Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2021 i BIKE

[GOVERNMENT v MOTORCYCLING] ‘We need to act to save this’ Policy makers are laying the foundations for the demise of motorcycling as a leisure pursuit. MAG’s Colin Brown explains what we need to do Colin Brown is a worried man. As a director of the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG), his job involves talking to senior politicians and civil servants about transport policy and the message lately is very bad for bikes. ‘The major threat to motorcycling is now transport policy,’ he tells Bike. ‘When I sit in front of anyone who’s responsible for long term plans for transport they tell me it’s about walking, cycling and public transport and nothing else. At best motorcycling will be neglected, it’s most likely to be discouraged and at worst it will be banned.’…

Imagine a Porsche 911 with the engine where it should be and front-wheel drive. Or Marmite that’s sweet and pink. This is the scale of what Harley-Davidson have done with the Sportster S. It has the iconic name, has two cylinders arranged like sweary fingers, but in all other ways the new Sportster is entirely different to every previous version of a model that’s been around for 64 years. Though Harley’s new Pan America adventure bike is different, it’s not as bold as the Sportster. This is a reinvention of what the historic factory stands for; a bike that no longer fits the mind’s eye image when somebody says, ‘Harley-Davidson’. It doesn’t have pushrods, fins, vibes, twin shocks or needlessly chunky controls. With the motor as a stressed member there’s…

Celebrating Moto Guzzi’s centennial really should involve a ride south, over the Alps and back to the factory on the shores of Lake Como in Northern Italy to enjoy a massive party involving fine wines, local delicacies and sunshine. But this is the summer of 2021, and we all know what that means. So instead of a leisurely ride to Italy, let’s take Guzzi’s V85 TT Anniversario edition on a day trip to the Yorkshire Riviera. Chips anyone? Press the button on the V85, the starter motor gear clatters and the V-twin engine fires up, settling into a muted off-beat throb. Blipping the throttle tips the bike to the right as the longitudinal crankshaft spins up and pressing the bike into first gear there’s a reassuring clonk. It’s all so…

I’ve done my share of mind-blowing desert biking, seen attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion, and all that. So, take it from me, Utah’s White Rim Trail (WRT) remains among the most spectacular 100 miles of dirt you’ll ride in a day. The combination of easy riding past other-worldly vistas before returning to cozy lodgings and a good feed sums up the appeal of riding the American Southwest, on or off road. It’s said the whole southern half of Utah could be designated one big national park. From the iconic Grand Canyon and Monument Valley on the Arizona border, a concentration of natural spectacles spread north across the mesas in mind-boggling diversity. ‘Can the eyes gasp?’ someone once asked. Out here they sure can. A road trip…

» Very little. The ‘rubber’ you see on modern big bike tyres is made of synthetic polymers, silica (silicon dioxide), and/or carbon black (a sort of soot), though some have a bit of natural rubber in the sidewalls. ‘Silica and carbon black are fillers,’ says Michelin’s motorcycle technical chief Tony Charlton. Fillers form bonds that glue the tyres together. ‘The beauty of carbon black is the amount of dry grip it generates,’ says Tony. ‘Silica performs well at lower temperatures, so it’s good for a quicker warm-up, and gives very good grip in the wet. Sports touring tyres like our Road 5 use silica compounds and no carbon black. Our race slicks are all carbon black, while the dual compound road sports tyres will be a mix – silica in…

Up north, for me anyway, in the bit where the Yorkshire Dales becomes the Pennines is the B6270 between Kirkby Stephen and Richmond. It follows the river Swale as it flows west to east down towards Richmond, and all along its length tiny back roads carve off and go up across the moorland towards the Pennine Way and the A66. One of them, at West Stonesdale, goes to the Tan Hill Inn – the UK’s highest pub and a good place to stop overnight. Nightmares will depend on, whether or not, you see a similarity between it and the Slaughtered Lamb in the film American Werewolf in London. In which case you could go the bowl of hot soup option and skedaddle. Tan Hill way can get pretty bleak, even…

At 74, Avril Summerbell should, in theory, be taking it easy. Instead, she’s criss-crossing the country in a 23-year-old camper van taking her 17-year-old grandson Franco to motorcycle races. Along with husband Stephen, Avril is the backbone of the team, providing money (from their pensions), catering, and a bed for Franco in the mature campervan. ‘We got back from Silverstone last night, so I’m very tired,’ says Avril, sounding chirpier than I feel on most Monday mornings. ‘And at Silverstone you walk miles! Luckily all I’ve got to do today is write Franco’s race report for him.’ It’ll be a good one because young Franco played a blinder in the mass brawl that is the Pirelli Junior Superstock 600 class. ‘Yes, in qualifying on Saturday he got an amazing sixth…

Venhill throttle cable kit Used for: 6 months Price: £33.56 Info: venhill.co.uk » The inability of my local bike shop to supply a replacement choke cable for a 1951 Moto Guzzi Galletto forced me to investigate how to make my own. It turns out you need a Venhill throttle cable kit, containing five metres of 1.5mm inner wire (clutch cable kit has 2mm wire), five metres of teflon lined outer and an assortment of ferrules, nipples and adjusters. You also need a soldering iron, solder and flux. After watching a selection of contradictory and confusing ‘how to/how not to’ online tutorials I gave it a go. Practice makes better, if not perfect. On the second attempt I had a functioning cable and a smug sense of satisfaction. The choke now…

‘WE LOVE HIM’ We got up at 3.30am this morning to make sure we got a good spot. I’m with my son Guy and wife Pam, and we travelled down from Edinburgh yesterday and stayed in a B&B last night. I’ve followed Rossi from the start, from his early 125 days, and we’ve been all over Europe watching him – we’ve been to the Barcelona GP 16 times [mostly on a bike, but lately by plane], and were there in 2009 when he beat Lorenzo on the last corner. For me, that was his finest ever moment. We love him. It’s the excitement around him – you never know what he’s going to do next, except that he’ll always fight to get to the front. Today we’re here to wave…

Sidecar speedway? Really! Aptly named Tom Marvel, and Steve Russell, power round King’s Lynn’s 342 metre speedway track aboard their 1000cc sidecar combination. Part of the multi-discipline Dirt Track Events series, the sidecars run in between racing involving a range of machines such as quads, mini bikes and 500cc single cylinder bikes. The sidecars compete four at a time and each heat lasts four laps. The drier the spinnier Philip Wynn and Adam Cowper-Smith slide their way onto the final straight. ‘At this track we’ll get up to 80mph at a push. On longer grasstracks we’ll do over 100mph. I’ve only been off once, that was on a grasstrack, and I cracked my knee in two places.’ says Wynn. His passenger Cowper-Smith adds: ‘every track’s different, and it changes throughout…

‘The NC will have you questioning biking’s appetite for motorcycles that are increasingly complex and expensive’ We take our family holidays in a small caravan that bobs behind my wife’s car. As well as causing tailbacks and causing people to think I’m fond of stay-pressed trousers, our house-on-wheels also demonstrates the excess and overindulgence of modern living. After a few days we rapidly adjust to its accommodation and see the pointlessness of the suburban quest for bigger, flasher, more. Honda’s significantly updated NC750X is the two-wheel equivalent. Not because it has a Thetford cassette toilet, but because a few days with the 745cc, 58bhp parallel twin have you questioning biking’s insatiable appetite for motorcycles that are increasingly large, powerful, complex and expensive. Many folk already know how effective and pleasing…

GARGLING MASTERPIECE The arrival of Triumph’s 1050cc engine was the moment when they truly claimed the inline three as their own. It’s a glorious unit that supplies effortless easy-access torque and should be dependable, the later Sport version being the gruntiest and most refined. There are things to look for, mind. The throttle bodies need balancing and the valve clearances checking and adjusting every 12,000 miles (don’t be shocked at a £600 bill). Early bikes are fond of oil too, so look for tell-tale exhaust smoke on start up. Gearboxes can become notchy, especially when the engine’s hot, and chain tension makes the difference between slick and vague shifts. BOUNCING ALONG All 1050cc Tigers have road-biased and fully-adjustable suspension. The rear shock is the weak point: early models could lose…

PHONE CUBBY The idea is sound – get sat nav running on your phone, pop it in the cubby and plug in the charging lead. The trouble is, if your phone wears a protector or isn’t small, it’s a tight fit. And if you touch the screen while you’re jamming it in, you lose your sat nav connection. Annoying. GREAT PANNIERS Two things to get used to: they wobble from side to side on purpose, which apparently reduces instability at high speed but feels very odd when loading up; you have to hold them closed tightly while lifting the opening latch. Otherwise, easy to get on and off and waterproof. MUCKY REAR END Without panniers on the aerodynamics seem to render the rear hugger ineffective and swirls of crud coat…

It’s always a bit nerve-wracking, and surprising, when a custom job is finally finished: will it work? Does it meet aesthetic expectations? How much more than estimated did it cost? But in the case of my SWM Gran Milano build I can honestly say the answers are ‘yes’, ‘yes’ and ‘just a tiny bit’. I’ve chronicled much of the work undertaken here over the past nine months but of particular concern, and eventually pride, was getting the bodywork right for which I’m indebted to the oft-mentioned Adam Dance. The original brief was based loosely on the brutalist Ronin, a computer rendering of which appeared in last February’s issue. Having determined the dimensions of the projector headlamps, oil-cooler and the limits of fork compression, Adam set about creating what turned out…

Focus on gaps » Gaps are a nightmare for filterers because they’re an opportunity for cars to either dive into them (eg, if you’re filtering between traffic on a motorway), or for cars to fire out of them (if you’re in town and there’s a junction hidden by the traffic). Novice filterers worry about how close the vehicles are, old hands are alert. Follow another bike » The vast majority of drivers won’t see you coming which means there’s a risk they’ll suddenly change lane, U-turn etc. However, when they’ve just been passed by a bike, they’ll be more aware of motorcycles for a few seconds and may even look in their mirrors before being a prat. That’s when you go past. Know the law » Filtering is legal provided…

‘The tarmac track rises vertiginously, literally up a seaside cliff, starting from the doorway of a ladies toilet’ Scottooler xSystem £199.99 scottoiler.com As any shaft drive fan will tell you (repeatedly, and at length), the best chainlube is the one you don’t have to use. This Scottoiler is the closest you’ll get to that with a chain. It’s a 45 minute job to fit (just hook up to the battery) and forget it – the drips to the chain automatically stop when you stop. Just top up the reservoir every few thousand miles. The oil isn’t like glue so any that gets on the wheel washes off easily. Muc-off Extreme Lube £11.29 muc-off.com This is my go to chainlube and it has been for many years now. Its biggest test…

[TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE RR] Triumph’s half-faired Daytona New Speed Triple RR is a sportsbike in all but name. But will it be too focused for the road? It’s called the Speed Triple RR but this new 1160cc Triumph is a full-on litre sportsbike with the lower fairings missing. With 178bhp, sporty riding position, track electronics and trick Öhlins, it’s the Daytona 1000 that sportsbike fans have been waiting for in all but name. Here are the key questions answered. Is it a Speed Triple RS with clip-ons? Not quite. Most of the bike is identical to the Speed Triple RS – same engine, frame, wheels, brakes, geometry and electronics – but besides those clip-ons, the RR gains Öhlins’ latest semi-active suspension, super-sticky tyres and a sprinkling of carbon. In the…

Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS More cubes, more power and much more speed – but make sure your definition of performance is the same as Triumph’s Hinckley’s leading motorcycle assemblers should sling a few Speed Triples in a van and loiter discreetly outside KTM, Ducati and Aprilia dealers. Whenever they see someone returning from test-riding a Super Duke, Streetfighter or Tuono they could leap out and offer a spin on their big inline three for a back-to-back comparison. They’d sell loads. Of these bikes it’s the Speed Triple 1200 RS that makes the biggest initial impression. Its substantial 1160cc engine feels mighty, the blingy adjusters on its track-ready suspension give racy presence, and the handsome looks and just-so stance entice you to ride. Even the modelspecific colour dash stands out…

The day I bought a Moto Guzzi I was naïve enough to believe it was just a machine, it turned out to be a map. What it offered as the ideal route through the landscape of all the coming years. It knew where I should go. It foretold who I should meet. It knew better than me. August 21, 2017, was to mark the first total solar eclipse in a century visible throughout the United States. Who else to experience a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle with but motorcycle friends? Mine are spread all over the globe, as motorcyclists are wont to be. They’re not family, although they are my family; they’re not local, although I make them so. We are aware of the distance between us, which we bemoan as well as…

Following the success of Royal Enfield’s 650cc Interceptor and Continental GT (in 2018) we now have the Meteor and the swing-o-meter remains on the rise. RE are clearly on a roll – albeit a typically idiosyncratic and sedate roll. This new 20bhp, 350cc Enfield won’t win the race to the bacon butty van, but that doesn’t make it a bad bike: it starts on the button with enthusiasm; first gear engages with a slight clunk and the dinky, willing single heads on its way in an utterly uncomplicated manner. Country B-roads are bimbled along at a pleasing 60-65mph and town traffic is despatched with ease, so much so you’re tempted to cut past cars and wriggle through gaps you’d never dare on most machines. There’s also masses of steering lock…

My wheel alignment tool consists of two, 2.5 metre lengths of 25 x 50mm aluminium box section. Pop the back wheel on a paddock stand, lie the straight edges on either side of the bike, supported at either end with a block of wood or similar, then tie them together through the rear wheel using a strap or bungee (not tyre crushingly tight) so they’re parallel to the bike and the floor. The gap between the edges and the front wheel should be identical on both sides of the wheel. If not, adjust the rear axle position until they are. Can’t get it right? Something may be bent. HW…

» Announcing a bike inspired by the iconic XR750 tracker and promising sportsbike-like handling caused excitement. Most of it evaporated when Harley’s 1200 proved little more than a dressed-up Sportster. Even a race series didn’t revive interest. But H-D were ahead of the game in 2008. The XR has touchy-feely torque from its breathed-on 1202cc pushrod V-twin, sweet steering, rock-solid handling, and lashings of authenticity and heritage. It’s a fine fit with today’s throbbing, potent but laid-back, large-capacity retros. There aren’t many about and prices are climbing, so get in quick – and if you hate it, flog it on and maybe make money.…

Keep it down If you’ve ridden certain booming Ducatis you’ll have noticed they go quiet at 32mph. It’s to help pass noise tests, and they’re not the only firm who do it. Some go further – bikes can have cheap but noisy straight-cut gears through most of their gearbox, with more expensive but quieter-running helical gears for the ratios used in drive-by noise tests. ROAD TEST BACK ISSUES BLUE = Available just on iPad RED = Available on iPad and Android ORANGE = Available in print only Total domination » Toddle to MotoGP and you can see a Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Ducati or KTM win. Things didn’t used to be so open. Repsol Honda won every round of the 500cc championship in 1997, with Mick Doohan or Alex Criville on…

Remember when you’d toddle along to the NEC each year and gawp at bonkers concept bikes? It was hard to image hub-centre steering, vertical handlebars and rim-mounted discs would ever reach the road. But they did… The fabulous Quantum 2 was created by Tony Foale, a UK-based Aussie who started designing race bike chassis in the 1970s. In the 1980s he looked at separating load paths for steering, braking and suspension, and built the QL (Quantum Leap) to test his ideas – a BMW-powered device with vertical ‘bars, hub-centre steering and out-there bodywork. Pleased with his efforts, Foale cracked on with version two. A singlesided front swingarm cut weight and allowed swift wheel removal, with sci-fi ‘bars turning the wheel via a tiller system and rose-jointed linkage. Gas shock absorbers…