Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2019 i BIKE

This is me on Yam’s Ténéré 700, scurrying up a big hill somewhere in North Wales. The new twin takes the swollen adventure market in a fresh direction, with more than a hint of the original dual-purpose ‘giant trailies’ of the 80s and 90s (I had a Suzuki DR650RS but fancied a DR750 Big). So to see where the 700 sits we took it on a road trip with seven other adventurers. With bikes of every shape, size and flavour back-to-back it was truly eye-opening, and you can read our excited findings on p48. But the best thing about our all-roads, all-weather adventure was that it felt like exactly that – an actual adventure. We strode over landscapes, slipped down back lanes, laughed on slate-strewn tracks, got lost a few…

Price £15,950 (£13,700 standard) Engine 1187cc liquid-cooled, 8v V-twin Power 114bhp@8000rpm Torque 80 lb.ft@7000rpm Top speed 145mph Rake/trail 30°/117mm Wheelbase 1440mm Wet weight 243kg Seat height 820mm Tank size 13 litres Economy 41.5mpg Colours Blue and black (standard bike only), red and black Availability Now Bike verdict A stripped-back smooth operator with oodles of low-down power and more than enough up top to keep you interested. Handles and stops like a true slice of Italian exotica. Bike ratin 8/10…

IF YOU’VE GOT 80 grand burning a hole in your pocket, and are looking for something rare, vintage and reeking of history to restore over winter, you’d best get yourself along to the Bonhams auction at the Stafford Classic Bike Show, October. Ticking all the boxes for classic restorers in search of something special is a rare 1927 Brough Superior 680, that’s expected to change hands for £60,000-£80,000. This ohv V-twin’s appeal is as much in its matching frame and engine numbers as it is in the fact it’s been owned by the same family for the past 64 years. Around 550 of these Jap-engined machines were built by Brough between 1926 and 1936, making this one of the earlier offerings in the production run. According to Bonhams this 680…

Custom models from major manufacturers are commonplace nowadays, particularly here in Europe. That said some marques have gone further to showcase what can be done with imagination and skill by inviting custom builders to create one-offs based on their standard models. Harley-Davidson, BMW and Triumph are three heavyweights who’ve gone down this road but Yamaha, with their Yard Built programme, have been at it longer than most. For 2019 they offered their XSR700 twin as the base and invited nine top custom houses to do their thing. The shops included: Germany’s Hookie Co; Italy’s D&G Motorsport and The Czech Republic’s YMoto. Yamaha also deployed a ‘Back To The Dirt’ theme and the builds had to be ready for judging at the annual Reunion Show, Monza, Italy. Spring ’19. Of particular…

In school I was that hand-me-down-clad kid in the front row with his hand up going: ‘Sir! Sir! I know! Please, sir!’ while the dudes in the back made disparaging comments to hide the fact they hadn’t a clue about what was going on in the classroom, the universe or life. As my 60th birthday fades into distant memory I still like to live a little. That classroom behaviour has manifested itself in a lean-to shed that has taken over the garden, a taste for functional secondhand tools and a car that looks like a white rhino has sat, and then shat, on it. But it has never missed an oil change and has no MoT advisories. And this 60-year-old child has a complete inability to leave any bike standard.…

WATCHING LIVE IS BEST Adrian and Carly North, and son Jesse-Jacks (3) from Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex. Adrian is a massive Marquez fan while Carly is more Cal Crutchlow. The verdict is still out for Jesse-Jacks. 2019 was their fourth Silverstone MotoGP. ‘It’s the atmosphere and the noise that makes us go,’ said the Norths. When he’s not watching, Adrian races grasstrack sidecar. IN THE EVENING Evening entertainment at the British GP used to involve a party seven and/or revving the tits off your bike. And then there was the milk churn game: take one big, old school, churn. Cut a hole in the bottom and wedge a football in the top. Fill up with gas, light it and bazooka your Mitre Multiplex 150 feet into the air on the end of…

Plus £2450 Adventure pack comprising high screen, side pipe, fog lights, centre stand, 12v socket, heated grips, box panniers (with liners, but we removed them for the pictures), rack and tank bag (also not in pictures). STANDARD SPECIFICATION DCT, with adjustable TC, downshift and modes. RECOMMENDED ACCESSORIES » Centrestand (£185) Really useful when loading with luggage. » Mid/low seat (125) Makes the ground closer. » Panniers (£530) Tailored to the bike, and surprisingly slim.…

TAKING A BREATHER, en route to Wales, at Shrewsbury and cramming the Ducati’s panniers with foodstuffs of dubious nutritional value, I grab the opportunity to scribble a few notes. I start with all the less-good things I’ve noticed about the 950 in two-and-a-half hours of dual carriageways, motorway and congestion. ‘The screen’s quite noisy,’ says the scrawl. And that’s it. The 950 S is pretty bloody wonderful. We already preferred the ‘little’ Multistrada over the oh-so-powerful larger version, which is why it’s here instead of a 1260. Its 937cc desmodromic V-twin (swiped from the Hypermotard) makes 40-odd horsepower less, and on paper the 19-inch front wheel, lazier 25˚ head angle and longer wheelbase suggest a less-agile chassis. Yet as is often the case with smaller versions of Ducatis, the 950…

STANDARD SPECIFICATION Cornering ABS and traction, modes (x6), cruise, keyless, self-cancelling indicators, TFT dash, light-up switchgear. RECOMMENDED ACCESSORIES Arrow silencers (£715) As fitted to this bike. Don’t sound much different, but lighter and look cool… Grab rack (£230) Small alloy rack with grab handles, for pillion peace of mind and collecting fish suppers. Flyscreen (£76) As fitted to this bike. Bikes don’t get more naked, so any help for distance is welcome.…

THE TIGER LOVES being spanked. I’m either pinning the throttle hard against the stop, or braking firm and late for a corner. Two options, nothing in the middle. I can’t help it: the liquid-cooled three has that addictive whine of a Street Triple, except to me the Tiger sounds even fruitier. Imagine a wolf, a killer-whale and a lion all going for it in three-part harmony – that’ll get you somewhere near what the Tiger sounds like. Everyone agrees it’s the best noise here by far. ‘It sounds brilliant,’ ejaculates Gurski. ‘What an engine. Fast, frugal, flexible, and sounds ruddy brilliant too’ It helps that the engine isn’t what you’d call powerful. This way you can enjoy the noise without worrying about the ticket. Imagine a Yamaha R6 below 7000rpm…

STANDARD SPECIFICATION Cornering ABS and traction, modes (x6), cruise, keyless, self-cancelling indicators, TFT dash, light-up switchgear RECOMMENDED ACCESSORIES » Touring windscreen (£175) Taller, wider and essential if you want to do big miles in terrible weather. » Moto Guzzi MIA (£N/A) Link your phone and use the dash as a sat-nav. You can store trip data too. » Arrow sport exhaust (£1059) Stock pipe sounds good, but no harm in more bass. Pity it’s expensive.…

SIZING... Intelligent sizing means you should wear the same size oversuit as the rest of your biking wardrobe. Most manufacturers have cottoned onto this idea, but it’s worth double checking with the retailer if you’re unsure. Bigger might sound better but extra material flaps about in the wind and pools water. Try it on with your normal gear to make sure it fits before committing to sticking it under your seat. You wouldn’t want to find out it’s too small when you need it most. COMFORT/BREATHABILITY… Just because it goes on top doesn’t mean it shouldn’t breathe. A material that doesn’t breathe means you might still get damp, but from the inside as your own sweat has nowhere to go. Anything with full nylon or PVC construction will be like…

2004-2011 Suzuki DL650 V-Strom Uses characterful fuel-injected 645cc V-twin from the SV650 with re-profiled camshafts to give more low-range shove, with a sliver of power off the top. The aluminium twin-spar chassis is exclusive to the V-Strom, as is the swingarm. Front and rear suspension is adjustable for preload. Adjustable screen and 22-litre tank. 645cc – 220kg – 66bhp – £1200-£2500 ’06-’11 DL650 V-Strom Touring/GT/Xpedition Optional ABS arrived in 2006, as did the dealer-accessoried Touring version – topbox, heated grips, centrestand and handguards for £250 over stock. The following year Suzuki GB introduced the GT version which threw ABS into the mix. In 2010 the Xpedition added a sump guard to the GT’s package. 645cc – 223kg – 66bhp - £2000-£2700 2012-2016 Suzuki DL650 V-Strom Featuring Gladius’ new twin-spark engine…

This isn’t a limp brochure-style round-up of all the bikes you can buy. No, your guide is far more useful as it only contains bikes that we have tested, with comparable on-the-road prices plus data, expert opinion and must-know detail gathered by fussy full-time testers. We do hundreds of thousands of miles, dyno, datalog, weigh and answer the big questions. Don’t buy a new bike without reading this first. ✱ ALL DOWN TO ARNOLD’S Fonzarelli. No, not the jukebox-whacking bloke, but an Aussie electric two-wheel brand. After three trad’ step-thru’ scooters in the last decade, Fonz now have this NKD – which of course is a ‘stripped-back dual-sport mini-moto’. It does 50mph with a 40-mile range, and costs £5500. The £8k Special Edition adds 12mph and 25 miles. ✱ AHEAD…

Carl Fogarty RC30 ACHIEVEMENTS 3x F1 champ 3 x TT wins 6 x Team Bike parade laps AFTER GETTING BACK from an amazing weekend at the Classic TT (see p118), the fun continued when I went to Castle Combe the following Sunday. I was on one of the Team Bike RC30s and the other one was ridden by Carl Fogarty. Steve Parrish and Graeme Crosby were on track too. It came about because 30 years ago, almost to the day, Carl set the outright lap record at Castle Combe on an RC30 – it was the first 100mph average speed lap there. He’d not been back since, and the circuit invited him as guest of honour to their Grand National meet. He said he’d come, but he’d like to ride…

NEXT YEAR marks the centenary of Indian’s Scout. Yes, it’ll be 100 years since the American firm’s famous V-twin first went on sale, and so they are celebrating in some style with two new models: the Scout Bobber Twenty and a limited-edition Anniversary edition… ‘Sagebrush Smoke sounds like a three-piece southern rock band…’ We’re fans of the Scout at Bike , of its high-quality dynamic, feel and finish; it’s proof that cruisers don’t have to be stubborn, clunky and basic. Most interesting and important of the laid-back pair, the Bobber Twenty is obviously based on the fatter-tyred, better-suspended Bobber version and pays homage to the original 1920 machine. Thankfully it doesn’t go as far as reverting to a side-valve motor, three-speed gearbox, rigid rear-end and no front brake, and the…

Price £22,299 on the road Engine 1833cc sohc 24-valve flat six Power 125bhp @ 5500rpm Torque 125 lb.ft @ 4500rpm Top speed 120mph (est) Rake/trail 30.5˚/105mm Wheelbase 1695mm Wet weight 365kg Seat height 745mm Tank size 21.1 litres Economy 42mpg (tested) Colours black, matt grey Availability now Bike verdict Last year’s redesign changed the GL1800 from luxurious motorway tool to even-more luxurious proper bike. This new version takes it a step further. It’s pricey, yes – but there’s nowt like a Gold Wing. Bike rating 8/10…

THE TIME HAS come to stop moaning about Silverstone, and finally accept Northamptonshire is the natural home of the British Grand Prix. First and foremost this is because Silverstone’s an awesome race track, one on which riders can unleash (most of) the potential of a MotoGP machine. And, as I and others have been saying for decades, the one thing that gets nearest to guaranteeing great racing is a fast racetrack. I call Phillip Island and Mugello as evidence. M’Lud. ‘The riders can unleash the potential of a MotoGP machine’ In the last six years, four MotoGP races at Silverstone have been won by under a second, three of them by under a tenth of a second. The average winning margin over the nine years of the Northamptonshire track hosting…

James Harrison-Allen’s been to Africa before, but he considered he had unfinished business. So he tripped back there, this time with friends… » Where are you right now? At home in west Wales. » Okay, so tell us about your latest adventure… I was with friends Tom and Alex, fantasising about another big trip. We were all moaning about our jobs and how they prevent us from taking enough time off to travel. But then we worked out that, with bank holidays, we could take nearly three weeks off at Christmas and do the same during Easter the following year. And by breaking up the trip into different holiday years we could get enough time to cover a decent distance. ‘It seemed like an idyllic spot. However, in the middle…

» 6 October The Copdock Classic, Ipswich, Suffolk A great, and great big, event which features a dedicated custom section as well as pre-65 classics and vintage speedway displays. There’ll also be good old Ken Fox’s Wall of Death, the jaw-dropping Two Brothers stunt riding display and a great rarity these days, a real live game of Motoball. copdockmotorcycleshow. co.uk » 27 October Rats, Brats & Bobbers, Ace Café, Stonebridge, London While the Ace Caff runs biker-themed events most weekends, this particular wing-ding appeals as the machinery is very much of the home-brewed variety and certainly not the show-ponies that turn up at many of the bigger shows. Plus the Ace does a mean burger and if you’re still finishing your own build, you can even turn up…

RECENTLY IN BIKE magazine, and by that I mean the September issue, ex-editor Westlake took on the challenge of this KTM’s 3000-mile evaluation in which he stated the 790 Adventure has an engine that chunters along at low revs yet: ‘the low-speed fuelling is irritating… and feels coarse.’ We suspect he got a dud, because this Adventure R is flippin’ fantastic. From the depths of sub-2000rpm to the highs of 11,000 the 799cc twin-cylinder feels glorious. It switches from motorway cruising and plunges into Welsh back-lanes, scything precisely along B-roads that chop, change and rearrange themselves faster than is reasonably comprehensible. It must be the most engaging engine here for this kind of work. The Yamaha Ténéré 700 is soon out-paced on straighter stretches, and in the tight stuff the…

STANDARD SPECIFICATION Cornering ABS and traction, modes (x3), cruise, keyless, hill hold, self-cancelling indicators, TFT dash, cornering lights, light-up switchgear, centrestand, heated grips, panniers. RECOMMENDED ACCESSORIES » Comfort rider seat (£204.66) Plusher and 20mm higher, to help my boney bum and knees when on long rides. » Gran Turismo screen (£170.22) 35mm higher, 20mm wider and hopefully a lot quieter than the stock blade is. » Carbon hands-free antenna cover (£199.78) Because all Ducatis need carbon, and this is the cheapest bit.…

IT’S RAINING HARD when we switch bikes at Shrewsbury services, and I confess to feeling some reluctance to swap the keys of the sumptuous GS for those of the spartan Ténéré. Wot? No heated grips? And that screen looks suspiciously slim. But adventure bikes should be able to shrug off big distances in bad conditions and, splashing down the M54/M6 towards Brum, the Tén700 impresses as much as it did the previous day on the twists of the B4391 in mid-Wales. The 689cc 72bhp twin is frisky when it’s twisty, but will comfortably cruise at 80mph on a sodden wet motorway at 6000rpm. Peak power is at 9000rpm, and maximum torque at 6500rpm, so there’s more to come. Later, in dry conditions, it comfortably romps up to 100mph with the…

STANDARD SPECIFICATION TFT dash, modes, LED lights, cruise control, 12V and USB sockets, ABS, TC, heated grips, heated seat. RECOMMENDED ACCESSORIES » Aluminium panniers (£580) You’ll also need the waterproof inner bags: £129 per pair. And mounting rails: £265. Black panniers are £625. » Fuel tank crash bars (£183) Heading for the trails? Buy these. » Slip-on silencer (£605) Made by Arrow, this EU-friendly aftermarket pipe should turn that engine noise all the way up to 11.…

THE A5 BYPASS is like a scene from the Great Flood – water levels rising, cars crawling two-by-two on the dual carriageway – but that shouldn’t mean much to the GS. It’s packing grippy tyres, soft-action traction control, heated grips, and a Rain mode (I can’t find the Flood mode). But ooh it’s heavy. I strain to lift the bike off its sidestand, click it into gear, let out the clutch. And then the magic happens. As soon as the 250kg R1250GS gets moving, absolutely all its weight disappears. I seesaw the handlebar and the front wheel changes direction weightlessly. It’s night and day compared with the 189kg KTM, and much lighter at slow speeds than even the Triumph Tiger. How can it feel so light? Partly, perhaps, due to…

Since leaving the UK many, many people have questioned our pillion strategy. They suggested, actually a bit more than simply suggested, that riding pillion is too difficult in many of the countries on our list. They said Central Asia would be tough and Afghanistan impossible. But we made it in and out (just). So, we had no doubt we could do Mongolia too. Turns out it was no different. Actually, it was easier. There’s no predetermined route and there are hundreds of challenges every day so it’s a full-time job for a pillion. And I love it! The riding is adjusted and we take it easy – although, there were plenty of times we flew past motorcyclists and cars as they negotiated confusing trails filled with muck, sand and dust,…

Triumph Speed Triple RS Pros: brilliant engine matches the Katana’s, Öhlins suspension is higher quality than the Suzuki’s and there’s more bling. Cons: costs £2400 more and lacks the Katana’s design-statement appeal. Kawasaki Z900RS Pros: clever styling is more retro than the Katana’s and the engine is almost as much fun. And the Kawasaki costs £1000 less. Cons: lacks the Katana’s top-end punch. Popularity means there’s a queue to get one. Honda CB1000R Pros: beautifully made, with lashings of nice touches. Stonking engine too. Cons: rear shock eventually goes AWOL on fast bumpy roads, annoying fuel filler baffle. Not much else.…

West Coast, 5 days (USA) Start on the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) in Portland, Oregon, and ride down the USA’s West Coast to San Francisco. From there you can head inland to Yosemite National Park, Death Valley, Las Vegas and end up on Route 66. The iconic PCH (or Pacific Highway 1) provides bend after bend of spectacularly rugged coastal views with minimal traffic along the way. Stop off and visit quaint coastal towns, abandoned lighthouses and the Sea Lion Caves. Ride into San Francisco and take a few days exploring on two wheels, or take a boat trip across the harbour to the infamous Alcatraz prison. Or go whale watching. From San Fran ride inland to Yosemite National Park in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. See giant, ancient sequoia…

Richa Typhoon suit 1pc £44.99 You can forgive the hugely popular Typhoon suit for its PVC construction because it has a bargain basement price. It’s the cheapest of our quartet, by a significant amount, and features a long entry zip which starts above the knee, an elasticated waist for a better fit and it packs down easily. Reflective details are a nice touch as is the optional flash of neon yellow. Good on dark nights. Breathable it is not, but it won’t let any moisture through the fabric either. richa.eu Oxford Stormseal 1PC £99.98 + 2PC £99.99 A full mesh lining with ankle, arm and wrist adjusters give a premium feel to Oxford’s Stormseal range. This suit is also comfortable, on or off the bike. Although probably not…

2005 Suzuki DL650 V-Strom Ad says: great condition, low mileage. Lots of extras including handlebar raise kit and panniers. Selling due to upgrade. 11,500 miles We say: not far off its major service but a price not to be sniffed at. Price £2200 2017 Suzuki DL650 V-Strom Ad says: as-new condition with full service history, both keys and handbook. One owner machine. 7323 miles We say: it’s standard but at this price you can afford a few extras down the line. Price: £5300…

‘What sort of person rides 1500 miles round Europe without gluing his heated bargrips on? And the brake lever came back to the bar’ 2005 Triumph Sprint ST 1050 COST: £2250 TYRES: Bridgestone T30 MILEAGE: 20,000 MPG: 46 BUYING A SLIGHTLY DODGY secondhand bike is, of course, a gamble. Take this 2005 Triumph Sprint ST1050 I’ve just paid £2250 for. On the safe bet side of the equation, I got a full service history (mostly from a good local specialist), a genuine 20,000 miles on the clock, 12 months of MoT and a wodge of receipts for minor fixes. Plus it looks tidy from five paces, the engine feels fit and there’s even a topbox for my commute. Happy days… Except that on the other side of the equation there…

£75 a month Honda CB1100RS Convincing ’70s superbike style, quality parts, luxury ride – the RS proves retros don’t have to feel old. The official Honda PCP deal is attractive at £109pm with a £2190 deposit, but Wheels (01733 358555) have a 0% deal – so a new RS is just £75.50pm with £2499 down. £139 deposit KTM 790 Duke We quite like KTM’s fruity parallel twin – that’s why it was our 2018 Bike of the Year. Kestrel KTM (02476 703901) have them with £820 knocked off, and with a low-rate PCP deal – the fit Austrian naked is £99.81 a month after you’ve found a very modest £139 deposit. £50 a month Enfield Interceptor Royal Enfield’s finance deals don’t have particularly attractive APR figures next to their models.…

» 26 October World Superbike Championship, Losail, Qatar Last chance this year to see the genius of Jonny Rea in action. The track is fine, Qatar not so much. worldsbk.com » 14 December Sepang 8 Hours, Sepang International Circuit Advance warning of the new race in the World Endurance calendar. Format will be based on Suzuka 8H and used as a qualifier for that event by Asian teams. Expect the circuit to field its MotoGP men Morbidelli and maybe Quartararo. fimewc.com…

» 13-15 October Goodwood Revival, Goodwood The world’s finest classic motorsport event. An irresistible mix of ’50s and ’60s glamour, rock ’n’ roll, the rich scent of hot metal and oil, and ageing – often priceless – bikes and cars taken to the limit. Star draw in this year’s Barry Sheene Memorial races is former MotoGP star Dani Pedrosa, who’ll get his first taste of classic racing aboard a ’60s Paton GP bike. goodwood.com » 20 October Red Oktober, Ace Cafe, London Lifting the iron curtain on the bikes and cars from the cold war Eastern Bloc era. A great mix of utilitarian and often down-right odd vehicles and engineering. If you’ve got an old MZ, CZ, Minsk, Simson or Ural at the back of a shed drag…

» 11-13 October The Overland Expo, East, Virginia, USA The giant American overlanding festival heads east to the rolling hills of Virginia. Tons of activities, training, test rides, speakers and heaps of fancy kit to buy. overlandexpo.com/east » 22-24 November Horizons Unlimited Meeting, Ecuador Any riders heading to Ushuaia for Christmas and New Year should swing by this gathering on their way south. Hook up with fellow Pan-American travellers and practice your Spanish. Buen viaje, amigos! horizonsunlimited.com/ events » 29-30 November Barstow to Vegas Ride, USA Now in its 36th year, this legendary 400-mile desert race is the most famous and longest two-day dirt ride in the world. It’s one of those things you have to do once in your life. So why not make it now……

WHEN MIKE ASKS me which of the eight bikes I’d like to ride on our initial meander to Wales – an A-road and motorway dash from Cambridgeshire – the answer is an easy one: ‘can I have the Africa Twin?’ Turn the key, press the starter, blip the throttle and enjoy the crisp note of the 998cc parallel twin. Then climb aboard, double press the DCT button to engage ‘Sport’ mode. There’s a raft of other rider aid options available via the eight button left handlebar cluster, the five button right hand cluster and the three buttons on the dash. There’s also at least 13 different bits of information showing on the digital dash display and a bunch of other warning lights too. I ignore all of these distractions in…

STANDARD SPECIFICATION Cornering TC, cornering ABS, switchable rear ABS, My Ride app connectivity. RECOMMENDED ACCESSORIES » Quickshifter (£349) Smooth action, works on part-throttle. An absolute must for fast road riding. Our bike had one fitted. » Cruise control (£217) Has to be enabled by your KTM dealer, and you’ll need a combi switch. » Luggage bag (£69) Keep the KTM’s weight down by stuffing the expandable luggage bag instead of strapping on panniers.…

OF COURSE IT deserves to be here. Triumph’s Scrambler 1200 might be based on the Bonneville ‘modern classic’, but its green-lane tyres are the same size as Yamaha’s rally-inspired Ténéré 700. And because this is the XE version there’s a fully-adjustable Showa fork and Öhlins shocks, with a trail-swallowing 250mm of wheel travel front and rear – that’s over 25% more than the BMW R1250GS, and even more than the Ténéré, too. The punchy low-rev drive of the parallel twin has the same roll-over-things-in-a-tall-gear trail usability as the Beemer’s flat twin, and the Scrambler also weighs less than the Tiger 800 XCA. There’s no expensive plastic to crumple in a comedy dirt-track tumble, either. The 1200 is clearly as much an adventure bike as any of the others. ‘Clearly as…

STANDARD SPECIFICATION ABS (switchable), suspension adjustable for pre-load (rear), rebound and compression damping (front and rear). RECOMMENDED ACCESSORIES » Heated grips (£143) Essential. » Centre stand (£235) Because punctures, chain maintenance and loading are part of the journey. » Packs Yamaha offer a Rally Pack at £1525 that includes an Akrapovic end can, one-piece rally seat and cosmetics, and an Adventure Pack at £1869 with sidecases, centrestand, engine guard and other items.…

YESTERDAY AS WE rolled into Bala there was a fella in a car park, tools spread across the floor and 10w/50 glistening on his hands. He was trying to fix his old Moto Guzzi (possibly a V50). Judging by the look on his other half’s face, it wasn’t going desperately well. If it wasn’t for fear of an eight-inch adjustable wrench to the nose, I could have strutted over and recommended swapping his worrisome classic for a new V85 TT. Our spannering friend would get the style, brand appeal, engineering character and unique dynamics he must love about his air-cooled V-twin, but from a bike boasting light controls, smooth fuelling, featherweight clutch, slick gearbox, plus wonderful ride quality from perhaps the finest suspension here. And he could ride it wherever…

STANDARD SPECIFICATION TFT dash, quickshifter, modes, heated grips, tyre pressure monitors, TC, electronically-adjustable suspension, keyless ride, hill start control. RECOMMENDED ACCESSORIES » Comfort seat (£45) Additional foam for long trips. Surprisingly, the extra comfort comes at a steal. » Aluminium luggage (£1460) Eye-wateringly expensive, yet mandatory for epic trips. Helps you pick the bike up after a drop. » Navigator VI (£625) The Exclusive comes ready for this standalone GPS unit. Gloved hands can use the touchscreen.…

Turns out our brief research before entering Mongolia was complete rubbish. You don’t need to be an expert navigator, racer or action man to ride there and it’s nowhere near as hard as people make out. Here’s what you need to know… Paperwork: the Mongolian visa is single-entry and valid for 30 days. You need to source the visa in your home country or from an embassy abroad (easy peasy) for around £60. You will need Mongolian vehicle insurance too, which you can buy just after the border – don’t pay more than £20 for 30 days. You need your passport, V5 and driver’s licence. Fuel: a 200-mile range is enough. You’ll find fuel stations in towns and jerry cans in yurts. Routes: three main routes; north, middle and south.…

Suzuki tankbag Expands from 11 to 15 litres, and locates on a fuel cap mount so no risk of scratches. Good for lugging a litre of ‘get me off the M6’ fuel in. Bag £150, fitting kit £32. Akrapovic end can The standard exhaust cries out for more volume. The Akrapovic solution knocks 1kg off the weight, adds some horsepower and costs £700. And it’s still legal. Bigger screen Screws to standard screen and gives a valuable few inches more protection. Combined with a slight forward lean, 85mph cruising is tolerable. £175 mind. Renntec Moovamoto Whichever stand you choose, make sure you try it on the Katana first – the numberplate holder gets in the way of some. This Renntec is fine and allows you to wheel the bike round.…

If your bike is stolen you are likely to end up hating two groups of people: the thieves who stole it and the insurers who will make you feel more criminal than the actual thief. The run around is this… You report your bike stolen and the very first thing the insurers will do is see if they can avoid a payment, and their default position is that you have, at least, technically breached your contract. My view may well be jaundiced but the same insurer avoidance techniques keep surfacing, regardless of who the insurer is. The first is whether security was used. If you promised your insurer you always lock your bike and you don’t and it gets nicked there will be no pay-out. This is morally justifiable. Insurers…

SUSPENSION LINKAGE The linkage is exposed and doesn’t come with much grease from the factory, so it’s not uncommon to see bikes as new as three years old suffering with seized linkage bearings as a result of corrosion. Regularly used bikes should have linkages stripped and re-greased every year to prevent this from happening. RUSTY STUDS Check the condition of the front cylinder header pipe manifold bolts. Without an aftermarket fender extender the front cylinder gets a right pasting from road grime and water kicked back from the front wheel. This then causes the exhaust header bolts to rust and seize in place. Bad news if you want to replace the exhaust system. On the subject of which, it’s very rare to find a V-Strom with an aftermarket exhaust –…

» I was on the verge of replacing the seals which would be at least an afternoon’s job for a slowcoach like me, plus £25 for the seals. Then I saw a gadget online which claimed to solve the problem without having to remove and dismantle the forks. You just prize out the dust seals and slide the plastic Seal Mate round the fork seals, removing the dirt that usually causes the leaks. A couple of bounces to re-bed the seals and you’re sorted. £10 for a poxy bit of plastic is of course outrageous, but fair play – it worked for me. Details: sealmate.net…

‘I fill up at 207 miles and, still daydreaming about lager, brim the tank with premium diesel’ 1997 Honda VFR750F COST: £1500 TYRES: Dunlop Roadsmart III MILEAGE: 33,828 MPG: 49.7 SUMMER RIDES ARE GREAT, but so are summer bike fettling sessions. A Saturday afternoon in the yard, the sun on your back, test match cricket on Radio 5 Live, tools and factory Honda manual to hand, a couple of simple jobs to do and no time pressure. I’ve done my chores for the weekend and Mrs W is away. And there’s the prospect of a sunny Sunday ride to Yorkshire, to watch Bike contributor Mark Graham race his Suzuki RM370 at Harewood hill climb as further reward. This is my first fairing-off session on the Honda VFR750F that I bought…