Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2017 i BIKE

>> The mantra for Bike magazine; great bikes, amazing rides, extraordinary people. No shortage of these vital ingredients this month. Remember your first ride on a Honda Fireblade? Or a Suzuki GSX-R? Of course you do. It was (or will be) a formative experience that leaves a deep and lasting impression, like the first time you… well, insert your own examples here. So obviously we’re hugely excited about the new ’Blade and GSX-R1000, especially after having to wait so long to see them. Good? Oh yes. James Haydon has tested the Honda on page 30, while JP has ridden the Suzuki, go to page 37 for that story. Now we can’t wait to see them in dealer showrooms, ride them on the road and watch them being raced at Donington…

>> 31 March-2 April British Superbike Championship, Donington Park No British race fan should miss the opening round of an all-new season and Donington is where it’s all happening this year. Be the first to see all the new riders, bikes and teams and finally kiss winter goodbye. The 2017 racing season is here. donington-park.co.uk >> 22-23 April Bob Smith Spring Cup Road Races, Scarborough Oliver’s Mount is the only pure road circuit in England and has to be seen to be believed. Ridiculously narrow, tree-lined, and with an undulating section like a rollercoaster. It doesn’t stop top road racers going flat-out. oliversmountracing.com >> 28-29 April Cookstown 100 Road Races, Northern Ireland Book a ferry and take your bike for a long weekend to the opening Irish road race of…

>> 19 March Pioneer Run, Epsom to Brighton, Sussex An ideal sunny spring day outing. Go and watch the old chuffers rattle down to the seaside. Bikes start leaving Tattenham Corner on Epsom Downs at 8am and arrive at Madeira Drive, on the Brighton seafront a couple of hours later. About 370 bikes are entered, all dating from before 1915. The route goes via Handcross, Cowfold and Henfield. Give the old timers plenty of stopping room; they’ve got no brakes. sunbeam-mcc.co.uk >> 24 March Historic Racing Practice Day, Mallory Park, Leicestershire It’s a Friday, so skive work and go along to see what’s turned up to The British Historic Racing practice day at Mallory Park. Expect a pretty wide selection of strange devices making weird noises and strange smells (Castrol…

>> 26-28 May Bike Shed Show, East London I could rely on clichés and say, grab an organic flat white, turn up your selvedge denim jeans to 11 and oil your beard because it’s that time again, but anyone who is into special bikes will enjoy the Bike Shed Show. Put simply, it’s a nice environment to hang out in, because it’s a show for enthusiasts by enthusiasts. It doesn’t have any of the lowest common denominator market trading that infects part of big mainstream shows. If you’re reading this column, this is the event for you, whatever your prejudices. Look beyond the more extravagant characters and you’ll see most of the people there are just like you. But don’t let that put you off. thebikeshed.cc >> 26-28 May Wildays…

Breaks and brakes I’m recuperating with a smashed pelvis, thanks to a brain-dead truck driver. So I’m indulging myself with a stack of Bike back issues and a decent single malt. Many of your well documented road tests give 70-0mph braking distances. Post-accident, a subject of no small interest to me… I note that even bargain bikes such as the Kawasaki Versys 650, Yamaha MT-07 and Ducati Scrambler group tested in the Oct 2015 issue are stopping in 52 metres, as did the KTM 1190 in August 2013. Do these distances include riders’ reaction times, or are they somehow measured from the point where the brakes are applied? I know my query is a tad anorak, but… In closing, I wish all the team thousands of miles of enjoyable and…

SUZUKI’S DEPARTING GSX-R wasn’t short of grunt. What it did lack next to newer, revvier rivals was the mad top-end power to make headlines, win races and allow some excited marketing. So Suzuki have squeezed their inline four to bring it level with 200bhp opposition. And yet, cunningly, they’ve kept it flexible too. Four-stroke engines use camshafts. These spinning hammers control when valves open to let fuel into a cylinder or exhaust gas out, how far they open, and for how long. This is valve timing, and it’s always a compromise. Camshaft lobes have a ‘polynomial’ profile that opens and closes valves gradually, as movement needs to be controlled and stress inflicted on the system must stay within limits. This leads to overlap – the period when inlet and exhaust…

RACING FOR A LAUGH. YEAH, RIGHT! Racing at Rossi’s MotoRanch started out as a bit of a laugh but (no surprise, really) soon became a bit more serious. Indeed, the seeds of Rossi’s infamous fallout with Marc Marquez were sewn at the ranch when the youngster turned up with full support from his Repsol mechanics, thereby upping the ante. The event of the year – the two-rider 100km race – happens every January, before preseason testing. AND THE WINNER IS… VALENTINO ROSSI! Admittedly this might seem like a bit of a fix, but last year’s 100km Dei Campioni race was won by, erm, Rossi and his half-brother Luca Marini, who contests the Moto2 world championship with Forward Racing. Ducati MotoGP riders Danilo Petrucci and Andrea Dovizioso finished the race second…

>> In 1977 Bike pointed out that with 66bhp and a 120mph top whack, the original Z650 would ‘out-perform many 750s’. Which was true. And at £1199 when a Honda CB750K6 cost £1265 and Suzuki’s GS750 a whopping £1435, it was also top value. But for many – including me – it was the obvious ancestry with its game-changing bigger brother, the Z1/Z900, that captured the imagination. Handling was also nimbler and more surefooted than the larger Kawa fours and indeed most of the heavier 750cc competition, although the rear shocks were overly soft for serious scratching, wore out quickly and were best replaced with aftermarket superiors. The one-piece, plain bearing crank and Hy-Vo camchain made for an unburstable and longer-lived engine than the 900s. These days, unless it’s a…

PERFORMANCE TESTING >> It’s dry and mild at the test strip, but with a gentle crosswind/headwind. The Suzuki’s 133bhp is about right for repeated quick starts – it’s not so desperate for revs that it’ll bog like a 600, and won’t wheelie itself into oblivion like a litre bike. It’s quicker to 60mph than a Yamaha R1, only 0.3s behind a Ducati 1299 Panigale over a quarter mile, and faster from 40 to 120mph in sixth than the departing Honda Fireblade. In still weather it’d get past 175mph too. POWER AND TORQUE >> So the GSX-R doesn’t make 200bhp. Big deal. 133bhp is 30% more bhp-per-cc than a mighty Hayabusa, and more than the first Yamaha R1. When Bike tester Pete Boast raced in BSB in…

Triumph 675R Pros: slim, super-agile, grunty triple, fabulous chassis and a far better finish than Triumphs of yore. To be discontinued, so there are deals about as well. Cons: small if you’re big, and rather single-minded. Price: £10,950 otr PCP deal: £2320 deposit, £115 for 36 months, final payment £6005. Total £12,465. Yamaha R6 Pros: shrieking inline four, micron-perfect handling, rider aids, of-the-moment styling. Cons: new 2017 bike likely to be as firm, unyielding and hard work on the road is the old bike – first test in the June issue. Price: tbc – est £10,250 otr PCP deal: £2000 deposit, £140 for 36 months, final payment £5000. Total £12,000 (est only). BMW S1000R Pros: superbike performance and handling but with ride-anywhere ergonomics. Nice gizmos, and loads of options. Cons:…

‘A pithy summary of the law is, “you have gone for the overtake, so you sort it out”’ Remarkably the law says little about overtaking. The acceleration and manoeuvrability of a motorcycle has long been recognised by the Civil Law and drivers, contrary to urban myth, actually have to look before they change their position in the road potentially moving into the path of an overtaking motorcyclist. Flicking on the indicator does not give right of way but it is a common line maintained up to and including trial, often right up to the point when the Judge finds for the motorcyclist. As a matter of law the overtaking vehicle has right of way and the moral high ground. The rules of law also state: do not overtake by junctions,…

1993 Ducati M900Monster TYRES: Michelin Pilot Road 3 WORTH: £2750 MILEAGE: 18,426 MPG: 52 NOTHING BEATS A SUNNY RIDE TO THE PUB with your mates for a cheeky half after work. That is until the time comes to leave and no matter how many times you plead with the starter button there is silence. Which is exactly what happened to me recently – I ended up screaming so loud at my bike in the carpark one of my mates heard and came back to help. We bump started it and I rode 26 miles home praying I didn’t submit to learner-clutch-nerves and stall the damn thing. Starter motor, kill switch, starter button, dead battery, bad earth or the legendary Ducati electrics rearing their ugly heads? All potential culprits. The next…

Honda Africa Twin TYRES: Continental TrailAttack 2 COST: £10,849 MILEAGE: 7198 MPG: 51 AFTER TEN DAYS AND 700 MILES OF COMMUTING and thrashing Bike’s long term test bike, my list of problems with the Africa Twin is: 1) Heated grips aren’t hot enough; 2) Green light indicating heated grips are on is distractingly bright at night. And that’s pretty much it. I can discern nothing else wrong with this motorcycle. It is absolutely bloody brilliant – one of those bikes where you can imagine Honda engineers spending years tweaking each tiny detail until all the rider notices is the ride – all distractions are banished. Take the DCT gearbox: in Drive (as opposed to Sport), it changes so smoothly that on numerous occasions I’ve looked down at the dash to…

>>Richard Millington owns Motorrad Tours and is the UK’s only International Tourguide Academy certified tour guide. ‘Wind up incredible mountain passes, back off and wave to happy faces. Oh, and expect to be overtaken by local kids on tuned stepthrus…’ Thailand. Forget Bangkok, steer clear of Phuket and all those seedy clubs and their dubious reputations. There is so, so much more to this incredible country – with a rural heartland of rice paddies, tropical forests and squat villages ticking along to the seasonal beat of the agricultural clock. Away from the tourist spots you’ll meet the people that gave Thailand its reputation as the Land of Smiles. Wind up incredible mountain passes, back off and wave to happy faces through the villages, then repeat. Oh, and expect to be…

>> Cliff and Carol Eddleston moved to Spain two years ago and have spent much time refurbishing their Spanish country house ready for you. ‘Spain has the largest number of motorcycles in Europe. This has made the roads extremely motorcycle-friendly’ Biking Abroad’s country finca is close to Ontinyent and has a large pool to relax in after a good day’s ride, comfy beds for a great night’s sleep ready for the next day in the saddle, al fresco dining in the gardens plus there are great local restaurants, bodegas (wineries) and much more. So what else is great about Spain? Well… >> How to get there from UK? It’s certainly easy to reach. Numerous airlines fly from UK airports to either Alicante or Valencia. Both airports are approximately one hour…

>>Dave Taylor runs Moto Tours and works for the emergency services. He also used to examine for the IAM. He knows his bikes and his tours like no one else. Morocco is a well-developed country with a strong tourist industry focused on the coast, culture and history. There are around 35,000 plus miles of road in Morocco much of which takes in breath-taking scenery such as the Rif and Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert. Once you leave the tourist traps Morocco has an air of ‘adventure’. It’s a genuinely mystical country. >> How do I get there from UK? The most common route is the overnight ferry from Portsmouth to northern Spain. Then ride to southern Spain and catch the ferry over to Morocco. >> Do I need a…

BIKES ARE COOL again. Just look at the number of young riders and city dwellers buying small-capacity bikes. While Yamaha and Honda still sell loads of 125s it’s small brands making an impact – at the end of last year the UK’s bestselling naked was a Herald, the most popular custom was a Keeway. December’s sales-topping brand was Lexmoto who sold as many bikes as Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki combined. Appetite for low-cost, decent quality, fashionable bikes brings a gaggle of new brands. Hanway are Chinese and make scooters for British firm Scomadi. They have two cafe racers and a Scrambler 125, all at £2299. Importers MotoGB (who deal with Royal Enfield, Benelli and Sym) also look set to distribute Royalloy scooters (also made by Hanway) and Mondial’s HPS125 Hipster…

£2000 saving Suzuki Hayabusa >> Litre sportsbikes caught up on bhp, but nowt matches a Busa for flowing, fluid thrust. It’s not Euro4 so dealers have two years to shift stock. List for the Z version (Yoshi bits) is £12,499 but smcbikes.com have pre-reg bikes for £10,499. Robinsons of Rochdale have base Busas for £9995: that’s the 184bhp defining hyperbike for less than £10k. Save a grand Triumph Street >> Triumph’s fruity yet friendly Street Triple has defined middleweight nakeds for ten years. The new 765cc version this year means ace deals on the 675cc bike. New pre-reg bikes with a flyscreen, bellypan and seat cowl thrown in are £6500 at Carl Rosner (020 8128 0834), instead of £7499. You can pay that for a secondhand bike... Dropped £1900 Ducati…

‘Owners would strip off the lights and excess tinware… then they’d race’ Desert racing was a big thing in Southern California after WWII. 400 riders would start the Big Bear Run and the Barstow to Vegas race on Thanksgiving weekend attracted 1000 starters. That’s quite a dust storm. Distances ranged from 150 to 500 miles. The Big Bear was first run in the 1920s. Early winners were riding American bikes, but by the late fifties it was dominated by British machines, and especially Triumphs. In 1958 the top five were all Triumph mounted. Roger White won and Bud Ekins, who became famous for the ‘Steve McQueen’ jump in The Great Escape, was fourth. Every bike in the top 30 was British, 20 were Triumphs. A Desert Sled was a modified…

 >> Name? Paul Knight and Dave Newman. ‘Alcohol is always involved in making plans, and we’re in a map shop with wine…’ >> What was your big trip? Last year I (Paul) went to America and rode some of the Back Country Discovery Routes in the West which are fantastic. I was away for three weeks. I shipped my KTM 690 out there, but had a saga with American customs after being dicked around by a customs official. The bike got held up by four days on arrival and then about eight weeks coming back to the UK. Make sure that they give you the right paperwork, that said we knew what we needed but the guy was adamant we could do it online. Dave went to Paris on a…

‘Whether it be mod Lambretta or pre-unit Triumph with Boris Vallejo fantasy bikini girl stroking a pet dinosaur’ WANDERING AROUND THE nine cavernous halls of the Motor Bike Expo (MBE) in Verona, Northern Italy makes me think of canine diversification. Many of the 160,000 punters at this three-day bash bring dogs on leads. Every mutt from the shivering, short-haired Chihuahua to the slobbering, bear-like Leonberger are all descended from a prehistoric wolf, yet one of the domestic dogs is smaller than the paw of the other. This Italian show has an open door policy to custom bikes, no tastemakers curate the displays, so every strain of modified moto imaginable is represented – admire, ignore or deride, depending on what floats your boat. MBE is at least the size of the…

‘It was 18 hours of riding… and you can’t even see the front fender because there’s so much water’ FOR THE FIRST time since the Dakar Rally was originally run in 1978, the world’s hardest off road race has a British winner. KTM rider Sam Sunderland took the lead on day five and, despite huge pressure, physical punishment and challenging navigation, held it for eight days to the finish. ‘It’s pretty cool to get that monkey off my back to be honest,’ says Sam from his home in Dubai. ‘After so many ups and downs, crashes and broken bones, to finally get it done repays the confidence others have shown. All the sacrifices were worth it. It’s a very satisfying feeling.’ Since his first attempt in 2012, Sunderland has never…

>> All GSX-Rs come with a Yoshi R11 end-can (this discontinued Anniversary model gets other bolt-ons, too). Here are nice bits from the official accessories. DOUBLE-BUBBLE Screen available in three types (clear, clear with logo, tinted). Two inch taller and makes a difference. From £74. CHAIN GUARD Made from aluminium, anodised black and with a milled GSX-R logo. £72 and purely cosmetic, but somehow fitting on the 750. CARBON Replace some of the textured plastic with real stuff. Everything from clock surrounds to frame covers, from £50 to many hundreds. TANKBAG There’s a generic 19-litre magnetic bag for £95. The much neater ‘small’ bag holds nine litres and is £85, but needs the £27 mounting ring.…

‘Even more comfy, they’ll be an even better do-it-all sports boot’ Alpinestars SMX-6 V2 Drystar Boots Price: from £189.99 Info: alpinestars.com >> They say ‘A waterproof and breathable performance boot for track and street that is anatomically profiled and packed with innovation, the evolved SMX-6 Drystar features the latest in Alpinestars’ footwear design and development. Every component on this CE-certified boot offers a crucial performance edge, in the form of protection innovations, improved ergonomics and comfort features’. We say ‘I commuted, toured and trackday’d in some SMX-6 for over a year when they first came out. I really liked them – they keep feet dry, are warm in cold weather, make you feel totally protected, and yet aren’t clumpy on a trackday. All the membranes and layers and stuff mean…

>> 2009 Ducati Desmosedici RR Ad says: no.1464, 2623 miles, two owners. Performance exhaust and ECU fitted. We say: lower than average miles for the price. Make sure the standard pipe comes with the sale. Price: £44,999 >> 2008 Ducati Desmosedici RR Ad says: no.501, 2700 miles, spotless condition and original, MotoGP exhaust fitted. We say: one of the earlier bikes in the production run, check the valve spring recall has been carried out. Price: £45,995…

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. *MOTOR-PLANE-BOAT Made in the 1930s by Mead Gliders in Chicago, the Whirlwind ice yacht has a canvas-covered spruce frame pulled by a 1212cc Harley JDBC V-twin spinning a 4ft propeller. Controls are throttle, steering wheel and a wooden block to ram into the ice as a brake. Assembled yachts were $149, kits $49 and blueprints $2. * THE 1970s QUICKSHIFTER…

KTM EXC250F TYRES: Michelin AC-10 COST: £7449 HOURS RIDDEN : 14 BOOT CAMPS, MUD PLUGGERS, HELL RUNNERS… there are various ways a person can choose to wilfully physically ruin themselves. An enduro ‘Boot Camp’ early in January was a great way to bed in the new bike, a KTM EXC250F, equally it was ruinous for me… The Husqvarna TX125 has gone and though I loved it, I never feel quite so at home on two wheels as I do on a 250 four stroke. KTM’s EXC250F is impressively adept at boosting confidence, in a way few other bikes can quite pull off. At 103kg (without fuel) it’s roughly 10kg heavier than the Husky but its less peaky 4T motor puts it more in the everyman bracket without the strength sapping…

>>Former army major and Motorrad Tours, tour leader Nigel Richardson led this tour in 2016. And thankfully he knows a thing or two about bears… ‘Everywhere you go someone will have a story to tell, an experience to share or a guitar to break out’ ALASKA AND THE ROCKIES ARE HUGE. Only by winding your way through them on a bike, chasing the endless horizon do you really get the feeling of isolation. The mountain passes of the Rockies have enough apexes to exhaust even the most corner-hungry riders and at the end of each day the hospitality will blow you away. There’s no sitting alone at a bar – everywhere you go someone will have a story to tell, an experience to share or a guitar to break out.…

‘Guy’s led races before, but I think after four or five laps he starts thinking about Scania trucks and loses concentration’ I HAD THE PLEASURE of sitting down for a chat with 23-times TT winner John McGuinness at the recent Honda Fireblade launch. Not only did I ask him about the new Blade and how well he thinks it will suit the rigours of the TT, but also what he thinks about having Guy Martin as his team-mate… ‘I certainly didn’t see it coming,’ McGuinness said of Martin’s shock TT return. ‘I was on my way to the team launch and was still wondering, “Is it going to be Michael Rutter? Michael Dunlop? Josh Brookes or maybe even Jenny Tinmouth?” So I just didn’t see it coming, it’s a master…

>> Bonhams were auctioning 40 Ducatis amongst plenty of other classics at their Las Vegas auction on 26 January. Of the four headline Ducatis, three didn’t sell, and overall prices seemed to be down. But plenty of bikes did sell and brave buyers got some good deals. We prefer to see sensible prices and bikes being used. More results at bonhams.com 1993 900SS sold for £1650 >> Proof that two-valve bikes with belt driven cams are still good value. They’re great road bikes too. Definitely worth this money. 1973 750SS sold for £87,115 >> Scabby red paint conceals one of 200 genuine ‘green frame’ 750SS models. It’ll presumably now be restored and not ridden. 1965 Monza Junior 160 sold for £7794 >> Someone’s not done their homework. Over restored 1960s…

>>Depending on your viewpoint this is either the end of adventure as we know it, or the most brilliantly useful bit of software for the global motorcycle traveller there ever has been… iOverlander is an interactive online world map and smartphone app, where real-life travellers contribute their hot tips for everything from bike-friendly accommodation and petrol stations to wild camp spots and cool dirt tracks. Within seconds I had discovered a source of free drinking water in the Iranian desert and a warning about a fruit control checkpoint at the Guatemala/Belize border. ioverlander.com…

>> 4 March, 2017 British Ladies Trials Championship, West Horsley, KT24 6EA The under-supported British ladies trials championship kicks off with two events in March. Hook Woods in Surrey hosts round one with world trials champion Emma Bristow in action. hookwoodstrials.org >> 18 March, 2017 Super Enduro, Albi, France The final round of the indoor enduro world championship always brings some serious action. Brit Jonny Walker will be in with a shout of victory and I’ll be among the support acts. superenduro.org >> 11-12 March, 2017 Rhug Estate Play Day, Corwen, Wales This one caught our eye because of its ‘no race, just fun on the bike’ billing. The idea of wazzing round fields ‘before they get ploughed’ is dirt bike heaven. WOR Events run a great range of events…

Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade Price: £15,225 otr (SP version: £19,125) PCP: Deposit £3444, 36 months £119, final payment £8467. Total £16,945 Engine: 1000cc 16v DOHC inline four Power: 189bhp @ 12,500rpm Torque: 82 lb.ft @ 11,000rpm Wet weight: 196kg Power to weight: 0.96bhp/kg Seat height: 832mm Tank size: 16 litres Electronics: Traction control, cornering ABS, modes, anti-wheelie (SP version: engine braking, semi-active ride, quickshifter) We think: The calm refinement that made earlier bikes so easy to ride, now with all the gizmos. Not as revvy as other inline fours and also the lightest – expect it to be the one most at home on a B-road. Ducati 1299 Panigale Price: £18,132 otr (S version: £22,132) PCP: Deposit £3450, 36 months £205, final payment £9173. Total £20,008 Engine: 1285cc 8v desmodromic DOHC…

‘Complete entire journeys without shifting from sixth’ WANT FAST? THIS is fast. Forget 200bhp superbikes with stratospheric redlines and your over-hyped hyperbikes. Nothing picks up and takes off with the sheer mind-scrambling whoosh of the Z1000SX. Wind open the light twistgrip anywhere between 10 and 130mph, and the Kawasaki is gone. There’s an overload of thick elastic torque from tickover to the rev limit, and no situation where a tug of throttle doesn’t give a rapid, surging change in velocity. Third gear overtakes happen in a blink. Tool out of a 30mph limit in top and three figure speeds are another blink away. This is because the 1043cc inline four’s 140bhp headline figure, though impressive, is only half the story. It’s the Zed’s swollen midrange, sensible rev range and, above…

EVER THE TRAILBLAZERS, Triumph boldly revived their Trident moniker in 1990, followed by the Daytona, Tiger, newbie Bonneville et al. Kawasaki have form applying noble names of yore to later models too, think Z1000, Ninja and H2 for example. Now KHI have also revived the Z650 label, although engine configuration has damn-all to do with it. In this case we are minus a transverse four-potter as per the original. So what’s going on here seems to be their latest attempt to re-purpose a specific engine that’s well proven and still capable, and which given the exigencies of emissions compliance, fulfills an increasingly vital role in the company’s long term model planning strategy. Pushing the new Z650 is of course the rev-tastic, oversquare and liquid-cooled DOHC four-stroke parallel twin from the…

>> 600 miles (after run-in): change engine oil and oil filter, general function and safety checks. Cost: £113.65 >> 4000 miles: change oil and oil filter, remove brake pads and lubricate pins, function and safety checks. Cost: £149.65 >> 7500 miles: same as 4000-mile service, plus renew spark plugs and balance throttle bodies. Cost £248.62 >> 11,000 miles: same as 4000-mile service, plus replace air filter. Cost £168.61 >> 14,500 miles: same as 7500-mile service, plus check and adjust valve clearances. Cost £451.55 >> Additional time-based: change brake fluid and coolant every two years, renew brake hoses every four years. Prices from Alf England (024 7631 2184, alfengland.co.uk).…

NEVER BEFORE HAD a production motorcycle caused such a furore. The 2008 Ducati Desmosedici RR was a faithful road-going reproduction of the factory’s 990cc GP6 MotoGP racer, using the same hybrid trellis frame, long-bang V4 engine architecture, Öhlins suspension featuring gas-charged forks, and a pared-down race-style cockpit with LCD display. Ducati speculated they’d make and sell just a few hundred units, but such was demand Bologna first increased production to 1250, before finally closing the order book at 1500. And the demand has never waned. Currently, for a typical 2008 Desmo with around 6000 miles on the clock you’re looking at £40-45,000. That’s as much as, or more than, they achieved when new. I have also seen them sell for upto £60,000. Buyers see them as a great investment, but…

>> The UK often gets overlooked when it comes to thinking about Europe’s best biking roads. Consider it worthy, however, and North Wales rises to the top as a must-ride region. >> My favourite roads in North Wales have been found by exploring new areas with no route in mind. Some would call it getting lost. A great example of this strategy working is the route between Llanidloes and Machynlleth. From the A470 join the B4518 which snakes its way towards Staylittle. From there turn left onto the mountain road towards Machynlleth and within minutes you will be rewarded with a spectacular view of Dylife Gorge. >> A patchwork quilt of major roads allows easy navigation in North Wales. The dual carriageway A55 is coastal and runs from Chester in…

2005 Kawasaki 250TR TYRES: Dunlop Trials Universal WORTH: £2000 MILEAGE: 11,799 MPG: 65 NO NEED FOR any post-rationalisation, post-truth nonsense in this case. The reasons for the buy are clear: mate Jim was going to buy a Yamaha DT125R and in the same shop there happened to be this mint (and I mean mint) 250TR. He had a van. I had some money reserved for the taxman. It was, as the phrase goes, a no-brainer. I’d been uhming and ahing for at least two years about one of these neat and stylee, Japanese market, cod-trailie 250 singles. Nonced a couple on eBay around the two and a half grand mark and thought, nah, a little too much – neither were in the classic green and white. One in gold, one…

Aprilia SL1000Falco TYRES: Metzeler Roadtec 01 WORTH: £1800 MILEAGE: 33,610 MPG: not a lot TWICE IN THE LAST MONTH my Falco’s needed recovering. The first, a catastrophic rear puncture while two-up on the way to work. The replacement Roadtec 01s are Metzeler’s new sports touring fitment, have a funky tread pattern and claim great wet grip. Steering feels sharper (as it usually does when fitting new boots) and grip feels fine. But, while the roads are freezing and wet, I’m surprised to find little heat gets into them. The second issue came after I bit the bullet and bought the Falco a new speedo cable. It cost £90 (you can’t get them cheaper) and I was 99.9% sure that was why the clocks had read zero for the last few…

Honda RC30 TYRES: well worn Dunlop race rubber HOURS RIDDEN: not many in 2016 VALUE: not for sale I STILL CAN’T QUITE believe we won the Classic Bol d’Or at Paul Ricard in 2015. Obviously we had fantastic riders in Stephane Mertens and Richard Hubin, and the bike worked brilliantly but it’s really a tribute to Howard Lees and Dave Chisman who were the original driving forces. It took a lot of effort and a lot of money though and we had to take a year off to recover. The rest of life had suffered, work and family, so we needed to take a break in 2016. Last year we just paraded the team’s Honda RC30 at Spa (which was amazing) and Donington and Mallory Park, but gradually we (Ian…

>> H-C Travel was started by David Grist in 1994 and they are the longest established licensed bike tour operator in the UK. For some of the best touring roads on the planet, in stunning landscapes, New Zealand (NZ) can’t be beaten. It is as if the country was designed by bikers. With its rare wildlife and genuine hospitality no other country the size of Great Britain has so much to offer. >> How to get there from UK? H-C Travel are a professionally accredited tour operator with over 20 years experience of tours in NZ, and can organise flights and stopovers for you to Christchurch or Auckland. ATOL bonding and TTA membership are all in place to provide legal and financial peace of mind. >> Do I need a…

>>Mike Rose opened up Paradise in 2008, and knows New Zealand and his 44 BMWs like the back of his hand. DOWN UNDER MEANS more than Australia. Spectacular though the rugged Aussie terrain is, it’s New Zealand that offers some of the best riding in the world, never mind the Antipodes. And there’s plenty of it too. A country comprising two islands is the size of the UK, but with a population of a mere 4.5 million people, as opposed to 65 million. That means vast expanses of uninhabited country – and almost empty roads away from urban areas. Unlike the UK, the Romans never got round to colonising New Zealand, so there are very few straight roads. If it’s twists and turns you’re after, then you’ll be coming to…

>>Mats Jonsson started riding aged ten when he bought his first scooter. He grew up riding Sweden’s gravel roads and started Magic Motor tours in 2011 DO YOU WANT TO RIDE some of the most awesome gravel roads and enjoy the most magical views in the world on the same tour? We’ve put together a trip where you’ll be riding winding trails and gravel roads through deep forests. Then skirting small lakes, dropping down majestic, tall mountains hairpin by hairpin to deep fjords. And there will be no shortage of surprises in between. The unique element of this ten day tour is that scenery changes day by day and there’s always something special to discover. Scandinavia provides a perfect mix of territory for an adventure biker. The packages we offer…