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UCATI WORLD DUC 11 100 LAUNCH SCRAM MBLER FEVER

HARL LE EY KTM 120 00 IRON N

790 DUKE

NIKEN! Yamaha’s MT-09 powered three-wheeler is HERE

BONKERS. Brilliant. Bold. CAUGHT ON LENS!

KTM’S FUTURE HAS WINGS BUYER’S GUIDE Bagging a brilliant CB1100 for not much cash

CASHING IN:

CHEAP THRILLS

Moto Gymkhana – the sport you can do right now for just a few quid

BE SMART

How to make Monster money (kind of)

July 2018 Issue 694

Road users: get better. And do it quickly. Tony Carter Otherwise you might ﬁnd a motorcyclist who’s just about had enough of your ‘don’t care’ attitude.

miss those Saturday morning ‘public information’ adverts they used to put on telly during the ad breaks on Tiswas. I was a Tiswas child. I am so far from the middle-class world of Swap Shop it’s not funny. Anyway, for those of you who haven’t the Carl Foggiest about what I am blathering on with, let me explain. Largely made as cartoons, these were a series of advert-length (so, 30 seconds-ish) films from a Government department that told the viewer how to carry out a variety of simple tasks more safely. The subject matter ranged from not going off with strangers to not playing with kites near a power station to not polishing a wooden floor then placing a slippery sheepskin rug right on top in prime spot to take out a new dad loaded up with baby gear. “And to think, he’s only just come from the hospital...” You also learnt how to call the coastguard. As a young child in Peterborough with limited access to the wider world I wondered what a coastguard was – but I knew that if push came to shove I could call them and do my bit. One of those films that really stuck with me was the one about how to drive around a roundabout. In it the footage explained which lane to be in depending on which exit you wanted to take, how to change lanes accordingly once you were on the roundabout and when to indicate to let others know that you were coming off the roundabout. I’ve no idea why sevenyear-olds needed to know this, but I’m glad I learnt the ins and outs of roundabout etiquette by rote.

I firmly, truly believe that something deep in my psyche runs through that advisory cartoon every time I get to a roundabout, even today. But clearly there’s a whole generation of drivers who didn’t see these films. They must have been Swap Shop kids hooked another dose of Noel Edmunds snazzy jumpers while the nanny, Cressida, served them avocado on toast (I assume). Or perhaps they were busy mums and dads back then. Or perhaps they’re too young now to have been a child at the time. Why am I bothered by this? Well because, largely, the level of car driving and road use in general in the UK is unbelievably bad. Cyclists, lorry drivers, van drivers, SUV drivers, those stupid lay-down pushbikes with fluorescent orange flags atop long bendy poles, cyclists, new drivers, old drivers, drivers wearing hats, cyclists, horse riders, cyclists, BMW drivers, Audi drivers, Ford drivers, VW drivers, cyclists, horse riders, vintage car drivers, flash company car drivers... cyclists... you name it, you’re all absolutely crap. There, someone had to say it. And I don’t reckon much to a lot of motorcyclists I see out on the road either. Go read a book, watch riding tips online, go back and look through previous MSLs about training. Just learn. You’ll make the world a slightly better place. And you won’t smack me in the arm with your X5’s wing mirror because you’re too dumb to learn about how to get around a roundabout.

Tony, Holding-the-fort

Motorcycle Sport & Leisure’s contributors... Alan Cathcart

Alan Cathcart has been writing about bikes for more than 30 years, and riding them for even longer. He’s regularly given the keys to factory prototypes and being on ﬁrst name terms with the bosses of bike companies around the world allows him to bag many scoops.

Roland Brown

Has ridden for 37 years and been a bike journalist for more than 30. At Bike he ended up as deputy editor before going freelance. An author of 11 books, as a racer he was Bemsee 1300 champion 1984 and raced UK F1, Superstock and Superbike, plus World F1 races.

Chris Moss

Mossy has raced the Isle of Man TT, dispatched in London and ridden everything from CX500s to fullblown GP prototypes. A former chief motorcycle tester for Motorcycle News, the veteran journo admits he’s still loving two-wheeled life, and still learning.

Peter Henshaw

Peter knows his stuff – he’s a former editor of this very magazine. Now a freelance journalist, he’s got the same enthusiasm for anything with wheels that he’s had since a child. An all-year-round biker who doesn’t own a car, he has more than 40 books to his name.

Phil West

A bike journalist for 30 years, Phil’s a former editor of Bike and What Bike, executive editor of MCN, has written for the Daily Telegraph and Evening Standard and authored four books. In his garage is a 1924 Sirrah, 1980 RD350LC, 1995 Thunderbird 900 and, currently, a 2017 CB1100.

www.mslmagazine.co.uk 3

Contents

24 NEWS & OPINION 7

News

Everything that you need to know about. Including bike thrusters. Yep.

First Ride

Our scooter expert assesses the updated Suzuki Burgman.

Products

Kit to wear and good things you can put on your motorcycle.

Your letters

Subscription offer

Day ride

Richard Millington

Maynard Hershon

Mid ride

Moto Gymkhana. Uh oh...

The High Sider

Long ride

Your thoughts and missives of the past month on two wheels.

Get MSL quicker and cheaper, delivered straight to your door.

He likes those helmets... but enough with the emails already.

Our armchair racer extraordinaire considers the TT’s ‘old codgers’.

TOURING & ADVENTURE

4 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

One reader discovers how beneﬁcial riding is for his mental health.

900 miles on a small Yamaha. Proper fun.

A big journey to a music festival destination in Morocco – part one.

What’s what in the wide world of adventure riding.

The MSL fools get on their Bandit and begin... gawd ’elpus!

Zoe Cano

Rattling off the miles in part two of her epic journey down under.

July 2018

38 ROAD TESTS

PAY LESS

Yamaha NIKEN

World launch report on Yamaha’s funkiest modern era motorcycle yet.

Get the original & best bike magazine every month

Harley-Davidson Sportsters

P22

Ducati 1100 Scrambler

KTM 790 Duke

Will the 1200cc Evolution-engine Sportsters live up to the US-led hype?

Does bigger always mean better? Usually, yeah.

More fun than a bouncy castle with frogs. Better than a Triumph, too.

104 Used test: Honda CB1100EX Big and bulky with a smile. Enough about Mossy, what’s the bike like?

112 Classic test

Roland on the screamer that deﬁned two generations: Yamaha’s RD350LC.

TEST FLEET 92

Kawasaki Z900RS

The modern retro rocket joins the ﬂeet. Hurrah for the 1970s.

Yamaha X-Max 400

Time to say goodbye to the scoot that looks after you.

KTM 1090 Adventure

The KTM gets its ﬁrst service. Does much need doing?

KNOWLEDGE 89

112

What’s on?

It’s the height of summer and there’s so much to get out and see.

Coming classic

A ﬁne place to put your monies. This month, a Monster of a buy. Arf.

EDITOR: Mikko Nieminen: mnieminen@mortons.co.uk ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Tony Carter: tcarter@mortons.co.uk SENIOR DESIGNER: Justin Blackamore DESIGNERS: Fran Lovely, Charlotte Turnbull PRODUCTION EDITOR: Dan Sharp PICTURE DESK: Paul Fincham, Jonathan Schoﬁeld PUBLISHER: Dan Savage: asavage@mortons.co.uk GROUP KEY ACCOUNTS MANAGER: Steff Woodhouse: swoodhouse@mortons.co.uk 01507 529452 / 07786 334330 DIVISIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER: Zoe Thurling zthurling@mortons.co.uk 01507 529412 ADVERTISING SALES: Lee Buxton: lbuxton@mortons.co.uk 01507 529453 SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER: Paul Deacon: pdeacon@mortons.co.uk CIRCULATION MANAGER: Steve O’Hara: sohara@mortons.co.uk MARKETING MANAGER: Charlotte Park: cpark@mortons.co.uk COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR: Nigel Hole EDITORIAL ADDRESS: MSL Magazine, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6JR WEBSITE: www.mslmagazine.co.uk GENERAL QUERIES AND BACK ISSUES: 01507 529529 24 hr answerphone help@classicmagazines.co.uk www.classicmagazines.co.uk ARCHIVE ENQUIRIES: Jane Skayman jskayman@mortons.co.uk 01507 529423 SUBSCRIPTION: Full subscription rates (but see page 22 for offer): (12 months 12 issues, inc post and packing) – UK £51.60. Export rates are also available – see page 22 for more details. UK subscriptions are zero-rated for the purposes of Value Added Tax. SUBSCRIPTION AGENTS: Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6JR CUSTOMER SERVICES NUMBER: 01507 529529 TELEPHONE LINES ARE OPEN: MONDAY-FRIDAY 8.30AM-7PM SATURDAY 8.30AM-12.30PM DISTRIBUTION: Marketforce UK Ltd, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HU. 0203 787 9001. PRINTED: William Gibbons & Sons, Wolverhampton The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. If you are sending material to us for publication, you are strongly advised to make copies and to include a stamped addressed envelope. Original material must be submitted and will be accepted solely on the basis that the author accepts the assessment of the publisher as to its commercial value. © Mortons Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher. ISSN: 1478-8390 MOTORCYCLE SPORT & LEISURE (USPS:001-522) is published monthly by Mortons Media Group Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ UK. USA subscriptions are $66 per year from Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. Periodical Postage is paid at Bancroft WI and additional entries. Postmaster: Send address changes to MOTORCYCLE SPORT & LEISURE, c/o Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. 715-572-4595 chris@ classicbikebooks.com

Tried & tested

Our favourite things to ride in (and on) from dealers (probably) near you.

122 Kevin Cameron

Engines are always full of lubricating oil, aren’t they? Er, not all the time.

Independent publisher since 1885 The Professional Publishers Association Member

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NEW Need to know ◆ Your letters ◆ First rides

KTM 790 Adventure spotted on the road WITH WINGS! We’ve been sent this photo of the upcoming KTM 790 Adventure bike, caught out in action during final road tests ahead of its official launch in a few months’ time. So far so normal, but what’s caught our eye most about this version of the bike is that, in addition to the larger screen, big seat and different mudguard on the front the bike has MASSIVE wings sticking out the side of the petrol tank. The huge aero parts look to be moulded into the natural lines of the petrol tank surround and branch off well above the rider’s knee. The rider himself has his leg fitted into the side of the bike between the top wing and the bottom bit of extra aero which is a huge bulge around the bottom of the engine. We did see this bottom-fairing aero on the show-going prototype albeit those bodywork bulges were smaller.

In terms of the top ‘wings’, it’s the first time we’ve seen anything this aero-oriented on an Adventure bike of this size – a current prototype of the larger, physically-speaking, KTM 1290 Super Adventure T has large wings built into the top of the tank just like this 790. You can imagine that on the larger Adventure bike, with a much higher top speed and an engine character tuned towards covering mega miles at pace, those aero wings to aid stability would be a benefit but on the smaller capacity bike which will live its life at slower speeds it’s questionable whether it would need the added aero aids. Of course, there’s no guarantee that this development will even make it to production at all. This bike caught out on the roads may well be just a test bike that the factory wanted to run to see what would happen in the real world. It might have

the wings in place as an optional kit that you will be able to buy in order to ape the look of the bigger engined sibling. The point is, we don’t really know exactly why, exactly, KTM has bolted these big aero aids onto the 790 at this stage – but we’re very glad they did.

SSPY P Y SSHOT HOT

Glasgow, Derby and Portsmouth voted top for motorcycle riders A new study has discovered the top 10 cities and surrounding areas for riding a motorcycle through – with Glasgow, Derby and Portsmouth topping the list. Scenic routes, long open stretches of road and less traffic are what bikers consider make a good leisurely ride, with the average rider going out for ﬁve hours at a time once a fortnight. One in three bikers claim that Glasgow is one of their favourite cities to ride in, with London and Edinburgh making it into the latter half of the top 10.

The team behind www. wmbpride.bike undertook the research as part of an ongoing study in motorcycle riders’ experiences while riding throughout the UK. A total of 2194 British bikers aged 18 and over, all of whom stated that they ride their motorcycle for leisure, were asked about their top routes. Initially all respondents were asked: “How often do you ride your bike for pleasure?” The average response was found to be: “Once a fortnight.”

When asked how long they typically spent on the road, the average duration was found to be ﬁve hours. Of those ﬁve hours, respondents cited that four hours of that was riding, compared to just one hour spent admiring the destination, eating and socialising. Furthermore, when asked to share the longest leisure ride they’d been on, taking into account riding and stopovers, the average was found to be two days and seven hours, while the longest was 26 days.

www.mslmagazine.co.uk 7

Top Stories News in brief ALTA MOTORS AT THE ERZBERG RODEO •Alta Motors is set to make two-wheel history as the ﬁrst electric factory race team to compete at the Erzberg Rodeo – with Lyndon Poskitt and Ty Tremaine at the helm. Poskitt and Tremaine will be riding the next generation electric Alta Redshift, racing head to head against petrol-powered competition – as Alta Motors continues its campaign to prove that its electric motorcycles are capable of competing at the highest level of racing.

The rise of the Baby-Vroomers

Number of over 55s passing their motorcycle tests increases more than 80% in the last ﬁve years Recent analysis of DVSA data has revealed the age of people taking motorbike tests is rising, with the number of over 55s increasing by more than 80 percent in the last five years. Sixty seems to be the age many are deciding to cross getting a motorbike off their bucket list, as the number of people passing tests at this age has more than doubled.

The oldest person to pass their test in 2017 was 80 years old. Research from Saga Insurance has also revealed only one in five so-called ‘silver riders’ uses their bike to commute. Biking is a definite hobby for the older generation. In contrast, numbers of younger bikers are dropping. The A2 licence allows people to ride motorbikes of up to 35kW

SUZUKI DISCOUNT FOR VETERANS, EMERGENCY FORCES AND NHS •Suzuki has announced that it will continue its support for the UK’s armed forces, veterans, NHS and emergency services personnel – offering up to £500 worth of accessories or merchandise with the purchase of a new road bike. Suzuki will offer a discount based on a model’s capacity, giving £250 worth of free accessories or merchandise away with bikes up to 250cc, £350 up to 650cc models, or £500 with bikes over 650cc.

MONKEY GOES LARGE •Check out this awesome custom Honda Monkey built by SP Takegawa in Japan – and it’s ﬁtted with a performance tuned 181cc engine. The little Monkey’s displacement has been pushed up using a four-valve super head and R booster kit – and has a big throttle body kit, four-ﬁn oil cooler kit, injection controller, special clutch kit and an updated muffler.

and they must be at least 19 years old to take the test. However, the number of 19-year-olds taking tests fell by nearly 20% in the last two years. The data suggests many are holding out so they can apply for their full A licence, which is available for those aged 24 and over. It shows more than three times the number of 24-yearolds taking the full A licence test compared with 23-year-olds taking the A2 licence test. While it’s great to see older riders on the increase, there’s clearly work needed to encourage more women onto motorbikes. According to the DVSA, currently only 8% of people going to take their tests are female. However, it appears this may be moving in the right direction as since 2013, this number has risen by 31%.

Travis Pastrana to attempt three of Evel Knievel’s iconic jumps on an Indian Scout FTR750 Indian Motorcycle has announced that Travis Pastrana will be jumping an Indian Scout FTR750 in tribute to Evel Knievel, the founding father of motorcycle stunts. ‘Evel Live’, which is being run in partnership with Nitro Circus, on Sunday, July 8, will see Pastrana attempt three of Knievel’s most famed jumps on the Scout FTR750, including jumping the length of 52 crushed cars, 16 Greyhound buses, and the ill-fated Caesar’s Palace fountain jump that left Knievel fighting for his life. And if successful, Pastrana will be the first individual to complete all three jumps in one three-hour timespan and on a motorcycle similar to those Evel used. Pastrana said: “It was extremely important to use a motorcycle similar to the ones Evel jumped. The Indian Scout FTR 750 is just that, a modern evolution of the flat track motorcycles of the past.

8 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

It has the power I need and handles well, but I’m only going to have a few days to get comfortable on it, not to mention I’ve never jumped a V-twin before. I’ve got my work cut out, but we’re used to going big at Nitro Circus, so we’ll make it happen.”

The bike

The Indian Scout FTR750 is powered by a 750cc 53º V-Twin, and utilises 43mm conventional front suspension with an adjustable Ohlin’s monoshock on the rear. Introduced in the American Flat Track racing series in 2017, the Indian Scout FTR750 secured 14 victories along with the manufacturer’s and rider’s championship in its ﬁrst year of competition. But it’s not known for its stunting prowess just yet.

Test Ride 2018 Suzuki Burgman AN400

Honey, they shrunk

Compare the Burgman to it s Yamaha rival, at a standstill and on the move, and you can really see how compact it is.

THE BURGMAN At Suzuki’s 2018 Burgman AN400 model launch in late summer 2017, Mikko found it ‘thoroughly enjoyable to ride’. Fast forward to 2018 and the scooter is now in the UK – time for a spot of ‘real world’ testing.

WORDS: Mau Spencer PHOTOGRAPHY: Gary Chapman

y first impression of the 2018 Burgman is that the scooter is smaller – and it is, having lost a little length, width and weight (although it’s still a little heavier than it was on release in 1998). Having ridden older versions in the past, it would also appear that the new stepped seat pushes the driver’s position a little forward; that’s not a problem on short daily commutes, but I’ll wait to be convinced on whether it affects comfort on long journeys; Suzuki says the seat itself is 20mm thicker than on the old model, so that should help with ‘numb bum’ syndrome. Something else I suspect has shrunk (although I couldn’t find any

reference to it in the tech specs) is the underseat storage space – Suzuki claims you can get two helmets under the seat, albeit one of them being a ‘Jet’ style. There is some other limited storage available, which consists of two storage compartments in the front legshields, one of which contains a 12v DC power outlet. If the Burgman’s stature has shrunk slightly, the front wheel has actually gotten bigger; the rear wheel remains at 13 inches, but the front wheel is now 15 inches (maybe this is part of the reason that the seat height is up on the previous model, sitting at 755mm)? Style-wise there have been several changes; to match the weight loss, the Burgman also gets a more compact-

10 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

looking upswept front windscreen (tool adjustable). The restyled front end brings a sharper, edgier look, enhanced by the dual LED headlights with integrated LED running lights and indicators. At the rear, there are independent LED combination lamps which incorporate the rear indicators. On the dashboard you’ll find large analogue speedometer and tacho dials; the accompanying digital display unit provides you with a plethora of information courtesy of an odometer, dual trip meters, a fuel gauge, coolant temperature, average fuel consumption, ambient temperature, a freeze indicator plus a clock. Another feature is Suzuki’s ‘Eco Drive’ indicator (a warning light that flashes on and off to tell you just

ROAD Speciﬁcation 2017 SUZUKI BURGMAN AN400 Price: £6299 Engine: 399cc four-stroke, one-cylinder, liquid-cooled, DOHC Power: 31bhp (23kW) @ 6300rpm Torque: 26.55lb-ft (36Nm) @ 4800rpm Transmission: CVT, belt ﬁnal drive Suspension: (F) 41mm telescopic forks, coil spring, oil damped, (R) link type, coil spring, oil damped, preload adjustable Brakes: (F) Two 260mm discs, (R) 210mm disc. Both with Nissin ABS Wheels: (F) 15in, (R) 13in Seat height: 755mm Tank: 13.5 litres Kerb weight: 215kg Contact: bikes.suzuki.co.uk

how economically you’re riding). And while we’re talking about economy, the new Burgman’s fuel tank capacity is larger (if only slightly) at 13.5 litres.

UNDER THE SKIN

The Burgman’s DOHC four-valve engine is basically the same as in the old 2017 version, although it has been updated to provide greater low-tomidrange torque and more powerful performance; some changes have been made in order to help meet thee latest emission regulations (includin ng a new cam profile and an enlarged aair intake box); this helps the Burgman n achieve a CO2 value of 91g/km, butt overall, the engine’s maximum poweer is down by around 1bhp. Housing the power unit is a new large diameter ‘underbone’ frame with thin wall tubes to help with weight and rigidity. Complementingg the frame are 41mm telescopic, oil damped, coil spring front forks, whiile the rear end is taken care of by a link-type oil damped coil spring preload adjustable monoshock setup. Braking is taken care of by twin front discs with a single unit to the rear operated via a linked braking system. The rear brake can also be locked via the lever that holds it on when parked-up (useful when stopping or parking on a slope).

SECURITY ASPECTS

To help keep the scooter safe and secure the Burgman has the ‘Suzuki Advanced Immobiliser System’ (SAIS) fitted as standard; it uses an electronic identification system embedded in the owner’s key to stop unauthorised people from starting the engine. The scooter’s ignition lock also comes with a magnetic security cover that will only open by using the correct ignition key.

Closest rival

YAMAHA X-MAX 400

With a price tag of £6299 the Burgman faces ﬁerce competition from the updated Yamaha X-Max 400, which features traditional twin shock suspension at the rear, but boasts traction control, keyless ignition and tooladjustable windscreen. The X-Max 400 is estimated to retail at just under £6000 when it becomes available in the UK this autumn.

For added security, a ‘chain lock gate’ is built into the scooter; this allows you to fit your own security chain lock through the bodywork, around the frame, so you can secure the Burgman to an immovable object.

PRICE POINT

The AN400’s RRP has been set at £6299 (plus OTR charges), so at that price point it’s pitched against the likes of Yamaha’s X-Max 400, currently on offer (at the time of going to press) from £5,999 upwards (depending on model variation), so it looks like the Burgman could have a battle on its hands if Suzuki want to attract purchasers. Both scooters are available with the latest 2018 configurations and updates, so it could be interesting to see which way that battle goes… www.mslmagazine.co.uk 11