Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2023 i BIKE

Bike Issue 601 April 2023 Contact us: bike@bikemagazine.co.uk or 01733 468025 facebook.com/bikemagazineUK twitter.com/BikeMagazine This is the B4391. It starts near Llyn Celyn reservoir, not far from Bala, and squirms west towards Ffestiniog. It's early evening at the end of a clear and unseasonably warm day, and I'm about to stop at the Cwm Cynfal viewpoint to watch the sun set over the shimmering sea while scoffing Welsh cakes. Riding motorcycles is fun, exciting and life-affirming. Emotional even. But perhaps above all else, bikes are devices for creating memories. This particular squirming section of ever-changing road lias long been a Bike favourite, but today we're riding it as part of the specially compiled Snowdonia 360 and this makes it a new experience with fresh memories. We'll prattle about it over pints…

Want a trackday machine to see off those fancydan Ducati V4Rs? How about this: Colin Edwards’ 2013 FTR Kawasaki GP bike. The 245bhp, 157kg weapon was for sale at the MCN Show on 18 February with an estimate of £35-40,000. ‘Honestly, that bike was flicking awesome,’ Colin tells Bike from his Bootcamp riding school in Texas. ‘The motor was a bit heavy compared with the factory bikes - it had a heavy crank - but the chassis and electronics were great and everything worked.’ The FTR was developed for the Claiming Rules Team (CRT) regs, which allowed wildly tuned production engines - from a ZX-10R in this case - to be fitted in one-off frames in an attempt to cut costs and fill up the MotoGP grid. ‘Everyone was thinking…

Affordable legend Triumph Daytona T595 Soulful three-cylinder thrust, steadfast handling, utterly engaging and full of charm. The T595 is a fine mix of 1990s cool and modern usability, and a bit of an icon. Some dealers are trying their luck at four or five grand, but you can still buy clean ready-to-go bikes for £2k. Or less. It's the original Suzuki GSX-R The first GSX-R was the 750 in ‘85, right? Er, no. There was a 400cc bike launched in Japan in ‘84, just called ‘GSX-R’. Usually first-of-the-line bikes fetch big cash, but while the Suzuki is climbing it's still affordable as most people don't know what it is. £2500 gets a good private buy. Stand out in a crowd Yamaha TRX850 Yam's first twin with a 270° crank wasn't…

What'll it do, Mister? New bikes versus our dyno, scales and datalogger BMW CLAIM 41.6bhp This is the maximum in short bursts. Rated power-what the motor can give continuously without overheating or damage - is 20bhp. 45.7 lb.ft Twice as much grunt as rated power, with peak shove dished out at just 1500rpm. Which is handy given it doesn't have a gearbox. 231kg The problem with batteries is they're chuffin’ heavy. And so BMW's ‘slim energy storage’ means the CE 04 is heavier than an S1000XR. 80.7miles Claimed range is 130km. Based on current (ho-ho) average electric and fuel prices, it's like a petrol-engined bike doing 160mpg… 75mph Shunning the imperial em-pee-aitch, BMW state the electronically limited top speed in kilometres per hour. They say it'll do 120 of them.…

Aprilia Tuono V4 » £13,995 (RRP £15,500) » 1077cc V4 » 175bhp » 209kg Here at Bike we rave about the Tuono but Aprilia's reputation as a quirky minor player means not many riders consider it. Big mistake, says Matt Frantom from Wheels Motorcycles in Peterborough. Besides Aprilias, his dealership stocks new Hondas, Kawasakis, Suzukis, MVs and Guzzis and of all them it's the Tuono that gets riders gibbering. ‘People who haven't ridden a Tuono before are massively surprised when they come back from a test ride,’ says Matt. ‘No-one comes back disappointed. In fact, the only problem we have is that we get a lot of sportsbike riders trying the Tuono because they assume that a naked bike will slow them down. That's not going to happen with the…

Anxiety Typified by an excess of fear and worry. Symptoms can lead to significant distress and impact on ability to function. There are many types of anxiety disorder: generalised (worry), panic, social anxiety and separation anxiety, to name a few. Depression When a depressive mood persists for most of the day and for many days for more than a fortnight, that is considered to be depression. As well as feelings of sadness, irritability and emptiness, depression is marked by loss of concentration, a loss of pleasure or interest in activities, guilt, low self-esteem, low energy levels… Bipolar disorder Symptoms are as for depression but with manic episodes marked by euphoria, irritability, and increases in activity or energy. Bipolar disorder increases the risk of suicide. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) PTSD can…

ON ROAD Be a corner exit demon ‘Great road riders make huge gains over less skilled mates on corner exit,’ says Giles Lamb, from leading British training company Rapid Training. ‘It's here that, with the right technique, you can safely deploy vast amounts of power and pull dozens of bike lengths on someone who's waiting to get on the gas. Not only that, because you carry less mid-corner speed and lean-angle to set yourself up for the exit, you've got more safety margin too. It's a win-win. ‘The secret to great exit drive starts with choosing the right line. Instead of barrelling in and swooping round on a long arc where you're leant over for a long time, you need to hang out wider for longer, slow down more, then…

Sealey TST/PG981 tyre pressure gauge It's the tyre pressure gauge that refuses to die. I bought it sometime during the 2006 MRO Powerbike season from Rod Harwin Racing's paddock pop-up shop. He's been supporting race meetings and trackdays with spares, tyres and fitting since the late ‘80s and you'll still see his happy (on the inside) face at circuits today. The gauge is simple to use – just whack it on the valve, check the pressure in Bar or psi and let out unwanted air with the side button. It's been used on hundreds of track and road bikes, thrown on floors, tossed in toolboxes and is still going strong. Somehow, it's even on its original battery. Snazzier gauges have come and gone over the years, but old faithful is…

I hear strange justifications from drivers who knock motorcyclists off their motorcycles, but the common thread is the driver failed to see the biker. The really horrible ones are where witnesses confirm the driver had misted windows or a coating of frost on side windows. As a result said driver had been peering through a letterbox-sized patch of scraped windscreen. The police will try to nick this type of driver for dangerous, rather than careless, driving because the act of driving with your vision obscured is not a lapse of concentration. It is a deliberate act. I have had to deal with a fatal accident involving the driver of a light lorry with tunnel vision who killed a blameless person - the lorry driver was unaware of the existence of…

Richa Extreme GTX 2 £144.99 nevis.uk.com These are my go-to gloves. They're not thick enough for the darkest depths of winter, but are great in cool, changeable weather in spring and autumn, and also work in summer too. They don't become too hot on a sunny July day and there's no flappy lining that gets dragged out if I do get a bit sweaty. Rain is kept out by that there Gore-Tex, and with D30 armour and CE level 1 KP certification they should help keep my bark in place should intentions and abilities become muddled. Fine details too: I like the visor wipe on the left-glove forefinger and the stretchy bits on the backs of the fingers and thumbs, and that there are proper-size cuffs to keep out draughts.…

Making the most of the Snowdonia 360 There are many businesses that are partners of the route, with everything from eateries and accommodation to all manner of activities. Toddle along to snowdonia360.com and it's a doddle to organise a short trip or entire holiday, with loads to entertain your significant other and/or nippers while you head back out on the roads… Seems there's a thing for riding routes with numbers attached. First came the North Coast 500, a 500-mile ride which traces Scotland's, er, north coast. And there's the South West 660, the proposition of which I'm sure you can fathom. However, following our group test excursion (page 48) I'd argue the Snowdonia 360 is where to head this year. For anyone south of Middlesbrough it's easier to get to…

1 John Westlake Ex-Bike editor John lias lived through many a biking summer and knows who to speak to when it comes to making the best-ever year plan. It's expert advice and then some. Mission possible, page 37 2 Mike Armitage He already loved the place. But taking our all-road all-rounders test on the Snowdonia 360 his revitalised MA's passion for Wales. The route is this year's must-ride tarmac. Aeeess all areas, page 48 3 Greg Moss Photographer, journalist, storyteller. When we heard about an off-road race for mahoosive adventure bikes Greg was first on the list to go have an in-depth gander. Going big off road, page 74 4 Paul Lang As we know Norton have had a hard time of late, but things are looking up. And so we decided to…

BODYWORK All created using CAD, 3D printed moulds and vacuum formed carbon fibre. If you've got a Sportster Forty-Eight, the bodykit is expected to cost around £8000. FRONT END CNC-machined yokes hold Showa forks and the blingy wheels are from Roland Sands Designs. Yellow paint on calipers is a nod to the Lambo inspiration. ENGINE An ECU tunes a little extra power but the main alterations are a final drive chain conversion, Figure Machine camshaft covers and a Two Brothers exhaust. If you or I built a custom bike inspired by our dad's car, it almost certainly wouldn't look like this. However, Chakkaphan ‘Mark’ Rungsukcharoen's father drives a Lamborghini Murcielago SV supercar rather than a shagged Citroën Xsara, so it's not quite so surprising he ended up with this stunning…

From the wonderful to the weird, Bike‘s pick of this month's stories from the motorcycling world… Suzuki will have a petrol-free bike in showrooms next year. The Japanese manufacturer have announced their first electric bike will be a small to mid-size machine set to arrive in 2024, and by 2030 there will be a range of eight models. And they're throwing money at it. Suzuki reckon they'll invest £12.4 billion in research and development, and that another £3.1 billion from a further £15.5 billion of capital expenditures will be used for battery-related investments. This money covers all of Suzuki's antics, not just bikes, but is an eye-opening indication of their commitment. The numbers are too big to even imagine. Where's the money coming from? MotoGP, or rather the fact that…

Dread the yearly trip to the MoT centre? Good news: the Department for Transport is looking to extend the test frequency from 12 months to 24 months. The renewed plan will also push back the first test of a new bike (or van or car) to four years from the current three. The Government is basing the proposed move on advancements in vehicle technology and the rise in electric and hybrid vehicles. Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal already have four years before a vehicle's first check. Understandably, the idea's causing grumbles from some industry groups. RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: ‘While we're not opposed to delaying a new vehicle's first MoT, we believe there should be a requirement for particularly high mileage vehicles to be…

French firm Bering are trying to make biking that bit nicer to the planet. Their new Freeway suit is made of 70% recycled plastic bottles, retrieved from the world's oceans and seas. Keeping riders protected from spills on the road and microplastics away from their next fish supper, the CE approved clobber uses a material called Repreve which is a yarn spun from the discarded bottles. The AA-rated £469.99 jackets and £299.99 trousers are available for sizes S-4XL More info: bikerheadz.co.uk…

Bike, Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, PE2 6EA Telephone 01733 468025 Email: bike@bikemagazine.co.uk facebook.com/bikemagazineUK twitter.com/BikeMagazine It was the first FIM sanctioned 250 GP in the US. There had been open class GPs in Carlsbad, California for years but this 250cc event was in Unadilla, New York. I once saw the track described as ‘melons under a rug.’ It's still there and raced on today. A friend and I (both 18) borrowed my aunt's ‘65 Plymouth Fury and drove to the race and slept in the car. Everything was a party: bonfires; minibike races in the campgrounds. I don't remember who won, but I do remember the Russians on factory KTMs. They were crazy. One came over a jump in front of us, completely off the bike and out of control,…

Finance Interest rates have gone up so PCP deals have risen too-the days of the £99 deposit and £99 a month deal are over for most bikes. ‘That's not going to affect how many people buy with PCP though,’ says Phil Beach from Bill Smith Motors, ‘because bank loan interest rates have gone up as well, so they still can't match a PCP's monthly repayments. Look for low interest rates: Suzuki have just 4.9 percent on some models right now.’ Bikes with high residual values are still good value on PCP, as you're paying off less depreciation. Currently you can get a £16,951 Panigale V2 for £175 a month (£4177 deposit), and a £13,277 Harley Nightster for £147 a month (£2500 deposit). Test rides Dealers are warning test rides are…

First round of BSB 9 April, Silverstone, Northants ‘The first round at Easter is a great tradition,’ says British Superbike series chief Stuart Higgs. It's a chance to get the bike out, go with a group of mates and kick off the riding season. Silverstone often gets a bad rap for being too long so you don't see the bikes very often, but we race on the short version which creates incredible intensity. You get a sub-one minute lap and a 30-lap race. Plus, if you sit in a grandstand you can see most of the track and there are big screens.’ There are plenty of new riders too. ‘Davey Todd [Superstock 1000 champion] is one to watch, Jack Kennedy is coming up after winning the British Supersport championship, and…

The xley interview Mat is a TT winner, endurance racer, author and MotoGP paddock insider Here's a question: can MotoGP's oldest rider win the 2023 title aboard the championship's least successful motorcycle? (The answer, by the way, is, ‘yes’, or at least, ‘maybe'.) Aleix Espargaró has had the strangest Grand Prix career. Last April in Argentina the 33-year-old Spaniard scored his first GP victory, at his 283rd attempt and in his 17th year in the world championships, riding Aprilia's 300-horsepower RS-GP. So what was the last race he won before that? ‘I think it was in the Spanish championship - I won one race in the year I won the 125 title,’ he grins. And when was that? ‘In 2004!’ he says, laughing. ‘It's crazy, eh? There's no sense to…

Jebel Hafeet is the only mountain in Abu Dhabi and home to a wondrous run of tarmac. Seven and a half miles in length, this section of road doesn't have any straights and is made up from 60 corners, with everything from hairpin to fast sweep. And it's all topped with an ultra-grippy surface. Think of it as the Pikes Peak of the Middle East. It's the sort of place where you'd want a sharp sportsbike, agile supernaked, even a supermoto. But today this near-perfect riding road has been closed so that we can we can fling Ducati's imposing new Diavel V4 up and down. The choice of venue tells you all you need to know about a bike nicknamed Megamonster during its development. It needs such a light touch…

Mostly watching YouTube, oh and making Bike. Offering up thoughts on three season gloves and GasGas. Getting to grips with off the grid Italians, you can't blame him. Back on the spanners for another preseason thrash. Single-handedly bringing down the average age of Bike. He is the law, and what he says goes. Listen carefully now.…

‘Tell you what, you want Supercorsas, mate.’ We've probably all heard something like this when mulling over new rubber. Not without reason: Pirelli's sporty Diablo Supercorsa is superb, which is why they've flogged 3.5 million tyres since introducing it 16 years ago. And now it's even better. The new Supercorsa SP V4 is ‘the sportiest tyre ever for street use’, with new compounds for greater grip, a revised structure for better support on corner exits, and the same profiles as the SC race/trackday version (and Pirelli's slicks) for crisper lines and improved high-speed stability. It's the first Supercorsa with a dual-compound front, being grippier at its edges due to the same rubber as the SC3 race tyre with 100% carbon black. If you're the sort of person who wants to…

Check your pressures A tyre can lose pressure through the way it's seating on the rim, the valve, and the quality of the wheel rim itself. Checkthem every week, or every time you ride. Even a slight drop can affect braking distance, stability, the way a bike holds its line and wear. And stick with handbook pressures. Trackday tyre pressures Novice or steady riders using road tyres should stickto recommended pressures, measured cold. Fast riders could drop cold pressure in the rear by no more than 6psi. On treaded track tyres with warmers, 32 front/27 rear measured hot is about right. Do not drop lower to try and build heat. Adventure bike pressures Trials and trail riders drop pressures for grip, but adventure bikes are big, heavy, with very different…

The son of legendary Italian designer Massimo Tamburini says that much of the MV F4 was not actually styled by his father, and that the bike you see here is the first MV F4 to be a complete Tamburini design, albeit shared between father and son. ‘Contrary to what you may think, the F4 was not entirely designed by Massimo Tamburini,’ says Antonio Di Maio, a director of Tamburini Corse, who make this new bodykit. ‘That was the motivation that led Andrea [Massimo's son] to redefine the design and aerodynamics of the 2010 F4 model. Massimo influenced the entire chassis but only designed the original bike's tank and the airbox - it is no coincidence Andrea did not change those parts, as it was his father's work.’ Called the F43…

Dig out the sliders, squeeze back into those leathers - Kawasaki have reintroduced a howling supersport 400 Nothing caused as much excited jabbering in the Bike office this month as the new ZX-4R. Yes, a pukka four-cylinder lightweight sportsbike. Small, delicate and with screaming power, it promises a giddy return to the shrieking head-down 1990s when bikes such as the Honda VFR400R, Yamaha FZR400RR and Kwak's own ZXR400 sliced up roundabouts. Seems there's more than a little ZXR in the new Ninja. Obviously the 399CC, 16-valve engine is ‘newly developed’, but at 57 × 39.1mm its dimensions are rather similar to the 398CC motor (57 × 39mm) seen in the original ZX-4 in Japan in 1988 (which evolved into the ZXR400). This is no bad thing. The previous engine is…

Both BMW and Ducati have announced that 2022 was their best-ever global sales year. The Italian firm shifted 61,562 new bikes, while BMW flogged over three-times more with 202,895. Ducati's Multistrada V4 was their most popular bike with 10,716 finding owners. The Monster followed with 7971, with another 6880 from the multi-bike Scrambler family. They're still some way behind BMW, mind. In its various forms almost 60,000 examples of the R1250GS were sold - in the UK there were 1740 GS Adventures registered (the best-selling bike over 125cc), with another 1475 standard GSs hitting the road. However, it's all a bit ‘meh’ compared with relentless Royal Enfield. They celebrated their best month ever last year, with 82,000 bikes leaving dealers just in September. Strewth.…

Save £800 Yamaha X-Tribute Anyone fancy a decent discount on an exclusive version of a corking retro? That's what we've got here at dealers Wigan Yamaha. It's an unused, zero-mile, but pre-registered ('71-plate) example of the limited edition, more scrambler-style X-Tribute version of the XSR700-the retro variant of the wonderful MT-07. And because of this it's got XT500 style bars, ‘pegs and seat to go on top of the already brilliant MT-07 mechanicals. Only offered from 2019-2021 it originally cost £7799, but this ‘old stock’ example is now just £6999. Save £2000 KTM 890 Adventure KTM's updated 2023 890 Adventure is no doubt ace thanks to its new fairing, seat, screen and improved TFT dash, but it's also now £11,999. To be fair there wasn't much wrong with the old…

600 issues! First one out 1971. Me a 14-year-old I browsed it off the shelf. Iconic cover but I was saving for my Raleigh pedal and pop. Motorcycle memories come flooding back: no sat nav; no mobiles; no rider aids; no plan; no idea; head south; passport; travellers cheques and folding money bulging in your bike jacket. Roll off the ferry, take a deep breath, point and go. There were a succession of big cube bikes: Yamaha FJ1200, Kawasaki ZZ-R1100. My current choice - Honda Blackbird. It still does the deed but it's different times. Roll on the next issue landing on the doormat. Dave Clark, email PS: is the Bike gear ad on page 71 still valid? I'll take one of each. » You and me both. Maybe we need…

Twelve degrees, light winds, blue skies. It's early in the year and we're in Wales with its notoriously weathery weather, but this feels like spring - and perfect conditions for riding the Snowdonia 360. And the Triumph feels like it should be the best bike for the task. All three of these upright all-rounders promise comfort, ride and rangy performance that'll make light work of the terrain, but the Tiger 850 Sport looks like it'll be most at home scurrying between mountains. The ‘850’ and ‘Sport’ bits are untruths; this is the Tiger 900 in simple fonn, with 888cc three-cylinder engine, lengthy suspenders and adventure-inspired geometry. Clearly just the ticket. Our first coastline leg from Porthmadog towards shimmering Tywyn reveals looks can be deceiving, however. The Tiger feels a tad…

Every time I ride the Tracer it's just wonderful,’ mutters Langy, addressing nobody in particular while fingering the controls like a kid at Motorcycle Live. ‘The power delivery, sound, handling, comfort… it's just so good.’ In spring 2015, back when Yamaha's upright-sports-touring-all-rounder was launched, we took three identical examples of the new Tracer 900 on a 440-mile all-roads jolly. The idea was that we'd get wide-reaching opinions from a trio of different riders of varying age, size, taste and preference. It was grand day out and a very pleasant time was had by all. And the Tracer proved fabulous. Fast forward eight years and a couple of updates, and the 900 is now the Tracer 9 with more cubes, improved handling, a higher base specification and questionable looks. It's still…

Adventure I'm flying along an undulating single-track road in the middle of the Dorset Countryside, my punchy single cylinder thrumming away at top speed. I'm humming the Indiana Jones theme tune and feeling like Lawrence of Arabia on home turf. Unfortunately, my tribute to Indie is interrupted by a loud pop as my rear tyre fails. I wriggle to a halt with the tyre's beaded edge just about hanging onto the rim. I'm riding my great grandfather's 1926 Sunbeam Model 1 so this all happens at around 3omph, which explains why there's no genuine T.E. Lawrence moment. However, this is my second tyre failure in the last 20 days - the whole adventure will take six months during which I'll visit all 238 lifeboat stations the British Isles has to…

£1999 Aprilia Falco » Aprilias depreciate more than most Italians but under £2k for a sparkly SL1000 Falco is bonkers. As the ‘street sports’ model it sat between the RSV Mille superbike and RST Futura sports-tourer when Aprilia were being all ambitious with their fabulous V-twin engine in the early 2000s. Last of the trio to arrive, it was the most overlooked but in many ways it's the best. Handsome, effective, engaging and well-built, you get RSV performance for half the price. This one has clocked 37k and it's just been reduced by a further £600 - rarely do even the mintiest Falcos fetch over £3000. £3990 Laverda Ghost » British bike brands are in the midst of a revival but it was Italy's turn in the 1990s. Laverda, famed…

Da-na-na-na-naaa… Sad news. DC Comics have canned their new ‘Batgirl’ movie following disastrous test screenings, which means we won't see actress Leslie Grace tooling around a Gotham-replicating Glasgow on a BMW R nineT and S1000RR. Instead, we'll have to make do with the 1960s TV series which saw Yvonne Craig riding this frilly 30bhp Yamaha YDS-5E 250cc twin, as customised by Fox Studios’ props crew. Actually, it's kinda cool.. ROAD TEST BACK ISSUES BLUE = Available lust on iPad RED = Available on iPad and Android ORANGE = Available in print only The original Silver Dream Rotax's tandem-twin motor of the early ‘80s gave small brands the chance to compete in 250 and 350 GPs. Waddon were among the leading Brits, unveiling this at the ‘81 London Road Racing Show…

Used for: six months Price: £259.99 Info: bikerheadz.co.uk I ride into college every day and have nowhere for kit, so I need a jacket that's not cumbersome and that won't drip water. Something I can wear all day that doesn't look or feel like bulky bike kit. This Segura Leyton is spot on, and not just because it looks good. Despite being AA-rated and feeling robust, it isn't heavy - I'm not weighed down, whether riding my bike or dashing to an A-level mock. It's also really comfy. Armour is soft, thin, unintrusive, and the Leyton fits really well. Or it does me. I've tried jackets where suitable arm length has meant a baggy body, or vice versa. It feels fitted. It also shrugged off the worst rain I've ever…