Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2015 i BIKE

HELLO As long as it was held at Circuit Paul Ricard in the sun kissed south of France, the Bol d’Or was a big thing for Bike magazine. Zed Zawada wrote about the first event at Ricard in 1978. Dan Walsh wrote about the last one in 1999 (and Mac McDiarmid took the pictures). In between were 22 years of sun soaked, beer drenched hilarity, elivened by the activities of Team Bike, which turned from an excercise in debauchery to a deadly serious race team. So obviously, when it returned to its spiritual home, we were going to be there. With Team Bike. It was brilliant. The sun shone, the Kronebourg flowed, the Merguez sausages sustained us, a swim in the Med revived us and, to cap it all, Team…

»The MMX500 isn’t the only two-stroke V4 you can buy. German company Ronax sell a 500 that looks like Rossi’s NSR from the early 2000s. Their 499cc twin-crank motor has 160bhp at 11,500rpm and is in a race-spec chassis. It weighs 145kg. Production is limited to 46 units, and they’re proving its abilities in various race classes. It’s £87,700 and you can buy it with lights too (making it legal is up to you, mind). Pay the required 30% deposit and they’ll let you ride a demonstrator on track.…

» History-maker Danny Kent will take the next step towards MotoGP fame in 2106 when he graduates to Moto2. The Moto3 world champ Ð and Britain’s first GP champ since Barry Sheene in 1977* Ð will stay with the German Kiefer team. (* At time of going to press this hadn’t happened yet. But Mat’s confident). It would be easy to say Kent will excel in Moto2, except he sunk without trace at his first attempt in 2013. A retreat to Moto3 allowed him to regroup. Kent should have a better chance this time round. The Kiefer team won the 2011 Moto2 crown with Stefan Bradl and he will use the Kalex chassis, instead of the uncompetitive Tech 3 chassis he used in 2013.…

» 6/7/8 November Valencia GP, Valencia If Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo are still fighting for the MotoGP crown as you read this, drop everything you’re doing, buy tickets for Valencia, then jump on a bike or in a plane. » 12 December Superprestigio dirt track, Barcelona The perfect Christmas trip: take the missus on a shopping trip to Barcelona, then accidentally on purpose stumble across the Superprestigio to gaze in wonder at Marc Marquez getting proper sideways. » 1/2/3 February Sepang, Malaysia A long way to go, but if you can’t wait until MotoGP returns to Europe in April, why not get some tropical sun at the first tests of 2016? Spectator access isn’t always guaranteed, so you’ll need guile.…

Auction entertainment » 25 November Classic cars and motorcycles, Brightwells, Leominster, Herefordshire Nice mix of ‘classic’ vehicles, so be careful. One false move and you might end up with a fire engine, or vintage tractor. brightwells.com » 10 December Bonhams Hendon, RAF Museum, north London. A top auction venue. This one will be mainly cars and automobilia, but expect a few bikes too. www.bonhams.com » 7-9 January Mecum Auction, Southpoint Casino, Las Vegas Straight after Xmas, you’re skint, but need cheering up. A trip to Las Vegas to buy a motorcycle is the perfect pick-me-up. This auction is normally huge, and there’s a Bonhams sale in Las Vegas on the 7th too. Mecum.com…

» 28 Nov – 6 Dec Motorcycle Live, NEC, Birmingham Yes, yes, it’s largely about new machinery. However, there’s a sizeable dedicated custom area with everything from subtle bobbers to hairy turbo streetfighters, and expect one-off show bikes from larger manufacturers. Cheap kit, too. motorcyclelive.co.uk » 12/13 December Kickback Chelsea, The Great Hall, Stamford Bridge Containing ‘the UK’s finest custom engineered motorbikes’, this is a pre-Christmas gathering with seemingly every type of custom bike, from café racers to choppers to streetfighters. Plenty of trade exhibitors too, and it’s free to get in. showco.moonfruit.com » 26 December Cold Turkey Meet, Ace Café, North Circular, London Escape tedious relatives and test new socks on a Boxing Day blast to the Ace. Kick off is 10am, with hardcore riders of bobbers, street trackers…

» Honda will release a new CBR1000RR Fireblade in a year’s time as a 2017 model. It’s an evolution of the current inline-four, developed for Euro 4 emission regs that come into force the same year. It won’t borrow anything from the RC213V-S. Or at least it won’t yet. ‘The V-S is a one-off and there’s no fixed plan to reuse the engine,’ says Hancock. ‘But development won’t be wasted – long-term we’re looking at the direction of the Fireblade.’ Bike verdict It’s mega. Of course it is – it’s a MotoGP bike, the best thing HRC can make, adapted for the road. It’s better balanced and finer quality than anything else... but it should be for a whopping £138k. We’d buy a three-bed semi instead, or an…

ADMITTING A DESIRE for Honda’s Crossrunner is all a bit embarrassing. I feel like a school kid who has a crush on the stern maths tutor with the stiff skirt, when all his mates are getting giddy over the pretty new languages teacher. Parked up next to the vibrant MV Agusta the Honda just looks... beige. Too middle of the road, with bland corporate styling – from the rear it could be a Crossrunner, Crosstourer, or NC750X. Or a CB500X. It’s all nowt-nor-summat. Things don’t improve when you (reluctantly) get close. The dash is a black box full of numbers, and you can’t adjust the screen. The Triumph looks mechanical and purposeful, the MV drips with sharp design, but Honda have safe lines with lots of plastic panels. Look at…

This month: Ducati Multistrada Other bikes ridden: KTM 350 EXC, Triumph Tiger 800 Miles ridden: 1880 THE EPIC FUMBLING that precedes any motorcycle ride – keys, earplugs, specs, phone, zips, velcro, etc. – can be multiplied by five when you’re abroad. Add panniers, passport, ferry tickets, Euros, insurance documents, race tickets, satnav and maps into the equation and the potential for disaster is massive. It’s a wonder we ever get out of Calais. ‘Misplacing’ the Multistrada’s keyless ignition fob was inevitable. 10pm, leaving Circuit Paul Ricard for Team Bike celebrations on the Saturday night of the Bol d’Or was the allotted time. You need the normal key to open the Ducati’s panniers, the fuel cap and the seat, but the fob just has to be somewhere close to start the…

This month: Ducati Scrambler Other bikes ridden: Suzuki GSX-S1000, Ducati Monster M900 Miles ridden: 546 MY LOVELY WIFE has got me a ticket to see Foo Fighters live at Milton Keynes Bowl, but I don’t want to go. As well as knowing she’d leave me at the drop of a hat for Dave Grohl, I can only think about the ball-ache of trying to get to and from the venue with 20,000 other gig-goers. ‘Let’s take the bike.’ I can’t believe it – the other half really suggests we go by bike. The sun’s out, it’s 21°C, so before she can worry about her hair I grab the Scrambler keys. It’s years since she’s been on the back, and it feels great. Warm air, her squeezing, a dropping sun… yes,…

This month: Matchless G50 Other bikes ridden: KTM 300 EXC Miles ridden: 326 I ABSOLUTELY LOVE Goodwood Revival. It’s a stroll back in time, and the people, fashions, planes and music make it much more than a motorsport event. It’s also the only time I actually race anymore, making it even more special. It’s no parade either; it’s proper racing which is why so many top names ride. The entries include Schwantz, Spencer, Whitham, McWilliams, Grant... I’m racing a 1962 Matchless G50 for Ian Garbutt, who runs Mike ‘Spike’ Edwards (who’ll be my team mate) in classic racing. You get qualifying, a Saturday race and a Sunday race. In Saturday’s race Whitham, McWilliams, Brogan and I have a hilarious dice, often three abreast. I hand over to Spike who gets…

Suzuki fit the GSX-S1000 with Dunlop’s Sportmax D214F as standard. Dunlop’s OE tyres used to have a poor reputation – manufacturers used to put longevity at the top of the brief when they were specifying tyres, and hard-wearing standard fitments got some bad press. See Yamaha R1, Kawasaki ER-6 and so on. However, the Sportmax are good – they warm nicely, grip well in dry or wet, and gave us acceptable wear with some confidence-boosting marks – they looked like they were working. They were worn enough to affect handling after 3300 miles and a trip to Germany (and Paul thought he got a front-end slide, losing confidence) so we fitted Metzeler M7 RR. These are a sportier tyre, giving the Suzuki a little more desire to change direction and…

» MX bike: £1500 It would be a bit scruffy for this sort of money, but that’s not a problem. I need something to keep me occupied and a late 1980s Yamaha YZ or Honda CR would be ideal. I’ve got a new garage now and every garage looks better with a motocross bike inside it. » Work bench: £400 I’ve still got the wooden one I used when I started out road racing in 1990 after my motocrossing days were over. I’m always in pit garages looking enviously at what the teams are using, so it’s about time I treated myself to something hydraulic. It’s not that I’m getting old or anything, I want an easier life. » Big night out: £500 It’s about time me and the missus…

» 2011 BMW R1200RT Ad says: 32,992 miles, comes with Motorrad satnav, heated grips and seats, and colour-matched panniers. We says: Touring accessories make this attractive. Twin-cam version packs more power too. Price: £6899 Contact mcnbikesforsale.com » 2014 BMW R1200RT Ad says: 6500 miles, audio system, cruise control, ESA, dynamic shift, heated seats and panniers. We say: They don’t come much more spec’d up than this. It’s had thousands of pounds thrown at it, and is barely used. You’ll do. Price: £12,995. Contact mcnbikesforsale.com » 2008 BMW R1200RT Ad says: 59,520 miles, ex-West Yorkshire Police, serviced every 3000 miles, full service history, very clean, wants for nothing. We say: Miles aren’t a worry, and feverish servicing makes up for lack of extras. Could just prove to be a…

AT RISK AREAS Downpipes are prone to corrosion if not treated. If yours have already rusted, wash them and use fine wire wool to clean off as much rust as possible. Once the exhausts are cool, apply a thin coating of anti-corrosion spray to the headers and work it in with a cloth all the way to the silencer. Corrosion to the front of crankcases, shocks, suspension linkage and wheels is also common as these areas pick up salt, diesel and dirt from the road. After a good clean and degrease, spray a thin layer of anti-corrosion spray over these areas. Use a cloth to apply ACF-50 to wheel rims and use this cloth to coat bolt heads everywhere on the bike including brake disc bolts, which commonly corrode. PREPARATION…

Miniblade? » Honda’s concepts at the Tokyo show (30 Oct – 8 Nov) include this ‘lightweight supersports concept’. It looks like a parallel twin and may well be the long-rumoured CBR250RR – or a 300RR for Europe. Sportier than the current CBR300R single, it’ll rival the Yamaha R3 and Kawasaki Ninja 300, and be a better base for WSB’s proposed Supersport 300 support class. It might also hint at the styling for the new Fireblade, confirmed for 2017. Bigger little Pani’ » It’s only two years old, but Ducati are ditching the 899 Panigale, replacing it with the 959. Documents from the California Air Research Board confirm the name, and show the V-twin will be 955cc. The Hypermotard and Hyperstrada are growing in size too – both will be called…

» Harley’s Sportster models are consistently their best-selling line, with the XL1200X Forty-Eight at the top of the list. Essentially the same bike as the very many 1200 Custom variants (and the 883), the stripped-back, period-influenced Forty-Eight is rejigged for 2016, most importantly with all-new suspension. The twin rear shocks are tweaked, now having some urethane bump stops and – shock horror – adjustable preload (with a C-spanner in the toolkit). Improvements to the ride are only slightly noticeable, however the updated front forks make a genuine difference. They’re now cartridge-type, featuring new springs and actual compression damping – you feel the damping working, rather than the forks just springing up and down, and smacking into a pothole no longer necessitates dental attention (the forks and shock appear across the…

Hugo Wilson I’m not sure what came over me, but the urge to buy more bikes can’t be resisted for long WINTER IS A dangerous time for the weak willed. With salt on the road and your best bike tucked up in the garage can you resist ‘investing’ in a project? I can’t. After a momentary lapse of self-control I’ve acquired another non-functioning bike. What was I thinking? I knew the 1981 Moto Morini 500 Camel Mk1 for sale at Brightwells auctioneers had last run in 1985. I knew it’d been crashed. I suspected the engine was seized. Plus, I’ve already got one Morini Camel Mk1 and while they are the best looking trail bike ever, no-one really needs two. Especially if neither work. Despite these considerations I placed an…

Jamie Duncan This month’s Travel page is brought to you by the letter C, for Cameroon. With a shiny new Tengai piston and a fist full of paperwork, I was finally able to score the elusive Nigeria visa and get back on the road. Now in Cameroon, I’ve turned the corner from West Africa and am finally heading south. Next up is the hardest part of the trip: crossing the Congo Basin. I’M A HUGE fan of the minimalist approach to bike travel… sling a bag on the back and off you go. However, Kansas-based builder of motorised bicycles, Motoped, are about to redefine what travelling light is all about with their latest release, the Survival Bike. Now if you’re wondering what a motorised bicycle is you’re not alone. It’s…

Mark Graham It’s easy to see why the Bike Shed is expanding, especially with builds like this 860GT around. FUNNY HOW IDEAS (good and bad) seem to occur within the same timescale, enabling the many to claim they got there first. Del Thomas wanted something that wasn’t a Triumph Scrambler and gravitated to Ducati’s venerable bevel-drive V-twin to form the basis of this device. In collusion with Tony Prust of Chicago-based Analog Motorcycles, the duo had a clear plan. ‘We really wanted to pay homage to the original Ducati Scrambler,’ said Tony. ‘To make it look like a Scrambler that Ducati would actually have made if they’d kept making them into the ’70s.’ The result pre-dates the latest ‘official’ item from Bologna by some months. Never enthusiastically received the 860GT…

Jonathan Pearson is a former Bike roadtester, Scottish Six Day Trial veteran and Off Road Skills instructor CUMBRIAN JONNY WALKER has taken his second Hard Enduro World Championship but narrowly lost out to Graham Jarvis at the season-closing Sea To Sky event in Turkey… From the Tough One in Wales in March to the Erzberg Hare Scramble and Romaniacs, Hard Enduro continues to be dominated by British rivals Walker and Jarvis. Walker was attempting the ‘Grand Slam’ of Hard Enduro by winning every one of the six round series in 2015. ‘I never thought I would win five races, so to only lose one race is perfect really,’ said Walker. The Sea To Sky is typical of Hard Enduro events mixing off-road disciplines: day one MX-style beach race; day two…

» 14/15 November International Supercross, Lille, France Paris Bercy traditionally (since 1985) hosts the unofficial France versus America SX showdown, this year it moves to Lille. US riders Eli Tomac, Justin Barcia and Josh Hill (among others) will line up against MXGP stars Romain Fevbre, Gautier Paulin and Jordi Tixier. Tickets from €49.50. supercrossbercy.com » 15 November Muntjac Enduro, Thetford The season closer for the British Enduro Championship consists a 20 mile lap round the lovely pine forests of Thetford. Sounds like a terrific Sunday out doesn’t it? It’s not if you’re competing in the whooped and hollowed out Norfolk sand course. It’s great viewing though. Dissmcc.co.uk » 28 November – 6 December. Motorcycle Live, NEC, Birmingham Motorcycle Live needs little introduction but check out the off-road elements of this…

...make a bike yours with John McGuinness » Credentials: Born 16 April, 1972 the Morecambe Missile has now won 23 Isle of Man TTs, which puts him tantalizingly close to Joey Dunlop’s record of 26. ‘Everything is connected through your hands, your feet and your backside, so you have got to make sure all those areas are as comfortable as they can be. What suits the average person is not going to suit you if you’re short and fat or tall and skinny. ‘A lot of things on a bike are adjustable such as the lever span, so make sure you use these to your best advantage. I like loads of free play in the clutch, someone else might like it to bite right at the end of the travel.…

HANG ON, THIS can’t be right. A comfortable, civilised MV Agusta? Surely that’s like a quiet loudhailer, tiny skyscraper or reliable British classic. They’re words that simply do not go together. And yet here this oxymoron is, propped at a jaunty angle in dappled autumn sun and looking like a billion-squillion-dazillion dollars – the truly comfortable and unnervingly civilised Turismo Veloce 800. Surprises pour from the MV. Its throttle is light, super-smooth and almost soft in its action. The handling is easy and direct. Suspension yields under braking and acknowledges the need to absorb bumps, and the seat is as plush, deep and cosseting as anything DFS will sell you. There are sockets for power and USB connection, and it’s ready to carry accessory luggage. Miles bring more pleasing discoveries.…

» Aprilia Caponord Rally Total mileage: 1963 Tyres: Metzeler Tourance Next Price: £14,134 otr Story this month: High-tech long-legged Italian wades into Whitby and makes an immediate impression. Lovely. » Suzuki GSX-S1000 Total mileage: 4244 Tyres: Metzeler M7 RR Price: £9499 otr Story this month: supernaked continues to prove supremely able, if a tad... well, you know... ‘meh’. Big Test on p102. » Kawasaki Versys 1000 Total mileage: 1827 Tyres: Bridgestone T30 Price: £11,060 otr Story this month: making an oversize nuisance of itself amid a gaggle of sportsbikes at The Donington Park. » KTM 1050 Adventure Total mileage: 2750 Tyres: Metzeler Tourance Next Price: £10,999 otr Story this month: shipped back to KTM for electrical remedy (and a ruddy good clean) after last month’s Big Test. » Ducati Scrambler…

This month: Aprilia Caponord Other bikes ridden: Aprilia Falco, MV Turismo Veloce 800 Miles ridden: 823 APRILIA SAY THEY’VE designed their Caponord Rally ‘above all for trips with a pillion’. Most of the 6000 miles I put on our Yamaha Tracer were just such rides and I’m keen to see how our latest arrival compares. So, on my first weekend with it, I loaded up with the other half and all our camping clart for a 500-mile round trip to Whitby. Claimed dry weight is 238kg, so full of fuel and oil I guess it’s 60kg-ish more than the Tracer. Getting used to it took some effort. She couldn’t get comfy on the back – massive panniers in the way of her feet, grab handles in the ‘wrong’ place –…

This month: Kawasaki Versys 1000 Other bikes ridden: Yamaha FZ1 Fazer, Beta Rev 3 Miles ridden: 408 AMID THE SVELTE SPORTSBIKES slicing around Donington, the Versys is the fat girl going for it on the dancefloor at a wedding – there’s some tutting from miserable old gits standing at the bar, while most people sit back and wish they were having that much of a laugh. Key to the enjoyment is that though the Versys is too heavy, too softly suspended and too underpowered to be properly quick on track, it’s easily good enough to feel in control while you push on and improve your lines. Sure, the forks dive so much braking for the Foggy Esses that they set the ABS off at the bottom of their travel, and…

Heated grips » Not specific for the GSX-S, but a generic accessory (and as fitted to certain-spec V-Stroms). Uses simple three-temperature control, ranging from barely on to toasty. The grips don’t have that soft, luxurious, premium feel, but without fairing protection these have obvious appeal. Price: £159 Coloured calipers » Ruddy hell fire. Yellow calipers? Have they gone mad? These are the standard part, just painted in a lairy hue, and are also available in sod-off red and a metallic blue. They’re sold separately, £210 a side, so you could have a yellow left caliper and red on the right. Mmm tasty... Price: £420 (both sides) Flyscreen » Not massive, and hardly what you’d call a touring part. However, the larger accessory ‘meter visor’ should add just enough extra protection…

Kawasaki Z1000 ABS Where the GSX-S is smooth, mannered and even hints at sophistication, the Z1000 is raw, intense and wants to wave two fingers at other traffic. Massive midrange and short gearing mean wheelies, less-than-supple ride means jiggled innards. Subtle? No. But it is entirely engaging. Price: £10,035 otr. PCP: dep £2500, 36 months @ £119 BMW S1000R Cunning electronics are the first thing you think of with BMW these days, but even without the Sport version’s semi-active ride the base S1000R is still amazing. Fast, composed, comfy, mannered, and sounds good. And you still get basic traction, modes and ABS. It’s the benchmark. Price: £10,200 otr. PCP: dep £2084, 36 months @ £139 Triumph Speed Triple Groaning, wailing, gut-stirring triple, steadfast ride, iconic lines, imposing presence – the…

YOU MAY THINK BMW has the globe-trotting R1200GS to thank for most of its modern day success, but you’d be wrong. Long before the Bavarian Motor Works became synonymous with adventure machines and superbikes, they knew a thing or two about how to screw a good tourer together. As such, the full-dress RT has been the firm’s backbone for over 30 years, and the current 1170cc evolution – which offers as many rider cosseting extras as your bank balance will allow – is their finest yet. Much lighter, agile and more characterful than Japanese rivals, the boxer-engined R1200RT became the must-have touring bike when launched in 2005, regularly topping UK sales charts in the years following. With fairings and luggage aerodynamically tuned to meet the high-speed demands of two-up touring…

» Start out from Policoro riding west on the SS598. This is one of my favourite local twisties because it takes you to so many beautiful and diverse places. The road is, to all intents and purposes, empty of traffic and police in a way that anyone from even a small town, let alone a big city, would find hard to believe. I recently had a tour of guys over from London and they were stunned to see that we had covered twenty-seven miles before we came up behind our first vehicle. Until then the road had been completely clear of traffic. » Craco is a beautiful and deserted town of ghosts. To get there take the SS103 then the 598 which twists, turns, rises and falls in a continual…

» ACF-50 Quart Bottle – £32 ACF-50 is well-known for keeping corrosion at bay and protecting nearly every part of the bike, including electrics. The Quart pack gives you 946ml of the magic stuff and a spray applicator. Follow the instructions and you’ll have enough for three years of treatment. » Scottoiler FS 365 – £9 For everyday non-winter riding, use Scotoiler FS 365. Once a bike has been washed use this inexpensive anti-corrosion formula. The one-litre bottle includes a useful adjustable head. Give the whole bike a fine mist or use a jet to spray onto bolts or into hard-to-reach places. You’ll be glad you did. » S DOC 100 Total Cleaner Power Gel – £13 This cleaner is pricier than most, but its formula is more concentrated. We’ve…

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. › BLOWERS AVOID BLOW-UP In 1939 Benelli built a supercharged liquid-cooled DOHC 250cc inline four. It was to race in 1940, and with nearly 60bhp and 150mph made single-cylinder rivals look like antiques. But war halted international racing, and then bombs flattened Benelli’s factory. Luckily they’d planned ahead: older racers were hidden in farms, and the 250 engines…

Mat Oxley It’s been a great season with lots of British success, which looks set to continue in 2016. FINALLY, BRITAIN SEEMS to have a production line of Grand Prix talent: Bradley Smith, Scott Redding and Cal Crutchlow are already in MotoGP, Sam Lowes is a hot prospect for the 2016 Moto2 title and is already signed with Aprilia’s factory MotoGP team for 2017, then we’ve got Moto3 king Danny Kent moving up to Moto2 next year with the title-winning Kiefer outfit. And now here comes the next new kid on the block: Rory Skinner (who interviewed John McGuinness in the October issue). The young Scot has been going great guns in recent Red Bull Rookies events run at Grands Prix. He scored his first podiums at the Aragon GP…

» Monster Tech 3 Yamaha MotoGP man Bradley Smith is riding better than ever. The man who topped last year’s MotoGP crash list with 15 tumbles tells us why… “At the start of this season I knew I wanted to get to the summer break without making many mistakes, so I had to ride within myself. So I stretched myself as far as I could comfortably go. And now that I’ve got a good base that final one percent is within reach. I’ve started to understand those little refinements you need to make to the bike that allow you to take it to that next level. Then you start to have that confidence to play with the front and the rear tyres, whereas before I didn’t want to go near…

Jamie Duncan wants a… BMW R100RT » I’ve always wanted a big boxer BMW and I’ve always wanted a twin-shocker, so this R100RT would do me nicely. It hasn’t been started in quite a few years but if the claimed 32k miles is genuine this is practically brand new. I’d keep it for a grand European tour next summer. » The voice of reason: If it’s cheap enough this might be OK. Good parts availability, easy to work on. Just promise that you won’t butcher it into a caf› racer. John Westlake wants a… Honda XL250S » I have a yearning for a small, light trail bike but have limited cash so this 1980 XL250S looks ideal. It’s been stored in a cellar (hence the rust), is allegedly complete, the…

» 12-15 November 2015 Horizons Unlimited South Africa – Potchefstroom I was hoping to attend this popular southern hemisphere event, but I’m not sure I’m going to make it in time. That shouldn’t stop you though. horizonsunlimited.com » 23-24 January 2016 Adventure Travel Show, Olympia, London The biggest adventure travel show in the UK. Plenty of motorcycle tour operators will be there, along with seminars and presentations. adventureshow.com » 12-14 February 2016 MCN London Motorcycle Show, Excel Centre Featuring the ‘Inspirational Adventure’ zone, the place to get up-close with the latest adventure bikes and kit, and see what tours are on offer for 2016. mcnmotorcycleshow.com…

» The popularity of dirt-inspired builds has not gone unnoticed by Honda who’ve created two customs for the Tokyo show… Based on the MSX125 (called the GROM in certain markets), the first of the 50cc bikes is in the flat-track style. However, the second is like a Bologna Scrambler that’s shrunk in the wash – proportions, colour and seat are all remarkably similar to the Urban Enduro version of Ducati’s sales success. Although concepts at the moment, Honda are expected to put one into production.…

Massive congratulations to Team Bike on their magnificent win at the Classic Bol. Riders Stéphane Mertens and Richard Hubin were brilliant. So, apart from this highlight, did the the trip match expectations? 650 miles in pissing rain proved that most so-called waterproof boots, textiles and gloves weren’t, but proved how good Michelin Pilot Road 4s are in both the wet and the dry. Once the skies cleared on Thursday we had a blast down through Gap and the Route Napoleon – sensational roads and scenery. At the Circuit Paul Ricard with the tent pitched by Friday teatime to see the first leg of the classic, a few beers and boxes of wine, a walk round the stands and bars – brilliant, although no strippers and no bullfights which upset my…

THE BIGGEST SHOCK with the new RC213V-S is that it’s just so flexible. Normally when a manufacturer makes a road bike that’s based on a track bike, or builds a road bike just to win races, they just don’t work. They’re not overly refined, and you miss too much – the usability goes out of the window. I thought the RC213V-S would be like that, and that you’d need to be a full-blown race bloke for it to work. But you could put anyone from a novice to an expert on this, and everyone would be able to perform. It’s the manoeuvrability and lightness that I notice first. The Honda needs less effort than a 600cc sportsbike, it’s so easy to ride. And it’s plush too – it feels like…

...put on waterproofs in a hurry Put a plastic bag over your boot and shove it down the leg hole. It will glide in without any snagging, thereby reducing the amount of roadside hopping. ...take ethanol out of petrol Amazingly, you just have to add the right amount of water (20% of the fuel), mix it until it binds with the ethanol, and then pour off the neat petrol. Just make sure you don’t set fire to your shed. ...write a travel story and win prizes! Easy. Just have an adventure, write it down (making it scintillating, obviously) and send it to Bike . The ten best entries will be printed in Bike , and the winner gets a trip of a lifetime. Entries to Bike . ...leave for Cape…

HERE COMES MY exit slip. And there it goes. Ah well, it was bound to happen. Humming effortlessly at a sniff over 6000rpm and a cruise-controlled 85mph, the Tiger 800 is relaxed, comfortable and – most importantly of all – feels fantastically long-legged. Its tilt-adjustable screen keeps things calm while the wide bars and open cockpit add to the sense of flap-free solidity gushing from the super-stable chassis and secure ride. Heated grips fighting evening chill, heated seat warming my cockles, the deportment and overwhelming sense of continent-covering prowess make every ride on the 800 feel like it never needs to stop. My evening commute on the A1 north has turned into the first few miles of an exploration of northern Europe. Or would have if I didn’t need to…

This month: 1973 Mobylette V50 Other bikes ridden: Suzuki GSX-S1000, Ducati Scrambler Miles ridden: 1952 IT’S PROBABLY THEIR simplicity that’s responsible for my irrational fondness of silly old mopeds. They’re essentially pushbikes with pop-pop-pop engines, so bobbing along lanes is a fuss-free pleasure. My Mobylettes put smiles on the faces of all who see them, cost nowt to run, and are a doddle to fix if anything goes wrong. Or they are with the right tools. Which, predictably, I don’t have. My V50 stops once warm, obstinately refusing further progress until cool – the symptoms of a clapped-out condenser. The £5 bit lives with ignition and timing gubbins behind the flywheel. To access, swap the spark plug for a special stroke-limiting tool to stop the engine turning, and use a…

This month: Kawasaki Z250L Other bikes ridden: Suzuki GSX-S1000, Ducati Scrambler Miles ridden: 1952 SINGLE-CYLINDER ENGINES are, as any mono-owner with a failed starter will tell you, a git to bump start. You and unwilling helpers push like buggery, drop the clutch in a high gear, and form a sweaty heap over the seat when the wheel immediately locks and the bike stops dead. You might expect this pig-headed refusal to be the preserve of large-capacity monos and race bikes with 26:1 compression, but no. With Langy and I cursing as our 249cc Kawasaki skids to a halt for the fifth time, it would appear small singles are no different. It’d been going so well. After falling for its frenetic power, ping-pong ball direction changes and city-skipping practicality last issue,…

ACCORDING TO STATISTICS that we just made up, this is the page the greatest percentage of readers turn to first. Being a discerning reader this is no surprise. You know a ruddy good deal when you see one, and the Bike award has established itself as the highlight of the biking month with its stream of quality items. This month is no different. Found on Hugo’s desk under a stack of Matchless parts lists and old newspapers, we’re awarding a DVD copy of Girl Meets Bike . It’s about a lass who sells her wedding frock, buys a Guzzi and gets all ‘biker chick’. We’ve not actually seen it, but it’s safe to assume tattoos, nudity and a spot of rumpy-pumpy amid machinery from Guzzi, Norton and Triumph. Nominate yourself…

600 miles (after run-in): change oil and oil filter, check fluid levels, safety and chassis checks. £99. 8000 miles (minor): change oil, oil filter and air filter, replace spark plugs, brake caliper strip and clean, safety checks. £320. 16,000 miles (major): change oil, oil filter, air filter and plugs, check and adjust valve clearances, brake caliper strip and clean, safety checks. £550. Minor and major services then alternate every 8000 miles. In addition, change the brake fluid every two years and the coolant every three. Typical service costs from Wheels Motorcycles: wheelsmotorcycles.co.uk, 01733 316745.…

SPORTSBIKE Triumph Daytona 955i ‘On the sensible-side-of-sporty’ » Why: The machine that paved the way for modern Hinckley sportsbikes is now an appreciating classic. The big Daytona has slowly grown into its looks and the three-cylinder engine is a peach. » The history: Launched as the T595 Daytona in 1997 and heralded as Britain’s first proper sportsbike. While not as sporty as the Japanese competition, it won many fans. Name changed to 955i in 1999 to prevent would-be customers thinking it was a 600. Subtle updates over the years. » What to check: Be sure to check fourth gear engages fully as some bikes have been known to suffer problems. Inspect the drive train for seized chain adjusters. » How it rides: Engaging road-going sportsbike. Stable, dependable and thrilling, especially…

Doing my job gives me an unusual perspective on how motorcycle accidents happen and if there is a common thread, it is car drivers failing to perceive motorcyclists. I do not use the word see. If a driver is looking in your direction, he or she sees you but may not perceive you. But I see far too many cases where the rider is there to be seen but nevertheless the driver pulls out. The driver either confesses, alleges speed or if all else fails, says the rider should have made himself more visible, by donning high vis. That argument has a superficial attraction. The obvious remedy is to go high vis, but the science is ambivalent. There are some studies which say it modestly reduces risk, others say it…

IN MY EXPERIENCE it’s more important to train the pillion than the rider. If your pillion panics and sits straight upright as you try to go round a corner, it can cause you to crash. It’s nearly happened to me – a first time pillion leaned the wrong way, trying to stay bolt upright round a left hand corner, and the bike wouldn’t turn. My advice to passengers is fairly standard – lean with the bike in the corners, hold on to the grab rails or a fixed area on the bike so you don’t crush the rider when they apply the brakes, sit still and don’t try and talk to the rider when you’re moving. The hardest thing to get people to do is relax – ideally you want…