Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2017 i BIKE

It’s a wonder that this magazine ever gets to the printer. The team that makes it (including me) are continually distracted by ‘purchasing possibilities’. A productive morning’s work can be derailed by the discovery of a £500 MZ, a £1495 Yamaha TRX850 or a tempting finance offer on a 2017 Honda Fireblade. And occasionally we buy something. This month has been even more difficult than usual. Putting the ‘100 bikes, 100 deals’ section together has tested the resolve of even the biggest tightwad on the team (aka Paul Lang). We’ve been having troubling daydreams about affordable (and unaffordable) options that could be in our garages very soon. I’m especially taken with the idea of a £89.93 per month Yamaha XSR900, deputy editor Mike fancies a £151.04 per month Ducati SuperSport…

ASK WHAT HISTORY Suzuki have with adventure bikes, and any self-respecting fan of giant trailies will mention the desert-conquering DR650 and near-legendary DR Big. But, you might enquire next, what does the Euro4 compliant V-Strom of 2017 have in common with those two? An adventure beak and now some yellow paint. Suzuki have always been keen to emphasise the V-Strom’s family tree, saying its styling was influenced by the huge DR. Yellow is something of a love-or-hate colour, though. The updated V-Strom also has tweaked bodywork and, more importantly, wire-spoked wheels with gold rims in XT form. There’s handy technology too. An easy start system means a single touch of the start button keeps the starter motor turning until the engine fires (no more holding the clutch in either), and…

16-18 June British Superbikes, Knockhill Combine a fantastic ride-out to the glorious roads of Scotland with a day at the races. The Knockhill round of BSB is always fast and furious due to the tight, scratchy nature of the track. britishsuperbike.com 23-25 June Dutch TT, Assen The Dutch TT is the nearest foreign round of MotoGP so it always attracts loads and loads of British bikers and there’s a great party atmosphere. See the world’s best riders on the world’s fastest bikes on one of the world’s greatest race tracks. ttcircuit.com 10-13 July Southern 100, Isle of Man It’s much cheaper to go to the Isle of Man outside of TT week and a lot less crowded too so it’s great for getting laps in and watching many of…

 >> Where are you right now? At home in Mwanza, Tanzania. It’s rainy season now so there’s a lovely cool breeze. ‘I knew my bike trip would change my life but never guessed it would bring an entirely fresh purpose’ >> How did you end up living in Tanzania? In 2012 I quit my job in the City and rode from London to Cape Town solo on a Suzuki DR-Z400. Along the way a micro finance organisation asked me to train Malawian riders in motorcycle maintenance, which I loved. Afterwards, I was similarly invited to Tanzania to train midwives and realised there was a growing need for hands-on motorcycle knowledge. I moved here in 2016 to establish Pikilily (Piki is the Swahili word for motorcycle, lily is the flower of…

>> 4 May & 1 June, 2017 Krazy Horse Late Nights, Bury St Edmunds Probably the best ‘destination’ bike shop in the country, Krazy Horse host themed monthly Thursday night events throughout the summer. Bands play, hogs are roasted and the two-storey temple of consumable custom culture swarms. The shop floor is full of chops and customs, and brand new metal from niche manufacturers from Avinton to Zaeta. Upstairs is a well-stocked clothing section and diner. Krazyhorse.co.uk >> 27 & 28 May, 2017 The Bike Shed, Tobacco Dock, London New-wave and café-racer custom culture returns to Tobacco Dock. 150 bikes plus street food, barista coffee, bars, cigar and whisky lounges, live music, tattooists and multi chair trad barbershop. Plus there are no ropes or barriers around the bikes to spoil…

Spada Curve jacket, Nero jeans Price: £239.99/£199.99 Used for: nine months Info: spadaclothing.co.uk Tester: Mike Armitage >> Good points If you get off on spec then Spada stuff’s up there, with neoprene this, triple-stitched that and CE the other. Unlike some Italian brands the sleeves aren’t too short on a sportsbike, and the jacket was comfy from the off. I’m happy bimbling on the road or playing on track. Keen prices too. >> Bad points Leather isn’t as supple as more expensive kit, and the jeans bunch up slightly on the thighs – sizing seems on the big size. The thermal liner is body only, so arms get chilly due to the ample stretch panels. And the design looks a tad 1997. >> Rating 7/10 Alpinestars Devon jacket /Missile jeans Price:…

For those of you who didn’t read part one of my story ( Bike , November 2016) I am an ex-NHS mental health manager who was lucky enough to retire at 55 after 32 years – I prefer to scrape by paying off my mortgage and spend my time enjoying the rest of my life. Enjoyment for me is combining my hobbies of photography, motorbikes and British lighthouses. In the first article I visited lighthouses from Northumberland to Little Hampton on the South Coast. This time it is lighthouses from Aberdeen to Northumberland……

‘Foot protection should be the motorcyclist’s no.1 protection priority’ The most common injuries I see in my job are injuries below the knee. I have to admit I am not one of those people who pops down to the shop wearing full body armour. I will ride in ordinary denim jeans, with a leather jacket but always, always, boots. Foot protection should be the motorcyclist’s no.1 protection priority, but a pair of boots you don’t wear because they are too uncomfortable or you cannot walk in them are useless. The Highway Code simply says, ‘strong boots… may help protect you if you are involved in an accident’. Failure to wear boots may leave you vulnerable to having damages reduced, but only in quite limited circumstances. If you suffer an injury…

Jonathan Pearson Off-road Editor Stepping up to European racing level isn’t as difficult as it sounds. So long as you avoid the rocks and make the most of ‘Saville Row’ parts 4 AM STARTS, a flat battery on the van, 30-odd hours driving alone, international licences, insurances, medical check-ups, an eye test and that perennial conundrum – spending a bit more money than you can afford. This is bike racing. A Super Enduro is off road racing but not as you may know it. It is like all indoor off road sports mixed into one series and run through the winter with the world’s best headlining. There’s a European support class and before I knew it the KTM 250 EXC-F and I were in the van heading to Albi, France.…

Hugo Wilson This month: Hugo first met helmet maker David Fiddaman in a bar at Daytona in 1988. They got together for a Welsh riding jaunt for this issue, and Fiddy talked about being the UK’s only helmet manufacturer. Riding with Fid the Lid on page 82 Mike Armitage This month: there’s more to value than just a cheap price tag. Our dep ed has assembled a trio of high-value new bikes for the group test, from the three biggest areas of the market. Which is the best place to stick your cash? Group test on page 48 Gary Inman This month: the biggest shake up of dirt track racing rules for years was enough to get GI onto a transatlantic flight to witness the first race at Daytona. It…

THIS FABULOUS CREATION is the 986 M2 Street by tiny Italian outfit Vyrus. Based on their Moto2 race bike, it’s a Honda CBR600RR engine with hub-centre steering, across-the-frame suspension and a frame that looks like aluminium doilies. And it’s right up there in the fight to be our favourite new bike of the year so far. If you haven’t seen a Vyrus in Moto2 it’s because they don’t race. When the class was announced Vyrus saw an opportunity – they’d been creating hub-steered exotica for years, done some racing, and it was a chance to showcase the technology to the world. Unfortunately no team was open-minded enough to see the potential of the 986 M2. Vyrus proved the bike worked in the 2015 European Moto2 series but it was a…

The 125cc version of the Duke gets most of the same changes as the 390: same new frame, LED headlight, flash dash, larger fuel tank, improved suspension and sportier geometry. However, it retains a throttle cable rather than switching to ride-by-wire, keeps its smaller 300mm front brake disc, and its ABS doesn’t have the 390’s new Supermoto setting. Unfortunately, like the 390 the new components mean the smaller Duke has also put on 10kg, lifting its fully-fuelled weight to around 150kg (definitely on the chunky side for a sporty 125). The engine is unchanged, so power remains the maximum 15bhp learners are allowed. Price is £4099 – sounds a lot for a 125, but it undercuts Yamaha’s MT-125 (£4372) and Aprilia’s new Tuono 125 (£4600). The old 125 Duke was…

‘We have to face the possibility this isn’t going to work for him. That would be a disaster for Ducati’ AFTER ONLY FINISHING 11TH in the opening MotoGP round in Qatar, multimillion pound Ducati signing Jorge Lorenzo crashed out in the very first corner in Argentina meaning he’s only scored five points from the opening two rounds and lies a lowly 18th in the championship standings. Probably not what Ducati had hoped for after spending a rumoured £15 million to get the Spaniard’s signature. The older GP15 and GP16 Ducatis far outperformed the new GP17 bikes of Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso in Argentina, which must have been a bit embarrassing for the factory. While the older Ducatis were always good in the wet, it’s still puzzling that both Lorenzo and…

‘She spat me off during qualifying for the Le Mans 24 hours’ I ALWAYS THOUGHT WE’D be together for the rest of our lives. But who hasn’t thought that and then changed their minds? I raced this RC30 – prepped by the brilliant Team Bike crew – through 1989, 1990 and into 1991, when I ended my racing career on her. Or, to be precise, off her. She spat me off during qualifying for the 1991 Le Mans 24 hours. Metzeler had given us a special qualifying tyre: seven laps maximum, they said. Teammate Steve Hislop went out for four laps and came back in after five. You may be Steve Hislop, I thought, but you’re also a greedy fuck! Sure enough, on my third lap the rear smeared sideways…

>> 23-25 June, 2017 Horizons Unlimited Traveller’s Meeting, Russia Make like Donald Trump and get cosy with the Russians! Horizons Unlimited are holding their first ever Traveller’s Meeting in the Valday National Park. Expect advice on Trans-Siberian routes including the Road of Bones and the BAM (an off-road route that follows a trans-Russia railway – but not the Trans-Siberian), opportunities to sample local cuisine – and possibly a shot or two of vodka. horizonsunlimited.com/ events >> 13 – 16 July, 2017 True Adventure Weekend, Austria With a title like that, how can you resist? Located in the stunning province of Salzburg, this weekend is a celebration of the ‘Queen’ of Adventure Bikes – Honda’s Africa Twin – and its triumphant return to the world of adventure riding. Test rides will…

‘If you take your riding, settings or set-up too seriously, then this bike is really not for you’ FANTIC ARE BACK with a couple of smaller capacity models to keep the teenage market looking cool for school, plus a Scrambler-type 500cc model called the Caballero and two 250cc, single cylinder four-stroke, dual-sport trail bikes. It’s those trail bikes, the Casa and Competizione models, we’ve tested here. Both are competitively priced at £4499 for the Casa or £400 more for Competizione with adjustable Olle front and rear suspension and fatter Tommaselli bars. It doesn’t take long to warm to the Casa. Sure, some parts are not as good as you’ll find on a more expensive enduro machines but components such as levers, machined hubs, the 260mm front brake (220mm rear), carbon…

Blame it on the Bike I don’t ever recall being drawn so quickly into a travel article as Todd Blubaugh’s story ( Bike April 2017). The tragic events preceding his departure ordained that this was always going to be a metaphysical journey, not just a road trip. Those few pages encompassed the inner conflict that would-be travellers suffer from, the excitement and instability of drifting versus the security of home. I was lured into motorcycling by the Norton Commando on the cover of Bike issue 2 sometime in 1972. Although I probably won’t ever do that big trip I’ve always dreamed of, just now and again, within the pages of Bike I find something that makes my heart beat a little stronger and my eyes mist over, reminding…

Dickies AD Slim Fit Price: £134.99 Used for: two months Info: dickiesmotor cycleoutfitters.com Tester: Steve Herbert >> Good points Lined to the knee with their own, softer Kevlar weave (developed with Dupont), adjustable knee armour pockets, extra strong seams – these don’t look like bike jeans and feel as tough as vintage footwear. >> Bad points There’s no stretch, and that’s not great combined with a slim fit and armour. This makes it awkward to get on the bike, at worst you struggle to bend knees enough to get feet on the pegs. Better off the bike than on it. And go up a size to get the right fit. >> Rating 5/10 Richa Original Cordura Price: £139.99 Used for: ten months Info: richa.eu Tester: Mike Armitage >> Good points No random…

KINNAIRD HEAD We set out from Pitlochry on the A93 over Glenshee through Braemar then onwards. We arrived at Kinnaird Head early afternoon after a lunch stop. Kinnaird Head is an impressive light and is part of the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses. Established in 1787 the current light was built into the castle in 1824. RATTRAY HEAD Rattray Head lighthouse stands on Ron Rock about half a mile from shore. At low tide it is accessible to tractors, but the tide was in when we visited. It’s an impressive sight as it emerges from the cold and choppy North Sea. This is a peaceful place with a nice beach for a sunny day. BUCHAN NESS Established in 1827 and automated in 1988 this is one of those stereotypical red and…

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. *BUYING INTO THE BRAND Harley’s accessory range is vast, with thousands of parts and items of clothing. Their first catalogue was in 1912, and they sold so many jumpers that stock was replenished three times. This cheery gent’s coat has ‘cotton which resembles whipcord to a great extent’. It was $65 – about £13, or over £1400 in today’s cash. *…

John Westlake Contributor Visions of being pinned underneath my shiny new lift mercifully melt away as a whole new world of motorcycle maintenance opens up… IF YOU’RE DEEP INTO MIDDLE AGE, one of the most irksome elements of working on bikes at home is bending down. Half an hour of grovelling on the floor poking about with calipers, swingarm linkages or header pipes has my lower back twanging like a rusty elevator cable. It’s begun to put me off doing routine maintenance and nerdy cleaning I used to enjoy. A hydraulic bench is one option, but they take up loads of space and if your bike hasn’t got a centrestand you still have to fiddle about putting it on paddock stands if you need to get the wheels out (or…

EPIC MILEAGE Photographer Wayne Lennon did 1262 miles to get the pictures for the high mileage exotica story on page 58 . He’s now having a lie-down. USED BANK NOTES Suzuki X5 sold, cash burning a hole, Mike Armitage is trying his hardest to rush into (another) unwise purchase. Possible likely shed-fillers perused on page 127 . BIG SPANNERS We don’t need much excuse to get our tools out. The Adjustable Spanner book on page 34 encouraged Hugo to show off his double bar coach wrench. ROADSIDE DEBRIS Paul Lang employs his manual skills to ensure photo perfection in our high-value group test. Grab a biro and spoil his day by playing Spot The Pebble. Page 48 .…

Over £2200 off Aprilia Caponord Euro 4 has killed Aprilia’s Dorsoduro, Shiver and Caponord. This is good if you’re fond of a deal. The super-comfy Capo’ Rally has the best ride quality of any bike, a long-legged V-twin and lots of extras. List was over 14 grand, but centralbikes.co.uk want £11,990 – that’s £2209 off. Too salty? We’ve seen 500 mile ex-demo bikes for less then £10k. Less than £4 a day Honda CB1100EX Honda’s inline-four is overlooked. It’s a class retro with silky drive, manners and top build quality, not to mention ample credibility. The new 2017 model (p23) is £10,765 and great, but only a tiny bit better than the previous bike – and huntsmotorcycles.co.uk have them for £9495. Or just £117 a month on PCP with £2k…

‘It’s a good-looking, lively, sweet handling bike’ IT’S NOT OFTEN that a bike manufacturer has a major change of mind, and reintroduces a model that has previously been axed. But that’s essentially what has happened with Ducati’s air-cooled, entry-level Monster, which was culled two years ago to make way for the Scrambler, and now finds itself reborn in the new but familiar form of the Monster 797. Well, almost. Ducati’s thinking back then was that the Scrambler’s laid-back Seventies vibe would attract riders who had previously bought the Monster 696 and 796. But it soon became apparent many of them wanted an actual Ducati Monster, not a retro bike with a different name on the tank. Some found the 111bhp, liquid-cooled Monster 821 too powerful or expensive. Cue a swift…

I’ve had a love for Aprilia’s crazy naked rocketship ever since attending the launch of the original Tuono V4R at Valencia in 2011. The stripped-down RSV4 dazzled with its technical spec – including ground-breaking APRC electronics – and brilliant yellow paint, and was fast and fabulous fun on the MotoGP circuit and roads outside. I started my launch report with the phrase: ‘Wow! ***ing WOW!!!’ and described the 999cc V4 as one of the fastest, most exciting bikes I’d ever ridden. Six years on, the Tuono has been updated several times and is more powerful, refined and better than ever. More to the point low-mileage examples of that original V4R are £7000. Okay, so the first-generation V4R ‘only’ makes 167bhp, has a one-way shifter and no ABS. It also has…

A glance at the spec might hint at the EX running gear being shy of the standards suggested by the RS. Not so. It’s a different ride, certainly, but nothing like a poor substitute. First, the higher, closer handlebar is better. You don’t feel remotely cramped, there’s more leverage so when things get mildly out of shape – as they surely do on big, twin-shock fours – that mechanical advantage is your friend. While the brakes don’t have the bite of the RS’s radials they’re not short of stopping power and the suspension too, despite its non-Öhlins-alike colourway, copes plenty well. Those wire-spoked wheels are handsome devils too. The chief difference though is in riding effort. The EX rolls more invitingly into turns on its skinnier section 18-inchers than the…

Josh Brookes’ second place in race two of the opening weekend of British Superbikes proved that the technical rules governing the series are spot-on. His small Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha team only scored three points all season with James Rispoli last year but easily outperformed the factory-supported McAms Yamaha team at Donington, despite receiving no help from Yamaha at all. After qualifying on the front row then taking seventh in race one, Brookes started race two from pole and finished second, showing that even a humble, independent team with a good rider on board can be competitive under BSB’s unique technical regulations. They’re designed to allow all teams to be competitive without having to spend a fortune, so you can just go out and build a bike without any factory…

>> 13-14 May MCN Festival of Motorcycling, Peterborough Showground An autojumble and classic bike fire-ups are among the attractions at the Festival of Motorcycling at Peterborough Showground. Weekend entry also includes the Saturday night speedway race . Chris Walker will be racing in the short track races. Demo rides and new bikes too. £15 per day mcnfestival.com >> 6-7 May Endurance Legends, Donington Park Two day event featuring a four hour ‘classic’ endurance race on the Sunday, a trackday for pre-1995 bikes on both days and ICGP (TZ Yams) and Lansdowne classic races (Manx Nortons) as support acts. Team Bike will have a paddock display and bikes in the demos. £18 per day for adults on the gate. Cheaper in advance. endurancelegends.co.uk >> 24-25 June NACC Coast to Coast Run,…

‘Yeh is one of the most respected builders… and a name for years to come’ THE FIRST TIME I saw a Rough Crafts bike in real life I was astounded. It was 2014, the Motorbike Expo in Verona, and the company’s founder, Winston Yeh, was stood on a small stand, bare except for his Harley, Graphite Speedster. Yeh is in the mould of Roland Sands but on a more modest scale. For now at least. His attention to detail rivals famous name builders and that of his hero, hot rod designer/entrepreneur, Chip Foose. The level of fit and finish was more like NASA than the custom bike world and it won numerous awards. The design of the special-framed Harley was above anything I could remember seeing. I caught up with…

>> 13-14 May Speedway, MCN Festival of Motorcycling, Peterborough ‘P. A. N. T. Panthers you and I will be. H. E. R. S. all the girls like us the best. Panthers, Panthers leaders of the pack. Panthers, Panthers aces of the track.’ Don’t know the song? Then you didn’t grow up watching speedway at the East of England Showground. But the MCN Live show in May includes an Elite League match between Peterborough Panthers and Newcastle Diamonds. mcnfestival.com >> 13-14 May British Enduro Championship, Helmsley, N.Yorks Mid-May is an incredibly busy time for off-road sport – you could pick any discipline you like and head near or far to find an event. Picturesque Helmsley in North Yorkshire is as good as it gets for two days of British Enduro Championship…

SATURDAY MORNING, COLD, wet and miserable. The postman drops the April edition of Bike, I check the weather and the forecast looks favourable. Walk out to the garage and the Tiger 800 is still sat where I left it five months ago, sharing space with an equally unattended TZR resto project. I check the oil level and tyre pressures on the Tiger and twenty minutes later, with my wife on pillion we are on our way to the Cadwell Park racing circuit. An hour or so later the winter cobwebs are blown away and we’re sitting outside the clubhouse, bacon butties in hand, basking in unseasonably warm February sunshine, watching the trackday pilots whizzing round. ‘Biking’s great, I’ve missed this,’ she says. I have to agree. Back home that afternoon…

‘Flat track shrivelled like a grape left on an Essex tanning bed. Only a hardcore kept it going’ ANYONE WITH EVEN a slight interest in Grand National flat track knew 16 March was the start of a new era, including the naysayers. For this quintessentially American sport it was the equivalent of MotoGP going four-stroke. First some background. Flat track was stuck so deep in an evolutionary rut it couldn’t even see a man waving a chequered flag. At one point it was the sport for manufacturers to promote their street bikes. But that era ended before The Beatles split. Momentum, history and tobacco money allowed the sport to thrive through the 1970s and ’80s, but as trends changed, flat track became less important. Superbike racing was the big…

H. Wilson Editor >> Keen exponent of the handlebar muff and lightweight glove combo for winter riding. Rides: gloves tucked in (with textiles) otherwise over. Very fond of a topbox containing bungees. M. Armitage Dep. Ed. >> Goes through more kit doing more miles a year (35,000 of them) than most. Will try anything in any price range, but won’t put up with any item remotely unfit for purpose. Gloves in (textiles only). P. Lang Art Director >> Sucker for bells and whistles, and loves a flashing light (he thinks it’s Christmas). Has no idea how a motorbike works but likes a nice bit of Gore-Tex. Goes tucked-in with textiles only. Good at art. J. Westlake Tester >> Often finds himself riding in extremely hot conditions…

Spada Lati2ude Price: £149.99/£119.9 Used for: three months Info: spadaclothing.co.uk Tester: Steve Herbert >> Good points Seriously good value kit with a removable foil lining, waterproof and breathable membrane, OK ventilation, good adjustment and only a slightly rough and flimsy feel to the fabric compared with far more expensive suits. Some of the detailing and finish is a little cheap, but for a whole suit at less than £300 this performs well. You even get five-piece CE armour in the jacket. >> Bad points The trousers are a bit sweaty in warm weather and the snap fasteners on the jacket pockets are really bloody hard to open and close. The AluFoil lining is a neat idea, but only works up to a point and is only in the jacket. >> Rating…

ALUMINIUM TANK The hand-brushed aluminium tank was standard on the Sport model, and can be spec’d as a £300 optional extra. It’s available with or without visible welded seams and looks like it’s come from a custom house. In spite of its bespoke looks it’s fully lacquered so needs no special care, we do advise owners fit a key protector – like 3M paintguard – to prevent scratches. ACCESSORIES There are only a handful of official BMW accessories available because the factory wanted owners or third parties to fabricate their own bits. While the vast majority aren’t setting about their bikes with angle grinders, the arrival of the Rizoma and Roland Sands Designs catalogues have definitely given people food for thought. SPOKES The rest of the bike’s finish is very…

>> The North Coast 500 was started in April 2015. Obviously the roads aren’t new and bikers have always ridden the route, but now it has a name. It was born out of the work I was doing for Prince Charles’ charities, supporting rural communities in the North Highlands. It forms a circle nominally starting and finishing in Inverness, although you can choose to start and finish wherever you want. To say that giving these fantastic roads a name has been successful is an understatement. >> Ride it clockwise or anti-clockwise, because each is a completely different journey. You see things from a different perspective with different light, but you also experience the two sides of the journey in a different order. The dramatic west coast is home to single-track…

Nigel Grimshaw Managing Editor A recent call from Yamaha sent us scurrying for the crayons as we embark on our most ambitious project in years. It can only go well ‘Clearly Yamaha felt the addition of Bike’s undeniable customising talents could only do the Yard Built brand some good’ NEWS JUST IN: we are becoming customisers. Regular ‘Bike Life’ enthusiasts will be forgiven for greeting this news with some scepticism. Our recent track record regards bike maintenance and modification is admittedly not stellar. Particular lowlights include Langy detonating his new Husqvarna ( Bike , May 2017) and MG’s still painful travails with his Harley-Davidson Shovelhead. Unphased MG’s impending insertion of a square cam ( Bike , May 2017) should see yet more pools of oil and frequently-rescued status from whichever…

Hugo Wilson Editor The frustration and joy of old bike ownership, through the medium of a leaking carburettor. Now fixed. Hopefully THERE IS PETROL dribbling from the overflow on the carburettor of the mighty MZ ETZ250. It’s a sure sign of an overfilling float bowl (it works like a toilet cistern, with a float operated valve to control the level of fuel). I check the float height and the float valve (by blowing through it). Nothing seems to be amiss. I put it back together, complete with baggy gasket. It still dribbles. So maybe the float isn’t floating, or I didn’t check the valve as properly as I should have. I order a new float, valve and gasket from the themzshop.co.uk. Big spender? Hardly. The bill is £15.19. The next…

Mark Williams Contributor Chain issues ground the ’tracker, but not for long thanks to skill, dedication and the bottomless pit of bargain tools on the Net… SOONER OR LATER CAMCHAIN adjustment reaches the end of its tether and because it wasn’t properly checked during its top-end re-furb, so it was with my CB400N ’tracker after just a few weeks of active life. Replacing modern-ish Hy-vo chains usually requires a bottom-end tear down which is a right pain, but if you can carefully break the chain, thread through a new ’un with a so-called ‘soft’ link and pin it together it’s much less agg. Which thanks to a chain splitter/riveter kit (see below) and a new, £36 chain from David Silver Spares (davidsilverspares.co.uk), the deed was done with the barrels and…

Mark Graham Production Editor Unexpected good news (a phrase you don’t often hear in regard to Harleys) sees the ‘square cam’ masterplan completely redrawn ALL CHANGE. Plans to insert an insane cam in the FXLR are aborted due to a shock dyno result. Fully expecting the stock 1340cc Evo lump to produce maybe 60bhp and 65 lb.ft, we (BSD dyno man Mark and me) were shocked to see 70bhp and 77 lb.ft. That’s just with a decent air filter and two-into-one pipe. So, there now seems little point in delving into a healthy, uncorrupted, low mileage engine (11,000) when it’s knocking out respectable (for a Harley) figures. The mad cam will now be mothballed until I can afford to rebuild the other FXR Evo – and that engine will be…

Mike Armitage Deputy Editor Our orange Z1000SX is a much-evolved and high-tech sports tourer. It will obviously be far superior to something built 22 years earlier... ‘I’m surprised how much Zed grunt is used keeping with the RF’ SO WE’RE TALKING 135BHP, 230kg or so fuelled, with 41mm adjustable forks, 1440mm wheelbase. These are awfully like the figures for our latest Kawasaki Z1000SX, but are in fact for the Suzuki RF900R – the new Zed’s mid-1990s equivalent. The Suzuki doesn’t make many go misty eyed, but it was our pick of the period. ‘Its engine can out blast a Blade, its sleek chassis can nip inside a ZX-9R,’ said our June 1995 test, and also claimed the RF was as do-it-all slick as a benchmark VFR. ‘This is the best…

YAMAHA TRX850 Desire for old Ducatis killed by soaring prices, my wandering mind has moved to Yam’s rival. In the mid-’90s the TRX looked the perfect step up from my TDR250. I got a ZZ-R600, then a GSX-R, so maybe now is the time to live out my trellis-framed dream. Trouble is I can’t afford one in the Japan-only colours here, and prices for UK bikes are starting to follow the Italian bikes that it aped. Hmm. What about a TL1000S? Or maybe an FZR400RR...…

Ian Martin Team Bike’s make things happen man Engine strip reveals no hidden horrors, but a bit of gas flowing should release a bit more power. Or that’s the plan. THE ENGINE OF our number two Honda RC30 race bike (last year’s spare bike) came apart pretty easily. I’ve never stripped one of these engines before. They’re lovely to work on, but the M8 capscrew cylinder head bolts are meant to be tricky. They’re recessed deep inside the head so you need a long allen socket to get to them. If you’re lucky then the bolt unscrews, if not then the allen socket flexes and breaks or, worse, it slips in the bolt head and rounds it off. I got a really good quality socket, and then cut down the…