Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2021 i BIKE

I’ve got two friends who own multiple bikes and their minds are constantly whirring about new bikes. The habit has rubbed off on me. One of them is all about horsepower, so he’s got an H2 SX and RSV4. The other is obsessed by good deals. I’ve always had this idea that I’ll have four bikes – a single, a twin, a triple and a four. So at the moment I’m missing the single. It’s not so much an engineering thing, more about the individual riding experiences, because each is so different. I’ve owned the Triumph for 14 years and bought it to commute on, pretty much on the strength of the sound – I had this misty eyed memory of when the T595 was launched, and I loved the…

We love the idea of a garage full of different bikes, but let’s not forget that motorcycles are meant to be ridden The psychology Professor Dillon is an expert on the psychology of collecting. He works at the University of Texas. ‘Is it an innate human desire to accumulate? Yes,’ he tells Bike. ‘We’ve evolved from creatures that had to scrounge for resources, and having a surplus was a positive because it meant less day-to-day scrounging. That’s in our genes. So when people get a lot of money, one of the first dreams they have is acquisition. ‘You get all these life coaching lessons saying the best use of money is experiences not objects, but that’s not what comes naturally. We need to think of this [collecting] behaviour as routine,…

Greece 20 countries and more than 16,000km in. I’d been in Greece for about four weeks and couldn’t be happier, or more grateful to the Greek Motorcycle Federation (MOTOE) who organised my entire journey through this incredible country. All the motoclubs offered me a hotel, a lot of food, a lot of drinks and phenomenal reception parties. Monaco In Monaco I couldn’t resist taking the super Monkey on the Formula One (that’s cars) circuit. And yes it had to be elbow down – pity Marquez is injure d I’d have given him a run for his money. Although he’d have to load his RC213V with a tent and sleeping bag to make things even. Thank you to the tourist who took the picture, but not so much the Monaco police…

When your bike care kit contains an assortment of expensive aerosols it’s easy to overlook the humble thumb pump oil can. But for lever and pedal pivots, screw threads and linkages they’re incredibly handy. Don’t buy a very small one – the base needs to be wide enough and weighty enough to stop them being easily knocked over – or pointlessly big; 300ml will do fine. Oil? A weighty gear oil is good for most applications, but using up the 10W40 (or whatever) left over from an oil change is part of the appeal.…

» When Yam introduced the BT1100 Bulldog in 2002 we were a nation of sportsbike fiends, and an upright semi-cruiser with Virago power was as appealing as DIY molegrip dentistry. Dealers couldn’t sell them, and depreciation was horrific – Bulldogs lost half their value in 12 months. But owners bloody love ‘em. The 1063cc, 64bhp V-twin gives torquey drive and a deep burble. Shaft drive means no lubing mess. Handling is breezy, comfort is good, and they’re reliable. Today’s retros mean we’ve rediscovered the joys of easy-going bikes, and the 1100 is a great way to stand out. If you can find one, a low-mile minter is £3500. Mike Armitage…

Hugo Wilson, Bike editor Bikes currently owned? There’s a 1948 Matchless in the house, a Moto Guzzi scooter and a Honda VFR in the yard, a Moto Morini 3½ Sport in a lock-up across town, a moped in the Bike lock-up 12 miles away, a Moto Morini Camel at a farm 50 miles down the A1 and another receiving remedial attention with a specialist. Storage is a problem. What’s next? Seven bikes is almost manageable but I now operate a strict one-in-one-out policy. A Moto Guzzi V11 might replace the VFR, the Mobylette and Morini 3½ are heirlooms that my kids will have to deal with. What’s the ideal number? Three: a modern road bike, a trail bike and an entertaining classic, but I lack the will power. Tips for…

Kent isn’t normally the first place you think of when you think Great British ride. ‘The garden of England’ is more often thought of as London’s front yard these days; concreted over into off-road parking for 45 tonne juggernauts waiting to cross the English Channel. But the south east isn’t all choked roads, housing estates and Amazon warehouses - there are still plenty of places to discover on two wheels. The Weald (meaning wood, though there’s not much left) is the lower ground that reaches from the North Downs in the north of Kent across to the South Downs in Sussex. Or think of it as the bit south of the M20 with the towns of Rye, Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone and Ashford at the four corners. The pleasure in riding…

Five RFX3 gloves Used for: 12 months Price: £60 (rrp £120) Info: five-gloves.shop You could say Five gloves are a bit under the radar, but they are a brand you should consider. I’m a fan of their RFX3s. Made of full grain leather they feature ventilated knuckles, hard palm sliders and a large plastic forearm slider. Even the wrist strap is protective. Comfort levels are good and they can be worn all day long. However, I would prefer the finger seams to be on the outsides - higher spec versions have these. Five call them their ‘affordable sports glove’ and right now they are half price in their online shop. Which for me is very good value and just in time for lockdown release.…

‘Wings make a difference, but this isn’t an F1 car, which isn’t a car. It’s an upsidedown plane’ [DUCATI MOTOGP] Why so fugly? This year’s Ducati MotoGP bike is one of the most brutal-looking race bikes ever made. Blame the aerodynamicists Ever since Ducati showed up with a MotoGP bike with wings in 2015, the team have consistently led the aerodynamic way and this year’s bike is the most aggressive-looking yet. Naturally Ducati are cagey about what they’re up to, but our aerodynamics experts are more forthcoming… What are the changes from last year’s bike? ‘The big difference is in the side of the bike where there is a large cut,’ says Giovanni Lombardi, an aerospace professor specialising in automotive aerodynamics at Pisa University, Italy. ‘That cut is there to…

Since all engines follow the same laws of physics, you probably wouldn’t expect the wide variety of engine layout options that are available to us. After all, being the result of cold, dead logic, electric vehicles show a much smaller variation (at least in the eyes of engine engineers). Throw human decisions, different target applications, and brand differentiators into the mix and you have a cornucopia of potential engine solutions… But what are the trade-offs with these options? Well, to avoid too much variation let’s just think about a fixed capacity and 4-stroke, 4-poppet-valve cylinders. Any combustion engine is an air consuming device so it must be capable of flowing the minimum amount of air for the power required. How much air a hole will flow allows sizing the intake…

In many ways, the Pan America is more radical than the electric LiveWire. Just consider the facts (after each sentence you might like to mutter, ‘this is a Harley?’): the Pan America has a liquid-cooled, DOHC, 60-degree V-twin with variable valve timing that makes 150bhp at 9000rpm. The engine is a stressed member bolted to a MIG-welded steel-trellis front frame, a forged aluminium mid-frame, and a cast aluminium swingarm. The clutch, alternator, and cam covers are magnesium and the fuel tank is aluminium. It has semi active suspension, swathes of electronics and automatically lowers itself as you roll to a stop to help you get your feet down. The base model costs £14,000 and it is lighter than a GS. For a company famous for – and addicted to –…

I had multiple bikes from very early on. I got a new RD250E when I was 17 and my brother had an X7 and we’d buy things that we’d fancy doing up – I remember we had an early drum brake Kawasaki 500 triple. Then I got a GS750 Suzuki, then a 350LC, then an RG500. By then I was collecting older Suzukis – GT550s, 380s – and I had a shedful of bikes. If you’ve got a collector’s mindset it’s something you do. And it’s not just bikes – I collect books, cricket bats, paintings… My bike collecting trundled along relatively under control for years, when I had five or six road bikes in various states of repair. Then 18 years ago I formed my own company exporting mining…

As we know Kawasaki’s multi-million money factory WSB racer is multi successful, in the hands of J. Rea. And well deserved it is too. Yet in showroom trim it’s been fast falling behind its fast-developing rivals. Which has not gone unnoticed by Kawasaki management. In response the ZX-10R has received its first major update since 2016. Some of the revisions such as the new colour dash, cruise control and 40mm taller screen are road-rider focused while its more extreme riding position is one for the trackday cognoscenti. Racers will also be happy with the new wings, but they’ll be digging deep to buy one of the 500 homologation special ZX-10RRs that come with racier cams, valve springs, pistons, shorter inlet trumpets and a higher rev limit (up 500rpm to 14,700rpm).…

Does this look familiar? Triumph are billing the Tiger 850 Sport as a new model when the only significant differences to the base model Tiger 900 that it replaces are the stickers on the tank and the engine management map in the ECU. The ‘new’ 850 has the same 888cc T-plane crankshaft engine, same 19 inch front/17 inch rear wheel combination, same agile chassis set-up, same five position screen and two position seat, the same two riding modes. Even the price is the same, a competitive £9300 on the road. It’s easy to see that the previous model was overshadowed by the flashier GT and Rally versions of the Tiger 900 and that is a shame. So the change of name must be purely down to marketing. Whatever the stickers…

Still uncluttered, still pleasing boisterous, and still pleasingly MT-09. But for 2021 the hugely popular three-cylinder Yamaha is also more sophisticated and friendly, thanks to more gizmos, more grunt and a confidence inspiring front end. Yamaha wanted to keep their minimalistic approach that’s been core to the MT-09 since the bike’s 2013 debut. But they also wanted to ramp up refinement. The compromise between the bike’s three pillars – agility, torque, character – and the practicality demanded by the modern market means the MT’s essence is padded out with impressive technical aids. Now there is a six-axis inertial measuring thingy, control over traction, slide, braking and front wheel lift. New compact TFT dash, too. Non digital things are also improved. The inline three-cylinder engine expands by 42cc to 889cc, with…

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. ** Claimed * Estimated Funny-front Dukes BMW’s Telelever arrived in 94, and Saxon-Motodd racers had a similar front end around the same time. Terry Haynes beat them both: he started on his Telelink system in the 70s. His Ducati Pantah prototype was tested by B. Sheene in ‘86, and Ducati were so curious Terry rode the bike to Italy where they…

‘Roberts says his 1975 win on a Yamaha TZ750 at the Indy Mile is his best ever’ Roads: Dunlop brothers’ TV interview Joey and Robert Dunlop interviewed in May 1998. Both are injured but talk about how they’ll be at the TT in a fortnight. The brothers are humble and amusing while watching Robert’s crash and talking TT, fear and mortality. Chatting to their parents and Robert’s wife in the audience makes it all the more fascinating. YouTube search: rare Joey/Robert Dunlop interview Dirt: King Kenny and his TZ750 Kenny Roberts says his 1975 win on a Yam TZ750 flat tracker at the Indy Mile was his best-ever race. And in 2009 he rode the TZ again. He’d not been on a bike in a year, let alone one so…

In black and white times cars were an extravagance few families could afford, so sidecars became a must-have accessory. Obviously attaching a chair sacrificed the advantages of two wheels, and so Albin Liebisch came up with a different idea - why not make a motorcycle long enough to accommodate the entire family? Made between 1925 and 1938, his bikes were built in Bohemia, part of what is now the Czech Republic. They were badged Böhmerland (Bohemian country) for Germany or Cechie for Czechoslovakia. With local roads notorious for breaking bikes Liebisch wanted his machines to be as robust as possible, so used a substantial steel frame and huge 24-inch cast alloy wheels - the first on a production bike. Front suspension was by rugged leading-link forks with coil springs and…

[ SPIN DOCTORS ] Trust me, I’m a Doctor Persuading riders to get advanced training is a tricky business. So why are doctors succeeding where the Peelers struggle? For most of us, there are few things more painful than being lectured by a policeman, so police forces’ well-intentioned efforts to persuade motorcyclists to do advanced rider training often struggle. But a small team of doctors have a solution: let them do the talking. ‘The problem is that motorcyclists see the police as enforcement and often don’t want to speak to them. But if you put a doctor on a bike, they’re really keen to engage,’ says Dr Rob Dawes, a consultant anaesthetist and critical care doctor on air ambulances. Every weekend during the riding season, Rob volunteers for the DocBike…

I went to the 1999 Bol with my bro’, each of us on identical Honda Firestorms (VTR1000), along with friend Chris on his Triumph Trophy 900. A wall of noise and 24-hour imbibing of alcohol was de rigeur and for many years the publicity girls at the entrance handed out free mini-bottles of Pernod. Camping in the ‘British triangle’ near the end of the 1.8km Mistral Straight ensured maximum howl of racing engines. To all those who went during the years 1990 to 1999 I raise a glass and toast you. Santé. The T-shirt? I’m having it framed because it’s now too worn to wear. Alan DuJon, email Assault and battery I agree with Neil Milligan (Bike, March) – it’s good that Bike takes electric motorcycles seriously. And so you…

Oi mister, has it got Adaptive Cruise Control, lean sensitive traction control, hill hold, a quickshifter or intuitive GPS satellite tracking and navigational aids?’ Such are the changing times in which we live. While it doesn’t trip so sweetly off the tongue as ‘oi, mister how fast does it go?’ most manufacturers have erred away from the relentless pursuit of power and speed in an effort to make their motorcycles more user-friendly. And to cater for those with significant disposable in the bank. At the pointy end of the current battle of the gizmos are KTM with their new 1290 Super Adventure S with its radar-powered Adaptive Cruise Control which comes as standard (unlike similar Ducati and BMW systems). Bolstered by a front sensor through the reformed LED headlight the…

My Ducatis all live in the kitchen because I like to sit and eat my breakfast and look at them. They’re all on the button, ready to ride – they just go out the patio door and then I’m off out round the outside of the house and down the drive. In the summer, I ride each bike in turn. Normally we have a classic bike night near me, and I love going there. When I was younger, tearing around on sportsbikes, I used to look at people going and think ‘silly old twats’, but now I get it. I meet friends with CB750s, Z1000s, you name it, and we ride out to the meet. Everyone’s got the same interest in keeping these machines up and running. I love it.…

Ever since antiquity, happiness has been defined broadly as ‘freedom from care’, and this makes perfect sense. Without the burden of concern, true bliss can be attained. For this reason I’ve always believed that cats, dogs, and the birds in the trees can be perfectly contented, because they cannot even comprehend care (as far as we know). For humans, blighted by self-awareness, it’s a bit more tricky. At one end of the happiness spectrum must be the Carthusian monk, who relinquishes all worldly goods, lives in a rude cell beholden to the motion of the sun, doesn’t have to speak to anyone, and perhaps devotes his life to authoring one weighty book that he signs with just his denomination, not even his name. And then he dies. At the other…

Miles ridden: 2055 Riders: Paul Lang, Mike Armitage Fuel used: 187 litres Tyres tried: Michelin PR5 Flat batteries: one Few machines are as immediately ‘right’ as the F900XR. Slide cheeks into the contoured seat and its sure-footed agility, willing engine, just-so ergonomics and remarkable togetherness put you instantly at home. You’re two-year confident in two miles. The XR’s an effortless commuter, chirpy on summer evening jollies and readily eats distance. You can spec it up with enough of-the-moment extras for genuine desirability, too. While these positive points will have you clawing for the PCP deal after a test ride, there’s a question mark over long-term appeal. The 900 isn’t as sporty as rivals such as Yamaha’s Tracer, and though BMW are seen as a premium brand its comparative affordability and…

BATTERED BOXER Pre-2010 bikes can leak oil where the gearbox and engine meet. If there are dribbles then walk away – it’s a big job to remedy. The finish flakes off the engine and it can corrode quickly, even on a GS that hasn’t seen winter riding – some cases have been so bad that BMW replace complete engines under warranty (though not for owners who confessed to using cleaning products that Beemer believe to be damaging). Have a good poke at the motor for loose finishes and signs of corrosion. And once you own the bike, always tell the dealer you use BMW’s own cleaning potions. STICKY FLAPS If the engine runs poorly it could be a seized exhaust throttle valve. They wedge in place on air-cooled 1200s due…

‘Just drop off a packet of Hobnobs when you see us in the paddock’ In the course of running my flat-track training school, and through instructing at track days, I get to see a lot of talented young lads (and it’d be nice to see more girls too) who want to race seriously. A lot of the youngsters come from a racing family so they’ve got people around to help them on the way, and to pick up the bills too. When I started racing my dad helped me, so I’m conscious of how important it is to have people supporting young racers, and not just to write the cheques. A couple of years ago a 14 year old called Franco Bourne started coming along, and he was really good,…

Spring is round the corner and I haven’t seen my old Honda since November when it was pushed into a damp container and abandoned. I feel a nagging sense of guilt about this mistreatment, although I did remember to over-inflate the tyres, connect the solar powered trickle charger and spray it with anti-corrosion spray before parking it. With immaculate timing Jon Slater from mobile bike cleaning specialists Mo-Clean gets in touch, offering to give the bike a thorough spruce up. The team turn up in a Merc Sprinter stuffed with cleaning solutions, polishes and sprays. ‘Give us an hour and we’ll have it looking like it just left the showroom,’ says Jon as I wheel the ageing Honda out of its winter tomb. I glance at the rust spots on…