Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2017 i BIKE

>> The best thing you can do on a bike? Trackdays are great, short local rides are good, a commuter run makes life better and trail riding is brilliant. But the best thing you can do on a bike is to take a trip. A motorcycle is the best way to see the world. Or the UK. Or the next county. In this special 164-page issue we’ve got together some great tales of motorcycle travel to inspire you to make a trip next summer. Or before. Lois Pryce has explored deepest Iran, Llewelyn Pavey’s been to Mustang (that’s part of Nepal) and John Westlake has completed his trans America ride by Suzuki Hayabusa. It’s not just exotic locations. Mark Graham went for a short, fast 15 minute run on the…

>> 19 January Snow Quake, Ice Rosa Ring, Italy In an Italian alpine valley, a collection of custom and testy race bikes congregate to race on spiked tyres on one of the only dedicated ice racing tracks in the whole world. Organised by Sideburn magazine and Deus Ex Machina. sideburnmagazine.com >> 10-19 March Daytona Bike Week, Florida, USA Florida welcomes a huge variety of bikes though American iron outnumbers all the rest. Daytona began as a race and mutated into a carnival, but top level bike sport still happens. Spend your days at the Boot Hill Saloon, then make it to the world famous Speedway to watch Supercross on the 11th while a new era of flat track starts on the 16th. Ass-less chaps optional. officialbikeweek.com >> 4-13 August Sturgis…

>> 17-19 February, 2017 MCN London Motorcycle Show, ExCel Centre The annual London show will feature a dedicated adventure zone, hosted by ‘Postie bike’ rider and author, Nathan Milward and featuring many other well-known globetrotters and their bikes. Nathan will host interviews on the stage and there will be adventure films, books and kit for sale. mcnmotorcycleshow.com >> June 15-18, 2017 Horizons Unlimited UK Travellers’ Meeting, Hay-on-Wye This long established event dedicated to real-life adventure riding returns to its new home on the Welsh borders with plenty of ride-outs, off-road training, speakers and intrepid travellers converging from all over the world. Discounted tickets available until 31 January. horizonsunlimited.com/events/hubbuk-2017 >> 28 March 2017 Ace Café Overland and Adventure Travel Bike Day Still a little way off so concrete details are still…

‘The 2017 Dakar will be the toughest since the event moved to South America,’ said event Director, Etienne Lavigne. In front of ambassadors, sports ministers, racers, teams and the massed ranks of the press Lavigne outlined 2017’s event, with one big surprise. ‘It will be true to the spirit of Dakar but with a new dimension, the fourth dimension – altitude.’ We then took the chance to grab some time with Dakar Sporting Director, Marc Coma: ‘I’ve spent a year rediscovering an event I thought I knew inside out,’ he told us. ‘The difficulty [for riders] will be a lot of combinations of things in one day. And that is what will make it hard, day-after-day. The days where we have altitude, sand, technical riding, navigation… they will have it…

All clear for take-off Just thought I’d drop you a line about the ‘Your Adventure’ article in the December 2016 issue. What a brilliant piece of writing to give me the inspiration for a trip abroad next year on my Sprint ST1050. I’ve recently be given the all clear from bowel cancer, so as Richard said in his story don’t let life pass you by.PS Great magazine, which I (nearly) always enjoy. Thanks for your hard work. Stephen Lynskey, email Don’t forget Wynonna I’m loving the Hayab-USA story by John Westlake. For two reasons. First is I drove Route 66 (actually I-40) with the missus and three kids in a BMF 4WD in July 2015. Like everyone else on a time imperative, with forays onto the seminal, weed-grown 66 trail…

>> Tip one: love the long, overnight ferry crossings out of the United Kingdom. It really feels like you are starting a proper adventure even though you’re only going to Brittany, Spain or Netherlands. They’re pricey but they definitely get you going and you also save on an overnight stop and some autoroute tolls. >> Tip two: Scotland is amazing. Find campsites at visitscotland.com. There is a risk of midges from May to September but they can’t fly in winds over 5mph, so breezy sites can be better than sheltered ones. And take some repellent. You’ll be glad you did when the moment arrives. >> Tip three: put your significant other on a plane to southern France, Switzerland or Italy then ride down and pick them up there. That slog…

THE NEW DUCATI MONSTER 1200S Shorter wheelbase, new headlight, up and down quickshift, extra electronics including cornering ABS and wheelie control – the new Monster 1200S echoes many of its predecessors, and Ducati have definitely been paying attention to the original’s design. But this version is not a simple design tickle, it’s a new bike with the specification to back it up. Back in the day it was an entry-level bike, now it’s a grown up supernaked. MONACO New Monster launches in Monaco. A full day riding on quiet roads in the sun followed by fine food and wines. THE ORIGINAL DUCATI M900 MONSTER If it wasn’t for the M900 there is a very strong chance we’d be talking about Ducati in the past tense today. Not only did it…

THE BIG IDEA The plan: prove that you don’t need a soppy tourer to ride coast-to-coast across America. You can do it on the almighty Hayabusa. We hope. The route: start in New York, head south west through Pennsylvania, Virginia and North Carolina to the Tail of the Dragon. Then head west across the southern states to Los Angeles. 4600 miles. The bike: a brand new 1300cc Suzuki Hayabusa with Yoshimura pipes, a gel seat and touring screen. APOLOGIES TO ALL Bike’s American readers, but Route 66 is rubbish. Or the bits I’ve ridden have been, with nothing to recommend them except the iconic road signs and even these are too big and securely affixed to be taken as souvenirs. There are no worthy corners, not much in the way…

John Westlake Contributor >>Riding across Japan on Bike’s V-Strom, without a map, unable to read any signs, or ask for help, or anything. Foolish, yet brilliant. Mark Graham Contributor >>Went to Hull on a CZ 250. It broke, so three of us came back in a mate’s Reliant Regal, with his dog Sprocket whining in tune to the worn diff. Paul Lang Art Director >>Can’t ever forget Switzerland’s tunnels. You think you’ve seen the country’s beauty, then exit another and get simply blown away. Again.…

Save a bag of sand Yamaha XJR1300 >> Yam’s trad inline four is a taste of simpler times. Silky, whooshing and effortless thrust, man-size dimensions, and the ride quality of a luxurious old Jag. The air-cooled retro has outlived its stay, these are the last ones, so there are deals to be had. Bill Smith Motors (01244 323845) have zero-mile pre-reg 2016 bikes for £7599. That’s a grand off. Dropped by £550 Honda NC750X >> Scooter-like practicality and ease of use, with bike sensations and amazing economy. 2016’s update brought bright colour and throbbing exhaust, too. It’s a remarkable device, as highlighted by our test on page 100. List (non-DCT) is £6749, but bransonsmotorcycles.co.uk have the NC, in all colour options, for £6199. Every home should have one. £2.5k reduction…

‘Down and Out were trusted with a Bobber before the world at large had an inkling it existed’ THE INTRODUCTION OF Triumph’s new Bonneville Bobber, in a disused East London factory, was a huge affair. A thousand invitees including journalists, dealers, movers, groovers and competition winners, queued up to see a presentation of Hinckley’s first monoshock Bonnie plus a short head-to-head indoor, knockout drag race and a performance by indie band The Vaccines. The Bobber was presented with a mantra-like repetition of the word ‘authentic’, which is open to interpretation because my own reading of the history of the breed was that owners of American V-twins bobbed, that is stripped and cut-down, their bikes originally because they were so damn heavy in comparison to British bikes. As with every Triumph…

‘Jorge Lorenzo and Marc Marquez were something special’ RIDER OF THE YEAR Marc Marquez, 2016 MotoGP World Champion >> I have to say Marquez. I don’t think the Honda was a total dog at the start of the year but it was clearly a bit difficult to ride. We saw that with Cal Crutchlow too at the start of the year, before they got it sorted. But more importantly, we saw Marquez develop as a rider – he stopped crashing and learned to settle for points instead of trying to win at all costs. To be a five-times world champion at 23 is just incredible and he’s just so exciting to watch on a bike. It was quite telling when he crashed at the next two races as soon as…

>> 18-19 February Classic Dirt Bike Show, Telford Gawp at hairy, scary twin-shock motocross bikes, no, lets call them scramblers, and marvel at the hairy scary blokes who ride them. Then stroll into the autojumble and buy a derelict Bultaco. £13 on the gate. International Centre, Telford, TF3 4JH classicbikeshows.com >> 19 March Pioneer Run, Epsom to Brighton First run in 1930, this is the 78th event, and it is a really big do for really old bikes. Expect nearly 400 pre-1915 bikes, coughing, fizzing and farting their way to Brighton seafront… and there will be traffic chaos. They start from Epsom racecourse from 8am and follow a 47-mile route to sunny Brighton, where they’ll start arriving at 10am. Just follow the smoke. Epsom racecourse (KT18 5LQ) to Madeira Drive…

EVERY BIKE SHOULD be this good at doing its job. KTM’s Factory 450 Rally bikes are designed with one purpose – to win the Dakar. Having won the event for the last 16 years they seem to be pretty good at it. The precision of the controls makes a mockery of the comparatively wishy-washy equivalents of an adventure bike, and pips the standard equipment of an enduro bike. The brakes, clutch, throttle response are all pin-sharp and packed with feel – there’s no dicking about with spongy front brake levers when you’re doing 93mph across a rocky desert. Factory race bikes are often terrible for normal humans like us to ride. Tony Cairoli’s KTM Factory motocross machine is just that, horrible to ride because it is set up in such…

>> Tip one: unless they’re handing out prizes for ‘lightest travelled’, if you think you might use it, take it. >> Tip two: if you’re taking a pillion the ride is all about them. They’re unlikely to be as ‘bike fit’ as you and just because you can handle 500 miles a day doesn’t mean they can. >> Tip three: if weather, finances, bike or body trouble intervene, don’t get stressed about having to make changes. Missing something is just a reason to go back. >> Tip four: many of the best campsites are remote and only take cash, so take some. Also, leave room in your luggage for Pot Noodles/beer – if you arrive late and the site shop is shut you’ll need room for shopping. >> Tip five:…

THE EARLY YEARS OF MOTOCROSS MUSEUM, USA. Tom White started collecting off-road bikes way back in 1985, and hasn’t stopped yet. His collection is housed in a purpose-built 5500 sq ft ‘barn’ on his property in Orange County, California. He opens it to the public for fund raising events for the High Hopes Brain Injury Centre, usually once a year. The barn holds around 150 bikes, together with an enormous amount of memorabilia such as posters and trophies. One of the stand-out bikes is a 1968 Suzuki TM250, the first Japanese production motocrosser – of which only 200 were produced. earlyyearsofmx.com CASA LAMBRETTA, ITALY Tucked away above Vittorio Tessera’s scooter business in Milan is his magnificent collection of all things Innocenti, plus examples from nearly every other scooter manufacturer. Beautifully…

Alien Moto A51 RR Evolution Price: from £884 Info: alienmoto.se >> They say ‘A unique combination of several high tech materials including SuperFabric and Kevlar in combination with a Reissa waterproof and breathable membrane, plus CE level 2 protection both inside and outside the suit to provide maximum rider safety. Easier to move in than a leather suit, it fits the body like an extra skin, which makes all protection stay in the right position. It weighs less than a leather suit and is washable. And no material derived from animals is used in this protection suit – it’s 100% Vegan.’ We say ‘A one-piece suit that claims to be more protective than trad’ leather, lighter, easier to move in, washable, breathable and cruelty-free? This sounds great to me. And…

>> Every tourist heads for the Ring of Kerry when visiting Ireland. It is, admittedly, a beautiful peninsular, but it’s also jammers with tourists. The 111-mile ‘Ring’ is a day-long ride including stop-offs and traffic jams, so instead I recommend exploring the generally undiscovered interior of the peninsular. The ride from Killarney via Beaufort, the Glencar National Park, Blackstones, Lough Caragh and through Ballaghbeama Gap are all wonderful experiences. >> The only section of the Ring of Kerry worth riding is the N71 from Killarney to Kenamare. In the summer the road is plagued by buses and Americans fiddling with hire car gearboxes. Ride it in the shoulder seasons, however, and you’ll adore the lakes, forest, mountains, waterfalls, the odd tunnel and bends galore. You cannot take a bad picture…

This isn’t a limp brochure-style round-up of all the bikes you can buy. No, your guide is far more useful as it only contains bikes that we have tested, with comparable on-the-road prices plus data, expert opinion and must-know detail gathered by fussy full-time testers. We do hundreds of thousands of miles, dyno, datalog, weigh and answer the big questions. Don’t buy a new bike without reading this first. * MV’S CAGIVA 916 MV Agusta’s F4 was meant to be a Cagiva. Started in ’88, they tested the 749cc four in ’95 with a beam frame and styling like Kocinski’s GP bike. For ’96 it had a tube frame, single sider and a launch planned for June. In ’97 Cagiva tested with Ducati 916 plastic (see pic), just before…

>> KTM Super Duke GT Story this month: retired from the Bike fleet. Soon to be replaced… >> Suzuki GSX-R750 Story this month: winter riding is the new summer riding (p161). >> Triumph Thruxton R Story this month: moved house to the challenging environs of Cambridge. >> Honda Africa Twin Story this month: still great, even in the early stages of a British winter. >> Yamaha MT-10 Story this month: this month’s Big Test candidate. Go immediately to p134 >> Ducati XDiavel Story this month: Armitage’s new winter commuter. And why not?…

THIS IS THE CFMOTO 650MT. Like a cross between a Kawasaki ER-6 and Honda Crossrunner, China’s first adventure-style bike is a 649cc twin with modern electronics, high-spec chassis and best-in-sector features. If the price is as low as expected, it’ll be an utter bargain. CFMoto make everything from 125cc commuters to full-size tourers, as well as quads, buggies and boats. In the UK they’re imported and sold by WK Bikes, and badged as WKs. Their naked 650i parallel twin was China’s first ‘big’ bike – we tested it back in 2012 and found it similar to Kawasaki’s ER-6n, with 61bhp, 49mpg and 121mph. Finish and figures aren’t quite ER level, but neither is price: the WK is £3299 on the road. We tried the faired, pannier-shod 650TR version too; a…

‘The combination of 200bhp and standard stoppers sounds intimidating’ EVERY TIME I manage to stop the bike I get off and say, “Phew – I did it again.”’ Norwegian bike tinkerer Erling Graeker is surveying his 1977 Kawasaki Z1000, a bike that’s famous throughout his homeland for having a modification that makes it a bit on the nippy side: a whopping great Rajay turbocharger. This, plus a few other aftermarket goodies such as 1200cc Wiseco pistons, has given the bike 200bhp and the tendency to pull rather sizeable wheelies. But Erling’s Z1000 is just as well-known in his home country for the stuff he’s kept as it came out of the factory 40 years ago – particularly the brakes. The combination of 200bhp and standard stoppers sounds intimidating to say…

‘Watching a giraffe wander past, and stop and look at us in the morning when drinking tea by our tent while wild-camping’ >> Where are you right now? In northeastern Uganda, on the edge of Kidepo National Park, looking out across a plain of dry grass and acacia trees. There’s a vulture circling in the thermals and a giraffe in the distance. >> Sounds pretty nice. So what’s the big plan? The journey started in Cape Town and has taken ten months to reach the equator – we’ve zig-zagged our way up the continent, through Namibia and Botswana (twice), Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda. Next we go to Nairobi to get new tyres and visas. After a detour to the Kenyan coast we will continue through Ethiopia,…

» The KTM factory workshop sits in a relatively small industrial unit in the back streets of Igualada, a town about an hour west of Barcelona near the Montserrat mountain range. Inside, the factory bikes are sitting up on benches, still scuffed from KTM racers Toby Price, Sam Sunderland, Mathias Walkner and Laia Sanz testing the previous day. It all looks proper and just as it should be. An hour of poking, pressing and prodding seemed nowhere near enough time to get to grips with the ins and outs of the Factory 450 Rally, but it revealed much. Under the seat the air filter sits snugly between the two sides of the 17-litre front fuel tank. Twice the size of a normal off-road air filter it could double up as…

>> 7 January - 18 February, 2017 Arenacross, various UK arenas For just over a month the Arenacross show tours six major UK cities and is easily Britain’s best indoor supercross and freestyle MX show. Noisy, spectacular, out of the rain and with great racing. Book early. arenacrossuk.com >> 29 January, 2017 Talmag Trophy Trial, Hungry Hill, Aldershot The Talmag Trophy Trial has been around for ages, is certainly a bit old-fashioned and also a bit smelly. Classic trials bike and off-road sport pure and simple. Great viewing and full of unforgettable characters. talmag.co.uk…

>> Really enjoyed the piece by Derek Henderson. I took early retirement two years ago as well. And he’s right, it’s fantastic. I can just get on the bike and go wherever, whenever. However there’s one lighthouse he might have missed. It’s at Europa Point in Gibraltar. I’ve been there and it’s really spectacular. Next land is Africa. Jill Garcia , email Africa is it? There are a few thousand others he ‘missed’. Bear in mind Derek’s only just beginning his lighthouse odyssey and one hopes he’ll get to Europa Point, and way beyond too, at some stage. You’re by no means the only reader to appreciate the results of Derek’s mildly oddball quest. We all love a lighthouse – MG…

Alex Smith >> Tip: do not be ashamed to ask for help! Especially if you’re travelling alone. There are many times when an adventure can lead to a mishap. This is when it’s time to ask for help. Not only will you likely find a solution to your problem, but you’ll probably make friends too. >> Most ambitious adventure: Seattle to Buenos Aires on a 2007 Suzuki DR650. 240 days and 13 countries. >> Closest to home adventure: 800-mile Washington State Peninsula loop. Danielle Murdoch >> Tip: packing light is key, but I over indulge on my tent. I take a two person tent that I can comfortably sit up in. Having the extra space allows me to have all my motorcycle gear and luggage inside overnight. I also love…

>> Tip one: take a spare visor. Take gaffer tape too, so that when you realize you forgot the spare visor you can borrow one and tape it in place. >> Tip two: have a nice relaxing poo before any long, cold ride. A good empty means there’s nothing to draw heat away from where it’s needed more (I have no medical proof of this) and means longer until you need to stop and wriggle out of your kit. >> Tip three: plan on time, not distance. 4000 miles sounds epic, but five flat-out 12-hour days will be a tedious slog and you’ll see, hear and taste nothing. Cut the distance, increase the experience, remove the pressure. Five 80-mile days bobbing round tiny coastal roads on a 125 could be…

SERVICING Servicing is the same as every other Kawasaki, plus a periodical check of the supercharger. Service intervals are every 3750 miles, while the major service for the valve clearances arrives at 15,000 miles. However, only specially trained Kawasaki dealers are allowed to service H2s, and these are the dealerships selling them new. TYRES Probably the most tyre-hu road – you’ll be getting through one of the 200-section rears every 1000 miles, if you’re lucky. One of our customers needed one at his 600-mile service. Most owners opt for the OE Bridgestone RS10. A few go for the Continental SportAttack2. SUPERCHARGER This gets checked at every other service when the technician looks for axial play at the impeller, but this isn’ a big job, it simply requires the removal of…

‘You have fully comp, so use it. Do not get conned into accepting liability’ So, you watch your expensive pride and joy sliding along the tarmac, calculating how much all of that plastic is going to cost you after a myopic driver failed to notice you, your headlight and your motorcycle. Still, at least you have comprehensive insurance… However, you need to be aware of a new and disturbing trend. Here’s how it works: you call the number on your insurance policy and before you know it a van from an accident management company arrives at your house and removes your pride and joy. You sign a delivery note, a loan bike arrives, you sign another delivery note. Time goes by and you begin to think your bike is taking…

‘Somewhat miraculously it’s now finished and equally amazingly meets my expectations’ A Superdream come true Each to their own, and so the long-running Superdream project climaxes in a celebration of fresh paint and parts. Ready to roll… IT’S EASY TO sneer at the plethora of ‘unfinished projects’ offered on fleaBay, each a sad testimony to insufficient time, ability or finance. But regarding my ambition to create a metaphoric silk purse (i.e. sprauncey street-tracker) out of a sow’s ear (i.e. a knackered 1982 Superdream), my own medicine never tasted so bitter, for as anyone following my progress here will know, it’s been woefully slow and bedevilled by unexpected pitfalls. But this is the first time I’ve tried turning a particular motorcycle into something it wasn’t designed to be, or ‘re-purpose’ it…