MoreBikes October 2025 issue **FREE TO READ!**

INSIDE THIS MONTH

RIDER

And just like that, we’re into October.While it might only seem two minutes since spring was in the air,I think it’sfair to say we’ve had acracking summer.I can’tremember thelast time the weather stayed quite so warm and dry forsuch asustained period, forwhich I’ve been truly grateful. It’sbeen avery busy year on two wheels, clocking loads of miles and making loads of memories. Of course, with the onset of the winter months, it’ll mark the end of two-wheeled shenanigansfor alot of people… but maybe it doesn’thave to. I see the winter as achance to get stuck in and ride bikes that keep the fun going no

matter howcold, wet or muddy things get. Iama massive fan of enduro bikes, and I’m super lucky to have an abundance of green lanes on my doorstep. Consequently,it’san unequivocal go-to forme. Also, Iquite like pottering around on atrials bike, reminding myselfhow untalented Iamatevery given chance. Of course, noteveryone wants to go and buy abikejust for thecraic of it, so it’sworth keeping riding schools in mind. Thereare plenty of places in the UK where you can hire an endurobike and get some tuition, and the same goes for trials. Also, I’ve done afew flattrack schools at this time of year and wouldhighly recommend Pete Boast’sChampionFlat Track school if

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STARS ALIGN

Relishing the brilliance of Royal Enfield’sclassic Constellation

bwilson@mortons.co.uk

you fancy trying your hand at it. Most major manufacturers have year-round adventure bike experiences, too, which can notonly prove great fun, butalso offer afantastic chance to see parts of thecountry you’d otherwise never have chance to. Throw into this mix motocross andpit biking, and you’ll never runshort of two-wheeled thrills. Over thecoming monthswe’ll aim to tick offafew such antics andfill you in on what’sonthe cards, butdon’t hold back from writinginand sharingyour undertakings, too.

Ducati has lifted the covers on two veryspecial additions to its line-up: the Diavel V4 RS and the Multistrada V4 RS. Both machines take alreadypopularmodels and give them the full RS treatment, whichinDucati’sworld means less weight, moreperformance, anda specification list that reads like awish-book. Limited in numbersand dripping with exotic materials, these twonew bikesare designedfor riders who want something sharper,rarer,and verymuch at thetop of thetree.

What linksthem is Ducati’scelebrated 1103cc Desmosedici Stradale V4engine –the same 65-degree unit used in the Panigale and Streetfighter.It’sa motor with MotoGP roots, and in RS form it is paired with adry clutch, giving that distinctive Ducati rattle and aracing feel that enthusiasts love. Beyond the engine,each bike gets its owndedicated chassisand electronic upgrades, carefully tailored to its character and intendeduse

TheDiavel V4 RS is perhaps the more eye-catching of thetwo. Long,low and muscular,itlooks every inch the dragsterfor the road. Ducati claimsitisthe fastestaccelerating production motorcycle it has ever built, quoting ablistering 0–100km/h time of just 2.52 seconds. That figureputs it ahead of most superbikes and even many supercars.The performance is helped by the bike’sstance and weight distribution, its 240-section rear tyredigging into theTarmac, andasuite of electronics that include launchcontrol to get the most from every standing start.

With 182bhp on tap, it hasthe power to backupthe looks, but Ducati hasn’tignored handling. Forged alloy wheels cut unsprung mass, fully adjustable Öhlins suspension provides precise damping, and Panigale-spec

and MultistradaV4RS a V4 R DiavelV4RS Ducatiunveils new

Brembo brakes –completewithmassivediscs –supply track-worthy stopping power.

As with any RS model, thereare weight-saving measures throughout. The Diavel drops around 3kg, thanksto carbon fibre components and atitanium exhaust end cap. Even the dashboardhas been given specialattention, with RS-specificanimations and graphicstounderline its exclusivity.This is abike that’s been designedtoturnevery ride into an occasion, whether you’reblasting awayfrom the lights or carving afavourite stretch of road.

If theDiavelRSisall aboutoutright acceleration and attitude, theMultistrada V4 RS takes adifferent approach. TheMultistrada haslongbeenDucati’sflagship for riders whowantone machinetodoitall –touring, commuting, sportsriding, andevenlight off-road work. The RS version doesn’tabandon thatversatility, but it doesshift the balance firmly towards performance. Power is setat 180bhp, delivered withthe same dry clutchand Akrapovic ˇ exhaust system as its sibling, giving both sound and character to match the punch.

One of the most notabletechnical changes isthe titanium subframe –aworld first on aproductionmotorcycle.This not onlysaves weight, but alsoprovides the strength needed

to carry luggage or apillion, keeping the bike’spracticality intact while improving its agility.The chassis is matched with semi-active Öhlins suspension thatuses Ducati’smost advanced control strategiesyet, abletoadapt instantly to changing surfaces or riding styles. Whether you’reflowing through sweeping bends or tackling tight hairpins, the system is designed to keep the bike stable and the riderconfident. Ducati has also introduced its new Vehicle Observer system on the Multistrada RS. This simulates over 70 sensors, constantly reading rider inputs, road conditions, and the behaviour of the biketofine-tune the electronics. Add in radar-based adaptive cruise control and blind spot detection, along with cornering ABS, tractioncontrol and wheelie control,and youhave oneofthe most advanced safety and performance packages availableonany productionmotorcycle.

Other upgrades include forged Marchesini wheels, a larger rear brake, carbonfibrehandguards and beak,and alightweight techno-polymer tail section. All of these changes combine to makethe Multistrada V4 RS the sharpest and most focused Multistrada yet, while also trimming acouple of kiloscompared with the already hispec Pikes Peak edition

Alpinestars launches Tech-Air 5PLASMA

Ducati hasn’toverlooked the finishing touches either

Both RS models wear unique liveries and carry their own serial numbers, markingthem outaspart of alimited run. RS-branded keys, bespoke dashboardgraphics, and an array of carbon fibre details reinforce thesense of exclusivity.For owners, these aren’tjustupgrades –they’re reminders that they areriding somethingfew others will ever own.

The RS philosophyisclear: Ducati already makes fast, capable motorcycles, butthe RS versionstake those platforms andrefine them into somethingpurer,rarer and moreextreme. The Diavel V4 RS is the choice for riders who want explosive straight-lineperformance with cornering ability to match, while the Multistrada V4 RS is for those who want to cross countries at speed, enjoying superbike levels of performance without givingupcomfort or practicality

Prices have yet to be announced, but with both machines expected in dealerships beforethe end of theyear,riders won’thave long to wait to see them in the metal. Ducati is positioningthe RS line as theultimate expression of passion for motorcycling, and with the specification, technology and exclusivity on offer,it’seasy to see why.

Husqvarna enhances 701 Enduro &Supermoto

We’rebig fans of Alpinestars’ top-tier airbags, and their latest product is active protection up anotch.The 5PLASMA is afeatherweight, racesystem for riders who want serious protection without feeling like they’r wearing armour.Atjust 1.53kg, it’s over 25 per cent lighter than the Tech-Air® 5and slips under any jacketlike it isn’teven there… perfect for trackdays, commutes, or blasting through twisties.

We’re big fans range of latest set to take active up a notch. The Tech-Air® 5 PLASMA is a featherweight, race-inspired system for riders want like they’re armour. At just it’s

Husqvarna has given its 701 protagonists a serious upgrade for 2026. The 701 Enduroand Supermoto aren’t just visually sharper… they’re stronger,smarter, and packed with tech.

LED while a suite six sensors and AI decides exactly to Gas inflators can even the rider to six one deployment doesn’t mean a long wait get back connectivity links the system to the Tech-Air® App, you check battery, log rides, and update firmware.

The PLASMA isn’tjust light, it’sclever.Three Riding Modes –STREET, RACE and OFF-ROAD –can be switched mid-ride via a glove-friendly LED button, while a suite of six sensors and AI decides when to inflate the airbag. Gas infla even be swapped by therider up times, so one deploymentdoesn’ longwait to getback on the road. Bluetooth connectivity links the to the Tech-Air® App, letting you battery,log rides,and update firmwar The NucleonPLASMAback protector keeps yourspine safe while staying flexible, ventilated andcomfy.Thirty of battery life and aUSB-C charger you’realways ready to roll.

Nucleon PLASMA back protector your spine safe while and comfy. Thirty hours life and a USB-C mean

Zip it up, snap the magnetic flap, Invisible, ultra-light,and brutally ef is the nextlevel of MotoGP-style protection for the real world.

it up, snap the flap, and ride. Invisible, ultra-light, and brutally effective – this next level

Both machines get aredesigned LC4 singlecylinder engine, now Euro5+ compliant, kicking out 79PS with linear, controllable power.WPsuspension has been updated, and the new4.2-inch TFT dashboardputs ride modes, ABS, traction control and connectivity right at your fingertips. The Enduro’soptional Rally Mode with Dynamic Slip Adjust lets the rear wheel spin just enough on tricky surfaces, while the Supermoto’snew Supermoto+ and SportABS let riders slide the rear or brake hardatlean with confidence.

Chassis updates include achromiummoly steel trellis frame, aluminum swingarm, polyamide subframe, and

redesigned bodywork with bold, modern graphics. Ride HQV Appconnectivity adds navigation,music, calls andride logging straightfromthe dashboard. On the road, the 701Enduro rocks awhite and bluelook andcan fully disengage ABS for off-road adventures. The Supermoto commands attention in white and yellow,with four-piston Brembo brakes and a320mm frontdisc. Light, agile, and packed with features, these 701sset anew benchmark for big single-cylinder bikes –readyfor streets, trails or the track.

Ducati’sElectric Future Accelerates with V21L Prototype

While the FIMMotoE World Championship takes apause, Ducati isn’tslowing down. In Borgo Panigale, the engineers areknee-deep in battery packs, cell chemistry,and solid-state tech, pushingelectric performance closer to the level of ascreaming internal combustion engine. Enter theV21L, Ducati’slatest prototype, now unveiled at the IAA Mobility in Munich

Built in collaborationwith Audi and PowerCo, the V21L packs QuantumScape solid-state batteries, aleap forwardinenergy density and efficiency.Years of MotoE racing –18 riders, countlesslaps,endless telemetry –have taughtDucati where weight can be shaved without killing range. The result: an8.2kg drop in battery pack weight, asignificant step towardmaking an electric MotoGP bike that’sasnimbleasits petrol-powered cousins

This isn’tjust atestbed; it’sthe future. Ducati is quietly building the expertisetoone day deliver an electric road bike that carries the signatureofBorgo Panigale: lightweight,high-performance and uncompromising.The V21L shows that while the world waits for the next battery breakthrough, Ducati is already shaping its electric future

Aprilia RSV4X-GP: MotoGPtechnology in alimited-editionpackage

Aprilia has marked 10 years since its RS-GPfirst lined up on the MotoGP grid in spectacular fashion. Rather than producing aspecial paint scheme, the Italian manufacturer has unveiled theRSV4X-GP– a trackonly machine producing 238bhp andbristling with technologytaken directly from its racing prototype. Just 30 examples will be built, each priced at €90,000 plus VAT.

The X-GP was revealed during theCatalan GP and sits within Aprilia’s exclusive ‘X’ series. The name not only

nods to the Roman numeral for ten, but also signals an uncompromising level of engineering.

The most striking featureisthe aerodynamics. Where most superbikes get small winglets, the RSV4 X-GP has afull set of devices: leg wings, tailwings,cornering wings, and even an under wing.All arepatented designs taken from the current RS-GP25. Built in carbon fibre by PANCompositi, the fairingsand aeroparts don’t just look like MotoGP kit –they areMotoGP kit. Aprilia claims the ground-effect designgenerates triplethe cornering downforceofastandard superbike and vastlyincreases stability on the straights.

The bodywork also incorporates a carbonstructural seat unit that doubles as asubframe, reducing weight and sharpening rear-tyrefeel.

Power comes from an enlarged versionofAprilia’s65° V4 engine, now 1099cc. Tuned by the racing department, it makes 238hp at 13,750rpm and 131Nmoftorque. It revs to 14,100rpm, uses aSprint racing filter,and breathes through atitanium SC Project exhaust. Adry STMclutch adds to its racing credentials.

Electronics aremanaged by Aprilia’s APX ECU, the same system used in WorldSBK. Riders can adjust traction control, wheelie control,engine braking and mapping on aper-gear basis. GPS and datalogging are included, and each bike comes with alaptop preloaded with the factory software.

Chassis parts areequally highspec: Öhlins mechanical suspension with apressurised fork, Brembo GP4-MS calipers with 330mm discs andZ04 pads, forged magnesiumMarchesiniwheels, andPirelli WSBK slick tyres. Along list of race-spec details includes billet parts, oversized radiators, titaniumsprockets, and CNCmachined top yokes.

Every RSV4 X-GP is individually numbered and delivered with paddock stands, tyrewarmers, acover,a mat, and an NFT certificate of authenticity

This is not amachine aimed at theroad or even for value-conscious riders –itisAprilia showingwhatcan be achieved when MotoGP technology is brought into a customer bike. For the30owners, it is aboutasclose to afactory racer as money can buy

OURTOP THIS MONTH PRODUCTS

Words: Alan Dowds 1Alpinestars SMX-Air jacket

£235 www.alpinestars.com

Autumn’scoming in, but there’s still scope for a summer jacket we reckon. This SMX-Air textile jacket from Alpinestars is extensively vented, with massive mesh panels, but has aclose-fitting wind-cheating liner inside whichmakes ituseful for cooler rides. You’ll needa cagoule for the rain, mind. The impact areasuse tough abrasionresistant 450D Polyfabric, it comes with CE level 1armour in elbows and shoulders, and is ready to fit aback protector,orTech-Air5 airbagvest Looks great in this buff/blue/blackcolourway, but also comes in black, black/red or black/orange.

2Beta 3080/C15 chain tool

£423 www.beta-tools.com

Agood chain tool isasign of aproper bike workshop, and this Beta part is acracker. Super heavy duty,it comes with all you need to split andjoin rivet-linked chains, in link sizes from

415-530. It comes in afoam-lined professional case, and should last a lifetime (maybe withafew replacement pins). Not cheap, but premium quality Italian ‘factory’ kit.

We’remaybe abit oldfor this sort of thing, but we doff our caps to the young (and young at heart) out therewho cheerfully wear ariding hoodie on the bike. This onefromBritish brand ARMR is CE ‘A’rated, with Aramid reinforcements, level 1armour in shoulder and elbows and aback protector pocket. Jean loopsand a trouser connecting zip will help keep your back warm and protected, and there arethumb loops to stop the sleeves blowing up. Kangaroo pocket with aconcealed zipper completes the decent spec, and you can even get matching joggers for the‘full’ look.

Ahandsome helmet for those who like their energy drink classic andAustrian/ Thai. Under the neat American MotoGP graphics is the HJC RPHA12sport lid, which is anotch below the top-end £800 RPHA1race helmet. Youget apremium carbonhybrid composite shell with ECE 22.06 approval, hefty venting, quickrelease visorand removable washable liner.Double ‘D’ ring strap, five-year warranty from purchase and supplied Pinlock insert round offa tasty spec.

5Wemoto replacement coils

RRP £19.09 www.wemoto.com

Starting and running problems on older bikes areoftendown to ignition problems,particularly with old-school coils and HT leads. OEparts are generally expensive if you can find them, and anew patternpart –like

these ones from Brighton-based parts supplier Wemoto –isagreat option. This fitment is forthe Kawasaki GPZ500 and ER-5 twins, and the Yamaha TDM900, but thereare other plenty of other options.

6Pragmasis Torc Mega ground anchor

RRP: from £79.95 www.securityforbikes.com

British security firm Pragmasis is back in business, churning out kit to beat the baddies. The name of this ground anchor might sound like something from WarHammer 40,000 but it’samassive 4kg chunk of steel, with a22mm shackle that can fit up to 25mm chains. Fits to wall or floor, indoors or out, and is Sold SecureMotorcycle Diamond approved.

new bikes

these days,but you can update your oldbus with arange of bolt-on sockets from Oxford Products. This one has asuper-slim profile but includes both USB-A and USB-C fast charge sockets,

www.oxfordproducts.com 8Furygan Jack All-Seasons gloves

RRP:£84.99 www.furygan.com

Asmart-looking short cuffall-round glove, the Jack All Seasons has ahybrid mix of novelhoneycomb outer impact protection panels, goat leather palm panels, textile back and shell knuckle protectors. There’sawaterproof breathable insert,

with amaximum3A/5V15W output and a tiny 0.5mA power draw when notinuse. Fits 22-25mm handlebars, has aclip-on silicon cover to keep rain outwhen notin use, and fits easily to thebattery with a 1.8m cable.

elasticated comfort panels on the fingers, touchscreen fingertips and asingle cuff strap. The ‘all seasons’ name is abit of amisnomer for the UK since there’sno thermal lining: moreofanApril-October deal we imagine.

Your Ride

Youcan win a WEISE TEMPEST THERMAL 1PC OVERSUIT RRP£139.99

Ready for any weather,this thermal one-piece oversuit is designed for riders who won’t let the elements stop them. Constructed from durable, waterproof and breathable Ripstop®, it features a100gsm thermal quilted lining to keep you warm on long journeys.The full-length waterproof zipper makes it easytoget in and out of quickly and the suitincludes an adjustable waist and cuffs,and lower leg expander.Reflective panels enhance nighttime visibility.Find out more at https://www.weiseclothing.com/

expander Reflective

For those that love their bikes and telling people all about them, this is your time to shine. Head over to the MoreBikesFacebook page andupload apic of your bike, tell us whereyou’ve beenonitand why you love it… and youcould findyourself staring back at yourself from within these verypages. Oh, and we’llalso pick a winner at random each monthfor awell-earned prize,courtesy of our friendsatthe Key Collection. What areyou waiting for?

Pete Lee BMW R1250RS

Pete sent in this pic from the Devil’s Staircase

Marti Leslie Ducati Monster Senna

Acracking view and acracking bike,all in one pic

Mario Habinger KTM 1190 Adventure

On top of the world on his massive KTM

John Taylor Yamaha XJR1300

Nothing subtle about that, John. A proper stand-out bike

John Ashcroft Yamaha Vmax

Aged 67, born-again biker John’s just bought himself this classic Vmax.

James Archer Aprilia Tuono V4

Llangadog on aTuono V4… it doesn’t getmuch better.

James McPake Suzuki GT550 What astunning example ofthis GT

Andrew Powell MZ

How about this? Aproper retro two-stroke trail bike

Kaz X Suzuki GT750 Whodoesn’t love aGT750, oraview that good?

John Ellison Aprilia RSV4

John’s waiting foraknee replacement to healbefore gettingbacktogrips with his RSV4.

Paul Lee Suzuki GSX-R1000 K1 Aspot of housekeepingfor Paul, cleaning outhis GSX-R1000 K1’sfuel tank, and replacingthe fuel pump with anew one.

Paulo Dalaley Yamaha TZR250 Paulo had aweek away in Inverness onhis TZR.

Paul Freestone Hyosung GTR 250R Paul’sdaughters have commandeered his HyosungGTR 250RR-RRR-R.

John Richards KTM 890 Duke R John’s had abusy year on his KTM 890 Duke R, touringinIreland and doing track days

Naked

ambition

In abid to keep at the pointy endofsupernaked sales, BMW’skitted its S1000R with araft of tasty updates

Words: John McAvoy Pics Jamie Morris

Foramanufacturer whichhas utterly dominated the sales charts and constantlyset andreset thebar in termsofperformance and tech for sports bikes,the S1000R has neverreallyset thechartsaliveor captured the hearts and minds ofthe

motorcyclingcommunitylikethe S1000RR hasdone.It’sastrange thing that abikewhichsharessomuchofits DNAwith the ‘RR’ hasn’t taken off in the same way.

It must be said that the reason I suspectthis is the case,ismoretodo

with the priorities of the people who buynaked bikes –super or otherwise –rather than anyperformance shortcomings of the S1000R over the years. Imay well be wrong, butI’m of the view that people who buyanaked

bikeare lessworried aboutoutright performance,and place looksand playfulnessabove laptimes,and this is wherethe S1000R fell short. Whilstbeing morethanadequate and competent as afun, playful road bike, it just lackedany real ‘wow’ factor either through interaction or visually… to be blunt, it wasalmost instantlyforgettable comparedtothe likes of the TriumphSpeed Triple, KTMSuper Duke,YamahaMT-10, etc. Thismay well soundlikedamning praise, and Isuppose it is,but

when Isaw the first pictures of the 2025 S1000R and hadareadofthe changesmade to it,Iwill admit to feelingsomewhat vindicated for my characterisation of the S1000Rfor beingabit dull.

Staringbackatmewas alight blue and fluorescentyellowS1000R, with some addedpower,shortergearing, M1000R electronics,anew electronic function to help with heavingbraking and aquick-action throttle.It’sas though the S1000R hashad amidlife crisis and given up the slippersand sensible haircutinplace for some Nike Jordans and acouple of tattoos.

BMWappeartohaveclocked that in the nakedbikesectoratleast,style andvalue often countfor morethan substance –justlookatwhat the Hornet 1000 hasdone to the sector–and rather than reinventingthe wheel, have made aseriesofveryspecific anddeliberateadjustments to howthe engine interacts with the rider rather than anyvastincrease in horsepower; after all, theyhavethe M1000Rifyou reallymusthave200bhp.

The 2025 S1000R is probably about 95 percentthe same bikeinterms of

hardware from the 2024 bike, so on the surface youcould be forgiven for thinkingitis thereforethe same and not really worthpayingattention to, butbecause the fiveper cent that is differentisso targetedand makessuch abig contribution to howabikefeels, that it is abundantly clearthat BMW have deliberatelydecidedtoreposition the S1000R in order to getmoreout of thesector.

Oneof the S1000R’sace cardswas alwaysthatitoffered extraordinary greatvaluefor moneybyofferingmore bang forlessbuckcomparedtoits rivals,but that peskyHornethas come alongand by offeringlessfor,er… less, and makesaverystrongcase, so it’s worthbreakingdownthe S1000R’s valueargument.

As areminder,the Hornet SP has Ohlins rear shock, Brembo Stylema brakes,155bhp, bespokechassis and pretty basicelectronicsfor £9999. For £13,760, youget an S1000RRchassis, 170bhpfromthe S1000XRengine whichdoesn’t have the RR’s shift camtechnologyand sophisticated electronics from the M1000R,soin termsofhardwareand software,the

BMWisn’t messing about, it’s rightout of the topdrawer.

However, if you go for an S1000R Sport– which99per centofpurchasers do –you canadd electronic ‘DDC’ suspension, quickshifter and blipper, and an extraridermodethatletsyou create an individual mode with all your favouritesettingsfromall the rider aids.You’renow at £15,740, then if you add the teenagepaintjob and optional ‘ComfortPack’ whichwas on ourtest bikes,and whichadds morespecto the bikeincludingkeylessignition, cruisecontrol,heatedgrips and tyre pressure sensorstotakeyou to anot insignificant£17,540, whichinterms of value still smashes it outofthe park becausethatisa vast amountofspec for the money… butit’sstill£17k.The Hornet and S1000R canboth make a strong case for value for money, they just go aboutitdifferently, andwhichis moreappealingisdowntoyou BMWchosetolaunchthe bikeon track, whichImustadmit wasabit of ashame for me,asIalready knowthe S1000R wasgreat on track, and recently I’ve ridden the Hornet and Z900 on the road, not to mention that it was

on the road that the S1000R left me wantingmore. However, as luckwould have it,onthe daywerodethe bikes it absolutelyhosed it down with rain, so teeteringaround on asoaking wettrack while not exactlythe same as riding on the road,doesask for afar more delicateridingstyle moreakintoriding on the road,asopposed to afull-on beatingthata bikegetsona drytrack.

The throttle grip and brakelever aretreated with far morerespect in sketchyconditions,but still, the BMW felt much moreplayfuland responsive than before, and I’devengoasfar as to saythatitwas alot of fun despite beingconditions that Iwouldn’twalk my dogin.

Straightaway,the quickeraction throttle that nowonlyrotates 58 degreesfromfullyclosed to fullyopen as opposed to 72 degreesonthe old bike, and shortergearing made the bike feel much morelikeanextension of me rather than somethingunderneath me that Iwas just operating. Isuspect the fact that the fuel andignition maps in the ECUhavealsobeenreworked for morerefinementaswell as to be matched with the new quickaction

throttle –whichiswhy youwon’t be able to fit it to your 2024 bikeincase you’rewondering.

As the daywenton, the trackand my leatherseventually driedout,but not without afew sneaky damp patches lurking to catch me out. Nonetheless, the lean angle gaugewould show either 51 or 52 degreesofleanonboth sides at the end of asession, which supports my overridingfeelingof havingtonsofconfidence in the bike in dryconditions butalsomindful that therewereplenty of stealth damp patches waitingtocatch me out, which one nearly did.

The exit of turn twoatAlmeria circuit is afullycommittedthirdgearblind crestwith acamberchangeand needs agood dollop of powertoget the bike outofitand turnedready for the next left-hander.TherearBridgestone S22 let go quitesuddenlyand not in anice way, butacombination of clearing the damp patch back on to dryTarmac, and the excellenttraction control calmingthe lurid slide down,meant that instead of beingsentintoorbit with what wouldhavebeenthe mother and father of all highsides,Iwas able to

finish the session –but with abit less greedonthe exit of turn two. All the electronic systems had worked exactlyastheyshould, and while I’dseenthe lightflash afew times on the dash,Inever actually felt it working, apartfrommydamp patch momentand lateronwhen the rear tyre waswell past its best and beginningtostruggle at fulllean without even anythrottle.

Youcan tell that the electronicsare on averysophisticated levelwith not just howitcuts in when something kicksoff, buthow soon after and how smoothlyitreleases the powerback in. The S1000R’s traction control is rightuptherewith thevery, very best that you’dfind on bikes twice its price, whichshouldn’t be asurprisegiven that it’s from theM1000R,whichis, of course,fromthe M1000RR –abikethat is twice the price of the S1000R. The cut and releaseofthe powerbythe ECUis so smooth,that it feels unfair to refer to it as cutand release. It’s moreofavery subtle reduction and reintroduction of powerthat it’s barely noticeable.

By the end of the day, even in the knowledge that the rear tyre was done,Ihad enough confidenceinthe smoothnessofthe system to not only scoopupany problems,but alsotodo so in away that wouldn’t upset the rest of the bike, which, given that it’s an S1000RR chassisand suspension is,of course,right at home on the track.

Thereare afew places on the lapthat you canreallyloadupthe chassiswith high amounts of corneringforcessuch

as thelongleft-handedturnthree,and there’re acoupleof fairly high-speed direction changesand amonsterof abraking zone that youcomedown from nearly flatout in sixthgearto about30mph in second gear.All of thosepartsonthe lapput alot of load through the chassisinone direction or another,and the bikeremainedstable at all times,eveninscenarios that can seenaked bikes display adegreeof instabilitysuchashighacceleration zones and high speeds, the S1000R remainedstable.

The shortergearing certainlyhelped the stabilityout of theslowersecond gear corners, by simply picking the frontwheel up off the floor,thus effectivelyremovingany chance of weavingbyonlybeingonone wheel.

The previous S1000Rdidn’t punch outofcornersinthe same way, and, ironically, as such wasmoreprone to a bit of weavingunder hard acceleration. Even at very high speeds north of 150mph down the longbackstraight when usually anynaked bikewill start to feel uncomfortably lightatthe front due to the amountoflift generated by the wind pressure.

In the absence of afairingtohide behind and to cuta neat hole in the air, anaked bikewhichitself is not in the slightestbit aerodynamic will have its rider actingas asail, catchingthe full force of the wind blast, and because the position of that sail is well above the bike’scentreof gravity, the front will go light relativetothe rear –one of the main ingredients for instability.

On anaked bike, there is actuallya practical case as opposed to avanity case for aset of wingstohelptry and restoreweightdistribution at speed, butcuriously for acompany that does love anice bigset of wings, BMWhave left them off the S1000R,althoughin fairnessIdidn’t findany issues with high speed whichisthe main thing. As if to ramthe pointhome that BMWaren’t holdingbackonthe spec of the S1000R,itgets one of their latest innovations lifted straight off the S1000RR and M1000RR,abbreviated to MSRwhichisanelectronic ‘engine drag torque control’system. I’mnot sure howtheygot to an abbreviation of MSRfromthat, butnonetheless, the purposeofitistotidyupany rear wheel lockingunder heavybraking that the slipper clutch doesn’tcatch first.You’reprobablylooking at scenarios wherethe rear tyre grip is lowdue to wear

The pointisthatitisaveryspecific setofcircumstancesthat all things beingequal should neverreally happen, butBMW have addedthe developmenttothe S1000R all the same,and even though as Imentioned earlier,thereisavery, very heavy brakingzoneatAlmeria, Ican’t say Inoticedanythingother than the fact the whole bikeisfantastically stable under braking, and throwing in the final backshift at or just after the turn-in pointfelt liketakinghuge liberties that once upon atime would have been aguaranteedcorner entry highside

BMW S1000R

Engine:

Type: 999cc, liquid-cooled, in-line 4-cylinder

Bore xStroke: 80mm x49.7mm

Compression: 12.5:1

Fuelling: EFI

Claimed Power: 170bhp @11,000rpm

Claimed Torque: 114Nm @9250rpm

Chassis Frame: Cast Alloybeam frame

FSuspension: 45mm upside-down forks, DDC electronic damping and preload control

RSuspension: Monoshock, DDC electronic damping and preload control

Front Brakes: Nissin monobloc calipers, 32mm twin discs

Rear Brake: Single-piston caliper,220mm disc

Electronics.

Riding Modes: Yes

Traction Control: Yes

ABS: Yes

Quickshifter/Autoblipper: Yes

Wheelie Control: No

Launch Control: No

Dimensions: Wheelbase: 1447mm

The engine brakingsystemisagreat example of just howsophisticated and refinedthe electronics are, and how well theyworkwith the mechanical element, too, i.e.the slipper clutch and ABSsystem.

The approach to turn one is fourth gear over acrest into a90-degree fiddlycorner with asteep uphill exit It’s asteep downhill approach that at the startofthe dayinthe wetIwould space outmybackshifts from fourth gear to second gear very deliberately and getitall done while upright and on the brakes.Bythe end of the day, Iwas flyingoverthe crest, waitingfor the biketosettle from goinglight,head for the pit exit to givemyselfafew extrayards of width,then pull really hard on the brakelever and go back to thirdatthe same time.Theengine

clearlyworking hard to processall the back-torque that my very early initial backshift suddenlydumpedintoit. Even with my brain nowteetering on the edge of panic becauseI’d left it so late again to brakefor turn one,Icould instinctivelytellmyselfnot to panic becausethe bikecan deal with it –that’s asignofqualityand confidence in the bike.

The nextthingI woulddoisstart to getthe biketurning, butitfelt too soon to go for secondbecause the bikefelt likeitwas still processing the initial backshift,but Ireallyneededto be in secondfor the corner,not least becauseofthe uphill exit.Istarted to turn the bikeanywayand commit to pullingitdowntothe apex,and somewhereabout halfwaybetween turninginand the apex,I’d clickthe gear leverone moretime impossibly late and instinctivelybrace myself for the rear to protestand send me wide… butnothing.

The BMWswopped the cogs,the electronics and slipper clutch kept everythingstable despitemybest efforts,and the apex wasn’t missed, meaningthe bikewas linedup perfectlyfor beingfiredupthe hill in second gear,lap after lap. It’s seriously impressive,and areminder of just how capable the BMWisontrack at least, butthen it alwayswas,and nowIcan sayhand on heartthat the updates have made what we proved was already amore-than-decentpackage on track, even better Ialwaysliketolookona manufacturer’s marketingmaterial for signsofwheretheyare aimingthe bike, and howtheysummarisethe new model in asentence.Often, it’s quite cheesy nonsensethatislaughable,but I must confessthatwhile thereisa fairly largeslice of fromagewith the strapline that BMWhavegiven the 2025 S1000R BMWsay,‘Thereisnorestingpulse’ when it comes to the S1000R.Isay we’ll seeabout that becausefor me,the true test for the S1000R is yettocome…out on the road.

Budget

BEATER

Another adventure bike from Voge?You bet. But this one’spacking more grunt, asmoother270° crankvibe, and aprice tag that could make the Japanese big guns blush.

Words: Dave Manning Pics MotoGB

Voge’s latest introduction to their arrayofadventure-styledmachinery is moreofanexpansion of their existingrange than somethingbrandnew. While their 525X remains in the Voge product range, the question must be askedastowhy it remains or whythe new 625 hasbeenintroduced, as surely,theywill endupbeing natural contendersfor the same piece of motorcyclingpie?

The 625, however, with itsactual capacityof581cc (yes,it’sanother bikewhosename doesn’tactually reflect its true capacity) is a developmentofthe parallel twin engine whichwas initiallythe brand’s badge-engineered version of the HondaCB500X engine.It nowhas not onlyanincrease in capacity, but also arephased crank that is 270°, as perprettymucheachand everyother parallel twin on the market rightnow Consequently, the 525 is asmaller, lower-spec version of asimilarbikefor the same class, and it’s perhapsbest to view the new 625 as an alternative for someone who wantsa littlebit more, hasaslightlyhigher budget, or prefersthe feelingthe alternative crank arrangementgives compared to aconventional parallel twin (and, let’s faceit, there aren’t many leftthat have thetraditional 180° crank layout).

So,while the biggerbikedoeshave some familysimilarities with the 525 (and indeed,the bigbrother 900 parallel twin)interms of styleand spec,itisneverthelessaninteresting entry into the market.Itsitsbelowthe glut of parallel twins from Japanthat areofagreater capacityand, to point an accusingfinger at the largegrey pachyderminthe corner,ahigher retail price

Butwe’ll come to the costlater,as for nowweneed to knowwhatit’slike to ride.Theinitial impression is that the bars feelreallyhigh, and the rather firmseatlow in comparison, and pretty closetothe pegs, too, which have been movedbackinrelation to the 525. However, if the seat was raised to givemorelegroom it’d start beinga bit lofty–asitis, it allowedme to have both feet flatonthe floor,and thosehighbarsare closetoperfect for stood-up ridingwhichseems to be ever more popularamongst adventure bikeridersnowadays, even on flat, smooth Tarmac…

InitiallyI’d thoughtthe seat was goingtobea little toofirm forlong days in the saddle,but with no posterior niggles after afull day of riding, Iwas clearlyjumping to conclusions there,and there’s probably goingtobemoreofanissue

with the pegs’proximitytothe seat for thosefolk whoseknees aren’tas flexible as theyonce were With that said, an addition of somethinglikeanAirflowseatcover

would ease pressure on the knees and givemorecomfortfor longerwithout the seat heightsuddenlybeing an issue. As an aside,aheatedseatisa factoryoption that’ll be available soon

(heated grips,also, with neither being standardfor the 625, unlikethe 900X). An indicated 70mph is just under 4500rpm in topgear, andispleasantly smooth,with vibes onlyreally

appearingwhen the motor’sbuzzed up towardsthe redline,although there’slittle pointinchasing that 8500rpm redline as it runs outofpuff by 7800rpm-ish,sofar better to keep those minimal vibes to aminimum and short-shift through the box. Essentially, it’s the sort of power deliverythat will create no surprises and happilydealwith the day-to-day humdrum necessities of travellingto work and back,yet still have enough left over for some weekendplaytime or longer-distance journeys when the time allows

The brakes arealittle lackingin bite and feedback,although if they’re anythinglikethe ones on the DS900X, whichfelt very similar on the launch of that machine,then they’ll getmuch better with use–asIsaid with the900 longtermer that we ranthrough last winter,itfelt as though bite improved as the disctreatment(some kind of coatingperhaps?) wore off

And you have to bear in mind that Imakethat statementincomparison to other brakes on other brand-new machineryofthe same ilk –ifyou make the comparisontoasimilar bike of older than adecade orso(i.e somethingwith brakes of asimilar spec –twin-slidingtwin-potcalipers), then there’sabsolutelynoissue with the 625’sbrakeswhatsoever

The suspension does have somethingofabasic feel, with small ripples on the road fedbackto the rider,but both frontand rear are fullyadjustable (in termsofpreload, and bump and rebound damping), so this could perhapsbetunedout and besides,Iwas riding solo with no luggage, and this susceptibility to smaller road imperfections might disappear with some moreweight on boardthanmydoughy85kg. It steers reallynicely and feels stable

while alsoturningquicklyenough without lots of effort.Inshort, it’s what you’d expect from abikeofthis spec althoughprobablyexceeding that whichyou’d expectfromabikeof this price!

The dash isn’t the clearest to read due to the size of the digits and symbols,but it is simple and straightforward.Itwas showing over 60mpg on the dash (well, 4.4 litres per100km,whichactuallyequates to 64.2mpg), which, whilenot astounding, is reasonable enough for amodern motorcycleand thiswas on aride with lots of stops,starts, and turnarounds for photography, etc. Launcheventsdotend to favour amoreenthusiasticridingstyle so it’s perhapsfairtosay that someone who’s alittle lessthrottle happycould getthattoa rather morefrugallevel.

As far as tech is concerned, the 625 is, when comparedtoits larger stablemate, alittle lacking, although personallyIwelcome that as it keeps thingsverysimple. There’snocruise control, whichcould be considered aloss, while the tworide modes (E andS–Economyand Sport, although Standardwould be amore accuratename) aresuper-easyto change with one tapofthe Mode button at anypointregardless of the fact you’reinmotionorhavethe throttle openornot (remembering most bikesneedthe throttletobe completelyclosedtoregisterthe change). Ehas aslightlyslower throttle response, whileSissharper, butthe difference is marginal, although Ewould be better to givea pilliona smoother ride

The reason whythe modes areso similar (and alsoprobablywhy there’s no cruisecontrol) is becausethe 625 is alittle ‘olde-skool’ in that it uses actual throttle cables rather than

ride-by-wirethrottle operation, so the mode changescan’t actuallyalter the waythe throttle opens (onlyyourright hand candothat) so the difference betweenEand Swill be down to ignition/fuel timing. There’s no quickshifter, whichI don’t personallyconsider to be a problem (some might), and the gear shift is smooth enough while not true hot-knife-through-butter snick-snick-snick. It is easy enough to do clutchlessshifts up through the ’box butisalittle reluctanttoaccept clutchlesschanges on downshifts unlessyou’rereallyaccuratewitha throttle blip

While this sounds likeit’slowspec in termsofrecentbikes,itdoes

have a‘dash cam’ fittedasstandard –mounted behind the lowertip of the screen it’s actuallycovered when the screen is in its lowest position and exposed as the screen is lifted. Unlikethe cameraonthe 900DX, it’s onlyavideocameraand doesn’t have the stills option the bigger bikehas (courtesyofa button on the righthand barcluster), butIunderstand that it records video(saving the last 60 seconds and continuallyupdated) that canbesaved/edited/erased,etc., viathe Voge app.

The first tentativesqueezeofthe clutch lever–aseveryone does when theyfirstsit on abike–gives asurpriseathow lightitis. Is the cable actuallyattachedtoanything?

And, in action, it remains lightand easy to use, closetobeing one-finger operation! That’sjustone indication of howgood abikethis would be for the dailycommute. If therewere anywherenearasmanydispatch ridersaround as thereusedtobe three decades ago, you’dbeseeing thesebikes fillingthe roadsaround the city, all plasteredindispatch company logos. The crashbarsthatcome fittedas standardwould make the 625 an ideal urbanassault vehicleinthe timehonoured despatchridertradition, although theyare, of course,intended for the still-expandingadventure bikesector, for whichthe aluminium sump guardisalsofitted.It’salso

gota centrestand, whichyou could consider avital requirementfor abike spec’d to do alot of miles,and it’s easy to useaswell, with the grab handles/ rack /rail provinguseful in this regard

The screen is fairly good,although while it is adjustable,ithas achoice of just twopositions, and for me it didn’t seem to make adifference whichone it wasset at,but it was pretty efficienteither way, being fairly quiet and deflectingmany of the Maybugs (as in bugs flying around in the month of Mayand not actual Mayfly).

The colour options areaglossblack (namedas BlackKnight for all you Deep Purple fans outthere) with gold anodised wheel rims,and Desert Yellowwithclassier blackrims that Iwas riding, somewhat unkindly referredtoas‘HearingAid Beige’ by acertain industrybystander

The stylingdoeshavethe reference that many adventure bikes have to Ducati’s Multistradawith the ‘duck bill’typeupper frontmudguard arrangement, although that is rather tempered in thiscasebythe reverse angle headlights that bringaunique piece of design(although since I rode the 625 therehavebeenanother couple of adventure bikes launched, that alsohaveanorigin in the East, with very similar styling!).

With adventure and ‘going the distance’ at its heart, Motorcycle Sport and Leisureis the must-have mag for those with itchyfeet or looking for first-class motorcycling inspiration on aglobal scale. Treat yourself to acopyby scanning this link.

Unlikeits bigger brother,the 625 doesn’t have luggageasstandard, butthe three-piece kitisavailable as an accessory with £699 gettingyou the aluminium pannier and topbox of the same qualityasthoseonthe 900 –i.e.reallynice,and dead-easy to use.

Note -thatprice is when you buy the pannierswiththe bikeasnew, butifyou wait untillater to buy them as an aftermarket accessory, they’ll costyou nigh-on double that. And, when the basicbikecosts just ascratch over sixgrand when theon-the-roadcharges areadded to the £5999 retail price,shelling outthe extra700 nicker isn’t really much of aproblem,and rewards you with an astoundinglypractical and capable bikethat seems to have the qualityoffinish and attention to detail of significantly moreexpensive alternatives

With the UK’sVogedealer network expandingatatime when many manufacturersare seeinga reduction in dealer numbers, the futurecertainlylooks good for the Chinesebrand.

Skills clinic: U-turns

How do you feel about doing aU-turn? It’sasimple manoeuvre but one that many riders dread doing. Here are some easy steps to getitright everytime…

Executing aperfect U-turn is amuch-neglected skill among both new and experienced riders, simply because very few riders bother practisingit. But we want to changethat, becauseit’saskill that can make the difference between aclumsy 12-point turnand a smooth and confidentswoop. Knowing how to do aU-turn properly also cankeepyou safe if you need to do the manoeuvre in traffic.

Don’t make these mistakes

The biggest mistake with U-turns is not practising U-turns. It’s simple enough to finda quiet spacetopractice,but make sure thatthe area is safe without any other trafficgivingyou afright mid-turn.

The good thing about all of this is that you arenot alone. Even advanced riders often struggle with slow-speed riding and U-turns. Not many want to admit it, but if you spend any time at a

biker café or abike night, youwill see plenty of examples of riders awkwardly pedalling their bikes back and forth.

It’sworth remembering that notall bikes turnthe same. How easily and tightlyyou can perform aU-turnwilldepend on the steering lock, centreofgravity, riding position, etc., but with practice youwillbeable to turn any bike.

And remember this: Don’tbea hero. Alittle dab of your foot to the

ground to keep things smooth is fine. This is not atest, and afoot on the floor is better than abike on the floor.But with abit of practice, you won’teven need that dab.

This is how to get it right

Thereare three key elements to doing aspotless U-turn.You need to concentrate on what you see and feel, and most importantly, believe in yourself: Look around you for traffic and hazards. Once you’rehappythat

it’ssafe to go, do alifesaver check over your shoulder,then look whereyou want to go, not wherethe frontwheel is. Scan your surroundings so you can take the largest safe radius for your turn. Take yourtime when preparing, and make sure you’re happy with everythingbefore you commit to the turn. You don’twant to end up rushingor panicking during the manoeuvre. Feel the throttle, clutch and rear brake. They areyour

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friends for slow riding. If you have plenty of space and you arenot going too slow,you can do aU-turnjust on tick-over without the other controls,but if it’satight turnoryou need to go really slow,slipping the clutch and applying light and consistent rear brake makes the bike morestable and easier to turn. Also, you need to up the revs as you pull the clutch in and apply therear brake –you will feel when

you hit the sweet spotasthe bike moves forwardsteadily and feels stable. Therevs may sound abit high, but you need that so you don’tstall, and the spinning parts in the engine add to the gyroscopic forces helping you to stay upright. Do NOT touch the front brake, it’s too sharp for U-turncontrol. Moving your body slightly may help alittle, but this depends on your weight, and the weight and shape of the bike. As ageneral

rule, moving slightly to the outside of the turning arccan help balance the bike. Believe in yourself –you got this! As with most things, success partly depends on youbeing confident about your riding,and you can only truly be confident when youhave practised the manoeuvresomuch it becomes second nature. If at first it seems difficult to getitright,don’t despair, repetition and practice will get youthere.

And don’t forget… Practice theturns both ways. In the UK the majority of your U-turns will be right-hand turns, but thereare times when you need to turnleft, too, if the traffic layout is unusual (roadworks etc.); you areoff the public roads; or thereare hazards or other reasons to make aleft-hand turn preferable. And, of course, if you head out to Europe, you will be riding on the right, anddoing the U-turns to theleft.

When you do your bike test, you will need to keep your feet on the pegs for the U-turn. Once the test is done though, thereare no prizes for not touching the ground, so don’t be afraid to have alittle dab to help keep your balance. Tryto do the turnwith your feet on the pegs, but be ready to put the foot down early if needed –if you leave it too long, the bike will be moredifficulttostop from falling.

These three might representthe same genre but theycould not be more different if they tried.The questionis, which sizeofsportstourer ticks moreboxes?

ofa THREE KIND

Is bigger better? It’s the age-old question,and one we decided finallyneededtoppling. For context,we’re talkingsportstourers, of whichthereseemto be atrilliondifferentoptions on the market of allshapes, sizes, capacities and focuses. The genre is averybroad one and one that’s perhapsevenhardertodefine than aperson’spronoun thesedays… butthat’s enoughabout that, becausewe’re heretotalk bikes Bigbikes,little bikes and the onesinbetween, such as Yamaha’s Tracer9GT whichhas arguably been astalwartinthe sector for agoodwhile now, with severaliterationstoits name and asizeable volume of sales to brag aboutdownthe boozer Yep, Yamaha knowathingortwo aboutsports-tourers, and while this triple-poweredprotagonist mightseemalongway from the

band’s FJRs and such-likeofold, the Japanesefirm hasmanaged to encapsulate its prowessfor sportytourerswiththis model, as you’ll graspabit later.

At the larger-than-life end of the scale,there’sBMW’sK1600GT. Weighinginatamind-boggling 343 of your finestkilos,ifever therewas amotorcycleyou wouldn’t want to runoveryour foot,this is it.But for fast-paced, luxurious comfortbehind a screen so bigitdeservesits own postcode,there’squiteprobably no better option on the market Forcertain, therearen’t many that have alargercapacity,sound half as alluringorcan accelerateata rate that’ll leaveyou questioning physics.This six-shooter really is special, so it gotanautomatic pass into ourtriooftestbeds, that alsoincludedTriumph’s updated TigerSport 660. Originallylaunchedbackin 2022, the teenyTiger haswon people’s hearts,minds and wallets,

deliveringcrackingperformance, greathandlingand an option for thosethatdon’t want to have to sell akidneytoown one.Pricedfrom just south of £9k,this represents not just the smallestcapacity of steeds in this test,but alsothe cheapest Addingmoretech, moreccand morehorsepower, it’s no surprise that the Tracer 9GTisthat bit pricier at £11,216. Beforeeyebrows areraised toohigh, Ishould point outthatdespitethis bikehaving a2025 plate, it is the last of the nowsupersededmodels,with the newly-launched25-spec bike costing£14,354… in case you were wondering.

Movingonswiftly, the biggest, boldestand mostcostlyofour clan is the BMW, with astartingprice of over £22k.Yep,you read that right. And there’sthe scopetocrank up that costa whole lot higher if you’rerunning outofspace for cash under your mattress. The question was, just becauseitcost morethantwice as much as the Triumph,and nearly double that of the Yamaha,would that be

reflected in the ridingexperience? Or could the bargain-brilliance of the Trumpettop the lot? Then again, wasthe smartmoneyonthe middle ground with the Tracer? It wasa question we wanted answering,soweplotteda routeto that place theycall Scotland and squeezed in roadswith as much varietyaspossible on the wayto Fort William…wherewe’ddoa 180 and head straight home.All in, we’d be on the bikes for 1000 miles,overthe course of three days,gettingtoknowthem pretty damn well, whether we liked it or not.And when Isay ‘we’,Imean myself,plus my matesRichTaylor and Dave Manning.

Beingthe youngest of the lot, the Triumph wasmine for the taking, while Rich found himself at home on the Yamaha and Dave hada naturalsparringpartnerwith the Beemer.Strangely enough, we all seemedprettyhappy with that outcome,but would that be the case once the wheels were in motion? There wasonlyone wayto find out…

TRIUMPHTIGER SPORT660 SMALL BUT MIGHTY:

We all love an underdog, right? Well, that’s what Ikept tellingmyself as Ilashedmysoft luggagetothe TigerSport 660, trying pretty hard to ignorethe smug lookson Dave and Rich’s faces.Sure, they’dbagged the bigger bore, morepowerful and undoubtedly morecomfortable options for this 1000-mile blast,but Iwas quiteexcited at the prospect of the Trumpet, whichlookedso much better than its rivals,ifnothing else. Well, assumingyou didn’t look at the dash,that is.Aswiththe last generation 660 and the more recently released TigerSport 800, the clocks on the bikelookasarchaic an 80s Casio, onlythey’remuchharder to ignore. The ironyisthatthere’sa nice amountoftechonthe Triumph, especiallyonthis new version whichisnow kitted with an IMU so corneringABS,cruisecontrol, traction controland Sportrider mode have joinedthe mix.Therest

of the bikeislargely the same as the inauguralmodel, which isn’t such a badthingbecause the last package worked well.

I’donlyeverridden one once, but wheelies,burnouts and everyother such antic frommyadolescentbox of tricks hadbeenextracted from it on that occasion, plantingabig cheesy smile on my face and leavingalasting positiveexperience.Thethingis, that joyridehad been forabout 80 miles,soasfor comfort, economy or whether the manuallyadjustable screen would be effectiveenough to protectthe four hairsonmychin, I simply hadn’t aclue Theone thingI wassureof, however, wasthatthere wasn’t ahopeinhell I’dfind myself moaningtothe others aboutwhattheyconsidered the runt of this litter; I’dbaggedthe best…and even if Ihadn’t,Iwas on amission to make them believe that wasthe case And so,without further ado,having

finallyfinishedfaffingand gathered arough routeuptoour first stop off in the Dales,Idecidedtolight up the rear Metzelerasour soiree to the north gotunderway.

‘Fun’ wastobemyrationale for this choice of machine,whichI soon find myself havingplenty of as we tackledasuccession of bends in the LincolnshireWolds. Thisplace is a meccafor motorcycling, with one of the best roadstoride beingthe fast and sweepingB1225, that we know locallyasCaistorHighStreet. That’s wherethe Triumph wasabletofire afew shots acrossthe bows of my pursuers, who were havingtodig a bit deeper to keep in the slipstream of the 660 as it effortlessly flopped on its earand changeddirection with little thoughtoreffort. Yep, we’d onlygone 20 miles andIwas alreadyfeeling massivelyathome on the bike, which mightnot have packedaradio, like Dave’s Beemer,but sportedaraucous

triple exhaust note that wasmusic to my ears

If the roads ahead were goingtobe of this nature,I’d be complainingof jawachefromall the smilingIwas doing,soitwas probablyagoodjob that after an hour or so in the saddle, we dulledthings down with astint on the M180 beforejoiningthe A1, headedfurther north.

Arguably,wecould have taken a moreconvoluted routethrough the Peaksthatwould’vekept us off big carriageways, butthe whole point of this test wastoassessthesebikes in all theatres, so motorways were unfortunately anecessary evil. And evil that stretch was! Iforgethow many yellowcarsIspotted before finallywereached the junction to Bedale,but the number wasway too many,and the milesfelt as numbing as one of Rich’s stories

Iwas like aspring lamb havingbeing reunited with cornersonthe A684, meanderingour waynorth-easterly towardsLeyburn, Aysgarth,and our lunchstopat Hawes. The latter place is alocationIknowwell, havingbeen to the popularbikerhaunt on lots of occasions,eachtime,unbelievably, descendingonaday or time when all of the localeateries areclosed.As fate would have it,onarrival, once again we’d find ourselves greetedby aclosed chippyand café,meaninga raid on the localSparshop wastobe oursavinggrace

With 150 milesunder ourbelt,and agoodvarietyofroads travelled, the conversation over abutty soon turned to the brilliance of oursteeds; the gist waswe’dall pickedthe best bike. Zero negativity wasdoingthe rounds,nor anycomplaints aboutcomfortorsuch like.

As for me,Iwas likingthe ergonomics of the Triumph,which hadabig,heavily -paddedseat, wide bars,relaxedpegsand enough wind protection to keep the draft flowing up and over my helmet’svisor.Daveand Rich said similar things abouttheir bikes,hammeringhome that despite the blatantdifferences betweenour machines,eachofthe marques had nailedthe briefoncomfort. Parked up in the market square, therewere plentyofpeopleturninguponbikes and ourtriowas soon subjecttoabit of attention. Well, Dave’s BMWand Rich’s Yamaha were. Iwas outraged at the nonchalant approach to my

Triumph,whichsurelywas worthy of aquestion or two, let alone aquick once-over… butitwas the other bikes that were gettingall the attention. Eventually, it wastime to getgoing again, much to my delight, with Dave insistinghetookusupfor aspin on the Buttertubs Pass,that lies just afew miles north of Hawesonthe Cliff Gate Road. The last time I’dridden it had been in deep snow,ataspeed that could’vemade asnail appear fast and I’dstill somehowmanaged to crash.Theprospectoftacklingitagain with beautiful sunshine and warm Tarmac wasall tootempting.

If you’ve neverridden it,get it on the listbecause this three-mile slither of Tarmac is an absolutegem rightfromthe get-go,seeingyou ascend relatively hastilytowards its 500m-plus0 summit.Crackingviews, greatTarmacand, on this occasion, emptyroads meantwehad afantastic time,turning around to do the route again severaltimes over,enjoyingit for its flowbut alsothe vistas

Near the top, the road shouldersa sheer drop down to avalleybelow, whichwould takeabit of gettingout of if youweretofind yourself off-piste

Around this part of the ride,the route gets abit lumpy and bumpy, made all the moreinterestingbythe oddcattle gridfor good measure. The point being, it gave us ourfirstrealtaste of ourbikes on trickier road surfaces

The Triumph,despitenot featuring particularly flash suspension, felt impressively plushand well planted. It didn’t seem to getflusteredbythe imperfections,whichissomething that seemed to hit the other bikes that bit harder.Little did Iknowthatjust afew miles on from this playground, there’dbemuchmorenadgery conditions comingour way.

The B2670 mightnot look much on Google Maps,but ridingitis somethingyou’ll not forget. You’ll find itatthe far end of the Buttertubs road, and it leads to avillagecalledNateby, whichisprettymuchthe first sign of habitation you’ll findonthe barren moorland, having passed through the stunningstone hamlet of Angram, whichdates back to the 8th century meaningit’sevenolder than Dave.

It’s around this pointthatthe road seems to narrow by half and the terrain becomes much more rugged and lessgreen, and gives

you the sensation that you’ve escapedcivilisation. Notthatyou’ll have much time to overthink such thoughts becausethe road takes more twists and turns than an MP’s listof excuses, undulatinginevery wayand promptingagood few heart-in-mouth moments if youtackle it with abit of pace.Theblind crests,roaming sheep andgenerouslittering of gravel give the road an edge,but Iwas absolutely lovingitonthe Triumph.

While Iwas impressedbyRich’s efforts,and even moresobyDave’son his ginormous transportationdevice, neither of them could hold acandle to the nimblenessofthe Triumph that wasinits element. Iwas so impressed by howcomposedthe bikewas,and perhapsevenmoreimpressed by the grip Iwas gettingateither end from the Roadtecs.They were having somethingofa workout, and so was my brain, computingbrake pressures, lean angles and throttle percentages on the two-metre-wide trail. While I’d saythe Buttertubs road hadthe edge from avista pointofview, the B2670 wasfar moreengagingfromariding perspective, and it stayed that way until we reachedNateby, wherewe took up the larger A685. The problem with ridingaroadasgood as that is it soon makeseverythingelsefeeldrab, to the extent of having to mentally preparemyself for the nextstintnorth on the M6.

HavingfuelledupatTebay,the last blastthatevening would be all motorwaytoour overnight destination of Moffatt.Havingfaffed around so much,time hadgot the better of us,meaningitwas just startingtoget dark ahead of the final 76 miles we hadtoclock,and with the darknesscame an unexpectedchill in the air

Ridinginjacketand jeans, the transition from a20˚C daytoasingledigit temp that evening hit hard and taughtmethat for all the Triumph’s virtues,itlackeda bit of luxuryinthis instance.Sure, it hadheatedgrips fitted, and theysoongot crankedup

to the max, butlacking handguards and ascreenwide enough for toddlers, it didn’t takelongtostart feelingabit nippy. Becauseofthis, it felt alongslogonthe M6, passing Penrith and Carlisle beforecrossing the border into Scotland at Gretna Fast-forward another half-hour and we’d eventuallyreached Moffat, where we’d bookedinatthe BuccleuchArms –our go-toplace,and one I’dhighly recommend if you’reinthe region. Locatedinthe Borders, the Bucc is aproperbiker’s hotel, with private secure parking, dryingrooms for kit and, mostimportantly,its ownrange of real ales.What’s more, it’s runby the friendliestbunchofbikingnuts you’ll ever meet,who reallycan’t do enough to make youfeelwelcome. After some homecooked food and a few jars,that’s wherethe nightended beforekicking things off thenextday with afull ‘Scottish’inreadiness for another longday in the saddle

While munchingaway, hotel owner Dave fired in the suggestion that rather than rushingtoFortWilliam, we should bagaquicklap of his surroundingarea, on aridehecalled the three lochs. We didn’t need much persuasion, and nor did his dog, Blue, who hopped into his custom-built poochpannier while we loadedour Oxfordluggagebackontoour bikes We were on for another belter ofa day, with temperatures settobreach the 20 degreesmarkonce again… dispellingthe myth that it onlyever rains in Scotland.

The Bordersare often overlooked when you’reheadedtothe Highlands, butthe roads you’ll find thereare a bikers’ paradisewith amazingviews and very little traffic.Inessence,we took on atriangularroute that kicked off on the stonewall-linedA708 that meandered its waypastMunros and woodlands aplenty

The views were everybit as cracking as the road we were riding,witha

recommendedstoppingplace being the Glen Café at St Mary’s Loch. Again, this is another popularplace for bikers, so you’ll feel rightathome here… as I’msurewe’dhavedone had it of been open. Still, it wasnice to stop and takeinthe tranquillitybefore firingour mobofmotorsbackinto life,ready to crackon. Amile or so further we took aleftonanunnamed road, marked by an old AA phone box, that wasabout as narrow as my attention span, leadingustowards the Megget Reservoir,whichitenvelopes

The ridingwas less technical, but that onlymeant we hadmoretime to catch flies with ourwide-open mouths.Thesurroundings were surreal, with an endlessstream of stunningviews. Like London buses, we’d not gone that farpast the headland of Megget beforewe arrivedatanotherreservoir,called Talla, that wasalsoeasyonthe eye, and concludedwith agrass-banked headland that Iscannedprecariously for leaksaswe shimmiedpast it.Thethirdand final road of the triangle wasthe A701, whichwas our reintroduction to amain road with other vehicleson it.Still, it wasanice stretch, with the highlightbeingthe Devil’s Beeftub, at whichthe views are spectacular Havingspent the morninglike tourists,realisation hithome that this wasnojoyride and that Fort William wasstill 160 milesfurther on. We fuelledupinMoffatbeforerejoining theA74(M), whichwould lead us to Glasgow.We gottherefor midday, meaningwe’dmissedthe worstofthe traffic,but owingtomyincompetence in remembering road names,we’d soon found ourselves deep in the suburbsand wayofftrack Glasgow is abig place,but Ireckon we sawmostofitinour bid to get back on track, headedfor Loch Lomond viathe M8. The joke is that all of the bikes could facilitate nav

systems of one kind or another,but beingabunchoftechnophobes,none of us hadbothered to connect our phones.Inall honesty,itwas only halfwayintothe trip that Irealised navigation wasevenpossible on the Triumph, as the basicdash didn’t look fit for tellingthe time,let alone saying whichway we were meanttogo. Weirdly, Iquiteliked the 660’s rudimentarytech, whichwas very basiccomparedtoalot of bikes on the market,yet it seemedtopackthe essentials,and despitethe uglydash –whichI’m sure I’ve already mentioned –itwas easy and intuitivetoget into the guts of the tech and tweakaway at it.Quite often, that’s awin in its ownright.Havingclockedquiteafew miles on previous occasions on both the Tracer 9and K1600, Iknew how much moresophisticated theywere, butIwasn’t missing the faffofshifting through umpteenscreens to find a specific feature.

Take the Trumpet’scruisecontrol, for instance: it’s as basicasthey come,requiring youtosecureyour preferredspeed beforehittinga button for the biketomaintain it

Thatsaid, on the Triumph youcan’t notch up or down in speed, and nor is the system adaptivetoother road vehicles’speeds, butitreallydidn’t bother me; it wasgettingthe job done,and Iwas leaningonitquite alot.Themain reason beingthat therewereloads of roadworks and speedlimits on the stretch to Loch Lomond, so the featuremade light work of maintainingthe speed. My onlycriticism of the system is that it didn’t alwaysactivatewithevery push,whichcould provefrustrating at times,but maybemybike’sswitchgear wasabit dodgy?

On the approach to Loch Lomond we pickedupthe A82, whichled us to the big, watery mass,navigating around it on its western shore. Again, speedlimits putabit of adampener

on the ride,but the view wascracking and the general scenes began to takeona much moremountainous disposition. It’s not often Iget to ride in the Trossachsbut the joyofdoing so is neverlostonme. If you’ve never been, getyourself up therebecause the whole area is stunning,and prime for motorcycling.

Probably for this reason,the number of bikes we sawonthe roadshad a massiveuptick, with one particular blokeona1290 SuperDukeRtaking alikingtoour gaggle,joiningthe formation for the best part of 20 miles and brimmingthe tone of abig v-twin into the mix.Atfirst, Ithoughthewas an undercovercopper –theydothat on bikes up there–but his sporadic attempts at wheelies putmyparanoia to rest;hewas as tapped as the rest of us

We parted company at Tyndrum, wherewestopped for fuel and a legstretch.We’dbeenonthe go for severalhours at this point, butthe comfy Triumph waskeeping my

aches and pains at bay, and the other guys alsoseemedtobeproblemfree –whichwas disappointing. Iwas gaggingfor one of them to throw the towelinand startslatingtheir bike, butitjustwasn’t happening Interestingly, the BWMand Triumphwerenot far apartinterms of thirst,despiteatank volume difference of roughlynine litres.I guess, when youfactor in the K1600 weighs two-thirdsofwhatthe Tiger does again, and couple that with a head-wobblinglyquicksix-cylinder motor,you canappreciate whythe BMWwas provingabit thirstier.That and the fact that Dave does not hang about, Ishould add.

Keepingthe sunbehind us,we crackedonfurther north,reachingthe Bridge of Orchyonthe busy A82. If you’reonthis road,you should expect to be hindered by lots of cars,tourist

busesand an abundance of camper vans.Infact,I’d wager thereare more campersonthat road than thereare inhabitants in the area,orsoitwould seem.But the Triumph’s livelymotor neverreallystruggledtoblast past whatever came ourway,perhaps demandingadownshift on occasion, butitnever failedtosurprisemejust howtorqueythat engine was.

It claims to make 64Nm,whichisn’t all that much,itcould be said, butthe waythat translatestothe road would have you believe the figures alot higher.Infact,the moreIrodeit, the more Icame to realise that theengine wasperhaps the real star of the show, albeit it wasintight competition with the waythe bikehandled. The thing Iliked mostabout the engine was the endlesszestitseemedtosport; regardlessofwhether Iwas tootling alongorhighupinthe revs,there wasalwaysmoretocome.Sure, it couldn’tkeepupwith theTracer or BMWunder full-chat, butitcertainly didn’tembarrass itself,and theadded standardfitmentshifter –whichwas an optional extraonthe previous version –made lightworkofsmashing through thesix-speed box.

Another partytrick that had more than one showing wasthe bike’s abilitytoaccesscruisecontrol in second gear at 20mph.Thereare no end of 20mph zones in Scotland, whichistoo lowafigure forsome bikes’ cruisesystems that demand you’reinthirdtosixth gear and ridingataminimum of 30mph.Not

so on the Triumph,itturnedout, whichsoundedhilarious at 20mph in second gear,screamingits nuts off like acrude pitlane limiter Loch Tullaisanother popular stoppingpointonthe A82, whichis at the topofawinding, fast section of road. Having reacheditand pulled in for agander, it wasatthis moment Iwas remindedI’d packed some kneeslidersand aroll of gaffertape in my luggage, so outtheycame and onthe left slider went. Forthe sake of athorough test of the bikeand the MetzelerRoadtec 02s,Ifelt duty bound to do abit of scratching, which went without ahitch and helped reaffirm the bikeand hoops were impressively capable.Job done,off the slider came and onwardswerode, inchingevernearertothe Highlands. I’mnot actuallysureexactly wherethe Trossachsend and the Highlands start, butwhat Iwould sayisthe sceneryfromTulla and onwards starts to change drastically,become awe-inspiringly mountainous,interjected by marsh-likepools of waterthatlook crystal-clear and arenothingshort of mesmerising.The beauty is unrealand everythingelsebecomes irrelevant as youtakeitall in. Iseem to think the road waslimited to 50mph,but Ireckonweweredoing 30 at the most, eggedonbyour own desire to slow down and savour the sights.We’dcomealongway since leavingLincolnshire, just shyof500 miles by this point, butthe trek felt

morethanworth it… and the views would shortlyget even better

While Fort William wasour ultimate destination, Glen Coewas the main attraction and it suddenlyseemed to appear likeaship from the fog. If you’re abit of ageeklikeme, you mightwanttoknowthat the glen was glaciallyformed, amidstvolcanic rock,and spans around 700 metres at

its widestpoint, while the Coeaspect of the name comes from the riverthat runs through it Facts aside,all youreallyneedto know is that the views of the valley, surroundedbythe harsh, towering mountains,are literallybreathtaking and perhapsone of the best vistas the UK hastooffer. No wordsIcan throw at youwill do the place justice,soI’ll

save youthe spiel and simply hammer home that this place is specialand should be experienced, if you’venot done so already

ForRich, who hails from that thereLondon, it must have felt even moredifferentworldly, and Imust admit that both Dave and Iwerehalf expectinghim to have anosebleed havingtravelledthis far north,but havingpulledupinthe location’s sizeable viewingpoint, we sawthat thankfullywasn’t the case.

At the bottom of the valleyisthe villageofGlencoe, wherethere’sfuel should youneedit, butwedidn’t so the nextfocus wasonFortWilliam Butbeforewegot there, Loch Leven wasanother visual treat, mirroring the surroundingmountains in its reflection. Soon after it,LochLinnhe made an appearance and wasno lessspectacular in the evening sun. We rode around it for another 10 miles or so beforeeventually reachingour hotel for the night, at Fort William,beingoverlooked by the UK’shighestmountain, Ben Nevis.Thatinitself wasasight to behold, and it alsofelt abefitting

Chassis

Rsuspension:

waytoend ourjourneynorth,under its presence

We hadafantastic trip up,blessed by good weather and transported in relativeluxurywhen comparedtothe normalbikes I’dfind myself riding. There’snotwo ways aboutit, the Triumph hadwell and trulyopened my eyes for lots of good reasons and I’dgrown reallyquiteattached to it.Overdinner that night, the conversation turnedtothe ride home, whichwe’dbedoinginasingle day without photoshoots to slow us down The original plan hadbeentoswitch machines so we hadchance to take in the virtues of ourrivals,but Ididn’t want to hand over my Triumph,and the other guys felt the same wayabout their bikes.Onface value,Ishould have been rippingDaveorRich’sarms off at the chance to ‘upgrade’toeither of their bikes,but Iactuallydidn’t want to.The660 haddone me proud, and Iwas keen to seehow well it’d copewith asolid 500-mile ride back home.Sothat’show the return trip wasset to play out, with an earlystart that nextday

Ridingbackthe same routewe’d come up on, it meantwegot to see Glen Coeatfirstlight,whichwas areal treat. We were back down at Tyndrum in ajiffy, butrather than loopingback through Glasgow,Davesuggestedwe headedeastonthe A85beforejoining the A84,gunningfor Stirling. The heavilywooded road wasveryeasy on the eyes,but the painfullypoliced 50mph averagecameras definitelylost it afew points.Ifyou’renot in ahurry and want to focusonthe views,jobsa good’un, butthe orderofthe daywas to getbackingood time,sothe A84 wasalmosta bit bittersweet.That said, it made for amoreinteresting return journey, loadedwith lochsand nice views

After what felt likeaneternity, StirlingCastle appeared on the horizon, followedsoonafter by the Wallace Memorial. It’s herewhere we pickedupthe M9 and gunned for Edinburgh,arrivingjustafter the morning rush-hour traffic,whichwas ideal. And it’salsoherewhereRich andIlostDave, who did aHoudini on us

Like acouple of tourists without their guide,itmeant Rich and Ihad to figurewhichwas the best route home –settledbya quick game of ‘rock, paper, scissors’. Having worked ourway south of Edinburgh,the A68 wasthe winningchoice.It’sa dead-easy routeand despitethe abundance of speed cameras –which were actuallyall outofaction, for some reason –there’s so much to seeonit, and that daythe traffic was reallylight.

HavingpassedJedburgh, the hints of the English border startedflowing through,withsigns alongthe line of‘last fuelstation’and ‘it’s not

toolatetoturn back’, forewarning us of ourimminentreturn to the Englandshire. We crossedatCarter Bar, wherethe border pointwas rammedwith folk selling flags, fridge magnets,haggisand anything elseremotelyScottishfromthe boot of theircars. As temptingasitwas to strapabagpipe to the bike, Ihad

amaturemomentand resisted the purchase.

While the A68 is nowhere near as scenic as the western side of Scotland, the ride along the undulatingroute wasreally enjoyable.Wewerecrackingonand beforeweknew it,we’dmadeitdown to Newcastle.A splash of fuel later,

the A1 wastobeour hostfor the last slog,whichwas as tediousasitwas on the wayup. But, thankfully, an hour or twolater,wewerebackinthe Wolds and all wasgood. There’ssomethingsorewarding aboutgetting back on greatroads that you knowwell, and Ihad to keep remindingmyself that Rich wasin

towand hadn’t aclue whichway the blind bendswent, or what happened after the nextcrest.Thetruth is,I was just relishingthrowingthe Triumph around again aftersuchalongstint of boring carriageways.Thelastfew miles, literallytomyfront door,were arealtreat and despitebeing on the go for the best part of sevenhours,it hadn’t seemedthat longsince setting off from Fort William that morning, some 500 miles earlier The Triumph hadproventobean absolutetrooper and while I’ll stop shortofcallingitperfect,I’d definitely grownquiteattachedtoit. Againstthe odds,it’dperformedthe jobofsporty-

touringevery bit as well, if not better, in my opinionthanits tworivals, whichhad been undeniable in some instances, such as when smashing through propertwistysections of road, or when tacklingthe moors. Yep, maybeI’d lostout on abit of comfort, and Ican onlyimagine how nicethe Beemer’s heated seat might have been,but that wasall secondary to the bigquestionofwhether this bikecould go the distance just as well as its pricier,largerand smarter oppositions.Did size reallymatter? Well, to be honest, I’dsay that it didn’t.But I’ll leaveyou with Rich and Dave to argueotherwise

Words: Rich Taylor

YAMAHA TRACER 9GT MID-SIZED:

I’ve hadthe chance to enjoy Yamaha’s 900cc CP3 motor afew times in the past,and it’s undeniably apeach,but I’dnot ridden it dressedasaTracer 9. In fact,I’d not ridden the Triumph or BMWeither,but Iwas excited for the ride ahead and aproperchance to get under the Tracer’s skinin, hopefully, myriad conditions

Yousee,tome, standing before the Yamaha,Irealised it’s basically asupermarket.Inessence, it has almosteverythingyou need,but not absolutelyeverythingeverwith a cherry on top.

The 1,000-mile journeyahead wasgoingtobeamix of everything. Motorways, undoubtedly,but nadgery B-roads,wide-open A-roads,villages, towns, single-trackroads barely wide enough for abikelet alone anything bigger (the K1600), and carparks, too. Younameit, we were sure to be doingit, and abikegood at everything wassurelyjustthe ticket; asolidbet in otherwords,inmuchthe same wayasupermarket is aprettygood betwhen you need whatever it might be.Ireasonedthe Tracer 9oughtto be better on average, in almost any situation, than the other twobikes would be,and that’s whyitappealed from the outset

To wit, 120hpisplentyenough powertooffer capabilityand entertainment. It haselectronically adjustable suspension, rider modes, and almostevery other electronic gizmo going: heated grips; phone connectivity; bi-directional; cruise control; quickshifter;anelectronically adjustable screen; akeylesskey;lean sensitivethis-that-and-the-other; I could go on -and almostanything it doesn’t have,with the sole exception of radar-assisted cruisecontrol,is available as an option. If youwant the radar, then you’ll need theGT+ model. It hasabig tank,but nota largeone,and it’s lightenough to

be able to handle impressively for its sports-tourerintentions.Tomy point, it haseverythingyou need and even morestuffyou don’t,but not everything. It’s the middle of the three bikes,but it isn’t middle of the road by anystretch

Bags attached, we were off and despitehavinghad asmall poke around the bikebeforehand, someone hadleft the heated grips on the medium settingand my fingers were turningalarminglyrapidlyinto charredchipolatas.Itturns outthere isn’t abuttononthe ‘barstodealwith those, rather youhavetodiveintothe dashboardsettings to adjust… but, it’s quickand intuitiveenough and only after the smallest amountofmenumashing, my feelerswerecomfy once again. Thatwasn’t the first thingIwas expectingtobethinkingabout,but thereweare -and actually, it made me realisehow quicklyIfelt at home on the Tracer.

I’m5’9”-and-a-bit,and Isuspect Yamaha’s test riderswere, too, becausethe triangle between seat,barsand pegs felt just right, and plonked me rightinside the windscreen’sbubble when adjusted to its top-most position. Icould sit hereall day, Ithought, and moreor lessthat’s exactlywhat Idid as we wound ourway outofLincolnshire towardsYorkshireand beyond, taking in amixture of roads.

I’dinstantlygelledwiththe torquey CP3 motor all over again, and was happilymullingoverall the features and facets that were keepingmefree of anyirritation asthe miles tickedup. Irealised my hunchwas beginning to payoff.

Acouple of things stand out. First, the torque on offer (93Nm) is atrump card that youcan play endlessly. Any gear,any revs,and the 900cc CP3 will pull smoothlywithout anyhesitation. You’renot constantlydancingaround

on the gearboxtryingtofind theright cogfor the situation, whichalleviates so much fatigueand irritation on long journeys likethese, leavingyou fresher when youget to the destination: in our case,Glencoe.Icould ride through villages in third, or even fourth,and continue on outofthe villageriding the torque curvealone

Second, I’dbegun to getafeeling that the Tracer 9isabikedesigned and considered as apackage and not a‘we hadtheseparts lyingaround, let’s throw them together and hope it works’ job. The suspension setup (in anymode) felt appropriate forthe engine’s output;the chassisgeometry and feel wasinsync; thebrakeshad the rightfeeland power; and the gear ratios were spot on. It all worked together really, reallywell, hence the feelingofitbeingapackage

4250rpm at 70mph on amotorway made motorwaymiseryfar less of amisery, and let’s face it,trips liketheseinvolvealot of 70mph drudgery.But equally, 2nd, 3rdand 4th combinedwiththe torque on offer made twisty stuff,and open A-roads,asheer delight. Attackthem, or not,the choice wasuptome, and it did anythingIasked of it.It’sfast and stable,yet willingtoget on to its noseand diginwhen required,pop wheelies over crests,and 120bhp did turn outtobejustright -enough to getarealmoveonand to feel like you’rereallyusing alot of what it can muster,but not so much as to be a tease of performance youcouldn’t ever hopetotap into.Again, it was that considered,package feeling shining through,and aconstant ‘throw whatever at me,I’m cool with it’message beingdelivered straight to me Igenuinelymeanthis,but there wasn’t asinglemomentonthe trip whereeither Iorthe bikefeltout of place,out of ourcomfortzone, or

perhapsthe Tracer 9STmight be a moreappropriate name (Triumph mightbealittle miffed, mind). And the keylesskey thingy is so pointlessly annoyingand unnecessary.Third, it isn’t much of alooker(once you seethe PanAmericainityou can’t unsee it,and the rear platehangeris amonstrosity), butultimatelynone of thesethings matter

To reallypress on that point; the things it doesn’t have don’t matter when all is said anddone,and ‘true’ GT bikes with the bigheadlines and cherries on topdon’t necessarily work outasbetterinthe end; while theyhavemorepower and more tank capacity, theyare heavier and thirstier,aswell as harder to tapinto. So,tocheck outfromour supermarketsweep experience,the Tracer 9GTfor me is the pickfor all worlds we encountered: the best on average, exactlyasI thoughtit mightbe, and so effortlesslyeasy to spend time on, with everytoy to hand whether Iwanteditornot Thatdoesn’t make the Tracer 9GT anymoreorlessvalidthanthe other choices,it’sjustthe particular weapon I’dpick.

whereIwishedIwas ridingsomething else, hadsome toyorfeature it didn’t have,and that’s what Iliked so much aboutthe Tracer 9GT, and whyIknow it’s the pickofthe bunch.

Sure,Bruce wasprobablyhavinga tinyamountmorefun on the Triumph on the B-roads,but Iwas rightthere, too, yetonmotorways andA-roads I wasclearly and visiblyhavingabetter time.Ditto Dave’s BMW- he was cocoonedina huge bubble of airon motorways,but you should’veseen the rear suspension almostbottoming outonthe rollercoasterroads over the Moors.

Onethingthough,oractually, a few. Idon’t think the Tracer 9GT is atrue‘GT’; it doesn’t have the horsepowerortank capacity, so

THE HEAVYWEIGHT:

BMW K1600GT

Giventhat the ‘sports’ elementof sports touringmight errtoo much on the side of crampedrearsets andbars that putmorestressonyourwrists than the mostextreme Only Fans sites, Iopted for abiastowards the comfortside of things for ourblast northwards, with abig bruiser Beemer as my steed for the trip.And although the K1600GTmay,initially,appear as though it’s the old man’schoice (and, much as it pains me to sayit, Iwas the oldestonthe trip)thanks to its expansivefairingand rangeof comfort-inducingtech(heated grips andseat, electrically-operated screen and aradio), it’s alsosomethingofa street-sleeper as the super-smooth 1600cc powerplantcreamsout an impressive 160bhp.

So,while Bruce and Rich were on apair of triples,sowas I. On apair of triples,combinedtogether to make one inline six. An inline sixwith acapacity that is actually99cc greaterthanthe capacityofthe Yamand the Triumph combined, and while that 1649cc six doesn’t make the same powerasthe twoother bikescombined(it’s 37bhp short), it does make more torque than the twotriples addedtogether,yet weighs 96kglessthanthe Yamand Trumpet’scombinedweightof437kg. With astartingprice of £22,395, it also costs lessthanifyou boughtboth of the other bikes.So, moretorqueand less weight for yourmoney!

Although the bigBeemer isn’t the first biketobeequipped with a six-cylinderengine -withKawasaki’s Z1300, Honda’sCBX Thouand the Benelli Seiall comingbefore, by quite some years-itisneverthelesspretty unique in the currentmarketplace in havinghalf-a-dozenpistons whizzing up and down inside its bores. Although,aside from the number of cylinders, it is otherwise fairly conventional, with the expectedlevel of refinementfromthe manufacturer, the type of bike(it beingalong-legged sports tourer of traditional type), and it’s styling. Although that refinementis balancedout by an unexpected(albeit onlypartlyhidden) levelofhooliganism that the everyday maninthe street would neverdream of comingfrom such an executivetypeoftransport Thatsaid, the K1600 does shout some intent whenthe startbuttonis thumbed, with aloudand rorty‘wahow’fromanautomatic throttle blip as it fires into life.Theolder GS (with the 1250 Boxertwinengine) used to do a similar thing, and while it does shatter the peace of an early-morningstart, it is rather characterfuland signifies intent with regard to howthe bike could be ridden, if yousochoose… Thankstothe buttery-smooth engine holding its powerlow down in the revrange,itmakes its peak powerof160bhpatjust6750rpm.To putthis into context,the M1000RR

doesn’t make 160bhpuntil it hits about11,500rpm,and makesamax torque of 76lb-ftatjustover10grand. The bigGTmakes 132lb-ftatjust 5250rpm (with an astounding70per centofthattorqueavailable from just 1500rpm!),and hasaredline at just 8500rpm

What this adds up to is agreat bigbikethatisdeceptivelyfastand astoundinglygoodatovertakingon the public road, regardlessofspeed or gear selected.Theonlytime that the low-down punchofthe twotriples bested the bigBeemer waswhen I’d gotlazyand waswhispering around in topgearatnot much morethan walkingpace,atwhichpointacouple of dabs down with the left foot saw warp-speedacceleration reinstated. Clearly, there’salot of mass involved here, and while the wide bars do aid swift(er) direction changes, the K16’scomposure is all down to the suspension arrangement. As perall of BMW’sbigger(i.e. heavier) bikes, the GT hasthe Teleleverfront end, whichremains impressive and, while it does seem to feel alittle remoteand ‘floaty’,itdoesstill giveadecentlevel of feedback so youdohaveanidea of howmuchgripthat fronttyreis getting, while alsogivingthe feeling that the bikeissteamrollingany lumps and bumpsflat, rather than the suspension respondingand allowing the wheel to move over them

The Paraleverrear(beingsinglesided, although the view of that stunning‘Option 719’ forgedrear wheel is onlypossible when the standardpanniersaren’t fitted), actuallyhas moretravelthanthe front, aconsequence of the Hossackstylefront suspension not being compressedasmuchunder braking as conventional telescopic forks. Okay,sothe bulk of the bike, and it’s morerelaxed geometry, mean that it’s not exactly ideal for useas atrack daytoy,but it’s missing the pointtoevenmention such athing. If you took atrack-focused bikeon to some of the roadsthatweenjoyed (and boy, did we enjoy them!), you’d have been tank-slapped into the nearestbeckwith aspine jackhammered into apulp

The GT dealt with the lumps and bumps, gravel and grit with ease, with the self-levellingsuspension undoubtedlyhelpingtoacertain degree,inparticular the part of the ESAthatautomaticallyadjusts not only the dampingwhile on the move,but alsofront and rear preloadaswell, all accordingtofeedbackfromthe shocks and 6-axis IMU.Absolutelyperfect for thosetimes when you’reridingover bumpymoorland roads beforefeeding straight on to sweepingAroads and then die-straight motorway. No need for compromise, no need to change settings,justkeepridingand let the bikeworkthatall outitself. Perhapsthe best wayofexplaining

the GT’s abilities is to pointout that, after the twodaysofexploringsome entirelyinappropriate andvery excitingroads on the waytoFort William,the return trip wasdone in one hit,stopping onlyfor fuel and a couple of photographs,with the 425 miles coveredinunder eighthours And Icould have turnedround and gone straight back,suchwas the comfort. And Ibet Bruce or Rich couldn’t saythatwith their triples…

Risingin the east

120 milesaround BattleofBritain county, with the oddcream tea thrownin…

My trips usually have atheme –geological, gastronomical or historical, amongst otherthings –the destinationsdecided upon whilst pouring over mapsinthe winter, then suggesting aroute of sorts. As ateenager Ispent many ahappy hour constructing Airfixkits of Second World War machinery, moving on to dioramas of battles, beforemyinterest in the history of theperiod really took hold. This continued in our travels,frequently based around memorials,museums and ceremonies commemorating the war.This is one such, a120-mile day out which takes in many of the

old Air Force bases (both RAF and USAAF) in the East of England. Start at the CambridgeAmerican Cemeteryand Memorial, where the remains of 3812 war dead areburied in perfectlyprecise graves, immaculatelymaintained, together with another 5127 names on the Walls of the Missing.Young people who gave up their future so thatIcould have one. It stops you in your tracks. From here, head west to Caxton Gibbet roundabout. The A428 is not muchofa road but leads you quickly to afast-food outlet boasting the hanging post which allegedly suspended Dick

Turpin, amongst others. The road bisecting this junction is an old Roman route, dead straight –the Romans obviously weren’tbikers with aliking for twisties. Turn south from hereonthe A1198 until you cross the A603, then look for an immediate right towards Wendy This is much better riding, sweeping two-way through pretty open countryside and villages. It’swell surfaced, although undulating in places, and youcan make good progress untilSteeple Modern, wherethe American Air Force tookover abase in 1942, their Mustangs and Thunderbolts replacing the RAF’s Wellington

bombers. Outbuildings andpart of the runway remain,but the memorial is just south of the village of Litlington,off the A505 –asingle Mustangpropeller Cross the A505 dualcarriageway andhead down to Therfield. It’sanarrow two-lane road, but very scenic. Frequented by horses andcycles, in winter the roads arecovered in soil fromthe fieldsasthe farmers go about their business. Therfield is as lovely as any village in England and hasagood pubif you fancy refreshments on the green. Alternatively,head east to the A10and stop at theSilver

Ball, atraditional transport café. It’sextremely popular at the weekends, with as many as 40 bikes parked up outside. The ride east from hereisas good as it gets in this crowded corner of thecountry,and the A1039 avoids all the chaos and congestion you would normally expect to find. It is challenging, with every type of bend and surface, but stick with it, finishing at WendonsAmbo before crossing theA1383 on to the B1053 to Finchingfield

Well known as theprettiest village in Essex, this is always busy,but well worth astop if

youhaven’tbeen before. Cream teas areparticularly goodifyou time your visit for mid-afternoon. Usually,Istroll around to look at the windmill to walk offmy excesses. If you aregoing to do a cream tea, do it properly! Now ride south to Ongar.The B184 is very popular with bikers, with well-surfaced curvature linking yet morepretty villages. But expect aerial onlookers on busy days,too –the Police helicopter frequents this area looking for high-speed types, so perhaps it’sbest simply to enjoy the view from the road and not exploit its potential.

officers to bed with aflea in their ear So, riding up the staircase is out, but if you missed out on the cream tea at Finchingfield, the old stables at Hylandshas an excellent supplyofcoffee and cake.

Just around the corner inGreat Baddowlies the remains of the Great BaddowTower, which is nothardtospot because it’s 110 metres tall. This is the one remaining part of what was originally called the chainhome, Britain’sfirst radar defence network against incoming German air attacks. It allowed an early, targeted response, kidding the Luftwaffe into thinking that the RAF had more planes than they did because the illusion was that they wereeverywhere. The observationplatforms at stages to the top must have required a serious head for heights!

From here, exit Chelmsford on the A130 and head towards Maldon, picking up the B1012 and B1021 to Bradwell. Ride this route at the weekend and youwillbe in good company,motorcyclists swarming out from Londonto enjoy the ‘Burnham Bends’,with agood breakfast and walkalong the coast to follow.Timeseems to have stoodstill here, and the town is all the better forit, but on aSunday morningthe HighStreet is packed.

Thereisadefunct nuclear power station nearby,but of much moreinterest is the memorial to RAF Bradwell. Youcan’tmiss it, consisting as it does of a Mosquito aeroplane seemingly diving into the ground. Pilots based herehad the unenviable task of trying to intercept the incoming V1 rockets, on their way to cause havoc in London. However much of this rideyou choose to do, it’sareminder that a lot of these sites aretestament to the fact that so many would never returnand get the chancetotravel again on such abeautiful route.

Turn east at Ongar and continue on the A414 to Hylands House, which is ahidden gem. Abeautiful building in itself, this wasbuilt in 1730 and isset inacres of beautiful country park. It became amilitary hospital during the First World War, and initially in the Second as well, but it went on to become a prisoner-of -war camp, and finally the headquarters of the SAS. Perhaps the best-known tale involves the legendary head of the SAS, CaptainPaddy BlairMaine, driving aJeep upthe grandmain staircase for abet.Apparently, the lady of the house was less than impressedand sent all the

OFTH

With adventureand ‘going the distance’ at its heart, Motorcycle Sport and Leisureis the must-have mag for those with itchy feet or looking for first-class motorcycling inspiration on aglobal scale. Treat yourself to acopy by scanning this link.

Q&A

QEach issue our specialistmotoring solicitor Andrew Prendergastguides readers through their legal trials and troubles.

.Manymoons ago, my wife boughtmea mugthat said, ‘World’s Best Golf Player’ and my sonboughtmeamug with,‘World’s Best Dad’.Now,Iknew the former wasalways somewhat optimistic.However,regarding thelatter, I’ve alwaysthoughtIwas apretty good dad… until last month,when my son gotnicked. And in all fairnesstohim,itwas entirely my fault.When hewas 16 yearsold, he wanted amoped and the dealwas if he couldsaveupfor his helmet and kit, Iwould buyhim alittle runaround andinsureitfor his17th birthday.Incentivised,heworkedhis socksoffatthe weekends at the localboatyard cleaningthe daycruisers, savedhis money, andwewentand boughthis kit. His17th birthday wassoonuponusand his nanpaid forhis CBT. Imanaged to pickupa lovely little HondaCB125F and gothim insured.Hewas as happyasadog with twobones.All wasgrand for three months until he gotpulledoverbya copper as he wascominghome fromhis nan’s, as the bikecame up with no insurance.Tobe fair to the copper,helet my soncall me and even let me takethe bikehome in the back of my vanasIsaid it wasinsured andthere must have been ami-up. However, the next dayIdiscoveredthat becauseIhad swapped bank accounts,the DirectDebit to my son’s insurance company hadstopped.I phoned the insurance company to complain and sort it out, buttheysaid theyhad emailedand writtentomebypost. As it transpired,they had(Ihad not read the emails as Ithoughtthey were ‘spam’,and my wife hadleft the letters

in apile that Ithen movedand mislaid). The friendlycopper gotbackincontact,and Ihad to tell him what hadhappened. Whilsthewas sympathetic,hesaid my sonwould likely get acourt summons,which he dulydid. Idon’t seewhy my sonshould getdone becauseof me.What canIdo? It wasagenuine erroron my part

A.WhilstIamsympathetictoyourson’s situation and have no doubtyou didn’t mean to do this,unfortunately, havingnoinsurance is astrict liabilityoffence so the courtwill have no choice buttofind yourson guilty. However, if you can, make sure your songets legal representation to help him before the court date as he needstoput forward an argument for ‘special reasons’because he reliedonyou as aparent to insurehis bike. If yourson makes out‘specialreasons’the courtwill not givehim penaltypoints and afine.Tosuccessfullyargue ‘special reasons’itmust:

1. Be amitigatingorextenuatingcircumstance; and

2. Notamountinlaw to adefence to the charge;and

3. Be directlyconnected with the commission of the offence; and

4. Be one whichthe courtoughtproperly to take into consideration when imposing sentence

From what youhavesaid, Ithink your sonhas a good chance of avoidingpoints and afine

Q.Around18months ago, some dippywoman pulledout of aside road to my left and took me outwhilstI wasridingmyZX-6R.Itwas pretty catastrophic,and Ilostmyleft leg(above the knee), as well as needingsurgery to my right foot and ankle that wasshatteredtobits.Tostate the blindinglyobvious,it’sbeenlife changing. Liabilitywas admittedsuper-quickly and to be fair to the defendant’sinsurer,theyhave throwneverythingand the kitchen sink at my rehabilitation. My stumphas taken awhile to heal up and for the swellingtogodownbut,atlast, I’ve hada fittingand nowprogressedontoaGenium X4 prosthetic leg. This legisincredible and even knows when you’rewalkingorcycling, etc.,and adjusts the falsekneeaccordingly. The problem I’ve nowgot is the other side have just popped up with an offer of £1 million. I’minclinedto takeitasthis accident hasbeenlife changingand made me reassess what Iwanttodoinlife.Since the accident Ihavelostmyapprenticeship as an electrician, and Ican’t seemeeverdoingthat again. NowI’m up on my feet,sotospeak,I want to travel the world. Iwould just add that I’monly 23 yearsold and livewith my parents. Theydon’t want me to settle my claim yet, by the way. And neither does my solicitor.Whatdoyou think I should do?Isamillion pounds enough?

A.I will answerthe second question first.No, amillion pounds is not enough.TheGenium X4 prosthetic legisafantastic,life changing bit of kitwithamicroprocessorknee, etc.,that canbeset up and adaptedfor each individual person. Ihaveaclientwho’s on one at the

momentand it reallyhas changedhis life.For example,onarecentholiday he wasable to get in andout of aswimming poolwith his kids becausethe prosthetic legand electronics are all waterproof. He could not do that twoyears ago. However, this technology is not cheapat around £100k perprosthetic legand theydon’t last forever with them needingtobereplaced around everysix years, plus maintenance costs, etc.,alongthe way. In addition, it is generally accepted youneedtwo prosthetic legs at the same time,i.e.one as abackup, etc.,incaseone is broken or needsservicing, etc. In addition to the leg, Ihaveconcerns aboutyourfuture. At 23 you arenaturallyyoung andfit. However, as you getolder,you arelikelytoneedsome care and assistance,especiallyasyou’vebadly damaged yourother ‘good leg’.Inaddition, youalso need to factor in what futureaccommodation you’regoing to need,i.e.adapted single storey accommodation; what youcan do for work; and what your futurelossofearnings will be as youare nowdisabled. In short, your claim is very likelytobeseveral million pounds,and you would be prudenttoconsider what your solicitor is sayingverycarefully. However, neither s/he or Iare ‘walkinginyourshoes’ (no punintended) andyou need to make a decision that is rightfor you. However, as your solicitor will no doubt have told you, once you settle your claim, youcannot come back for any morecompensation at alater date,i.e.for your injuries and/or lossesand/or treatment, etc. As such,pleasedothink very carefullyabout what you do nextasitwill affectthe rest of your life

Stars align…

Sometimes it’sthe bike you expect the least from thatends up stealing theshow,aswas the casewith this RoyalEnfield Constellation

Words: JAMES ROBINSON Pics GARYCHAPMAN

Prior to one of ourregular journeys to AndyTiernan’smotorcycleemporium (see www.andybuysbikes.com) in Framlingham,Suffolk,we’dspokento Andyand agreed alistofmotorcycles that he would have available, includingsome from his private collection at home

Amongstthe otherswehad discussed wasalovelycharcoalgreyTriumph Thunderbird, butthat wassoldand collected the daybefore ourvisit –such is the situation when arrangingto borrow dealer machines.But we (writer Phil Turner and photographer Gary Chapman) and Istillhad afull roster to go at, rangingfromtinytwo-strokes to bigcapacityfour-strokes, and covering about40years

Therewas one machine,though, whichhad been on Andy’sstock list

for awhile,and whichweincluded almostasanafterthought, to do ‘if we hadtime’. It beinga1963 RoyalEnfieldConstellation, all 693cc of it –whichfor abrief time (after SquareFourproduction endedin1959) made it the biggest production motorcycleonsale in the UK. Indeed,this actual machine even features in this year’s ‘Tiernancalendar’, sold in aid of Air Ambulance,whereitissuperbly illustrated by Mike Harbar. As I’dnever ridden abig Enfield twin, and with the Thunderbirdgone, Irequestedthatwedosomething with the Constellation, to whichAndy readilyagreed, with mechanic Peter detailedtogiveita doseoflooking-at and the onceover earlier in the week beforewearrived

Onecan’t pretend that it wasthe highlightofthe anticipated outing. You’ll seeindue course some of the other things we rode that day, but, let’s say, theEnfield wasnot the biggestpre-event excitement. At Andy’s, we took it outside and while Phil and photographer Gary were ‘doing’ another bike, Peterhandedme afuel can, and so Isloshedsome gojuice in, and then, afterturning on the ignition, gave it agood old kick,and it burstintolife.Soundedkeen, too, and so my enthusiasm wasalittle piqued. Leavingthe otherstoget on, Isettled in the saddle,feelingright at home immediately, then turnedright out of Andy’sgateway andset off into the Suffolk countryside Sometimes,one clicks immediately with amotorcycleand with others,

one neverdoes. To my surprise, the Enfield wasinthe former camp,far morethananythingelseIrodethat day. And far morethansome things I’ve owned, too. Straightaway it felt right; Iloved that Ifelt ‘in’ it rather than on it,whichisperhaps due to the much-sat-upon seat having lostsome of its supportivepadding, butthat meantitjustfelt likemyold settee, comfy and familiar Similar to my settee,the aged Enfield looksa bit likeit’sseenbetter days,too,but lookingdownfromthe saddle,despitebeing able to seethe unfortunate dingtothe petrol tank,I liked the waythe once-bright metallic redpainthad faded, mellowedand become abit weather-beaten, while the sweepofthe handlebars just suited my wrists nicely.

Isettledintothe traffic, gradually catchingupa ladonone of those noisy125cc four-strokerace reps seeminglybelovedoftoday’s youth, while he,inturn, wascatchingupthe cars ahead of him.Thedroningnoise of the Yamaha in front(for that’s what it was) quicklybecame tedious,and on atwistyroad, in aline of traffic, chances of overtakeswereslim,soI took aturn down arandom backroad and settledintoadifferentpace, making amental notetoremember whichway I’dcome andtonot go too far,asI’d not putthat much petrol in. Nowata slower pace of life,the Enfield felt lovely,too,justpottering aboutbut with an eagernessto accelerateatpace,too,slightly impatienttoget amoveon, but uncomplaining. As Iwas nowin

danger of gettinglost, Ideemedit prudenttoheadbackthe wayIcame beforethe petrol wasall gone and asearchand rescue partyhad to be deployed. ButI’d have happilyspent the afternoon just ridingthe Enfield. Back at Andy’s, Gary and Phil had finishedwhattheyweredoingand were watchingthe emptyroad, as time tickedonand I’dvanished–sorryboys. Butweweresoonbackon trackand the Enfield wasbackand forth for the camera, just as at home doingfeet-up turns in the roads,as it hadbeenin60mph traffic. What a nice bikeitis.

Really, it’s to my detrimentthatI wassurprised,for RoyalEnfield was acompany whichknew howtobuild agood motorcycle, areputation it continues to enjoy to this day, too. It alsobuilds twin-cylinder models again now, after yearsofa ‘singles only’ policy, following the 2018 launchofits parallel-twinInterceptor 650 and then Continental GT 650 in 2019. Though as yetthe Constellation name hasn’t been reused,thereisa SuperMeteor650, as well as Classic

650, Shotgun650 and Bear 650, all basedaround the same air-cooled four-valveengine

The original Constellation was launchedfor 1958, in its first-year incarnation featuringadecidedlyracy Amal TT carburettor. This wasperhaps to distinguish it from the (original) SuperMeteoritappearedalongside, whichwas possessedofthe same 693cc twin-cylinder engine,that itself havingcome outof, and replacing, the Meteor,launchedin1953, andbased upon the unimaginativelynamed ‘500 Twin.’Meteorwas amuchbetter moniker andsat alongside the Bullet morehappilythanthe informativebut-uninteresting‘500 Twin’ effort.

The 500 Twin hadbeenRoyal Enfield’s first parallel twin, joining all the other makers in the rush to market for what wasthe ‘must-have’ model in pretty much everymaker’s post-Second WorldWar range, at leastthosewith intensions of being ‘mainstream’.But RoyalEnfield hadmade lots of twins in the past, though thesewereofthe V-twin configuration, alayoutthat had history with RoyalEnfield to before the FirstWorld War.

This even broughtthe company sportingsuccess, with abestofthird place in the 1914 Junior TT,courtesy of Irishman FJ (Fred)Walker –a successwith atragicending, for havingcrossed the finish line to claim apodium place,abarrier hadbeen putacrossthe road andpoorWalker –perhaps dazedafter an earlier crash –hit it and diedasa result of his injuries.His machine (XOT 4) survives in the NationalMotor Museum at Beaulieu and Ihad the pleasureofridingitinthe Sunbeam Club’s Pioneer Run, many yearsago RoyalEnfield hasnever enjoyed an Isle of Manvictory, with bests beingCecil Barrow’s second in the 1928 Lightweight250cc TT,and Steve Linsdell’s remarkable second in the Manx GP Newcomers’ race of 1981, on a500cc Seeley-framedBullet,in amongthe multi-cylinder two-stroke TZ Yamahasand RG500 Suzukis. Linsdell alsomemorably raceda ‘bigtwin’ Enfield in VMCC events in

the1980s and90s,showing many a Triumph, BSA, Norton and Vincent the wayhome

Therewas aspell in the late 1950s when RoyalEnfield went after production racingsuccess, in an effortmastermindedbySyd Lawton andfamously employingracer Bob McIntyre in aridingcapacity,to underline the sportingprowess of models likethe SuperMeteorand the Constellation, butitwas the big V-twins that could often be found haulingahuge, heftysidecar, for whichthe company wasbestknown. As mentionedearlier,Royal Enfield wasinthe businessofV-twins early on, having first exhibited aso-engined machine in November 1909, using a297cc SwissMotosacochepower unit.Theseweresoonjoinedbya larger (350cc)version, then in 1912 came the 771cc JAPV-twinmodel, the 180 –Royal Enfield’s first bigtwin hadbeenborn. The Model 180 was to be amainstayofthe Enfield range for many years, it gaininga980cc JAPengine in 1915, and then from 1921 it waspowered by the Vickersbuilt,Royal Enfield designedV-twin of 976cc,beforemanufacturewas broughtin-housefor 1925. The Model 180 waslastlistedin1928, then came the Model K, still of 976cc Things became bigger,too,when the gargantuan 1140cc versionofthe Kwas launchedfor exportonlyin 1933, then it wasjoinedbythe KX in 1937, whichbecame (and remains) somethingofa cult machine,the ultimate‘bigEnfield’.

Thisparticular example of the later bigEnfield wasregisterednew on 3September, 1963, bearingan‘A’ registration, the first year that letters were addedafter the numbers– the full registrationonthe machine being ADC986A,while the DC signifies it wasoriginallyinMiddlesborough Notall councils used aletteratthe end of the number until it became compulsoryin1965, by whichtime the letterwas on to C. In the earlydays, the letterran from 1January, butthe impracticalities of arushonnew vehicles (everyone buyingsomethingwanteda ‘new year

letter’sothe neighboursknew they were ‘doingalright…’) on NewYear’s Day, meantitswitched to 1August from 1967, meaninganE onlyran 1 Januaryto31July, 1967. This Enfield, then,was registered towardsthe end of the year,its new owner not wantingtohold outa few months so everyone knew he’d anew vehicle –whichperhaps sums up a RoyalEnfield buyeratthe time,asin, not toobothered aboutwhatothers thought, seeingasthe bigREwas overshadowed, certainlyinterms of glamour,bythe likes of Triumph’s Bonneville and BSA’snew A65, while in glamour and capacitybyNorton’s 745cc Atlas, whichhad knocked the Enfield off its perchasBritain’s biggestproduction model

That the featuremachine before us wasregisteredinSeptember 1963 makesitone of the last of the Constellations produced, forthe model wastobedropped from the rangefor 1964. ConsultingRoy Bacon’sbookBritish Motorcycle of the 1960s alsobringsupan interesting point: the onlyConstellation listedfor 1963 was(to quote the aforementionedbook) ‘…available only as asidecarmachine,and to this end wasdetunedtothe Meteor specification, with lowcompression ratio,one carburettorand coil ignition. Asiamesed exhaustsystem wasfitted as standard, twin systems beinganoption. To suit sidecaruse, the machine hadlowered gearing,

reducedforktrial, stiff suspension and asteeringdamper.’

Closer inspection of oursubject machine reveals that it does indeed have asteeringdamper, hascoil ignition (I know, as Iforgottoswitch it on at one point, whichresulted in gettingrather hot and bothered;me that is,the bikejustdid nothing…) while lookingatthe engine number, it also has‘SC’stampedonit–for sidecar, one mightbesafetoassume? Perhapsthataccounts for its altogethereager-to-please

demeanour,while one wondersifin this configuration it would produce the 51bhpRoyal Enfield claimed. Incidentally, the new Interceptor 650 and friends make aclaimed47bhp, so the ‘old ones’have, in theory, more giddy-up than abrand-new machine that lookssimilar.Whether in reality that would be so,isamootpoint.

As for the old Constellation, onceit wasdropped,Royal Enfield already hada new model in its range, the Interceptor,whichwas effectivelyto become aone-modelrange by the

end of the 1960s.This wasextensively redesigned(nowfeaturing awet-sump engine and single oil pump)for 1969, to finallyget away from the oil pump/ feed problems and suspicions which hadalwaysdoggedthe bigRoyal Enfield twins,apparentlywith some justification. ButIwas alsotoldthat the problems only‘really’ surfacedif

the model wasthrashedfromstart-up, whichisnot the antics many of us undertakewith ourold (orotherwise, in fact) motorcycles,not thesedays anyway

Forwhat many of us useanold motorcyclefor,whichispleasant jaunts in the countryside on warm summer days,this RoyalEnfield

Constellation would seethe stars all linedupnicely, boastinggood manners, pleasingperformance and acomfortable ridingposition. As I’dtruthfullycome into it not reallyexpectingmuchatall, it was apleasantsurpriseand agood experience to have expectations exceeded

Like what you see?

If tales of old, bikes of yesteryear and agood dose of Castrol-Rare what get you revving, scan this link and treat yourself to moregreat content from The Classic Motorcycle.

42 LONG-TERMERS

Oliver -Suzuki GSX-R125

TheGSX-R-125. My first-everbike

And it is brilliant. My name is Oli Hartshorne, and Iamasnew to bikes as they come, with only 400 miles in and still withthe stiffarms, with wide eyes when those fast corners come round, andmaybe the occasional stall. In those 400 miles Ihave certainly crammedinsome good rides. Watching thebikearrive in the backofthe van had me feeling like akid at Christmas, and whenI sat on it, Ifelt like ValentinoRossi.

Now,I’m no expert whenit comes to bikes so don’t expect the technicalsidefromme. Iwantto show the experiences and thoughts of anew rider.What grabs my main attention in bikes is the looks and the GSX-R125 does this. Thestyling makes it hardnot to turnyour head as one rides by.Along with its white and bluepaintwork and the signature GSX-R logo, it certainly makesupfor the notorious speeds of a125. Itssingle headlight incorporates the classic look of the GSX-R’s, making one feel part of thecluband obviously becomes very handy at night. Regarding the headlight, one featureIlike is the unique design because not only does it have the main single headlight in themiddle, but also it has two either side,and itbecomes most obvious during use as it gives an imposingglare It is these subtleties that really put together agood-lookingbike. In terms of performance,Ihave no complaints. Iabsolutely love it. 125s areknown for their slower speeds. However,the GSX-R125’s top-end is easily over 70mph, which already beats most in its class. Also, it’spretty nippy in thelower gears; Icertainly have no problemgetting from 0-30 in ahurry,sothisgives me agood balance of not too fast to the point, as anew rider,I could get myselfinto trouble, but also it’snot too slow so Ican get myselfout of trouble.

Its handling keeps me happy, providing me with confidencein both low- and high-speedcorners. Its suspension proves itsworth on the many speed bumpssurrounding whereIlive, making sureIcan still have kids in the future, so Iam incredibly grateful!

The seating position certainly has that sport bike feel and look,but also not too much of it either,meaning you can ride this bike for awhile without turning your joints into that of a90-year-old’s when you get off and, for a125, its stock exhaust doesn’tsound too shabby either

For me being so young, the economical side of not only this bike, but bikes in general, is alifesaver I’ve only fuelled it up once in a month of ownership and it cost me abrutal £10. It’sgoing to take me awhile to recover financially from that. All of these featuresresult in me having to forcemyselftoget off the bike at the end of every ride.It’s even got my 78-year-old grandfather wanting to ride again; whetherhe does, however,depends on my 78-year-old grandmother

The400 miles Ihave done. Due to my skillset and not wanting to kill the bike, Iamnot yet gifted with theopportunity to tour all that farfromhome.This has got me quite inventive on how to enjoy myself and improve my skillset. Iamfortunate enough, however,tobesurrounded by countryside, accompanied with moreoff-grid country roads. When my bikefirst arrived, my Dad came to ride with me. It had been two monthssince my CBT so Iwas still abit wobbly.Wewent out for around two hours, riding along country roads,through quaint towns, and on A-roads into roundabouts. In just thosetwo hours my confidence and ridingability already had improved.

The followingday it was time for me to go outbymyself for the first time. Idid acircuit along country roads whereIcould take my time and actually enjoy riding the bike, rather than worrying

about other drivers. Idid much of the same during the following weeks, improving my skills and confidence, learning the bike, but most importantly simply enjoying myself. One of my favourite things is to cruise along on awarm evening with the sun setting and my visor up; thereisnothing else like it.

One of the biggest highlights to date has been riding with my Dad to the BSB at Donington. Iamlucky to live near to the circuit, so we thought, why not go watch abit of racing. It was my first time attending and Iwas impressed by not only the speed of the bikes, but also the skill of the riders. Iwas able to get on the pit wall and watch the bikes go past just metres away.Itcertainly did no favours for my hair

Riding therewas exciting. We rode through countryside and towns with never-ending views. Pulling into the track and parking next to all the other bikes really made me feel part of it all, and apart from the L-plate on the front, the GSX-R fitted in perfectly.Now Iamannoyed I have to wait for the next event. The downsides to enjoyment.

As to the bike, Iwouldn’tmake any improvements, though there aresome parts Iwould customise using the Suzuki shop. As alearner, the pillion seat is not required so I will look through the parts catalogue and hopefully order arear seat cowl. Also, Iwill search for aloudersounding exhaust. Iamalover of good-sounding vehicles, so this is a no-brainer

These, for me, areall preferences and Iamsimply planning to customise the bike from what’s offered through Suzuki, giving me the opportunity to make the bike moreunique.

Insuranceschemes providing:

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•Fire &Theft cover for children’s off-road motorcycles children’soff-road

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Quick Spin:

Benelli Leoncino125

For those after anippy 125 with an all-terrainoutlook, AJS’sADV-S125 deserves to be on your radar.

What is it?

Few modern125cc motorbikescan boast being descended from such arich pedigree, but Benelli added the Leoncino 125toits existing range of motorbikes in 2022, which already includes two other 125cc machines. Thename can be traced to the early 50swhen Benelli first used the name Leoncino for a former 125ccwhich proved to be a massive success for the Italian firm. Although today Benelli may be owned by aChinesecompany,

Qianjiang Motorcycle, the designof this motorbike is very much Italian and includes arespectful nodto the model that started it all, carrying over itscontemporary character to produce abike for those new to riding but wanting something abit special.

Talking the torque

The beating heart of theLeoncino 125 isa single-cylinder four-stroke liquid-cooled 125cc engine.This engine was introduced in 2022 and has apower outputof12.8bhp

(9.4kW) at 9500rpm and10Nm of torque at 8500rpm, andismounted inside ablack steeltrellis frame which integrates perfectly with the bike’sdesign.

The suspension looks quite tasty for alower-priced bike with 53mm upside-down forks up front anda glossy black monoshockatthe rear Wavy brake discsatboth ends hint towardsasporty look for this naked machine.

Keeping things up to date while still having one hand on the past,

the lights areLED all-round with the sophisticated round headlight receiving quite adistinctive shape and the indicators having clear lenses for adiscrete presence when not in use.

Cracking on… Imust start with the retro-inspired looks, not because Ihave an arm twisted behind my back, but because this is an area that allows the Leoncino to stand apart from its 125 competitors. The words

‘Designed in Italy’ aredisplayed quite prominently on the sides of the fuel tank with the name Leoncino visible from just about any angle you look at the bike, appearing quite proudly on the seat unit, the headlight and the wheel decals.

The model Ihad to try outwas in Matt White but as youcan see from the photos, the majority of the bike is black with asplash of white on the front mudguardand the sides of the tank. The little yellow flashes of decals on the wheels and bodywork

really pop out to add more interest Just to note here, the other colour options include Matt Grey,Forest Green and Lava Red.

Although thereismoretobe said about the design features, Imust moveontoother aspects of thebike as, after all, it is to be ridden, and I set about this with amindset as if I was looking at apotentialfirst bike for someone. Unfortunately,Iam going to start with aflaw as thefirst thing Inotice is that the side stand is abit too long meaning that when

down,the bike sits very upright. This maynot be amassive problem, but Iknowfrombikes Ihave had in the past, this is something that is annoying to livewith as parking up takesalittle moreconsideration. Moving onwards though,the engine had quite abit of go for a125. First gear was abit short, having me knock it up into second gear quite soon aftersettingoff,but with asix-speed gearbox thereis enough of them to go at.Towards the top end of the bike’spotential

speed, therewas still enough pull to allow overtakes with confidence when needed, whichiswheresome smaller-capacity bikes canhavethe rider sitting behind trafficat50mph in fearofrunningout of steamwhen pulling alongside slower-moving cars. The grunty engine noise combined with the exhaust note gives offquite asatisfying bark through the whole revrange,not just when acceleratinghard. Whenitcomestocomfort, I wastrying hardnot to focuson the woodenfeel from the seator the vibrations that came through it, but Icouldn’t be in denial for too long as it is somethingthat is

always present and therewas no escaping the fact. Also, Idid feel that my feet werealittle too high and rearwards on the pegs for my liking for abike that isn’tbuilt for the racetrack, but when Icame to some twisty sections of road, the pegs did provide morethan adequate amounts of clearance from the road. Although the display is not anything flashy to shout about, the LCD screen shows all the important information in aclear layout. At this point Idid look back on my days with my first 125cc motorbike and when Iremove the rose-tinted glasses, Iremember,like many other riders, that we didn’thave the

luxury back then of adigital fuel gauge or gear readout that appears almost as astandardfunction nowadays.

The single disc brake on the front wheel had morethan enough force to pull bothbike and myself to a stop when needed which is in no small part due to the lightweight natureofthe bike (maybe the same cannot be said of myself), but also due to the fact that the single caliper benefits from athree-piston set up to squeeze the 280mm wavy disc. With the brakes performing so well, this did highlight aslight problem with the front suspension which didn’tfeel to have quite

enough support to prevent the forks from compressing toomuch when anchoringupwith conviction.

To be fair,the suspensionoverall wasdoing agreat job and to say they arenaturally built with a

limited budget to keep the bikes costs low and under general riding they offered moreconfidence than Iexpected from such aset up, and this issue wasapparent onlywhen braking hard

Worth apunt?

It’sclear just by seeing the bike in either photos or in the flesh that the Leoncino can stand out from its peers in styling alone. Should anew rider be looking for abike

to complement their personality which has many aspects to discuss with fellow bikers regarding its retrolooks, or whether they arelooking for something with confidence-inspiring abilities, then the Leoncino deliversonboth accounts.

The engine performance, handling and brakes aregreat for a125cc bike, and that is without considering the low cost of such amachine.

The lack of comfort from the seat and the long side stand would be

an issue to live with, but then I wouldn’town this for those factors if Iwas starting my biking life from scratch, Iwould be buying this for the statement it makes and the performance it offers.

The stuff that matters…

Power: 12.8bhp/9.4kW@ 9500 rpm

Weight 145kg

Price: £3599.00

Contact: www.benelli.co.uk

Bantam KINGS TWO WHEELCENTRE

What

Theoriginal

Message from theEditor...

Welcome to Fast Bikes,yourhomeofthe bestsports bike tests on the planet, full of technical insight, hardcoreactionand all done in our owninimitable Fast Bikesstyle Welovetotest the latest and greatest bikes onthe market,but we caterfor everybudget –and thatmeans thrashing everything from £1000 hacks to £100,000 race bikes.Weget totalk to the most importantand interesting people in motorcycling,beitMarcMarquez to the bloke down the road thatfixesbikes Then we stack the magazine full of features on bikes, biking andbikers,with our fingers firmly on the pulse in termsofwhat’sin the pipeline from the manufacturers

BruceWilson

Messagefromthe Editor...

Welcome to Motorcycle Sport&Leisure, amagazine with the latest motorcycle news, test rides and fascinating interviews with the topfigures from the worldof twowheels from championship winning racers to engineers and executives from the topmanufacturers.Thereare touring tales from everycorner of the globe,and strong viewsfromour expertcolumnists It doesn’t matter whattype of bike you’ve got, howyou like to ride it or how experienced youare, MSL is the grown-up’s magazine written forsheer motorcycling pleasure.

BruceWilson

Buyingaused…

DUCATI MONSTER 1200S

Ducati’soverlookedsuperbike-enginedsporty roadster is agreat used buy

Words: Jon Urry Pics: MortonsArchive

Ducati’s Monsterwas (arguably) the first trulysportynaked bikewhen it brokefreeand escapedout of the doorsofthe Bolognafactoryin1993.

Poweredbyapeppyair-cooled twin, the Monsterboasted atrellis chassisthat wasbased around the unit used on the firm’ssportsbike(the 888) andcame with inverted forks and aminimalistic, weight-saving, ethos to giveitlight handlingand acool, stripped-back look.Aninstantsales hit,the Monster familyformedthe bedrockfor Ducati’s growththroughout the 1990s and drew its own‘Monsteristi’ following.

Buttimes change and despite acapacity increase,bythe 2010s

Ducati’s air-cooledmotor didn’t cutthe mustardinthe sporty naked class (the water-cooledS4and S4RS models were up for the challenge but quicklybecame outgunned) and so the decisionwas made to sharpen the big-capacityMonster’steeth

Unveiledin2014, the Monster1200 familyispowered by the 1198-derived Testastretta 11-degree DS engine Water-cooledand boastingpower figures that putthe Monsterback on the performance nakedmap,the

Monster1200s alsoaddedastackof new tech includingABS and traction control to the party, as well as hi-spec chassiscomponents (especiallyon the range-toppingS model) and an elegant look with nods to the bike’s heritage and astylish single-sided swingarm

All should have been good butfor some oddreason, the buyingpublic neverwarmedtothe Monster1200 models and theyweregenerally overlooked,failingtocapture anythinglikethe fanbasetheir predecessors enjoyed

Whythis happenedisa mystery becauseasownersofa Monster1200 will tell you, it is abrilliantbikefor sporty road ridingwith wonderful performance,excellenthandingand a surprisinglylarge amountofpractical features –for aDucatiproduct Undeniably afairly bigbike(it hasa long1511mm wheelbase), on initial inspection the Monsterappears morealigned to asportycruiser than afearsomenaked and when you sit on it the overall impression is of a long, low, laidbackmachine.And one that canbemadeevenlower thanks

to an adjustable seat heightwhich varies between785mm and810mm –whoever heardofanadjustable seat on asupernaked bike?

This size and its209kgwet weight,however,makethe Monster instantlyassured to ride and very confidence-inspiring, not to mention comfortable (aside from the exhaust gettinginthe wayofyourright foot/ ankle). It just feels ‘right’fromthe word go and everythingthatmatters such as the switchgear,clocksand mirrors areall well designedand easy to access– although naturally

2014-2016 DUCATI MONSTER

Other things to know…

Monster 1200

The stock Monstermodel lacks the Sversion’sfullyadjustable Öhlins suspension, instead running KYB forks and aSachs shock. While the forks arefully-adjustable, the shock only has variable preload and rebound damping. The stock Monster alsohas alloy wheels rather thanlightweight machined items,lower-spec Brembo brakes, and produces less power,making aclaimed 135bhp (10bhp less) with 117.7Nm (7Nm less)oftorque.

Update Ducati updated both Monster 1200 models in 2017 with more power (now they both make the same claimed 150bhp), cornering ABSand traction control, chassis upgrades, a beefier swingarm and anew spec of dash. Prices start at £7500 for the stock model and £9000 for the S.

Monster 1200R

The Monster 1200 Rlanded in 2016 andfeatures arevised version of theTestastretta 11-degree DS enginewith 10 per cent morepower and 5.5 per cent moretorque(160bhp and 131Nm) than the S. Also, it has asharper tail unit, separate rider and pillion pegs for improved ground clearance, carbon parts and uprated Öhlins suspension. Prices start at £8000.

Service history

Engine: Type: 1198cc, liquid-cooled, 8v,desmo V-twin

Bore xStroke: 106mm x67.9mm

Compression: 12.5:1

Fuelling: Electronic Fuel Injection

Tested Power: 129bhp @8800rpm

Tested Torque: 114Nm @7300rpm

Chassis

Frame: Tubular steel trellis

FSuspension: 48mm inverted Öhlins forks, fully-adjustable

Rsuspension: Öhlins monoshock, fullyadjustable

Front brakes: 2x four-piston Brembo M50 calipers, 330mm discs. ABS Rear brake: Two-piston caliper,245mmdisc. ABS

Dimensions:

Wheelbase: 1511mm

Seat Height: 785-810mm

WetWeight: 209kg

Fuel Capacity: 17.5 litres

Speed: 0-60: n/a

0-100: n/a

0-150: n/a

Stg ¼-mile: n/a

Standing mile: n/a

Topspeed: n/a

Runningcosts:

Service interval:

Minor: 9000 Major:

Although Ducati have extended the Testastretta’s service intervals over the years, the Monster still needs new cambelts every fiveyears and the ‘desmo’ valve-clearance check at 18,000-mile intervals, which is ahefty bill of approaching £800 even though it is anaked bike. Happily,the desmo is a mileage-sensitive service, not time-related.

Price guide: £5500-£8000

Cheapest private: £5650

16,850 miles, 2015 Monster 1200 in excellent condition with afew extras

Our choice private: £6965

14,147 miles, Monster 1200, justhad its belts changed and serviced

Our choice private: £5999

11,196 miles, veryclean Monster1200 with agood service history

Our choice dealer: £7999

8660 miles, lovely low mileage Monster 1200S in standard condition

Ex-demo: n/a

the mirrors vibrate. Butdon’t get lulledintoafalsesenseofsecurity, becauseatthe heartofthe Monsteris averypowerful motor Feelingevery bit adigitised version of older air-cooledV-twins,the Testastretta 11-degree DS engine has all the soul and spirit that youwantin anaked bike(especially aMonster) but cranksupthe performance to awhole new level. With the Smodel boasting aclaimed145bhp(genuine129bhpat the rear) and the stockerafew ponies less(seeboxouts),ithas morethan enough gruntfor road ridingand its

Swingarm

Always check the state of the eccentric chain adjuster system on the single-sided swingarm as it can seize. Askfor the seller to demonstrate it moving freely (a special tool is required to undo the pinch bolts, butthis can be overcome) andalso see if they know what torque the pinch bolts should be done up to (35Nm). Overtightened bolts can deform thehub.

Upgrades

Customisation isn’tuncommon on Monsters so be wary of what has been changed from stock. Bar-end mirrors, belly pans, bolt-on bling, stubby levers, etc., areall amatter of personal taste. If in doubt, try and buy as close to stock as possible or go for abike with official Ducati extras only as they tend to be high quality and usually add value.

Corrosion

Generally very solid, the Monster’sexposed nature means that the enginecan get hammered by corrosion if not kept protected through regular cleaning. Very few Monsters get used in dodgy conditions so all should be well, but give it a thorough checkover just in case as washing and then putting away while damp can lead to corrosion.Especially watch out for corroded electrical connectors on the motor

Exhaust

The OE exhaust is abit cumbersome and ugly,and lots of Monsters run aftermarket systems. The official Ducati option was aset of carbon Termi pipes and these aremore desirable to used buyers than rival options. Check the bike has been remapped to suit or it might run lean, especially if it has afree-flowing air filter fitted as well.

driveisdelivered with asilky-smooth throttle response and immensemidrangepunch.It’sagreat engine and one that feels bang at home when carvingalongthe UK’sroads Entertaining, soulful and backedup with electronic assiststhatwhile not greatwhen pushedtotheir limits on track, arehardtocriticisewhen called into action on the road.And all this is delivered in achassis that is alsoright at home on the UK’sTarmac.

Although lackingthe razor-sharp clinical precision of afull-on supernaked,the Monster1200 has wonderfullyneutral and predictable steering and suspension (especially the Smodel’s Öhlins) that is very adept at dealing with bumps. Thiscombinationcreates lots of mechanical grip,fillingyou with confidence to exploit all the handling potentialthe chassishas on offer. Take it on track, and this softlyset and compliantnaturequicklyturns into awallowy ride (whichcan be dialledout to adegreethrough the dampingand preload adjustability), butdoMonster 1200s belongon

50 USED BIKEGUIDE

ALSO CONSIDER THESE:

2014 Aprilia Tuono V4R

Private: £5500 Dealer:£6000

Aseriously committed supernaked, the Tuono is effectively astripped-down sportsbike and that makes it an absolute weapon to ride.

Engine: 999cc, l/c, 16v,V-four

Power: 156bhp @13,000rpm

Torque: 102Nm @10,250rpm

2014 KTM 1290 SuperDuke R

Private: £6500 Dealer: £6999

Not as wild as you might expect it to be, the Super Duke Risactually a really refined and thrilling supernaked with abanging V-twin motor at its heart

Engine: 1301cc, l/c, 8v V-twin

Power: 150bhp @9450rpm

Torque: 125Nm @8000rpm

2014 BMW S1000R Sport

Private: £5800 Dealer:£6300

Is it fair to call the Ra sporty roadster rather than afull-on supernaked? It certainly has the minerals, but it feels restrained in comparison to some morebarking rivals.

Engine: 999cc, l/c, 16v, inline four

Tested Power: 148bhp @ 11,500rpm

Tested Torque: 106Nm @ 9000rpm

track? Notreally, theylackthe ground clearance to reallyparty with the likes of the Tuono V4 or SuperDukeR.Although it hastobe noted that the MonsterS’s stoppers aremorethanupfor trackaction, making them feel borderingon over-kill on the road. That said, it is definitelybettertohavetoo much braking(backed up by ABS) than toolittle!

If youare in the market for a used sporty nakedbikeand aren’t reallythat fussedabout takingit on track, the Monster1200 Siswell worthconsidering. In Fast Bikes’ NakedSportsbikeofthe Year test in 2014, the Ducati wasthe bike that everyone ravedabout on the road and takingthe trackpartofthe test outofthe equation, it would probably have walked away as the eventual winner.And not onlythat, butitalsopulls greatwheelies

ZerofitCold Skin

Zerofit have built ahugereputation within the bikingcommunitywith their Heatrubrange,scientifically measured as beinguptofive times as warm as similar products, with the Ultimateactuallygenerating heat, workinginatemperature rangeof-10 to +10 Celsius

Butwhat aboutwhen it gets hot?

Zerofit turnedtheir attentionto creatinggarments to keep therider cool,resultinginthe Cold Skin baselayerand leggings.Zerofitclaim ‘significantperformance benefitsup to 40° Celsius’. Independenttesting of the fabricbythe KakenTestCentrein JapangaveaQratingof0.298W/cm2 –three times moreefficient thanthe 0.1W/cm2 industrystandard.

Utilisingfibres that absorb heat, dissipatingitacrossthe body, the fabric alsodisperses sweattokeep the rider dryand hasaUPF50 rating, protectingyou from harmfulrayswhen sheddinglayersonce off the bike.

Islid my hand into asleeve… it was so strange, the fabric instantlyfelt

cooltothe touch. The strangeness continues slippingthem on; oddly clingy,Iimagine it’swhat wearinga rubber balloon(or another rubber ‘garment’;fans of acertain Woody Allen comedy will knowthe scene) feels like. Once on, youforgetyou’re wearingthem.Iworethem under a leather jacket with no perforations and cargopants with elasticated ankles to restrict airflow.

It was22°C on ashortride,around sixmiles,mostly30mph roads with quiteafew stops.Onarrival Ichecked the baselayer. Icould feel damp,but my skinwas dry. Headinghome,the temperatureincreasedto24°C.The baselayerwas quite damp (mostly beneaththe jacket’s back armour) but again my back wasdry.Ifelt cool and relaxedthe whole time

Encouraged by this,Igavethe Cold Skin kitarealtest: a90-minuteride with the temperatureloggedat28° Celsius,inthe same kitasabove The roadswereamix of commuter traffic,B roads whereyou’reworking

harder,and flowing Aroads.These arethe kind of conditions whereyou feel likeyou’rebaking… and Ididn’t NotsureIwas cool, butcomfortable?

Definitely. After this workout, arms, torsoand legs were dry; therewas adamppatch on my back –again beneaththe back armour.The baselayerwas very damp so it had done its jobofwicking the moisture away from my body.

To be fair the leggings hadaneasier taskasmybikehas amesh coveron the saddle,but my legs remainedcool and drynomatterwhat.

Socksmade from the same fabric would be beneficial (this biker’s feet gethot); we’repleased to sayZerofit areinvestigating the idea. Watchthis space.

TESTED BY:Bob Pickett

TIME: 12 months

WEB:www.zerofit.co.uk

Price: Baselayer (£55), Leggings (£55)

TAMWORTH|STAFFS |B797XA

The Granary Café TYRE LINK (UK)

Large Stocks :All makes of biketyres Fitting &ridein-ride out service Tel01827 62174 |www.tyrelinkuk.co.uk

AVON AND SOMERSET

PARSONS MOTORCYCLES LTD

Old PitGarage, Coombend Radstock,Avon BA3 3AT 01761 433522

www.parsonsmotorcycles.co.uk Beta,Peugeot, Super Soco,Rieju

CORNWALL

THOR MOTORCYCLESLTD

Tretoil,Lanivet, Bodmin, Cornwall PL30 5BA 01208 831774

www.thormotorcycles.co.uk

Get your motorcycle noticedby potential buyers online and in leading motorcycle magazines!Choose from three unique packages and boostyour advert’s visibility byfeaturingit in additional leading motorcycle magazines, including ClassicBikeGuide,TheClassicMotorcycle, Back StreetHeroes, ScooteringMagazine, MotorcycleSport &Leisure, Fast Bikes, MoreBikes, Classic Dirt Bike, and Classic MotorcycleMechanics Visitbikemotormart.comfor more details!

BSA, Beta, Benelli, CCM, Fantic,GPX,Indian, Keeway,Mash,MotoMorini, Mutt,Talaria

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MSC

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www.scooters.co.uk

Aprilia, Benelli, Derbi, Italjet,Lambretta, Moto Guzzi, Piaggio,Royal Alloy,Super Soco,Vespa

DEALER LOCATOR

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

COOPERB MOTORCYCLES LTD

ThePiggery, Eastern Maudit, Northampton, Northamptonshire NN29 7UE 01933 665403

www.cooperbmotorcycles.co.uk BSA, RoyalEnfield

HERTFORDSHIRE

RACEWAYS MOTORCYCLES

25 Church Lane,Stevenage HertfordshireSG1 3QW 01438 368656

www.racewaysmotorcycles.com

AJS, Motorini. Spada and Oxford Clothing,Zontes

WEST SUSSEX

MOTO WARD LIMITED

Victoria House,Church Street, Rudgwick,WestSussex RH12 3HJ 01403 823222

www.motoward.co.uk

Yamaha Packages are available to private sellers only.If you’re a motorcycle trader,please contact Leon Currie for tailored trade rates –Email: lcurrie@mortons.co.uk or Call: 01507529465

£60.

tail box, silencer,£50.

Please call 07519112082

913

BSA Bantam Gear

Change Lever splines ok, £10, Pitmans Book of the RoyalEnfield by WC Haycraft, all4 stroke, singles 1944to1958, slightly tatty,readable, £5

Please call 01299266565

1230

BSA Bantam Petrol

Tank model D5 or D7 complete with filler cap/oil measure petrol tapchrome centre strip solid no rust inside/ outside, alas dent on left side easily repaired, £50. Please call 01268735135 1239

Bikelug Trailer

motorcycle trailer,single, canbedismantledwithout tools ideal for storage, can fit inside small van etc, built in loading ramp, all electrics no longer used, £450 ono. Please call 01268735135 915

Bridgestone BS100

Sport

1968, non runner needs anew piston andbarrel plating, over £1000 spent on new parts ie wheels, tyre, seat, engine parts and wiring loom plus load of other spares from the USA unable to finishthe job V5, £950. Please call 07929747650 1113

Ducati Monster

1999, M600 Dark, 24,400 miles, good runningorder, history back to new,MoT August 2026,£2400ono. Please call 07553536212 1228

Harley-Davidson Dyna SG 2013, 110thAnniversary Super Glidecustom, 1585cc, MoT August 2026, colour bronze, black,10,807 miles, excellent condition, £8995 cash on collection. Please call07810888956, Derbyshire 1231

Haynes Workshop Manuals

Yamaha FSI 1972to1983. Honda MBX/MTX125 and MTX200 1983 to 1993. Suzuki GS and DR125 Singles1982to1994. HondaCG1251976 to 1994, £9.95 each Tel. 07399359072. 941

Honda CB200

1976, £2,500, original UK bike, lovely condition, owners manual and keys, Avon tyres, runs well. Please call 01245322189 1074

Classified

Honda CB400/4 1976, £2,750, 1976, blue, full rebuildusing newand old parts, Piper exhaust, new coils, front tyre, rear brake shoes,carbs, new kits fitted, good condition. Please call 07927245949 1076

Honda CB750 1975, in excellent condition, tax and MoT exempt,UK bike, 27,000 miles, good colour,genuine reason for sale, £6000 ono. Please call 07546034695 1240

Honda CX500

1978,£1,500, 1978,good condition, running order, quiet engine,50plus oil pressure, tax, MoT exempt, not usedmuch, lowmiles. Please call 07548028097 1101

Honda VF10000R

1985, £2,000, project, 1985, 25,000 miles, tax and tested, running, new pistons, manynew parts and custom parts, historic tax class, needs paint. Please call 07928808057 1075

Kawasaki Z650 2018 Givi rails monoloc plate 4117 FZ, £30. Also Puig Mito screen, light smoke Universal fitting, £20. Telford area buyer to collect. Please call 07729114610 919

Moto Guzzi California

Motolug Trailer

Motolugcollapsible single motorcycle trailer, dismantles quickly without tools, ideal for storage/ transporting in asmall van, estate caretc, built in loading ramp, lights number board, no longer used, £450. Please call 01268735135 1238

Motorcycle Jacket

Oxford Bone Drymotorcycle jacket, black,blue,size XL, detachable thermal lining, elbowshoulder,back protection, as new,£30. Pair Eversure car ramps, no damage, drystored, £20. Please call 01299266565 1229

Motorcycle Tyre unusedmotorcycle tyre

Royal Enfield

70 reg, 12,000 miles, good condition, lots of extras, carrier,panniers, engine crash bar,choice of seats, 'N' cat, but sold with 12 months MoT,£2750 ono. Please call 07436002647 1242

SYM 125 2010, 2010, mint condition, 8months MoT,only 3500km, onlyused on sunnydays. Please call 07778742954 1243

Silencers

Tools BSAand Triumph tools for sale all sizes some Rudge and Douglas and Ariel plus other makes, if short of a tool to finishatool kit give me acall loadsoftools to sort out make me an offer for whatyou are short of on. Please call 07929747650 1111

Triumph Bonneville 2017 onwards,black leatherCaféRacerseat, Triumph printed on the back hump,asnew condition, only used twice cost, £200, bargain £90. Please call 07505003737 1236

Honda Rebel 2018,

£4,150, 2018, excellent condition, like new,red tank, full MoT, service history, 6250 comfortable miles,two panniers and top box. Please call 01366383941 1226

Kawasaki EN500 Trike 2001, full bodykit, head gasket blown. Please call 01543370720 910

1996, 1996, 1100i cc, 29,000 miles, on Sorn, MoT May2026, new leather upholstery, spotlights and much more, £3250 ovno. Please call 01205760322 1227

Moto Guzzi Sidecar

£6,795, 2006, California EV and Watsonian Palma, screen, rack topbox, panniers, tested till April 2026, one former keeper, 20,400 miles, excellent condition, economical, very good tyres. Pleasecall 07953032864 1067

Dunlop K82, 3.00-18 never fitted to arim, bought in error,wrong rim size. Also unused motorcycle tyre Mitas H.03 3.2518 Universal block tread pattern never fittedtoarim bought in error,wrong rim size,any reasonable offer

Please call 01268735135 1233

Norton 88

1957, 1957, grey and chrome, lovely condition, came from aprivate collection, taxand MoT exempt,willneed recommissioning, £4950, possible p/x anything considered. Please call 01275830922 1123

Triumph Thunderbird pair original factorypeashooter silencers, rear section excellent condition, off lowmileage bike, no rust corrosion, undamaged, £500 collection only New chrome sprocket cover boxed, £300 plus £7 postage. Please call 07434513161 1232

Suzuki Manual Suzuki Service Manual for B100P 120 model,dated 1965, veryclean, can post at cost make me an offer. Please call 07929747650 1112

Suzuki V-Strom DL1000 2018, Giviairflow touring extendable screen, £50. Main stand, £70. Black seat, £60. Original standard screen as new,£25. Please call 07355986267 918

Triumph Speed Twin 1961, £5,950, 1961, immaculate, matching numbers, new Devon rims/ sprockets, tyres, seat, controls etc, Boyer ignition, manyreceipts,previous MoTs, photos, V5C, stunning showwinner this year, delivered free.Please call 01723372219 1237

Vetter Windjammer Fairing black with headlight, indicators, horns, lower panels, wiring connectors, verygood condition with mounting frame, needs bead blasting andpainting, glove compartments, locking and presstops, £250 collection only.Please call 07434513161 1235

Yamaha FS1-E 1993, £3,500, 1993, two owners from new, complete original, 1885 miles fromnew,red, very nice condition. Please call 01275830922 1124

Yamaha XS750SE 1979, Special, metallic black paint, lotofstainless nuts/bolts, freetax and MoT, verygood tubeless tyres, 16,500 miles, good runner, valuable Porsche number plate, £1350 or offers. Please call 01708782364 1114

Wanted

Wanted for Yamaha MT03 660 2011, seat lowering kit (yoke to fit shock absorber) or lowering spring for same. Please call 07874840347, Manchester 1144

Camper Van lookingfor small to moderate size camper van preferably with some MoT, petrol or dieseland not really bothered about age of unit, please text details including location Please Call. 07790 512582. 986