Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2021 i BIKE

Sean Pelletier’s dad had an old Suzuki GT380 cluttering up his garage so he gave the non-running two-stroke to his son. Six months later, the old GT has transformed into one of the most striking builds of 2020, with a new custom-made frame, suspension, tank, wheels, exhaust and fairing. ‘The design was an experiment,’ Sean tells Bike. ‘As I build more bikes I’m trying to learn how technology can work with the craft of motorcycle building. Ultimately my goal is to design a bike completely on a computer before starting to cut things up - this was a test case. ‘The actual design is a weakness for me, so I sent my friend Jeremy sketches and ideas and he did the industrial design and came up with several concepts,’ says…

[ELECTRIC] Biaggi bags 11 speed records Six-time world champion rides electric Voxan to 254mph on French runway A specially developed version of Voxan’s Wattman electric bike has set 11 new world speed records over a busy weekend in France. The bike, which was ridden by six-time world champion Max Biaggi, hit a peak top speed of 254mph and averaged 245mph over two runs in opposite directions. Seven of the new records were easy enough because no-one had tried before, but the top speeds in the main categories were impressive. An average speed of 240mph over a flying kilometer in both directions is definitely shifting. The bike was designed by Sasha Lakic, who has been working on it for a year: ‘I’ve learned a lot about aerodynamics designing this bike,’ he…

This T-shirt is possibly one of the most costly ever because I was wearing it when I highsided while riding a track day at Phillip Island, Australia. I destroyed a shoulder and broke several ribs that punctured my lungs. I was three weeks in hospital followed by more weeks off work. Oh and my R1 was badly damaged. After my recovery I found the T-Shirt in my kit bag in pieces as the paramedics had to cut it off me. Now it’s been put back together and I have ridden more trackdays wearing it. Fortunately without another highside. It’s a great souvenir. Alex Veleff, email Older and wiser Of late my biking has been stuck in a rut – commute x5, a weekend ride, and repeat. I’ve become myopic, and…

Aprilia « Making the most of the new 660 platform The industrial north of Italy, where Aprilia are based, has been hit particularly hard by COVID. As a consequence the long expected RS660got its official launch nearly two years after the concept was unveiled. Last year Aprilia showed us a Tuono 660 concept based on the same platform and have confirmed it’s coming, so we can probably expect that sometime in 2021. As for the Tuareg 660, well that’s lost in the wilderness, which is what it was designed for really. Bimota Fruits beginning to bear The first bike from Kawasaki’s 49% share in the Italian builders is almost ready, with Bimota now taking orders for the supercharged Tesi H2. Next to come is the KB4-a Ninja 1000SX powered retro…

R1250GS New optional whatnots up the tech factor What’s new? Universe’s favourite bike gets options including a new heated seat and fancy cornering lights that adjust for acceleration and braking as well as lean (you need a version with ESA for them to work). But we’re more interested in the 40 Year GS Edition pack, with R100 paint scheme and gold rims. Pity it’s a salty £1990 extra. When’s it coming? While there’s still salt down; prices start at £13,705. Bike’s opinion? BMW sell more hi-tech GSs than base bikes, so the new bits can only help. R18 Classic Distance version of the whopping twin What’s new? Beemer’s glorious and utterly convincing R18 retro in Route 66 getup. The Classic has a screen, spot lamps, cruise control, footboards, thicker seat,…

Sportsbikes Rocket boosters? Who knows... What’s new? We know Ducati are updating the Panigale and SuperSport models, but we don’t know how significant the revisions will be. But the bikes will have been announced by the time this issue of Bike slides gracefully through your letterbox. Full analysis next month. When’s it coming? In time for next year’s leaping lambs. Bike’s opinion? Hard to say, though hopefully the updates will stop the SuperSport being so overlooked. Scrambler Refresh to keep the popular retro... er, fresh What’s new? The simple V-twin is a popular way into Ducati, and has allowed the Monster to become more up-to-date (see below). Next year’s updates were announced a few hours after Bike went to press, and Ducati wouldn’t tell us anything under embargo despite batting…

What a sound Thirty Triumph 765 triple engines thunder away from the grid and towards Turn One at September’s Catalan grand prix outside Barcelona. Leading the charge is Valentino Rossi’s half-brother Luca Marini, who graduates to MotoGP in 2020. Also looming large are British Moto2 heroes Sam Lowes (#22) and Jake Dixon (#96). Parts, parts and more parts Triumph supply 150 tuned Street Triple RS engines for the Moto2 championship, which are rotated between 30 riders. Each engine does three grands prix (around 900 miles) between rebuilds. All engines are assembled and maintained by ExternPro, based next to the Aragon MotoGP circuit. No wonder ExternPro have tons of 765 engines and parts, from crankcases to tiny O-rings. No mistakes allowed ExternPro have been building Moto2 power units since the class…

Miles ridden: 1251 Riders: Ben Lindley and Mike Armitage Tyres tried: Bridgestone Battlax S22 Fuel used: 44.6 gallons Borders crossed: four There’s no knocking Kawasaki off their sports- tourer throne, especially when it comes to their Ninja 1000SX. The current redesigned and refitted SX loses a ‘Z’ but gains a lot more for just £700 extra on the bill. A ride- by-wire throttle system means cruise control and riding modes are now standard, as is a quickshifter. Plus, chassis tweakery should lead to a quicker-steering, more agile riding experience. But do these changes mess with what has been, until this point, a damn-successful formula? A tour of Western Europe will get to the bottom of it. And despite the current Covid turmoil we did actually manage to get across the Channel,…

‘If the clutch bite varies, it needs a gearbox bearing’ MAKE SURE IT’S BEEN FETTLED V7s require quite a bit of attention. The 5000-mile service interval isn’t just for oil and filter, but a valve clearance check as well (good job access is easy). The oil seal on the rear drive box needs inspecting at the same time – if it’s dribbling it might indicate a bike that’s not been looked after by the book. Check a series II bike runs as sweetly as it should too. Sometimes non-franchised dealers forget to reset the bike’s self-adapting parameters. It’s easy enough to get sorted at a dealer or specialist, and a few days of riding lets the V-twin self-adapt to the new settings. CHARGING ISSUES Some V7 owners grumble about starting…

Harris clip-on handlebars Used for: two years Price: £115 Info: harris-performance.com » My attempts at lightening my 18-year-old Honda VTR1000 SP2 have included Dymag wheels (£2500), Shorai lithium battery (£200) and Arrow cans fitted years back (maybe £800). Honda’s steel handlebars, with heavy endweights, come in at around half-a-kilo each side and are not adjustable. I wanted a marginally wider set-up for better leverage and so turned to Harris’s aluminium racing clip-ons. Fairing clearance limits how much further forward you can adjust them, but they’re beefy (not true of all aftermarket clip-ons) and weigh half that of the standard ‘bars. Much of that saving comes from ditching the end weights. This has made no difference to any vee-twin vibration felt through the hands. And the result of all this weight…

‘The Trident’s main advantage is the tech which comes as standard’ Triumph’s new entry-level middleweight looks a tempting proposition for riders buying their first ‘big’ bike. Besides being in the right ballpark for power, torque, weight and price, the new Trident has two riding modes as standard, a mini TFT dash and the longest service intervals in the class. Assuming it has Triumph’s usual slick handling and decent build quality, the Trident should nick sales from its excellent class rivals. It’s a tough gig though. Despite Triumph’s best efforts, the new Trident makes less power than Honda’s CB650R, less torque than Yamaha’s MT-07 and weighs more than the Kawasaki Z650 and MT-07. Clearly Triumph had to work very hard to keep the price down, so it’s no surprise the Trident…

‘There’s no rider modes and the front drum brake doesn’t slow you down’ If you fancy a BMW R18, but aren’t sold on the pseudo classic vibe and humongous weight of the thing, why not go for the genuine article? This gorgeous BMW R57 has just sold for £39,000, which, though clearly not inconsequential money, looks like solid value compared with the £19,000 R18. The 1928 overhead valve 493CC twin is eminently rideable - it’s under half the R18’s weight - and you could scoot round on it for a couple of years and almost certainly sell it for more than you paid out for it. Admittedly, the R57 - the predecessor of the 1936 R5 which inspired the new R18 - does lack a few modern conveniences. There’s no…

CONCEPT Soul stirring cafe racer CB4 Interceptor What is it? Classic race bike meets Judge Dredd with CB1000R power. The dash is the tank and there’s a fan in the fairing to power accessories. When’s it coming? First shown in 2017 but there’s been nothing since, so don’t hold your breath. Bike’s opinion? Gorgeous! All-rounder turned up to 11 CB4X concept What is it? Radical sports tourer powered by the CB650 engine designed to compete with the Tracer 700. When’s it coming? Rumours suggest something similar powered by the Africa Twin motor is planned for 2022. Bike’s opinion? Just what Honda need. Learner legal Dakar CB125X concept What is it? Off-road capable 125 with big wheels, long travel suspension and huge tank. Perfect for the U-18 Sam Sunderland wannabes. When’s…

Tiger 850 Sport New entry-level 900 with a confusing name What’s new? The Tiger 900 was launched for this year, but is being replaced already. The GT and Rally versions remain, but the stock Tiger 900 makes way for the 850 Sport. Ignore the ‘Sport’ bit - the engine is retuned to be softer and electronics are reduced, though it’s still 888cc. Price will be £9300, which is £200 less than the departing base model Tiger 900. When’s it coming? In time for the spring. Bike’s opinion? Pity it’s not under £9k. Speed Triple Triumph’s naked has got gym membership What’s new? Everything. The existing Speed Triple is a glorious road bike but the supernaked market thrives on bigger, faster, more. So the 1050cc triple makes way for a new…

» Towards the end of 2013 Mike Armitage, of this parish, went on the launch of the new Yamaha MT-09. We ran a story about his first ride on the bike with the coverline: ‘Japan’s best bike since the Fireblade’. OK, seven years later I’ll admit that’s arguable, ‘Best’ is a matter of opinion, but on Bike we like a bold statement. But in 2021 it’d be entirely fair to say, ‘Japan’s most important bike since the Fireblade.’ When the global recession took hold in 2008 motorcycle manufacturers reacted by squeezing development budgets and acting confused. Except for Yamaha, who confidently invested big in a bold new range of bikes, to be powered by two engine units. The CP3, an 847cc triple that powered the MT-09, and the CP2, a…

While they are undoubtedly able to shrug off the rugged wilds of Mongolia most of us buy adventure bikes for more down-to-earth reasons. Such as their roomy and comfortable riding positions, on-road presence, and willingness to ferry passengers and luggage. Most never see muck. So rather than worry about spoked wheels, crash bars and shin-chewing footpegs, it surely makes more sense to go for a bike with the benefits of an adventurer but that’s tailored for where we all ride – on the road. And this is exactly why Triumph have a tarmac-focused version of their new Tiger 900. With cast wheels and less lofty build, it’s described in top-line GT Pro guise as having ‘ride-enhancing improvements for road-focused urban adventures, superb long-distance ride capability, and everything in between.’ To…

When supernakeds became a thing Honda invented the CB1000R. It was ace. In our September 2008 group test its retuned Blade engine let it waste the Aprilia Tuono and Triumph Speed Triple on acceleration (0-60mph in 2.9s) and top-gear roll-ons. It was the most forward-looking (funky dash, single-sider, sharp lines), easiest handling and best made; as friendly as the previous Hornet 900, but with a new edge. ‘As a blindingly capable bike to suit the majority of riders, it’s my winner,’ I said. But this edge didn’t lure folk from the character of a Triumph or Aprilia, which means lack of popularity then is great news now; good CBs start at £3500.…

Mrs Armitage’s kitchen success with this autumn’s green tomato chutney coincides precisely with Boris announcing confinement. Surely these jars of delight need immediate pre-captivity delivery to friends and family to ensure their lockdown well being. 1 deploy the Kawasaki Z H2 test bike that has just arrived chez Armitage (aka Mrs A’s Pickle Paradise). There are naturally aspirated bikes making more power, and rival supernakeds that are lighter and festooned with greater levels of technology. 1 don’t care. The Zed has a supercharger, a glorious mechanical enhancement that’s far more compelling and exciting than any semi-active whatsit or multi-function thingumy. Seeing the blown Kwak wedged in my garage among the Honda C50, kids’ bikes, skateboards and other clutter makes me weak at the knees. It’s not outright power that makes…

This isn’ta 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 Beauty is in the eye... Aprilia will reveal a mid-size Tuono next year, based on the RS660. Like all previous larger Tuonos it’ll borrow the nose-cone styling of the base sportsbike, for which we should be thankful. This ‘RSV-X Nuda’ prototype from 2001 shows where Aprilia were originally going with the naked’s look before its 2002 debut. Love…

With so little racing happening this year I’II jump at almost any chance to get out on track, but even so I was a bit dubious when my mate Matt Bainbridge asked if I would ride with him and Gareth Atkin on a Honda CBR125F in a six-hour endurance race at Mallory Park, on the last day of October. I mean, it’s not exactly a GSX-R750 in mid-summer at Paul Ricard, is it? But any race is better than no race at all. These Freetech endurance events have basically three classes, sort of slow, slower, slowest, and tight rules to keep the costs down. Matt’s bike, in the Streetstock class, looks a bit racified, but with an untuned engine and, basically, a standard chassis. It was hammering down and blowing…

Not every great road has to run through dramatic landscape and shout Lord of the Rings. In fact, because of time constraints/family matters, most favourite roads have to be close-ish to home. So, when a few hours free up on a Sunday afternoon we can fit in a ride. For me that favourite road/ride is the B660, kicking off from humble origins in Cambridgeshire fen country then arcing gently south to end up in the middle of Bedford town centre 35 miles later. The B660 is a prime example of a great British B-road lost to most in the middle of the country and bypassed on all sides by motorways and A-roads. Which, of course, makes it ideal for a peaceful, traffic-free escape. And just because a great route isn’t…

Who was first to realise the importance of a stiff bike frame? Bimota, perhaps, or maybe Colin Seeley? Chances are it was actually Georges Roy, a Frenchman who got rich making knitting machines and decided he could revolutionise motorcycling. In the early 1920s he realised a bike could be stable, handle better and be less likely to buckle on rutted roads if wasn’t brazed from flimsy tubing. His frame design used pressed steel sheets riveted together, connecting the steering head directly to the unsprung rear axle - yes, a beam frame. Gripping a Chaise single-cylinder engine from either side and enclosing the fuel tank and acting as bodywork, Roy had built a monocoque. With girder forks and streamlined looks, the bike was so different to pushbike-like knockers of the era…

The Indian Challenger you see here thrashing its way to victory in the first ever King of Baggers race lapped Laguna Seca in Im 36sec. That would have put it in the middle of the AMA Supersport 600 grid that raced on the same weekend. It’s an indication of how seriously the teams entering King of Baggers took the new race series. With factory squads from Indian and Harley plus top class riders including ex-WSB star Ben Bostrum, the racing was a surreal shock to sceptics who predicted it would be a lumbering embarrassment. The leaders were drifting the tourers into corners, doing the Rossi leg dangle under braking and generally behaving exactly as they do on their AMA Superbikes. ‘It’s breaking the internet over here,’ race winner Tyler O’Hara…

‘Our best strength is the package... engine character, suspension, electronics…’ This Kawasaki ZX-IoRR is not the most powerful World Superbike, or the fastest turning, or the most torquey. Yet it walked off with this year’s WSB title and its predecessors won the five before that. So what’s going on? Jonathan Rea’s crew chief Pere Riba explains how he and his team made the ZX-IoRR invincible. What did you change most this year? When I knew the revised calendar meant racing in the summer [ie all hot races] we had to rethink the bike’s balance - weight distribution, centre of gravity position and castor angles, for example - so we could treat the tyres in the best way. With the Pirelli, the difference between hot and cold is huge. We load…

Your experts Hugo Wilson Editor Wizened old cynic who’s seen it all before. Looks at new bikes as next year’s used bargains. Struggles with a smartphone. Mike Armitage Deputy Editor Has ridden every significant bike in the last 20 years, and can predict performance and handling just by reading a spec sheet. John Westlake Contributing Editor Techno obsessive (not the synthetic disco music) who loves new stuff. Open minded about electric bikes and Nikens too. Jordan Gibbons MCN News Editor Finger on the pulse of the motorcycle industry, from Chinese 125s to Ducati Panigales, he knows about them first. Jamie Turner Technical contributor Professor of engines (really) and two-stroke enthusiast. Our guide to the mysteries of cylinder switching and camshaft profiles.…

Forget your multi-level traction control and riding modes configured specifically for overcast Wednesday mornings. If you want to talk proper rider aids, things that actually make it easier to get from A-to-C-via-B, then what you need is a bike with proper full-map navigation built in. One that automatically adjusts its speed and maintains your distance to traffic, and sets itself up for stuffed panniers and ample pillions without being asked. And that on a gloomy night even lights up the path to your front door. You want BMW’s new R1250RT. Already powered by an fiber-cunning variable-valve engine and available with an array of easy-life extras, Beemer have pushed the spec of the UK’s favourite touring bike up a rung. The latest RT has dynamic traction, eco’ riding mode, hill start…

Those days of air-cooled twins, tube frames and short service intervals seem a ruddy long time ago. Ducati now represent the leading edge of whizzbang technology, and the new Multistrada V4 pushes further still with a long-life V4, aluminium monocoque and more electronic aids and features than you can shake a smartphone at. The only thing missing is a flux capacitor (it’ll arrive in next year’s update). Biggest change is the departure of the 1262cc V-twin engine, replaced by a lighter, shorter, more powerful V4. Based on the 1103cc unit in the Streetfighter and Panigale, the ‘Granturismo’ displaces 1158cc thanks to a 2mm larger bore. It’s less powerful than the other V4s, however the output is at more accessible and realistic revs, making the Multi’ more flexible and easy to…

Things move fast in adventure bike land. In March 2019 KTM launched their all-new 790 Adventure, a mid-capacity twin that was more affordable than the Austrian firm’s big capacity V-twin adventure bikes and less focused than their fruity 690 singles. Now, less than two years later there’s a new 890 that looks very similar to its predecessor, but which gains an extra 90cc, some electronics and other detail changes. Like its predecessor, the 890 Adventure comes across as a middleweight tourer in motocross boots. But it’s more than that: the relatively short stroke suspension says on-road composure; the 18in rear/21in front wheel scream Crusty Demons while the dual purpose Avon AV53/54 Trailrider tyres are more Nick Sanders. In practise the 890 handles, steers and grips so well on tarmac you…

On page 68 of this issue of Bike, the group test pits the outgoing Yamaha Tracer 900 against the Ducati Multistrada 950, Triumph Tiger 900 GT and BMW F900XR TE. They are all great bikes, but the Yamaha wins. And now there is a new and significantly updated Tracer 900. The opposition had better up its game. Heart of the new bike, and other new MT-09 derivatives, is an updated version of the excellent ‘CP3’ engine. Capacity is increased to 889cc thanks to a longer-stroke crankshaft, with an increase in torque. This means an increase in power to 119bhp at 10,000rpm, now delivered 1500rpm earlier than the departing engine at 7000rpm. The die-cast aluminium chassis is also new, and also used across the 900 platform, with the engine held in…

Twenty-five years ago Valentino Rossi achieved one of the most important results of his career: third place in the little-known 125cc European championship. The 16-year-old didn’t win a race during the 11-round series and was beaten into third overall by French youngster Frederic Petit and 25-year-old Lucio Cecchinello, who had relegated himself to the European series after a dismal GP debut in 1994. The top-three result was just enough to guarantee Rossi a place in the 1996 125cc world championship, during which he scored his first GP victory and gained his first fans. Who knows what would’ve happened if he had finished fourth in 1995? For a man who made his name with theatrical flourishes of racetrack wizardry, this was a downbeat start to the greatest motorsports career of all…

‘This is a low- mileage Honda with great wiring. There’s unlikely to be a component Breakdown. Which leaves human error' It can take ten minutes or ten hours.’ Max, a brilliant spannerhead at Bill Bunn’s Motorcycles at the end of my London street sums up the problem - and bottomless cost - of intermittent electrical woes on motorcycles. He forgot to add ten days and ten amps. My immaculate, over-engineered and near-standard Honda CB1300 is about to take me and daughter to Belgium ahead of further lockdowns and curfews. On a London kerbside as we’re set to pull away a 10-amp fuse blows. Replacement fuses all blow and we do the 400 miles to the Tintin Museum outside Brussels without tail light, winkers or brake light. Rarely has mirror-hand-signal-manoeuvre been…

Forget all you know about riding a bike. You need to be able to operate the basic controls, but beyond that there’s nothing about riding with a sidecar that’s like being on a two- wheeler. It doesn’t lean. You don’t put your feet down. You even steer in the opposite direction. Since acquiring my Royal Enfield Bullet a couple of months back there’s been increasing family prattle about attaching a chair. It started with father-in-law Tony observing that the single would make a nice combination, causing much excitement in the long-suffering Mrs Armitage and our boys, Edward and Lyle. Things escalated when 1 made enquiries about the Bullet’s accessory exhaust - it’s an ex-press bike from when Watsonian Squire were UK importers, and Watsonian Squire are the sidecar world leaders.…

‘Lest you ever forget that Guy Martin was a sublime road racer’ Roads: Guy versus Michael Lest you ever forget that Guy Martin was a sublime road racer, watch this. He’s racing Michael Dunlop at the Ulster GP in 2013 and, having left a high quality field miles behind, the two of them set about battling like they’re on a kart track. Breathtaking. youtube.com/watch?v=pFqJ3p3L0rl Bravery: Harley versus canyon YouTube is crammed to the electronic rafters with maniacs, but this one has to be seen to be believed. Armed with an ape-hangered Harley and a protective T-shirt he rips past a sportsbike and carves down a canyon like Marquez. Give this man a race contract (if he’s still alive). youtube.com/watch?v=BFzhc3iOPRY Nostalgia: Macau on one wheel At the end of the 1988…

‘The R1M is a trackday nerd’s wet dream’ The Yamaha RIM only pretends to be a road bike and sure enough after 500 miles of commuting I’m growing tired of its £22,147 racery ways. Time to take the bike to its home turf – a track. With its Öhlins Electronic Racing Suspension (a flash semi-active set-up working with the Öhlins NPX gas forks), an array of electronics to fiddle with and an onboard GPS and datalogger, it’s a trackday nerd’s wet dream. Which is fortunate, as it’s raining at Bedford Autodrome. After choosing a large cup of tea from the burger van, my next crucial decision is to select a mode. There are four of these, with A being the fullbore nutcase and D the meek librarian (the same set-up…