shifts. It’svery clever,and as it turns out very useful, andit definitely falls under the heading of things you never knew would be handy until you actually had the chance to useit. There’sa selection of screen layouts that you can choose from for the new 5” colour TFT,all of which are very good –manufacturers usually offer just oneortwo decent ones and aload of optionsthat are just therefor thesake of it andso the manufacturercan claim abig

Engine:

The 2017 Fireblade engine gets dustedoff andupdatedfor Euro 5+ emissions by getting softer cams with lowerlifts, narrowerthrottle bodies, andlosing 2000rpm. It also gets cast pistons instead of forged ones, partially duetonot needing forged ones with thepower output down from the Fireblade’s189bhp to the Hornet’s155bhp,and partially to keep costs down in order to hit theaggressive price. It’s an engaging engine that’sgot plenty going on in the midrange and gets very spicyatthe topend, and it sounds properly angry,too.

Gearbox:

Firstthrough to fourth gear are allshorter than theFireblades, whichonly adds to the urgency and ease of use of the bike depending on howmuchyou open the throttle.Small amounts for pootling and the shorter ratios makeiteasy to manoeuvre the bikewithout the need for loads of revs and clutchslipping Open the throttle wide,and the shorter ratios mean the Hornet accelerates pretty muchashard as youwant or it will wheelie allday long to your heart’scontent.

Chassis:

Bespokefor the Hornet, narrow at the middle,wide whereit needs to be,itplays ahuge part in the Hornet’strump cardof agility and ease of use.Ithas the same steering geometry as a Triumph Street Triple 765,20mm shorter wheelbase than aKTM Duke990, and a180-sectionrear tyre just likea Yamaha MT-09. Its centreofgravityfeelslikeit’s in exactly the right place,and the weight distribution is 51per cent on the front to continue the aggressive layout.

Design/Style:

Beauty is in the eyeofthe beholder,but there’snodenying that the Hornet’sdesign and style arebold by any standard, especially Honda’s.

Electronics:

Basic selection and basic execution, difficult to navigate to and through, but the TFT screen is pureclass. Really needs a BMW-style ‘Fun button’ on the switchgear to disable the traction control easily

Suspension:

Ohlins TTX36 shockinthe rear wasdeveloped and spec’d bespokefor the Hornet. Front forks areShowa big piston jobs that arefully adjustable.Ididn’t adjust anything all day

Extrapower:

SP gets a6bhp boost over the base model, courtesy of aflap in the exhaust whichallows Honda to write different fuel and ignition maps. This is whybolting the exhaust of an SP on to the base model won’t makeablind bit of difference. Youneed the maps/ECU,too.

Brakes:

Brembo Stylema calipers add atouchofbling to the SP and deliver big on power.Wedidn’t ride the base model, so can’t comment if it’ssignificantly more powerful than the Nissin calipers on the base model, but history tells us that they probably are. The system does lackultimate feel, but that could be due to abasic ABS plumbing and pumping system.

number of options. Not so on the Hornet, there’sjust ahandful, but they’reall spot on. Back on the road, and the levels of composurethat the Hornet delivers at the same time as its agility is another one of those traits that only comes from a combination of just the right amount of weight in just the right place, supported by suspension that’sset up just so, and geometry that holds it all together.It’sthe hallmark of abike that has been thoroughly tested and developed right down to component level. The suspension has been developed bespoke for the Hornet, and the result of all of that is that the Hornet has afeel and level of composureinall scenarios whether it be loading up under high cornering forces and changes of direction or brushing offbumps with alevel of control and damping that makes many bikes twice the Hornet’sprice feel cheap and lacking in suspension control. While the Hornetdoes ride and feel like somethingfar more expensive, thereare little clues around it that do suggest how Honda have managed to produce the bike for what they have. While the brake system does have Brembo Stylema calipers, there is alack of feel at thelever which could be down to either acheaper master cylinder,ormorelikely a basic ABS pumping system is

what I’d put my money on. It’s okay,and I’m not mentioning it as acriticism of the bikeorits braking system,it’sreally just a point to note. Elsewhere, some of the components such asthe levers, rearsets, and some of the welding on the exhaust arefrom the lower end of the quality scale, but by no means cheap. As arule of thumb, Itry to avoid thesubjective topic of looks, and whether abike looks good or not –that’suptoyou. However, what Idowant to commit to print is that for acompany that have been producing very safe/ conservative/boring looking bikes, the Hornet is abreath of fresh air It’sedgy,distinct, unashamedly Japanese, and even parked up on its sidestand it looks like it means business, which is very unlike

Honda to be so in your face. There’ve beena few comments on the colour of theSPbeing abit boring, but in the flesh it looks great, and the goldwheels really do work withthe gunmetal greypaint. It’salsonice to see a totallackofwings or any effort whatsoever towards the subject of aerodynamics

So, theHornet isproperlyfast, handles like adream, has a decent level of finish, looksthe part, soundsthe part, and costs a snip of whatits competition does. What’sthe catch? Well,ifthere is one, Ican’t find it,and Ireally, really looked. It is an undeniable factthat Ilaughed my head off morein150kms on the Hornet than Ihave doneonany Honda, probably any motorbike, foravery long time.At its core is abikethat

is fun, and it’sfun because it’sso easy to get on with. Atotal novice could easily enjoy the Hornet every bitasmuch as aseasoned hack like me, and all these things arequalities which have nothing to do with the price whatsoever, but we must talkabout the price, almost reluctantly because there’s arisk that the Hornetbecomes defined by its price tag,which, while it absolutely deserves to be, seems alittle unfair,because it is aproperlybrilliant bike regardless of its price-tag

Thanks to its ludicrous price, whichever corner of the motorcycling world you look at for acomparison to the Hornet 1000, the answer always seems to be the same: thereisn’tone.Therereally isn’ta bike, naked or otherwise, that offers so much for so little, and

that puts me into uncomfortable territory when it comes to committing profound words to print for fear of overstating just how significant abike the Hornet 1000 is. I’ve wracked my brains to think of any bike that comes even close to the same postcode as the Hornet for value AND ability,and I’ve got nothing.

Ireally dothink the Hornet 1000 is going to provide acomplete reset to certainly thewhole naked bike sector in the same way that the Fireblade did to the superbike sectorback in 1992. Every other manufacturer of naked bikes nowhas aserious headache to deal with, because unless you really don’tlike the looks or colour scheme, thereisliterally no reason to notbuy the Hornet 1000… apart from thefact that

Honda UK may well sell out of them; they’reonly bringing1000 into the UK in 2025, and my guess is they’ll all be sold beforethey even arrive. TheHornet not only has the potential to reset the new naked bike sector,but because it represents such astonishing value for money,Ithinkitalso has potential to cause aproblem in the used bike market, too. Dealers aregoing to have to re-evaluate the value of alot of their used bike stock, too, or sit tight until the Hornet sells out.

So, thereitis, Ireally didn’tsee that coming. By pure chance, this was my first-ever Honda press launch after 17 years of writing for magazines, and I’ll be perfectly honest, never in my wildest dreams did Iexpect my first Honda launch to be such a significant one. Iwill confess to expecting another decent, useable naked bike, andwewould all be able to celebrate the expansion of the sector.Idid not expect to be writing aboutagenerational game-changer,but that is exactly what I’ve ended up doing.

Just wow!

Supersport saviour?

HONDA’SCBR600RR

Lastyear Honda reintroduced its CBR600RRtothe worldand kitteditout with araft of new features and tech. On atrack test it shone,but whatdoesithave to offerfor sports-inclined road riders? There was only oneway to find out…

Words:

Bruce Photos: Jamie Morris

Without getting too philosophical and putting you in acoma from my musings, Ican’thelp but kick offmytake on the Honda without mentioning thatthis is a bike for those who areprepared to work alittle harder to reap its plentiful rewards. We live in aworld where everything’sinstant, from the food we eat to the news hitting our phones… and the same goes for the zest of acontemporary litrebike that’sdripping in performance and ready torip your arms out of their sockets at any given moment. Forthat reason, Iwas understandably underwhelmed when Ihopped on the CBR600RR and realised all too quickly that the Honda’srevhungrymotor took an absolute eternity to get its act togetherand deliver the kind of speedI was hoping for Those first few miles on this thing had me questioning my inauguralravings for the

machine, having sampled it on its launch at Portimao at thestart of last year.Ontrack,even in the wet, this thing felt capable of putting the biggest smile on my face, screaming its way through the revs with asoundtrack that could make eventhe most hardcoreofbike haters happy Honestly,one of these on song is asound to behold, and thesame has to be said about chucking one around aracetrack –life doesn’tget much better

Out on the road, however,I was cursing its lack of life, thatonly began to warm up over 7000rpm, with the real zestkicking in above 900 0revs. That’swherethe party started, and that’swhereIhad to keep things for the sake of my sanity.Itwas hardwork, but with time, miles and an ever-growing understanding of how important gear selections were, the bike was beginning to win me over For context, it’d probablybeen afew years since Ihad lastridden

a600 on the roads and in that time I’d clearly forgotten howto pedal one, but with every apex and twist of the throttle, the fun and challenge of nailing such a bike seemed to luremeinrather than push me away.Making around 120bhp,the Honda’s notexactly lacking in poniesbut it’swhen youconsider the peak power hits home at 14,000 revs you realise the writing on the wall, backed up by peak torque at over 11,000rpm.

Ask yourself, when was the last time you saw 11k on your rev-counter,let alone 14k –a figure that some bikes don’t’ even offer? On the roads, hitting those kinds of revs felt ludicrous and sounded pretty mental, too At times it felt like Iwas having to risk an ASBO on the RR as it screamed its way throughthe sleepy villages Iwas traversing.I didn’tknow whether to laughor cringe, but the one thing Iwasn’t prepared to do was let off.

Life on a600RR is notonly loud, but full-on, and thesame can be said of the ridingposition that demands you fold yourself up life apiece of origami to fit its condensed ergonomics. At 5’ 9” I’m hardly agiant, but Ifound the CBRtobeappreciably small, with relatively swept-back bars, alow seat andpegs that test the arthritis in yourknees –if you’reasflexible as abrick, this definitely isn’t the bike for you Just like the low-down lacklustreperformance of the engine, the riding position on the Honda took alittle getting used to and, like the engine,it seemed to get better with speed. Iamahanger-offer by nature, so when chucking this bike around afew bends Iactually enjoyed the compactness of the machine, which was easy to movearound on thanks to its small profile and large seat. It feels very much like arace bike, albeit without acrazy ‘on your wrists’ demeanour

The bike’sactually quite flat in its profile and the bars, although sportily angled, arerelatively high up, sitting just above the yokes In short, if therewas abit more leg room on tap, this bike could be pretty comfy… for asports bike. But do you buy abike like this to tackle around-the-world tour? Probably not. For me, the hook to this Honda was a combination of the motor being screamed and the way it handled in the corners. The machine Iwas riding featured the stock Showa units and, as far as I’m aware, the settings wereasstandard– I hadn’ttouched athing. What impressed me was firstly how much front-end feel therewas through the forks, butalso how stable the bike was. Abit of bounce in astraight line is one thing, but the lumps and bumps through some of the bends Irode on the CBRwere harsh to say the least. And

Back to life

It feels like only yesterday when Honda announced that they wouldn’tbemakingthe 600RR anymore, citing alack of interest in hardcore600cc supersport bikes, and evertighter emission rules which weresuffocating the smallcapacity engine. It was afar cry from the heady daysonly another seven or so years beforethat when supersport bikes mattered just as much as superbikes, updates came thick and fast, and they flew out the showrooms by the container load. It was asad day when not just Honda, but also Suzuki, Kawasaki, Triumph and finally Yamaha all withdrew their supersport bikesfromthe market.

For me, it was especially hardtowatch the likes of the 600RR disappear,because I feared that futuregenerations of motorcyclists wouldnever experience the joy and thrill of grabbing hold of asupersport bike by the scruffofits neck and thrashing the living shit out of it. Having that affordable alternative to the full-on superbikes was, and remains, something that Ifirmly believe is crucial to theindustry and potential motorcyclists. Losing the 600RR and later the rest of theclass made the bike industry amuch poorer place, but when all is said and done, money talks, and as well as people becoming obsessed with superbikes, therewasn’t/isn’t enough new bloodcoming into bikes to justify the continued investmentin supersport bikes to make them kitten friendly.

Fast-forward to the end of 2023, and when Honda (and Kawasaki) announced the returnoftheir supersportbikes, Iwas doing cartwheels. This wasexcellent news, andthat was beforeHonda confirmedthe price would be a fraction over£10k, whichyou have to assume is very deliberate, as it immediately puts the 600RR on the table asanalternative to the increasingly popular –and not dissimilarly priced–raft of paralleltwin sportsbikeswhich have come on to the market in the absenceof any supersport bikes. It’sastroke of genius by Honda because the 2024 600RR is about 90 per cent the same as the 2007 one, so putting it back into productionand offering the market an alternative for £10k is possiblebecause all the R&D costs have already been recovered. Some tweaking to the fuelling,and an extra catalytic

convertor keeps Greta happy, and plugging in the electronics from the Fireblade keeps the gadget lovers happy,too –a supersport bike really doesn’t need traction control, engine braking control or anti-wheelie –and hey presto, you’ve got afully loaded, fully-adjustable, 110bhpish, alloy-framed sportsbike for notmuch moremoney than a steel-framed, 70bhp-ish paralleltwin sportsbike with basic unadjustable suspension.No contest.

The vast majority of changes to the 2024 600RR arebigger throttle bodies and adifferent exhaust than the lastversion, both of which arealmost certainly theretoclean up the emissions by giving greater control over the fuel supply upstream, and then cleanit up downstream. There’salso mention of different valve timing,

which presumably will mean there’sgreater valve overlap –keeping the exhaust valve open abit longer while the inlet valve opens to help empty the combustion chamber of exhaust gasses moreefficiently,thus leaving apurer fuel/air charge behind for the next cycle. The other changes arepurely to appeal to the modern market and offer very little, if any,performance benefit.The aforementioned electronic rider aids with a6-axis IMU arecompletely over the top, as arethe wings, although the new full-colour TFT dash is very nice and very welcome. Whatever about the changes to the 600RR, by far the most important thing is that it is back, and pouting its Fireblade/ RCV looks, making all the other sportsbike options at that price point look very ordinary

Words: John McAvoy

they’d have been ahellofalot harsher had the Honda’s pogos not have done such acracking job of mopping up the terrain the wheels werecoming into contact with. On the faster, sweeping bends the CBR felt on rails and in and out of the tighter stuffIwas in awe ofhow easily the bike could bemade to flop on its side. The RR proved to be aproper point-and-shoot machine, being as eager to corner as it was to exit abend. In 2024, the reintroducedmodel got kitted with awhole load of rider aids, including power modes and traction control, which I’dindulged in for awhile beforerealising that, on dryroads, thetech was only holdingthe Honda back –I

switched it all offand everything made so much moresense.

With high corner speeds and a committed twist of the wrist when gunning out of bends the CBRfelt nothing short of awesome, made all the sweeter by the decent fuelling on offer.Asalreadymentioned, the power fromthe motor is far from overwhelming,but when you hit the right revs it’shardly slow either Keeping the bike in that sweet spot became something of a game that hooked me line and sinker,demanding an evergrowing level of concentration to extractthe bike’s potential. It was, to put it simply,a whole lotoffun. But, asI’m alaw-abiding citizen and acknowledge the laws of the land, Iconcluded avisit to the

local airfieldwas in order to really milk what was on offer

With the best part of amile-long runway at my fingertips, the time had come to see this bike for all it was worth. Needless to say, agood time was had and many wheelies werepulled –some more sketchy than others. To getthis bike on its back wheel demands yet moreconcentration, awhole lot of revs and cat-like reactions for when the frontwheel pings, else it will have youoff the back. First gear seemed the best point of entry,revving the bike out beforehooking second and seeing how long and how fast the frontcould be kept hovering Eventually,the motorwould run out of puffand the processwould

need to start again,but Inever got bored of such antics. As with on the road, the Honda’sstunting credentials only made me like it more and appreciate thebrilliance of the shifter that was seamless during upshifts and super-slick on the way down, too.

Another thingI’ve yet to mentionisthe braking, which was reasonable when decelerating from fifth gear,pinned. Thelever doesn’tlack in feel, butI’d have preferred abit morebite from the front anchors, while the rear did next to nothing regardless of how hardI stamped on it. Of course, better brakes can be bought, more horsepower can be, too, but I’m yet to think of amoreworthy protagonist of £10k.

As if seeing this bike back on the market wasn’tagift enough, having it in showrooms at the CBR’sfantastic price point is nothing short of apresent from Honda. During that day’sride, and several rides since, my appreciation for this machine has only got greater,tothe extent I’ve been weighing up what Ican sell to get one of these in my grasp.Itreally is that fantastic and, with abit of luck, it also holdsthe scope to revitalise the much-missed supersport 600 sector

The only thingIask is that you guys get out thereand try onefor size, because this thing’sgot so much to like aboutit–most of all that price tag.

DayRide: In search of the Rarebit

Wales is amuch-loved destinationfor lots of riders, but it’s only when you get alittle off-piste that you findthe hidden gemsithas to offer

Wales doesn’talways getthe credit it deservesasabiking destination. Many of us bikers regularly head up tothe Lakes or Scotland in searchofbiking Nirvana, but thereare plenty of good roads and natural beautytobefound in Wales.

The NationalParks of Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons arethe best-known areas to visit butscratch abit deeper beneath the surfaceand you’ll findmiles of roads and tracksjust waitingtobe discovered. The best waytoget to know theideal places to ride is to follow someone who knows their wayaround the area.This time it just so happened that this person wasthe record-smashing round-the-world rider Nick Sanders, who runs his Expedition Centreon the outskirts of Snowdonia National Park.

The centreisaplacefor bikerstomeet fellowadventurersand plantheir nexttrip. Nick offers food and accommodation, and as you might expectfroma manwho has ridden around the world seventimes and up and downthe Americaseight times, it’s not your average PremierInn thatyou findnestled in the hillside.

Nickhas hadhis hand in organising motorcycle tours for years, and in addition to travellingaround the world, he knows the Welsh countryside like the back of his hand. Who bettertofollow on the roads then?

Riding withNick

We start our tour from theshores of Lake Vyrnwy,with Yamaha Tracer 700s. Thereason we’reonthese bikesisthatNick’sExpedition Centreis part of the Destination Yamaha programme(www.destination-yamaha-motor com) and frankly it wouldberudenot to jump on these ‘MT-07-turned-into-tourer’bikes for agentle spin to the coast. The little Tracer is adelightful biketoride, andperfectfor the relatively slow roads thatwetake. There’s loads of torque in the twin engine,and ifyou so wished,you couldwheelie all theway to thecoast –wedidn’t, honest. Skirting Lake Vyrnwy,wedip in and out of early-morning shade, trying toadjust our eyes to the light. The roads arewonderfully curvy, and settling into arhythm of riding happens beforeyou know it.Turning away from the lake weclimb through aforest to reach anarrowroad, justwide enoughfor acar,windinground ahillside. As the valley opens up, weare treated to vistas almost reminiscent of Lakeland; wetake aquick stop for photos. “Isn’tthis wonderful,” says Nick ashe’stakinginthe scenery.“These are my backroads. Absolutely fantastic!”

Our tour continuesonevensmallerroads (they’remorelike Tarmac tracks really)

towards Dolgellau. We pass farms, fields, hills, waterfalls, and oh-so-many sheep. In fact, the only thing you really need to watch out for on Welsh roads is sheep. Theyare everywhere, and they have no road sense whatsoever Dodging sheep soon becomes second nature and keeping the speed sensible helps

Over and out

Nick makes hisway back to hiscentre from Dolgellau. Ipick the coastal road to Llwyngwrilbecause Iwant to see the sea beforeIreturntothe base at Lake Vyrnwy On these roads youcan pick up the pace a bit between the villages as the road is wide, and thereseems to be acurious lack of sheep. The Tracer loves the smoothTarmac and fast corners that Ifind here. If youreally push it fast on bumpyroads the suspension struggles to keep up, but on flowing bends like these it’sanabsolute joytoride. Admittedly,wehaven’tdone mega miles here,but some of the going has been pretty bumpy and Istill feel as fresh as adaisy The Welsh coast is about as tranquil as it can ever be. Having seen the sea, and discovered the natureofthe Tracer,Ihead

back to thehotel on bigger roads, the A470 and A458. Again, I’m treated to some lovely riding –although very different from this morning. There’svery little traffic andImake great time. Time for abeer in the sunbefore dinner then!

As Isit on the hotel balcony watching the setting sun, Ifeel invigorated not just by the local ale, but also athoroughly pleasant ride. It was short andmainly quite slow, but the range of scenery from rolling hills to windswept coastline, andbustling towns to sheer emptiness, wasastounding. Imakea mental note to ride like this moreoften, then order another beer andwatch the redsun sink into Lake Vyrnwy

Wales offers some fantastic riding even if you just turnupand tell thesat-nav to show you the way,but for aproperly unforgettable experience local knowledge is key

The ride in brief: Around route from Lake Vyrnwy to thecoast, taking in some of the lesser known, butbest to explore, small roads in Mid-Wales

Words &Pics: Mikko Nieminen

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.

Each issue ourspecialist motoring solicitor Andrew Prendergast guides readers throughtheir legal trials and troubles

Q.I have alwayswantedtoliveinSpain so after the dreadedCovid-19 malarkey,I decidedtotakethe plunge.Igot all my worldly possessions shipped down to near Malaga in 2022, includingmyKTM 1190 Adventure. My plan wastoget my bike registeredin Spain. However, after alot offaffing aboutand falseleads,Idiscovereditwas goingtocosta smallfortune so decided againstit. Instead, Irodethe bikearound on UK plates with no issues at all (I nevergot stopped or hadan accident, etc.). All waswelluntil Ineededto comebacktothe UK after my Dadpassedaway. He hasamassive bungalowand as Ihavenow retired,Ihad the time to ride back on thebike, up through France and into theUK. Imust confessthatasIhad been outofthe UK for nearly three years, the bike didn’t have an MOT andhadn’t been taxed or insured for abouttwo years. However, Iriskeditand gotbackto my Dad’splace with no issues.Iparkedthe bike outside.However,myDad’s neighboursare very nosey,and Ibelieve theytookumbrage at the bikebeingparkedthere,checkedonline and grassedmeuptothe DVLA,astheycame and clamped it.Ipaidtoget theclamp taken

off and thoughtthatwould be the end of the matter.However,Ihavenow receivedan‘outof courtsettlement’ of around £500 from the DVLA for having an untaxed bike, butitseems waytoo much as the bikewas onlybackinthe UK for aweekorso. Iamthinkingofgoingtocourt to defendthis. What do youthink?

A.You statethatthe ‘…the bikewas onlyback in the UK for aweekorso’.However,Isuspect youare overlooking(or conveniently forgetting?!) the fact your bikewas in Spain forthree yearsand hadnotax,MOT or insurance for around two years. So youare aware, if the matter were to go to courtand youpleadedguilty or were found guilty therewould be afine to pay. Thiswould be £1000 or fivetimes the amountofthe vehicleexciseduty chargeable,whicheveristhe greater; plus back duty; pluslegal costs.Further,for offences where afine forms part of the punishment, youwould usuallyberequired by the Courttopay aVictim’s Surchargeinthe region of £85. My concernisthat if youdonot accept the ‘out of courtsettlement’ offer,the DVLA will likelytakeyou to court. In that scenario,Iadviseyou should plead guilty, becauseyou areguilty.Inthat scenario the fine and costs,etc., youwill have to paywill likely

be much higher than what is currentlyonoffer. Further,because you rode the bikebackintothe UK from Spain without an MOT, insurance or road tax,Iamconcernedyou could end up being prosecuted for other offences.Inshort, my advice is payitand move forward with yourlife

Q.I wasaimingtoblast up the motorwayfor twohours,then turn left and getlostinWales for the day, andthenheadhome for teaand biscuits.Nom nom nom.Idulywheeledout (manhandled) my trusty Gold Wing andset off Ihad the radio on, the heated grips were setto medium,and Iwas flyingonthe giantleather sofa of abike. All waswell in the world. After aboutanhourIwas following abuilder’s van. I wasinnorush and just satinlaneone minding my ownbusinesswhen Isaw ahandcome outof the driver’s windowand flickwhatIthoughtwas acigarette (it turnedout to be acigarillo!!!). Isaw it fly through the air and come straight towards me.Itried to dodgeit, butithit me in the neck, burningthrough my neck warmer beforefalling inside my jacket.Whatare the chances?! Imust have looked aright sightasIhad to slam on my brakes,pull up on the hard shoulder and strip off lookingfor the damn thing. So,whilstitmay

sound comical, Inow have seriousburns on my neck and chest. Thankfully, Ihad my headcam runningand gotthe registrationnumber and company details of the van. However, the owner (who wasthe employerofthe driver) has told me it’s just a“freakaccident” andan“act of God” as the wind blew the butt and told me to go away.Isheright?

A.No, he is completelywrong,and it is importanttoset outthe legaltest. In England and Wales,you as the Claimantbiker have to proveonthe ‘balance of probabilities’thatthe DefendantorDefendantshavebeennegligent; and becauseofthatnegligence,you have suffered aloss, or will suffer aloss. With that in mind, it is fair to saythatifyou throw ahot,burningcigarillo outofawindowand hit and burn someone, youare negligent.Inthis particular claim,you could bringaclaim againstthe driver and/or his employerand the van’sroadtraffic insurer will have to payout for the claim.Myadvice is get yourself aclued-uppersonalinjuryspecialist solicitor and crackonwith yourcase. Iwould be surprised if liabilityisnot admitted. However, if it isn’tIwould betnextmonth’s paypacketthat a Judgewill finditfor you.

Part 1 Part 1

In the search for adventure andsandinplacesyou wouldn’t think possible, Bruce setoff on aride like no other to the Sahara on Honda’sAdventure Roads

Words: Bruce Pics Honda/GregJongerlynck

Day 1–Agadir to Tafraoute (360km)

It turns outthatbeing miles from anywhere, deep into adesertand slowly roastinglikeaprune isn’t the mostfun waytopassthe day. To put it frankly, in that moment, feelingsick as adog andscaredasa child, the thoughts of beinglosttothe dunes and chewed on by the occasional passingcamel consumedmybrain –all Iwantedtodowas tapout,but the onlythingIcould do wasgoon.

Of course,Inever imaginedI’d find myself in such aplace when I’drocked up at aposh golf resort hotel on the outskirtsofAgadir severaldaysearlier, with its manicured grass, abundance of fresh food and the happy, smiling faces of 30 like-mindedfolk who’d signed up for Honda’sAdventure Roads.Akintothe first dayata new school, Ididn’t knowwho anyof them were,but Iknew what theywere aboutbecause each and everyone of them hadwanteda place on the fourth runningofHonda’soff-road adventure…a trek of alifetime across Morocco,headingdowntothe Sahara beforeloopingnorth around the Atlas Mountains.

If the inauguralnight’s presentation wasanythingtogoby, it promised to be pretty damn special, seeing some of the best sceneryand toughesttrails the north African nationhad to offer; anatural playground for the brand’s thirditerationAfricaTwinwhichwas to carryusevery step of the way.

With new kit, fresh-smellingpants and alevel of enthusiasm that would mirrora fatkid in acakeshop,Ifound my allottedbike, emblazonedwith my name,blood type and nationality. Stuff likethat alwaysmakes you feel abit special, butsurelyitwas all for show? Well, let’s just sayI hadalot to learn, and thoselessons startedhittinghardand fasthaving acquaintedmyself with the Honda, gotmyheadaround its tech and had my first engagementwith the Tripy2 navsystemthatwas to be ourbest friendthroughout the course of the challenge.Thebikes were alsokitted with an Owakatrackersystem; press one button for vehiclesupportand another for SOS.

The stocktyres hadbeenswitched for Metzeler Karoo4sand added engine and frame protectors were alsointhe mix.AsI wastolearn, perhapsone of the best fixturesof all wasthe Enduristan tank bag, whichIrammedfull of anythingand everything. Earphones,arain jacket and other such tripethatI’d soon learn addednovalue to me in the tasks that layahead.

Line astern, we headedout on to the road,immediatelybeinghit by the realities of the land we were travelling. The marble floors, airconditionedrooms and fineart of the hotel quicklymorphedintoscenes of stoneystructures or bricked buildings without windows,render, or anykindofcontemporaryluxury.

The airsmelt different, the scenes were upsetting,but the smiles on the locals’faces told adifferentstory; theyweren’t after pity… theyjust wanted us to wave back Beforelongwe’dmadeittoabit of atrainingground. The theme of this playpenwas deep sand andall tooquicklyitbegan catchingpeople out. Oneofthe roaming marshals fell

from their bikeinfront of me.Igot off and helped her pickitup. That’s when it hit home just howmuch theseadventure bikes weighed. Twohundred-and-thirty kilos mightsound impressive down the gymbut to us, liftingthatmasswasn’t optionalora braggingpoint, it wasa necessity and havingfelt howharditwas to getthe Hondabackontwo wheels,Idecided thereand then I’dplayitsafethrough the assault course ahead of us

We gathered in agroup and listened up as MX legend Dave Thorpetalked us through the taskahead, throwingin afew tips and techniques to guide us acrossthe terrain. Asmooth throttle, momentumand not fightingthe bike seemedthe gistofit, whichwas easier said than done.One by one,the riders setoffintothe distance,bythis point beingleft to their owndevices as the journeygot underwayinearnest. Decidingtosit and watch alittle,a few of the moreeager guys pulledthe pin andalmostinstantly, one of them hadthe mostepic of crashes.There wassandeverywhere, bits of bike, too, and pinnedunderneaththeir ownmachine wasanunlucky rider who’d snappedhis legsobad it stuck proudlythrough his skin. Forhim,it wasgame over,thereand then, amere hour into this trip.Iwas gutted for him,but alsograteful for the lesson he’d just taughtme… play with fire and you’regoing to getburnt.

This wasn’t my first adventure bike rodeoand I’dseensimilar instances beforeontrips of thismagnitude Adrenaline gets the better of you as you unleash months,even years’ worthofexcitementinthe openingmiles of amuch-anticipated adventure. Whatever you know, whatever you’vebeentaught, it all tooeasilygoesout of the window, and the punishmentfor even the smallestofmistakes areoften nothinglessthanbrutal.

My eyes hadbeenopened, and I thoughtitwould’vedone the same to the 10 or so riderswho’d lagged behind longenough to witness the event’sfirstvictim,but just 10 minutes later, Iwas hoppingoffmy ownbiketohelp another fallen rider who’d just hadthe mother of all highsides.His Hondawas making the kind of shapes you’d think were limited to afreshly-greased dance floor beforethrowinghim unceremoniously hard at the ground. The result,afractured sternum his particular rider Iknew, having arrivedatthe airportwith him the nightbeforeand chattedfor afew hoursbeforecatchingatransfer to ourhotel. Hisname wasMarkand he wasa greatbloke, experienced, too, butthe soft sand wastakingno prisonersand he wasits nextvictim.I could seehewas hurting, buthewas alsoadamant on cracking on, so we gotbackonour bikes and Idecided to ride with him and help if needed At this stage, Ishould probably point outthat while therewereanumberof super-experiencedand skilledguides in ourmix,itwas largelydowntothe individual to manage their ride,their pace and navigation.

Amongst30customerswerefive guide riders, scatteredthroughout Some people decidedtostickwith them,while otherswenttheir own

way, chasingthe waypoints on the Tripydevice,whichlargely featured an arrowfor direction, aimedatafeature, likeabridgeorbush,plus adistance reference.Get to that waypointand the next goal would appear like magic.We were beingeased into usingthe system on trails that lackedany confusion, whichsuited me

Therewas enoughgoingontooccupy my little mind, not leastofall the clutchlesssystemonmyHonda.The last time I’dridden an Africa Twin was back on the original model’s launchin 2015. This latest version felt big, potent and heavy, likeanovergrown enduro bike. It wascomfy and fullyloadedwith tech,with theflagship featurebeingthe bike’sDCT (DualClutch Transmission) motor.Put simply,itmeant my bike was essentiallyatwist-and-gomotorcycle, with no clutch leverand no chance of stalling.

Did Ilikeit? The jury wasstill out, as it’d felt so alien in the deep sand not havingaclutch to slip to power me through and keep the revs exactly whereI’d wanted them.Simply

cuttinga path through the tricky terrain washardenough,sohaving to getmyheadaround its lack of conventiondefinitely taxed my brain achunk harder than I’dimagined. The more Irodeit, the moreitmade sense, and with 360km on the cardsthat day, it wasn’t as if Iwas lackingthe chance to getacquainted with it

Havingtickedoffagoodchunk of sandytrails,itcame as abit of a surprisewhenwejoinedarough section of road. It wasstrewn with potholes and the edgeswere covered by sand drifts,insome areas branchingacrossatleast half of the road. Hitone of them and you’dbeon yourarseinajiffy. HowdoIknow? Well, Iwatched exactlythat happen. Oneofthe riders wasapproaching asandysection when an oncoming truckdecidedtosqueezehim into the drift.Hetookone hell of awhack and joinedthe fast-growinggaggle of injuredadventurers.Itwasn’t his fault,but he paid the price anyway The driversovertherecertainly keep you on your toes,tothe extent

Iwas happywhen we gotbackon some trails on the outskirtsofa town Wild dogs and mopedsroamedthe streets incessantly,withequal levels of unpredictability. It wasall one big game,tryingtoworkout whichside of thetrack the rider would veer to, or whether the dogwould chill by the side of the road or chaseyou likea postman.

To add to the challenge,the intricate town streets often meantfor loads of direction changes, flashinguplast minuteonthe Tripy. Unlikeanormal sat-nav, therewas no rerouting on the device.Gowrong and it wasonyou to figureyourway back,following a rotatingarrow as aguide.Theother thingtolookout for were wheel tracks,whichweretell-tell signsofthe hoardahead. While the aim wasto neverget lostinthe first place,there wassatisfaction when youstumbled back on to the rightroute,often confirmedbyaridingplume of dirt on the horizon of aHondarider up ahead. Of course,they, too, could be lost, butthatwas the gamble youtook.

Severalhours into that first day, therewas little context for the route we’d been riding. We’d startedat Agadir and we were headingto Tafraoute, butwhatlay in between wasamystery to me.Yes,therewas a detailedroadbookthat told the full storyofthe day’sride,but I’ll admit to havingnever looked at it once so you canimagine my surprisewhen after agood few hoursofdirt, dust and downed riders, we stumble across the majestic Atlantic Ocean. Boiling hot and alreadyfeelingthe blisters on my hands,the temptation to jump in for adip wasmassive,but Isettledfor aselfieinsteadamongsta few other riderswho’d hadthe same thought. Picturedone,Ihopped back on my bike, hit the starterand fired off into the distance…and that’s when chaos kickedoff. In pursuitofmytravel buddy, Ididn’t givetoo much thought to the fact that afellowHondarider wasbeepingtheir hornand revving their engine.Whatwas their problem? Iwasn’t the fastestofriders,but I wasn’t exactlyaroadblock either.I wascrackingonacrossanother deep section of sand, adamantonnot crashing, while ignoringthis nutter who begangesturing alongside me, wavinghands and pingingupand down likeaJack-in-the-Box

After amile or so,I’d hadenough Istopped,got off my bikeand was readytounleash aChineseburn on my pursuer if needed…but beforeI hadchance to,the pennydropped.I looked down at my bikeand realised it wasn’t my bike, it wasmypursuer’s None other than pro-enduroracer Kirian Mirabet. Iwas pissing myself as Ihopped back on to my ownHonda, whichwas identical in everyway aside from afew small details…suchasmy name,big and bold on the screen. Yep, Ifelt pretty stupid.

Havingcaughtbackupwith Mark,it hit me that his pace waslessening, and Ididn’t blame him.He’dhad such a knock and didn’t knowthe extent of his injurybythis point. ButI’d committed to beinghis wingmanand that’s how the daywenton, eventuallyreaching the lunchstopatthe back of the pack Over some boiledcarrots,dates and a chunk of bread, Idecidedtomakethe organisersaware of his crash and the fact he wasputtingaverybrave face on

his suffering.Ofcourse, in the middle of nowhere, therewasn’tmuchthey could do aboutit, other than keep me by his side for the foreseeable,whichis what Iagreedto. By the sounds of it,therewas agood chunk of road ridinginthe afternoon, so life wasset to geta little easier for us all, beingfar lessphysicalfor starters,but therewas no escaping the incessant heat. The farther south we went,the warmer things got, with the temperaturenow up in the high 30s.Theonlyreprieve wasthe cooling wind when riding, so after ashort stop,wewereonour wayonce more. As quicklyasthe grouphad rebunched, it wasonce again straggled acrossthe rocky, dusty wastelands we were travelling. Gone were the trails,replacedbybroader expanses of nothingnessthat necessitatedan even keener eyeonthe Tripy. The problem was, regularglances at the device meantyou were not looking at the rock-strewnground; hit even a tiddler at 30mph and you’dhavethe AfricaTwin’sseatsmackingyou on the backside as it buckedinutter protest. Of course,the logical thingtodo would be to slow down andcheck the screen, butwherewas the fun in that?Thedaftthingwas there wasnopressuretobeatany place at anyparticular time,knowing that ourbikes were beingtracked by the event’ssupportcrewwith anumber of 4x4s andtrailers,ready to scoopus up if needed.I’vedone trips before without such aluxuryand they’re not much fun. When you’reout on atrueadventure,the reality is that things go wrongquicklyand if you’re not prepared for them,you paythe price tenfold. Of course,itwas my aim to neversee the guys in the support vehicles butevenonthatfirstday,the team wasbeing kept plenty busy Ourbikes were kitted with solid, dual-purposerubber buteventhe Karoos were no matchfor the kind of abusetheywerebeing putthrough Some riderslackeda bit of foresight, meaningtherewereanumberof folk puncturingtheir tyresasthey ploughedfront wheels into squarefacedrocks,wonderingwhy in due course their rims looked moresquare than round. They, in turn, paid the price becausetheyhad no option

HONDA ADVENTURE ROADS

other than to wait for help thatcould be up to afew hoursinarriving.

As far as mornings go,it’dbeena full-on starttothe trip and as much as Iwantedthe whole ride to be off-road, Iwelcomedthe early afternoonswitch to Tarmac.Physically, Iwas just fine butmentallyIwas feelingalittletaxed Idaresay that wasacommon reality for most of us,havingtoconcentrate so hard on the constantlychanging terrain and all it broughtwith it

We’d been in at the deep end, which meanttherewas plenty to talk about when we stopped for fuel, high up on astunningmountain pass.Again, I hadnoideawherewewere, or who half the peoplewerethat Inow found myself amongst, sippingonasuperstrong coffeethat I’dordered in my schoolboy French. It wasatthis point in time Imet twogreat blokes,achap calledAllywho hailedfromScotland, andhis mate Frankie from Canada. You’ve nevermet amorechalk-andcheese duet,with Frankie beinglarger than life,while Ally played the role of the quieter,unassuming peer.They

werefriends of old, havingmet on the last HondaAdventure Roads eventin Iceland afew yearsback, stayingin touchand signingupfor this much warmer onslaughttogether

To cutalongstory short, theysaid Icould tagalongwiththem forthe latter part of that day, leavingMark in good hands with another walking woundedwho wanted to takeamore chilledapproach to the remainder of the ride.And with that,wewereon ourway…fast. IlearnedquicklyAlly and Frankie weren’t the kind to dither, pullingthe pin and clocking miles hastily. Thatsuited me,especiallyon the road ride whereIfelt Ihad all the time in the worldtostareatthe vistas without the risk of deep sand or rocks attacking my frontwheel. Ishould alsosay that sittingdownonthe bikealsofeltalien; havingspent the majority of my time stooduponthe pegs,itwas weirdtosee through the screen rather than lookingatopofit.

The whole ridingexperience on tap morphedagain and Iwas able to see the brilliance of the DCTsystemin

this context.That said, this stintof luxuryonlylastedsolongasmore trails soon came ourway,and Iwas keen to impress. Iwas alsoquickto realisethatthe chances of keepingup with Allywereslim to none –hewas gone in acloud of dustand debris, fired my way. Allyand Iwerethatbit closer in pace,whichsuitedme. It wasn’t likewewerehangingaround, butneither were we keen to become further victims of dayone

That afternoon became alitanyof fasttrails and bumpyroads,switching betweenthe twotypes of riding relentlessly. Forme, Iwas just happy to be amongstgoodriderswho Iknew, even by this point, wouldhavemyback if anythinghappened. AlsoI made the mostofwatchingthe others’ lines to pickthe best paths at all points;you’d seewhen theygot it right, butalso when they’dgot it wrong, with enough warningtochangeline quickly.

As bikes go,the AfricaTwinwas provinganagile,all-terrain hustler On the road it wasfaultless; off-road, the bigger frontwheel did agood

jobofcutting through the looseand tacklingthe biglumps and bumpsthat came ourway.Sometimes you simply hadtoplough through the rough to gettobettersections of terrain,and the Hondaalwaysseemedupfor the challenge.That said, Inever took for grantedhow quicklyitcould’vesentme for aroll around in the dirt. It proved a planted, butweighty,machineand, on the occasions the frontwentwalkies, Isoonlearnedthat you’d have to be quickwith adab to save the bikefrom unwanted road-trip scars.

The final stintofthe daywas on Tarmac,traversingastunning routethat climbedhighupintothe breathtakingmountains on the kind of switchbacksthatmakethe Stelvio Pass look likeawarm-up act.Every nowand again you’dsee habitats of primitive, square-sidedhousescarved into the rock faces,paintedavarietyof vibrantcolours; Ihadn’t expectedthat, or the beauty we were undertaking. Another thingthat surprised me wasthat warmth of the locals.Being aparent, Icouldn’t help butfeel

saddenedtosee the stateofsome of the kids’clothes,orlackoffootwear, hammeringhome howgood we’ve gotit. The men all looked to be hard at work in the fields,and the women hadtheir hands full, ridingdonkeys side-saddle with bundles of lavender strapped to their asses. Whoeverthey were,whatevertheyweredoing, theyall seemedsoexcited to seeus, wavingand cheering. In truth,Ifelt so humbled, I’d of preferredithad theyofthrownrocks at us.That thoughtstuck with me as we arrivedatthatnight’s camp Nestleddeepinthe Ameln Valley, Iswore Iwas seeing things when blue,yellowand pink rocksstarted to litterthe horizon. Acontroversial bi-product of aBelgian artist, it’s said that he’d ropedinthe localfire departmenttohelp him brush around 18 tonnes of paintontothis vast area of granite. Why? Well, Inever quite gottothe bottom of things because havingfound my tent, told afew tales andstockeduponsome muchneeded tagine,Ihit the sack and that wasthat.

Day 2– Tafraoute to Foum Zguid (314km)

I’mdon’t sleepwellatthe best of times so despiteagood startinmy scorching, traditional Moroccan tent with awinterduvet,Iwas soon awakenedbythe sounds of those around me.Some people were prolific snorers, one blokewas beingsickand othersjustchattedtheir waythrough the nightinamildlyhushedtone It wasall part of it and Ijusthad to laugh.Stufflikethat helpsbuildan experience,inmyopinion,and that’s exactlywhatIwas therefor –tocome back with astory to tell.

I’ll save you the details ofbeingthe last mantoleave camp that morning, butlet’s just sayIhad asweat on packingmykit and transitioning to amanual AfricaTwinbeforetrying to catch the groupthat’d setoff10 minutes earlier,headedfor fuel roughly10miles away.Kicking off the dayonhardpackwith aplayfully loosesurface,Isoonlearneditwas the perfectterrain to getthe rear out on the bigHonda.

Beforeevery ride,the first thing that hadto be done wasdisable the traction control and select the off-roadappropriate suspension and ABSsettings;fail to do that and the ride wouldn’t be half as much fun.

Luckily, I’ddonesoand wasinmy element, whichismorethanIcan say for the bloke stoodbyhis Africa Twin just afew milesfromcamp. Iput my thumbup, so did he,soIjustcracked on, thinkinglittle moreofitwhile Inavigated avillageand stumbled across adualcarriageway –wherethe hell hadthatcome from?

As remoteasIthoughtwewere, it turns outweweren’t,literally stumblingacrossasprawlingtown with cafés, schoolsand houses aplenty.

The place wascalledTafraoutand that’s whereIfound the other guys, exactlywheremyTripy said they’dbe, in one massivequeue waitingtofill up their tanks. “Haveyou seen Nick?” askedone of the guys,“he should have been herebynow.” And that’s

when the pennydropped.Thebloke I’dpassedwas my friend, Nick,some fivemiles back.Not onlydid Inot recognisehim,but Ijustassumed he’d stopped to takea picture. There wasonlyone thingtodo, and that wastogobacklooking for him,whichwas easier said than done becausethe Tripyonlytold youwhich direction to head, not whereyou’d come from.Overthe next20minutes I took atourist trip around everystreet in Tafraout,eventuallyfindingthe righttrail that headedbackout into the mountains.Igot to the corner, onlytofind no one wasthere, so once moreIset off for the garage,arriving in time to seethe last of the group headingoff. Thankfully, Nick wasokay and, better still, Allyand Frankie had waited for me.Not the best startofthe day, butlessons were learned.

Afew miles in and Iwas having ablast with the other two, having forgotten aboutthe earlier melodrama. The onlythingIwas thinkingabout wasthe stunning views all around us.Icould onlyguessat howhighwewereasweswopped one mountainous pass foranother, sticking largelyonnarrow, rutted roads.Therewas little-to-no traffic, with the occasional moped beingthe onlyvehicle we’d come across. Even when travellingthrough settlements, you’d rarely seeacar,parkedor otherwise

Afew hoursintothe ride,wearrived at somethingofanOasis.Built into a canyon, ourroadtookusthrough a small town that linedthe road on one side,whichshouldered aturquoise blueriver on the other.Itwas a picture-perfectplace,made all the morestunning with its palm treesand abundance of greenery.

Havingspent so longchasing trails of dirt, it wasareminder that as harsh and arid as the terrain around us was, abit of watercould offersomething trulydifferenttothe mix.Wedidn’t knowitatthe time butthatwas the last bit of greenerythat we’d seefor quitesome time

Asweleft the town,the Tripysoon hadusaimedatawhole lot of offroad. It’d tell youthatyou were at the startofsuchasection, butseldom howlongyou were on it for.Asalready mentioned, despiteluggingitaround,

alongside my Celine Dion Greatest Hits CD,Inever actuallylookedatthe providedroadbookthat stored that kind of information. To be honest, it didn’t reallymatter–I just putmy faith in the Tripy andenjoyed the ride

And so,too,did Ally, who pulledthe pin the second we gotontothe day’s first real chunk of dustand dirt.

Idon’t actuallyknowifsuchtrails have speedlimits butlet’s just sayI’m pleased therewerenospeed cameras

Forabig bike, the AfricaTwincan move likethe best of them,and it proved an absolutebeast on hardpackedsurfaces.Thepower delivery felt easy to manage and the grip from the tyreswas alwaysplentiful. For point-and-shootproceedings,itwas a cracking machine,aswas hammered home that morning.

Forwell over an hour we hadour motorssinging,with the onlycauses for concern beingthe occasional earthworktruck that’d bound along

on the wrongside of the track; hit one of thoseand you’d knowabout it Another thingtowatch outfor were the sheer drops off the side of the hellishlyhighroute we were blasting along. In the moment, Inever tend to think toomuchabout that kind of stuff,elseI’d talk myself outofdoing things,but on reflection, it wouldn’t have taken much for things to go pear-shaped. Oneset of switchbacks wassorough that the temptation was theretoride off the edge just to avoid the man-sizedcraters that litteredthe tricky route–thattookagood chunk of concentration, and even more willpower to keep my eyes on the routethantolookintothe stunning vistas of the valleys below.

It wascrazy to think that only 24 hourspreviously we’d been in thelush,green scenes of Agadir, and nowwewereaxle deep in the world’sbiggest sandpit.It’dall changedsoquickly, with such astark

HONDA ADVENTURE ROADS

difference to the surroundings,thatit somehowdidn’t seem real. Another thingthatdidn’t seem real wasthe temperature; by 10am it wasalready in the 40s and as we stumbled into lunchthatday,the bikes were showing 45°C on the dashes

As importantasfood was, fluids meantsomuchmore. We all had Camelbaksand by midday I’d consumedall butthe dregsofmine’s two-litrecapacity–the Hondaguys neverstopped hammeringhome the importance of drinking, even when that wasthe last thingyou wanted to do becausethe waterhad gotsohot, it would’vemade sensetochuck atea baginit.

Back on the trails,Allyand I somehowgot split from Frankie.In such asprawlingmassitwas easily

doubledupasabit of shade. Ifelt for the guy, butheseemedprettycontent and didn’t want for anythingwhen we stopped to ask.

The same couldn’t be said fora supportvehicle we came acrossanhour later. Ally’sagoodbloke; better still, he’s an engineer so when we learned the crew didn’t knowhow to accessthe vehicle’s sparewheel, Allyspranginto action and changeditfor them.We lostanhourtothe good deed,withthe biggesthit beingthe tortureofstanding around in full textiles,heavy boots and full body armour

The temperaturewas relentless, and Icouldn’t wait to getbackmoving again. We’d made it all of four miles beforefindingyet another puncture victim,calledTim,who wassat under his bikewith his trousers down; the rationale wastokeephim a little cooler,but the sighthad me in stitches.Little did he knowthatwe’d just helped the vehiclethat wasonits waytohelp him

done,especiallyifsomeone stopped for one reason or another andthe other ridersdidn’t clockit. As hard as we worked to sticktogether,I’d learn myself alittle lateronthe trip the same reality.But for now, Allyand Icrackedon, leavingthe mountains behind and hittingreallyrocky,hardgoingground.

Once more, we were seeing yeta differentside to Morocco,evenmore sparse than before, with the only company beingthe oddcamel that crossedour paths.Seeingthem outin the wild, doingwhatever theydo, was pretty surreal. Supposedly,they’reall owned, theyknowwheretheir home is and, after so many days kickingup rocks, theyheadbacktowherethey came from

The loose, jagged rocksproved pretty tricky at times,demanding enough momentumtokeepthe AfricaTwinpoweringalong, butif you hit anytoo hard,you were almost guaranteed to wina wait for asupport vehicle.Prettysoonafter lunchwe sawthe day’sfirstpuncturevictim, nestledunder an Italian flagthat

We’d been on the go since 8am and it wasnow four in the afternoon. I pride myself on my fitness, butI’d be aliarifIsaidIwasn’t startingto feel it physicallyaswell as mentally. My hands were cramped, my legs ached, and my back felt likeit’dbeen attackedbya sadistic masseuse. Still, otherswereina much worseway, includingone of the ladies who was been looked after by Dave Thorpe and afew others. Heat exhaustion hadgot the better of her,soher dayofridinghad endedthereand then, just an hour from that night’s accommodation.

Havingdreaded another nightina tent, youcan probably imagine my joywhen we arrivedata hotel-esque location. Bikesparked, bags dumped, Ijumpedstraightinthe pool and basked in its coolness. It’d been one hell of aday and over dinner all kinds of tales and trauma were doingthe rounds.Asfor the mechanics,the line of battered Hondas ensured they’dget no rest that evening.

Eatingdone,fluidsreplaced, the nightendedwith atalk from the organisers. If their faces looked worried, Idaresay ours were even moreso. The gistwas that the next day’sridingwas settobenothingshort of gruelling, headingdeepintothe desertand the dunes,traversingan old, driedsaltlakeonroute to aFrench ForeignLegion outpost. It wouldbeall off-road. Therewould be little support on offer and, if youstartedthe ride, you’dhavetofinish it –therewas no exit point, no plan B. Worsestill, the temp wasgoingtobeupinthe 50s.It wastime to make adecision.

Quick Spin:

VOGE AC350

If you’re in the market for alightweight, nippy and affordably priced naked, VOGE’s AC350 could be just the ticket

Words: Andy Bell Pics: Gary Chapman

Whatisit?

Beforestarting, Iamawarethatnot everyone is up to speed with thenameVOGE.

Briefly,VOGE was established in 2018 as a subsidiary brand to Loncin, which itself began producingmotorcycles in1983 in Chongquing (central-southernChina). The VOGE range is aimed at producing amorepremium-feeling motorcycle with ahigher level of performance using the latest technology

The AC350 hereis amachineI can see appealing to awideaudienceofpotential buyers. To start with, its low price makes it moreaffordable to the majority of themarket, whetheryou arelooking for alighter/smaller capacity bike to getstartedon or something to use as adaily workhorse to commuteto work on whilst notwanting toforgo adecent levelofquality

Talking tech…

The powerplant of this model is a322cc parallel-twin whichisbased on Yamaha’s YZF-R3 sport bike and produces alittle over 40bhp. Regarding the style of the AC,ithas some classic-looking features such as a blacked-out frame and exhaust,whilst also leaning towards astreetfighterpresence

On thesuspensionsideofthingsthere is apair of chunky-looking USD forks up front with amonoshock atthe rear which, despite not being branded, should be capableof offering enoughofthe rightsupport to the lightweightbike at only 165kg. It has stylish LED lights with aclassic round headlight up front and atidy,yet modern-looking, rear taillighttuckedneatly under the seatunit, with thecompact indicators also doing their bit to not stand outuntil needed.

The7-inchcolour LED displaypanel is super-clear and laid out in afashion thatyou would expect for aquickglance, with the vitals most prominent and like so many of the features of the bike, it doesn’tgive offa ‘budget feel’.

Cracking on…

With two colour options (greyand yellow),I must admit Iwas questioning if Iwould go for the yellow that was supplied for thetest should Ibuy onefor myself. However,I feel it nods towardsits playful sideas Iwill come to mention, and as it happens thecolour did actually grow on me.

Climbing aboardwould be the wrong term to use so much as swinging your leg over due to the low seat height of 780mm, meaning both feet can make good contact with the floor when stationary.Withoutknowing the figures ahead of the ride,it was clear from the start that this bike was light and the weight it did have felt quite low,which is always abonus for handling and control, or even confidenceif you arenew to bikes.

The ergonomics werealittle strange to start with. The bars felt slightly too narrow,and the pegs had my feet tucked alittle further back and higher than I expected, whilst also putting my body weight further forwards than Ihad hopedfor from anaked bike. Thehandlebar gripshad a funky raised diamondpattern in the rubber that added adifferent level of grip that Inever thought was necessary but I`ll take it. Therewas nothing complicatedor clumsy with the switchgear, with allthe controlsevenlyspaced and super-easy to operate.

Within the firstfew miles it was obvious thatthe engine was going to be quite astrong point of the AC,pulling well through the gears whilst alsoableto sit happily in town traffic, not needing to be ridden flat out throwing gears at it all the time.

The motor gave offabulletproof feeling andIfelt that Iwould be happy with it knowing it has the ability to take the bike to adual carriageway/motorway when needed, without feeling likeyou areinthe way,asyou sometimes feel when riding some smallercapacity bikes.

Something else Ihave experiencedfrombikes of a similarsize and costisexcessive vibration through the ‘bars and pegs, but therewas nothing to note hereeven when pushing towardsthe higher end of the rev range. Whencruising at 60mph in 6th gearI often found myself looking to click up another gear as Ifelt 6th could warrant being alittle taller because therewas morepull to be had from the strong engine. The sweet spot for poweroccurredaround the 8000rpmmarkand if youkeep it there through the gears then it is arewarding experience, taking me back tothe days of riding a lower capacity to itspotential everywhereI went.

The single brake disc set up with dual channel at both ends was morethan enoughtopull the bike up when askingfromthem to do so, despite what my first concerns wereofonly having asingle front disc, even from the higher speeds. While the suspension did do an amazing

job (not just considering the low cost overall), Ifelta lack of support when breaking hardat times with the front diving more than Iwould have liked.

VOGE have aclaimed 90mpg averagefor the AC and while I didn’ttest this myself, Idid top up the small12.5-litrefuel tank at the start of my time with the bike, and then covered quite afew miles over acouple of hours, and could see the quoted figure being notfar from the truth as Ihardly noticed the level drop while out and about.

Going back to the start of this section, Imentioned the ‘playful’ natureofthis bike. The moretime Ispent riding the AC,the more Igot used to the narrow ‘bars and footpeg positionthat you don’tnormally get from amore upright machine. When out in the open and riding throughsome of my favourite twistyroads they actually added to this sensation and encouraged me to push on to makethe most from each corner,using all of its agility that it had to offer

Worth apunt?

£4k for abrand-new bike? You would be forgiven forassuming that you wouldn’tbegetting much for your money,but if you have any remote interest then

The stuffthat matters…

Power: 40bhp @10,500rpm

Weight 165kg

Price: £3999

Contact: sales@motogb.co.uk

I’d say this is worth alook. This is one of those all-rounder bikes that can be used to navigate a busy city with its low centreof gravity and overall weight, or to commute on aflowing motorway with its strong motor and large seat for comfort. Icould see apotential buyer wanting something affordable to get to work on that also lets them have ablast with on the way home.

Rivals…

If you arelooking for acommuter then typically (in my corner of the country at least) many folks look towards the 125cc market, normally due to licence entitlement or costs, but with some of the morepopular manufacturers pricing their new 125s nearer to the £5k mark, Iknow Iwould like to spend my money on abike with the extra power

Youcould look to theused market for somethinglike a2024 KTM Duke 390whichyou may pick up for the same price, or looking slightly older,the 201723 model for between £3,000£4,000. Sticking to the price and cc, if you still wanted anew bike then Royal Enfield’sHunter 350 comes in at £3979, with more colour optionsbut with adropin power at 20bhp.

TORQUING POINT AMODERN STROKER?

Words: AlanDowds

It feels like alifetime sincewelast sawa two-stroke road biketaking prideofplace in adealership, butthe wait foraresurrection might be closer thanwethink…

If you want to getabig reaction from bikersonasocialmedia post,there’re afew easy wins.MentioningValentino Rossiisagreat start. Drop inapic of awild crash.Orifyou want to cause apoplexyall round, post apositive storyabout an electric motorbike.

The real gold standardthough,is to mention abikewith atwo-stroke engine.Whether it’s aHonda MT-5 or aYamahaRD500LC, the replies will go into meltdown quickerthana cheapcastpistoninanold race-tuned Suzuki RG250 Gamma.

Becauseeveryoneloves astroker

It’s not hard to seethe appeal: the engines arelight,havegreat performance for the capacity, sound amazing– and have awhole extra dimension to their appeal: they actuallySMELLgood. Addinthe particular powerdeliveryofa tuned two-stroke –suddenincreasesin poweroveranarrowrev range, or the famous ‘power band’–and you have a unique setofcharms.

WhichmakesarecentKawasaki post on its UKand USAsocial

channels very interestingindeed.The firmteasedareturn of the two-stroke, with the sound of atwo-strokeengine revvingand the catchphrase: ‘We heardyou.#2stroke.’

There’s absolutelynoother official info from the bigKatthe moment–butJapanesebikemagazine Young Machine hasspeculatedthatthere will be anew two-stroke bikefrom Kawasaki –and it will be aroadbike rather than adirtbikelikethe KTM 300 EXCtwo-strokewhichhas been on sale in recentyears.Big if true,as the kids liketosay

Two-stroke road bikes essentially haddisappeared by the mid-1990s Emissions rules meanttheycouldn’t be sold for road use, whichmakes sensefromahealth pointofview: two-stroke exhaust fumes smell great butare,ofcourse, properly poisonous Would youreallywantyourkids or grandchildren to be breathingthat stuff in when satintheirpramwaiting to crossthe road?

The problem is twofold: the totallosslubrication system,and the amounts of unburntfuel that arelost outofthe exhaust from aconventional two-stroke.Thoseengines arealmost laughably primitivewhen youlook at them:the crankshaft, big-end, small-end, pistonand cylinder are all lubricated by afew squirtsofoil whichthen burns alongwiththe fuel. The fuel/air mix is sucked into the bottom of the engine by the action of the pistonmovingup, then squeezed through some transfer portsintothe combustion chamberwhen the piston movesdown. The new fuel/air pushes the exhaustgases outofa hole in the side of the cylinder,then there’sa quickspark as the pistongets to the topofthe bore,you have ajuicy power stroke and it all continues once again. Unburntoil, atomised fuel, soot, half-burnedpetrol, carbon monoxide –this messoforganic chemistry tumbles into the exhaustpipeand out into the atmosphere, making forthat amazingscent–but with genuinely poisonous impacts to the local

environment. Catalystsand clever designcan help,but once youadd all that complexityin, afour-stroke engine begins to seem likeaneasier option. And none of that improves the poor fuelconsumptionofatwostroke,orthe lowservice life of those imperfectlylubricated internal parts. Is thereaway to getthe benefits of astroker,withoutthosedownsides though? Well yes, and thereare massive, powerful, economical twostroke engines all over the world–but they’repowered by diesel and live inside ships and factories.Two-stroke diesels usesuperchargers to blow fresh air into their cylinders, rather than crankcase/pistonpumping, and some designs usecamshafts and poppet exhaustvalves.That allows them to useaconventional fourstroke stylelubrication system for the cylindersand bottom end: oil is kept outofthe combustion chamberby the pistonrings.Directinjection of preciseamounts of fuel straight into the combustion chambergives more accurateburning, whichimproves fuel consumption and cuts emissions Youcan useintakeports in the cylinder wall, feddirectlyfromthe supercharger,and when the piston opens the portsup, fresh air blasts in, blowing outthe exhaustgas through the poppet valves in the cylinder head. The pistonmoves back up,fuel is injectedstraightinto the combustion chamber, the spark fires,the pistonmoves down andthe cyclerepeats,with apower stroke everyrevolution of the crankshaft. Belowthe piston, youhaveanormal crank/conrod designwith pressure lubrication.

So,apossibleoption for aclean petrol-poweredtwo-stroke. But again, once you make acylinder head with camshafts and valves, you’rehalfwaytoafour-stroke,and it’s simpler to go with the flowand do that,rather than bother with the supercharger,the R&D,the direct injection and the faff. After all, fourstroke developmenthasn’t exactly

resulted in rubbish engines:specific poweroutputsof215bhp/litre from the latest 999cc superbikemotors isn’t far off the 248bhp/litrefrom somethinglikeaSuzukiRGV250 VJ22 in 1996 –and that’s with Euro 5+ exhaust emissions

Butwhatifyou hadsome supercharger tech lyingabout the place –and alsohad apotential market with astrongaffinityfor a two-stroke engine? Canyou think of a company likethat?Hands up! Of course,it’sKawasaki, the firmmakingthosesaucy stroker social posts. ItsH2supercharged rangehas been outfor adecade now,sothe engineershavealot of experience with blowers on bikes It hasamassive two-stroke road bikeheritage, goingbacktothe H1 Mach III 500 tripleinthe 1960s up to the gorgeous KR-1S 250 parallel twin race-rep in the early1990s.One complication is that the centrifugal supercharger designusedonthe H2 doesn’t work well at slow speeds, unlike‘positivedisplacement’ blowers used on bigtwo-strokes So,toallowstart-up and slow speedrunning, theymight need an electrically-driven supercharger –as seen on the new HondaV3engine showedoffatthe MilanShowlast year.But,ifanyone could come out with anew 2025-friendlytwo-stroke technology for the road,it’sthem Now, it’s fair to saythatthe audio on the social postssounds likeanoldschool KX250 single rather than some sort of new-fangledsupercharged stroker. Butthe good folk at Young Machine magazine in Japanare guessing that the new bikemight be aretro-style multi-cylinder roadster design, with echoes of the old twostroke triples that still resonate in moto-legend.

Whether they’reright,orifthe social mediastramash will end in the slight anti-climax of aneo-KX dirtbikewith aconventional two-stroke single,remains to be seen. Fingers crossedthough…

Buyinga used…

SUZUKI TL1000R

In 1998 Suzuki attemptedtotake on Ducati head-to-head with Japan’s first V-twin superbike…

In the late 1990s World Superbikes’ popularity was at its height. Hundreds of thousands of fans floodedinto racecircuits all over the world to watch the action on track while millions moresat at home glued to their TV screens. But if you wereafan of Japanese bikes therewas a problem as from 1994 until 2000 the series was dominated by Ducati’sV-twins. Honda grabbed asingle victory in 1997 but that took an RC45, the genius of John Kocinski and an open cheque book for HRC’sracing budget.

Arelatively small company like Suzuki, who weredesperate to get in on the action, had no

chance and their GSX-R750 racer was simply outgunned and under-funded. So, thinking outside thebox, Suzuki’srace departmentcame up witha plan...

In 1997 the firm released the TL1000S, abrand-new naked bike powered by alitreV-twin, which was followed ayear later by asuperbike sibling –the TL1000R had arrived. Although, sadly for Suzuki, it landed right in the middle of ashitstorm!

We all know the issues that the TL-S had andhow the repercussions blighted the TL1000R, so instead let’s focus on the good pointsabout abike

Words:

Jon Urry Photos: Mortons

that, even nowadays, makes for abrilliant, and very characterful, road bike. So whereshould we start? Why not with that V-twin motor?

Moreadvanced than the TL-S’sengine, the Rgained forged pistons, bigger valves, lighter conrods and ahigher compression ratio, something that, alongside anew twin injector system, boostedits claimed peak power from the TL-S’s125bhp to 135bhp. Okay, the rear wheel reality is closer to 115bhp but that’s still pretty respectable and the way the TL-R makes its power is far more exciting than aDucati.

Not wishing to be too cynical here, but it is hardly a coincidence that the TL-R has the same capacity,boreand stroke and V-twin angle as the Ducati 996 –asthey say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.But wherethe Bologna V-twin is quite lazy-feeling, Suzuki’soffering has adollop of attitude within, making it appear faster revving and morethrilling to ride. Not to mention more reliable –you can merrily hammer aTL-R and even skip afew services without any fear of it all going very badly wrong. So, the engine ticks all the right boxes, what about the chassis? This is

whereyou need to know what you arebuying...

Back in 1998, and egged on by Suzuki’smarketing department’s claims it has to be said, riders expected the TL-R to be a proper racing whippet. The fact of the matter was, however, nothing could havebeenbeen further from the truth. Although Suzuki claimed it was just 1kg heavier than the 996, in reality it was about 20kg moreand it felt as much. Big, bulky and set decidedly for stability over agility (maybe as aresult of the TL-S fiasco), when you ride aTL-R it feels far moreakin to asports tourer than the sportsbike.

Heavy steering from theoff, the TL-R’ssluggish handling isn’tanything to do with the controversial rotary damper,more Suzuki’schoice to over-engineer the bikeand in doing so add a stack of unnecessary weight If you expect animble, trackfocusedsportsbike you will be in for adisappointment. However,if you treat the TL-R as aroadbike first and foremost it is an absolute delight to ride and the machine you would pick over a996 for a

rideout on the UK’sbumpy roads any day of the week.

Your wrists, back and bum would be delighted at your smart thinking, too, as the TL-Rhas apleasingly spacious riding position andremarkably deeply padded seat. Even pillions are fairly well catered for, although sticking on theflat pillionseat does mean you can’thave the classic ‘duck bill’ rear end, which is ahuge part of theTL’s charm and an instant talking point...

Looking at the prices of used TL1000Rs it is hardnot to assume they will very soonjump up in value. For around the £4000 area (which, it has to be noted, is half the cost of aHondaSP-1) you can get areliable V-twin that with fairly minimal alterations (exhaust, suspension rebuild, brake caliper refresh) can be made even better and will be morethan happy to be used every day,whatever the weather, with no complaints. And, better

still, it is actually averyrare motorcycle. In the UK, Suzuki sold just 2291 TL-Rs between 1998 and 2001. Yes, just 2291. If you areafter an exclusive superbike that turns heads (especially in the classic blue and white paint scheme) but won’tput too much of adent in your wallet, the TL1000R is a brilliant option. Yes, it bombed on track, but who doesn’tsee a TL1000R and want to take acloser look at this truly unique machine?

1999 Ducati 996

Private: £7200 Dealer: £8000

Slightly overlooked as riders want the 998 or 916, the996’s prices tendtobeabit lower It’sstill agreat machineand well worth searchingout a good one.

Engine: 996cc, l/c, 8v,desmo, V-twin Power: 115bhp@ 9500rpm Torque: 95Nm @7000rpm

2000 VTR1000 Honda SP-1

Private: £8000 Dealer: £9000 Sadly,the SP-1 hasfallen foul of thecollectable market and that means prices are sky-high. Thereare afew bargains out there, butmost areoverpriced.

Engine: 999cc, l/c, 8v,V-twin Power: 127bhp @9850rpm Torque: 99Nm @7850rpm

1998 Aprilia RSV1000

Private: £3500 Dealer: £4000

The first generation of RSV was launched in 1998 and took the world by storm. Far less fickle than the Ducati, it’s aday-to-dayItalian V-twin and sensibly priced.

Engine: 998cc, l/c, 8v,V-twin Power: 114bhp @9500rpm

Things to looks out for…

Race kit...

The fabled TL-R race kit was pictured at the bike’slaunch but according to the worldwide distributer of Suzuki race parts at the time, Harris Performance, none actually ever materialised! They areabit of aunicorninthe TL-R world...

Frame cracks!

Like the TL-S, the TL-R’s frame is prone to cracking around the mounting points for the suspension system. Check this area very wellfor any damage or bodged repair welds and if its dirty,wipe awayany grease with acloth andbit of degreaser to be 100 per cent sureabout what’s underneath

Rotarydamper

We all know the issues with the damper unit and that means thereare lots of replacement units out there.Maxtonstill build aconventional shock that does away completelywiththe damperunit and sits wherethe originalspring was, while Öhlins have stoppedproducing their alternative

Rocker

The TL’s suspensionspring rocker is veryweak with owners reporting thatcracks can develop on olderexamples. Maxton include areplacement billet unit with theirshock conversion.

Stator magnets

Acommonissue on older bikes,but the TL-R’sstator magnets arenow starting to come loose due to age and the

glue holding themdegrading. Replacement unitsaren’tthat expensive (about £90) or you can just reglue them in with a very strong epoxy if you area tight wad.

Fuelling

The TL-R responds very well to aset of pipes, free-flowing air filter and fuelling remap. From the stock 115bhp you can reasonably expect to see a 10bhp gain, which is nottobe sniffed at!

Clutchand gearbox

Whenthe ramps on the TL’s back torque limiter (it’snot a slipper clutch) start to wear they cause the clutch to slip. Owners curethis by welding the clutch centre, which seems to work but is quite drastic. Always check the gearbox works as thirdgear often goes wayward...

Engine

When on atest ride, listen for the engine making aknocking sound that indicates the crank bearing is on its way out, which is acommon fault on high-mileage TL motors. Also look for signs of oil in the airbox, which is caused by too much pressurebuilding up in the crank cases. Thereare a few fixes if you go on forums and ask the question.

Brakes

The Tokico brake calipers are pretty poor performing and have ahabit of developing sticking pistons. They aren’t too hardtorebuild (a seal kit costsabout £40 aside) and fittingstainless steel pistons helps wardoff futureissues. A full kit (stainless pistons and seals) can be had for around £150.

For Sale

ARIEL Square 4, Cammy, 1932, owned for 20 years, GY number plate, rebuilt engine, good runner, £20,000. Also 1927Ariel 500cc,owned for 10 years, £8500 or ovno Tel. 07581 364691. Manchester.

BMW R1250 GS Rallye TE 2023, 4500 miles, Touratech engine bars, fender extenders etc, excellent condition, £13,250 Tel. 07531 019009

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

DUCATI 916single seat Strada registered 28/6/94, 13,248 miles, owned 20 years, spares included, will need recommissioning, dry stored many years, call fordetails £11,500.Tel 07594 506435.Kent. Email. richardtunbridge49@gmail.com

DUCATI ST3 S, good condition, red, 21,000 miles, 2006, ful luggage, new battery, it was my sons bike, and Ihave a bike, so best offer over £1500 will secure, can supply photos, £1500. Tel. Jerry 07391 612367. Teignmouth. Email 4jerry2wheels@gmail.com

HARLEY-DAVIDSON 1996,FXD DynaSuper Glide, only done 9072 miles, recent new tyres and battery, £5750 ono, might deal for British bike Tel. 07866 909192. Leeds.

HONDA CBF1000, 33,000 miles, 2previous owners, MoT October 2025, full luggage, touring screen, mudguard extender +hugger, hot grips, etc, new stator +reg/rectifier,recent tyres, brakes, battery, fork seals, Datatag andmore may p/x for agood NC750, £2100 Tel. 07707 302176. Norfolk. Email. punwin@zoho.eu

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

Classified

HONDA CBR400NC23, 1985, near complete engine plus numerous engine spares, gearbox, cylinders, case lower crankcase, starter switch for sale, £750. Tel. 07901 661770.

KTM Adventure 1190R, 2014, one owner from new, 57,700 miles, excellent condition with good service history, KTM panniers, Akrapovic, spots, heated grips, powerparts,seat, radiator protector, fullengine protection, all original fittings included, recent front tyre, chain andsprockets, battery, £3250 Tel. 07815 186070. North Yorkshire.

LAVERDA RGS1000, 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, lovely bike, £8000Tel. 07899985770.Exeter. Email john998@icloud.com

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

PIAGGIO Vespa, 2011,124cc, two owners, full service history, blue, runs smooth and fast, ready to go, twist, and go ride, ready to 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

SUZUKI VL800Li Intruder trike, 2012, 12 reg, black, converted by Eurotech Trikes, disc brakes, alloywheels, large rack, footboards, shaft drive, heel/toe gearchange, heated grips, 12V/ USBsockets, LED daylights, chrome engine casings, 2sets of keys, back/arm rests on Pillion seat, 11,900miles,MoT mid October 2025, top box if required, £6400 ono, saleor exchange combination, Moto Guzzi California/V7 Tel. 07913 032864. Yorkshire Email. moorend4@hotmail.com

SYM Jet EVO 14,November 2024 made, used by asingle owner and meticulously maintained, with just 447 miles on the odometer, excellent condition and ready for its next adventure, £1790 Tel. 07436 656278. London. Email. tonykurisunkal1994@gmail.com

TRIUMPH Bonneville, 1971, A1 condition, oil tight, matching numbers, electronic ignition, £6250 ono Tel. 07599 922707. Cambridgeshire.

TRIUMPH Bonneville, 1958, 12 volt, matching numbers, show condition, £15,750 onoTel.07599 922707 Cambridgeshire.

VELOCETTE Venom, A1 condition, 12 volt, £6450 ono Tel. 07599 922707. Cambridgeshire.

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

REDUCING collection,Ariel Square Four 1950, BSA Blue Star 350 1934, Royal Enfield model J 500, 1938,Matchless 500twin 1953, Royal Enfield 700 Vax Interceptor 1960, rare, Capriolo 125 1960, Bridgestone 350 GTO 1971, rare, Kawasaki W1 1966 rare, Norton Commando 750 1968, Ducati 916 Strada, 1994, only 17 left in UK, call for details Tel. 07594 506435. Kent. Email. richardtunbridge49@gmail.com

SUZUKI Inazuma 1200GSX, 1999, very rare bike, good well looked after condition, any questions please contact me, only seen one other of these models in 25 years, goes like the true muscle bike it is, £2500 ono Tel. 01729 850234.

SUZUKI GSX750, 1998, super bike, goes all day two up and in very good condition, contact for details,£2500 ovno Tel. 07709 645307.

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

SUZUKI GS125, 1991, red, very good condition, miniature Katana, 10,800 miles, cruiser, £1250 possible p/x Tel. 07880 868316.

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

TRIUMPH T120R Bonneville, 1970, 650cc, matching frame and engine numbers, four speed, no smoke, rattles or oil leaks, photo available by phone, loads old MoTs, £6195.Tel.07887 674467. Hants.

Parts For Sale

ROYALENFIELD classic 350 partsfor sale,DNA filterinc plate, £40. Decathlonpipe, £20. Black short exhaust pipe, £40. Denali horn loud, £15. Punjabi large exhaust, £15 all plus postage and packaging Tel. Bill 07713 160796. TRIUMPH 675Daytona, brand new,exhaust system, never used Tel. 07787 525198.

TRIUMPH Speedmaster, rear section silencers OE long type with brackets off 1000 mile bike, superb condition, £650 +£30 postage or collect. Thunderbird instrument panel and wiring, £175 +£5postage Tel.07434 513161. Lancashire.

HONDA CB500R, 2014, original exhaust, as new, £85buyer collects Tel. 01403 217403. Sussex.

TRIUMPH Thunderbird OE Peashooter, rear section silencers, new in original boxes, superb for concoursormuseum restoration, £800 +£30 postage or collect in person, cash payment if collected Tel. 07434 513161. Lancashire.

Wanted

WANTED 1968-70 Royal Enfield Interceptor, Series 2, must be roadworthy or needing minimal work to complete Tel. 07841 902933.

Miscellaneous

HARLEY-DAVIDSON 100th

SUZUKI leather jacket, brown soft leather leisure jacket, genuine Suzuki collection item, only worn occasionally, suit 4648” chest, lined with 2external zipper pockets and 2internal pockets, £75 ono Tel. 07910 285178. Milton Keynes. blandfamily@sky.com