CB500F or Tmax 530 which would be your all-round choice? Yamaha’s luxurious Tmax super-scoot and Honda’s new no-frills CB500F both make superb commuters and weekend playthings too. So can the Yamaha really be worth almost twice the price?
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n issue 92, we looked at two machines – a Rieju motorcycle and a WK scooter – that were capable in their own right, for use as everyday commuters; but if your needs are a little more ambitious and involve a good proportion of medium/long distance travel, then maybe you need to be thinking about something with a little more grunt; it might also be the case that you have recently passed your test on a restricted licence and want to put a few miles under your belt before moving up the power range a little. In a scenario like this, the mid-capacity range offers a wide choice of machinery and it shouldn’t be too difficult to find a bike that will suit your individual needs. So where do you start? Well, although far eastern manufacturers are beginning to make inroads into the A2 licence category, a starting point could be something from one of the two major Japanese bike producers highlighted here – Yamaha or Honda. Both have an
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established dealer network; both manufacture products that are renowned for their reliability; and both have a huge loyal band of followers - with an abundance of web forums dedicated to individual models, it just goes to show how well-thought of their products are. So, in this issue we are looking at the Honda CB500 (the new entry level naked F model); and the Yamaha Tmax (a well-established model, upgraded in recent years from 500cc to 520cc). Both offer that commuter/tourer lifestyle compromise, albeit from a slightly different perspective (and on price too, which could well be the deciding factor if you’re on a tight budget – although that criteria could easily be addressed by substituting something else from the rest of their model ranges). From our point of view here at T&G, we’ve chosen these two for comparison because they more or less offer the same choice of use – either for everyday town use, or out on the open road. Turn to the next page to find out what Mau and Carli think of them.
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LONGEST DAY
5am at Lowestoft seafront, and the sun’s already well above the horizon
GO WEST Pete Henshaw travels 400 miles on a PeugeotTweet 125, from the easternmost point in England, to the westernmost point inWales. He made it, but not without drama…
It’s official, Lowestoft is as far east as you can go
love the summer, especially the long days, but didn’t realise how long they are until I forced myself to get up in time to see sunrise on England’s most easterly point (Lowestoft), and watch it set the same day at the furthest west you can get by road (St Davids). A few days off this year’s longest day, that would give 4.30am to 9.20pm. All good in theory, except that my guesstimate of mileage of just over 300 proved to be a long way out… the wrong way.
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FLATLANDS Awoken at 4.30am by the dawn chorus fighting a losing battle against screaming gulls, who don’t care what time of day it is as long as there’s fish (I’m camped next door to a fishfinger factory, so they should be okay). Dragging myself out of the sleeping bag at 5am, the sun’s already well above horizon as I wheel the scooter on to the seafront at Ness Point (officially the most easterly point) for pictures. According to the plaque, Berlin is 490 miles due east, and it’s 1000 miles to Minsk.
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Not quite sure what’s going on here, but it’s something to do with Beccles’ charter
Lovely parkland around Euston Hall
Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum is free, but not open at 7am
With all the packing up, it’s 6.30am before we’re on the road and heading west, which with any luck I’ll be doing all day. So out on to the A146 through swinging bends, along with some early commuters. Into Beccles, and slip through town to find the B-road to Bungay. The whole trip idea is to use B- and smaller A-roads as much as possible, with motorways a no-no. And this B-road’s a nice one, getting twistier the other side of Bungay, and taking me past Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum (free entry, but not open this time of day). A few miles further on, I take to the A143, which has been ‘improved,’ and is filled with bored, desperate commuters happy to cut me up. I refuel in Diss, where a Morrison’s ‘Flying Starter’ does the trick for me too. West of town, I turn off the A1066 to take minor roads across country through Rushford, Euston and Barnham, crossing two or three A-roads. A lot of English roads radiate out from London (or at least run vaguely north-south), so finding a decent east-west route is a bit of a challenge, especially if you want to keep off the A14. We hit the A11, an unavoidable main road and immediately hit roadworks, as they’re dualling this bit. It’s too narrow to filter, so it’s 30mph all the way to Mildenhall, where I can turn off and return to the back roads. I’m disappointed by Mildenhall, home of the B52 squadrons – it just seems too English – but then spot an American serviceman striding into Lloyds Bank, so that’s all right. Out on a B-road to pick up the A1123 which will take me to Huntingdon. It’s a typical fenland road, straight and bumpy across the dead flat countryside, interspersed by a series of tight bends, there for no apparent reason. So long are the straights that on one I see a railway level crossing barrier in the distance come down, the train pass and barriers go up, all before I get there. Over on the horizon, Ely Cathedral stands out against the sky, and from here it really does look like a great ship ploughing through fenland ocean. The land’s more rolling after Earith and the road responds with almost continuous curves to St Ives and Huntingdon. The sun’s gone in, and there’s a noticeable headwind, but the Tweet is happy at a 50-55mph cruise. It had just 9km on the clock when I picked it up from Three Cross at Ringwood, so the long ride up to Lowestoft served to loosen it up a little bit.
Oi, move that scooter WATCH THE RANGE Coffee and a cream bun at Huntingdon, then a short burst of A14 before diving left on to back roads past Graffam Water, a reservoir with some nice roads built around the perimeter and again, not a lot of traffic. Pick up the B645 for the final run west towards Northampton. Now, the Department of Transport would like me to take the deadly dull A45 and bypass town altogether, which in terms of keeping traffic moving and making life more pleasant for the people who live there, is all well and good. But by following your nose and the local direction signs, it’s possible to take the old A45 right through Wellingborough and Northampton. I do it, but it takes longer and I’m getting the first inkling that St Davids is further away than I first thought. Out the other side, and left on to what’s signed as the B4525; it isn’t anymore, but remains a superb piece of Tarmac that swoops and dives southwest across the Northamptonshire countryside. Great fun and the bigwheeled Tweet does handle well. There’s also something satisfying about getting across country reasonably quickly on a 125. We pop out at Banbury, but it’s now nearly 2pm and we’re not even halfway yet. So I take the A361, a good and bendy ride over the Cotswolds. At Chipping Norton, the Range Rover/Porsche count increases
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Buying your first bike Now the fun begins.The finances are sorted, you’ve gained your CBT, all you need is a bike. Choosing a 125cc machine is easy. Sort of. Pick the one you like, find a nice example, spend the money. Simple huh? Well, there’s certainly plenty of choice out there, but before you go off and blow a couple of grand on a tidy second-hand 125, you might want to make a list. What kind of riding will I be doing, will that be mainly in town or out in the sticks? How tall and heavy am I, how good am I at spanners and maintenance, how long am I going to keep it and what is more important, mpg or mph? And then there’s the cost. Buy a new top-spec Japanese 125 and you can spend more than £4000. That’s a lot for a bike that many will only keep for a year or so. But the good news is that demand for tidy, used machines is high, which means depreciation is low. And because it’s not uncommon for learner machines to be dropped, crashed, mechanically neglected or thrashed, there’s a lot to be said for the peace of mind of buying new if you can afford it.
“It’s not uncommon for learner machines to be dropped, crashed, mechanically neglected or thrashed.” 58 www.twistngo.com
Which 125 is for you?
Mostly town riding, average sized person Town riding needs a compact bike to get through the traffic easily with an upright riding position that lets you spot the gaps. Enough zip is needed from the engine to get away from the lights first, but with a flexible power delivery to give a choice of gears for any eventuality. Good mpg figures help too, as do smartly placed mirrors
that give a clear picture of what’s behind. Decent suspension to soak up the potholes is a bonus too. Less bodywork means less damage in a tumble and cheaper crash costs mean lower insurance premiums. Somewhere to bolt a rack on the back helps too – to carry your sandwiches, laptop, lock and waterproofs.
So we’d recommend an unfaired 125cc street bike for their simplicity, frugal engines, decent performance and ease of use in town. Low seat heights give instant confidence, especially to shorter riders and what they lack in race replica street cred, they more than make up for in economy and queue busting ability.
Yamaha’s YBR125 is easy to ride, and does 100mpg
We’d recommend
New Used Left-fieLd aLterNative
Yamaha YBR125, Honda CBF125 Honda CG125 Honda SH125 scooter
Mostly town riding, taller rider All the previous town riding stuff applies except that anyone more than six feet tall will feel a little conspicuous on a 125cc street bike. Fortunately there are plenty of 125cc trail bikes that have bigger wheels, taller seats and off-road ruftytufty styling. These bikes have long travel suspension too, which is ideal for our pockmarked, potholed streets and once you get used to the suspension’s movement and knobbly tyres, they go round corners superbly well – even if the only tight corners you encounter are the local roundabouts. The latest ones all have economical four-stroke engines, while many of the older ones are two-strokes, which are faster-revving and better accelerating, but less reliable or economical.
We’d recommend
Honda’s Varadero 125 has a twin cylinder engine NEW USED LEFT-FIELD ALTERNATIVE
Yamaha XT125R, Honda Varadero 125, Suzuki DRM125SM Yamaha DT125R, Honda XLR125, Kawasaki KDX125 KTM Duke 125
Head down sporty riding Full fairings and sharp styling make these desirable. Unfortunately they only make similar power to other 125s and don’t go fast enough for the slippery bodywork to add any speed. But they look faster, and to the average teenager a Yamaha YZF-R125 gets 10 snogs to every one that his YBR125owning cousin gets. But there’s more to it than speed. Big, strong frames and quality suspension make them handle well and most are still comfortable too. Owners tell us that they all do at least one million mph – the reality is more like 80mph, which is still enough to match most of the traffic. Almost all are now fourstrokes, but the last generation Aprilia RS125 is a peaky twostroke that makes almost 30bhp when derestricted. Fast, yes, but very tricky to ride well.
We’d recommend
Aprilia’s two stroke RS125 is fast but peaky with sharp handling and a fragile engine NEW USED LEFT-FIELD ALTERNATIVE
Yamaha YZF-R125, Honda CBR125, Aprilia RS125, Reiju RS3 125LC, Derbi GPR125 Honda CBR125, Aprilia RS125 KTM Duke 125
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urban survival skills
Nice and clear. Our man is clearly in the right-hand lane with indicator on, so no doubts about his intentions
Negotiating roundabouts
Roundabouts, don’t you just love ’em? If you commute any distance, you’re bound to come across them every day.They may seem scary at first, but unlike traffic lights they do offer the opportunity to keep things moving.
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red light is a red light, and may or may not be changing soon, but approach a roundabout and if visibility’s good enough, you may be able to time your entry without a footdown stop – get it right, and it’s supremely satisfying, giving the feeling of gliding serenely through stop-start car traffic. To find out more about these Tarmac doughnuts (which sounds like great street slang, except that I just made it up) I went out one rush hour with Spirit Wright, who runs Yeovil Motorcycle Training. Riding for 40 years, and teaching for 12, he should know a thing or two about how to negotiate them. “The first thing we tell everyone,” he says, “is that all roundabouts have lanes, even if they aren’t marked, which they usually aren’t. What you have to look for is the thin strip of bitumen between the lanes – we call it the B-line. It’s always there, and that’s your marker for where to place yourself on the roundabout.”
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Now this will be news to some drivers (and let’s be honest, riders) who see that circular expanse of Tarmac as a free-for-all, which they need to get through as quickly as possible by using the shortest route. Waiting by a roundabout to take pictures, I reckon eight or nine cars out of 10 cut straight across when going straight ahead. When you take on board that a roundabout has distinct lanes, it becomes obvious it’s a bad idea to cut across them.
THE APPROACH The procedure of dealing with a roundabout involves that well-known rider training mouthful, OSMPSL; or if you’re not so hot on acronyms, Observation, Signal, Manoeuvre, Position, Speed, Look. In fact, OSMPSL is a good basis for dealing with any road hazard, whether it involves roundabouts, junctions or a dead badger. It shouldn’t be taken as a cast-iron rule to use all six steps on every occasion, because sometimes some of
Scanning the exit before the one he’s aiming for, and about to change lanes
them aren’t needed, but it’s a really good methodical basis on how to approach and deal with hazards. “On the approach,” says Spirit, “scan the roundabout to see if it’s clear. You need to be ready to stop, and remember it’s always easier to accelerate than to brake, but if it is clear, then you can keep going without stopping. Just bear in mind that the car driver in front of you may be more cautious, and not go when expected to.” That brings back memories from years ago; I was approaching a roundabout, an old Cortina in front of me about to move off. Check to the right; all clear; accelerate and look ahead… just in time to see the impact as I hit the Cortina – he’d stalled. Dirty great dent in back of car, bike forks bent, scraped nose, lots of regret and a train ride home. The moral of course, is to pay more attention to the car in front as you approach. Don’t even think about moving on to the roundabout until matey in front has done the same.
Even if the lanes aren’t marked, they still exist. Note the B-line, and our man’s clear position in the right-hand lane You looking at me? Actually he’s scanning the previous exit (where our photographer’s standing) before making the lane change
GET IN LANE “Right,” says Spirit, “most roundabout approaches have two lanes, and if taking an exit anything further round than 12 o’clock (i.e. straight ahead) we use the right-hand lane and right-hand indicator. But don’t tuck into the right of that lane, because a car might come up your inside. The same in the lefthand lane; if you’re turning left or going straight on – don’t tuck into the gutter, even if it feels safer there. Use the centre of the lane.” Good advice, because everyone, from the smallest moped upwards, has exactly the same right to use that road space as the Range Rover edging up behind. Of course, if traffic’s heavy you might choose to filter between queues up to the roundabout. This is legal and as long as there’s room to do this safely, nothing to stop you, but there are a couple of things to bear in mind. Let’s say you’re sitting between the front of two queues, ready to go. At a red light, you’d all wait for green (not amber),
then go – nice and straightforward. Roundabouts aren’t that simple, because the initiative lies with the driver, and some gungho types will surge forward into a small gap, others will wait… and wait… and wait. It’s the gung-ho types you need to watch for, because many of us are used to using the bike or scooter’s superior acceleration to get away in front of cars. Either way, filtering to the front on a restricted 50 isn’t a good idea, because you haven’t got the acceleration to get away safely.
GETTING ROUND So, we’re at the front of the queue, we’ve spotted a safe gap and we’re off. Assuming we’re taking a right turn exit (anything further round than 12 o’clock) we’ve got the right-hand indicator on. Accelerate briskly on to the right-hand lane on the roundabout, and round you go. Approaching the exit before the one you want, scan it to check no one’s
trying to nip out in front of you. As you come up to that exit, check the left-hand mirror, swap to the left indicator, and just before you move to the left-hand lane, take a left shoulder check. If you don’t change lanes, and try and ride straight into your exit from the right-hand lane, it leaves a gap for someone to nip up your inside, with potential tears before bedtime. In any case, the shoulder check is vital, giving you a final warning that no one is shooting out of the previous exit and/or coming up on your left-hand side. “If there’s someone there,” says Spirit, “just keep going round the roundabout.” If there isn’t, you can accelerate smoothly out of the roundabout, cancel the indicator and… job done. Words & images: Pete Henshaw
Thanks To: Spirit Wright and Yeovil Motorcycle Training www.yeovilmotorcycletraining.com 01935 412860
Taking inside lane prevents red Fiat from pulling out early
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BeaT The ThIeVes
SECURITY a guide to the basics As a species, humans often become complacent and we’re also lazy by nature; these two attributes are perfect for the light-fingered hunters among us.
I Not all disc locks fit scooter wheels; this Oxford Screamer won’t fit my Vespa PX with 10-inch wheels
ThefT facTs
In 2012 there were 21,160 bikes, scooters and quads stolen in the UK, 41.5% of those were recovered and either returned to their owners or the insurance company. That leaves 12,374 machines unaccounted for according to the police national computer... and that’s just in one year. Since 2006, 96,774 of the 170,831 bikes that were reported as stolen are still missing. It’s not all bad news though because the theft rate has dropped steadily since 2007 (thanks largely to increased electronic security from manufacturers), although so has the recovery rate.
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learnt quite early on that it’s not a nice feeling to walk out to the shed as you leave for work in the morning and find that your door has been smashed in and your cherished scooter has disappeared. An initial sense of disbelief is followed by a slow realisation that your machine has vanished into thin air and you may never see it again. Only when you’re in that situation do you realise just how much of an inconvenience it’s going to be. I was lucky; a friend spotted my Vespa 50 Special dumped down the side of a supermarket, not too much damage and the hidden immobiliser had saved it from joyriding destruction. A lock and chain may have saved it from being stolen in the first place and a better quality door and an alarm could have made most thieves look elsewhere in the first place. So what simple steps can we take to help prevent our bikes being stolen?
EXTREME SECURITY I’m quite particular about my own home security; while still living with my parents we were burgled; I had a van nicked, garage broken into three times (one time the 14-year-old prolific burglar was caught and he told the police to warn me that: “We’re coming back for his bikes”). My parents also had a caravan stolen from the drive, and my dog, Lucky, was also run over – bad times. So I know exactly how gutwrenching it can be to be a victim of crime. It may also surprise you to learn that I lived in a relatively quiet rural village rather than some inner city area.
from brick and block with the open double door facing away from the road (which stops people from seeing inside when it’s open). The door is 40mm thick and insulated; it has no outside lock to tamper with and is as solid as a rock, the side door is to the same spec as the front door on the house. The windows don’t open and the glass is smoked, we’ve also got a good quality alarm linked to a network, so the alarm calls me if it goes off. This is linked to my CCTV; it records 24 hours a day and I can watch it from anywhere in the world on my mobile, it’s also monitored remotely by my alarm engineer. Everything inside the garage is locked up and I still worry about being robbed. What security do you use at home?
INSURANCE WOES Always read the small print when taking out or renewing your bike insurance; there’s usually a clause stipulating the kind of care you
need to take in order for it to pay out if your bike is stolen. Lexham Insurance specialises in bike and scooter cover; its standard policy wording states: “Your policy will not be operative in respect of theft or attempted theft of your motorcycle, unless at the time of loss, your motorcycle is secured by a disc lock for solid wheeled models, D-lock for open wheeled models or an armoured chain when out of use, even when garaged.” “We will not provide any cover under Section 2 of the policy (i.e. any claim for loss or damage by theft or attempted theft) unless the insured motorcycle is secured by a disc lock, D-lock or armoured chain whenever the vehicle is left unattended.” Lose an unsecured bike and most insurance companies can quite rightly wriggle out of paying you. Always lock it properly and check the small print on your policy.
I’LL HUFF AND I’LL PUFF... It may seem over the top (verging on paranoia), but I built my garage
Always secure your scooter to an immovable object, even when it’s inside a fortified garage! You can use more than one linked together if need be
Big brother is watching; if you can’t afford the real thing, authentic-looking dummy CCTV cameras can be bought from places like eBay for a fiver or less
It’s always worth having a selection of decent locks and chains; try before you buy as well if possible to make sure they do what you need them to do
What to BUY Many riders think nothing of splashing out thousands on a new bike/scooter, then a few hundred quid for a fancy exhaust and maybe some new riding kit. But they will find any excuse not to buy some decent cost effective security. Buying peace of mind is worth every penny and it needn’t cost a fortune. Here are some of our favourite security devices to suit every budget.
DATATAG: £65.95
ALARM PADLOCK: £74.99-£84.99
This Oxford Boss Alarm can be used as either a disc lock or padlock. It’s Thatcham approved, has a 14⁄16mm shackle and comes with a 100db alarm and handy coiled cable to stop you riding off with it still attached. It costs £74.99 for the 14mm and £84.99 for the 16mm shackle. It won’t fit all discs though, so try it first. Info: www.oxprod.com / info@oxprod.com
(MASTER Security Scheme) The motorcycle industry united to launch this anti-theft initiative in 2012. Manufacturers who sign up to the scheme Datatag bikes before they’re sold. Many motorcycles are stolen and broken into parts for easy sale; if the parts are security marked, it makes them much less appealing to a thief. Datatag currently protects 500,000 motorcycles in the UK. The system provides an electronic fingerprint on key components, chemical etching and approx 1000 Datadots on minor components. This process enables the police to find the identity of the owner, even if all identification numbers have been removed. The Crown Prosecution Service has never lost a court case in which Datatag has been used in evidence. Thieves know if they see a Datatag sticker on a bike that it’ll be risky trying to sell the bike or parts. KTM is the latest manufacturer to adopt the scheme and will mark all new 2014 off-road bikes. You can buy a Datatag kit for any bike for around £65.99 and do it yourself. Info: www.datatag.co.uk
GRENADE LOCK: £19.99 If you don’t fancy an alarm then this Grenade lock might just blow you away. It’s from the new Trik Moto range and features a solid steel casement and case-hardened pin, plus a neat carrying belt clip. Available in a choice of black, silver or cammo, it is supplied with three keys. Info: www.trik-moto.com
DISC LOCK: Less than £30
A disc lock is portable, easy to use and effective at stopping a bike being wheeled away. It won’t stop a machine being lifted in to a van though so is best used as an addition to a chain. It’s worth trying a disc lock on your scoot before buying, the small wheels mean that not all disc locks fit. This mini Xena XZZ6 Mini Disc Lock Alarm should be okay though. Built from high grade mono-block alloy, it has a 6mm pushdown locking pin, both barrel and key are ice-spray and pick proof and it has a 120db alarm with shock and motion sensors. It quickly resets to armed mode and costs just £29.99, everybody should own one. Info: www.motohaus.com
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