Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2022 i BIKE

‘People think you have to build a special TT bike, but you don’t’ No TT race is ever easy, but Peter Hickman and his BMW M1000RR made the Superbike and Senior races look that way this year. So how did the team wring such performance from a machine that had serious reliability issues in the early part of the BSB season? Hicky’s FHO Racing crew chief Darren Jones explains… Leave it as a BSB bike ‘A lot of people take things a bit too far and think you have to build a special TT bike, but you don’t. In 2018 when we did the 135 [mph average lap], it was Pete’s BSB bike. This year we had a specific TT bike, but didn’t change much – same engine, oil cooler,…

Sixteen years after Piaggio stunned scooterists with their leaning three-wheeled marvel, the Italian company have turned the MP3 into the most electronically advanced scoot ever. The new MP3 530 HPE Exclusive is equipped with a radar system that warns you if traffic is in your blindspots and helps guide you when using reverse gear. And just like in the latest cars, when you engage reverse, a camera displays what’s going on behind you on the dash. Traditionalists will no doubt question whether all this is strictly necessary on a scooter, albeit a heavy one, but we like the idea of French and Italian commuters – who buy boatloads of MP3s – bombing around backwards while staring at their dashboards. It’ll add another dimension to the devil-may-care atmosphere of Paris and…

More manufacturers are turning to dirt bikes to boost sales and publicity, with Harley announcing they’re entering a Pan America in a World Cup desert race, MV hosting the launch of the 2023 Dakar Rally and Triumph buying a trials bike manufacturer. The Triumph move is the most significant, as it comes just 12 months after the shock announcement of the company’s attack on the motocross and enduro world championships. Triumph have now bought Oset, a British outfit that makes electric trials bikes, mostly aimed at kids. Triumph described the deal as ‘part of our wider plan of offering a full range of off-road motorcycles and to nurture a new generation of motorcycle riders’. Harley, meanwhile, have entered a Pan America into the Baja Espana Aragon, a round of the…

Suzuki Katana » Suzuki were first to see the potential for a retro using iconic 1980s imagery with their GSX-S1000-based Katana. This year’s updated version (due in September) gets a small engine fiddle, tweaked styling and new electronics, but at its core is the same as the existing bike. Except for colours, that is. Your 2022 options are dark blue or dark grey, when everyone knows a Katana must be silver. Fortunately you can toddle to Millennium Motorcycles (01744 413138) and get a spanking Katana in the right hue for just £9899. It’s pre-reg on a 70-plate, but is zero-mile and comes with a full three-year warranty. Finance deals, too.…

» Price: £22,240 » Power: 110bhp » Weight: 235kg » Engine: permanent magnet AC electric motor » Seat height: 787mm The first electric carriage was invented in the 1830s. Cars with rechargeable batteries went on sale in 1884, and by 1900 almost 30% of the car market was electric. But despite the fact electric predates petrol by 50 years, designers of the latest machines seem to think they must be all sci-fi and futuristic. Seen the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and the BMW iX cars? Urgh. Two-wheelers aren’t much better if the BMW CE 04 scooter and long-promised Arc Vector are evidence. This is a big part of why Zero’s new SR/S Premium works. We bikers are conservative and getting our heads around electric is hard enough without riding a cyber…

» Price: £17,950 » Engine: 1160cc 12-valve DOHC inline three » Power: 166bhp » Weight: 204kg » Seat height: 830mm ‘Because it doesn’t look like superbike the Triumph gives you permission not to have to ride it fast or trackday fiend When Triumph announced the new Speed Triple 1200 RR there was a ripple of excitement among sportsbike fans. Here is a bike that has genuine superbike performance but is altogether more grown up and less race reppy than you might expect. I’ve already done over 7000 miles on Bike’s long-term test RR in just a few months – on track and around Europe – and it’s proven to be everything we’d hoped for. It’s very fast and rails through sweeping corners with the stability of a well sorted race…

» Price: £10,200 » Engine: 890cc double overhead cam inline three » Power: 117bhp » Weight: 193kg » Seat height: 810mm Yamaha’s new XSR900 isn’t a retro. Or it’s not retro in the way other bikes are. Bikes like the Triumph Bonneville, Royal Enfield Interceptor, Moto Guzzi V7 and even the Suzuki Katana may be modern underneath, but they’re pretending to be models from previous eras. But the XSR isn’t making out it’s some sort of re-issue – there was no such thing as an XSR900 in 1984. Instead, Yamaha have built a thoroughly of-our-time bike and used neat touches to give the flavour of motorcycles from a rich period in their history: the 1980s. This is why the XSR scores so well in BOTY. Without the need to worry…

North Wales is one of my favourite places. Partly for its landscape, amusingly changeable weather and delights from the Castle chippy in Criccieth, but mostly for its roads. If you’ve sauntered from Llangynog to Bala on the B4391 or ridden towards a setting sun on the remote B4407 you’ll know why. The problem is Bike’s opulent command centre is on the other side of the country. It’s a 200-mile ride to inhale Cardigan Bay’s salty air, including everything from dual-carriageway tedium and camerainfested motorway, to tumbling B-road and open mountainside carving. It’s four hours if you’re lucky with traffic. It takes longer if every Birmingham resident is parked on the M6 (they always are) or you detour to Llangollen for the Toll Gate Café on the A5 (and why wouldn’t…

‘Moaners might point out the Ducati’s imperfections (that noisy screen) but we don’t care’ Getting the bikes together for Bike of the Year, riding them, prodding them, looking at them and talking about them always raises some interesting points. This is what we learnt this time around… How it makes you feel is still the most important thing: we were all set to give top slot this year to the Triumph Tiger 1200. The Triumph is a staggeringly good motorcycle, and the engineering behind it is really clever and innovative. But here’s the problem, it just didn’t get us excited the way that the DesertX did. The Ducati isn’t as technically interesting or as innovative as the Triumph, but everyone who rode it came back grinning. The DesertX is a…

What’s it like to ride? Like nothing you’ve ever ridden. I’ve been doing this strange job for 21 years and been lucky enough to experience all manner of fantastic motorbikes, from Honda NR750 and Ducati Desmocedici to an ex-factory 500cc Grand Prix bike. But the rotary-engine Crighton CR700W is exactly un-the-same as anything else. It’s the vision of Brian Crighton, the man behind the legendary rotary Nortons that illuminated British F1 and Superbike in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Their haunting noise and staggering speed were captivating, as was the engineering – I remember sneaking into the Norton tent at Donington Park where the disassembled engine looked like alien technology. After leaving Norton and finding success with his own Crighton-badged bikes (which won the 1994 TT Superbike title), Brian…

Tool of the month Gurtech lock-on grease gun coupler If you’re lucky enough to have swingarm linkages fitted with grease nipples, this device makes life so much easier. My Husqvarna 410 has two nipples and both defeated my grease gun – the grease just squirted out before going into the linkage. The Gurtech coupler screws onto your gun and mechanically locks onto the nipple, meaning you can apply the grease at full pressure. The positive connection also makes an easier operation because you don’t have to hold the connector on with one hand while trying to work the gun’s lever with the other. It worked a treat with the Husky, though until I get round to servicing the rear suspension I won’t know why the bearings needed so much pressure…

» Mixing on-trend retro style with their premium reputation was always going to work for Ducati and the Scrambler is a firm success. Or rather the 803cc variant is. The 1100 model launched in 2018 just hasn’t caught riders’ imagination in the same way – last year in the UK the 800 outsold the 1100 by more than four-to-one. And yet the larger Scrambler is better. Its 1079cc air-cooled V-twin has a deeper rumble, easier lane-swinging drive and more outright performance. The suspension is less crashy and gives finer ride comfort while still giving the ‘connection’ demanded by retro riders, and the stance is better when knocking out motorway miles or attacking B-roads. You get traction control, modes and more dash info, too. Yet values mirror those of the 800,…

BIG THANKS TO We couldn’t have done it without fantastic support…

Bell Pro Tint Panovision visor Used for: 16 months Price: £149.99 Info: racefxb2b.com » Clear, dark, smoked, yellow and jet black. If Panini launched an album of visors then I would have completed it years ago. Or would I? As it turns out one was missing – the ProTint Panovision visor from Bell. An optional extra for my Bell Star helmet (also fits Race Star and Pro Star) it reacts quickly to UV light, turning dark in sunlight and clear at night. The clever part is it reacts constantly to light conditions as you ride along. Inside it has an anti-fog coating, so no need for a Pinlock (a Pinlock can be fitted for stubborn frosty mornings), and it works surprisingly well. The downside is the price: £149.99. It’s a…

The slow march towards an electric bike that genuinely rivals decent petrol ones continues: this new Energica Experia looks like the best yet… at a price. The Italian manufacturer calls the Experia a tourer, which is pushing it (and what you’ll be doing if you treat it like one), but with a range of 153 miles over a mix of urban and open roads it’s closer than ever. The claimed range at a constant 70mph is only 112 miles though, which is way off GS Adventure territory. Still, the Experia weighs about the same as a GSA (260kg), accelerates just as hard, and is likely to handle sweetly, given Energica’s experience building bikes for the MotoE race series which supports MotoGP. It also looks comfortable, with a lower saddle than…

This Ducati Panigale V2 with a capped standard engine is fighting a valiant battle against swarms of tuned Yamaha R6s and Kawasaki ZX-6Rs in World Supersport. But it’s a struggle. Though it’s currently third in the championship, an R6 has won every race. The new rules were introduced to allow V-twins (Ducati) and triples (Triumph and MV) to compete against the 600cc four- cylinder race bikes that have become increasingly irrelevant to road riders. The trouble is that the system handicapping the bigger capacity Ducatis, Triumphs and MVs doesn’t seem quite right. ‘The new rules are working very well for Yamaha, ’ says the Aruba.It Ducati team’s chief engineer Giovanni Crupi. ‘A Yamaha race engine costs around €20,000 (£17,000), but our engine is completely standard – that makes a big…

» Price: £12,349 » Engine: 889cc 8-valve DOHC parallel twin » Power: 105bhp » Weight: 218kg » Seat height: 854/874 adjustable ‘The Norden spends its time hoiking the front wheel up and zapping out of corners like a super-naked’ Road testers are opinionated but it’s rare they completely disagree about a bike. It happened with the Norden though, with Bike’s guest tester Jordan Gibbons concluding you’d be better off with one of the two KTMs that spawned it, while Bike’s other guest tester Chris Northover said it was a happy compromise and better than both. Scything down a local B-road, I can see where Chris is coming from. The Norden is powered by KTM’s 889cc parallel-twin giggle factory (unchanged from the 890 Adventure and Adventure R) which spends its time…

» Price: £8200 » Engine: 689cc 8-valve DOHC parallel twin » Power: 72bhp » Weight: 188kg » Seat height: 835mm ‘The R7 shows a way forward for sportsbike fans: fewer points, bigger throttle openings, less fear and a lot more giggling’ That’s fast, ’ jibbers Bike art editor Paul Lang after blatting to a photo location on the R7, ‘it feels far more powerful than the MT-07.’ The exuberant crayon warrior is right, it does, despite the engines being absolutely identical. But instead of tooling round using the 689cc parallel twin’s pleasing midrange as you would on the MT, on the R7 you’re tucked in like Quartararo and revving the nadgers off it everywhere, reaping the benefits of every one of those 72 brake horsepowers. Of course, compared with something…

You know the nerves you get when you’re about to do something naughty? That tightness in the stomach as you balance out risk vs reward? It’s lunchtime on the DesertX launch and all the other journalists and Ducati staff are eating or making notes, while I’ve managed to slip away. The risk in this case is crunching a brand new bike, while the reward is the warm feeling of relief that I got away with it. In my mind I can see Antione Meo sending the DesertX flat out around a motocross track. And through my goggles I can see an enduro playground full of jumps and boulders. We all know where this is going and, normally, it doesn’t take long before something gets broken to remind me adventure bikes…

Royal Enfield Scram » Price £4599 » Engine 411cc two-valve single » Power 24bhp @ 6500rpm » Torque 24 lb. ft @ 4250rpm » Weight 185kg » Seat height 795mm What is it? Enfield’s functional and popular Himalayan adventurer in stripped trendy-and-urban form. Softer seat, 19-inch front wheel and better dash, too. Why it didn’t make the cut? Can’t argue with the Scram’s value or simplistic charm, but while it’s a welcome range addition it’s hardly a step-change design. Ducati Streetfighter V2 » Price £15,351 » Engine 955cc desmo V-twin » Power 151bhp @ 10,700rpm » Torque 75 lb. ft @ 9000rpm » Weight 200kg » Seat height 845mm What is it? A twin-cylinder sibling for the wild Streetfighter V4. Based on the Panigale V2 it’s stuffed full of tech,…

» ‘The main part of the business has been backpack aircraft’, says Gilo Cardozo, founder of Gilo Industries, the aerospace outfit behind Rotron and Crighton. ‘You have a paraglider wing and a backpack engine, and we build thousands. Brian Crighton and I met when I was flying over Everest with one in 2007 – I was struggling to get enough power so decided to use a rotary and heard of a guru in Birmingham. He showed me how to get power and we went to 30,000 feet. ‘I realised there was a whole aircraft industry using rotary engines. I offered Brian a job and he got involved to build helicopter engines out of what were originally Norton engines. We evolved it into a very specific aircraft engine. We sell thousands…

» Now then boys, how are we? Tom: I’m 95%. Tim: I’m not doing too bad, 60%. It was the best year ever until four weeks ago. Leading the Superstock championship, then we went to Knockhill for a test and the handlebar snapped, jammed the front brake on, I went over the handlebar at about 120 mile an hour and smashed my pelvis. » So what’s next for you Tim? Tim: I had to have an operation on my pelvis, they put two screws in my sacrum and then a bar going across the full width of my pelvis to stabilize it. I feel like it’s well on its way to healing and I just had my first gym session today with Tom. I can’t walk, but I had 45…

There was a time when Scotland began north of Glasgow, at least as far as many riders from South of the Border seemed to be concerned. That’s changed significantly in the past few years as more and more riders realise that there’s amazing riding to be found on the quieter roads of the Borders. Plus it’s not as far to ride until the fun starts… A lot of that’s down to the work done by the Smith family, who run the Buccleuch Arms Hotel in Moffat – arguably Britain’s most bike-friendly accommodation. They’ve been showing motorcyclists the amazing roads in the area for years and what was once a stop-over on the way to the Highlands has now become a destination in its own right. This ride starts with one…

Small motorcycles, scooters and mopeds were once the go-to affordable transport. It was impossible to resist their low price, cheap running costs, easy parking, and having the faint whiff of two-stroke oil stubbornly clinging to all your clothes. But what about when a respectable young gent found the lady of his Brylcreem’d dreams? And what if little people came along? German brand NSU devised a unique ‘family transport’ solution to avoid the cost of a car and maintain the joy of wind up your trouser leg. They invented the Double Lambretta. Mechanische Werkstätte zur Herstellung von Strickmaschinen started making knitting machines in the 1870s. They shifted activity to knocking out pushbikes in the 1880s, and became NSU in the 1890s because saying Mechanische Werkstätte zur Herstellung von Strickmaschinen was a…

1 Mike Armitage Extraordinary insight and opinion from a man who’s been testing bikes for 21 years. And still childishly excited about riding the amazing Crighton Wankel. Mad Bike of the Year, page 76 2 Hugo Wilson 45 years of road riding experience on everything from mopeds to BMW K1600s, bring Bike of the Year balance. One of the first to ride the new BSA Gold Star. Nostalgia Bike of the Year, page 44 3 John Westlake The boffin brained bike nerd, and ex-Bike magazine editor is overwhelmed by Bike of the Year quality, so he’s taken the Suzuki GSX-S1000GT to Spa for the weekend. Sports Tourer Bike of the Year, page 48 4 Michael Neeves Michael’s a blur as he flits across Europe testing bikes and tyres. He sat…

Plenty of KTMs have been transformed into flat trackers but we’ve never seen one that looks as factory as this. ‘Yeah I wanted to make it look futuristic, like a 2025 KTM, ’ says Noel Muller from Black Cycles in Australia. The base bike is a 2013 300EXC – the two-stroke enduro – that was owned by a previous customer of Noel’s called Zach Hegde. ‘The bike was sitting out the back of his workshop and he asked what I could do with it. Then before I could answer he said, “actually, don’t tell me, just do something.” So I took it home and got on with it. ‘I’d had the idea of this sharp-angled flat tracker for a few years so I stripped the bike down and set the…

[ HARK HERALD ] ‛We want to be UK’s #1’ Could Herald become Britain’s biggest motorcycle manufacturer? It’s possible… Having ambitious targets is one thing, but could Herald Motorcycles really become the UK’s leading motorcycle manufacturer? ‘Yes, we could, ’ company boss Dr Mike Ashmead tells Bike. ‘As far as I’m concerned Triumph are now not really that British [almost all the bikes are made in Thailand – Ed]. I don’t want to make 50,000 bikes, I want to make 3-5000 a year, with a range of light weight machines from 125cc to one litre and an electric bike too. I want the Herald name to be associated with being made in Britain.’ It would be easy to dismiss this as wild optimism, but Ashmead is no Garner-style gobshite. He’s…

THE JUDGES Hugo Wilson Editor 45 years of road riding experience (how did that happen?). Rides everything from mopeds to K1600s. Loves them all. Mike Armitage Deputy editor Has ridden every significant bike for the past 20 years and can actually remember what they’re all like. Amazing. Michael Neeves Road tester Club racer and pro-road tester who attends all major manufacturer launches, on road and on race track. John Westlake Contributing editor Former Bike editor and tech geek who reads the instruction manual and works out how everything actually works. Chris Northover Skids and wheelies Off-road instructor, ultra talent, massive show off, ex- road racer, and manufacturer test rider. Knows a good bike.…

» Price: £6500-7000(tbc) » Engine: 652cc single » Power: 45bhp » Weight: 213kg » Seat height: 780mm The power of the BSA brand is amazing. Fifty years after the original company disappeared, possibly in a puff of smoke caused by burning oil and electrical meltdown, they are back, and people seem to love what they’re doing. The new Indian made 650cc Gold Star is parked under an awning in the Goodwood Festival of Speed’s Supercar Paddock, alongside Lamborghini and McLaren rolling sculptures that cost well north of £100,000, and there’s a non-stop stream of people admiring the new bike and explaining that their dad/uncle/granddad used to own one, before asking about pricing and delivery. When the bike was shown in preproduction form at last year’s Motorcycle Live at the NEC…

‘Dynamically it’s a great bike for the urban sprawl and that’s partly because Ducati have made it work on dirt’ When you get right down to it, the sole function of a motorcycle is to make you feel good. Swing your leg over the seat of the Ducati DesertX, turn the key, press the starter button, listen to the muted chunter of the 937cc V-twin, clutch, gear and go. And feel fantabulous. The Ducati is easy to ride, its engaging and incredibly well executed with lovely details. But it is also, and let’s not pretend that this isn’t vitally important, stunningly good looking and very, very cool. The fact that it works so well, on and off-road, is part of the reason it’s cool, though the reality for most of…

Carl Cox is giggling like a schoolkid. ‘My phone rings and it’s Valentino… He says, “Ciao Carl, we just landed Melbourne. We get a car, we come say hi and then we go to Phillip Island. Where do you live? Okay, we see you in 45 minutes”. ‘Whaaaat??!! So I call a few mates, “Rossi’s coming round my house!”. So they stop whatever they’re doing and we’re getting the barbie going… Ding-ding goes the doorbell. “Ciao guys, how’s it going?” says Valentino. Jaws on the floor. ‘We have the barbie, then he says, “I’m a bit tired, is it okay if I have a sleep?” I’ve got this big chair in the kitchen, so we put a blanket over him and there he is tucked up in the corner. I’m…

Look at a map of Colombia and the Darien Gap is the northwest corner. It’s called the ‘stopper’ in Spanish and many describe it as the, ‘most dangerous jungle in the world.’ This 100-mile stretch of untamed jungle is the only break in the Pan-American Highway from Alaska to Argentina. There are no roads or bridges, only a muddy foot path winding through a dense jungle of vines, spiders, snakes and all manner of human dangers. It’s also home to the indigenous Kuna Indians. This mysterious place at the edge of the map has occupied my thoughts for nearly 20 years. In 2005, while deployed to Iraq in the US Army, I told my fellow soldiers about the Darien Gap. About how it’s considered nearly impassable by motorcycles. Truthfully, there’ve…

YOU’VE DEEP POCKETS, RIGHT? If you’re greedy with the twistgrip the H2 guzzles fuel. The supercharger works by forcing more fuel into the engine so that it can make more torque by burning more fuel, and so even moderately brisk use means 30mpg. The monstrous engine also eats rear tyres – 1000 miles is a typical life expectancy, so budget for a replacement even if it doesn’t look overly worn (you’ll find the OE Bridgestone RS10 for around £160). Give the sprockets and drive chain a good inspection too, and check for play in the cush drive rubbers. Also double-check your insurance before taking the plunge on a H2. It’s group 17, and though this is the same group as all serious performance bikes there are lots of companies who…

£5500 1968 V7 700 » In the early 1960s the Italian government was looking for new wheels for its highway plod, and the chosen bike would be the one that could do 100,000km with the lowest running costs. It was won by the V7 700 – the first Moto Guzzi with the signature sticky-out V-twin. Production of the 703cc, 40bhp, 230kg device started in 1966. This example’s from Italy and in glorious well-used condition, up and running with NOVA declared, ready for summer. Five-and-a-half for the original Guzzi V-twin? Looks like a steal. » Made in Italy Motorcycles: 01449 612900, madeinitalymotorcycles.com £15,950 1972 V7 Sport » This is the icon Guzzi’s current V7 charmer takes inspiration from. Based on the V7 700 (above) and created by a bloke who had…

‘… See young Franco Bourne in action in Junior Superstock’ Day of Champions Silverstone 4 August » You know the drill for the annual pre-GP event at Silverstone. Ride ins, on-track parades, on stage interviews and the charity auction in which riders and teams sell off kit and experiences. All in aid of the excellent Riders for Health charity. For the hardy, this is the start of the four day British Grand Prix experience. twowheelsforlife.org Women in Motorcycling exhibition Tutbury Castle, Staffs 20 August » A celebration of women in motorcycling with workshops on everything from bike maintenance to yoga, ride ins and speakers, including Mary Siever who rode round the world in the 1960s on a BSA Bantam. It’s a one day event, but camping is available. womenmoto.co.uk British…

I live in County Durham, so Knockhill’s the only circuit where we get to go north, rather than heading south. It makes me laugh, other riders are complaining about it being ten hours driving for them, but that’s pretty much what we do with Brands Hatch and Thruxton. I get asked if it feels like a local circuit for me, but it’s still three and a half hours away. This was the first time I’d been to Knockhill with the 600s though I went two years ago when I was racing a Moto3 bike in the Talent Cup. On paper it looks like a really simple track, like a triangle, but when you ride it, it’s got a lot of character. There’s a lot of up and down and quite…

Turn it on » The things you might be expecting to turn on may not exist – this magneto ignition Matchless has no ignition switch, but others will. Petrol? Sure. Oil? To prevent the curse of ‘wet-sumping’ many old bikes have been retro-fitted with a manual oil tap. Best find it to prevent subsequent mechanical disaster, in case you do actually get it started. Retard it » Properly old bikes don’t have an auto advance ignition, that alters ignition timing according to engine revs. Faster speeds need more advance, but starting needs less. Tweak the ignition lever to retard the timing and help with starting. Take care with high compression singles which can viciously kick back if you get retard wrong. Tickle it » Richening the fuel mix makes starting…