Motorcycle Sport and Leisure May 2019 by Mortons Media Group Ltd

HONDA CB500X, CBR500R & CB500F F

THE LEGEND RETURNS

SUZUKI KATANA

SHOOT LIKE A PRO

HOW TO NAIL YOUR TOURING PHOTOS AND VIDEO

UK off-sale date – 03/05/2019

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DUCATI D MULTISTRADA M CHANGES, 9 950 S SMALL BIG DIFFERENCE

No.704 May 2019

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PAGES OF TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE FROM PEMBROKE TO LAOS

ELECTRIC ROYAL ENFIELD ◆ HONDA ADVENTURE CENTRE ◆ POLARIS QUAD BIKE

Electronically enhanced Mikko Nieminen

ow do you feel about electric rider aids on motorcycles? They seem to divide the riding public pretty neatly into those who see the benefits and those who don’t. I’m firmly in the pro-electronics camp. Although I enjoy riding on green lanes on my Suzuki DR350, which has no electronics to speak of, I prefer a bike with all possible anti-idiot systems when I’m on Tarmac. Those who don’t want any electronic interference between their control commands and the bike’s reactions often fear that systems such as ABS and traction control are ‘dumbing down’ riders, and if you are sufficiently proficient at riding you simply don’t need them. Some even say things like ‘my right wrist is my traction control’, but most of us grew out of that kind of talk in our teens. I’m not sure if anyone is so good at riding that they can completely remove any nasty surprises from around them. But let’s say, for argument’s sake, that it is possible to reach that Zen-like state of absolute control of your motorcycle and your surroundings – what percentage of riders would qualify for the two-wheeled grandmaster status? And what about beginners, Sunday riders, those who haven’t completed advanced riding courses and, well, most of us? We all need to cope with slippery surfaces, deer running out in front of us, miscalculated speeds of ourselves and others and so on. In any of those situations I’d rather have the assistance of ABS, traction control, and any kind of added control available, thank you very much. Especially given the ever-increasing capacity and power of modern engines, the weight of bikes and the expense of fixing them even after a little tumble, these are useful technologies. A step further into the electronically enhanced riding experience are technologies such as ride modes and electronic suspension. Again, they divide opinion. For these there’s less of a safety argument, although being able

Electronic rider aids can be great (if you like that sort of thing), but where is the limit? When do riders become passengers? to select an appropriate throttle map for wet conditions or quickly and easily adjust the suspension for the load you are carrying (rather than not bothering) make the bike perform more predictably, adding to your safety. If you don’t like them, you can always leave the settings alone – job done. That’s ok. So far the only negative about these electronic enhancements, in my opinion, is that they push prices up. With more gadgets you have to part with more notes. So where’s the limit? How much electronic interference can we allow to trickle through into motorcycling? On the news pages of this issue you’ll find some future technologies that look like they’ll have a profound impact on what life on two wheels will be like. Not all of them are available yet, and some of them aren’t planned for bikes, but if I were a betting man, I’d say they are on their way sooner or later. In light of that, how do we feel about automated emergency braking, automated top speed limiters and constant GPS tracking on our bikes? To me, it sounds not only unpleasant, but rather Big Brother-ish too. I’m all for added safety, but I like to ride my bike, not be a pillion to an electronic overlord riding the bike for me. I don’t mean to be a scaremonger. All this talk of automation and the end of motorcycling as we know it could be just talk. But just in case, you’d better get on that bike and ride while you still can – go, go, GO!

Mikko Nieminen, Editor

Motorcycle Sport & Leisure’s contributors... Roland Brown

A bike journalist for more than 30 years, Roland has contributed to countless publications worldwide and authored a dozen books on bikes. He has tested machines ranging from Rossi’s YZR-M1 to a 1923 Douglas, but still can’t decide which type of bike he most enjoys riding.

Chris Moss

Mossy has made a living from bikes since 1985, ﬁrst as a motorcycle courier in London, and then as a journo from 1995. He’s raced, ridden and tinkered with hundreds of different bikes, but he’s the ﬁrst to admit there’s still loads to experience and learn.

Peter Henshaw

Peter is our history man. He’s written more than 60 books and is a former editor of this very publication. Now a freelance journalist, he writes about transport of all kinds, though bikes are really at the heart of it all. He’s an all-yearround rider who does not own a car.

Maynard Hershon

Maynard lives in Denver, Colorado, US, and rides a lovable Kawasaki ZRX1200. He began riding in 1962 and found that on or off the bike he was happiest thinking about motorcycling. He’s always led a life that’s focused on riding, rather than life’s more mundane trivialities.

Ross Mowbray

Ross works across the modern motorcycling magazines at our publisher, Mortons Media. That means he gets to ride all manner of two-wheelers, from Monkey bikes to trikes. Don’t let his youthful appearance fool you, he’s a seasoned petrol-head, respected test rider and a handy offroader, too.

www.mslmagazine.co.uk 3

Contents

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NEWS & OPINION

P32

News

The biggest talking points in biking this month

Latest products

It’s not all about cool bikes. It’s about cool kit, too

Maynard Hershon

Do you know what moto-fashion is? Maynard is not sure

Subscription offer

Save £££ and be the ﬁrst to get your hands on MSL every month

Your letters

The High Sider

MSL readers get to have their say

High Sider takes a look into the future. And the past. And he covers a bit of present too

ROAD TESTS 10

Polaris Sportsman

Suzuki Katana

Honda 500s

Ducati Multistrada 950

4 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

It has the wrong amount of wheels, but it feels so right

Is the new Katana able to ﬁll the big boots of it’s 80s ancestor?

How different are the three new 500cc Hondas?

The ‘small’ Multistrada has been updated for 2019

Electric RE Bullet

This home-made electric bike could change the classic scene

116

TOURING & ADVENTURE 55

Touring news

Day ride

Mid ride

May 2019

You think it’s cold to ride? This will put the UK winter in perspective

From Pembroke to Stonehenge in almost a day

Can two-stroke scooters keep up with a UK tour

Richard Millington

The new season brings joy and frustration for Richard

Long ride

History Boy

Letters from Africa

Capturing your tour

Riding in Malaysia, Thailand and Laos

Our location scout has a Spanish treat for you

Freddie reaches the end of his African adventure

Want to learn how to shoot your tour like a pro? Here’s how

TEST FLEET 104 Honda CRF450 L

It’s still fun, but the service costs give Mossy palpitations

108 Yamaha Tracer 900

Mikko makes a rookie mistake, and has to do the walk of shame

109 Kymco AK550

The customisable dash of the Kymco is a wonder

110 Yamaha Niken

Small modiﬁcations make a big difference for Mossy

111 Suzuki GSX-S1000F

Stu gets the Suzuki ready for spring

112 Honda VFR800X

The Crossrunner joins MSL long-term ﬂeet

87 KNOWLEDGE 87

Frankenbike

You can bring a push-bike to life, but it might turn out to be a misﬁt

Bike biology

We take a scientiﬁc (kind of) look at different bike types.

Honda Adventure Centre

If you want to learn how to ride a big adventure bike off-road, this is the place

100 Tech Talk: Tyres

Want to know what the difference between different tyres is? Then read this

103 Events

All the essential biking events in the coming weeks

114 My Bike

Confessions of a BMW R1200RT owner

116 Buying guide: BMW

R1200RS

The RS is sporty and comfortable in equal measures

EDITOR: Mikko Nieminen: mnieminen@mortons.co.uk DESIGNER: Gareth Williams PRODUCTION EDITOR: Mike Cowton PICTURE DESK: Paul Fincham and Jonathan Schoﬁeld PUBLISHING DIRECTOR: Dan Savage PUBLISHER: Tim Hartley GROUP KEY ACCOUNTS MANAGER: Steff Woodhouse: swoodhouse@mortons.co.uk 01507 529452 / 07786 334330 GROUP ADVERTISING MANAGER: Sue Keily DIVISIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER: Zoe Thurling zthurling@mortons.co.uk 01507 529412 ADVERTISING SALES: Charlotte Mountain: cmountain@mortons.co.uk 01507 529538 SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER: Paul Deacon: pdeacon@mortons.co.uk CIRCULATION MANAGER: Steve O’Hara: sohara@mortons.co.uk MARKETING MANAGER: Charlotte Park: cpark@mortons.co.uk COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR: Nigel Hole EDITORIAL ADDRESS: MSL Magazine, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6JR WEBSITE: www.mslmagazine.co.uk GENERAL QUERIES AND BACK ISSUES: 01507 529529 24 hr answerphone help@classicmagazines.co.uk www.classicmagazines.co.uk ARCHIVE ENQUIRIES: Jane Skayman jskayman@mortons.co.uk 01507 529423 SUBSCRIPTION: Full subscription rates (but see page 32 for offer): (12 months 12 issues, inc post and packing) – UK £51.60. Export rates are also available – see page 32 for more details. UK subscriptions are zero-rated for the purposes of Value Added Tax. SUBSCRIPTION AGENTS: Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6JR CUSTOMER SERVICES NUMBER: 01507 529529 TELEPHONE LINES ARE OPEN: MONDAY-FRIDAY 8.30AM-6PM SATURDAY 8.30AM-12.30PM DISTRIBUTION: Marketforce UK Ltd, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HU. 0203 787 9001. PRINTED: William Gibbons & Sons, Wolverhampton The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. If you are sending material to us for publication, you are strongly advised to make copies and to include a stamped addressed envelope. Original material must be submitted and will be accepted solely on the basis that the author accepts the assessment of the publisher as to its commercial value. © Mortons Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher. ISSN: 1478-8390 MOTORCYCLE SPORT & LEISURE (USPS:001-522) is published monthly by Mortons Media Group Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ UK. USA subscriptions are $66 per year from Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. Periodical Postage is paid at Bancroft WI and additional entries. Postmaster: Send address changes to MOTORCYCLE SPORT & LEISURE, c/o Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. 715-572-4595 chris@ classicbikebooks.com

125 Tried & Tested

Riding kit and accessories tried, tested and evaluated.

130 Kevin Cameron

Just like empires, bike designs rise and fall

Independent publisher since 1885 The Professional Publishers Association Member

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6 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure â&#x20AC;&#x201C; established 1962

NEW Need to know ◆ Your letters ◆ First rides

ZERO SR/F is the future, now Range of 200 miles. Fully charged in an hour. Top speed of 124mph. Is this the beginning of motorcycle electriﬁcation?

ero Motorcycles has introduced the SR/F, its most innovative and powerful motorcycle yet. To be exact, there are two versions of the SR/F: The Premium, which costs £19,990, and the Standard at £17,990. Both qualify for the £1500 government Plug In Motorcycle grant, and there’s a PCP deal with less than £250 per month to pay. The building blocks of the bikes are identical, but the Premium also has a faster charger, heated grips, fly screen and aluminium bar ends. The SR/F delivers a claimed 190Nm (140ft-lb) of torque and 110bhp courtesy of Zero’s new ZF75-10 motor and ZF14.4 lithium-ion battery. A single charge, with Zero’s accessory Power Tank attached to the bike, delivers up to a 200-mile

range for city riding. Without the Power Tank the claimed range is 160 miles in the city and 82 miles on the highway at 70mph. The bike’s Rapid Charge system works with Level 2 charge stations, and with an accessory 12kW charger the bike can be recharged from 0 to 95% capacity in one hour.

Without the accessory, the Premium model performs the same charge in about two hours (6kW configuration), and the Standard model in 4 to 5 hours (3kW configuration). In addition to the new engine and battery, there’s also a new steel-trellis frame, new Cypher III operating system, Bosch

Motorcycle Stability Control that takes care of cornering ABS and traction control, four standard ride modes and 10 custom ones, as well as dual radial brake calipers, but no gears – you just twist and go. Zero has been very proud of the level of connectivity that the SR/F offers. Through the new app, owners can check or be notified about the charging status, update the bike’s operating system, check where the bike is, and record and share rides. All the benefits of connectivity are offered for free for the first two years with the purchase of a new SR/F. Both models are available in blue and red colourways. They will arrive in the UK around late April to early May, and the order books are already open. Could this finally be the bike to make electric engines mainstream?

Top Stories Motorcycles dodge the ISA bullet Automatically restricted top speeds will be reality for drivers, but not motorcyclists European rule makers have voted in favour of the compulsory use of Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) and other safety technologies across a range of road vehicles, but not motorcycles. The big-brother legislation has been given the green light from MEPs for the introduction of a range of new vehicle safety systems which will, by law, have to be fitted in all new cars, vans, buses and lorries by 2022. The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) says that by introducing such technologies as ISA, Assisted Emergency Braking and Emergency Lane Keeping into every vehicle on the road, speed-related incidents will be reduced by up to 20%. The safety systems also include crash

testing requirements and the installation of ‘black box type’ Event Data Recorders, which record vehicle information in the moments leading up to a collision. The UK’s planned withdrawal from the European Union raises questions about how, or if, new safety legislation will apply to UK motorists. The ETSC says 2,100 lives could be saved yearly across Europe if average speed dropped by 1km/h on all EU roads, with approximately 25,000 fatalities spared within 15 years of the legislation coming into force.

Suzuki has plans for an upside-down engine Suzuki has ﬁled a new patent in Japan – and it shows a bike’s entire engine and transmission ﬂipped into a different position. But why? Well, according to the patent application, the USD layout would allow for a shorter wheelbase – which should help to improve handling – while making room for a longer swingarm, which should help to improve stability. Interestingly, Husaberg made use of a similar layout on its 570 models (from 2009 to 2012) – although its intention was to move the engine’s crankshaft closer to the bike’s centre of gravity, rather than shortening the wheelbase. Equally, the all-new Nembo 32 features an inverted engine, with head-down cylinders and the crankshaft up top. This layout was supposedly designed to concentrate the mass of the bike within a tight area, too. At this stage, we’ve heard no official news from Suzuki about the development of a bike with an inverted engine set up – and to be honest, we’re not expecting to see a production bike using this layout any time soon. Either way, it will be interesting to see how the idea develops.

Custom bikes for the masses Valespeed 28 offers custom style for mass-market prices

and curved top tubes running from headstock to rear wheel, the Valespeed 28 strikes quite a pose. Colours, materials and ﬁnishes can all be speciﬁed by the customer to tailor the bike to individual tastes. The Valespeed 28 is available to order from £5995. If you’re interested, call the guys at Valespeed Motorcycles on 07552 076027.

The Valespeed 28 is a made-in-the-UK custom bike, built in Worcestershire. What makes it interesting is that it offers the individuality of owning a one-off custom machine, but with the development and economies of scale enjoyed by a production bike. Power is delivered by an air-cooled single-cylinder

(125/150/230cc) motor, while up front the twin leading shoe brake and fully adjustable girder fork ensure that the 19” wheels stay in contact with the road. At the rear the oversize drum complements the retro looks. Holding everything together is a strong, but lightweight twin backbone frame made from 3⁄4” CDS tube and subtly triangulated. With its under-slung fuel tank

8 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

Test Ride

Polaris Sportsman 570 EU

POLARIS ATV EXPERIENCE Yes, it has four wheels, but Mossy ﬁnds a bike connection while riding the ATV WORDS: Chris Moss PHOTOGRAPHY: Polaris, Luke Plummer

K, I’m sure you must be thinking we’ve all going a bit mad here at MSL. Only a couple of issues ago I was doing backflips of praise for a three-wheeler, the Yamaha Niken. Now, I seem to be selling out completely by trying some four-wheelers. What an earth is going on, I hear you protest? I’ll happily admit, on the face of it, testing some Polaris quads, or ATVs (all terrain vehicles) as they’re officially known, does seem to have only a slightly tenuous link to motorcycling. After popping up to the Lake District to ride a few of them, however, I discovered there is a connection. Read on, and I’ll explain. There’s no doubting my nerves on the morning of the test. I’ve got zero

experience of riding ATVs, and with dominant thoughts of celebrities like Rick Mayall and Ozzy Osbourne seriously hurting themselves on such vehicles, my approach to the whole event was tentative, to say the least. Luckily, the Polaris team weren’t keen on me harming myself in any way either. They’re aware of the attendant risks, so organised the escorted rides to run along an approved route with plenty of guidance on how to get the best from the quads in total safety. The first link with motorcycles was made. Ride them properly, or risk injury. Quality bike kit, the very same stuff I use when I’m riding off-road, was donned and the experience began. It doesn’t take long at all to realise there are other factors common to both disciplines.

10 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

FINDING CONTROL

Graythwaite, a stunning 5000-acre estate in the heart of the Lakes on the shores of Lake Windermere, is a brilliant place to try a quad. Challenging terrain means, just like it does on a motorcycle, that the right technique is crucial to stay in control. I’d picked a Sportsman 570 SP EU to start off with, and was thankful of its friendly nature. Powered by a 44bhp, 567cc single cylinder engine, it has all

OFF-ROAD

ABOVE: If you can make your peace with four wheels, this is a great green laner

BELOW: Quad bikes have a loyal following for a good reason

the performance I needed to make exciting and entertaining progress. Apart from the extra pair of wheels, there are a few other key things to get used to. The front brake is on the left-hand side, and the throttle is a thumb-operated trigger. It all seems a bit weird at first, but the alien nature is soon overcome. Muddy, rocky and undulating terrain can be tackled competently, as long as you take things sensibly. Just like I do when I’m on two wheels, I planned the best route and anticipated the effect of things like cambers, corners, climbs, et al. The Polaris may well be incredibly capable, but it’s also obvious that things can go wrong in a big way if you get a bit cocky or approach things blindly. Riding them is an exacting affair. Just as the case is on a bike, the use of throttle and brakes has to be done in a smooth and controlled manner to maintain grip and continue in the fashion you’ve intended. Standing and moving your bodyweight around to load up the tyres and improve traction is very important too, and doing that for just a few minutes underlines another similarity with off-road motorcycling. You soon feel the strain! I realised I was overdressed within a very short space of time, with clues coming in the form of a red face and a fair bit of sweaty clothing. The best common factor of the lot though, is the massive fun you can have. For sure you need to be careful and disciplined, but meeting the challenge offered by the landscape is

Speciﬁcation POLARIS SPORTSMAN 570 EU Price: £5,839 Engine: 567cc, liquid-cooled, 4v, DOHC, single cylinder Power: 44bhp Dry weight: 318kg Fuel capacity: 17 litres Contact: www.polarisbritain.com

hugely rewarding when you get it right. So, too is the chance to explore the countryside so closely. This area of the country is absolutely gorgeous, and to sample it at such close range was a real pleasure.

POWER TO YOUR ELBOW

After an hour of riding, I started to feel much more at ease with the Sportsman, understanding its considerable abilities all the more. It’s got power steering to make life a little less taxing, an option to use two- or four-wheel-drive, and the really clever ‘Active Hill Descent Control’ makes going down the steepest and most slippery hills simple, and very safe. Once engaged, the arrangement governs engine speed and its braking, as well as the brakes themselves so competently, that you can take your hands off the bars and still stay in full control. Left in the hands of a novice like me, it’s likely negotiating descents would result in a very different, and much more risky outcome. Moving on to a much more powerful 90bhp, 952cc, twin cylinder

engined Sportsman XP1000EU model did, just as I expected, thrill and worry me in equal measure. Being able to master this ATV would, I’m sure, provide a wonderful experience. However, being so new to it all made returning to a lovely and relatively friendly 570 model feel more reassuring. This time I tried the slightly lower spec basic model, but felt no worse for it. Quad biking, especially in the right place, with the right sort of tuition, really is great fun. It’s just like it is on two wheels, but with a much bigger safety net. I’d say it could provide an excellent introduction to off-roading on two wheels. It gives you the chance to get the hang of the basics like bike control and reading the landscape ahead, but with a lot less chance of an incident. Away from the fun of it all, a chat with some of the Polaris staff proved enlightening. I learnt that all the ATVs available for us to try can be used by anyone with a full bike or car licence and ridden on any roads, bar motorways. Wearing a helmet isn’t compulsory, but strongly advised. I’m really glad I got to ride the Polaris machines. There’s no doubt, in the strictest terms at least, they are not motorcycles. However, there’s also no arguing that there’s some common appeal to riding either. Still in its early days of planning, the chance to ride the Polaris ATVs at Graythwaite may well be a possibility next year, so keep an eye out for www.graythwaiteadventure.co.uk. If it does come off, then seize the chance, because you’re in for a hell of a day. www.mslmagazine.co.uk 11