Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2017 i BIKE

That’s Ian Martin, John Westlake and me sitting in the sunshine at Brandywell, just off the TT course on the Isle of Man. The line running across the mountainside is the rise to Hailwood Heights, the flat-out blast up from The Bungalow, but this was taken on Wednesday of practice week, when the roads were open. We’re probably arguing about which bike should win the group test (page 54). The three retros were a decent choice for Isle of Man transport. They look good in Parliament Square but are a perfect excuse not to get carried away over the Mountain. It looks like we had perfect weather, and at that moment it was, but the previous day was a washout, and so was the day after. The racers struggled with…

THIS IS NICKY Hayden riding a Honda RC213V at Phillip Island in 2016, giving some love to the fans while standing in for injured Dani Pedrosa. He’d arrived in MotoGP with a dirt-track champion’s gift for riding sideways, and no doubt some of these black lines were authored by him. I was his press guy in the Repsol Honda Team and was lucky enough to work with him for a couple of years in 2006 and 2007. Nicky was a genuinely classy guy: gracious, humble, dedicated, ultra-talented, friendly... and a MotoGP world champion. Somehow he won that crazy season-long duel with Valentino Rossi that seemed Nicky’s for most of the year but was nearly stolen away in the last few races, only for a final twist in Nicky’s favour. If…

‘Jump aboard the tall-ish SuperDual and it looks and feels the business’ ALL THE HOOPLA about the return of the big thumper at the hands of the reborn SWM marque ultimately boils down to this – is it any good? And the answer, albeit after the briefest test ride known to man is – yes. But with caveats… obviously. For anyone who hasn’t been paying attention, shortest of history lessons must necessarily precede the shortest of riding impressions. What we have here is something new in manufacturing terms, a bike built by a company known only for its very competitive off-road machines that went bust in 1984 and that has been resurrected thanks to Chinese money. SWM inhabit a factory in Varese, Italy, built in 2008 by BMW to manufacture…

1 Norton were amazing In my predictions I didn’t even mention Norton because I’d ruled them out –they had two good riders (Josh Brookes and Davo Johnson), but I’d seen them at Cadwell and they were breaking down all over the place. But they both ran faultlessly and both boys lapped at 130mph despite not being too quick through the speed trap. They have obviously got their act together. It was impressive and a really nice thing to see. 2 It’s short circuit racing There’s been talk of this for years, but now it really is short circuit racing on roads. I know they didn’t break the lap records this year, but they’re all pushing so, so hard everywhere. I was chatting to a couple of the top boys in…

‘You will never ever meet a rider who is weaker and skinnier than me’ >> What was the inspiration for this journey? The idea came to me when I was 18, in Bolivia. I met two motorcyclists riding from Alaska to Ushuaia on two BMW R1200GSs. I was on a little 125cc Honda, and after hearing about all the adventures they’d had on the road I just knew I had to do a big trip like theirs one day. I had to return to England for uni but I missed being on the road and didn’t feel ready for four years of studying. So I got a job and started saving for my trip. Shortly after, a very close friend of mine passed away at only 22. This had a…

‘There’s no sudden powerband pulling your arms off’ SQUIRTING Injectors squirt fuel into the rear transfer port, into the upstream of air pumped from the cases. Superior atomisation means less unburnt fuel, reduced emissions, better combustion and lower fuel consumption. CONNECTED Road bikes might be ride-by-wire but TPI has cables from twistgrip to butterfly. The 39mm Dell’Orto throttle has a position sensor giving airflow data to the ECU, which also looks at air pressure, temp, etc. No more jetting changes. PUMPING It’s a normal two-stroke bottom end. A pipe from the oil pump dribbles oil into incoming air to lube the crank and cylinder. KTM HAVE DONE many things for motorcycling since emerging in 1953 with a Rotax-engined two-stroke enduro bike. The biggest off-road manufacturer by a good chalk, KTM…

After years of prevarication I finally made it to the TT. The fatalities are a real downer, the ferry was pricey and I had to book it last year, the weather was iffy with several race delays and the standard of riding on the road was really poor. Not so much over The Mountain, where the traffic’s all one way and you can basically keep left and let the loonies, locals and the genuine talents past, but on the rest of the course it’s chaos with people overtaking on blind bends and cutting into spaces that don’t exist. That said, the rest of it was pretty extraordinary. The first time you see a bike howl past at 170mph, only about five feet away from where you are standing is astonishing.…

‘Just stick it in second and get your elbows up like a motocrosser’ IT’S 2.15AM AND the CB is sitting in a queue of bikes waiting to get on the Heysham ferry to the Isle of Man. Even coated in filth after a damp four hour blast up the M6 it still manages to ooze class – metallic flecks in the candy red glinting through the drizzle, gold Showas glowing under the Heysham arclights. It’s a handsome thing. Big too. Just in front is an old CBR1000 with the majority of Milletts attached to its rear end and a salad-dodging Belgian in the saddle, yet that combo looks almost dainty next to the CB. For anyone over 5ft 8in, this is a good thing – the CB is easily the…

‘For a bike with just 97bhp, the Thruxton shifts’ WHEN THE THRUXTON was launched all the talk was about the styling – the way such a thoroughly modern bike, complete with water-cooling, three riding modes, a slipper clutch, traction control and a ride-by-wire throttle, could look so authentically classic. But here on the Isle of Man, most of our chat is about the engine. ‘The BMW feels smooth and powerful for a twin,’ says Ian, ‘but the Thruxton motor is better. It feels lighter – it spins up faster and will pick the front wheel up in first and second. That is a great road bike engine.’ Hugo is similarly smitten after a sunny blast across the Mountain: ‘I love the engine. It’s characterful and makes you want to keep…

PERFORMANCE TESTING >> It’s easy to launch – get the clutch out and go, and hit 60mph as quickly as a Ducati 1299 Panigale (as long as you don’t shift too early; the change from second to third happens just past 60). Despite sporty geometry and nimbleness it’s stable flat out. Braking is top – we test with the ABS on, and 52 or 53 metres is the normal. Anything stopping in 51m is good (fancy sportsbikes, for example). The Yam gets under 50m, its ‘budget’ two-pot calipers lifting the rear. Smart. FACTS AND FIGURES >> Steep rake, stubby trail and under 200kg, with wide bars – no wonder it’s agile. Seat’s quite high, but slimness makes getting a foot down easy. POWER AND TORQUE >> That’s a fine serving…

Honda CBR600F Pros: looks sharp, plenty fast enough, nicely put together, and captures some of the all-round genius of a ’90s CBR. Cons: not as easy or agile as the Tracer in town, and less touring friendliness. Price: £7399 otr PCP deal: £1221 deposit, £105 for 36 months, final payment £3228. Total £8239. Yamaha Versys 650 Pros: proven motor, easy to ride, trendy adventure looks – and capable of all manner of tomfoolery too. Cons: motor not as inspiring as the Yam. Jacked-up image a little hard to pigeonhole. Price: £7239 otr PCP deal: £1500 deposit, £87 for 36 months, final payment £3431. Total £8056. Honda NC750X Pros: effortless to ride, frugal, pleasingly presented, ace DCT option. 0% finance. Cons: chassis outclasses the docile motor – it’s not exciting. Image…

BACK IN THE early 90s we couldn’t get enough of Kawasaki’s incredible KR-1. A 52bhp parallel twin-cylinder engine suspended in an extremely lightweight aluminium frame, the KR-1 blasted the Suzuki, Honda and Yamaha competition into the weeds by boasting insane acceleration and the fastest top speed of all the supersport 250s of the time. But the competition fought back and Kawasaki were forced to answer with the release of the even faster and more powerful 1990 KR-1S. Featuring revised cylinders, exhaust, brakes and suspension, the KR-1S became the road and track scratching star of the early 1990s. Used prices are currently soaring as there are not many examples for sale, but if you’re looking for a project it is still possible to pick up a basket case for less than…

‘Failure to wear a back protector will be raised as a factor against a motorcyclist’ There is no legal obligation to wear any form of back protection, but as back protection is becoming so much more affordable, and just about every motorcycle jacket you can buy has a back protector pocket, it will only be a matter of time before the ‘failure’ to wear a back protector will be raised as a contributory factor against a motorcyclist. So, just what is the rider’s duty to protect his own spine? Because there is no determinative law on the point lawyers will look to similar scenarios and the obvious comparator is a cyclist not wearing a helmet. Like a back protector a cycle helmet is not compulsory but the considered opinion of…

THE DATES  4 AUGUST PRICE  £99 THE RULES NO TRACK BIKES Your bike must have a numberplate and treaded road-legal tyres NO TYRE WARMERS No lap-timing, datalogging or any other unnecessary faffing, either NO VANS OR TRAILERS Bikes only in the paddock – vans and trailers to be parked outside TO BOOK GO TO bikemagazine.co.uk/ trackdays Ride with BIKE Get guidance from Bike's testers and racers…

John Westlake Contributor My 2008 Yamaha FZ1 is marvellous, but I’m bored. I reckon I’ll get £3500, so the sweetshop overfloweth with options... More power 2005 BMW K1200R, £3995 These were over £10K new (when few bikes were). While £4k is a bit over my budget, it’s a steal for one in this condition – 23,900 miles, full history, two owners, 12 months MoT… and 160bhp to keep me alert in a morning. For such a barking mad device it seems like a remarkably sensible buy. And just look at it – besides being the most powerful naked bike on the market for years, the 1200R makes everything this side of a bulldozer look effeminate. Then there’s the Hossack front end – Duolever in BMWese – to marvel at and…

Ian Martin >> Team Bike Team Bike’s preparation for the Classic Bol d’Or on 15-16 September continues. This month we are running in the freshly rebuilt engine WE’RE MID-WAY THROUGH running in the freshly rebuilt RC30 engine on the dyno. It’s a pretty simple process, we just run it through the gears varying the load on the engine and occasionally stopping to check fluids and make adjustments. An hour on the dyno will probably do it, and having done half of that it’s time to think about carburation. We’re starting with the settings and jets that we used before the engine came apart, but hopefully the engine is fitter now and it’ll need some adjustment. Getting the butterflies to open at the same time is pretty easy, especially as…

Mark Williams >>Founding Editor I refuse to let eBay get the best of me. So having been beaten yet again to a Guzzi I changed my tactics and zero’d in on BMW’s K75S… ALMOST ON A WHIM I’ve bought a BMW K75S… Almost, because every time I got defeated in my quests to successfully bid for a 750 Guzzi or an Aprilia 6.5 Moto on fleaBay, I found myself looking wistfully at Beemer triples instead. Wistfully, because I owned one for ten years from new in 1986 – a bullet-proof all-rounder that delivered tens of thousands of trouble-free and effortless miles around town and across continents and belongs firmly in the I-Wished-I’d Never-Sold-It dept. So after my last missed Moto I came upon a late-ish ’93 example with low miles…

John Westlake This month: former editor John went to the Isle of Man to carry out this month’s group test of retro racers. A week riding inspirational metal on the world’s most magical tarmac, and the chance to grab a race or two? Heaven. Retro TT test on page 54 Dave Collister This month: a photographer who lives on the Isle of Man, Dave’s done something different for us at this year’s TT, shooting from places you’ve never seen. That long lens protruding from the third-floor roof light was his... Unseen TT on page 44 Mike Armitage This month: by his own admission our deputy editor is rather analogue, happy to shun ‘rider aids’ with a considered ‘pah’. Ducati’s digitally-tweaked 1299 has shown him the electronic light, however – the…

FANCY A MULTISTRADA with a pushrod single-cylinder engine? Or a Bullet with 1265cc of variable-valve V-twin power? Both are ridiculously far-fetched, of course. However, it appears Royal Enfield are chatting about buying Ducati. Currently the Bologna-based peddlers of premium V-twins are owned by Audi, the swankier arm of those paragons of virtue Volkswagen. Audi paid around 860 million euros for Ducati back in 2012, and are probably chuffed with their acquisition – Ducati grow year-on-year and sold over 55,000 bikes in 2016, generating almost 600 million euros in sales. That’s small change for Royal Enfield. The Indian company sell more than Ducati’s annual quota every month, and grew by a whopping 31% last year. They told Bike last year that they want to be ‘global leaders’…

The 125s >> Super-Moto (SM) and Enduro (RS) models using existing Shineray engines with new six-speed gearboxes, top-ends and Euro 4 compliant fuel-injection. The 300/500s >> Drawing from their current World Supermoto dominating racers, using Husky-based engines slotted into Italian frames with Brembo anchors and Kayaba suspension – again in SM and RS form. The 440s >> Silver Vase (street-scrambler), Grank Milano (café racer) and Gran Turismo (QED) already sold in the UK in Euro 3 form. The old Honda XBR-derived engine now has additional oil cooling vis a vis Euro 4. Essentially built in China but with SWM-designed bodywork and engines part assembled in Varese.…

AS A KID Des Lindsey watched the epic Kenny Roberts v Barry Sheene British GP battle on Grandstand. It turned him into a lifelong Yamaha fan. After running air-cooled RDs and then LCs in his youth he started racing 250LCs and then moved onto sidecars. When he quit that in 2011 he needed something to fill his time and turned to building GP-inspired specials based on Yamaha’s RD500LC road bikes. This replica of Kenny’s ’78 YZR features a modified 500LC frame and mildly tuned engine with R6 forks, a modified R1 swingarm, R1 wheels, FJ1200 calipers, Jim Lomas expansion chambers, modified TZ500 bodywork and, for ultimate authenticity, Kenny Roberts’ signature on the tank. The build started in May 2013 and it was ready for an MoT in the spring of…

‘What I have to do is work out how to make a proper living at it ’ IT TOOK SOMEONE to explain to me that the name of Surrey-based custom masters DeBolex didn’t rhyme with Rolex, and was actually a play on the cockney compliment related to what hangs between a dog’s back legs. ‘I go through times when I do regret the name, and others when I really like it,’ says founder, Calum Pryce-Tidd. ‘I never wanted to cheapen the brand, but I think the quality of the branding is quite high end. When I came up with the name I was reading Richard Branson’s autobiography. The thing is we don’ t think about what a virgin is now when we say the name, we think of the brand…

>> 8-9 July British Trial GP, Tong, Nr Bradford That the Trial GP circus still annually arrives at the home of trials in Yorkshire should be supported. The events run a short qualifying section ‘race’ on Saturday afternoon, with the main trial on Sunday featuring the star of the show (and sport) Toni Bou. Go watch everyone else try and get close to beating the man. worldtrialuk.co.uk >> 15-16 July Manx Two-Day Trial, various venues, IOM Since the Classic TT took over the Island in the Manx Two Day Trial’s traditional August dates, the event got relegated from the TT grandstand to Douglas Rugby club. For competitors touring the island off road is a joy but even if you’re not riding, this is a perfect reason to visit the Isle…

THE MIGHTY V8 Probably the bike most visitors want to see is the mighty 500cc V8. Conceived by Giulio Carcano in 1954 it first raced the following year. During the three years it was raced just five were built (plus a spare motor, just in case). While never completely free of the engine gremlins that plagued its early life, it was the bike’s handling that limited its success. Despite only winning three races the design has been recognised as one of the all-time classics of motorcycle competition. EARLY DAYS Guzzi’s first dedicated racing model was the C2V built in 1923. This was followed by the four-valve C4V a year later. The bike pictured here is the C4V Corsa on which factory rider Guido Mentasti won the 400km Championship of Europe…

Plus... >>Haydon on the HP4 Bike's quick bloke let loose on BMW's exotic £68,000 carbon-framed HP4 Race >>Breakdown cover? Across France to the Wheels & Waves show on our XSR700 project bike >>Flat on old knockers Amazing people, party atmosphere and crazy racing at the Spa Classic Vast fact riddled section Technique tips, buying wisdom, riding kit, old bike chaos, ace routes and more SEPTEMBER ISSUE ON SALE 26 JULY…

>> We’ve tried a selection of official Yamaha accessories (below). Other parts available include Akrapovic pipes, fog lights, heated seats and boxes. HIGH SCREEN Taller and wider, with subtle Tracer logo. Straight swap. Very good weather protection, but can clobber the mirrors. £120 HEATED GRIPS Yamaha’s generic fit-lots-of-bikes grips, with slim controls, three heat settings and auto power-off. Decently warm, too. £129 TOP BOX ‘City Top Case’ is £127 and holds 39 litres, or one full-face hat and some butties. Needs rear carrier for £136 and that has big pillion handles. SPORT TANK BAG Slim bag holds five litres, or expands to accept nine, which still ain’t much. £85? Hmm. Needs a tank bag ring for the filler cap, which is another 22 quid.…

A UTUMN IS COMING and it’s been far too long since we went to Morocco ( Bike, April 2016) and the balls of that Hammam man dangled from his underwear onto Marc’s back. What happens in a Marrakesh Hammam stays in a Marrakesh Hammam. You could say it’s not the best time for a bike adventure but we are craving a new one: Ramon’s girlfriend is pregnant, I have a three-and-a-half year old and a pregnant wife, and despite Marc not expecting a baby the hunting season is starting and he feels like killing… For our next adventure we have a contact, a Romanian guy living in our small Pyrenean village, in Catalonia (do not get confused with Kefalonia from Captain Corelli’s Mandolin) .…

>> 1984-1987 Kawasaki KR250 Forerunner to the KR1 is a tandem – one cylinder behind the other. Popular in Japan where they were used on the road and in racing, the KR250 was never officially imported to Europe. 249cc – 44bhp – 133kg – £3000-£6000 >> 1988-1989 Kawasaki KR-1 250 B1-B2 The KR-1 was every inch a race bike for the road with its advanced semi-floating brake discs, adjustable suspension and much more. B2 was also available in red/black and was an official UK model. 249cc – 52bhp – 123kg – £2500-£4000 >> 1989-1992 Kawasaki KR-1S C1-C4 Competition from rivals was fierce so Kawasaki fought back with the KR-1S. Launched in Japan in ’89 (C1), UK in ’90 (C2) the new bike got a revised engine with different porting, new…

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. *BEEMER’S FAST FOUR BMW’s S1000RR is a force at the TT, but isn’t their first 1000cc inline-four racer. When the Production class returned in 1984, Nick Jefferies raced a K100 tourer – yes, the quarter-tonne, shaft-drive, 90bhp brick – against stuff like VF1000Rs and GPz900Rs. He was eighth. That’s a tasty Mitsubishi L300 in the backgound. * KWAK NESS MONSTER…

Nigel Grimshaw >>Managing Editor After last month’s spectacular progress Project XSR runs into trouble. Will it hit its deadline? Don’t bet your next PCP payment on it… WHEN IT COMES to building customs a mid-project course correction can never be ruled out, especially when the custom in question is treading new ground. Let’s face it our utilitarian urban adventure Yamaha XSR700 has never been a by-the-numbers café job. You can call it creative differences, or you can call it a different interpretation of the same vision but one thing’s for sure when we arrived at Down & Out’s Rotherham HQ to inspect the bike three days out from its debut at The Bike Shed all was not as we were expecting. A quick look at the pictures above and you’ll…

Hugo Wilson >> Editor We’re hoping this combines the riding position and usability of a VFR with the power and handling of a 916. Can’t wait to do proper miles WE’VE ONLY DONE 250 miles on the eagerly anticipated Ducati SS, but it’s lovely. Fantastic sound, creamy power delivery, great riding position. Not without faults though. On a 20-mile ride along the congested A14 the seat got so hot I had to stand to prevent roast chestnuts. Ducati SuperSport TYRES: Pirelli Diablo Rosso PCP: £165.48pcm MILEAGE: 491 MPG: 48…

Lucas Wilson >>Son of the Editor ‘Hello, Childline?’ Wilson Senior inflicts Morini Camel’s grabby clutch, left side kickstart and lack of tickover on an innocent youth GETTING INTO A VAN headed for the Isle of Man with any number of bikes of whatever shape or size is a good reason to be happy, so you can imagine my grin as we loaded a Morini Camel, Honda CRF250, Triumph Thruxton and BMW R nineT Racer. Having a bike journalist dad has its advantages. Obviously it was disappointing not to have the promised two Camels, but given past form it was fairly spectacular to have one running, and on two cylinders to boot. The Morini was among the most unusual bikes on the island and usually that wouldn’t fill me with confidence…

Mike Armitage >> Deputy Editor You can never have too many bikes. My wife usually disagrees, but the latest acquisition pulls on her heart strings as much as mine... BENEATH THE NEATLY-STACKED wooden blocks, makeshift work surface and many boxes is a 1973 Honda C50. It belongs to my father-in-law, Tony. It was bought for him in 1980 by my mother-in-law Kate, who paid their friend Trevor the princely sum of £10. It was a bit rotten, but Tony patched it up and used it for bobbing to work. My wife Jane would deliberately walk slowly back from school so he’d pick her up at the end of the road on his way home. A work colleague borrowed it for a while, after his bike got nicked. It spent…

HIDDEN GEMS >>What is it that makes forgotten machinery so attractive? Mike’s uncovered a Honda C50 that’s spent 34 years gathering dust. Mushy nostalgia, page 130 . TRAFFIC >>Want to make a quiet middle-of-nowhere lane busy? Park bikes across it for a cover shoot. They did miles being moved to the yell of ‘CAR!’. Note not-slowing Audi... NUTRITION >>A full day riding classics on trails requires proper sustinence. If it’s the Isle of Man that means kipper baps and Vimto. Hugo’s herring-fuelled antics, page 129 . MISSING BIKES >>Langy loves our Husky 701 but can’t ride it – Mike’s confiscated the key to carry out ‘essential test analysis’. He did manage a track spin first though. See page 122 .…

Tidy £750 saving SuzukiSV650 MotoGP There probably isn’t a bike in Suzuki’s range that doesn’t look its best in their rich blue MotoGP-replica paint scheme. The friendly sorts at Wheels (01733 358555) have a pre-registered 2016 example of the perky, cheerful and capable SV650 in special MotoGP get-up for £5295 plus on-the-road – £400 less than a base SV (shown). Down by £400 Kawasaki Z800 Kawasaki’s Z750 was so far behind its rivals you needed a telescope. However, the Z800 is desperately underrated – in our group test against a Triumph Street Triple we couldn’t split ’em. Easier now mind. The new Z900 means the ace 800 is yours for £6999 otr at Branson’s (01935 474998) – a grand less than the base Street Triple S. £600 knocked off Yamaha…

‘It might lack some oomph but it’d be a better option for the big trip than a lot of bigger bikes’ ADVENTURE EVERYWHERE SUGGESTS Honda’s marketing spiel for their new CRF250 Rally. Testing the claim required an exhaustive overseas excursion. Not six weeks in the Sahara, but six days on the Isle of Man, where this year the TT experience was more about braving the monsoon than battling through deserts. The little 24bhp single buzzed around the TT course, flat out up The Mountain Mile at an indicated 75mph in fifth and flat out down The Mountain at 85mph in top. It may not be the perfect bike for a sunny day on the world’s most challenging and famous road race tarmac, but while sportsbike riders, who’d wazzed past in…

Bloody gorgeous 1975 Laverda SFC, £49,995 File this one under flippin’ fantastic. The SFC is the production race version of Laverda’s 750cc twin from the early seventies. They’re one of the best sounding bikes ever made and, in original orange livery, one of the best looking too. This is an original and unrestored example, and one of only 160 that were built. I failed to buy one for £5000 about fifteen years ago, and I’ll fail to buy this at £50,000 now, but it looks like a lot more fun than money in the bank. madeinitalymotorcycles.com The best British twin 1969 Norton Commando, £7495 You need to ride one of these. Though with a right foot shift and reverse pattern gearchange, no electric start and carburettors that need ‘tickling’ before…

>> 7-9 July DirtQuake, King’s Lynn, UK North One TV, the company behind all Guy Martin’s TV output, BT Sport’s MotoGP shows and ITV’s TT coverage, have acquired the DirtQuake brand, from yours truly, and plan to make the run-what-you-brung flat track racing format into a global entity. Harley have signed on as sponsor and ITV4 have committed to show highlights in primetime. Guy Martin and Carl Fogarty have signed up to race, Foggy hoping to win after being beaten by Calum from DeBolex in the street tracker category. I can’t think of another event both those household names would race at so don’t miss out. dirtquake.tv >> 15 July KickBack, Birmingham, UK 50 custom bikes and 20 dealers, in the trendy Custard Factory area of England’s second city. Definitely…

>> 600 miles (after run-in): change oil and oil filter, reset torque settings, general function and safety checks. Cost: £99 >> 6000 miles: change oil and oil filter, remove pads and clean brakes, general function and safety checks. Cost: £209 >> 12,000 miles: change oil and oil filter, replace air filter and spark plugs, remove pads and clean brakes, general safety checks. Cost £299 >> 18,000 miles: same as 6000-mile service. Cost: £209 >> 24,000 miles: same as 12,000-mile service, plus check and adjust valve clearances, change coolant. Cost £479 First service price assumes bike bought from this dealer (see below). 6000-mile service to be done annually if bike hasn’t reached next interval. >> Additional items: Brake fluid to be changed every two years. >> Get yours refreshed: Example prices…

Forcefield Isolator 2 armour Price from: £14.99 info: forcefieldbodyarmour.com >> They say: the ultimate high performance upgrade armour. The Isolator CE2 is only 12mm thin and passes the CE2 test from 10.6kN (knee ). The Isolator 2 back insert is 18mm and passes at 6.3kN. This makes the Isolator armour ultra-high performing, thin and featherweight. Not only this, but the CE2 passes at all four criteria of the rigorous test: wet , hot, ambient and cold . Not noticeable when fitted, breathable and heat reactive. They will add huge safety to any motorcycle garment where the armour is of low quality or not fitted. We impacted the Isolator two-piece eight times, in the same spot, with zero material recovery time. The results indicated the armour would still pass the CE2…

>> Don’t begin your ride on the coast. Instead, start north of the Hautes-Alpes region at Grenoble. >> Ride the Route Napoleon in reverse. This is the route taken in 1815 by Napoleon on his 100-day journey to Waterloo with the intention to overthrow Louis the 18th. Bonaparte began his journey at Golfe-Juan (after travelling by sea from Elba), and wound his way north from the Riviera through the foothills of the Alps. This brilliant biking route skirts the Écrins National Park, passing through La Mure, Corps, Gap, Sisteron, Digne, Castellane, St. Vallier-de-Thiey and Grasse, before finally arriving on the coast at Cannes. >> Take a detour shortly before Castellane and follow the N202 towards Entrevaux. Well worth a visit in its own right, the fortified medieval town is also…

Paul Lang >> Art Director After its recent, mysterious, blow-up the Husky 701 makes a welcome return from the menders and heads straight to Rockingham. ‘Its combination of low weight, sweet chassis and instant punch makes me want to attack every UK road’ HURRAY, MY HUSKY arrived back just in time for the first Bike trackday of 2017. I’ve missed this lump of loveliness and still feel guilty after blowing it up when the coolant hose split two months ago. Husqvarna say, ‘We believe this is a freak one off instance where by a foreign object has come off another vehicle or flicked up off the front wheel and punctured the hose. The rest of the cooling system was pressure tested and the water pump inspected with no faults…

Mike Armitage Deputy Editor Suzuki’s new GSX-R1000R promises ludicrous top-end power with old-style midrange shove. Let’s strap ours to a dyno and take a peek… IMAGINE A GSX-R400 from the mid-’90s with 200bhp. That’s what our GSX-R1000R feels like. Trim, compact, devoid of unnecessary flab and with steering you could shave with, yet able to scorch forward with terrifying immediacy at head-scrambling velocity. The rush to 14,000rpm is electrifying. Suzuki claim 199bhp. They also have variable valve timing, to balance its searing top-end with something like the surging midrange of previous-generation models – yes, we’re thinking infamous K5 as well. An hour or two of fruitful caning on the dyno at BSD in Peterborough and initially the results disappoint, though. The new GSX-R makes 182bhp, which is clearly lots and…