Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2017 i BIKE

>> This time of year you’ve got to make the most of any riding opportunity (unless you’re reading this in the southern hemisphere, in which case the rest of us are jealous). My best ride this month was a 30-mile Sunday outing along the sweeping A449 for a cup of tea and a quality home-made apricot flapjack at British Camp in the Malvern Hills. It was a grey day, with autumn slime on Worcestershire’s cold tarmac, but we had a blast, rattling windows with the raucous din of Richard Hammond’s 1961 650cc Triumph Bonneville and the high-rpm howl of his fabulous four-pipe 1976 Kawasaki Z900. Good to see and hear bikes like that being used right through to the back-end of autumn. That’s what they’re for. Story on page 70.…

Imagine 100bhp, maybe 150kg and geometry you can shave with LOOK AT THAT completely fabulous exhaust, the bare essentials chassis and its oh-so-steep head angle. This is the new stop-and-stare 790 Duke by KTM, and while it was shown at the EICMA show as a prototype, make no mistake – this blunt, edgy device will be on sale soon. It’s a new 800cc parallel twin. They call it LC8c – the ‘LC8’ is their tag for eight-valve twins, ‘c’ means compact. And being trim is important given the brief. ‘The hunt for unparalleled poise,’ they say. ‘Telepathic levels of feedback,’ and ‘Lightness off the scale.’ The snug steel tube frame is welded by hand and that sweet subframe is machined from aluminium. 3D printing is used for the exhaust and…

THE SHOWDOWN RULES in British Superbike have generally been brilliant for the series, but they didn’t quite work out this year. Leon Haslam’s crash in the first Showdown round at Donington put him on the back foot as there’s so much emphasis on points in those final three rounds that one mistake means the end of a whole championship challenge. It’s amazing what Shakey Byrne has achieved, winning five BSB titles, and fair play to him but I felt really bad for Haslam. He’s been away on the world scene for so many years and it would have been nice to see him finally winning a major title. But it wasn’t to be. The Showdown format was brought in after Leon Camier totally dominated the 2009 championship, but that was…

1943 EX-WD BSA M20 Auctioneer’s spiel Ex-WD M20s have seen a resurgence of interest due to the growth of ‘wartime’ re-enactment events. Bike’s voice of reason Slow but charming side-valve looks complete and should be an easy project. Don’t paint it. Did it sell for... A: £1755, B: £2845, C: £6325, D: didn’t sell 1997 DUCATI 916 SPS Auctioneer’s spiel This bike is number 177 from the original homologation run of 200 916 SPS models produced for 1997. Bike’s voice of reason Bikes are for riding, but with just 1800 miles from new this will be an ‘investment’. Did it sell for... A: £7770, B: £16,200, C: £22,270, D: didn’t sell 1924 CROFT-CAMERON Auctioneer’s spiel Very rare survivor, known history from new, family owned since 1957,…

>> 30 Nov - 3 Dec Roof of Africa Enduro, Lesotho, RSA The list of past winners at this event (which has been running since The Beatles released Abbey Road) includes Brits Alfie Cox, Chris Birch and Graham Jarvis. Terrain is as tough as it is beautiful and the welcome in the hillsides extravagant and genuine. roofofafrica.info >> 26 December Wild and Woolly, Blisworth, Northants The oldest running motorcycle race? In Northamptonshire? On Boxing Day? It’s hard to imagine why this mudfest/ icefest (see weather forecast for Christmas) remains so popular with riders. But it is great viewing – take a hipflask and wear waders. nmcc.co.uk…

Bravo and thanks for the article on the Daytona 675R, Blade and GSX-R750 (Bike, December 2016). Got to say it’s certainly stirred up a few emotions. As a besotted owner of a ’14-plate 675R it breaks my heart to think that Triumph are pulling the plug on such a truly glorious machine. At the same time the article reaffirmed my love of the triple and that ‘je ne sais quoi’ that only a scalpel-like sportsbike can bring. I’ve done over 26,000 miles in 21 months on my Daytona which I bought from new and I’ve loved every mile. However, outside of racing circles I’m starting to feel like a chainsmoker, pushed to the edge of society, frowned upon, even laughed at. Addicted to something moribund that was once the coolest…

‘What Kawasaki haven’t done is compromise any of the fundamental elements existing owners love’ WEATHER PROTECTION The new fairing is 28mm wider on each side, offering a sliver more weather protection for a rider’s lower half. The new screen is also 15mm taller, for a touch more wind protection, and remains adjustable through three positions over a range of 20 degrees. HEADLIGHTS All-LED. And Kawasaki claim they’re brighter than the previous model’s bulbs, spreading light wider on low beam and further on high beam. They also look a lot better when the bike’s running, giving it a sharp pair of crisp, white eyes. DASH Same layout, but improved with a smarter and more comprehensive digital panel. White-on-black LCD follows a trend started by Triumph (Daytona 675) and Honda (VFR800F). Now…

1925Sunbeam Model A 350cc side-valve single with a three-speed gearbox and hand gearchange. Sunbeam were a high quality brand, who had a factory in Wolverhampton. ‘It cracks along at 55mph, but you’re supposed to pump the oil every five miles, or when it gets hot. But how do you know when you’ve done five miles, or when the engine’s hot?’ 1947 Indian Chief 1206cc side-valve V-twin with a three-speed gearbox. ‘I like the history of Indian and the battle they had with Harley, and I like the ergonomics, but the controls are mad. Left foot clutch, left side gearchange and left side throttle – though I’ve got it converted to right side on this one. I’ve always wanted one, and in this colour, but it’s a bit camp.’ 1961 Triumph…

TARNISHED COLLECTOR BOX Can make even the most pampered of machines look unsightly. Many owners of standard first generation bikes paint the collector with black high-temperature paint, or fit an aftermarket aluminium cover to hide it. SERVICING Annual services are between £150-£195, rising to around £200 if combined with the 6000 or 12,000-mile check. The major service comes at 18,000 miles and includes valve check, fresh plugs, fork oil etc and comes in at around £600-£650. ENGINE BMW used their Formula One car racing experience to extract incredible top-end power from this traditional inline four-cylinder platform. With its radical 80.0 x 49.7mm bore/stroke ratio and unconventional top-end featuring off-set camshafts with finger followers instead of bucket and shim, BMW were able to squeeze a claimed 193bhp from the powerplant, which…

‘Pretty well any video footage is admissible to prove a crime’ In twenty five years of practice, I have only come across one prosecution where unofficial video evidence has been used for a prosecution, and with prosecution incompetence, the original video was lost and therefore the evidence became inadmissible. However, with ‘spy in the car’ video cameras being sold for £30 in garages, video evidence from ‘civilians’ showing exuberant riding could be used in prosecutions. The question is, will it? And the short answer is only if your riding is really, objectively criminal, if your riding forms a pattern of anti social behaviour or if you are riding while banned. The law is straightforward enough. Pretty well any video footage is admissible to prove a crime which a road traffic…

Suzuki GSX-R750 Anniversary TYRES: Avon Storm 3D X-M PCP: £129 monthly MILEAGE: 2568 MPG: 53.9 JUST GOT BACK from one of the best rides I’ve had this year but I’m as miserable as sin. The reason being it just maybe the last one for 2016. Worse than that, my accomplice – Suzuki’s GSX-R750 – is discontinued in 2017. It was one of those sunny, crisp autumn days that not even Disney could recreate. Sun streaking through trees, leaves being thrown in the air as I hurtled towards a low setting sun on the road from Wansford to Kings Cliffe in Northamptonshire. I turned right at Kings Cliffe heading towards my favourite bends, and then turned round to do them over and over again. I was due back in work after…

Continental Trail Attack2 tyres Price: £210 per pair Used for: not yet Info: conti-bike.co.uk Two critical things affect tyre choice on the Africa Twin; how big do you want your knobbles, and what’s actually available in the 90/90-21 front and 150/70-18 rear tyre sizes. I wanted to switch from Continental TKC70s to a more road biased pattern for winter, but when I contacted suppliers in November there wasn’t much choice, so I’m back on Continentals, this time the Trail Attack2s. ‘We’ve done really well with Africa Twin tyres,’ says Bryn Phillips of Continental distributor Cambrian tyres, ‘because we’ve got three different types depending on how much off-road bias people want.’ Renthal handlebars Price: £47.65 Used for: one year (previous set) Info: bandcexpress.co.uk Riding position is critical on dirt…

John Westlake Contributor >>I’m itching to try the Ducati SuperSport. Can they have made a sportsbike that old blokes can ride without needing physiotherapy? Martin Fitz-Gibbons Contributor >>BMW’s updated S1000XR. If the wretched bar vibration has gone, as BMW say, then this flawed genius should be my favourite all-rounder. Mike Armitage Deputy Editor >>A 750cc scooter with long-travel suspension and knobblies is as cunning as it is silly. Honda’s X-ADV will be mega.…

» WSB legend Troy Bayliss is looking to take over the running of the Australian Superbike Championship with a view to staging it in the traditional off-season and that could be a genius idea. Holding the series during British wintertime would mean riders or team members from the UK, and other countries, could feasibly race in two championships – and spend the winter in Australia! Troy would also be able to get better TV and media coverage because there would be no other racing going on. They used to race the Swann Series down under in the early ’80s and that worked well, with lots of British and American riders taking part. The World Endurance Championship has just done the same thing and will now race through the winter months…

GERMAN ADVENTURE KIT specialists Touratech have decided to give something back to the wider world of trail riders via the creation of a 1250km, five-day route from the north to the south of Portugal. The new Adventure Country Tracks website offers the route free, gratis and for nothing. The trail offers ‘verdant green valleys, tree-lined mountains, fields of gold, centuries old trails, narrow cobbled village streets, Portugal’s rich history, and rarely seen back country.’ Which sounds ace. The plan is to offer an Adventure Country Tracks route in other European countries too. This follows the successful Back Country Trails programme that Touratech support in the USA. The Portuguese route goes from Bragança in the north to Tavira on the south coast. Just go to the website, register and download. That’s…

>> 19-27 November Motorcycle Live Birmingham AKA the NEC Show. Better known for its new bike content, there’s an impressive amount of modified bikes, plus a growing number of factory-commissioned one-offs replacing the concept bikes of old as distractions. What else are you going to do on a Tuesday in November? motorcyclelive.co.uk >> 17-19 February Mama Tried Milwaukee, USA Third year of this runaway success of a show. Held in an old factory building in H-D’s hometown. There’s an indoor flat track race on Friday night that attracts 7000 noisy spectators, and ice racing on Lake Michigan on Sunday. You won’t be bored. Cold, yes. Bored, no. mamatriedshow.com >> 10-11 June Café Racer Festival Paris, France Montlhéry is a steeply banked oval built in 1924. This is one of only…

>>Hats off to the Team Great Britain International Six Days Enduro Trophy Team who finished second in Navarra in October. Though Britain has some world-class riders, putting it all together in the world’s toughest enduro, for six days, is a tall order. The four-man team of Jamie and Danny McCanney, Nathan Watson and Jamie Lewis finished second to a strong USA team, with the Czech Republic third.…

BMW nineT Pure >> Based on the Scrambler, the Pure is the cheapest of the R nineT models. Right-way-up forks, simple cast wheels, and in grey only. Yours for £9900. BMW nineT Racer >> This is the new Pure (above) with lower ’bars, rearsets, polished stainless exhausts and a café racer fairing, plus Motorsport paint. It’s £10,675. Honda CB1100RS >> Honda’s overlooked, super-friendly 1100 gets better forks and shorter cans. Fine new RS version gets stiffer, sportier chassis and radial brakes. Oof. Triumph Street Cup >> The fine Street Twin with flyscreen, ‘Ace’ bars, new seat, twin dials and Thruxton ’pegs. Lazy twin is hardly ‘race’, but £8600 café racer will be great.…

ELECTRIC SCRAMBLER Turin based electric bike manufacturer Tacita has teamed up with designer Aldo de Giovanni to create an urban scrambler to add to their range of enduro and rally machines. Seat height has been lowered, as has front suspension, but the distance between pegs and grips has been maintained. Tacita claim that the 55kW engine produces 70-80bhp and lasts 70km. ITALIAN ROAD TRIP Henry Favre poses for a picture with his well-travelled 1978 Piaggio Ciao moped. The 20-year-old has just phutted around Italy on an 8000km trip. Progress has been slow on the 49cc air-cooled two stroke, and Henry only managed 100km a day. Maybe due to a propensity to collect stickers. He’s also recently completed a three-wheeler ride from Italy to Norway’s North Cape. ‘Italian scooter racing is…

BMW S1000R SPORT £11,750, 999cc inline four, 158bhp, 207kg Sensational supernaked and consummate roadster TRIUMPH THRUXTON R £12,000, 1200cc parallel twin, 96bhp, 220kg (est) Café-racer style meets premium chassis parts YAMAHA MT-07 £5886, 689cc parallel twin, 70bhp, 182kg Punchy, perky, popular middleweight bundle of fun HONDA AFRICA TWIN £11,689, 998cc parallel twin, 90bhp, 242kg Authentic adventure bike with semi-auto gearbox KAWASAKI ZX-10R £13,936, 999cc inline four, 189bhp, 206kg Designed to dominate World Superbikes, and doing just that THERE ARE ALL sorts of ways to measure a bike’s performance. You could strap it to a dyno and see how much horsepower it makes. You could take it to Santa Pod and time how quickly it can rocket down a quarter-mile of drag strip. You could plonk a MotoGP racer on board…

THE TEST >>Two parts: an acceleration test from 0-60mph, and a braking test from 60-0mph. Each rider gets a couple of attempts on each bike, then an average (rather than outright best) time is taken for their separate acceleration and braking runs. The two are added together to form a composite 0-60-0mph time. A datalogger does the hard work. THE RESULTS 1 BMW S1000R (MFG 7.16s, PL 7.75s) 2 Triumph Thruxton R (MFG 7.29s, PL 7.87s) 3 Kawasaki ZX-10R (MFG 7.61s, PL 7.98s) 4 Yamaha MT-07 (MFG 8.11s, PL 8.11s) 5 Honda Africa Twin (MFG 8.26s, PL 8.58s) Bike conclusion Ease of use is every bit as important as theoretical performance. All the power in the world is no use if a bike is hard work to get…

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. * CASH UP FRONT, PLEASE Remember the Caterham? Previously seen as a Brutus, it was shown by the Brit car firm at 2013 shows and had a 750cc single, scooter-style rev ’n’ rip drive (plus reverse), and could be turned into a snowmobile. It’s now being sold by Moto Parilla, who are using crowd-funding to flog you one for $5900…

Superdream 400tracker TYRES: yes VALUE: priceless/ worthless MILEAGE: 0 MPG: non-runner THE CB400N ‘TRACKER is almost finished – no, really – with the much modded frame now painted, engine installed and newly-braked wheels and forks where they belong. As with last month’s Ascot saga, lots of minor obstacles and details remain, e.g. cables and brake lines that don’t quite fit the re-worked chassis, but as the bike goes off to TWS Auto Electrics in Cirencester for its bespoke loom, I’m reasonably confident that all will be well. Meantime the swingarm bearings on my CBX750-F are apparently shot so that’ll keep me occupied, but on the upside I’ve been having scary fun riding one of biking’s great forgotten heroes – a Yamaha VMAX, still in production 31 years on. Although it…

Aprilia SL1000Falco TYRES: Pirelli Angel GT VALUE: £1800 MILEAGE: 32,654 MPG: 29.8 YOU WON’T BELIEVE ME, but after four months of laying waste to UK and European tarmac on the astonishingly capable, state-of-the art KTM, riding my old Falco again for the first time felt amazing. The two bikes obviously feel nothing like alike. My Aprilia boasts only digital clocks in its onboard widgetry, versus the GT’s mighty electronic arsenal. The suspension is basic, the brakes are progressive and strong enough, but in today’s terms lack bite and power. It doesn’t even have ABS. The riding position is even more terrible than I remember too. It’s neither old enough to be charming nor new enough to wow. But (unbelievably) it fired up first time after the lay-off. A breath of…

£1000 off an icon Suzuki GSX-R750 >> It’s the sole survivor of the 750cc sports class, but the GSX-R is no more. A few will sell under Euro 4 derogation, but it’s discontinued. Anniversary models have the right colours, Yoshi pipe and trinkets, and should be over ten grand, but Preston Motorcycles (01772 937542) have them for £9199. When they’re gone, they’re gone, etc. 600 quid saving Honda CB650F >> There are revisions to Honda’s neat CB650F for 2017 so dig out deals on the ’16 bike. Steer your computer towards blademotorcycles.co.uk who have a pre-registered bike with just five miles from having its PDI. Best colours, with Datatag, and £600 off list. That’ll do nicely. We don’t imagine they’ll be the only dealer offering tasty deals either. Down by…

» I can’t help thinking that Ducati have chosen the wrong man to partner Jorge Lorenzo in MotoGP in 2017. Yes, Andrea Iannone has made some silly mistakes this year but he’s fast, he’s charismatic, and I just feel he’s been a better rider this year than Andrea Dovizioso. I’m a bit of a sucker for exciting, loose riders like Iannone. Dovi is smooth and reliable and he won in Malaysia recently, but I’ve always found his results slightly disappointing in the big class. He was handier on 125s and 250s. You know with Lorenzo that you’re going to get a really classy, silky smooth rider so why not partner him with a loose, exciting rider to have all bases covered? Maybe Ducati think he’s just a bit too loose.…

>> January 21-22, 2017 The Adventure Travel Show, Olympia, London. I’ll be launching my new book about riding around Iran as well as delivering two brand new Motorcycle Travel seminars with Austin Vince. adventureshow.com >> February 10-12, 2017 Timonium Motorcycle Show, Maryland, USA This established American motorcycle show includes a dedicated travel, touring and adventure section featuring many well-known riders, authors and film-makers from around the globe. cycleshow.net/travel-touring/ >> May 25-28, 2017 Horizons Unlimited Travellers’ Meeting, Germany Adventure riders’ get-together in fabulous riding country near the Rhine. Campingplatz Pfrimmtal, Mainz, Germany horizonsunlimited.com/events…

THE RIDE 2016 was one company’s idea to promote its booze through the medium of custom bikes and social media. ‘One of the challenges was to have a selfie with a dog,’ explains James Grant, from one of the teams entered. And while the hardcore patch club biker might be sneering, said selfie helped James and his three mates win a brand new Harley-Davidson Dyna Street Bob and a week’s holiday to Hawaii. Welcome to brand marketing and the particular sliver of a Venn diagram where big budgets bump uglies with the British custom bike scene. Multinational companies, who have nothing to do with two wheels, have been trawling the custom bike scene for a few years now. Bike culture has been used to sell everything from sunglasses to smartphones…

THE TRAIL RIDERS Fellowship (TRF) has changed. Negative perceptions that TRF members are all old duffers and that motorcycles are a noisy nuisance ruining the countryside are over. It’s a battle against ingrained negatives that Greg Villalobos (36) has been helping fight with some success over recent years. Membership continues to grow (more than 4000 now) and the very public face of the TRF, frankly, gets a much needed facelift. You’ll spot, if you follow TRF on Facebook or check trf.org.uk, that the general image of the organisation has changed – they’ve at last got a very necessary modern media programme in operation. And that new look is largely down to Greg who says, ‘As much as anything my communications role, and the TRF in general, is about promoting decent…

Koventry kalling Contrary to the peevish comments made in Bike letters (Political unrest, November 2016), I think your coverage tells it straight. If readers are shocked by opinions different to theirs then they should think about subscribing to other publications to manage their angst. Just don’t remind them that Triumph was founded by Herr Siegfried Bettmann in Coventry, 1896. They might then become reconciled to their proud European roots after all. Ollie Stutter (Metropolitan as feck), email Girl’s allowed Struck by sadness after reading Richard Hill’s letter Dealer or no dealer (Bike Nov 2016), and not necessarily due to his deal falling through. Call me snobby, but when motorcycling is ultimately symbolic of freedom and excitement (recent hipster clichés aside), I don’t know which is more tragic – that he…

BMW S1000R >> Titanium exhaust, 5bhp hike (now 165), 2kg less weight, improved display and fewer vibrations. Prices will start at £10,605. Kawasaki Z900 >> New 948cc, 126bhp inline four with a steel tube frame. It replaces the Z800, although the 800 will sell under Euro 4 derogation during 2017. Suzuki GSX-S750 >> Based on previous GSR750, but with more power (113bhp), snappier gearing, traction control, new swingarm and brakes, and GSX-S1000 looks. Yamaha MT-09 >> Improved and more adjustable suspension, shorter seat unit, quickshifter and a sharp new face. We’ll have the first test next issue.…

KTM 1090 >> Previous 1050 and 1190 replaced by new 1090. It’s actually 1050cc but now has 125bhp. Regular Adventure is £11,299, knobblier R is £12,149. KTM 1290 >> Superbike-shaming Super Adventure now has three flavours: trail-ready R and road-biased S (both £14,299), and full-toys T (£15,499). Suzuki V-Strom 650 >> Traction control, 12v outlet, improved screen, low-rpm assist, and now sharing the same styling as the V-Strom 1000. Also an XT version too. Husky 701 Enduro >> High-quality genuine trail bike gets the latest-spec 690 Duke engine. More power, fewer vibes, greater mpg, longer service intervals.…

THE TEST >> Accelerate to 30mph, pass through the start gate, swerve sharply right (without braking) to avoid the car of cones that’s pulled across you, then steer straight back into your lane while slowing to a controlled stop as you pass the end gate. One run per rider per bike, timed on a stopwatch. THE RESULTS 1 Yamaha MT-07 (MFG 7.63s, PL 7.79s) 2 BMW S1000R (MFG 7.53s, PL 8.06s) 3 Honda Africa Twin (MFG 8.25s, PL 8.53s) 4 Triumph Thruxton R (MFG 8.28s, PL 8.51s) 5 Kawasaki ZX-10R (MFG 8.96s, PL 8.80s) Bike conclusion Proof why couriers don’t ride superbikes. If you spend a lot of time dodging cars, you want something short and light with wide bars – like an MT-07. EVERY RIDER KNOWS the…

THE TEST >> Eight cones spaced out evenly in a straight line. From a standing start slalom through them one way, do a 180-degree U-turn at the far end, slalom back and stop in the start gate. No touching a cone or putting a foot down. One attempt per rider per bike, timed on a stopwatch. THE RESULTS 1 Yamaha MT-07 (MFG 21.16s, PL 24.35s) 2 BMW S1000R (MFG 21.63s, PL 26.76s) 3 Triumph Thruxton R (MFG 23.08s, PL 26.88s) 4 Honda Africa Twin (MFG 23.26s, PL 27.08s) 5 Kawasaki ZX-10R (MFG 25.60s, PL 28.46s) Bike conclusion Superbikes may boast sharp geometry, minimal mass and steer quickly at speed, but for instant urban dexterity nothing comes close to a light, friendly bike you can properly boss around. WEAVING…

>> Swiss asphalt quality ranges from very good to excellent and scenery averages out at amazing. Switzerland has top notch tarmac because it’s the richest (and most expensive) of all Alpine countries. Pay the price, however, and you’ll get access to the best riding in the Alps. The country attracts fewer visitors precisely because it’s more expensive, and fewer visitors means fewer road users. Locals make courteous and cautious drivers who seldom cut corners. >> Everyone knows about the famous mountain passes. But the smaller roads like the Panoramastrasse Oberaar very close to the Furka and Grimsel passes are good too. Turn west off the Grimsel Pass right opposite the squat black Hotel Alpenrösli and get treated to six kilometres of stupendous views back down the Grimsel and west across…

‘Steaming into Charlies I feel like a red kite being mobbed by starlings’ Triumph Thruxton TYRES: Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa PCP: £104 monthly MILEAGE: 5117 MPG: 45 TRACKDAYS IN NOVEMBER are always a gamble, and at 9am this one hasn’t paid off. Drizzle is smeared across my visor – it’s like peering down Cadwell’s straight through a frosted bathroom window. As I’m about to peel back into the pits on the last of the three sighting laps for a sulk, the bloke in front of me gives his CBR the tiniest squirt of throttle at the bottom of the Mountain and slides off onto the grass. Sod this. Two hours of tea drinking later things are looking up. The drizzle has wandered off to depress someone else, there’s less of…

Ducati XDiavel TYRES: Pirelli Diablo Rossa Corsa PCP: £162 monthly MILEAGE: 1772 MPG: 46.9 WHAT A GREAT MONTH (October 2016) of unseasonal weather we’ve had. It’s been especially welcome as it’s allowed me to keep using the XDiavel long after my traditional road riding months have ended. I’m very happy to have surprised some old (much hardier) motorcycling friends by turning up unannounced at the arse-end of the (wimpy) riding season with the XDiavel as my badge of manliness. And yet what an easy companion it’s been. I will never tire of the sound of a nice V-twin and this big, creamy 1200 engine is a perfect match for its laid back stance. The only difference is I’ve turned on the traction control and ABS which I’d been running without…

Husqvarna TX125 TYRES: Metzeler 6 Days COST: £6199 HOURS RIDDEN: 13 ENGINE TUNING CAN GET YOU INTO a whole heap of trouble if you start dicking about when you don’t know what you’re doing – I’ve been there. Down the right-hand side of the TX125’s engine is a small cover hiding the power valve, which is the nub of a 2-T engine. Swapping an inch-long spring under that cover is an easy job, but one which dramatically affects how the engine behaves. Commonly you find green, yellow, blue, red and colourless springs. Side-by-side you can see how tight the coils are – the tighter they are the stiffer the spring, with green generally tighter and red softer. A stiffer spring holds the power valve down longer making it open later…

Yamaha MT-10 TYRES: Metzeler Roadtec 01 PCP: £92 monthly MILEAGE: 4137 MPG: 37.5 MZ TS250/1 TYRES: Continental ContiGo! and K112 VALUE: £750 MILEAGE: 15,700 MPG: 55.5 LET’S GET NOSE-TO-NOSE with the mischievous MT-10, stare straight in its bug eyes and lay down ground rules. No third-gear wheelies. No peg dragging or humpback leaping either. Today Mrs Armitage rides pillion. Today we behave. For a rider the big Yamaha MT hides its superbike base well. There’s no trace of focused R1 in the high, close handlebar, supportive upright stance or easy-to-control ergonomics. Comfort is only an issue on bumpy backlanes and the ergonomics work anywhere – being a fine conveyance for passengers would be the icing. Things start well. The sky’s spotless, roads are dry and clear, and there’s an inviting…

Harley-Davidson FXR1340 Shovelhead TYRES: Avon Cobra VALUE: £6000 MILEAGE: 31,000 MPG: 42 AND SO, IT SEEMS, the sun has finally set on the dear old Shovelhead’s previously blighted life. The blow-ups (two), the clutch collapse, the electrical meltdown, the trail of discarded cycle parts as everything from exhausts to mudguards cried enough and either failed catastrophically or jumped off entirely. Impossible as it sounds, the Harley-Davidson FXR is now a paragon of dependability. Time was when it would be pushing it to expect it to complete even a modest journey without recourse to a flatbed truck. If anyone cares to recall, I used up an entire annual allocation of recovery call-outs (the RAC gives you seven before they start charging you) in six months during the darkest days of the…