Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2015 i BIKE

The closing date for this year’s Bike Travel Stories competition has come and gone and the judges are hard at work picking winners for the three categories: words, photographs and video. Each category winner gets a Garmin sat-nav while the overall winner will be heading to Peru courtesy of Adventure Peru Motorcycling (perumotorcycling.com). Check out the August issue (on sale 24 June) for our free Travel Stories competition supplement. The Peru trip will appear in Bike early next year.…

WHILE SOME PEOPLE are happy to repurpose old, dull-for-their-day machines as presentable yet mild café racers or bobbers, others prefer taking current items and turning them into the baddest power monsters imaginable. One such other is Zach Johnson of Kendall Johnson Customs, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. His 120 cubic inch (1966cc) ’05 Harley-Davidson Dyna-based creation runs a supercharger and knocked out a huge 321bhp on the dyno. All this is impressive enough if it didn’t look a million dollars too. Paint is by Copperhead Graphics and the significance of the 49? ‘I just asked him to paint a number on – any number,’ said Zach. So if you reckon Zach’s more fixed on the workings than the decoration you’d be right. Fuel is fired via a 58mm throttle body into…

THE TRIALS WORLD Championship got under way with yet another win for Toni Bou on a Honda. OK so no surprise there, but what did get people talking at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit was the second place man. Also riding a Honda and from Japan Takahisa Fujinami (Fujigas), the veteran rider who has been competing in the world championship for 20 years, took runner-up. Fujinami said after the race: ‘The feeling when I finished was amazing.’ The overall standings after the two-day event saw Bou out front with 40 points, Jeroni Fajardo second with 32 and Fujinami third with 30 points. The second round of the Trial World Championship takes place in Sokolov, Czech Republic 30-31 May.…

Hugo Wilson ‘Jamie’s snoring is something I’m unlikely to forget’ » The Lexmoto was great. All I did was take the mirrors off and take the tyres down to 18psi. A 21” front wheel would have been nice. Langy’s face every time we exaggerated the difficulties was an absolute picture. And the fact he looked like a traffic cop helped too. Standing with Chippy watching MG and Langy go through a swamp when it was easier to just ride along the bank was a high point. And we couldn’t say anything because we wanted the pictures. Bakewell tarts were good too. Mike Armitage ‘I am the victor. It’s the right decision of course’ » Doubts were more than nagging when I parked the not-so-mighty Yamasaki between Langy’s semi-exotic…

» By: Me » Trip: UK to, hopefully, South Africa in 2015 I’m not doing this trip to prove a point about the cost of motorbike travel or to sneer at those who do it in style. A meagre amount is all the money I have. So I either go on the cheap or don’t go. The idea, then, is to load up the Tengai and head south. When I’ve gone under one sea and over another I should be in Africa. Then keep heading south until I run out of Africa. Or run out of money. Or the Tengai runs out of go. In fact, my bare wallet dictates I head down through West Africa, because since ferries stopped running to Egypt there is no vaguely affordable way to…

» BMW R1200R Sport Total mileage: 1023 Tyres: Michelin Pilot Road 4 Price: £11,060 otr Story this month: Trying to snap Mikey’s forearms with its powerful front brake. » Kawasaki Z1000 Total mileage: 7253 Tyres: Conti RoadAttack2 EVO Price: £9632 otr Story this month: Installed comedy screen that looks like a hat and tested it out riding to and from various airports. » KTM 1050 Adventure Total mileage: 695 Tyres: Metzeler Tourance Next Price: £10,999 otr Story this month: Up to North Yorkshire for a bit of work and then some general arsing around after the job. » Lexmoto Adrenaline SR Total mileage: 447 Tyres: Kingstone Price: £1499.99 otr Story this month: After acquitting itself remarkably well in the Fracas Rally (p46) the Lexy is now plying the A1 (with…

This month: Yamaha FZ1 Other bikes ridden: Kawasaki Z1000 Miles ridden this month: 365 CHOPPING INTO THE perfectly good wiring loom of a bike you need to ride the next day is always something I try to avoid. I know my own skills well enough to realise it could go badly wrong on so many levels. But still, standing over the FZ1 Fazer’s tail unit with wire cutters in one hand and part of the loom in the other, I’m confident. The reason for this electrical daredevilry is a satnav. For months I have been blundering across London with my phone’s satnav shouting in my ear, usually just a fraction too late for me to make the turn. I tried putting the phone in a tank bag, but this kept…

This month: Honda RC30 Other bikes ridden: Team Bike 1983 CB1000R Miles ridden: 66 (Cadwell Park x 30 laps) THERE’S ONLY ONE CB1000R (see above)and it’s Team Bike’s 1983 CB1100R with a 980cc RSC (pre-HRC Racing Service Centre) kit. ‘I gave it a run out at Cadwell and got three wins, mind you the grid was pretty empty,’ said Ian Martin, Team Bike’s main spanner man. ‘The Bol-bound RC30’s getting a good going over, re-routing the breather pipe, fitting the new wheels and brakes (see last month), checking valve clearances. We’ll give it a good test run, probably at Mallory Park, Wednesday afternoon and it might get a run out at Goodwood Festival, but that’s not confirmed yet,’ he said. So, it’s all taking shape for THE BIG EVENT of…

FRAME GAME Steel tube trellis is based on the 390 Duke, but has a steeper 23.5-degree head angle, less trail and a stumpier wheelbase for sportier handling. More ground clearance, too. Aluminium swingarm has all its bracing webs on show. FUN BEING SINGLE Oversquare 373cc liquid-cooled, four-stroke single with four valves, as used in the 390 Duke. Uses the same ‘force feed’ lubrication as the RC8R, with oil pushed in and sucked out. Nikasil liner houses a forged piston, and there’s a balance shaft to keep things smooth. STYLING Fairing uses new twin headlights and a screen that extends down to provide windows in the fairing sides. The seat unit looks like it’s a solo affair but actually acts as the pillion seat too. Different 10-litre steel fuel tank to…

620 miles: change oil and filter, check the valve clearances (!), safety checks. 4650 miles: change oil and filter, change air filter, safety checks. 9300 miles: change oil and filter, change air filter, check valve clearances, change spark plugs, safety checks. 13,950 miles: as 4650. 18,600 miles: as 9300. In addition: new front and rear brake fluid every two years; change the engine coolant every four years. Check suspension every service and ‘perform a fork and shock absorber service as needed’. Right you are.…

This slender tool is the latest Chinese device from WK Bikes. Ignore its lack lustre Trail 400 name – this not-so-giant trailie could be the perfect antidote to all the overweight, overpriced and overspec’d adventure bikes. Cheerful thrumming comes from a 397cc air-cooled single with balance shaft, based on Honda’s stout XR400 engine. Wheels are proper trail-ready sizes (21in front, 18in rear) and hang on long-travel suspension, with a view-finding 890mm seat height and digi dash. The 18-litre tank should give a range of almost 250 miles, and options include aluminium boxes and crash protection. Best bit? The Trail 400 is just £3899. In WK dealers mid-June.…

Supermotos: bare-bones, harsh creations based on off-roaders, long promised as the next big thing but unable to offer mainstream appeal. Husqvarna: long-established Swedish marque with a history of puddle-jumpers, who said they were ditching road bikes when swallowed up by KTM two years ago. Yet despite these facts, Husqvarna are going to build the road-legal 701 Supermoto. Seen as a concept at last year’s show, it’s powered by the 690cc single from KTM’s Enduro R (tested at 63bhp), and features three engine maps – standard, soft and advanced. There’s also a ‘bad fuel’ map to let it run on 80-octane dishwater. Suspension is WP (another KTM brand), and ABS is standard. Unusually for a ’moto there’s a proper-sized fuel tank, with 19 litres sloshing under the seat – at the…

AT A TIME when lesser teams in football (around the globe) and Formula 1 are begging for more cash to keep them competing, MotoGP rights-holders Dorna are set to become the biggest sponsors of the poorer end of the MotoGP grid. In truth, the back end of the premier-class grid has always been struggle street, with teams limping along on minimal sponsorship, but with costs continually rising and income falling ever since the global financial crisis dawned, something had to be done, and quickly. Dorna certainly don’t want the grid to shrink to 2011 levels when some races had just 15 starters on the grid, so they’ve fronted up to the fact there’s only one way to maintain a full grid: dig deep into their pockets. What they will do…

29/30/31 May Italian MotoGP, Mugello Drop everything! Pack three pairs of undies, six pairs of socks, four T-shirts and book the ferry/train and get yourself to Mugello. With Valentino Rossi back to his very best for the first time in years, this will be an unforgettable event. Never will a 900-mile ride have been so worthwhile. 17/18/19 July Brands Hatch BSB April’s Brands BSB round was held on the short Indy circuit. In July it’s the Grand Prix circuit, one of the world’s best racetracks. What a shame MotoGP doesn’t dare race there. In Rossi’s absence be there to see if April’s double winner James Ellison can beat reigning champ Shane Byrne. 18/19/20 September Bol d’Or 24 hours, Circuit Paul Ricard If you were a Bol regular in the Circuit…

5-7 June Back to Basics Rally Pre-75 bikes, camping only and no vans, cars, caravans on site. The idea is to recreate the spirit of an old style rally. Upton-on-Severn. rayjay110@hotmail.com 20-21 June Barry Sheene Festival Expect everything from Norton singles to Suzuki XR69s. And Peter Boast on last year’s Team Bike Yamaha OW-01. Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough. £20 on the gate. auto66.com 21 June Banbury Run The biggest gathering of pre-1931 bikes in the world, and they’ll all be running. £8 entry. Gaydon, Warwickshire. banbury-run.co.uk…

» Air compressor: machine that takes energy produced in a coal-burning power station 200 miles away and turns it into compressed air that travels to an impact driver that grips rusty bolts last tightened 40 years ago in Meriden – and rounds them off. » Bolt and stud extractor: tool that snaps off in bolt holes and is ten times harder than any known drill bit. » Pillar drill: tall, upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings your beer across the room. » Hacksaw: one of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija Board principle; transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its…

» The base model XR is £12,400 which comes with ABS (but not the cornering version), ASC (Automatic Stability Control – the upright version of BMW’s traction control) and Road and Rain riding modes (the latter having softer throttle response, lower power and earlier ABS and ASC cut-in points). The XR Sport (£13,645) comes with DTC (Dynamic Traction Control uses lean angle sensors so you can gas it out of corners ), ABS-Pro (cornering ABS), Gear Shift Assist Pro (a quickshifter up and down gears), Riding Modes Pro (Rain and Road plus Dynamic (fast dry road) and Dynamic Pro (track)), cruise control, heated grips, daytime riding lights and LED indicators. The SE (£14,750) is the Sport with all the touring options too – Dynamic ESA (semi-active suspension), plus panniers, centrestand…

Hugo Wilson editor 2015 Lexmoto Adrenaline 125 » 125cc » 11bhp » 65mph » £1499.99 Mike Armitage new bikes editor 2012 Yamasaki 125 » 124cc » 8bhp » 55mph » £685 Mark Graham production editor 1975 CZ 175 Trail » 172cc » 15bhp » 62mph » £600 Paul Lang art director 1998 Honda CR250 » 249cc » 34bhp » 90mph » £2000 Jamie Duncan travel correspondent 2012 KTM 690 Enduro R » 653cc » 63bhp » 100mph » £4000 Chippy Wood photographer 2003 Honda XR650 » 644cc » 47bhp » 95mph » £1800…

ON TRACK: We knew this would be good – James rode the R1 at the launch and came back raving, and Bike’s editor Hugo piled on the road miles last month and was just as complimentary. But how would it feel compared with the might of the Panigale, S1000RR and H2? Answer: brilliant. ‘When I got on the R1 it immediately felt level, hard and composed, and I don’t remember it feeling like that at the launch. But after a lap or so when you’re starting to hit the brakes harder it starts to make sense. I can imagine it would feel hard on the road, but here on the track it feels so, so sorted. ‘It feels tiny, but not cramped – there’s enough room to move about. It…

WEIGHT OF EXPECTATION The 1954 Juno K was Honda’s first scooter and quite advanced for the time. It featured an electric starter although not the first on a scooter – Ducati’s Cruiser predated it by two years. It had faired-in indicators, a full windscreen and was the first Japanese vehicle to use a Fibre-Reinforced Plastic body. The original K model was quickly followed by the KA (seen here) and the KB, but only 5980 were produced in 18 months. The K’s 189cc OHV motor only made 7.5bhp at 4800rpm and tended to overheat. And the heavy FRP bodywork resulted in a weight of 170kg, clumsy handling and poor performance. The 220cc KA & KB produced 9hp at 5500rpm and weighed 195kg and 160kg. NOW WITH THREE DELIVERY Nearly all the…

This month: BMW R1200R Other bikes ridden: Suzuki GT200 X5, KTM RC390, Yamasaki 125 Miles ridden this month: 1565 WANT GIZMOS? Our R1200R has everything except bar-mounted lasers and in-built microwave. And we could probably specify those. As well as the digital dash, ASC (auto stability control) and ABS of the base R1200R, the £1245 premium for this Sport gets Gear Shift Assist Pro, for clutchless changes up and down the gearbox and natty auto-blip. There are extra riding modes. And our bike has optional Dynamic ESA, automatically adjusting damping and letting you adjust preload with a button. Heated grips and tyre pressure monitoring, too. With tech watching over grip, bounce and response, making use of the updated R1200R feels super-safe. With the latest GS engine, new frame and upside-down…

This month: Honda CB400N Other bikes ridden: Honda CBX750-F (with speed limit warning light) Miles ridden: 9 A HIATUS IN MY street-tracker build occasioned by the inevitable ‘unforeseen problems’ gave me time to replace the dashboard on my CBX750-F which, being a Jap grey import has a kph speedo. Figuring this’d be a simple swap, I bought a UK (mph) version from a garden-shed scrapper but only when I took the existing one off and compared its backside to the intended replacement did I realise the trouble ahoy. Unusually comprehensive for the early ’80s, they feature ammeters and fuel gauges as well as speedo, tacho and copious idiot lights, but the Jap version has taillight and speed-limit (?!) warning lights meaning the loom emerging from behind the bikini fairing wouldn’t…

This month: KTM 1050 Adv. Other bikes ridden: Honda XR650, CZ 175 Trail (towed) Miles ridden this month: 775 THERE’S NOTHING QUITE LIKE a closed road, especially when the fresh, hot, black tarmac is still steaming on a warm spring afternoon. It’s April in the Yorkshire Dales. The workman packing up the tarmac laying machine says, ‘OK road open mate, have a good time.’ You can’t plan these moments. KTM 1050, the B6270 from Nateby to Richmond and an empty road. Nirvana on the ever-changing ribbon of sticky black stuff, with open moorland sweeping left and right, up and down, it’s difficult to keep the front wheel on the ground, (traction control turned off of course). It’s a nuisance having to turn it off and an utter pain sometimes as…

Paul Lang Art Director Bike’s resident sportsbike fan and expert in all things jet wash. Stole the KTM for rapid late night commutes and a spot of sunny weekend B-road blasting. Hugo Wilson Editor From winter trudging to and from the office, to brisk backwater dashing – Hugo’s ridden the RC in most situations and reignited his passion for smaller bikes. Mike Armitage New Bikes Editor Mike’s stuck the most miles onto the digital dash, in busy town centres, flat-stick down country roads, and even commuted in the snow. Yes, really, the fool.…

Kawasaki 300 Ninja The KTM is what it is, but the Ninja tries to pass itself off as something bigger, flasher. It works: ZX family styling fools the uninitiated into thinking it’s a 600, and the revvy twin loves heavy-handed use. Not as punchy at low speed as the RC, but smoother, less toy like and better presented. Price: £4892 otr Yamaha YZF-R3 Based on the 249cc R25 sold in the Asian market, the new R3 looks like an old R6, with a 321cc parallel twin making a claimed 41bhp and a chassis spec that’s similar to the Ninja 300 and less impressive (on paper) than the KTM. We’ve just had our first trundle – see more on p10. Price: £4892 otr Honda CBR300R It’s the previous CBR250R with a…

» John Cooper: I’d buy Phil Read some cigarettes and two nights in a decent hotel. » Charlie Williams: I’d buy some bike gear for my two nine-year-old grandsons, the rest I’d spend on bits for my workshop. Maybe a lathe even. » Cooper: I know where there’s a Myford ML7 lathe for £250. » Williams: That’s exactly what I want. » Cooper: I reckon it’s about £250, but this other chap we met reckoned it was £500 easy. » Steve Webster: Is it one of those portable ones? » Coop: It’d take some carrying. » Webbo: That’s £800. Easy. » Williams: Steady on pal. » Cooper: You can’t manage without one, can you? » Williams: My two friends are going to help me out on this. » Webbo: I’m…

I have to declare an interest straight away: I took and passed my IAM test in 1989 at the age of 21, and never returned to the IAM. I start on the basis that the IAM/ RoSPA advanced road craft means the rider is less likely to get into trouble and, on at least three occasions, riding to an approximation of IAM style has saved my sorry hide. But I also see the flipside. A lot of people take up advanced riding because they recognise that ‘pass your test’ riding does not satisfy them. They love their bike and they want to improve. I do however come across cases where wooden interpretation of advanced riding techniques, combined with a bit of brain freeze, has made matters worse. I am in…

» Caberg Duke £144.99 This is our mid-priced bestseller. It’s a 22.05/P & J approved helmet, given the EU go-ahead for the quality of its protection in both the closed and open settings. Unlike other flip-up lids, this one locks into place when open. Has integrated sun visor, and washable lining. » Shark Evoline ST Series 3 £269.99 Want a full-face, flip-up and open-face helmet in one? You can flip the chin guard right back behind your head, allowing you to ride at speed without the sail effect produced by most chin guards. Comfortable but closed helmet venting isn’t great. » Lazer Monaco Roadster £329.99 One of the lightest flip ups on the market at 1.5kg… the pure carbon version is a measly 1350 grams. This is a great helmet…

This guide only contains the bikes that have actually been evaluated by fussy, obsessive, full-time testers. This isn’t a brochure-style round-up of machines on sale, but genuine opinion and information gathered during hundreds of thousands of road miles, day in, day out, in all weather. Not to mention the countless dyno runs, in-depth datalogging, weighing and specialist involvement. Buying a new bike? Don’t part with your cash until you’ve read this first. SEVEN-LITRE ELECTRA GLIDE Fancy a Harley-Davidson motorhome? Keen to ‘diversify its holdings’, in 1986 the US firm bought Holiday Rambler Corp, makers of excessive recreational vehicles with 454ci (7440cc) Chevy V8 power. They sold the firm in 1996 for $50m – a significant $105m less than they paid. This isn’t H-D’s only non-bike enterprise. They’ve also played with…

USED TO MAKING EXOTIC, concentrated weapons like the F3 or loony nakeds like the Brutale, MV Agusta admit they struggled producing their first ‘tourer’. In fact, tech chief Brian Gillen says the notions of less power, more comfort and practical touches like panniers and centrestand proved so alien the project was almost canned. We’re glad it wasn’t. Forgive the pun, but MV could be going places with the new Turismo Veloce 800. This is MV’s most versatile ‘real world’ bike yet – so much so it should open the brand up to a whole new market. Despite similarities with the Brutale 800, over 90% of the Turismo is new, including roomier chassis, detuned engine (everything from cams to cans), all-new colour console and bodywork with adjustable screen. So it’s the…

Guy Martin knows he has his best chance of scoring a TT win this year, with BMW S1000RR power beneath him. His main rivalry is likely to come from Michael Dunlop, who won last year’s Superbike and Senior TTs on the Bee Em. The bitter rivals have already clashed, Guy on the factory-prepared German four, Dunlop on Yamaha’s new R1, at Ireland’s Cookstown 100 street race. Martin won both races, the second after Dunlop had crashed moments after sneaking past to take the lead. Could this be the year Guy finally does what he wants to do more than anything: win an Isle of Man TT?…

Britain’s first multiple world champion, Geoff Duke, has died aged 92. He won seven World Championships (3 x 350cc, 4 x 500cc), 33 Grands Prix and six TTs between 1950-59. He started his career on factory Nortons, winning three Championships, but switched to Gilera fours for 1954. He led a riders strike in 1956, attempting to improve conditions and pay for privateer riders, and was banned by the FIM, denying him the 1956 Championships.…

ICONIC BIKE VENUE The Ace Café is taking a leaf out of Starbucks’ book and franchising out the brand worldwide. To commemorate this momentous venture motorcycle expedition gurus Globebusters have just set off with a group of 15 riders on a 12,000 mile journey from The Ace, North Circular Road, London to their newest venue which is in Beijing, China. The trip will take nearly three months and will take in Iran and Central Asia along the way, as well as crossing Tibet for a detour to the Everest basecamp. Mine’s a sweet ‘n’ sour chicken and chips and a mug of green tea. Follow their progress at facebook.com/globebusters or globebusters.com…

19-21 June The Overland Event Adventure bike test rides, authors, travel films, a campfire and the chance to meet Ted Simon. Great Missenden. overlandevent.com 11-12 July Twinshock TrailFinder Off-road navigation event in the Pyrenees where the minimum number of riders per team is the same as the minimum number of shocks per bike: two. Berga, Spain. austinvince.com/ twinshocktrailfinder. 14-16 August Adventure Travel Film Festival Godparents of travel Lois Pryce and Austin Vince once again host their annual celebration of travel celluloid at Mill Hill School, North London. They will be screening films from as long ago as the 1930s right up to the present day, and there will be guest speakers, workshops and the chance to see the winning entry in the film category of the Bike Travel Stories competition.…

13 June Chopstock Traditional lo-fi, low-profile custom show courtesy of the National Chopper Club, South Bucks contingent. Bikes, bands, beer, camping for a fiver. At The Dashwood Arms, Old Oxford Road, High Wycombe, Bucks. chopper-club.com/southbucks 5 July ’Normous Newark jumble If you’re dreaming of building something special an autojumble is always a good place to begin. £10 before 8am, £6 after 8am. £20 for an outdoor stall on the day if you’re selling. Newark Showground, Notts newarkautojumble.co.uk 26 July Shaftdrive Sunday, Ace Café Who could resist this? And it might even be more than a miasma of Beemers and Gold Wings. Could even be a few XJ900 Yamahas and the odd Maggot. Ace café, Ace Corner, North Circular Road, London NW10 7UD ace-cafe-london.com 3-9 August Sturgis Motorcycle Rally (aka Black…

I don’t often buy magazines. With a statement like that you’ve probably already binned this letter let alone published it but due to enforced convalescence thanks to a BMW engine bar equipped GS, which ran into the back of me and consequently ripped my right leg off, I’ve sort of got back into the habit of reading. Unfortunately what I am reading sounds more like a boy’s own electronics magazine rather than a bike mag. The case in point (but not restricted to) being the KTM 1290 Super Adventure in April’s issue. Motor Slip Regulation, Hill Hold Control, heated seat and handlebar heating control, engine modes, semi-active suspension, Keihin engine management system, ride-by-wire throttle, traction control, Bosch Motorcycle Stability Control, lean angle sensors and of course ABS, something the GS…

» The Peak District, like any destination favoured by all manner of recreational visitors, is being fought over by ramblers, trail riders, equestrian folks and 4x4 people. Despite the recently passed Deregulation Act not closing many green lanes and RUPPs (Roads Used as Public Paths) a threat still hangs over many ancient rights of way. The Association of Peak Trail Riders represents two-wheel interests here in the same way the TRF (Trail Riders Fellowship) acts nationally and in the political arena.…

ON TRACK: This is the Sport model, which comes with all possible bells and whistles. As well as five riding modes and race ABS you also get semi-active suspension, a quickshifter that works up and down gears (with an auto-blipper) and heated grips. On top of that, the 2015 S1000RR has been revamped significantly over the previous model, with even more horsepower, tweaked chassis geometry and increased flex for better on-the-limit handling. Ours has got lightweight forged wheels as an option, making it higher spec than last year’s HP4. But centre stage is the engine, as James testifies to after putting in a string of fast laps on the BMW: ‘This is a great bike. The engine is a monster,’ he says. ‘It revs through cleanly, loves having gears chucked…

Mark Graham » Production Editor This month: H-D FXR Shovel Other bikes ridden:CZ 175 Trail, Hodaka Wombat Miles ridden: 542 WITHOUT WISHING TO SPEAK too soon, tempt fate, count chickens or any of that stuff, the Shovelhead is now a properly working motorcycle (in so far as a Harley-Davidson is a motorcycle). The travails, disasters and false dawns (and there has been no shortage of them) are seemingly over. Two years and £14 million later the Shovel is now what it should be. And that fills me with joy. I can now do things other people do like go to the shops without taking half a tool chest with me. Arrange to meet people and actually arrive. Plan trips abroad without factoring in recovery costs. Have a relatively normal…

This month: Aprilia Falco Other bikes ridden: Kawasaki H2, Ducati 1299 Panigale Miles ridden: 897 THE FALCO FEATURES (at least) one terrible bit of design. The side stand is too short. After watching my bike wobble precariously in a very windy car park, I realised intervention was needed. Useful owner forums suggest a straight-swap with an ’04-’08 Fireblade stand, though these are seemingly rare as rocking horse shit and twice as expensive. Before the ’blade, the Honda Firestorm stand was the go-to part and I got one from a breakers for £25. It fits the Falco’s standard electrical connection and mounting bracket, and just needs a new hole drilling for the cut-out switch locator pin. It could do with a blob of weld on the top of the leg as…

This month: Ducati Monster Other bikes ridden: Honda VFR800F, Honda CR250 Miles ridden: 403 WHEN YOU OWN AN OLD bike sourcing original parts can be really tricky. My 22-year-old Monster is close to original but came fitted with aftermarket grips. Nothing wrong with that but they just looked really out of place. Relentless pestering of Ducati dealers, specialists and the UK distributors revealed that you can still buy the original grips from 1993. They are available from any Ducati dealer and are only £7.26. They are made by Domino, the logo I always saw on the front of Foggy’s WSB Duke. No-one will notice apart from me but it’s so satisfying I’m now wondering what else I can buy from Bologna. Not all good news though, my engine oil inspection…

UNBELIEVABLE AS IT MAY seem the ultra-prestigious July 2015 Bike Award is upon us. This month, a trawl through the office cupboards has revealed a top quality Shark helmet bag and a Spada mug (there were two new spark plugs for a Honda CB200, but unfortunately we can’t now find them). In all honesty, these items are unlikely to cut your lap times at Cadwell Park, improve your machine control skills or increase the power output of your motorcycle. In fact, the helmet bag is ideal for keeping helmets in, while the mug is a perfect receptacle for tea, coffee or even Horlicks (other hot beverages are available, cold drinks might work too). Be aware that this isn’t a competition. If it were we’d need to have rules, terms and…

R100 1953 - 1960 KTM are best known for their off-road background, but the very first motorcycle built by Kraftfahrzeug Trunkenpolz Mattighofen was a road bike. Engine was a 98cc two-stroke single. Cool logo used a tiger prowling through a hoop. Price now: try and find one Duke 125 2011 to date Built with Bajaj in India, with 124.7cc single, trellis frame, decent chassis spec and very KTM styling. Good? Yes – one of the Bike team bought one. Big seller across Europe. Price now: from £2400 Duke 390 2013 to date The 125 Duke with an all-new 373cc motor, with 42bhp and 80mpg potential. A small KTM maths error meant fit early bikes needed an ECU flash to meet A2 licence regs. Price now: from £3250 RC390 2014 to…

SPORTSBIKE Honda CBR600F ‘A true sporting all-rounder’ » Why: The most influential supersports bike ever. Roomy, reliable, revvy, but with a surprising amount of punch – the CBR is a true sporting all-rounder. » The history: Honda’s City Bike Racer was born on the streets in 1987, but ended up dominating British and American domestic race championships in the 1990s. 1991’s updated model featured a redesigned engine with a 13,000rpm rev ceiling and a completely overhauled twin-spar steel frame – it was the lightest in the supersport class. The 1995 bike boasted five extra bhp thanks to larger carbs and ram-air air. » What to check: An amazingly reliable bike only dogged by cam chain tensioner and reg/rec failures, but most will have been sorted by now. The CBR is…

Hairpin bends are what my guests always tell me are different about the Harz Mountains. Tight corners through mountain forest are what this area is all about. There are many small roads through beautiful scenery, each with a different character. You can combine them as you like for an individual experience. It’s the perfect place for a long weekend. One of my favourite roads is the short 22-minute ride between Altenbrak and Thale via the village of Treseburg, following the winding Bode river. This ride is typical of the region: burrowing down close to the river, tracing a path along steep gorges, and mixing tight bends with sweeping arcs of tarmac. You’ll be having fun riding these roads without even breaking the speed limits. The Kyffhäuser is a famous stretch…

COMMUTER OR TOURER? If your riding mostly consists of a daily commute buy a light lid. Less weight will reduce neck strain in stop-start traffic. Long distance touring? Buy a helmet that fits snugly around your ears to reduce noise levels. Dreaming of a hot summer? Pick a helmet that’s aerodynamic when flipped up, reducing the typical ‘sail’ effect. WHAT IS P & J? The P & J standards are awarded by the Economic Commission for Europe and test helmet safety characteristics using the 22.05 regulations. ECE 22.05/P tests helmets that have a protective lower face covering, and ECE 22.05/J is the code for no lower face protection. Few flip-up helmets have passed both the P and J standards. According to our list only the Caberg Duke and Shark Evoline…

AT NIGHT, A bike does everything it can to not let you see where you’re going round corners. If you brake before the bend, the forks dip, reducing what you can see, and when you tip in – especially on right handers – the geometry of the bike cuts off precisely the area you want to see. It’s not so bad on main beam, but on dipped it can be severe. The crux comes when you’re out of town, away from streetlights, because then it becomes far more difficult. If you take the advice given in the Highway Code that you must be able to stop in the distance you can see, you’d never exceed 30mph on unlit roads at night. This is unrealistic, but you have to accept that…