Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2015 i BIKE

HELLO I don’t want to tempt fate, but summer’s here. The birds are soaring overhead, the sky is blue, the tarmac is dry and it’s time to ride. So we have been. Bike got the first test of the first production version of the astonishing Ariel Ace. I rode it 500 miles and, in a celebration of Britain’s engineering heritage, across three iconic bridges. It’s really good. The story is on page 78. We first rode a Bimota Tesi way back in January 1984 and we’ve ridden others since, but after a week with the latest model it feels like they’ve really got it right. If I had £25,000 it’d be on my shopping list. It’s on page 86. For a lot less money you can have one of the…

SPEEDWAY LIVES IN a world far removed from the sunglasses and hair gel of road racing. Usually on the outskirts of a provincial town or city, in a timeworn ‘stadium’ shared with racing greyhounds or beaten-up stockcars. Glamorous it isn’t. Intense, adrenaline-fuelled and down-to-earth it definitely is. And the best bit is you can go and watch a meeting without taking up a precious weekend; there are races somewhere across England and Scotland six nights of the week so you can get along after work and soak up the action. Speedway in Britain has been through its tough times and is battling hard to pull itself out of another rough patch. Our league system used to be the pinnacle, drawing the best riders from around the world. Now the Swedish…

26-28 June Horizons Unlimited Ireland, Enniskillen The usual mix of speakers, workshops, demonstrations, authors and inspiration. Almost certainly some Guinness too. horizonsunlimited.com » 31 July – 2 August Haggs Mini Trax , Cumbria Obstacle courses, on and off-road riding and orienteering for bikes under 250cc. Bands, beers and BBQ too. haggsbank.com/events » 4-6 September Basecamp Festival, Peak District A combination of music festival and adventure travel event, so you can learn how to cook road kill in the afternoon and then throw a few shapes into the wee small hours. basecampfestival.co.uk…

SUZUKA, JAPAN, BOUNCED off the rev limiter in May as the circuit’s Sound of Engine event celebrated the noise and excitement of historic GP bikes and cars. The event, which gives fans the chance to see, and hear, some of the most successful racing machines of recent years is a first for the Honda owned track. Bike fans got a triple treat with star guests Kevin Schwantz, Eddie Lawson and Kenny Roberts Snr giving their old GP bikes what-for around the figure of eight circuit. The rare sight of Steady Eddie reunited with his fickle 1989 Rothmans Honda NSR500, on which he won the last and finest of his four 500 titles, had the usually reserved Japanese crowd on their feet. Texan Schwantz got to ride his 1989 Pepsi Suzuki…

My name’s Andy and I live in the north west of England. I reach the grand age of 60 this October and I have a big confession to make: I’m still hopelessly in love with motorbikes and riding motorbikes. After 40 years. My first bike was a BSA Bantam D14/4, and not even that was enough to put me off. The list of bikes I had next will be typical of my generation: Ducati Elite 200, Suzuki 250 Hustler, Triumph Daytona 500. I traded in the Triumph for a Honda 400/4 which was stolen and found in a ditch badly damaged and full of water. I had a race against time to get it ready for the ferry to the TT and just got it patched up in time to…

IT’S ALWAYS THE quiet ones. Hiding in its baggy grey tracksuit (possibly one that’s been worn a bit too close to the fireplace) you’d never expect the GSX-S to be the fastest accelerating of our four supernakeds – at least up to three-figure speeds. But perhaps it shouldn’t have been such a surprise. Suzuki told us as much when they launched the bike a couple of months ago. In their own testing, they said, it beat Kawasaki’s Z1000 and matched BMW’s S1000R over a quarter-mile sprint. Sure, we thought. Like hell it does. As if Suzuki’s test riders were really trying on the rival machines. So we pack our four bikes, independent speed-testing android Bruce and his GPS datalogger off to a disused runway to find out. The resulting figures…

R1200R Suspension telescopic fork, Paralever Wheelbase 1515mm Rake/trail 27.7°/125.6mm Wet weight 231kg Tank 18 litres R1200RT Suspension Telelever, Paralever Wheelbase 1485mm Rake/trail 26.4°/116mm Wet weight 274kg Tank 25 litres R1200RS Suspension telescopic fork, Paralever Wheelbase 1527mm Rake/trail 27.7°/114.8mm Wet weight 236kg Tank 18 litres R1200GS Suspension Telelever, Paralever Wheelbase 1507mm Rake/trail 25.5°/99.6mm Wet weight 238kg Tank 20 litres BMW’S BIG BOXER Type four-stroke opposed twin, single balance shaft Capacity 1170cc Bore x stroke 101 x 73mm Valvetrain double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder Fuel electronic injection Cooling air with liquid-cooled cylinder heads Clutch wet, hydraulic operation Gearbox six-speed Power 123.3bhp @ 7750rpm (claimed) THOSE PROTRUDING cylinders and a burbling, grumbling, dirty exhaust note are defining features of the R1200GS. And of BMW themselves – the flat-twin engine layout has…

» We have a Lexmoto Adrenaline on long-term test. It is an interesting mix of cheap, cheerful and competent. On the plus side, the carb’d engine pulls extremely well, even from around 2500rpm in top to an indicated 70mph at just over the 10k redline. The gearbox is slick and positive, and although the wavy rear disc is unduly spongy, it and the front one do their stuff. Componentry is a bit of a curate’s egg, though. The tank, plastics and especially the seat are up to Jap standards and the stainless exhaust was a nice surprise, but things like the caliper castings and chromed fixings aren’t, and I’d expect rust on the latter come autumn. The chain – already showing signs of stretch after just 430 miles – will…

Hugo Wilson » Editor ‘The difference in speed between our first and last rides is amazing’ This month: Husqvarna FE250 Other bikes ridden: Ariel Ace, Ducati Multistrada, BMW R1200R and R1200RS Miles ridden: 947 THE 4000 ACRE WATERS ARENA in South Wales feels like a safari park for motorcycles. Occasionally you’ll see another group in the distance, or they’ll emerge down a forest track and then disappear again. This is the base for Simon Pavey’s BMW-supported Off-Road Skills training courses and today there are 38 students and six instructors on site. That means 44 motorcycles, split into six groups moving around the forested hillside to different terrain to learn different skills. Getting some instruction before taking part in next month’s Welsh Two-Day Enduro seemed like a good idea. One…

This month: Honda CB400N Other bikes ridden: Yamaha XJR1300 Miles ridden: 473 THE COMSTAR WHEELS for my Honda CB400N street tracker project weren’t clean enough so I reluctantly elected to have Chris Hazel blast them with his finest, and I do mean finest, grit. They were returned tickety-boo and ready for the paint job. Although of course my local spraymeister, Phil Davies, is currently far too busy painting Mk.1 Escorts. Grrrr. Meanwhile the fork legs are back from Philpots in Luton (pittedforks.co.uk), where I observed with fascination the considerable intricacies of hard chroming, which they claim offers a better quality than many OEM examples – and who am I to argue? With foolhardy optimism I soon hope to have wired in the new instruments from Café Racer Kits (caferacerkits.co.uk) and…

This month: Honda RC30 Other bikes ridden: why would you when you’ve got the Team Bike RC30? SO CLOSE IT ALMOST HURTS. Bol fever rages and before we know it it’ll be the evening of Friday 18 September and the Classic Bol will be underway. Unbelievable and very exciting. Owing to the overweening importance of this event to all sentient human beings, Ian Martin, keeper of the Team Bike flame, is doing all in his power to ensure there are no slip-ups. When the famous blue and white machine emerges once more into the late summer sun it will be a moment certain to make grown men weep and grown women tell them to pull themselves together immediately. With double World Endurance Champion Stéphane Mertens and our own Ian Martin…

EIGHT YEARS AGO and hot in the wheel tracks of the breathtaking 675 supersport came a middleweight naked that won over everyone who rode it. Essentially the Triumph Street Triple is a stripped-down, flat-barred, re-tuned version of the Daytona 675, yet there’s more to it than that. The combination of Triumph’s masterpiece 675cc inline triple, retuned to exchange a slice of top-end for an extra dollop of grunt at the lower range, with low kerb weight, frisky yet stable handling and an excellent price made it an instant hit. Whether you want a B-road blaster, cool commuter, or are looking for something light and low as a first bike, the Street Triple excels in all areas. The R model with its higher-spec adjustable suspension and radial brake calipers will even…

Most insurers have to compete hard on the headline premium, but the general rule is you get what you pay for. The cheapest policies often have quite nasty clauses about not using non-franchised repair shops for collision damage. Then there is the issue of the use of second hand parts, which apart from meaning your pride and joy can come back from the accident repair shop looking worse than it went in can mean safety critical parts are recycled on further crash damaged bikes. But what about the add-ons you can buy? At the risk of being miserable, most of them are a waste of money. The classic is ‘legal cover’ and I put this in quote marks for a good reason. It is not usually a real policy of…

» Hornee Knee Armour £19.99 This armour is attached to a sock, and stays where it’s put. It’ll protect you better than armour included in textile or kevlar jeans because it can’t shift out of position. This is one of the safest ways to protect your knees. We offer this kit for £9.99 when bought along with Hornee jeans. » Knox Flexiform Plus from £19.99 Flexiform is made of light polyurethane that satisfies Level 1 standards. Available for shoulder, knee, elbow and hip. Replaces badly fitting or heavy armour in jackets or jeans. More malleable than the hard shell Knox Air armour, but transmits 4kN more force in CE testing. » Leatt STX Neck Brace £349.99 Motocross technology that’s been adopted by road riders. It’s a lot of dough, but…

This is BMW’s bold new Concept 101. Wheeled out at the prestigious Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este (posh bike rally) at Lake Como, it’s their ‘interpretation of endless highways and the dream of freedom and independence – the perfect embodiment of American touring’. Sketched with help from Californian designers and knocked together by Roland Sands, the concept is based on the K1600: the name 101 is the displacement of the 1649cc inline-six in the American cubic-inch measuring system. It’s been stretched, lowered, raked-out and fitted with a ridiculously large front wheel, in the ‘bagger’ custom style popular in the USA, with details including one-off lights, leather seat, bare aluminium whatnots and some wood. All of which is very nice. However, while the oil-treated timber might be high quality it gives the…

If you make it to the Dutch TT at the end of June, expect the party in Assen town centre to be even wilder than usual, because the event celebrates its 90th anniversary this year. The track – dusty at best, muddy at worst – included three bridges that were so narrow they only had room for one rider at a time. And the roads were only closed to normal traffic on race day, so riders had to practice alongside cars, bicycles and farmers’ carts. First winner was Piet van Wijngaarden, at an average of 57mph. His 500cc Norton made slightly less than four horsepower, about 65 times less than Marquez’s Honda RC213V.…

» Belle Vue Aces (Manchester) Elite League, Monday nights Top rider: Matej Zagar bellevueaces.co » Berwick Bandits Premier League, Sat nights Top rider: Ben Barker berwickbandits.co » Birmingham Brummies* National League, Wed nights Top rider: Adam Ellis birminghambrummies.co *Homeless Cradley Heathens track share with Birmingham » Buxton Hitmen National League, Sunday aft Top rider: Tony Atkin buxtonhitmen.co » Coventry Bees Elite League, Friday nights Top rider: Chris Harris coventrybees.co » Eastbourne Eagles National League, Sunday aft Top rider: Bradley Wilson-Dean eastbourneeagles.co » Edinburgh Monarchs Premier League, Friday nights Top rider: Craig Cook edinburghmonarchs.co » Glasgow Tigers Premier League, Sunday aft Top rider: Richard Lawson glasgowtigers.co » Ipswich Witches Premier League, Thurs nights Top rider: Danny King ipswichwitches.co » Kent Kings National League, Mon nights Top rider: Ben Morley kentkings.co »…

FLAT TRACK STYLE is a staple of the current custom bike scene, and even Bike’s own Mark Williams is building a Honda inspired by the look of America’s turn-left racers (p104). It’s a given that a Harley-Davidson XR750 of whatever vintage is a thing of beauty and with the first alloy head and barrels 1972’s version is arguably the purest, but there are other sources of inspiration too. Kenny Roberts’ virtually unrideable 1975 Yamaha TZ750 is without doubt the most brutish. And Honda’s effective RS750 that dominated AMA dirt track in the mid-eighties is another standout machine. Honda’s flat-track project was born from a CX500-powered machine built by Jerry Griffith in 1979. Freddie Spencer rode one. Griffith turned the engine through 90º, whacked a drive sprocket on where the shaft…

IT’S A COMMON misconception that a great superbike will make a great naked. This simply isn’t true – they’re two completely different types of bike, which often need completely opposite characteristics. It’s like thinking that if Led Zeppelin had cut their hair and bought stripy waistcoats they’d have made an amazing barbershop quartet. So, expect the S1000R to be an RR with built-in licence-saving neck-ache and you’ll be taken aback. The motor is retuned with new cam timing, giving the naked more power and more torque than the sportsbike from tickover to 9000rpm. The difference is so stark it feels like it must have been downgeared – but it hasn’t. The R gains speed with sensational ease, tearing through revs so quickly it’s as if the engine’s internals are hollow.…

BMW R1200GS » Start at £11,900 with two modes and stability control (ASC). TE has all extras (£14.4k), white TE Alpine is £15k. Big-tank Adventure from £12.9k. BMW R1200R » Base bike £10,250 with two modes, ASC. Sport (£11.5k) has quickshifter, more modes and elecs. Executive (£11.7k) has semi-active suspension. BMW R1200RS » £10,835 for base bike with two modes & ASC. Sport (£11.9k) gets more electrics, quickshift, hot grips. SE (£12.9k) brings semi-active, stand, rack. BMW R1200RT » Hot grips, ASC and trip computer on £13.4k start model. SE (£14.5k) and LE (£15.5k) add increasing toys, inc. quickshifter, semi-active ride, cruise.…

This month: Yamaha Tracer Other bikes ridden: Aprilia Falco Miles ridden this month: 1269 SO THE TRACER IS THE BEST-selling bike this spring, toppling the mighty GS. After spending a week getting to know my new bike, it’s easy to see why. It’s as if Yamaha got hold of my personal wish-list. Smooth, grunty motor, leggy chassis, light, and loaded with tech – power socket, adjustable screen, switchable traction, riding modes, customisable display (I’m using trip/avg mpg/trip time – but where’s the range calculator?). I love the adventure bike stance, but at this stage of life the most challenging terrain I’m likely to attempt is a Scottish campsite, so the Tracer’s road-bias is perfect. I’ve been itching to get my hands on the keys and this one has been Yamaha’s…

This month: Suzuki GSX-S1000 Other bikes ridden: BMW R1200R, Ducati Monster Miles ridden: 185 FOR MANY SPORTSBIKE FANS the next best thing is a naked bike. I love sportsbikes but own a Ducati Monster M900. So on paper the new Suzuki GSX-S1000 should be perfect. It has a GSX-R1000 K5 engine with 145bhp on tap, wide handlebars courtesy of Renthal and no fairing with a Monster-style view of nothing but the road ahead. The styling is very Japanese, no Italian flair here – but it works. It looks fit for purpose. The seating position feels familiar – upright and arms wide – but you’re still tilted forward like a sportsbike. It’s the engine though... WOW! It pulls from low-down but explodes at 8000rpm. It’s intoxicating but the lack of wind…

WE’VE GOT TOGETHER with Big Rock Holidays to offer Bike readers a great package to head down to the sunny south of France and the Bol D’or. Lend your support to the wonderful Team Bike, quaff cold beer in the hot sun, gorge on barbecued Merguez sausages and wince as the emergency services apply ointment and bandages to your sunburned skin. This is the BIG ONE. » Return ferry crossing between Dover & Calais (various departure dates and times). » Camping inside the circuit (open Thursday evening to Sunday evening). This is a motorcycle only campsite with restrooms and showers but no electricity. » General admission to include: Access to the village and concerts, paddock access and pit building terrace, snack voucher (1 drink, 1 dish, 1 coffee) and helmet…

THE KNOW HOW SPORTSBIKE Kawasaki Ninja 300 ‘Sportsbike handling and roomy’ » Why: A2 licence compliant. Does everything from commutes to Sunday rides. » The history: In 2008 the 250R reignited the quarter-litre class thanks to sportsbike styling and a tweaked version of Kawasaki’s ex-GPX, ex-ZZR 249cc twin. The 300 arrived in 2013 with its 296cc engine which had been stroked 8mm for slightly more peak power, but importantly much more usable drive across the rev range. » Things to check: There was an intermittent stalling fault on some 2013 Ninjas which led to an ECU recall. There was also an ABS cylinder recall. » How it rides: Sportsbike handling and surprisingly roomy. You still have to keep the revs up for the 300 to react in the way you…

IT DOESN’T SHUDDER OR EMIT the trademark ‘potato-potato’ of their V-twins, but there’s no mistaking Livewire. Yes, there’s the golf cart whirr of any electric two-wheelers, but the Harley-Davidson has more. It has a whine and a sharp whistling edge. Like a loud exhaust, it’s supposed to give a sense of power. The project is to gauge reaction to a non-petrol Harley, gather feedback, see what folk want in an electric bike. H-D’s marketing bloke says, ‘The whole Harley thing is look, sound and feel’, so the Livewire was developed for ‘a no-excuses riding experience’. So it had to make noise. A touch-screen dash selects Range or Power mode. Press start and a fan buzzes to cool the lithium-ion batteries. There’s no clutch or gears, so twist the grip and…

25/26/27 June Dutch TT, Assen If you jump on your bike the very moment you leave the newsagent and dash for Harwich or Dover, you may just have time to get to Assen, for the eighth round of this year’s MotoGP championship. It also happens to be 90 years since bike racing started at the Dutch venue. 31 July/1/2 August Thruxton BSB The West Country doesn’t get to see a lot of road racing, so head to Thruxton (not strictly the West Country, I know) for Hampshire’s round of the BSB series. The WW2 airfield track is scary fast, bumpy and well known for great racing. 18/19/20 September Jerez WSB If you’re planning to keep the summer going with a long ride south, get yourself to Jerez in Spain’s bottom…

I ALWAYS THOUGHT that planning a trip, such as the one to Africa I’m about to leave on, is all about pouring over maps and daydreaming about exotic sounding places over a pint. Sadly, the reality of West Africa in 2015 is different. I’m quickly learning that a map and out-of-date guidebook will only tell me part of the story. For the rest I need to read the news. While the tabloids aren’t necessarily good for the traveller, the news they report is far worse for people unfortunate enough to be caught up in Ebola, insurgency, Boko Haram or post-revolutionary failed states. My original half-arsed plan to cross the Sahara through Algeria into Mali is a complete non-starter; the entire western Sahel is strictly no-go, and has been for some…

16-19 July Faro Rally Looking for an exotic location to lie down on the grass in and fall asleep? Try Portugal’ s delightful Algarve region. Plenty of bikes too and a surprise free gift. What more could anyone want? motoclubefaro.pt 6-9 August End Of The Road Rally Way down at The Lizard, Cornwall. Britain’s most southerly point is a pretty neat place to be at this time of year and this long-running, relaxed rally is a jewel. Plenty of local cider, the odd pasty or two, nice bikes, nice people. £10 on the gate, all welcome. zeushelmet@aol.com 4-6 December Bad Salzuflen show German custom extravaganza. Big, brassy, loud, fine beer, fine bikes. custombikeshow.de custombikeshow.de…

3-5 July Bikers’ Classic What could be finer than quaffing fine Belgium lager on the picturesque banks of the legendary Spa Francorchamps circuit as a plethora of ex-GP stars fly past in an explosion of colour and blue smoke? There’s a proper classic endurance race too. A weekend ticket – including paddock access – is yours for €40. bikersclassics.be 11-12 July Practical Sportsbikes Trackday Bike’s sister title Practical Sportsbikes takes over Lincolnshire’s Cadwell Park for a weekend of high-octane hilarity. See 1970s-1990s sportsbikes thrashed senseless on-track (everything from Suzuki Kettles to Honda FireBlades). There’s banter and BBQ action in the paddock and live music and a bar on Saturday night. Spectating is free. Track places are £139 per day, or £258 for both. classicbiketrackdays.com 25-26 July Golden Era Superbikes See…

NO MATTER HOW hard you look, no matter how long you take, and no matter how much you try, it’s impossible to find anything subtle about the Z1000. The standard exhausts growl like aftermarket cans. The headlight looks like a Ninja Turtle’s eyemask. The whole bike appears short, dense, sharp and pointy, like it’s been carved out of a tree stump with a chainsaw. The power delivery is equally bold. The Z1000’s inline four makes its peak torque at just 7300rpm: significantly lower than the three other bikes here, which means you get to experience it far more often. On top of that, it’s geared like a motocross bike. Short, snappy, tightly-packed ratios boost the thrust at the rear wheel, and encourage the engine to tear through its revs even…

» 1996 125cc Season, 9th Place This is the original sun and moon motif ‘Soleluna’ in Rossi’s first season. Seldom seen is a curious cartoon condom at the back (unsuitable for a family magazine). Soleluna in Japan 1997 Suzuka Special » Rossi’s first Soleluna design (sun and moon) debuted in 1996 (see left). This Suzuka special edition wears Japanese characters screaming ‘Go Rossifumi!’. As a 14-year-old he watched Norifumi ‘Norick’ Abe challenging frontrunners as a wild card in the 1994 Japan GP. Japanese fans loved him for it. » 1998 Imola 250cc Special A whopping tricolore flag replaced the day/night colours behind the now famous sun and moon. Rossi rode to victory with a matching bike, leathers, and dyed hair. » 1999 250cc Season Rossi’s design for his second season…

JAKE ATKINSON’S FIRST ever roadbike is a hot-looking 125cc Pulse Adrenaline supermoto. In six months 17-year-old Jake’s done more than 3000 trouble-free miles on it. As a fairly typical owner, he’s pretty happy with what he’s got. In bike parks around the country you’ll increasingly see unfamiliar brands like Lifan, Hercules, Zontes, Kymco, Pulse, AJS, King – 50 and 125cc machines owned by youngsters who, with insurance and training costs being so stratospheric, buy them as the first rung on the ladder to getting a bike licence and joining our happy band. And with a typical Chinese 125 costing around £900-1200, or less than half the cost of the Japanese equivalent who can blame them? Sales figures suggest these Chinese lightweights are steadily making inroads into a market the Japanese…

» Yamaha MT-09 Tracer Total mileage: 1307 Tyres: Dunlop Sportmax D222 Price: £8284 otr Story this month: To the Lake District for a long weekend of light camping, weak lager and homemade moussaka. » Suzuki GSX-S1000 Total mileage: 1046 Tyres: Dunlop Sportmax D214F Price: £9499 otr Story this month: No sooner does the GSX-S arrive than it’s pitched into trial by fire in the supernakeds road test (p44). » BMW R1200R Sport Total mileage: 2346 Tyres: Pirelli Angel GT Price: £11,060 otr Story this month: Up and down and up the A1 and giving a decent account of itself in the four-way BMW test (p62) . » Kawasaki Z1000 Total mileage: 7519 Tyres: Conti RoadAttack2 EVO Price: £9632 otr Story this month: Much travelled and trackday’d longtermer does battle on…

This month: Suzuki GT200 X5 Other bikes ridden: BMW R1200R, Bimota Tesi Miles ridden this month: 1735 That thing I forgot to do this morning comes back to me riding home: top-up the two-stroke oil. Unfortunately this clarity occurs as my Suzuki’s 196cc twin seizes during rush hour. Arse. At least sorting a nipped-up X5 is quick ’n’ easy... » Lift home with AA. Remove head, admire biscuit-coloured plugs, wiggle pistons to find which is smeared to its bore. Squirt in GT85. » Remove gen’ cover, dribble oil. Spanner on crank end, marvel at how easily motor frees off. Unbolt carbs and pipes, slide off barrels. » Japanese pistons, small-end bearings and gaskets from Grampian Motors: £90. Reclaim barrels with glazebuster tool. In the office. » Check ring gap. Smear…

This month: Kawasaki Z1000 Other bikes ridden: Yamaha FZ1 Fazer, Beta Rev 3 Miles ridden this month: 821 THE REASON I’VE NEVER fitted a flyscreen to the Z1000 is I knew there aren’t any. I looked – carefully – as soon as the bike arrived in March last year and they didn’t exist. Being an idiot, I then complained about the Z’s windiness for a year before checking again and discovering 9% of the internet is now made up of people selling Z1000 screens. The screen in question is from MRA and is typically high quality, though at £93 you pay for the ingenious way it fits to the clock subframe while keeping the running light in the right place. If you’re ever going to ride in the cold or…

This month: H-D FXLR Other bikes ridden: Hodaka Wombat, CZ 175 Trail Miles ridden: 2040 DOING A 1400-MILE ROUND trip for a day watching folks race around an old fishing harbour in Germany might not make a whole lot of sense. But getting out of England once in a while is as necessary to a decent life as getting into England is for the denizens of a Calais refugee camp. With the faithful Swagman throwovers full of unnecessary junk and with Trialmaster afforded the added luxury of an extra bag and a sheepskin rug, we’re hauling out of France through Belgium and ready for a first overnighter wherever feels right. So it’s Utrecht in northern Holland. Turns out it’s full. And when the local Ibis is full you know you’re…

» Snap-on tools: £400 I could do with some new spanners and pliers in the workshop. I’m addicted to Snap-On so it would cost a fair bit to get a set of open ended and ring spanners plus some needle nose pliers. » New mountain bike: £1600 I do quite a lot of training on my mountain bike and I would love a decent one. Something like a Specialized Stumpjumper would do the trick very nicely thank you. » Ducati Cup bloke: £1000 If you really were to give me £4000 I’d give a grand to the bloke I saw struggling in the Ducati Cup. He didn’t have tyre warmers and seemed up against it. I remember that feeling well. » New van: £1000 Obviously I won’t get a new…

» The A82 through Glencoe is the route to the West Coast. It’s a ribbon of tarmac dwarfed by mountains. I can’t help but think of the Massacre of Glencoe, when the Campbells murdered members of Clan MacDonald, as I ride through this area. This really is a mythical place, and one that you see differently every time you ride along the A82. The A87 is one of my favourite roads in this area. It’s the road to the isles, taking you to Kyle of Lochalsh next to the bridge to Skye. Like the A82, it’s a road dwarfed by the surrounding mountains – in this case, the Five Sisters of Kintail. It’s twisty, windy, everything a motorcyclist could ever want. Just beware of 52-seater coaches pulling in and out…

BACK PROTECTOR INSERTS There are three main areas of protection in a motorcycle jacket: elbows, shoulders and the back. The back is the most important part to upgrade. Some jackets are sold without back protectors, but come with a pocket for a slide-in insert. We strongly recommend you invest in a back protector, be it an insert or a stand-alone device. Some jackets come with a foam pad in the back insert pocket. This is not, I repeat, not a back protector. Check the jacket’s label to see whether you have a real CE-certified back protector. If not, Level 1 protectors only cost around £40. For even better protection, buy a Level 2 device from Forcefield. They start at £50. LEG PROTECTION Any armour that’s loose is liable to move,…

MISJUDGING CORNER ENTRY speed is a recurring theme for experienced riders, either going in too slowly – at which point they generally shake their heads in frustration – or charging in and getting flustered. When you go in too fast, all the instinctive reactions take over. You shut the throttle, unsettling the bike, then target fixate (on righthanders, it will normally be on the lefthand kerb). Or your vision starts hunting. If either of these happen you lose your line and cannot accelerate smoothly towards the exit, so you end up coming out slowly. The reason for this – and going in too slowly – is not using the limit point properly, or at all. This is the system where you keep looking at where the kerbs converge (called the…

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. PANIGALEÕS GREAT GRANDFATHER Ducati’s MotoGP racer isn’t their first V4. In ’63 their US importer asked for a Harley rival, and the Apollo prototype had a 1257cc V4. Unfortunately power and weight overwhelmed chassis and tyres, the test riding saying it was ‘like driving a truck’. Although binned, the 270kg beast is key in Duke’s history: in ’68…