Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2023 i BIKE

‘There is some stiffening at the back, so there will be more rideability’ This is the R12 nineT, BMW's latest revamp of the R nineT which was launched 10 years ago, setting the template for performance retros and selling loads. Multiple changes to everything from the airbox to the footrest hangers make it the biggest update in the model's history and will no doubt help close the gap to newer rivals and revive buyer interest. Before we get into the technical details, let's just clear up the new name. The original was called the nineT because it was launched to celebrate BMW's 90th anniversary. This new bike celebrates the I100th anniversary, so logically it could be called the tenT, but that doesn't quite work and sounds like a busy campsite.…

In the UK, Bike Shed is the big custom success story, cleverly turning a simple idea into a thriving business. In Spain, it's Tamarit Motorcycles. Over the last nine years they've become one of the world's leading Triumph customisers (certainly the most prolific) and have gone from a shonky little garage to a huge set—up with offices, showroom, bar and workshop. And this is their latest bike — the 126th they've built. Like all their other builds it's based on a Hinckley Triumph, this time a Thruxton 900. ‘This is the easiest model to work with in the cafe racer style because, for example, it already has the rearset footpegs,’ says Quique Berna, who co—founded die company and designs all the bikes. ‘It needs fewer modifications to achieve the desired…

100 years of BMW Motorrad When did you last ride one of these?’ asks the man from BMW Group Classic, as if it's perfectly possible that I might spend my days hopping between virtually immaculate, miraculously unrestored, barely ridden cornerstones of motorcycling history. ‘Never,’ I smile back. Not the answer he wanted to hear, but probably best to be honest about these things. I approach the gleaming white R8o G/S with a mix of curiosity, reverence and a slight jangle of nerves. As the genesis of today's globe-conquering GS success story, this is arguably the most important motorcycle BMW have ever built – or, at the least, ties with their original 1923 R32. But this particular machine is especially special. It's in such utterly astonishing timewarp condition that it could have…

‘I'm very proud of the R nineT engine, because of its longevity. When we designed it for the HP2 Sport, coming up with a high-power Boxer engine that could rev up over 9000rpm, that was a good job to do. I like the R18 engine too – I have enjoyed some very smooth tours through the Alps with my wife on an R18 Transcontinental. But we would never do a GS or a race bike with the R18 engine! And I'm very proud of the S1000RR. When I go to a racetrack, in the corners everybody has more or less the same speed. But on the straight, the guy with more power is the king. That was the mindset with the very first RR.’…

Inside Serious numbers In 2022 the Berlin factory made 128,433 engines (and 5742 electric motors), and built 157,118 bikes. It also made nearly 4.7 million brake discs for their car business. BMW have plants in Brazil, Thailand and China, but 85% of production — 27 different models, and all UK bikes — comes from Berlin. ‘BMW have plants in Brazil, Thailand and China, but all UK bikes come from Berlin’ Machining the difference This is the aluminium cylinder head for an M1000RR. Compared with the S1000RR it has fully machined inlet tracts rather than partially machined, a much finer finish inside the combustion chambers, and is finished to give an increased compression ratio. It's all done entirely in—house at Berlin. Keeping busy BMW machine all their own cranks, cases, con—rods…

Group test Lest you're tempted to scoff at the Rebel Without Much Capacity, consider this: it's the most popular of Honda's 500cc parallel twins, and in 2021 UK motorcyclists bought more of these modest, polite, low-price devices than any other cruiser, regardless of capacity. Sales dipped by 20-odd percent last year (blame the Enfield Meteor 350) but the Honda still duffed up every single model in Harley's range – by several hundred sales in most cases. The 500 Rebel has quietly been welcoming hundreds of riders into motorcycling, and treating hundreds more to a fun way to traverse cities. It's an important machine. And it's easy to see why the Honda is so popular. For a start it feels small, light and easy to handle compared with the other two…

On paper, the big news is that the latest version of Yamaha's Tracer 9 has a cutting-edge Bosch radar up its nose, a slinky new 7in TFT and ‘GT+’ on the side panel. There's also motorcycling's first ever radar-assisted emergency stop braking system tucked away somewhere. But all that can wait. Here on the mountain road from Dorgali to Urzulei in Sardinia on the GT+ world launch they're as relevant as my waterproof trousers in the panniers. For now, the key technology is the humdrum old-fashioned sort: semi-active suspension, ride-by-wire throttle and demon quickshifter. The GT+ is Yamaha's new flagship sports tourer, sitting above the Tracer 9 GT (no radar or big TFT) and base Tracer 9 (no semi-active suspension). All share the unchanged 890cc triple which is currently overpowering…

CARRYING STUFF Numberplate strut is nice and solid and the bungee attaching options it offers make carrying larger loads less of a bother. Pop the pillion seat and you're rewarded with bonus fabric bungee loops. Take note rival manufacturers, this should be standard. HOLE LOTTA LOVING Panigale ownership aspirations are taken care off by these lookalike ‘holes’. My 14-year-old son doesn't love the pillion strap though. He said: ‘I'd prefer proper grab handles, not just the ones around your belly.’ He did add the seat is comfy and the footpegs not too high. MAKING NOISE Thrash the parallel twin and the soundtrack surprises. There's a proper growl that mimics much bigger bikes. I'd still swap the end can for something aftermarket. Honda offer nothing, but SC and Arrow are ready.…

It's race-day Sunday at the second British Superbike meeting of the year, and Oulton Park is buzzing. Bike and car parks are full, spectator viewing is densely populated and, importantly, the racing is captivating. The atmosphere is brilliant. This includes at the Marvel HCL Motorsport outfit, where 18-year-old Franco Bourne is going through his pre-flight checks with mentor and long-time Bike road tester, Pete Boast. It's Franco's first season on a big bike, racing a Honda Fireblade in National Superstock, and after his amazing win in the second race at Silverstone I'm expecting nerves, maybe some tension. Especially as Franco had a minor spill yesterday and qualified in eighth. Positivity But there's no sense of pressure. The team has its familiar, calm, organised, ordered feel. ‘We're not letting it get…

When a custom flat tracker is built by someone who fabricates parts for an allconquering factory flat track team, you expect it to be tasty. And it is: this Harley—powered creation has a titanium frame, handmade aluminium bodywork and torsion bar rear suspension —that strut you see is just a damper… It was built by Kully Mirage, 29, who spent years as a fabricator for AMA flat track teams, most recently working for the Indian factory squad, assisting in their comprehensive domination of the sport. ‘I wanted to build a bike for fun, just for me with no agenda or deadline,’ Kully tells Bike. ‘I chose a 1960 Ironhead motor because, firstly, I really like the aesthetics of the early Harley motors — they're hard to beat. Secondly I wanted…

This is the signal. Sure, there's no more salt on the roads and that big bright thing is in the sky more of the time. But the unmissable announcement that winter has truly buggered off and summer's here is the countryside's vivid yellow patchwork. And its heady, permeating, unmistakable smell. (Mrs Armitage is addicted to it, her car full of pungent rapeseed pong from driving round with all the windows down.) With daylight now sticking around till almost bedtime and the wind no longer slicing torsos in half, it's time to embrace the arrival of the proper riding season. Today is an overcast Tuesday and the view from my executive media suite (the utility room) shows cloudy poo in all directions. However, the weather app on my smart-ish phone says…

The current R1250GS is obviously very different to its great, great grandfather. It has variable timing, load-separating front suspension, enough torque to shame the average HGV, and enough electronics to control a Mars expedition. Comparing it with the R80 G/S is like comparing an Amstrad CPC464 (with green screen) with the latest MacBook Pro laptop. Or so it seems when we first put the bikes wheel-to-wheel at BMW Group Classic in Munich. Unexpectedly, there are similarities, and some are distinct. There are 40 years or so of development and almost 500cc between them, but their boxer engines share an unmistakable bubbly, deep, burbling exhaust note. The footpegs on the old bike feel very close to the seat and a little strangely placed, however your upper body position and the size…

100 years of BMW Motorrad There have been many great machines in BMW Motorrad's 100-year history, from the very first R32 in 1923 to today's wild M1000RR sportsbike. In celebration of their landmark birthday, Bike staffers reveal their personal Beemer favourites BMW Type 255 Kompressor Year: 1939 Engine: 492cc dohc supercharged Boxe Sticking a supercharger on any bike is always a good idea, but especially so when it's a pre-war bike and you're taking it racing at the Isle of Man TT. There was a level of heroism involved in racing a bike at that time anyway, but with its supercharged boxer engine the BMW probably had 50% more power than the British singles it was competing against. The bike also had not only plunger rear suspension but hydraulically-damped telescopic…

Group test Those with decent memories will recall when most bike manufacturers had a cruiser in their range. Customs, we'd call them. Those of us who do remember probably wish we can't. Keen to hook American buyers and to chip away at Harley-Davidson's greedy share of the feet-forward market, most of the offerings were over-chromed and underwhelming, lacked rider engagement, and were as authentic as a Sunday market knock-off watch. Tastes, times and treatments change. With the boom in retros and easy-going metal, laid-back bikes are now in demand. And it's thanks to the return to form of smaller-capacity bikes, whose blend of performance, feel, ability and price is too damn good to ignore. And the latest cruisers are damn convincing. Kawasaki make lots of 650cc twins, Honda have many…

B illowing clouds of marketing guff emitted by Ducati at the launch of the original Scrambler made it easy to miss an important point: the bike was brilliant. Fun, stylish and easy to ride, it was catnip for younger urban riders and sold superbly. But, eight years on, an update was called for and here we are. It's an important moment for Ducati. Because the original was so good, the designers have wisely kept the building blocks the same – you'll need your Scrambler anorak on to spot most of the changes. But they are significant. The 803cc two-valve motor, for example, is now fed by ride-by-wire throttle bodies, rather than a cable, which means you get two rider modes (Road and Sport) and traction control for the first time.…

ELECTRICS Despite having excellent electronics, R1250GSs are known to suffer electrical gremlins. Everything from complete battery failure – check the reg/rec is doing its job properly – to random system failures of fuelling, ignition, start up and general operation (the dash will indicate an ECU error code) are regular issues discussed on GS forums. Poor earthing, particularly of the battery, is the most common cause for most electrical issues, so give any potential purchase a thorough looking over before handing over any cash. Cleaning all earths and block connectors at least once a year is good practice if you want avoid future problems, especially if you use a GS off-road or jet-wash it clean. WHY YOU WANT ONE Sure, the earlier 1200 is cheaper. But as well as the obvious…

£16,995 Ducati 888SP3 Its gestation was in the late 1980s, but the 888 matured into the V-twin weapon to have in the early nineties. This 888 SP3 is an import from Japan with a negligible 5616 miles (8987km) on the odometer. Stock in all the important places, it's number 268 of 500 produced. Brutish looking, yet perfectly manageable, and engrossing to ride. The 888 will always be the connoisseur's choice over the 916 in the way rarer round-case Ducati V-twins of the seventies are preferred to later square case versions. Big money, smart buy. westcoastimportsltd.co.uk £35,000 Honda RC45 As Bike goes to press there are no RC45s for sale in the UK. Small wonder. Of the 1272 produced, only 77 officially made it here (and the tooling for the engine…

Events ‘You see each heat from tape to flag and the racing's back-to-back and non-stop’ AMCA motocross All over the UK, all summer long If grassroots is your gig (in this case, quite literally) AMCA's motocross offering gets the job jobbed. It's cheap to get in, the racing is entertaining, and there are events all summer long and all over the place: Market Drayton, Middlewich, Merthyr, and more… amca.uk.com Speedway All over the UK v2, all summer long Like motocross, speedway is a summer sport which runs through to the end of September. General admission for our local-ish team, Peterborough Panthers, is £22 (£5 for under 16s) and the all-important programme is £3. There's nowt like the smell of a speedway meeting, and unlike circuit stuff you get to see…

If you fancy the classiest of trackday tools, one of the last ever Ducati 888 WSB racers is up for sale. This bike was raced by disgraced Italian Mauro Lucchiari in the 1993 World Superbike Championship and is just as he left it at the end of the season — the following year Ducati introduced the 916, so it went straight into a collection. Mauro later went to prison, but we'll get to that. The bike is fitted with an ultra—rare works 926cc motor which the factory only supplied to Mauro's team — Grottini Racing — and the official Ducati riders, Carl Fogarty and Giancarlo Falappa. Mauro used this bike and an identical 888 to compete in 23 races that year, getting his best result at Misano where he came…

Take the lunatic essence of a supermoto and wrap it in a bike you'd happily use every day. Or indeed all day. It's a dish KTM served up 14 years ago with their 990 SMT, which blended comfort, agility, and big V-twin flexibility with a pleasing sprinkling of hooliganism. It was a Bike favourite. And now this tasty recipe is back as the new 890 SMT. This new bike is effectively a supermoto'd 890 Adventure R, sharing its 889cc parallel-twin, frame and swingarm. The obvious change is the pair of 17-inch wheels with gloopy tyres, but there are also forks that are longer but with much-reduced travel, a shorter rear shock, and changes to the traction control, ABS and engine mapping. The SMT also loses the low-hanging parts of the…

100 years of BMW Motorrad ‘Designing electric bikes is more work, but it's also more interesting. There's more weird ideas’ » BMW was a company for old men I started with BMW in 1987. In those days — I don't know whether I'm allowed to say, but — BMW bikes were always so… I thought they looked stupid. I used to ride Suzukis and Hondas and I wanted to do my thesis work with them. I didn't want to go to BMW, but they offered me support. So I designed a sporty, half-faired BMW for young guys. I made it 1:1 scale — it was a big job. I welded the frame from sheet metal, put an engine in, then finished everything with clay, foam and plaster. I presented it…

It wasn't that long ago that Enfield were a tatty outfit bodging together old fashioned clunkers that no-one this side of Delhi gave a monkey's about. Now they bring out a new bike and we expect it to obliterate the opposition with an unbeatable combo of quality, style and value. And they've done it again… sort of. The Super Meteor feels quite different to the Interceptor that it borrows its engine from, but you can tell it's designed by the same people. It's got that same agility and feeling of being up for laughs if you take the B-roads home. For something that looks like a Harley 883 with an Interceptor engine that's some feat, and only the much lighter Honda can rival the way the Super Meteor jinks its…

Mat is a TT winner, endurance racer, author and MotoGP paddock insider In physics, all things are connected, which is why technology pioneered in skyscrapers found its way into Formula 1 cars and MotoGP bikes, thanks to a petrol-head astrophysicist. In the 1970s, as skyscrapers grew ever taller, architects ran into a problem: the tallest towers swayed in the wind, giving people motion sickness, at best, and scaring the living daylights out of them, at worst. Engineers from American testing and simulations company MTS Systems solved the problem by inventing the tuned mass damper. Their first, atop Boston's 60-story Hancock Tower, featured two 300-ton lead weights that moved this way and that to stabilise the building. Some years later an astrophysicist and motorcycle nut who had worked at MTS became…

Suzuki to Sahara: part 3 THE STORY SO FAR Ex-Bike editor Westlake is riding to the Sahara on a Suzuki GSX-S1000GT to prove you don't need long forks to have a proper adventure. So far he's ridden through Spain (where it rained) and tackled northern Morocco (where it also rained… a lot). The track has led me into the Fes municipal rubbish tip and the smell hits me like a bucket of fish entrails’ When I first see a geezer on a moped with oversized woolly panniers, I don't think much of it. The fact that he's heading across a vast high-altitude plateau that rests like a perfectly balanced tea tray amid the Atlas Mountains barely registers – I'm now used to Moroccans appearing with bags of shopping in literally…

Harley-Davidson had been trying this trick for longer than they should have (XR1000, XR1200) but that didn't stop Yamaha from building a cast ally frame around their 1670cc Road Star Warrior engine. Not a bit of it. At £9000 for the cooking version in 2005 (they also built 50 SP versions for the UK in 2009) it was dear for an oddball twin. It confused folk too. But build quality was high, and it was not without charm: the 48° V-twin pushrod engine bashed out just 90bhp at 4750rpm, but a torque figure of 110 lb.ft at a mere 3750rpm compensated. It was heavy at 265kg wet, sure, but for lovers of traction-engine-style-go-forward the surprisingly tossable MT is a cast iron favourite. Prices currently from £5000£9000. Double that for the…

Ultimate Collector Motorcycles Used for: one month Price: £250 Info: taschen.com Two hundred and fifty quid is a lot of money for a book. But this latest work from Charlotte & Peter Fiell is a hell of a lot of book. Firstly in its sheer physical scale – there are two enormous volumes and each one weighs about the same as a ready-formarket Gloucester Old Spot – and secondly for the wonderful delights within. As the name suggests it's an assembly of the world's rarest, coolest, most important and desirable motorcycles, starting with the 1894 Hildebrand & Wolfmüller and ending with the 2020 Aston Martin AMB 001. There's fact, insight and period pictures for the 100 bikes covered, with amazing contemporary photography and truly fabulous full-page details. Each of the…

Know How Weird & Wonderful Blame the Swedish army. Or thank them if you rode an automatic Husqvarna – and liked it. In 1973 Svenska Armén decided it needed a military motorcycle that could (a) be rebuilt in the field with nothing more than its own toolkit, (b) keep running while laid on its side, (c) run relatively quietly, and (d) be ridden by any recruit after one week's training. Requirement (b) was a weird one. Unless you're au fait with military practice, one imagines it might be for when you're ordered to hide from enemy people… with a 250cc two-stroke single on its ear barking away beside you under a fir tree in the wintry mountain stillness. Oh well, they know best. Two other Swedish firms pitched for the deal:…