Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2018 i BIKE

» We can surely agree that the 1974 Kawasaki Z1 is one of the finest looking motorcycles ever produced. Handsome air- cooled engine, curvy bodywork with that neat tail piece, great colour scheme and shiny four pipe exhaust system. Turn to page 88 for further evidence of aesthetic excellence. You can understand why Kawasaki want to milk it for styling inspiration for their Z900RS retro bike that’s tested on page 76. Even if they did miss off the four pipe exhaust. They missed the feeble brakes and skinny tyres too, but that’s no bad thing. Not everything from the 1970s is worth reproducing. I’m thinking Alvin Stardust tunes and Morris Marinas as well as waterproofs that leak and helmets with rattly visors. Has the whole retro thing gone too far?…

Save £10,005 Kawasaki H2R » This is a 2015 model with zero miles that’s never been run or even PDI’d – the battery is still in its box. New, these 325bhp track-only monsters were £41,000 (they’re £47k now), but you can pick this one up for a trifling £36,995 from Craig’s Honda, 01274 028192. Save £1800 Suzuki V-Strom 650 Trekker » The 650 V-Strom punches way above its weight – it’s a fabulous tourer – yet still gets overlooked. This one has the latest V-Strom beak and a Trekker pannier kit worth £1735. New it’s £8799, but this one’s £6999 from HPC on 0115 8370042. Save £2000 KTM Super Duke GT » Banzai power, superb handling and comfy seat. If you want to tour and duff up superbikes look no…

THIS MONTH Having just taxed my CB400N ’tracker after a winter on SORN I re-learnt a vital lesson about modern ethanol-infused petrol. If it sits in carburettors for a long time it gunges up jets….…

In need of some adventure inspiration on your commute? Adventure Rider Radio is a weekly broadcast from Canada which is also available as a podcast with hundreds of shows available to download. Now in its fourth year, their back catalogue of interviews and topics will satisfy the most obsessive adventure rider, including interviews with famous travellers, technical and riding tips, and stories from every part of the globe. Tune in, turn on, hit the road… adventureriderradio.com…

» 13-15 July Goodwood Festival of Speed, Sussex Astonishingly celebrating its 25th year, this is an extraordinary event. I’ll be there on the Friday. goodwood.com 1939-2018 »13-14 July Ivan Beezumph Rally, Anglesey Circuit 50th anniversary of the Triumph Trident/BSA Rocket 3, so big plans from the owners club at their annual track bash. I might be there Saturday. beezumph.com » 13-15 July Dragstalgia, Santa Pod, Bedford Gratuitous nostalgia from the glory days of British drag racing at the historic Santa Pod raceway. dragstalgia.co.uk » 14-15 July Race of the South, Walderstown, Ireland Irish road race includes a couple of classic classes. Bike’s Peter Boast will be taking part. See you in the beer tent on Sunday? motorcycling-ireland.com » 15 July Ton-up Day, Jack’s Hill Café, Towcester Grease up the quiff,…

» 7-8 June Manxduro 2018, Douglas, IOM If you missed visiting the Isle of Man during TT week then the two day British Championship enduro gives you a second bite. Following the course is a great way to explore the island on trail or adventure bikes. Manxman Danny McCanney will start as favourite. southernmcc.co.uk » 24-28 July Red Bull Romaniacs, Sibiu, Romania The world’s toughest multi-day hard enduro happens in the heat of summer with man-made madness on the streets of a Transylvanian town for the prologue (tune in live on RedBullTV). The following four days explore a stunning European wilderness where bears and vampires (possibly) live. redbullromaniacs.com…

Panniers Black or silver finish available. Top-opening design means pants don’t fall over the road, but it can be awkward to get to the bottom. Clasps are fiddly till you’re used to operating them. £590. Top box Big enough to take a full-face peaky adventure hat, plus gloves, note from mother, etc. Easy to mount and remove and the lock has a neat rubber cover to stop muck making it graunchy. £310. Pannier mounts Sturdy, look the part, but it seems silly to design an adventure bike that needs a separate framework to attach the panniers many buyers will want. Except it’s extra revenue. £265. Top box mount Sliding carriage with an inch or so of play to the left and right, so the top box effectively hangs-off into the…

It’s expensive, but so’s a BMW HP4 Race. It’s heavy, but so’s a Honda GoldWing. It has a short range, but so does a Harley-Davidson 48. The Energica proves that electric bikes can be desirable in the same way that a conventional bike can be, with acceleration and cornering thrills combined with ownership pride. It won’t be the only future, but it’ll be one of them. Buy one and we salute you, the rest of us will wait a few years for lower cost, lower weight and improved range.…

‘The BMW draws more onlookers than the others combined’ BEAUTIFULLY ACCESSORISED MOTORBIKE or bling, option-filled, monstrosity? Unfortunately for the BMW, all four testers agree with the latter. Hugo: ‘It’s a trinket.’ Paul: ‘Reminds me of a retired gangster, all gold chains and sunburn,’ Steve: ‘Restraint? I can’t see any here.’ The accessory billet parts and gold pinstriping that are the root of this criticism are part of the Option 719 Club Sport Billet Pack, which adds £2550 to the nineT’s price. £3500 if you include the painted fuel tank. There’s certainly no doubting the quality of the parts. Look closely to spot milled lines, fine-tune lever position and work through a ridiculous 12 footpeg adjustments. There’s even a milled belt cover hidden behind the front wheel. Early R nineTs had…

» Something nasty has crawled into our world, bringing with it hipsters and vacuous fakery. The nasty thing is called nostalgia. The word was coined in 1688 to define as a ‘mental disorder’ the homesickness felt by Swiss mercenaries fighting abroad. It was thought to be caused by brain damage from hearing cowbells constantly clanging. Today’s frenzied nostalgia means big business flogging people a bogus past. Pointy-heads at the Henley Centre for Futures predicted this trend some 15 years ago. They foresaw how our world of ever-accelerating change would draw people to obsolete objects and styles as emblems of steadier times (even though those times were never actually steady). The guitar business is awash with it. Fender and Gibson are raking millions from selling big-ticket ‘relic’ guitars that look like…

’03 Triumph Speed Triple 955i Ad says: 21,876 miles. Replaced handlebar, crash bobbins, belly pan. We say: early Speed Triples are great value but check servicing history, the rear hub and inspect for crash damage. Price: £2500 2007 Triumph Speed Triple Ad says: 5628 miles. Excellent condition, colour-coded belly pan, adjustable levers, MoT till 2019. We say: 400 miles from a service point. Check if scuffs on clutch cover indicate a fall. Price: £4999…

Senior partner at White Dalton Solicitors with 20 years of legal experience If you have a modular or flip-up helmet warm weather can tempt you into riding flipped up, as it does most of the Metropolitan Police in the summer. But is it legal? The answer is that it is not illegal, and this is not me taking a jurisprudential point. In English and Welsh law, which is a common law system, everything is legal unless it is made unlawful. Because Road Traffic law is governed entirely by Parliament the law is contained within statute. Statute is interpreted strictly and, this may come as a surprise, in favour of the accused. If you want to delve into the law it is contained in a short 1998 Statutory Regulation. ‘If you…

I LOVE MY OLD 1993 Ducati Monster. That’s despite the hard suspension, grabby clutch, awful turning circle and low speed stuttering. For the last 25 years all Monsters have the same DNA... that’s Ducati Niggly Attributes. People refer to this as character, passion or even the thrill of riding. Actually they’re just irritants, and I wanted to believe that the new 821 would finally turn these family-tree traits into a cracking little usable bike. Opening the garage and the wow factor is evident. Hit the starter button and the twin rumble still makes my neck hair perky. Once aboard the reach forward seating position feels like my favourite armchair. Then you move. Until the engine’s hot you can stall if not careful with the clutch. Bumpy B-roads will have your…

Hugo Wilson This month: ‘It’s a brilliant thing,’ raved Wilson of Energica’s Eva Esse Esse9 when it arrived at Bike . ‘So it is,’ agreed Langy before the pair of them descended into talk of recharging and range. So, what is really going on here…? Electric bike rational, page 62 John Naish This month: ‘I used quite happily to be a wobbling obsolescence. Now more likely I’ll be taken for a buffoon who has overpaid for a relic.’ Naish caught the Z1 bug back in the ’80s, aged 19. He knows about ‘the nasty thing called nostalgia’. Z1 versus Z900RS, page 88 Peter Boast This month: Bike’s Boastie and tea enthusiast Guy Martin had a lovely day out at Donington with the rest of their friends in the Team Lincolnshire…

WHEN VIDEO emerged of a rider folding the front on a patch of gravel and then being saved by a jet of air, we were skeptical. Especially as the jet appears to shove the bike down, rather than lift it back up again. But the footage is real – it was taken at a Bosch test facility and featured a prototype system that rapidly increases grip when the sensors report impending doom. So could this possibly make its way onto a production bike? And if there are jet thrusters now, what’s going to be keeping us out of hedges in ten years time? Bike tracked down the engineer in charge of Bosch’s motorcycle safety projects, Dr Fevzi Yildirim. ‘The thruster was a research project to demonstrate…

‘Peter is crap at starts and good on worn tyres’ HANDS DOWN PETER Hickman is the hardest working man in bike racing. As well as his brace of TT wins, this year he will race his Smith’s BMW in BSB and on the roads, a Triumph for the Supersport races, then another S1000 for the Endurance World Championship with German team, NRT48. Hickman – Hicky to everyone in the paddock and grandstands – has an uncommon ability to change mindset from short circuit to road mode almost instantly. He refers to it with Olympic-standard understatement as ‘the difficult part’. Which hasn’t stopped him winning in BSB, Macau, the NW200 and the Isle of Man. In endurance, his team is one of the top-notch independents that can aim for the podium…

» 13–16 July Harley-Davidson In The City, Brechin, Aberdeen The town of Brechin, just south of Aberdeen, is the place to be if you’re a Harley owner up north. Not only will you be celebrating its connection with the founding Davidson family, you’ll also get a righteous weekend of food, drink, music and especially the custom competition. Great riding country, too. hditc.co.uk » 27–29 July Rottarelli, Mikkeli, Finland This annual festival is located on the shores of beautiful Lake Saimaa and if you’ve never experienced a glorious Finnish summer – and the enthusiasm Finnish bikers embrace it with – then this is a good reason to give it a go. Great riding and a break from the norm can’t ever be a bad thing… mcroadrates.com » 11–12 August DTRA Dirt-track…

» 20-22 July Horizons Unlimited Travellers Meeting, Ecuador Ecuador has long been a popular spot on the Pan-American rider’s route. So it was only a matter of time before a Horizons Unlimited meeting happened there. Set up by local rider and hotelier, Raúl Guarderas, it takes place at his fabulous Sierra Alisos-Hotel de Campo, a mountain getaway not far from the capital, Quito. horizonsunlimited.com/events » 10-12 August The Adventure Travel Film Festival, London The festival hosts an extravaganza of motorcycle related action this year, from two French musicians riding the Silk Road on their Enfields to Steph Jeavons talking about her recent RTW ride ( Bike , May ’18), plus a chance to test out the latest Hondas and give them a whirl off-road. Hosted by Austin Vince and yours…

IT IS ONE of the biggest questions in off-road motorcycling: which bike is best, two or four-stroke? The definitive answer depends on many things, but nothing convinces quite like a test ride. KTM continue to build class leading 250cc machines in both engine configurations and their launch of the 2019 motocross range at Malagrotta, near Rome provides the perfect opportunity to scrutinise… With its tiny engine nestled inside a better handling 2019 chassis, the 250 SX is everything a two-stroke MX bike should be: buzzy, punchy, exciting and ready to be flung into corners with no engine braking. Weighing in at just 95kg it is God’s gift to agility. A carbed 250 two-stroke has been dirt bike racing’s staple machine for 40, or more, years and is still a cause…

PERFORMANCE TESTING An easy bike to launch with good feel from the clutch. But it’s heavy especially braking into single figures with the front end loaded. FACTS AND FIGURES Nobody gets away with sporty geometry like Triumph – the Tiger 1200 is a tall and seriously weighty tourist with the rake of a sharp sports 600, yet somehow it stays stable. That more than ample wheelbase helps. POWER AND TORQUE This is what a fairly low-stressed motor and umpteen hours of refining does: a torque curve smoother than the village bowling green and a power trace utterly devoid of lumps. It means there’s pretty much peak torque anywhere from 3500 to 8000rpm. TYRES Metzeler’s Tourance Next is standard fitment. It’s classed as a dual-purpose tyre, but other than slightly deeper…

‘It’s whippet quick… Ridden fast the RS feels right’ CRITICS COMPLAIN THE RS is just another modern motorcycle in funny old clothes. Their thinking: this RS is to Kawasaki’s Z900 as Yamaha’s XSR is to the MT-09. Working out which is best is a foregone conclusion. In Bike’s September 2018 group test the MT trounced Kawasaki’s middleweight Z, so what’s stopping the same thing happening today? Firstly, the RS is more than a dressed-up Z900. There’s a new, slimmer frame to support the teardrop tank, and a shallower subframe to take the new ducktail rear. In the 948cc inline-four you’ll find a heavier crank and flywheel, and revised cam profiles and gear ratios. The bigger crank needs a bigger balancer shaft to keep vibration under control, too. The internal changes…

‘On the family farm in Derbyshire was a barn full of old British motorbikes. “Why not do it on the BSA?” Tom’s old man suggested. Why not…’ THERE WAS NO pivotal moment or moment of inspiration that led to our trip through Central and South America. We had no point to prove. But we wanted to travel more and we knew a motorbike was by far the best way to do it. What was even more certain was that in our mid-twenties, having spent the last few years travelling, we didn’t have thousands of pounds to buy a new adventure motorcycle and our Honda CD250U wasn’t going to cut it. Fortunately, on the family farm in Derbyshire, was a barn full of old British motorbikes. ‘Why not do it on…

Price £7499 otr Engine 885cc, liquid-cooled 12v three Power 98bhp Torque 61.3 lb.ft Top speed 135.2mph Rake/trail 27˚/105mm Wheelbase 1490mm Dry weight 209kg Seat height 790mm Tank size 25 litres Economy 43mpg (tested) Colours black, orange, yellow Bike verdict The Triple could grind its pegs into dust at the merest snifter of a dry corner. Triumphs never used to be this bonkers. Revitalised steering, storming 885cc triple, superb finish and detail. Bike rating 9/10…

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. ✱ ALMOST… BUT NOT QUITE Aprilia’s rapid, finicky, gorgeous RSW defined the 250cc GPs. We all know it was the bike to beat… except Honda’s usable NSR was actually superior. Before the last season in 2009 both Aprilia and Honda had ten titles – and Hiroshi Aoyama won the title at the last round, making the NSR more successful. ✱ DO…

HJC RPHA70 helmet £350 » I pitched forwards so the helmet hit the ground first. Notice the 10cm-diameter white impact crater on the right forehead and the scratched visor. There is an internal drop-down visor that still works fine. Knox back protector £40 » Long Level 1 back protector held in place with a Knox armoured shirt. Marks on my back show the protector’s triangular pattern, so my back was hit. Back and ribs ached. I’m upgrading to Level 2 back, rib and chest protection. Held Yagusa jacket » Scratches cover the plastic/titanium armour and the forearm leather is worn. Grass stains slant across the rear. Nowhere has the leather been holed, and there aren’t even any cracks in the beaten-up shoulder armour. Amazing. Held Yagusa pants » Slight marks…

VALENTINO ROSSI » ‘Go to the opening of the new Dainese museum, in Italy,’ we told him. ‘And come back with something good…’ HARD HATS »Let’s photograph the retros test (p76) at King’s Lynn docks came the cry. We’ll get to wear hi-viz. Strike a pose… EMBROIDERY »Esther Wilson’s BA in Embroidery from the Royal College of Needlework comes to the rescue. Page 88. THANKS ABP KING’S LYNN »Associated British Ports for their patience, hard hats and hi-viz. » ABPORTS.CO.UK Trackdays 16 July and 13 September » Only £99 To book please go to bikemagazine.co.uk/trackdays Subscribe Get the next three issues of Bike for just £3 Call 0185843 8884 or go to greatmagazines.co.uk/bike Free issue Get a free issue of Bike on your tablet or phone. See our latest…

» 29 July Suzuka 8 Hours, Suzuka, Japan The final round of the Endurance World Championship but more importantly the single most important race in the world as far as the Japanese factories are concerned. Fast returning to its old grandeur, the 8H sees Yamaha defending their run of three wins in a row against the first factory Honda effort for years. All that plus a good sprinkling of BSB and World Superbike riders, notably Leon Haslam and Jonathan Rea on the factory Kawasaki. Watch live on Eurosport. suzukacircuit.jp/8tai_en » 28-29 July Barry Sheene Festival, Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough Lots of road-racing stars hammering around Britain’s quirkiest track, a short circuit with the character of a road circuit – what’s not to like? You would be forgiven for assuming it’s the…

‘To prove we were serious we went from London to Lands End, to John O’Groats and back to London on 125s, with L-plates, in December’ » Where are you right now? Marasibit, Kenya. Just had roast goat and African sausage (stuffed intestine). Amazing! » Tell us about ‘As Seen From The Sidecar’ … It is the first ever circumnavigation of the globe on a scooter with a sidecar. The journey will take us through 50 countries on five continents. We were inspired by the many negative stories in the news that stereotyped large groups of people around the world. We were fed up seeing people from different walks of life being misrepresented. So, we came up with the idea of going to all corners of the globe to remind everyone…

It was good to read, in the July issue, that you are looking forward to testing the new Energica electric bike, and I also liked seeing the battery-powered Zero in the November ’17 issue. The latter is my daily ride – I have covered 10,000 miles on it since last June and it makes me grin. I bought it for my 33-mile daily commute, in all weathers and on A and B-roads through rural Warwickshire. I usually arrive home with between 10 and 20% battery left, depending on head-wind and how much stick I give it. I only charge it up at home for seven hours or so, which costs about a quid. An app on my phone allows me to set parameters such as maximum speed and regenerative braking.…

‘You couldn’t have taken this picture last year because there was a bush and a bank right where I’m standing’ KATE’S COTTAGE This is Dean Harrison on his way to winning the second Supersport race. You couldn’t have taken this picture last year because there was a bush and a bank right where I’m standing and the marshals wouldn’t let me stand there, but they’ve moved the driveway so you can get back a bit now. This was the only race Dean won, which must have been frustrating for him. He broke the lap record from a standing start in the Superbike race, but then broke down, and he led the Senior for five and a half laps before Peter Hickman beat him over The Mountain. KATE’S COTTAGE BATHROOM Georgina…

BMW R1200RT Pros: car-like wind protection, five-star opulence, loads of optional gizmos, yet still has the character, handling and response. Cons: huge fairing makes it look bigger than it actually is and puts shorties off. Kawasaki Versys Pros: addictive short-geared four-cylinder thrust, chirpy handling, amazing comfort, and super-easy to use. Underrated and cheap, too. Cons: won’t hold its value like the Triumph (or a BMW), and hasn’t the rufty-tufty image. Yamaha XT1200ZE Super Tén Pros: bombproof, loads of creature comforts, shaft drive, superb build quality. The sort of bike you’ll end up keeping for 20 years. Cons: not as fast as the latest equivalents from Triumph and BMW.…

The experts John Frears Hogg Rode all the way from the United Kingdom to Australia on a Yamaha XT550. Jacqui Furneaux Spent seven years travelling through 20 countries. Knows her kit. Steph Jeavons Just returned from a four-year, seven-continent ride. Jon Pearson Extreme enduro racer and Bike’s dirt expert. Knows what works. Lois Pryce Bike’s travel editor is never far from her next adventure. Chris Scott Author of the Adventure Motorcycling Handbook. Desert expert. PLUS Paul Lang, Ben Lindley, Hugo Wilson and Steve Herbert…

1994 Triumph Speed Triple T3 Carbed engine, steel frame, just five gears, and heavy to boot. Engine and chassis from Triumph Trident and Daytona. Spawned one-make race series. Six-speed ’box added in 1996. 750 Speed Triples produced in 1997. 885cc – 209kg dry – 98bhp – £1000-£10,000 ’97 Triumph Speed Triple T509 Same capacity as the T3, but now with alloy frame, plastic petrol tank and upgraded engine with more power. The first Speed Triple to have bug-eyed headlamps and a flat handlebar. Early T5s still sport clip-ons. 885cc – 198kg dry – 108bhp – £1500-£4000 ’99 Triumph Speed Triple 955i New engine and swingarm from the Daytona 955i, but visually identical to T5. Triumph changed engines in 2002 – it’s a complete package redesign with alternator and sprag clutch…

» Givi Xstream XS307 tank bag £171 Superb quality tank bag with Tanklock connection for easy fitting and removal. The Tanklock connection means the bag sits proud of the tank so minimising scratches. This XS307 expands to 15 litres and includes a fluorescent waterproof cover with transparent top for map reading, a tablet holder (who uses paper maps nowadays?) and shoulder strap. Tanklock mount costs extra. » Kriega US-20 £99 A fully-waterproof roll-top 20-litre pack. It attaches to the bike using a hook-strap system that attaches to the subframe under the pillion seat. Once the straps are on the bike, the bag easily clips into the four straps. The 5-litre pack is £55, the 10-litre £69 and 30-litre £119, all of which attach to one another, and to Kriega’s hard…

It’s around West Bilney that it stops being an unconscious squirm and becomes distracting discomfort. I’m about an hour and forty minutes into a two-hours-something thrum to Norfolk and though I’ve no complaints about the ’bar position or wind protection or ride quality, our BMW R1200GS Rallye is being unkind to my legs. Part of it’s my fault for having comedy stork-like limbs, but the GS is big – I shouldn’t feel squidged. Knees have had enough and my bumcakes have gone numb by the time I’m getting confused on the new Norwich northern bypass. And then the penny drops. The seat’s adjustable. Pop the key into the lock on the left-side of the bike, and turn to the left to release the rider’s perch (turning right uncatches the pillion…