Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2018 i BIKE

» In the interests of creating high quality photography for this month’s high-mileage test Bike’s art man P. Lang and photographer Jason Critchell spent a February evening in Peterborough city centre, heroically battling extreme cold and the attention of drunks. Good work men, the pictures are excellent. You’ve got to do proper miles to get under the skin of a bike, and big mile tests are a crucial part of the magazine. We’ve done 5000 miles on the Triumph Bobber in order to find out that the spokes go rusty and the indicator switch is sticky; quite annoying on an £11,000 bike, even if the rest of it is bloody good. More microscopic detail on page 38. Group tests are important too, so this month we’re comparing the market-leading BMW…

‘He’s the standard-bearer for the new generation of Asian riders’ THE ELEVATION OF Hafizh Syahrin to MotoGP class has more than a touch of serendipity about it. Jonas Folger’s decision to sit the year out on health grounds landed the Tech 3 Yamaha team with a major problem which had to be sorted in very short order; how to put a credible rider in the saddle of one of the more desirable bikes on the grid when everyone already had contracts. Team boss Herve Poncharal is also President of IRTA, the teams’ association, so no way was he going to be involved in any contract busting. Spare a thought for Xavi Vierge who left Tech 3’s Moto2 team at the end of last season who would otherwise have been a…

» Five 750cc Triumph twins, built for the White Helmets display team, are to be auctioned at the Stafford classic bike show on 22 April. This follows the disbanding of the White Helmets team after 90 years of riding through fiery hoops, crashing through brick walls and making human pyramids. The bikes are TR7 Tiger models. Estimated values are £5500-8000. There’s lots of other good stuff in the auction too. Most of which we can’t afford. Bonhams.com THIS MONTH  A trip to the workshop of B&B motorcycles in Lincoln, where Pete Boast and his pals are fettling up their Suzukis, has got me fired up for classic endurance racing. See Peter and Suzukis, and the Team Bike crew and Honda RC30s, at Donington Park in May.…

 » Where are you right now? Back home in Hertfordshire. ‘As I travelled I became aware how little medical help is available… whole regions have no ambulance’ » You’ve recently made an epic and quite unusual ride through Africa. Yes, I rode my Yamaha TTR600 from England, through France and Spain, much of it off-road to give the bike a shakedown test. Then it was into Morocco and down the west side of Africa crossing the Congo, before heading south as far as Victoria Falls. After that I zigzagged north through Central and East Africa to Egypt. I then put the bike on a ferry over to Italy and on through Austria, Germany and France and finally back to the United Kingdom. It was just over 30,000 miles in 12…

» 25-26 May KKF Motorcycle Show, Zeche Ewald, Herten, Germany KKF or Kustom Kulture Forever is a massive event embracing both four- and two-wheeled transport of delight. Set in a huge showground with separate areas for bikes and cars, you need to register to exhibit, but if you just turn up there’s plenty of free parking and camping’s available for under-canvas fans. Some of the wildest Euro-customs will be displayed and in this case custom culture also means party time. kustom-kulture-forever.com » 1-3 June Drove-T-Drink Rally, Kirklington, Nr. Carlisle CA6 6BB Just north of Carlisle Airport (in case you’re air-freighting in your precious custom), this is a combined classic and custom show with a friendly if raucous atmosphere and some great riding roads nearby (if you’re not air-freighting it in).…

‘Off-road training can be a daunting experience if you’re just wanting to give it a try’ WE KNOW off-road riding is some of the best fun you can have on a bike. And we also know off-road training can be a daunting experience if you’re just wanting to give it a try and definitely don’t want to take things too seriously. So, we’ve put together a list of off-road training schools who go out of their way to help you have an easier time of it. Schools with an emphasis on training the novice and in particular more road-oriented bikers who fancy a go. Whether you want to improve your riding skills and get more confident on an adventure bike or simply prefer to try off-road riding on a dirt…

Extra gauges Clock and thermometer attach to the handlebars and look a bit… well, like they’re trying too hard. Difficult to read (especially the temperature), and there’s already a clock on the dash. £66 each Two-tone paint Yes, it’s true. Standard colour on the £10,600 bike is black; dark red or grey is an extra £125, and original Bonnie-inspired two-tone (red and silver, or green and silver) is another £175. Cruise control Neatly integrated into the left switchgear, a single button turns the system on, and then sets the desired speed. Roll the throttle away or touch a brake to disarm. Simple and effective. £255. Panniers Heavy leather-looking side bags clip onto neat chrome dials that bolt to the back end. Kinda look OK, and obviously add some carrying capacity,…

SECONDARY BALANCER Inline twins typically have more vibration than V-twins, so we added a secondary balancer shaft in the head to help. The lower balancer shaft creates a rotating momentum opposite to wheel rotation, and the second balancer cancels this out. REDUCED LENGTH Input and output shafts are stacked vertically, meaning that the crank is positioned very close to the front sprocket. This reduces engine length by about 50mm, but means the shift drum must be placed on top, far from the gear lever. DRY SUMP Oil is pumped into a sump beyond the engine, not below it. This means that no deep oil sump extends from the engine’s base. The 790 is also going in our adventure bike, and a shallower engine means more ground clearance off-road. SLIM ENGINE…

Why was the first version so soft? The engineers didn’t say, ‘Let’s make it soft.’ The idea was to make a very light bike, and to match the suspension to the weight of the machine. I think Japan didn’t anticipate that customers would place so much importance on the suspension’s softness. What were customers saying? There were two strands of feedback. At the beginning, most of what people say is what they read from journalists, who said the suspension was soft. We also do market studies and focus groups throughout the life cycle of a bike. And Yamaha Japan visit dealers, and talk to customers, and competitors’ customers, to understand reasons to buy or not to buy. Customers were saying that for sport riding, hard braking and high-speed cornering the…

Bryn Phillips, Cambrian Tyres » The performance of the best Sport Touring tyres is so good that even for sport riders it’s all the tyre they need. Plus you get better mileage, and better cold and wet performance over a Hypersport tyre. Sport Touring is now the biggest sector of the tyre market. Mike Armitage, Executive editor » Unless you’re planning to ride something more than gravel tracks, fit pure road tyres to adventure bikes. They make suspension feel better on the road, give a better ride, better grip, and last longer. Want the dual sport look? Choose the Metzeler Tourance Next. Lois Pryce, Adventure editor » There is no perfect ‘adventure’ tyre. If you’re riding the length of Africa you want more knobbly tyres. Honestly, it’s better to be…

Mike Armitage This month: executive editor Armitage, while not known for his appreciation of the fashion conscious, has been all but inseparable from Triumph’s Bobber. So much so he did pretty much all 5000 miles so far… 5000-mile Bobber test, page 38 John Westlake This month: struggling with a myriad of modes and menus on the adventure bike test this month. Press this, wiggle this, scroll that. Oh, no. Hang on, try pushing that one first… Read the instructions? Don’t be daft. Group test, page 68 Ben Lindley This month: KTM’s all-new 790 Duke could be the Austrian firm’s most important bike in years, pitching them headlong into the middleweight class. Young Ben went to ride it on the roads of Gran Canaria. 790 Duke, page 48 Simon Hargreaves This…

» Each year a truck full of Ducatis trawls round the UK, stopping off to give potential customers a chance to ride their next bike. So this year that means you’ll get the chance to have a spin on the new £24,035 Panigale V4S. The first Ducati Roadshow happens on 24 March in Cardiff, and then the truck potters round the UK’s Ducati dealers, bringing joy to anyone who fancies a blast. You just need to have a full bike licence and proper riding kit to book a test ride. More details at ducatiuk.com or contact your local Ducati dealer.…

Classic endurance racing is now a big deal, with big entries at prestige events. But for 2018 there are three different organising groups, and three sets of rules. » European Endurance Legends Cup ( eelc.eu ) Eligibility: up to 1300cc, bikes of a type made before Dec ’86. Races: four-hour races, only Sunday Ride has night sessions. Dates: 23-25 March, Sunday Ride, Paul Ricard, France. 12-13 May, Endurance Legends, Donington Park. 7-10 June, Speedweek, Oschersleben, Germany. Plus… another race later in the season. » European Classic Series ( europeanclassicseries.eu ) Eligibility: upto 750/to Dec ’91 (EVO). Up to 1200/to Dec ’84. Races: 2x two hours, daylight Dates: 29 June - 1 July, Bikers Classic, Spa, Belgium. » Bol d’Or Classic ( boldorclassic.com ) Eligibility:…

» 4 April Adventure Spec Quiz Night – hosted by Austin Vince, Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire Purveyors of top-notch ADV kit, Adventure Spec invite you to a night you won’t forget in a hurry. Mondo Enduro man and motorcycle adventure comedian, Austin Vince is booked to host a pub quiz in his own inimitable style. Adults only! For tickets call Adventure Spec on 01422 882997 »24-28 May MACH: Motorcycle & Music Festival, Llanidloes, Wales The brainchild of record-breaking world rider Nick Sanders, this festival is now in its third year and attracting riders to deepest Wales for four days of bands, riding, camping, good food and cheap beer – plus Moped Mayhem. themotorbikefestival.co.uk » 14-17 June The HUBB UK, Wales Horizons Unlimited hosted their original travellers’ meeting over 20 years ago…

» ‘We aim to turn the motorized two-wheeled future upside down,’ says Stefan Ytterborn, founder and CEO of Cake (the man behind POC cycling apparel). The Kalk is Cake’s first model and it’s an, ‘all-electric, high-performance off-road motorcycle designed for exploration and discovery.’ Ytterborn talks of a new off-roading class of bikes growing around these hybrids which fall somewhere between enduro motorcycles and MTB. The Kalk has been engineered from scratch because, ‘mountain bike parts are too weak and motorbike parts too heavy,’ Cake claim. Handling is influenced by downhill and enduro mountain bikes, borrowing much in terms of geometry. There are no gears or clutch, but there are three riding modes: ‘Discover’ tempers acceleration and limits max speed to 28mph, ‘Explore’ is for longer trail rides and ‘Excite’ is…

I’m just wondering if you’ve got a view on how many bikes is too many? Over the past ten years my ‘collection’ has fluctuated between two bikes and eleven. In my experience five feels about right. Any more and you struggle to keep them all in decent shape, and just keeping on top of tax and MoTs is a serious admin problem. But any less and you just haven’t got enough to keep you fully entertained. I need one bike to ride slowly. For me it’s an Enfield Bullet. And I need one bike to ride fast. Currently a 1050 Speed Triple. Then I’ve got two ‘projects’; they’re both Honda NC30s, one of which works, the other is a work in progress. And finally I’ve got an old bus for…

Harley-Davidson Fat Bob Pros: bold looks, serious stomp, new-found handling and performance, surprisingly comfortable. Mega headlight. Cons: heavy, oversize levers feel odd, tyres affect steering. And it’s expensive. Moto Guzzi V9 Bobber Pros: charming, nicely built, pleasing to ride. Got the right badge on the tank and authentic. Cons: with 55bhp it hasn’t the performance of the bigger Triumph, and doesn’t ride as sweetly as Guzzi’s own V7. Triumph Bonneville T120 Pros: most of the visual appeal of Bobber, but with more practicality and better ride quality. Cons: lacks the noise, edginess and connection of the Bobber, doesn’t romp along with quite the same feel.…

Yamaha say the new model has 6% more fork spring rate, and 16% more damping. At the back, it’s 11% more spring, 27% more rebound and 40% more compression. In other words, a big change. But it’s still 1980s technology when all is said and done, a world away from the KTM 790’s WP set-up. Gareth Evans at Reactive Suspension has done many MT-07s and 09s. ‘The spring rate change should be good. Early MT-07s had 0.75kg/mm fork springs. They went up to 0.88kg, but going to 0.93 would suit more people. Springs are £85. For damping, emulators and Traxxion damper rods (£268) would surpass the 2018 model’s performance. As for the shock, it needed a 40% increase in rebound! A K-Tech Razor Lite at £415 would again surpass the…

DROP DOWN VISORS A drop-down visor is now a new lid must-have. The 2007 Caberg Trip was one of the first drop-down visor helmets, but it’s taken a long time for the tech to be used by premium brands like Shoei. They claim their Neotec was the first lid where shell safety wasn’t damaged by the extra visor. Arai still don’t do drop-downs as they claim it impacts safety. And they’re sticking to their guns, despite dwindling sales. RACING OR TOURING Race helmets are purposefully designed to keep the rider cool with as much ventilation as possible, and minimal noise-cancelling features to help keep engine noise audible. Touring lids often feature sound-deadening devices: a soft helmet skirt stops wind noise and cold air on hot days. A GOOD FIT... ...…

In English law there are classes of road user defined by The Highway Code as vulnerable. We are one of them along with cyclists, pedestrians, horse riders and children. The concept extends to the elderly, the disabled and learner drivers. The law, common sense and The Highway Code all sensibly coalesce around treating vulnerable road users with care because they are not in a big steel box. So far, so simple. But what does it mean in practical legal terms. Because the law extends special care to these groups (even though my experience in Court is that judges are slow to extend a higher duty of care to motorcyclists) then other road users need to accommodate their vulnerabilities. Horses and cyclists are perhaps the most contentious. It will not get…

VALENTINE’S DAY »The heart shaped combustion chambers in Moto Morini pistons make them an ideal Valentine’s gift. Hugo gave them to himself. TECH TROIS BAR »Ben steps into Altitude 2050, Val d’Allos. Owner Eric is best friend of Tech 3’s Jonas Folger who loves alcoholic sugar cubes. HOT TIGER SEAT »Unaware that the Tiger’s heated seat was on, Westlake stopped five minutes into his trip, convinced he’d pissed himself. I AM AN ARCHIVIST »Picture library heroine and Giacomo Agostini fan Jacqui Harris is taking time off to have a baby. That calls for doughnuts. Trackdays 10th May, 16th July and 13th September » Only £99 To book please go to bikemagazine.co.uk/trackdays Subscribe Get an Oxford Aqua Roll Bag T50 this month »Worth £64.99 Call 0185843 8884 or go to greatmagazines.co.uk/bike…

‘In one sense, Harley should be praised for going official – many companies don’t ask you to come in’ DEEP IN HARLEY’S 2017 accounts was a ‘recall provision’ of £20.8m, which got financial types twitching as it seemed a lot. And now all becomes clear: Harley have announced the recall of 251,000 bikes because of an ABS problem that could lead to brake failure. As far as we can tell it’s the world’s biggest motorcycle recall. It covers all ABS-equipped Touring, CVO Touring and VSRC machines made from 2008 to 2011 – that’s over 30 models. Inevitably, most of the bikes are in the States. A Harley spokesman told Bike the company did not know how many UK bikes will be recalled. The problem seems to be that if owners…

Save £1244 XJR1300 Racer » Want lusty and treacle-smooth air-cooled engine? Yamaha’s XJR1300 is where it’s at. This is the Racer version with slim tank, solo seat and ally side cover race plate thing. Just wrap some lagging round the headers and you’re sorted. From Padgett’s: 01924 478491. Last one in UK! Suzuki GSX-R750 » This is the only new GSX-R750 left in the UK in the MotoGP colours – there are a few white ones left, but when they’re gone that’s it. These have to be future classics, which explains why the last new ones are at list price (£9999). From HBC: 0115 7749100. Save £1254 Honda CB1000R ABS » The Euro4-compliant bike will be along soon but there are still a few of the old ones left. The…

» 31 March – 2 April BSB Round 1, Donington Park This year’s BSB season opener is also one of three BSB events to feature the new British Talent Cup, the Dorna-supported search for a young racer capable of moving to CEV and Moto3 GPs. The other BSB rounds are Assen and Snetterton. The other Talent Cup rounds are Donington with World Supers plus Silverstone and Valencia GPs. britishtalentcup.com » April 7 Atlanta Short Track, Dixie Speedway, Woodstock, USA It’s certainly not road racing but it’s full-factory combat with Indian battling Harley in that most American of bike sports. If you can’t nip over to Woodstock, GA the good news is fanschoice.tv stream every event in the championship live. The bad news is that you will have to wait until…

» 12-13 May Endurance Legends, Donington Park Four-hour classic endurance race on the Sunday afternoon (second round of the European Endurance Legend Cup). 50 teams, multiple riders. Also rounds of the Lansdowne Classic Series (1950s Brits) and the GP originals (1970s two-strokes), plus parades and track day sessions, star guests and paddock displays. £18 per day on the gate. Cheaper if you buy in advance. endurancelegends.co.uk » 29 June - 1 July Bikers Classics, Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium Big classic racing festival on one of Europe’s legendary circuits. The atmosphere is also assisted by premium-quality Belgian lager and chips with mayonnaise, (don’t argue, they can if they want to) GP parades, displays, star riders and a two-leg, daylight endurance race featuring Team Bike with Honda RC30s and Team Boastie with Suzuki GSX-R750s.…

‘The level of detail here is extraordinary’ LARRY HOUGHTON HAS an enviable track record for building visually stunning and impeccably engineered customs, and the object of my attendance at his Wiltshire HQ today is the typically extraordinary Circus of Speed… ‘I’ve always fancied the old American board-track racers,’ explains Larry, ‘and this is a modern take on one of those which started when I bought a crashed Bonneville off eBay’. The engine was unmarked so Larry and fabrication wizard Tony Taysom set about cradling it in a long, low-ish hardtail chassis using their own-design girder forks and the Bonnie’s rear wheel for their front. But retaining the Thai Triumph’s fuel injection wouldn’t have looked right so Amal Concentrics with long, sexy trumpets were re-jetted to suit and a completely new…

» 7-8 April Flat Track Nationals, Adrian Flux Arena, King’s Lynn King’s Lynn is the lowest speedway track in the United Kingdom (just one metre above sea level). It is also the home to the King’s Lynn Stars and hosts round one of the Dirt Track Riders Association UK Flat Track series. This is a great sport to watch live, give it a try you might well get addicted. I certainly am. dirttrackriders.co.uk » 22 April Bath Classic Scramble, Yaton Keynell, Wilts Classic scrambling is off-road sport for the enthusiasts. The type of people who love their bikes (they must do to keep them running) and love riding them round the more traditional courses spread around the UK. Bikes on trailers, grassy banks, ropes and wooden posts – just like…

THE MT-07 IS A MONSTER hit for Yamaha. All bikes are a balance of raw appeal versus price and the MT occupies the exact centre spot. Below it are cheaper but more dreary bolides. Above are the dream machines that only make sense if you can afford them. No great surprise then that it’s currently the second best-selling bike in Europe (after the BMW R1200GS). I bought an MT-07 in 2014, and I’ve never regretted it. Now 7500 miles and just three chain adjustments old, the bike has absurdly boingy suspension and it’s a bugger to clean. The engine is, however, superb: a perfect blend of low-down grunt, mid-range shove and top-end scream. More importantly the balance and mass centralisation confer a gibbon-like agility which beats anything else I’ve ridden.…

IN THE BEGINNING DEMM was split off from its parent group OPRAM in 1928. The name came from the three owners: Giacomo Daldi, Dino Daldi and Luigi Matteucci (Daldi e Matteucci Milano). DEMM produced precision industrial components such as gears and machine tools. They entered the bike market in 1953 with a 125cc two-stroke and an advanced 50cc two-stroke motor they sold to other companies such as Legnano and Testi. The Dick-Dick was named after the African antelope. THE CONDOR This Condor ST50 sports model dates from 1979 and uses a Minarelli two-stroke engine with a four-speed gearbox, however most of DEMM’s output used their own power units. Their own engine designs included a 75cc OHV unit that was also supplied to Negrini for their Leprotto moped. Some 7000 larger…

» Nolan N60-5 £170 An all-weather value helmet. A removable and washable lining in a sub £200 helmet is rare. Welcome after a hot ride in Italy (Nolan’s base). Pinlock insert included for fog-free cold weather riding, too. 1400g means it’s light for the price. » Arai Renegade V £530 This Arai helmet is, surprisingly, a new shape. Chin vents and bulges suit the urban streetfighter crowd this helmet is aimed at. Smaller side pod should lead to better Sharp rating than the 3-star Rebel it replaces. » Icon Airflite £280 A customisable helmet. The Airflite’s visor extends down over the chin vent, meaning the lid looks completely different with one of the ten different coloured visors. Add £40 to the price for a metallic blue face covering. » Shark…

» 2004 Yamaha FJR1300 Ad says: 29,138 miles. FSH, three-box luggage, heated grips, electric screen. We say: looks clean, but peek under fairing for full story. Genuine luggage worth £450 used and a rare find sans bike. Price: £4000 » 2013 Yamaha FJR1300 Ad says: 4986 miles. Luggage, ABS, heated grips, semi- or full-auto transmission. We say: auto-’box is less desirable than full manual. This is £2000 cheaper than clutch-wearing equivalent. Price: £8695…

Darren Hillyer Director » Heads up Webbs, Peterborough. Always puts customer service first, closely followed by staff morale. Ryan Mills Sales manager » Eight years with Webbs, sixteen years riding motorbikes. His choice machine is a Triumph Speed Triple. Steve Jago Parts manager » Started working for Webbs at the age of sixteen, back in 1979. Loves his Yamaha RD500. Sean Judge Sales consultant » Sean’s sold an impressive 1385 motorcycles in the past ten years. Get in touch Webbs Motorcycles, 18 Flaxley Rd, Peterborough PE2 9FT Tel: 01733 223444 webbsmotorcycles.co.uk…

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. ✱ 37YEARSLATEÉ Ducati’s Panigale V4 isn’t their first bash at a 1000cc four-cylinder road bike. Fabio Taglioni made a V4 from two 500cc Pantah engines in 1981. The ‘Bipantah’ was oversquare, narrow, and made 104bhp (130 in race trim). Cash issues saw it canned in ’82. ✱ CROSSED THIS PATH BEFORE Honda’s Crossrunner is a ‘crossover’ between road and off-road. But…

MY shed contains three bikes I’m very fond of, my wallet is bare, and my significant other is tired of recent buying and selling. Yet the ‘what’s next’ affliction all motorcyclists suffer from means I’m still constantly choosing… Honda XL700V Transalp £2850 Currently the best way of getting Mrs A to sign-off a purchase could be convincing her it’s a sound investment or staggeringly sensible. This Honda Transalp is the latter. These XL700V versions aren’t overly rewarding, yet I’m constantly drawn. With a supple ride, efficient under-stressed V-twin, easy-going handling and run-forever dependability, it’s a do-anything tool. This 2009 bike has endless extras and just 19k miles for £2850 – two grand less than the equivalent BMW F800GS. Derbi Mulhacen Café £1995 Derbi released the Mulhacen 659 in 2006. It…

AS YOU KNOW, MANDELLO DEL LARIO is home to Moto-Guzzi and happily sits beside Lake Como which is encircled by a fantastic, well-maintained and gloriously scenic road. If you don’t fancy riding there over the Alps from the UK – which is actually a blast – it’s easily accessible from Milan and Bergamo airports (and train stations) and you can hire a Guzzi (what else?) from Agostini Mandello (assistenza@agostinimandello.com). The towns at the foot of the lake, Como and Lecco, have hotels aplenty, as there are in the picturesque towns dotted around the lake – Mennagio and Bellagio in particular. The best of the lot, indeed my favourite in all the world, is the Olivedo with its great if unfancy restaurant on the quayside just up the road in Varenna…