Issue 645
DUCATI DIAVEL
5 NEW
BIKES TESTED INSIDE
2nd generation muscle cruiser
No. 645 June 2014
HONDA CTX1300
4.10
Four different bikes in one
PLUS HONDA’S CB650F AND MV’S DRAGSTER 800
MSL June 2014 ◆ Honda VFR800 ◆ Ducati Diavel ◆ Honda CTX1300 ◆ MV Agusta Dragster 800 ◆ Honda CB650F
2014
HONDA VFR800 ◆ Refined spec
TOURING THE UK
9
◆ More tech ◆ Smoother VTEC PLUS:
£2000 - £6000 TOURERS
ways to pay less and do more this season
BIKES AND THE LAW
The best used mile-munchers for your money
BIKES ON TOUR:
MOROCCO FLY-RIDE
GS riders take on the Atlas mountains in 40ºC
We ask the police the questions you want answering
TEXTILES: Suit your pocket and your style
CHILE TO ALASKA
Two bikes, 16,500 miles, 13 borders and one big crash
SOMERSET SIGHTS
A must ride route across scenic Exmoor
www.mslmagazine.co.uk
WIN! £1100 ALPINESTARS KIT Touring gear up for grabs, including textile suits, boots and gloves
PLUS: ◆ Kawasaki KH400 Classic revisited ◆Touring Bible: Must reads that will inspire great trips ◆ Yamaha XJR1300 Used buyer’s guide ◆ 2014 long term bike fleet launched
Doing the Bill Oddie bit (and other things) Tony Carter
I
try to ride as much as possible. Partly for the job but also because riding is a completely enjoyable thing for me to do and has been for the majority of my life. And in the past six weeks or so I’ve covered lots of miles both at home and abroad. I’ll let you into a little secret too, as I’m writing this column I’m a bit smashed up aer crashing a few times while riding off-road. e bruises are impressive and it’s a bit wobbly to walk at the moment but it’s no big deal and I wouldn’t change it for anything. Riding big bikes off-road with good guys, enjoying the moment and the company – plus scaring myself a bit in the process is what it’s all about. You’ll read about the riding off-road bit in the next issue of MSL. And you’ll get a chance to do it, too. So do stay tuned. I’ve also been doing some of the motorcycle industry thing that I do in my role as editor of this magazine, and what that means is plenty more miles on bikes riding to and from various headquarters of various companies. Another biking bonus. And then there’s been those rides where I’m not going anywhere for anything. ose rides where I just grab the lid and get out in the sunshine for a ride. You know what I’m talking about. Every motorcyclist knows what I’m talking about. Screw the people in the so-top cars inching along in their ridiculous psuedo-motorcycles pretending they’re getting a connective experience with their surroundings. Nothing comes close to riding a bike in the rolling British countryside on a sunny British day. is was brought home to me by a ride the other day with MSL’s publisher Steve (which ironically was a ride where I was going somewhere to do something, not one
MSL: Meet the team Bruce Wilson
MSL’s deputy editor started riding aged 10. He’s 27 now. Bruce has written for Motorcycle Racer, MCM, Classic Motorcycle Mechanics and others, before joining MSL three years ago. He has since tested almost every new bike launched.
Roland Brown
Has ridden for 37 years and been a bike journalist for more than 30. At Bike he ended up as deputy editor before going freelance. An author of 11 books, as a racer he was Bemsee 1300 champion 1984 and raced UK F1, Superstock and Superbike, plus World F1 races.
The editor’s been indulging in all sorts of bike behaviour this month, including a bit of bird watching whilst on the move... of these lazy-day rides). He was on our long term Bonnie and I was on the V-Strom. We were heading over to see Suzuki in Milton Keynes which from MSL’s HQ meant a two hour ride. We le the office at 8-ish and took it fairly steady, making our way across Lincolnshire to the A1. Because we weren’t on hyperbikes the pace was fairly easy and in these first flush moments of a warming spring day it allowed us to do a bit of wildlife spotting as we made ground in a safe and progressive way (officer...). Kestrels, red kites, buzzards. All close to the road and without the roof of a car, or the distractions of something like a radio, all spotted and watched up close. It was cracking good fun. e best part was that inbetween the Bill Oddie bits we then had two great bikes to play on. And good roads under us to enjoy. It’s just another great part to riding bikes. And there’s all those poor people out there who don’t get it and will never get it because they’re too trapped in the metal boxes. Feel sorry for them. Life is passing them by and they barely realise it’s happening. But boohoo and all that, eh? Let’s just keep this as our great secret. It’s not all about which bike you’ve got or where you’re going on it, sometimes just riding a motorcycle is reward enough. Have a safe one.
Tony Carter Tony has been riding for nearly 30 years, in most countries and on most types of bikes. A journalist for nearly 20 years, MSL’s editor has written for a host of newspapers including The Sun, The Mirror and The Observer. Formerly head of news at Motor Cycle News, he has written for dozens of motorcycle magazines around the world.
Tony Carter Editor
Alan Cathcart
Alan Cathcart has been writing about bikes for more than 30 years, and riding them for even longer. He’s regularly given the keys to factory prototypes and being on first name terms with the bosses of bike companies around the world allows him to bag many scoops.
Chris Moss
Mossy has raced the Isle of Man TT, dispatched in London and ridden everything from CX500s to full-blown GP prototypes. A former chief motorcycle tester for Motor Cycle News, the 53-year-old admits he’s still loving two-wheeled life, and still learning.
Malc Wheeler
Has ridden motorcycles for 49 years. In the United States of America Malc would be politely called a senior. He started riding before he legally could and no one has been able to stop him since. Malc’s day job is editing Classic Racer.
mslmagazine.co.uk 3
MSL June EDITOR: Tony Carter: tcarter@mortons.co.uk PUBLISHER: Steve Rose: srose@mortons.co.uk DEPUTY EDITOR: Bruce Wilson DESIGNER: Sarah Scrimshaw REPROGRAPHICS: Simon Duncan GROUP PRODUCTION EDITOR: Tim Hartley DIVISIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER: Sandra Fisher: sfisher@mortons.co.uk GROUP KEY ACCOUNTS MANAGER: Steff Woodhouse: swoodhouse@mortons.co.uk 01507 529452 / 07786334330 ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE: Richard Sinclair: rsinclair@mortons.co.uk 01507 524004 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 PRODUCTION MANAGER: Craig Lamb: clamb@mortons.co.uk PUBLISHING DIRECTOR: Dan Savage: asavage@mortons.co.uk COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR: Nigel Hole ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR: Malc Wheeler 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 40 for offer): (12 months 12 issues, inc post and packing) – UK £47.88. Export rates are also available – see page 40 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 DISTRIBUTION: COMAG, Tavistock Road, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE. 01895 433600 PRINTED: William Gibbons & Sons, Wolverhampton
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CONTENTS
32
NEW 6
ONE TO RIDE
14
WIN BIG THIS MONTH!
18
FIRST RIDE: THE NEW VFR800 HONDA
There’s a cracking route in the Cotswolds that you really should try if you get a chance
We’ve got a staggering £1100 worth of touring kit for him and her this month. And entry to this competition is completely free
After 18 years on sale we were expecting the new VFR to be tweaked in all the ways that it needs to be in order to take on the likes of the mighty BMWs on the sportstourer sectors. Here’s what we found out.
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FIRST RIDE: THE NEW DUCATI DIAVEL
48
When the original Diavel first burst on to the scenes four years ago it was a revelation. So how’s this latest version compare?
32
36
40
36
FIRST RIDE: MV DRAGSTER 800
A very interesting piece of exotica that’s not quite as exotic as you might at first think. It’s pretty, too.
TOURING 64
FIRST RIDE: HONDA CB650F
More engine and more torque from the ‘beginners’ CB range. So far, so usual. But get playing with the revs and there’s real fun to be had, too.
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SUBSCRIBE TO MSL!
Your favourite magazine gets to your door before it arrives in the shops, there’s some great deals to be had from time to time only available to our subscribers and it costs less, too. This is what the smart people do to make sure of their copy of the best biking magazine around.
FIRST RIDE: HONDA CTX1300
Four bikes in one, that’s the best way to sum up what we found out about the new CTX1300 during our world first test. But will any of those four bikes be what you’re looking for? We reckon they will.
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OUT THERE
Another great British-roads route for you with detailed instructions of how to do it plus diary dates and the usual ‘other’ info for the next four weeks in your motorcycle life.
THE ONE DAY RIDE
Taking a Gladius out and about on the exceptional roads of Somerset.
THE LONG WEEKEND RIDE
Taking in the Stella Alpina annual rally for mega views and life-changing rides.
THE LIFE CHANGING RIDE
A fly-ride trip to get out to the Atlas Mountains on a shiny GS.
KNOWLEDGE 103
YOUR QUESTIONS: WITH JOHNNY LAW
A month ago we asked for your questions for us to put to a top cop, here’s the result.
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BUYER’S GUIDE: YAMAHA’S XJR1300
Big, naked and fun on the move, the Yamaha struck a note with riders of a certain age when it first appeared. Don’t let it pass you by. It’s awesome.
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REFLECTIONS: KAWASAKI’S KH400
A landmark motorcycle for the hot-head generation. The KH range appeared from 1969 to 1980 and spawned this beautiful 400 along the way. mslmagazine.co.uk 5
First Rides Honda VFR800
NEW
KING OF THE ROAD(S) Continuing the family theme of strong performance and versatility, the sixth generation VFR is likely to be a big hit.
WORDS: Bruce Wilson PHOTOS: Honda
F
or 2014 there’s a new addition to the fold, in the shape of a heavily reworked VFR800. e main focus of the two-year project was to improve the bike’s sporting credentials, while maintaining its praised touring abilities. Which is exactly what’s been achieved. Aside from the engine and frame, pretty much every other component on the bike is new. e styling is the biggest giveaway of progression, sporting an edgier and, importantly, narrower profile. e designers wanted to enhance the bike’s aerodynamics and to do so they opted to reduce the model’s width. e side mounted radiators of old have been lost in favour of two vertically stacked rads, just forward of the front cylinders. is has made a huge difference to t he bike’s image, which is also bolstered by a new X-design headlamp, 10-spoke Fine Die Cast aluminium rims and a much more aggressive styled Pro-arm swingarm. But perhaps the biggest change to the aesthetics is the loss of the underseat exhaust system. e latest VFR opts for a simple side-mounted can, which has saved the bike a total of 5kg. Similarly, a replacement aluminium subframe has relieved an additional 2kg from the rear of the bike, enhancing the bike’s weight distribution in the process. Other significant changes include a new
The VFR opts for a simple sidemounted can.
dash, new forks, the addition of traction control and a height adjustable rider’s seat – 789 to 809mm. Albeit, the core of the VFR’s motor is unchanged, it’s been refined for an increase in low-to-midrange performance, with a particular focus on reducing the V4s VTEC snatchiness. e latter’s been improved via a combination of changes to the exhaust design and length, as well as by alterations to the fuel mapping and fuel volume. e difference is staggering and I can honestly say that the reduction in aggressive transition between the 2-valve / 4-valve performance is hugely notable. You can’t mistake the moment the addition of the hydraulic operated system kicks in, but more for audible reasons than physical disruption. Below 7000rpm, the emitted engine noise is more whiney, with the air induction being more prominent than the exhaust note. As you crest the magic threshold, the VTEC becomes king, with an additional deep, mechanical noise joining the mix. It’s totally unmistakable to the ear, albeit you could be forgiven for not noticing it physically, because the process is now super smooth. Once in VTEC parameters, the bike’s acceleration remains linear and swi all the way up to the 12,500rpm limiter. e models we tested were fitted with Honda’s optional quickshier – a first for them on a production bike – which allows you to keep the throttle relentlessly pinned as you hooked the next gear seamlessly. e system worked a treat, although I noted it to be a little sensitive to the touch, resulting twice in culls to the ignition mslmagazine.co.uk 19
Products All you need to know:
TOURING KIT 2014 MSL’s put together a collection of some of the best kit on the market right now with plenty of info to take with you when you go shopping for your next touring jacket and trousers.
Rukka Cosmic PROTECTION
Rukka D3O Air limb protectors and central back protector included
KEEP COOL
Ventilation openings with zippers in front on both shoulders and back
JACKET: Rukka Cosmic PRICE: £899.99 COLOURS: Black only SIZES: 36-56in chest (54-56in special order) TROUSERS: Rukka Cosmic PRICE: £699.99 COLOURS: Black only Sizes: 30-46in waist (regular), 46in and above is 10% more cost MORE DETAILS AT: www.tranam.co.uk It’s a big price (but not the most expensive in the Rukka range) for a jacket and trousers but Rukka is confident that you’ll be impressed by the suit’s performance and features. In fact the company is so sure about the gear that it comes with a five-year warranty (including a loan garment scheme) which can be extended to six years if the product is registered online after you’ve bought it.
RST Paragon IV JACKET: RST Paragon IV PRICE: £199.99 COLOURS: Black/fluoro yellow SIZES: 40(S) to 54in–5XL TROUSERS: RST Paragon IV PRICE: £159.99 COLOURS: Black, black/silver SIZES: 30-40in (short leg option in black only) MORE DETAILS AT: www.rst-moto.com This is the fourth generation of the RST Pro series Paragon jacket and jeans. The company says that the fit is supremely comfortable and adjustable. It has a waterproof breathable membrane, quilted thermal lining and body armour.
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NO SLIDE
Rukka AirCushion and Rukka Antiglide system of Keprotec in seating area
BREATHE
Ventilation on thighs
The kit is made from Gore-Tex Pro 3-layer material with Armacor protectors. The crash-resistance is kept high with a combination of aramid (Kevlar) fibres and tough Cordura, too. There’s six pockets in the jacket; two inside which are waterproof and include a mobile phone holder and four outer pockets with zipper and magnetic closure.
STRONG
Triple and double stitched seams: all seams are stitched using super-strong bonded nylon for maximum burst resistance
NEW Revit Poseidon GTX
THE OUTER SHELL
JACKET: Revit Poseidon GTX PRICE: £579.99 COLOURS: Black/silver, black/orange, silver/red, silver/blue, silver/black SIZES: M to XL TROUSERS: Poseidon GTX PRICE: £399.99 COLOURS: Black/silver, black/orange, silver/red, silver/blue, silver/black SIZES: S to XL MORE DETAILS AT: www.revit.eu The Poseidon GTX kit feels lightweight, but the jacket’s rugged outer shell is made for riding in extreme conditions. It has a very low water pickup and is claimed to be 100% waterproof because the membrane is laminated to the outer shell. The FidLock magnetic fasteners not only use the attraction but also the repulsion of magnets. This leads to a robust closure with high locking strength that can still be easily opened with one hand while riding. With CE-certified protection, reflective panels, collar hook, connection zippers and the possibility to adjust the fit and the option to upgrade the jacket with a Challenger cool vest and HV Connector vest – this jacket is well specced.
RST Adventure II JACKET: RST Adventure II PRICE: £249.99 COLOURS: Black, black/silver SIZES: 40(S) – 52in to 4XL TROUSERS: RST Adventure II PRICE: £199.99 COLOURS: Black, silver SIZES: Black – 30-42in, silver – 30-40in MORE DETAILS AT: www.rst-moto.com
Outer shell is 3L Gore-Tex Pro nylon 600D fabric, 2L nylon 600D Gore-Tex fabric
PROTECTION
SaS Tec CE protection at knees, fully perforated EVA foam at hips, CE prepared for SaS Tec CE hip protectors
USEFUL STUFF
A water bottle pocket, removable map pocket that converts into a bumbag
LOTS OF AIR
Large adjustable vented panels to the chest with long zipped vents up the arms plus large rear. Exhaust vents and zipped panels on the jeans
The Adventure II range has really useful features for the rider who likes to push things either on road in a big mile run or off-road for some dirty action. It has a water bladder pocket and removable map pocket that turns into a bum bag. The whole kit is made from very tough Cordura 500d and Ballistic 1660 material.
mslmagazine.co.uk 43
CHILE TO ALASKA
As I bounced down the road in Colombia on my head, I could not help thinking that things were not going quite according to plan. WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY: Geoff Hill BELOW: A view of beauty on the Chilean coast road.
T
he plan began two years earlier when I picked up a copy of e Adventure Motorbiking Handbook by Chris Scott and accidentally opened it at the section on the Pan-American Highway, at 16,500 miles the world’s longest road, from Quellón in Chile to Fairbanks in Alaska. It sounded brilliant. e next day, I went out to buy every book I could on it – and found that there weren’t any. en it’s about time I wrote one, I thought. A year later, I had found sponsorship, two motorbikes and a fellow lunatic in the shape of Clifford Paterson, a former Isle of Man TT winner who’d read my previous bike adventure books and phoned to see if he could come on my next jaunt. As a result, two men in search of an adventure found themselves standing in Quellón with a Tiger 955i that Triumph had foolishly lent me, and an Aprilia Pegaso
We shook hands, climbed on and rode north, soon leaving behind balmy vineyards and riding into the Atacama Desert; 2000 of the driest miles on earth
650 that Clifford had borrowed from his brother. ey had, naturally, been christened Tony and April. We shook hands, climbed on and rode north, soon leaving behind balmy vineyards and riding into the Atacama Desert; 2000 of the driest miles on earth. It was at this point that the engine warning light came on, and it was to stay on all the way through the Atacama, with the engine spluttering and stopping at nerve-racking intervals. Finally, in Peru, we tracked down César, a back street mechanic who announced that the problem was diesel in the fuel. He refilled the tank, and started the engine. It sang without a hiccup, and the light went off, and stayed that way. In a maelstrom of heat, noise, chaos, dust and hawkers selling everything from puppies to parrots, we passed from Peru to Ecuador, rode into an unbelievably verdant alpine landscape and came to a native roadblock. Cars burned, and the mood was ugly. We were diverted 10,000 up a dirt road, then down the other side in slippery mud, our feet inches from a sheer drop and our hearts pounding. Within days we were at the border with Colombia, a country that everyone had told us not to visit, or we would be kidnapped and shot. “Is the Pan-American safe to the north?” I asked the border guard. He looked up the road, and shrugged.
GEOFF HILL
“It is never safe, but whatever you do, you must get to Cali before dark. May God go with you,” he said. Late that aernoon, aer riding hard all day without a break, I went into a bend too fast, braked too late, and the next thing I knew, I had adopted the rarely used horizontal motorcycling position. I got groggily to my feet with my le shoulder in agony, and most of the skin stripped off my le elbow and forearm. On my right hand, the bones of my knuckles gleamed through the blood and bits of tattered flesh. A few yards back, Tony lay in the ditch with oil pouring from the engine, the forks twisted and the front fairing shattered. Behind was a trail of wreckage and luggage. Within 10 minutes, the police had arrived and loaded me and the bike into a truck and we were hurtling north to Cali, where Clifford had friends. ey tended my wounds and phoned the local bike shop, which took away the shattered Triumph and returned, miraculously, with it bent and hammered back into shape. A week later, still bruised and battered, I rode behind Clifford into Cartagena, the medieval walled city on the Caribbean coast, where because of the 82 mile gap in the road between Colombia and Panama, the bikes had to be shipped by boat to Colón on the north coast of Panama, the world’s most aptly named town. e buildings are derelict, the streets full of rubble, teenagers roam around with Uzis, armed robbery in broad daylight no longer even merits a mention in the local paper, and visitors are routinely mugged within a minute of arriving. Fortunately, we found a taxi within 59 seconds of stepping off the bus from Panama City, and walked into
ABOVE: One crash later... Geoff and Clifford were put out of action for a whole week. RIGHT: Welcome to Columbia. Geoff’s weary expression says it all. BELOW: Geoff failed miserably at Quellon’s shortest man competition.
the grimy lobby of the Hotel Internacional to be met by a stunned silence from the locals. We were, I imagined, that year’s tourists. ree days later, we finally got the bikes out of customs, and rode west through countries which were so small that we spent three hours at the border getting into Honduras, an hour riding across the country, and three hours getting out. As opposed to Mexico, so vast that it was a week before we crossed the border into the United States, a smile on my face as wide as Fih Avenue and exactly the same feeling in my heart, I imagined, as every dusty refugee who has entered this promised land. With Tony leaking oil from his damaged engine and April held together with wire and gaffer tape, we limped into San Diego, where the bikes were due for a muchneeded service. Tony, according to Alex the mechanic at Rocket Motorcycles, was a two-week repair job, but he had the bike ready the next day, and we rode north to Canada and lakes and rivers still petrified by the icy grasp of mslmagazine.co.uk 69