Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2020 i BIKE

Triumph’s next Speed Triple will be a significant step forward if this spy shot is anything to go by. The new bike – expected next year – has all new engine cases, frame, exhaust, rear suspension, wheels, dash and lights. The new engine cases suggest there’s been serious fettling beneath – we’re guessing there’s a 100cc capacity increase to help counteract losses due to Euro5 emission compliance, plus the latest advances from the 765cc Street Triple RS. The current Speed Triple’s 140bhp feels more than enough on the road, but Triumph will no doubt want to edge closer to rivals’ power outputs – the KTM Super Duke R makes 177bhp, for example. The layout of the engine is different to the current bike’s too, with a smaller clutch lifted higher…

From the wonderful to the weird, Bike’s pick of this month’s stories from motorcycling world… The National Motorcycle Museum, which holds the world’s biggest collection of British bikes, is in crisis. COVID-19 has removed all sources of income, and their CEO says he may have to sell bikes in the collection to keep the museum afloat. ‘We’re in the worst possible position,’ says James Hewing. This is because the museum is funded by a conference centre and two hotels on the same plot, and they have been decimated by COVID-19. The two hotels rely on the conference centre (shut), or people going to the NEC exhibition centre (shut) or those flying from Birmingham Airport (might as well be shut). ‘It’s a perfect storm,’ says James. ‘We’ve had to make a…

BMW have tweaked almost all their 2021 bikes, with changes ranging from fresh paint to new screen adjustment mechanisms, TFT screens and considerably more optional kit. If you’re an aftermarket manufacturer, you might want to look away now. The only bikes BMW haven’t revealed changes on are the R nineT range, the R1250GS and the G310GS. Here, in order of fiddling magnitude, is what BM have unveiled so far: F850GS range New windscreen adjustment mechanism, a TFT display with connectivity and various paint schemes. Most eye-catching is the GS Anniversary with its nod to the black and yellow of the late-’80s R100GS. It’s good, but it does look like the F850GS has yellow ears. It also gets various kit as standard: LED indicators, USB port, ABS Pro and DTC. The…

The innovations that are transforming our ride While the petrol engine is still a long way from the end of its life there’s a growing acceptance that the future of road transport is electric power. The challenge now is to develop the best way to take electricity from the grid and convert it to performance on the road. Just as bike firms spent decades flitting between two-stroke and four-stroke engines, different configurations of engine and transmission are still rife. Likewise there are many ways to skin the electric cat… Motors can be AC or DC and air or liquid cooled, running at a variety of voltages. Changing battery technology means there are also different chemistries and constructions, each with their own fan base. Charging protocols are far from standardised, too.…

* Subscribe today and… » Never miss an issue » Get free UK delivery to your door or instant download to your digital device » Save over £29 on shop prices Even my sub-O level maths can work out that £29.99 for twelve issues of Bike is a bargain. That’s just £2.50 per issue. The last time it had a cover price that low was in 1996, when the list price for a Honda Fireblade was £9510 and I actually had hair on the top of my head. True. There is lots happening in the next few issues of the magazine that you won’t want to miss. This is the 2020 Bike of the Year issue, but in two months time we’ll be revealing the new models for 2021, and…

‘The 890 Duke R exists purely for slicing squirming roads to shreds’ Mumble about practicality and it can conjure images of tall screens, flappy fibreglass top-boxes, ill-fitting handlebar muffs and substantial centrestands. A brief check round KTM’s trim 890 Duke R and Kawasaki’s imposing Z H2 quickly reveals none of these features. In fact, there’s not a robust bungee point between them. Goes with the territory when it’s a naked bike designed for frantic capers such as the Duke R. This new KTM is the beloved 790 Duke (our Bike of the Year from 2018) in sharpened form. The bored-and stroked parallel twin has higher compression, larger valves, a wider rev range and a claimed 120bhp. Its chassis sits higher on firmer, fully-tweakable WP suspension, and is slowed by superbike-spec…

This morning contains two surprises. The first is that Kawasaki’s Z H2 has reached our Bike of the Year final. If I’d nipped to William Hill and popped a tenner down on it happening, I’d have been able to retire on the winnings. And the second is that a supercharged nigh-on 200bhp naked can be so, so manageable in grotty conditions. We’re heading for the Peak District on a 12-hour day of riding to determine whether the Kawasaki or Triumph’s Tiger 900 Rally is our Bike of the Year, and taking the tangled route across Cambridgeshire, Rutland and Leicestershire. The overly cheery forecaster on the tellybox last night didn’t say anything about oily skies and mizzling rain. After a lengthy dry spell the B676 and A6006 have a greasy sheen…

We loved Triumph’s Daytona 675, and mourned its passing when it was discontinued, due to declining sportsbike demand, in 2018. Light, lithe and engaging, it was a fantastic device, so it’s great to see the appearance of the Daytona 765, albeit in limited numbers, to celebrate the use of Triumph’s 765cc triple engine as the motive power unit in Moto2. The new bike runs the same chassis as the old 675R, which is so bang-on it was used, unchanged, by mad-eyed Triumph rent-a-racers to develop the Moto2 control engine. On our dyno it makes 126bhp at the rear wheel from what is a breathed-on Street Triple RS motor. Relatively that’s not much in today’s 200bhp-world, but it’s so light (166kg dry) it’ll do a standing quarter in less than 11…

How good is Benelli’s classically-styled Imperiale 400? Not very. On open A-roads the chassis is as vague as Boris’ lockdown guidelines, the rear suspension offers similar bump-swallowing capabilities as a hard-tail chopper, and the 374cc air-cooled single is a bit breathless. It’s also got a few brackets and fittings that appear to have be made from special metal called ‘cheapaminium’, and whoever welded the frame must have run out of anti-spatter spray. This was my opinion of the Benelli after my first 100 miles or so. It didn’t get better after covering the same distance again - assessed with my objective road tester’s hat on and next to the rest of modern motorcycling, the Imperiale is basic and slow. This of course means Benelli have actually done a pretty reasonable…

Alchemy, ancient beasts and sacrificial anodes. All very Game of Thrones but welcome, in fact, to the strange and wonderful world of conquering rust inside fuel tanks. The ancient beast isn’t the 43-year-old Yamaha XT500 I’ve reacquired years after riding it to Australia. It’s the wise and gnomic Rupert Paul, ex-editor of Performance Bikes and proprietor of Rupe’s Rewires, who grudgingly agreed to look at the rust mountains that were a pair of rare, steel and genuine XT fuel tanks. The original tank on the bike was, depressingly, full of stinky, rotten, brown shite after more than ten years of standing idle. I know the feeling. There was so much in it I assumed the tank’s walls would’ve corroded to tissue paper and that it wasn’t recoverable. Genuine tanks in…

‘A fantastic two and a bit hours of riding out of your skin. Or as long as you like if you just want to stare at the scenery’ It’s hard to know where to start when it comes to riding a motorcycle in Scotland but, in my opinion, the A87 is the single best road anywhere in the UK. So let’s go there… The A87 begins at Invergarry, a small village on the banks of Loch Oich on the A82, and runs along the Great Glen between Inverness and Fort William. It ends up nearly 100 miles further on to the west on the Isle of Skye, a fantastic two and a bit hours of riding out of your skin. Or as long as you like if you just want…

Wise old motorcyclists often say the perfect bike for British B-roads would weigh no more than a 125, have an engine you can thrash without going to prison, and be kind to ancient, groaning, knees. Well, here it is: the Langen, a low volume production bike to be launched in September. And it’s built by CCM’s ex-chief engineer Chris Ratcliffe. Take it away Chris… What’s the engine? It’s a Vins direct-injection two-stroke that makes 80bhp at 11,700rpm [the Langen only weighs 113kg dry, so its power-to-weight ratio is on a par with the Triumph Street Triple 765 RS]. The Vins engine is not like the two-strokes I remember from days gone by. Because of the direct injection and the reed valves, it’s got a very linear torque delivery right from…

[BEEN THERE, GOT THE T-SHIRT] ‘Crashed and mercilessly thrashed’ I got this T-shirt on a trip with my friend to the Isle of Man, in 1991. I can only remember four things: first having a drink with Tony Huck (Maitland Racing) and Trevor Nation (I was too stupid to realise he was a TT god). Very sensibly refusing the offer of a circuit of the course in Tony’s van, although he did return, alive, along with various passengers. Watching the drag racing, in particular a pretty new CBR600 which was crashed and mercilessly thrashed along the drag strip, (this seemed very wrong to me at the time and a terrible waste… being a Honda it’s probably still running). And getting the T-shirt, for free. Mark Dickinson, email Is this the…

It’s unlikely that practicality featured anywhere on the design brief for the Ducati Streetfighter V4 S or Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory. Ability to thrill and terrify in equal measure, yes; friendliness in a busy British city at 2.30pm on a cloudy Tuesday, probably not. Neither bike wants to be burdened with throwovers, accommodate a passenger or trudge to the office in drizzle. And be honest - if you’re looking at 200bhp V4s with track settings for their cunning electronics, chances are that robust bungee points don’t top your checklist either. However, compared with the Panigale V4 it’s based on the Streetfighter is surprisingly friendly. Controls are light and smooth. The seat feels deep and welcomingly soft, and despite being capable of speeding up the earth’s rotation the monstrous 1103cc engine…

I thought this might turn up,’ says Grayson Perry, eyeing the substantial form of the Harley-Davidson Livewire. The (electric) Motor Company’s most radical new model since their first bike in 1903 doesn’t appear to have convinced Britain’s favourite artist, who’s also a committed Harley fan. ‘I think this is an opportunity missed,’ he muses. ‘I suppose that you’d call it an intermediary design. It’s weaning the macho biker onto the idea of electricity, and I’m sure it’s fun to ride because they have torque from nowhere, but it looks heavy.’ That’d be because, at 249 kilos it is heavy, highlighting one of the critical compromises that electric bikes have to resolve; battery range versus battery weight. After a minor digression into the joys of his new electric mountain bike…

‘Agility, midrange response and technology create one of the most “together” bikes of recent times’ Let’s start with what might appear to be a rash statement. 2020 is not a landmark year for new motorcycles. Yes, there are some brilliant bikes, as the preceding pages have demonstrated, and some welcome improvements to established favourites. Never had it so good and all that. It’s unlikely, though, that this year’s new bikes will make us look back in the future with soft-focus adoration - there isn’t a 1992 Honda FireBlade or 2004 BMW R1200GS moment. It very much feels like a year of honing and refinement, not revolution (brave new Livewire accepted). This certainly applies to the new Triumph Tiger 900 Rally. On first contact it feels pretty much like a Tiger…

Miles ridden: 1117 Riders: John Westlake and Mike Armitage Fuel used: 25.4 gallons Tyres tried: Bridgestone S22R Accidental wheelies: 853 Brilliant though they are, sportsbikes have two major drawbacks: they’re designed for flexible midgets who don’t consume pies, and their fairings make 130mph feel like 70. If you happen to be a normal adult you spend your time either wishing your knees and wrists would just shut up, or hoping to God no-one saw what speed you just joined that dual carriageway at. So, in theory, a ludicrously powerful naked bike such as the new Super Duke 1290 R should make good sense for real world adrenalin addicts - the wind blast lets you know when to calm down and the riding position is middle-age friendly. Trouble is, it hasn’t…

‘Roll the ZX-10R backwards and you’ll cap its power at 90bhp’ ELECTRICAL DAMPING If it’s one of the ZX-10Rs with an Öhlins electronic steering damper and its low power warning light is flashing, then the battery isn’t supplying enough current. And so the damper won’t work correctly. Keep the bike on a trickle charger, or alternatively fit a 2016-model reg/rec - this lets enough current through even with a below-par battery. TAKE IT SLOW Watch out for 2004-05 bikes fitted with aftermarket quickshifters. These wear the pre-cassette gearboxes, and the engine’s ample wallop can distort the selector forks and round-off the dogs. You’ll get sloppy gear shifts and it’s not a cheap or straightforward fix. DEPENDABLE POWER The inline-four engine is strong. Dealers don’t report problems with camchain tensioners or…

PADDED PERCH A couple of years ago I had a Panigale V4 S for the summer and rode it all over the place: Nurburgring, Croatia… Margate. Its seat was hard and hot, but no such problem on the Streetfighter. It’s 60mm more padded and the rear cylinders cut at a standstill. Luxury. THAT BALLOON TYRE The rear 200/60 section tyre fascinates me. It’s the same size as a Pirelli superbike slick and no other fast bike, apart from the Panigale V4 has one that big - they’re usually 200/55. It gives the Streetfighter a cartoon look I can’t stop enjoying, and lots of grip. BRACE. BRACE. BRACE. This is how electronic ‘brake-by-wire’ should be done (are you listening, Japanese factories?). Brutal, but natural feeling, their party piece is ‘slide control’.…

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. ** Claimed * Estimated Right name, right time? » Laverda is a name that gets blokes of a certain age in a right mess. The big boys of the 1970s, Laverda limped through the ‘80s and ‘90s, before joining Aprilia and being swallowed by Piaggio. Other than a few concepts there’s been no activity. However, Piaggio keep the Lav’ website simmering…

11-13 September Scarborough Gold Cup, Oliver’s Mount, Yorkshire » Seaside entertainment with a grid of top flight talent including Bike’s Peter Boast and his Tigcraft KTM (assuming nothing else has fallen off - see page 102). oliversmount.com 12-13 September Amman Valley 1/2 mile flat track, Ammanford, South Wales » Practice Saturday, racing Sunday at the Amman Valley Trotting track as the lovely DTRA folk finally get to race in 2020. Great spectacle and great bikes in the Classic, Thunderbike and Hooligan classes. dirttrackriders.co.uk 27 September Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, Wherever you like, UK or the world » The global charity ride is different in this socially distanced year. Sign-up, raise money, dress up in your fancy duds and go for a ride. But on your own. gentlemansride.com 3-4 October Aberdare Park…

Dad, can I go on the back of your bike please?’ Says my youngest son Oli as I pull up on the BMW F900XR. ‘Of course little man, I’d love that.’ His face lights up with happiness, mum’s face fills with daggers and mine is a blank expression. Is he allowed? The law There is no minimum age for a pillion so long as they can reach the footpegs, wear a road legal helmet that fits properly and have the permission of parent or guardian if they are under 16. Dad says he can, mum doesn’t say a word to dad for hours. The kit Obviously Oli is very precious to me so I find a company called The Key Collection (thekeycollection.co.uk) who have a youth section which can protect…

As motorcycle mash-ups go, this has to be one of the most beautiful. It’s wildly exotic too, using a genuine Norton Featherbed frame and the engine from a Vincent Rapide. ‘We’ve built Triumphs, Nortons, Guzzis, Laverdas, Ducatis and Japanese, but this time we wanted to build the nicest cafe racer ever,’ Gianluca Tiepolo, boss of Stile Italiano in Pordenone, Italy, tells Bike. ‘We wanted perfect curves that were classic but different, crazy attention to detail and quality everything. So we used Japanese race drum brakes because the quality is top, and then fitted upsidedown Öhlins forks [from a Ducati 888 race bike] to break the rules of the classic style.’ The engine is, unsurprisingly, not stock. The legendary 998cc air-cooled V-twin has been bored out to 1140cc, there are forged…

‘Racing needs something newness I hope this bike helps inspire people to think about racing in a different way’ Roland Sands’ latest custom build isn’t merely a modern take on 1980s naked superbikes, made famous by the likes of Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey, it’s a call to arms. ‘Racing needs something new and it needs it bad,’ Roland tells Bike. ‘It needs excitement, it needs to get people talking and it needs to get manufacturers excited. Superbikes aren’t doing that. I hope this bike helps inspire people to think about racing in a different way.’ Roland’s dream is a naked superbike series starring Triumph Speed Triples, KTM Super Duke Rs, Yamaha MT- 10s and, perhaps, bikes like this - a 2014 Ducati Panigale 1199 Superleggera with all the bodywork…

The luck of the Bike of the Year quarter final draw brings together the Honda CBR1000RR-R and Harley-Davidson Livewire in one of the most bizarre motorcycle pairings ever seen. A track focused, super power sportsbike of extraordinary precision takes on an electric muscle bike, the first serious high voltage offering from a mainstream manufacturer. This isn’t about value for money, which is just as well because at £23,499 for the Honda and £28,995 for the Harley it’d be hard to justify either getting through to the next round. It’s not about performance either, though it’s hard to talk about the Honda without a mention of its astonishing potential; 140mph IN SECOND GEAR! Not about build quality, which would result in another rave for the Honda – from the precise fit…

 'They probably don't do anything till you are doing 200mph… F**k me. Wings. On a bike. Amazing' Next up for consideration are the Kawasaki Z H2 and the Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory. And immediately there is a significant problem. ‘I really don’t like black,’ announces Grayson, eyeing up this predominantly matt pairing. ‘I never buy anything black. It’s one of my golden rules. No black clothes and certainly no black motorcycles. People say, “Yeah black’s classic ain’t it.” No, it’s not, it’s boring.’ Despite the colour choice there’s plenty to interest him about the Kawasaki. ‘It’s come straight out of a video game,’ he comments. ‘Incel styling for boys who spend too much time in their bedrooms, but it’s beautifully done and it’s where Computer Aided Design was always leading.…

Motorcycle racing paddocks are full of larger- than-life characters: muscled riders buzzing on adrenaline, megalomaniac team owners basking in reflected glory and bike-loving celebrities fooling themselves that they some how matter. Clive Padgett isn’t one of them. The pale, slight Yorkshireman doesn’t stand out in a crowd, at all. He goes about his business quietly, humbly even, always in the background, fettling bikes, mentoring riders, bringing the whole show together. There’s no angle or artifice; just a man living his racing obsession 24/7 and loving every minute of it. ‘Honestly, I live to go motorbike racing,’ he says. Padgett is best known for his work on the Isle of Man - where Padgett-prepared bikes have won so many TTs that he’s lost count - and for the part he plays…

» Ducati make epic sportsbikes. And everything else they make is sporty too: the Multistrada is the raciest adventurer, the Diavel cruiser is insane. If they made a washing machine it’d have the biggest motor and fastest spin. Yet with the SuperSport they’ve managed to keep a lid on things. You still get unmistakable Ducati style, inspiring handling and rumbling Bologna torque, only with ace usability. Controls are light, the riding position is a perfect halfway between sport and tour, and the chassis is set-up for the B6047, not Misano. Three-year-old S models with extras (hard luggage, hot grips) start at £7500 - same as a far less sexy Tracer 700.…

We started building this bike, a KTM engined Tigcraft framed single cylinder racer, at the end of 2019, so it’s taken eight months and a lot of hours to get it to a race meeting, but they’ve been enjoyable hours in the workshop. It’s been a really nice project. The plan was to run it at the Manx Grand Prix but that’s been cancelled. So, we decided to try and have it running for the CRMC meeting at Cadwell Park, 11-12 July. Ten days before the meeting we got it running for the first time, and then took it to Guy Martin’s dyno. We did a few runs and changed a few things, but we had a clutch slip problem. Even so it put out 63bhp at the back wheel…

Bending over to pick up a rogue self-tapper on the garage floor, my arse hits the brand new (and phenomenal) KTM Super Adventure R. This wouldn’t be a problem except I’ve chocked up its sidestand so the bike is vertical and doesn’t take up so much room. And over it goes with a wallet-curdling skrrrreesch as plastic scrapes down breeze blocks. Cock. Fortunately its fall is broken by some boxes so it ends up at 45-degrees, with the exhaust and frame safe from harm. The screen is horribly scratched though, so I dig out the wet and dry sandpaper. The gouges are deep and I start with 180 grit then work my way through 240, 400, 600, 1000, 2000, 3000, 5000 and 7000. Each time I broaden the sanding area…

Klim Carlsbad summer textile suit Used for: 2500 miles Price: £534.99 (jacket), £382.41 (trousers) Info: klim.co.uk » As you can see from the price this is high-end kit - there’s Gore-Tex, fancy abrasion-resistant material, top quality armour and build quality that feels indestructible. There’s no insulation though, because it’s designed for road riders who will regularly work up a sweat tackling serious chunks of off-road. Consequently, the quantity and quality of venting options is boggling. The diagonal zips on the wrists, for example, are inspired - undo them and the zip covers become ducts which funnel wind up your arms. Open all the vents and it’s only your shins that are left without a breeze. I also used it through winter with heated clothing underneath and the waterproofing was flawless.…

The Panigale V4 started here in 1946, with a 49cc cyclemotor engine that bolted to a normal bicycle. Forget carbon fibre and Termignonis, the Ducati accessory catalogue used to comprise a wicker basket and a bell. The engine could be bolted to any bicycle, though later complete mopeds were offered using this power unit. There were many manufacturers across Europe (and Japan, Honda started in the same way) who offered clip-on engines to aid mobility in the aftermath of WWII, but Ducati’s version was a cut above the rest in terms of quality and performance. The Cucciolo – it means Pup, presumably a reference to the yapping exhaust note – was an ohv design when most of the opposition were two-strokes. Valve gear was operated by pull rods; the follower…