Bike Magazine December 08

2009

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>> PLUS

The main drag becomes a curving 800-yard promenade, lined end to end with bikes and bikers

On any Sunday

Matlock Bath

If the weatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s holding up, make your way to Derbyshireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Riviera, population 900, plus a 1000 or so bikers on a good day WORDS AND PICTURES PATRICK MURPHY

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Why Matlock Bath became such a draw for bikers remains something of a mystery. History books say that â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;intrepidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; bicyclists came here in the 1890s. Old Raleighs with springloaded bells, saddlebags and puncture repair kits, brought out for a pedal to the nearest bit oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; green and a gentle piss up. The lads at the River Kiosk in the Pavilion car park reckon Matlock Bath first became popular with bikers during World War II. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Despatch riders used to meet for a bite and a cuppa after delivering documents to the military HQs in Matlock,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; they tell me.

These days there must be a million quidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth of steel, chrome and carbon fibre on display. Bikers arrive from every direction, whether via tight, twisty back lanes and flat-out, longburn straights, over the Pennines via the Cat & Fiddle or from the south carving across the Via Gellia road.

Andy, arriving on his Yamaha YZF-R1, says, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;People have been coming here since the 1960s. There were only about 100 bikes then â&#x20AC;&#x201C; mods and rockers. Look at it now, there must be a 1000.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; When people do arrive, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re usually looking for something to eat. Matlockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shops and pubs are bursting with good grub. Liz at the River Kiosk does a mean bacon butty, while the Riva and The Fishpond are good for preening and people watching.

All sizes, shapes, ages and tastes are attracted to Matlock

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re after fish and chips, there are seven shops to choose from. Tuckers will appeal to carrot crunchers with its vegetable oil fried offerings, while the Charles restaurant is more traditional, serving up â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;thick cut chips deep fried in fatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, according to Dell.

There are also three biker shops: Adrian A Peach & Son, The Bikers Gearbox and, the latest, The Twisted Spanner, housed in the former Tourist Information Centre.

If a wander round the shops leaves you feeling a bit parched, try an ice cream from Hallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, in business since 1843. A giant plastic ice cream cone will guide you there. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Bikers are always welcome here,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; says Clare Hall. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We have our regulars. A couple come every weekend. Most Fridays two lads come on Harleys. One has a limited edition, a number three, I think.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Tourism is big business in Matlock. Amusement arcades and gift shops sit alongside a barbers. At one time a clown used to ride up and down on a monocycle and an old boy busked with a one-string guitar. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always something going on. Last week it was Vespas and Lambrettas. The week before it was old chaps with handlebar moustaches in their Morgans. Sunny Matlock Bath, Gateway to the Peak District, and a curving 800-yard stretch of promenade without no beach, no sea, just the River Derwent.

ARTHUR MACDONALD & VICTORIA BELL BMW F800 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been to Matlock Bath for years,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; says Vicky. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I asked Arthur to take me. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve just passed my CBT and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m looking for a CBR125 on eBay.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Vicky is Arthurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ ancĂŠ and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ridden here from Newark-on-Trent. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We plan to get married next August,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; says Arthur, who used to work in the bike industry. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve tried loads of bikes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ZX-10s, Gold Wings, you name it. I bought this BMW F800 because I wanted to keep my licence.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Is it true Matlock Bathâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot calmer these days? â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Yeah. When I came here in the 1980s you had RD400s doing wheelies all over the place and you could camp just about anywhere.

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be clouds of dope coming from the tents.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Ever had any lemons? â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had some absolute heaps of shite â&#x20AC;&#x201C; mainly old British bikes... complete dogs. But thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no such thing as the perfect bike.

Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all good in different ways.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; JU MZ 660 I met JU from MansďŹ eld at The Twisted Spanner. He was helping out on a busy weekend. He reckons his MZ 660â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best bike heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ever had. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good all-round bike. Works well in summer and winter â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a good workhorse, good in traffic, for racing, good for touring, good for playing about with it. And a very reliable one, for an MZ, that is. It gets used 365 days a year. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t drive a car so as far as Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m concerned itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s either this or a pair oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; legs! Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s had a lot of hammering. It does 100mph, which is as much as you need. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a real bikersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; bike â&#x20AC;&#x201C; EEE 0793;/5/H7<3 1= C9 2313;03@ & 53

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Love or hate the styling, you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t argue with 180bhp

SH OP

Ducati Monster 900/1000 1993â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2008 + 904/992cc, 4v, sohc, 90° V-twin + 66-94bhp (claimed) + 130mph + Private ÂŁ1000â&#x20AC;&#x201C;4500 + Dealer ÂŁ1500â&#x20AC;&#x201C;5000 A true icon, even from a company renowned for churning out icons in its sleep. If the new air-cooled 1100 is out of your price range, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll almost certainly be a 900, 1000 or S2R to suit your budget 0G ;/@B7< 47BH 5700=<A >6=B=5@/>6G 8/;3A 163/2:3

Why you want one â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;In an age when motorcycling seems to have gone all muggy, clouded by irrelevant jargon, petty distinctions, downright boring nonsense about whether a bikeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a sportster, a sport-tourer or a vacuum cleaner and people seem to want this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s model simply because it has different stickers, the basic, uncluttered Monster is a huge breath of fresh air.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Ringing any bells? This isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a humbug 21st-century opinion of 2009â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new metal, but Bikeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s take on Ducatiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s then-new wild child back in 1993. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re always looking for something different, which probably shows how big an impact the Monster had for anybody to sit up, take notice and recognise theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d actually found it.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thanks to Miguel Angel Galluzzi, the man who also sketched the new Aprilia RSV4. In drawing the Monster â&#x20AC;&#x201C; inspired by the simple Harley XR750 flat-track racers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Argentinian set a style standard for every naked bike that tried to follow.

Fittingly, Bike predicted the artistic and cultural impact to come by describing it as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;a huge willy on two wheelsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. With around 75bhp the Monster wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t trying to be a FireBlade or ZZR of its day. Instead it was recognised as being one of the most fun, characterful and original bikes for years. That remains true throughout the 15 years of secondhand choice now on offer. From the original 1993 hooligan, to 2000â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s injected version, the even gruntier 992cc twin-spark motor and the latest S2R 1000, the Monster is as inescapably refreshing today as it was 15 years ago.

T H E C H E C K O V E R Main changes in an epic lifeline 1993 Monster 900 launched.

904cc motor, grey frame, unadjustable Showa forks and Boge shock. Red only.

1994 Black colour option.

1995 Gold frame, grey cam cover.

1996 Rubber on footrests, choke on bars, Marzocchi forks.

1997 Smaller valves, new cams, less power. Carb heaters. Fairing.

1998 Showas, braided lines. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; back to bigger valves, carbon bits and sole rights to fairing.

1999 Six versions: Basic 900; S model (Ă&#x2013;hlins shock, carbon bits); Dark (base model); Chromo (as S,

chrome tank); City (base model with higher bars, posh luggage); City Dark (a Dark with higher bars and posh luggage).

2000 Styling, 900SS cams, fuel injection, rev counter, 748 gearbox, 43mm Showa forks.

2001 Oil cooler, 1kg-lighter battery, larger engine mounts...

2002 Monster S4 bits added.

Immobiliser.

2003 New Monster 1000S, with 992cc twin-spark motor. 84bhp.

2004 M1000 and M1000S. S has trick bits, in grey, red wheel rims.

2005 M1000S now in black and red. Power up to 94bhp.

2006 Replaced by S2R 1000.

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SH OP

PIRELLI SPORT DEMON

METZELER LASERTEC

CONTINENTAL CONTI GO

Typical price (pair) £140 Weight (pair) 9.9kg Tread depth before test 3.8mm front, 6.5mm rear Tread depth after 100 miles 3.7mm front, 5.8mm rear Best lap time 1:30.01 Conditions Dry, cold, 12°C

Typical price (pair) £139 Weight (pair) 9.8kg Tread depth before test 4.1 front, 5.9mm rear Tread depth after test 3.9 front, 5.5mm rear Best lap time 1:34.6 Conditions Dry, cold, 12°C

Typical price (pair) £120 Weight (pair) 9.2kg Tread depth before test 3.8mm front, 5.4mm rear Tread depth after 100 miles 3.7mm front, 4.9mm rear Best lap time 1:33.46 Conditions Dry, cold, 12°C

What are they?

The Sport Demons are a new conventional sport tyre designed for medium-powered touring bikes. Pirelli claim a lightweight construction allows for precise handling and stable behaviour in all riding conditions. They are available to ďŹ t a wide variety of bikes.

What are they?

The Lasertec has a classic tread pattern but Metzeler say it boasts modern compound technology with a high silica count to boost grip in both dry and wet. The carcass is designed to give the rider enhanced comfort and improved handling.

What are they?

Continental aimed for long life, good grip and effective water dispersal when they designed the new Conti Go. They claim that the tread pattern was chosen for its ability to get rid of water and also because it helped create even wear across the tread.

Tester says These tyres immediately feel sporty and give the rider excellent feedback. They allowed the bike to be ďŹ&#x201A;icked through the chicane quicker than all of the other sets of tyres and the limiting factor would have been the bikeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ground clearance. Under power and exiting turns the bike remained stable. But they lost this sporty characteristic after a while because the rear tyre started to go off and made the bike squirm, which let them down.

Rating Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D; Contact www.pirelli.co.uk

Tester says Steering was responsive and light, but they made the bike feel a bit nervous when ridden hard. Into fast corners they lacked stability and there was movement from the bars, which didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t instil conďŹ dence. This was also the case at slower speeds, but it was not so severe.

High speed riding needed real concentration, as again the bike was nervous through the handlebars and this transmitted to the whole bike. Testers didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like riding on these at all.

Rating Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D; Contact www.metzelermoto.co.uk

Tester says These tyres gave a very reassuring ride as the bike felt stable and neutral through all of the corners and speed ranges. They felt particularly good when changing direction and steered accurately. At ďŹ&#x201A;at-out speeds down Bruntingthorpeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long straight there was a hint of instability and the handlebars became sensitive to input, but this was an observation rather than a problem. A good tyre choice for this bike.

Rating Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D; Contact www.conti-tyres.co.uk

T H E B I K E T Y R E T E S T AT A G L A N C E

HOW WE DID IT We wanted to test crossply tyres that were suitable for mid-range commuter bikes and older machines, as plenty of bikes fall into this category.

We contacted the top tyre manufacturers and invited them to send us a pair of tyres that they would recommend as a replacement for a Suzuki GS500.

The ďŹ rst part of the test included an eight-lap session pushing the tyres to the limit, and recording the laptimes with an electronic laptimer. After this session the rider made notes on the tyresâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; stability and handling characteristics.

After the fast laps, the tyres were then ridden for just over 80 miles on the same circuit but not at the same pace, to give a total mileage of 100 miles on each pair of tyres we tested.

The tread depth was then re-measured using the same technique so a wear rate could be calculated.

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MICHELIN PILOT ACTIV

BRIDGESTONE BT-45

DUNLOP GT 501

Typical price (pair) £152 Weight (pair) 10.1 kg Tread depth before test 4.3mm front, 6.2mm rear Tread depth after 100 miles 4.1mm front, 5.9mm rear Best lap time 1:33.06 Conditions Dry, cold, 12°C

Typical price (pair) £146 Weight (pair) 10.1kg Tread depth before test 3.8mm front, 6.5mm rear Tread depth after 100 miles 3.8mm front, 6.3mm rear Best lap time 1:31.27 Conditions Dry, cold, 12°C

Typical price (pair) £137 Weight (pair) 10.5kg Tread depth before test 3.8mm front, 6.6mm rear Tread depth after 100 miles 3.7mm front, 6.5mm rear Best lap time 1:31.17 Conditions Dry, cold 12°C

What are they?

Michelin say they used a new rubber mix and created a larger contact patch on the Pilot Activ compared to the Macadam 50 it replaced. Michelin claim this offers signiďŹ cantly improved grip in wet and dry conditions, and 20% more tread life than the Macadam 50.

What are they?

This is an all round tyre designed for use on a wide range of bikes. Bridgestone claim that the compound has been developed to give excellent performance in all types of weather and temperature conditions, and the tread pattern and construction are designed to improve wear rates.

What are they?

The GT501 is claimed to offer a larger contact patch and a radial-style tread pattern for contemporary styling and a larger footprint.

The tread depth at the centre of the tyre has been increased with the aim of better wear characteristics and water clearance capability.

Tester says The steering felt light and responsive, with reassurance from the front end and good stability on the turn in to corners. Around corners they turned very well, the bike felt neutral and stable. Approaching top end speeds, around 110mph, there was a hint of instability from the front end, but this was not signiďŹ cant enough to be a problem. Overall the Pilot Activ was a good tyre that worked well through the GS500â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s speed range.

Rating Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D; Contact www.michelin.co.uk

Tester says Instantly these tyres feel stable and give good feedback at the handlebars. Turning into corners at all speed ranges they offer impressive stability. They turn well and hold an exact line through higher radius corners. On the fastest section of track down the straight at Bruntingthorpe they gave maximum conďŹ dence, almost like a sports tyre would provide. A really good tyre.

Rating Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D; Contact www.bridgestone.co.uk

Tester says They gave a slightly heavy feel at the handlebars initially and provided excellent stability at high speed. These tyres give very good rider feedback and conďŹ dence, particularly into the fast corners. They turn in accurately and hold the chosen line round and through the corner like a sports tyre. Bumps were absorbed well and never unsettled the bike. These are a very good choice that suit this bike well.

Rating Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D; Contact www.dunloptyres.co.uk

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