Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2024 i BIKE

When I was a yoof I had a hefty book called Superbikes: Road-Burners to Record-Breakers. Written by Peter Carrick, it had everything from old British chuffers to radical choppers and race bikes, with the then-new Suzuki Katana bursting out of the starry sky on the front. But the machine I spent the most time ogling was the very first you reached inside the front cover: a silver Laverda Formula Mirage. A special version of the 1200 created by the UK importers Slater Brothers, it boasted a tuned engine, one-piece fibreglass bodywork and gold Astralite wheels, and was clearly the greatest motorcycle ever. And so, obviously, Laverda was the greatest brand. Soon after getting the weighty tome I started at Shepshed High School. My mates and I didn't take the quickest…

In last year's test of the Triumph Tiger 1200 we moaned about two things: annoying vibrations that render the mirrors useless at 80mph, and iffy low rpm throttle response. The niggles were enough to relegate the Tiger to last place in our test, and were backed up by plenty of tutting owners. Well, Triumph claim they've fixed both problems. The new 2024 Tiger 1200s (two roady GT versions and a pair of dirtier Rally ones) now come with a significantly revamped engine that has more rotational inertia to improve low-speed feel, and alterations to the balance shaft and crank to reduce the tiresome vibes at motorway speeds. ‘The extra inertia is created by changes to the crankshaft, generator rotor and balance shafts,’ says Triumph's chief engineer Stuart Wood. ‘This smooths…

The Italian Issue Rimini to Sansepolcro is a fave Ducati test rider route. There are quicker ways from the seaside to Sansepolcro in Tuscany, but 90.7km of the SP258 is a mainstay for shaking down prototypes and fine-tuning pre-production machinery. Andrea Forni knows it well. ‘I remember my first ride of the 916 very clearly,’ he says, almost wistfully. ‘When you design a new bike, you need a compromise between handling and stability. It's always very difficult to produce a new model that's better in both. But with the 916 it happened. I thought it was a fantastic result, better in both respects than the [previous] 888.’ Work on the 916 began in 1988 with designer Massimo Tamburini holed up in Ducati's Rimini office (later to become CRC – Cagiva…

The Italian Issue If you put all Italy's best bits into a vat and distil them until only maximum-strength Italianness remains, the result is Giacomo Agostini. Suave, tanned and handsome, he leans against his MV Agusta F4 beside Lake Como, effortlessly charming a female TV reporter 40 years his junior as us bike journos look on, trying – and failing – to appear nonchalant in the presence of the world's greatest motorcycle racer. This was in 2011, during Dainese's ‘Legendary Tour’ – possibly the most brilliantly unhinged bike trip ever. Ago had just led a group of us through the Grignetta mountains at a pace so fast that half the riders got lost and weren't seen again until the evening. When I fight through the rabble to ride on his…

You can genuinely sense Moto Guzzi's confidence. Last year they launched their V100 Mandello, a thoroughly modern sporty-touring device that's dynamically and technically on the money, yet – crucially – still has enough Guzzbox magnetism to swiftly nudge its way into your heart. We made it our 2023 Bike of the Year. And now the Italian factory has taken that package and turned it into an adventure bike, tossing it into the toughest part of the knobbled go-anywhere market. Guzzi have made a Stelvio before. The previous V-twin (2008-2017) felt like they'd shoved a BMW R1200GS in their photocopier while it was low on toner, but the new Stelvio is spangly and on the ball. With 113bhp from a 1042cc V-twin, cornering rider aids and optional radar cleverness, a handy…

Carl Stevens More aggressive geometry, stiffer suspension, lower ‘bars and higher ‘pegs. Hmm. Perhaps what's always endeared the Yamaha MT-09 to us the most has been how it blends excitement and an underlying cheekiness with friendliness and usability, but the tweaks for this year's update suggest Yamaha have made it sportier. Nowt wrong with that, if that's what you fancy – after all, Triumph shift plenty of Street Triple RSs and we love a fruity KTM Duke (see the new 990, page 84). But as there's also a souped-up SP, we're not sure we wanted a pointier MT-09. And so let's release a collective phew. Yes, the latest MT-09 moves closer to sportier rivals – but it still retains a high level of comfort and that brilliant usability. Changes to…

Group test Tall-rounders? Upright sports tourers? Or even that horrid term ‘crossovers’? Whichever pigeonhole you decide to pop them into, there's no hiding from the popularity of today's tall, accommodating, fast, high-spec, do-it-all bikes. Yamaha's Tracer 9 has long defined the genre and their GT+ is the current go-to tool. Except now Suzuki have waded in with the new GSX-S1000GX. They already had the GSX-S1000F – a fast, comfortable, capable sports tourer based around the naked GSX-S – but the new GX takes the concept several steps further. Adding longer suspension and more tech, it offers something between the F and an adventure bike – and in GX+ form as we have here you get panniers, too. Suzuki call it their luxury crossover (shudder). Clearly a similar proposition to the…

NOT SUCH A BRIGHT SPARK Rocket IIIs are pretty solid overall. But problematic electrical components can be an issue regardless of the bike's age. Reg/rec failure is common on first-generation Rockets (2004-'09); a draining battery, dimming lights and eventual failure to start/run are tell-tale signs. Early models are also susceptible to ignition coils breaking – misfires and/or loss of a cylinder(s) are signs a coil is on its last legs. Another potential problem is ignition barrel failure; the contacts at the base of the barrel crack and eventually fail, meaning the barrel won't turn on or off. Or both. The most expensive electrical gremlin affects the current Rocket 3 (2020-onwards) and is TFT dash failure. Owners reported dicky behaviour from the ECU too; again, not a cheap fix. DON'T GET…

£14,999 Ducati Panigale V4 » Quite the thing and in another ballpark price-wise for most, although now almost hovering into reach on the money front as a pre-loved buy. And what a package you get: 200bhp, 87 lb.ft in a device weighing just 199kg (438 lb). With an electronic suite to transform a potential accident into accessible performance, the 1103cc Panigale V4 is a manageable beast. This 2020 one-owner machine is showing just less than 2000 miles, with a service book hardly thumbed. And if transferable MotoGP tech is high on your list of essentials the crank spins backwards. There, that should clinch the deal. £17,995 Yamaha VMAX » Yamaha's Velocity Maximum has been around since 1986 in one form or another. This machine is the later 1679cc edition (launched…

LS2 Thunder Carbon helmet Used for: three months Price: £399.99 Info: ls2helmets.com You may be surprised, but the best thing about this carbon LS2 hat probably isn't its low weight, safety or ventilation. Of course, its 100% carbon shell is staggering light, and hits the latest ECE 22.06 standard for protection. And the vents are excellent. I like too how the visor clicks reassuringly shut, the quality feel of the ‘X-Static Silver Liner Fabric’ lining, and how the padding closes snugly around the opening – it helps keep it nice and quiet. But my favourite thing is the visibility. Not only is the quick-release visor wide, it's also deep. There's no sense of peering through a slot – you get the visibility of wearing an open-face helmet (almost…), even with…

Hardly a technical tour de force, Triumph's throwback was a machine that presaged what was to become a boom market. And to appreciate how advanced the T-Bird was as an entity, we must first examine the term retro – what it is, what it means… The fashion world has been mining the past since clothes became a thing 170,000 years ago. The fur coat ‘idea’ was stolen from the Neanderthals, the shoe ‘idea’ from the Armenians a mere 40,000 years ago. Interior decorators have forever borrowed from bygones, but their outright plagiarism was termed ‘homage’ (even if much was plain theft). The term retro (from the French rétrospectif) is widely reported to have emerged in the 1970s. I'm not so sure. The late-1980s was when people became gooey about the…

1 Mark Graham When it's a proper story you send a proper journalist. MG nattered exclusively with Andrea Forni, chief test rider for the Ducati 916, for the untold story behind the icon. 30 years of the 916, page 36 2 John Westlake Not many people have got the name Giacomo Agostini in their phone. John talks openly with his ‘old mate’ – and has a hairy road ride with him too. Magic stuff. Greatest of the greats, page 48 3 Mike Armitage Apparently a launch of two new Guzzis meant it was ‘operationally imperative’ the editor went. The only place you'll read what the Stelvio and V85 are like back to back. Guzzi get serious, page 64 4 Mat Oxley Michael Dunlop won't talk to just anyone, but luckily…

FRONT END Forks, brakes and wheels come from a Panigale V4. ENGINE Ducati's standard 803cc air-cooled V-twin with a Hypermotard exhaust that shows off more of the engine. BODYWORK Nose fairing, tank and tail were all handmade by Luo. SWINGARM Single-sider taken from a Monster S4RS – easy to fit, apparently. This new Chinese-built custom celebrates one of motorcycle sport's greatest underdog wins. In 1977 a pair of American motorcycle journalists tuned a Ducati 750SS and rode it to victory in that year's Daytona Superbike race, beating hordes of factory machines and riders. ‘It was an incredible victory,’ Luo Hao tells Bike from his workshop in Beijing. ‘And we wanted to help Chinese Ducati fans understand more about the company's history. ‘Even though the race bike looked so rough and…

» It seems ridiculous to remember now how low-key – insignificant almost – the lead-up to the 916 launch had been. Its show unveiling in autumn 1993 had raised eyebrows and interest, sure: an ‘improved, face-lifted 888’ would be good. But Ducatis were still largely fragile follies for the few in a Britain where Blades, ZZ-Rs and CBR600s were king. Ducati's range then was barely four models strong – various SSs, the 907ie, new Monster and superbike – and until then bought by only a romantic few. Its UK importer was a small dealer in Northampton. World press launches like today's week-long exotic jamborees involving hundreds of journos and staff simply didn't happen. Which is why Bike‘s invite to the 916 launch was something of a surprise – and dilemma.…

For decades it was Japanese manufacturers leading motorcycle development, but since the turn of the millennium there's been a shift. It's not about making more power or releasing untold levels of handling, but controlling that power and making bikes usable, accessible, smarter, safer. And Italy's firms are at the forefront. Aprilia were first with a full ride-by-wire throttle (Shiver 750) and automatic rear preload adjustment (Caponord Rally). Ducati had the first proper traction control system (1098R) and TFT display (Diavel), and were first with integrated riding modes (Multistrada 1200) that linked power settings, traction, ABS and semi-active suspension. Now they've taken another step, with electronics to make you look like a superhero. Seen those videos of supermotos belting into corners sideways, hitting crazy lean, then hoisting a wild crossed-up wheelie?…

V85 Strada, £11,200 » 853cc, 79bhp, basic ABS and TC, three modes, cruise control, adjustable screen V85 TT, £12,000 » 853cc, 79bhp, cornering ABS and TC, four modes, cruise, remote preload, handguards, adjustable screen V85 TT Travel, £13,300 » 853cc, 79bhp, cornering ABS and TC, five modes, cruise, connectivity, remote preload, handguards, heated grips and seat, panniers, adjustable touring screen Stelvio, £14,700 » 1042cc, 113bhp, cornering ABS and TC, five modes, cruise, remote preload, electric screen, handguards Stelvio PFF, £15,400 » 1042cc, 113bhp, cornering ABS and TC, five modes, front and rear radar, cruise, remote preload, electric screen, handguards…

It's not about the refreshed chassis, new electronics or revamped styling. No, the most important thing about BMW's new R12 nineT is its feel-good factor. The best thing about bikes is how they make you gooey inside and spread a beamer across your face, and the updated retro is a touchy-feely gleeful device. If you fancy a bike that brings a huge smile whenever you ride, it's a standout device. This was of course something you could say about the previous R nineT. However, the liberal changes applied while attaching the R12 prefix (to align with the R18 in BMW's heritage line) make this the greatest incarnation so far. The R12 nineT's tubular steel frame is new, and is now one-piece rather than two-piece because it's lighter, simpler and easier…

Adventure W e're right back in the 1980s. The Sandraiders is a ‘Dakar Revival’ desert raid inspired by the legendary Thierry Sabine years. Outfits, bikes, spirit: for a whole week, we recreate a real African raid of the era using only period-correct motorcycles – from the Honda XR600, famous Dominator and Suzuki DRs, to the forefathers of today's adventure bikes. Sandraiders has been going since 2014 and it's clear that year after year the participants are getting more and more into the game, and the paddock is filled with ever-more superbly-prepared machines. And plenty of glorious period clobber. I'm heading to explore the Moroccan trails with some friends, some of whom I've met on previous editions, others from the motorcycle scene in Europe. All are driven by the same passion,…

» Odd how most BMWs that aren't a GS are seen as a not‑quite‑as‑good substitute. If you can't countenance a trip to the garden centre on anything but the world's favourite Beemer, read no further; if you're open to options other than adventure excess for a cuppa and a poke around the Begonias, here's the R1250R. It's the same 1254cc ShiftCam boxer as you-know-what and one of the sweetest, most usable power plants in existence; instant urge off small throttle openings, fat midrange, and a coruscating top end. Allied to a steel tube trellis, a Paralever rear and 45mm USD forks, it has immense road ability. Can be had for £8500 used. Think about it.…

After 30 years as a copper, I can walk around an estate and pick out the houses that will get burgled (back alleyways, end of terrace, an easy fence to climb and somewhere to quietly spend 40 minutes prizing a window open). And it's the same with garages, sheds and lock‑ups. Forget booby traps It's all common sense stuff. For a start, when you've washed your bike on a Sunday morning don't leave it outside all afternoon to impress the neighbours. I see that a lot. You might as well put up a sign saying ‘Nick my Multistrada'. Then it's a case of making your bike more difficult to pinch than the one down the road. Forget booby traps and crow scarers – they're just gimmicks. Instead make sure you've…

This time last year Franco Bourne gave the biggest hint yet that he's a bit special. The team had blagged their way onto a test in Spain and, riding a superstock Fireblade, Franco (then just 18) stuck to the back of factory Honda BSB rider Andrew Irwin for three straight laps. ‘That was a bit of a turning point for us,’ says team boss Matt Bainbridge. ‘And now we're going testing in Spain again, so we're hoping for another moment like that.’ Last year Franco's Superstock debut made such an impact that he got to replace injured Irwin for a few BSB rounds. This year, the team moves up to BSB on a year-old factory Fireblade (see Feb issue), with tech support from Honda. ‘The big news is we've got…

FRAME Steel tube trellis designed and built by Ethan as he went along – extra webbing was added where he noticed flexing. STEERING Ethan tried the hydraulics you see here first. But they didn't work. He's now replaced the system with push-pull cables usually used on yachts. Ethan Schlussler makes a living building ridiculous vehicles. This is his daftest yet: a hub-centre-steered monster bike with 1.2m-diameter tyres propelled by a KTM 1190 V-twin. ‘People say “oh, that's never going to work, it's just a piece of yard art”,’ he tells Bike from his workshop in Idaho, USA. ‘Have they seen choppers? If you want a motorcycle that works well, buy a nice little Honda. This is something else entirely.’ Indeed it is. Ethan, explain yourself… Where did the idea come…

PRICE £1094 Akrapovic Titanium GS exhaust WHAT IS IT? A lightweight slip-on can in either bare (silver) or black with a carbon fibre end-cap. WHAT DO WE LIKE? The manufacturer for starters. Akra have been in the aftermarket pipe game since 1990 and they know their onions. The Slovenian firm has been making GS mufflers since 1999 and 25 years of experience counts. This double-flow can is almost 10% lighter than stock, delivers an extra 2bhp at 7600rpm, and another 3.3 lb.ft at 2300rpm. It bolts on with no remapping needed, clears luggage boxes, and offers a pleasing boxer burble without unsettling either the young, the old, or animals. HOW MUCH AND WHERE FROM? £1094.28, sportsbikeshop.co.uk Weise Axel Softshell jacket WHAT IS IT? Waterproof trendy-looking top with armour. Built for…

The Italian Issue For us, it comes down to feel. You can talk about performance, technology, style and cutting-edge design, maybe even dust off the ‘passion’ cliché. But there's just something about how an Italian bike feels. How it makes you feel. Just ask anyone who's carved a smooth, sunny A-road on a Ducati Panigale V2, pinballed down lanes on a Gilera Saturno Bialbero 500, tackled a trail on a Moto Morini Camel, or wrestled the obstinate throttle on a 1980s Moto Guzzi. There have been many standout hunks of Italian machinery in the 53 years that Bike has been in existence. To establish which is the finest of all, we asked a motley collection of long-serving road testers, former editors, and aficionados of Latin machinery to nominate their five…

FIRST RIDE SPECIAL This is way beyond fast. It might appear to be an all-rounder, but the new BMW M1000XR is a superbike, pure and simple. With nigh-on 200bhp the inline four is obviously bewilderingly fast, but the sensation of speed is even more vivid because the bike is so lofty. For the first few miles it feels more like a supersonic step ladder than a motorcycle. The M1000XR handles with the crisp precision of a superbike, too. From the heart-in-mouth braking power and the accuracy of its steering, to the sublime feel that comes through the tyres, semi-active suspension, chassis and into your body. It's so much like a superbike it even prefers to ‘V’ through corners, rather than follow traditional arcs: go in hard on the brakes, turn…

This is far more than the existing 790/890 Duke with a few more cubes squeezed into its cylinders. The change in feel of the new 990 Duke is clear before I'm even out of first gear. The Duke's platform has always been dinky, almost with a ‘my first big bike’ feel; fine if that's what you want, but I always craved something a little more substantive. Now, my knees meet a larger (by 0.8 litres) steel tank that helps foster an ‘in’ rather than ‘on’ riding position, and the bike's revised, chunkier bodywork creates a bit more of a cockpit feel. There's increased legroom, too. Exploratory twists of the throttle confirm the 990's fresh character. With lots of changes and a capacity hike to 947cc, the LC8c parallel‑twin motor delivers…

Clarke ribbed rubber matting You may suggest this isn't a tool… but this matting is great when using tools. Measuring 5m x 1.22m and 3mm thick, two rolls filled my leaky garage with a subtle overlap, making it a far nicer place to work on bikes: the floor's not as cold, wayward fasteners can't roll away, spillages mop easily, and it sweeps clean. Best of all, sidestands don't get tangled as with the floor tiles down previously. £53.99 a roll. They do smooth and studded too, plus thicker/ longer options. machinemart.co.uk…

» This is the new Pirelli Scorpion Trail III. Like the recently-released Michelin Anakee Road, it's a tyre for adventure bikes that has a suitably off-road-ish appearance but is made for where most of us actually ride – A-roads, B-roads and motorways, and not sideways down forest tracks. Pirelli say it's the sportiest-ever version of their Scorpion adventure-touring tyres, and they say it's a ‘street enduro tyre, therefore a product mainly intended for use on asphalt’. With features like dual compound, 100% silica front and rear, and profiles modelled on pure road rubber, they reckon these have the handling, grip, wet performance and wear of a sports-touring tyre… but also that the new tread pattern still means ‘guidance and traction even on dirt roads’. Cake, eat it, etc. There are…

We're not sure exactly where we are, but every turn reveals a pleasing vista. Neither bike has been past third gear or 30mph all morning, yet the riding has been engaging. And at no point have we worried about ‘safety’ cameras, queued for roadworks, or been wound up by the myopic antics of a flustered delivery driver who needs to make 350 drops before lunch. In fact, we haven't seen another vehicle all morning. Or anybody else at all. When the forecast promised a frosty spring day with clear blue skies, I made the executive decision that Bike designer Paul Lang and I would skive off to ride our long-term test Honda Transalp and Ducati Scrambler. But rather than the favourite tarmac roads, we'd hunt out some byways. It's not…

[Events] ‘Supermoto is as rowdy as bike racing gets’ ACU Supermoto Championship Three Sisters, Wigan 29-31 March Want a high-octane start to your racing season? Toddle up to Wigan (or down, or across, depending where you live) for the first round of the British Supermoto series. It's as rowdy as bike racing gets, with ‘peg-dragging cornering and backing-it-in on Three Sisters’ tight tarmac, big air on the dirt section, and elbows-out barging. Free to watch on Friday, £10 over the weekend. Bargain. bssc.pro British Superbike Circuito de Navarra, Spain 20-21 April BSB kicks off at Navarra. This, clearly, isn't in Blighty. However, it's only a couple of hours from Santander and Bilbao, and the perfect excuse for a sunny weekend watching the world's best domestic series. Remember to cheer loudly…

‘We make sure it's cock-on… and there's still a rattle’ Hmm, that's not right. Unsure of its history, we had a nose under the cam covers of our 1998 Suzuki GSX-R750 and checked the valve clearances (see last month). And after re-shimming, I started it up to be serenaded by a metallic rattle. It sounds like a goosed cam chain tensioner. Typical. I order a new one, pop it in, and same again. Self-doubt creeps in: have I timed it up correctly after doing the shims? Haunted by visions of a massacre of metal, it's off with the rocker cover to confront my fears… but it all looks good. Relieved but perplexed, I call a pal who's a Suzuki tech and we go through it all together, to make sure…