Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2024 i BIKE

5 BIKES THAT REALLY MATTER THIS MONTH [ NEW BIKES ] SCREEN FRAME Designed by David using high-end finite element analysis then 3D-printed from titanium using direct metal laser sintering. This was not done in 2002. ENGINE Bog-standard 2002 Honda FireBlade 954. It's never been started, so will need running in. CARBON The builder spent over two decades building race bikes for World Endurance, Moto2, and Spanish championship contenders. Needless to say, he had some high-end carbon fabrication contacts… FRONT END A variation on the Hossack design, with two wishbones and one shock controlling suspension movement. A suspended steering head allows the use of bearings instead of rose joints. BRAKES One area where the bike shows its age: non-radial Nissins are straight from 2002. ‘I wanted to experiment… I liked the…

PRICE £219.99 Richa Inferno 12v heated gloves WHAT IS IT? Gerbing have made heated kit for ages, but this is the first time we've seen it smerged with another brand. These Richa gloves are waterproof, armoured, and come with a lead to attach to your bike. WHAT DO WE LIKE? 20 years ago, Gerbing's own gloves were like something for gardening. Now it's proper bike kit that's also heated – editor Armitage has used them for years and can't praise them enough. Most of the Gerbing range is leather though, and some have a slight old-man-gauntlet, gentleman-about-town look, but these Richa have a more modern snowboard air. Shame the control button is where your jacket cuff might interfere with it. They're also more expensive than Gerbing's own lifetime-warranty gloves. HOW…

WHY NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY MARK GOODMAN BIKE READER Age: 50 Annual mileage: 4000 Bikes owned: 12… so far Serial new-bike buyer who gets the most out of PCP finance and samples every type of bike. ANDY GURSKI CONTRIBUTOR Age: 56 Annual mileage: 5000 Bikes owned: lost count Cash used-bike buyer who can hunt out a deal and navigate today's online purchasing. MIKE ARMITAGE EDITOR Age: 48 Annual mileage: 20,000 Bikes owned: 25 Addicted to scouring eBay for irresistible deals on iconic metal (and random offities). You'll have noticed it isn't spring. This is the time magazines traditionally get excited about the coming sunshine and encourage the purchase of a new bike, be it showroom fresh or pre-loved. Rightly so. Thing is, we reckon now is the time to…

Catching a glimpse of Carlo Pernat in the MotoGP paddock is like spotting Keith Richards at a Harry Styles gig. Right away it's obvious: here is someone swimming in a different time, where people play the game of racing by different rules. Yes, some of his life views are somewhat antediluvian, but his stories are too good to go untold. Pernat is rarely seen in daylight hours without blackout shades and often looks like he's been up all night. Probably because he has been. He is the last survivor of MotoGP's rock ‘n’ roll era, when the paddock partied as hard as it raced. It would be no exaggeration to say that the 75-year-old Italian has been quite a naughty boy in his 43 years in motorcycle racing. Some readers…

Group test It's not too much to ask, is it? You want a bike you can ride all day, then get off at the other end without instantly needing a hot bath. You want instant grunt, a motor that's right there as soon as you crack the throttle. You want sporty steering: an agile chassis that gives you confidence to yomp along back roads. You want modern creature comforts, from heated grips to high-tech electronics, because this ain't black-and-white days any more. Most of all, you don't want to pay through the nose for the pleasure. Sounds like you want a full-size, high-rise, all-round street bike. Not a silly-cc, big-ticket, heavyweight; nor an undersized middleweight. One that treads the fine line between ‘more than plenty’ and ‘way too much’. Something…

Bend-swingers don't get much finer than Triumph's big Scrambler 1200 XE. Its throaty, thrumming twin, plush long-travel suspension and easy ergonomics are a treat for lazing in and out of corners, beaming from an open-faced lid. Possibly with a lit cigar. This was already the case, of course, but ushering the 2024 model down a swing-able Spanish road shows the handsome retro is better than ever. It has an even chunkier midrange, Marzocchi suspension (replacing Showa forks and Öhlins twin shocks), hefty Brembo Stylema calipers, plus a few other tucks and tweaks. Sunny, warm roads are where the new XE excels. The 1200cc parallel-twin motor hardly lacked easy roll-on punch, but it now has a wider scope of go. There's a thrusting heft of torque right from the bumbling depths…

ROMPING TWIN Well-established through having been used in the 1098R, 1198, Multistrada 1200 and Diavel 1200, the 1198cc V-twin was detuned for the Monster 1200. It went from 170bhp in the 1198 to 143bhp in the Monster 1200S (133bhp in the base model) – but make no mistake, it's still plenty. The second-generation1200 (2017-on) got larger throttle bodies and more compression, hiking power to 148bhp for all versions. Anyway. A properly-serviced 1200 will have few issues, but check for leaks around the rear cylinder head. The back end has to be stripped and injectors removed to get the head off to replace the seals – there's no conventional head gasket here – and disturbing the head can mean that if the barrel moves it has to come up to replace…

Know How [ Last ride ] Like the people responsible, the idea of our Last Ride feature is simple. When we've run a long-term test bike, got under its skin and discovered things a short test can't show, we head out for a final trundle to highlight its positives and demonstrate where it's most at home (or to turn the spotlight on its negatives, of course). But with our Indian Chief Dark Horse it's been an utter swine to do. I could blame the weather. I could blame there being a particularly gripping crime drama on the telly (there's bound to have been – it seems that's all they can make these days). They're sort-of valid. But what it comes down to is the bike itself. The Indian is as focused…

Know How [ Weird & Wonderful ] The Honda CX500 (bear with us) was a loveable lump of metal and acrylonitrine butadiene styrene (ABS). The famed Plastic Maggot, no less. Beloved of despatch riders, cherished by Honda-philes, and despite an early mechanical flaw (cam chain tensioner) capable of vast mileage. Its six-year model run was ample evidence of its success at a time when models were frequently replaced every two years. An almost impossible act to follow. In 1983 the VT500 arrived. Europe received a staid E version – cue muted trumpet fanfare – but the US of A got two models: a mild factory custom Shadow, and the FT Ascot. Not Ascot the nag venue, but the half-mile dirt flat-track circuit (closed in 1990) in the greater Los Angeles area…

Five bikes… [ NEW BIKES ] NEW SNOUT The all-new LED headlight unit saves 0.7kg on the old unit and looks even madder, with the running light units resembling an orangutan's cheeks. There are new tank spoilers and added winglets, obviously. BIGGER TANK A redesigned air intake and airbox allow the fuel tank to grow by 1.5 litres to a total of 17.5 litres. If the old V-twin is anything to go by, this could mean an easy range of 180 miles. ENGINE The old V-twin motor let you potter smoothly at naff-all revs, then open the throttle and unleash Beelzebub. The new one sounds even better: 1350cc, 190bhp, 107 lb.ft and smoother thanks to different injector positioning and variable timing. CHASSIS Frame is unchanged from last year's, which itself was…

ELECTRONICS Pared down compared to other BMs. There's no rev counter as standard, only two riding modes and no heated grips, though you can of course buy these as accessories. Cornering traction and ABS are standard though. ENGINE New cylinder head covers make it look different from the old R nineT, but the internals are much the same. The airbox has moved under the seat and the exhausts are new. With middleweight customs like the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 and Honda Rebel pouring out of showrooms, BMW's timing with their new R12 cruiser couldn't be better. And its £11,990 price means that although it's not exactly a cheap step up from a middleweight, it's still £4000 less than Harley-Davidson's entry-level Sportster S. In cruiserland, the R12 is a big…

DREAM BIKES FOR NAFF ALL CASH Dream bikes… R Funny how things stick in your mind. The January 1998 issue of Performance Bikes had a test of the then-new fuel-injected Suzuki GSX-R750W by the late, great John Robinson, which ended thus: ‘The GSX-R's sole purpose is to extinguish FireBlades and remind 916s that they're only twins.’ The fabulous words have been lodged in my bonce ever since. I was already a massive fan of the humpy beam-framed ‘SRAD’ model. Claims its short chassis was based on Kevin Schwantz's RGV500 Grand Prix racer sucked me in when it arrived in 1996, and I was wooed by its of-the-moment styling and best-in-class specification. For me, the sharp Suzuki was as glorious as motorcycles got, and so JR's enthused review only furthered my lust. I…

DREAM BIKES FOR NAFF ALL CASH Dream bikes… For 18 years I owned an Aprilia RSV Mille R. With supple Öhlins suspension, feel-some Brembo brakes, sculpted OZ wheels, sod-off yellow paint and a brilliantly classy air, it topped a sportsbike back catalogue that included an RD350 YPVS, Honda VFR400R, Yamaha FZR600, Ducati 748, Kawasaki ZX-6R, Suzuki GSX-R600 and two 750s… and I loved owning it. The operative word was owning. Advancing years and aching bones meant riding the Aprilia was no longer as irresistible as it had been, and I started looking at more modern and more ergonomically friendly options. But I couldn't find anything with the RSV-R's quality. Or not that I could afford. Then two key things happened. First, I rode a Triumph Street Triple and had an absolute…

DREAM BIKES FOR NAFF ALL CASH Some people buy a bike and keep it forever. That's fine. But bikes are an experience, and PCP (personal contract purchase) finance lets me constantly try something new. I passed my test in 2008 and my first bike was a Yamaha MT-07 that I bought on PCP. I moved on to paying cash and doing a bit of HP (hire purchase) but went back to PCP – and stayed ith it. I've had an MT-09, Ducati Monster 1200 S, Triumph Speed Triple and a Suzuki GSX-R1000. Then a BMW S1000RR, Honda Africa Twin, KTM 1290 Super Duke GT, my current Kawasaki ZX-10R… you get the idea. It's not that I don't love the bikes I've had or that I've got bored of them; it's…

First Ride Sure, it's essentially a taller GSX-S1000GT with fancy new clothes. It's powered by the same 150bhp, 999cc inline four-cylinder engine, and features the tried-and-tested aluminium beam frame. But Suzuki's new £14,499 GSX-S1000GX has two key differences. First, it's taller. And second – crucially – it's both cleverer and better to ride. Fast, flowing, twisty roads, and the new GX comes together. It clicks. The suspension is in its sweet spot, the excellent riding position feels right, and it loves being poured into a swift ride. It's a nice thing – a joy to ride. As Suzuki's answer to the über-popular Yamaha Tracer 9 GT and BMW S1000XR, the GX needs to do the upright sports-tourer thing very well. And it does. The riding position is a peachy halfway…

Three simple letters. One big legacy to live up to. Is KTM's reborn SMT still a long-haul lunatic? A head, Versys-mounted Jason is pointing wildly at something off to his right. Meandering down the largely unremarkable A49, brain battered flat by three hours of multi-lane monotony this morning, his frantic air-prodding has my senses fired up once again. But what is he drawing our attention to? Maybe it's a funny-looking dog. Or a sign for a rude place name. Perhaps a meteor hurtling through the sky about to deliver a fiery finale to humanity as we know it. It's none of those. Way off in the distance, climbing enticingly up a steep, verdant hillside, is a road. Narrow and delicate, from here it looks to be a mere sliver of…

Group test The morning after the night before (OK, the afternoon after the morning after the night before) and with leaden clouds having finally broken to reveal crisp cyan skies, it's time to head home. Clearly, I've saved the best until last. By which I mean, I've deliberately left the Versys 1000 for the ride home. Even before I try to relieve the Kawasaki's sidestand of the bike's 257kg – plus three-piece luggage crammed to the gunwales with photo kit, security chains and overnight clobber – it's clear the Versys is playing a very different game from the other three. Sure, it's a tall-rounder just like them, and in engine terms it's only 150cc and a cylinder or two different. In fact, power-wise it's a lone horse more than the…

» Great bikes are about sensations and experiences, so demand for early Hinckley Triumphs is growing. The unique sound and feel of the grinding, whirry, surging triples, the solid handling and classy lines mean modern classic status. This means steep askings for good Speed Triples, seen as the pick from the array of three-cylinder modular-designed steeds – like the orange delight in this month's Temptation. So get a Trident 900 instead. Same great engine and frame, largely the same components and experience, but half the price (or less) on equivalent condition. £2k gets a good ‘un. I'll have mine in green with silver wheels, please…

As a motorcyclist I know only too well the skill and practice it takes to execute a decent wheelie. And if you do one on a clear, straight road in the middle of nowhere with no junctions or hazards ahead, I understand that the only person you're likely to damage is yourself. But there are lots of buts. The first is legal. Dangerous riding is defined as anything that falls ‘far below the minimum standard expected of a competent and careful rider, and includes behaviour that could potentially endanger yourself or other riders/drivers’. Frowned on That means no wheelie will ever go down well with a magistrate. It doesn't matter how technically brilliant the wheelie was, you will always be seen as a lunatic. Essentially, as soon as you do…

Group test The more the miles tick along, the more I'm convinced Yamaha's Tracer 9 GT+ is the best sports tourer ever to come from Japan. Some statement, particularly given the Tracer doesn't fit the conventional recipe: no detuned superbike engine, no full fairing, no high-rise clip-ons. So, err… huh? The seed for this suspicion was planted soon after setting off. Having joined the A14 and facing the first stint of dual carriageway, I hit the button for its new radar-assisted cruise control. Other than a few miles here and there, I barely switched it off until we rolled into Telford Services 90 miles later. Very impressive it was too, automatically adjusting my speed to manage gaps in traffic, freeing up brain space to do far more important stuff than…

Group test ‘Very rarely do we find universal agreement. But that's exactly what happened… the Yamaha is nothing short of exquisite’ Often there's disagreement. Occasionally there's heated discussion. But very rarely do we bring four different bikes together and find universal agreement among our equally different testers. This time, that's exactly what happened. I'd have the Yamaha all day long,’ concludes Jim. And so say all of us. The Tracer 9 GT+ is nothing short of exquisite, a dynamic and visceral back road thriller one minute, then a graceful dispatcher of congested motorways the next. It feels solid, substantial and trustworthy; a bike loaded with premium features and considered touches that successfully justify its asking price. It's still the thick end of 15 grand – hardly cheap, but definitely a…

Tool of the month Cheapo seal puller Put the screwdriver down and do not even think about using it to pry that oil or bearing seal out. You'll knacker the seat or tear it up, getting it out in bits. Buy one of these for a dirt-cheap £6 – less than a pint in pretentious boozers – and rejoice at having the right tool. Seals happily oblige when faced with this, levering up and out without grief. Man enough for anything on a bike, though my first one buckled on a van's meaty diff seal. Chris Newbigging ebay.co.uk EXPERTS IN THIS ISSUE Mike Armitage Editor Loving our Indian Chief. Then not loving. Then loving again… Mark Graham Oddities officer Getting frothy over proper nakeds and eyeing 80s curiosities. Paul Lang…

» Who makes the most motorcycle tyres? Pirelli? Perhaps Michelin, or Bridgestone? Nope. The world's largest manufacturer of rubber for two-wheelers is Cheng Shin Tire. Starting out as Cheng Shin Rubber (Xiamen) Ind. Co. Ltd. in Taiwan in 1967, the CST arm kicked off in 1989. It now employs 25,000 people, has a technology centre in the USA, and produces tyres – including the Maxxis line-up – in Taiwan, China, Vietnam and Thailand, distributed in over 150 countries. You need to include car, van, bus and truck tyres for what we think as bigger brands to rise to the top, with French firm Michelin being the world's largest overall (they claimed the position at the end of 2021, toppling Bridgestone after 11 years). Or the largest manufacturer of pump-up tyres,…

NICE RACK How can a lump of bent metal be so pleasing? No matter what I think about carrying, it just works. Slits for my Rok Straps and prongs for bungees. Huge grab handles for pillions. It's ready for many official accessories to be attached, too. To me, this is tail-end perfection. CUMFY MUMFY FOR YOUR BUMFY Longest stint so far is a three-hour non-stopper and my derrière was not complaining at all. I'm only 5ft 7in but it's low enough (850mm) and slim enough for one foot flat on the floor at lights, or both at tippy toe. If you pop it off, ensure that the front prong engages when refitting. SPARKS AND BARE BITS In my head, Hondas never go wrong – I own two and they're always…

[ watching ] ‘Moto2, Japan 2012: Marc's greatest race wrapped in Repsol colours’ Racing: Marquez magic It seems unfathomable to me that Marc Marquez will be racing in 2024 and not have his bike blazoned with Repsol Honda logos. So, which is his greatest race wrapped in the Japanese/Spanish combo? Moto2, Japan 2012, and Marc stalls as the lights go out and… just watch. You won't believe it. YouTube search: Famous comebacks: Marc Marquez in Japan 2012 Adventure: Who needs a Beemer? While it's nippy in the UK, why not have an adventure on two wheels across Morocco? Maybe that's what Ken O'Brien and his mates thought. Grab the keys to their GSs? No, they did it on Honda Monkey Bikes. It does look like a lot of hard work,…

It's crazy. Three years ago Franco didn't have a ride, even though he'd just won the British Talent Cup, and I was having a stab riding around at the back of the Ducati TriOptions Cup. And now we're racing a factory Honda Fireblade in the 2024 British Superbike Championship. It's quite exciting. I'd sowed the seed about what we could do back in the summer, and Honda are keen to follow up on what they've started with Franco. There are the new Pathway bikes for 2024 which are a stepping stone from Superstock to Superbike, but Franco has won on a Superstock bike and raced a Superbike, standing in for Andrew Irwin – so that's where he needs to be. It's proper factory We're an officially-supported team, and it's a…