Motorcycle Sport & Leisure September 2025 issue **20 PAGE FREE PREVIEW**

RE-BORN!

Faf, and it’splace in our lives

Edi tor Dave Manning

I’venever been particularly good at dealingwithfaf,and that’s something that has become more ofa bugbear with me as theyears pass by.Te worseningefect is probablydue,in no smallpart, notonlythankstoan ever-increasingworkloadbut also to an increasingawarenessoftimepassing by in a swifly accelerating fashion, so anytiMespent fafng, or dealingwithfaf,orofgetting waylaidbythings that are, in short, pointless, becomes increasinglyannoying.

What is perhapsthe most annoying factor is howimprovementsintechnologyhave brought an increasinglevel of faf, despite thefactwewerepromised theincessant advancementoftechnologywould be benefcialand wouldmakeour liveseasier–thepromises thepresentersofTomorrow’s World madehalfacentury agoweresadly very mislaid…

AndI’m notjusttalking aboutthe wayhalf ourlifeisspent ensuring thingsare charged, or that we need to putthemoncharge, or that we need to fndthe rightcable to be able to putthemoncharge, andthatifwedon’t charge thosethingsthen, allofasudden, our lifebecomes so very much more difcult. It’s probably themainreasonwhy Itend to rail againstthe ever-increasing amount of technology beingappliedtosomany diferent things in the21st century world,

Alan Cathcart

Al an ha sb ee n wr it in ga bo ut bikes fo r mo re th an 30 ye ar s, an d ri di ng th em fo re ve n lo ng er.H e’sr eg ul ar ly gi ve nt he ke ys to fa ct or yp ro to ty pe sa nd be in go nf ir st na me te rm sw it ht he bo ss es of bikec om pa ni es ar ou nd th ew or ld al lo ws hi mt ob ag ma ny sc oo ps

andI’m notspecifcally aimingthisatthe broad swathes of tech that arebeingapplied to motorcyclesinthe form of rider aids and ‘connectivity’ –somanyother things have hadtechappliedwhentheydon’t need to be,who needsa fridgethatemailsyou to tell youthatyou’reout of milk when you canopenthe fridgedoorand see? And whydoesabsolutely everything have to be connectedtothe internet? But, giventhisis amotorcycle magazine, Iguess Ibetterfocus this particular rant on thefaf that has been brought to thebikeworld

When Igofor aride –whether it be work-related,anecessary choreor(fartoo infrequentlynow)justfor aleisure ride –I like to just putmybikegearon, slide the keyinthe ignition,fre it up andgo. Just like that,nofaf.Idon’t want to spendany time (atall), fickingthrough menustochose an appropriate ride mode (“Running” is theonlybikemodeI need), or of having to fart aboutwithmymobilephone ensuring it is connectedvia Bluetoothand the manufacturer-appropriate apptothe bike’s blackbox

Okay,IwilladmitIlikehavingabikethat hasheatedgrips; andsatnavisofenabonus when youneedtoget somewhereina rush withoutthe joyofgetting lost,witha headset connectedbyBluetooth meaningyou hear allthose directionswithout having to glance

Adam ‘Chad’ Child

Yorkshireborn Chad hasb een profes sionally te st ingbikes for20years,a tten de d more than 350bike launch es,and covere dover am illion ro ad te st mile s. Wi th race wins at Oliver ’s Mo untand twotop 10 TT finishe s, Chad is just as happyelb ow-dow nona race tr ackork icking up mudof- ro ad

Chris Moss

Mossyhas made alivingfrombikes since1985– first as a motorcycle courierin London,and then as ajournofrom1995. He’s raced, ridden and tinkered with hundreds of diferent bikes,but he’s thefirsttoadmit there’sstill loadsto experienceand learn.

at asatnavdisplay at themostinappropriate time (ie,inultra-heavy rush hour trafcata very busy roundabout); andanelectricallyadjustable screen canbeconvenientwhenthe conditions change quickly; andsofeningthe throttle response does make lifealittleless precariousinthe cold andtorrentialrains of winter ;and ABSiscompulsor yonmodern bikesbut having theability to turn it of is always anice option;and aheatedjacketand gloves canmakeyou wondrously smug in sub-zeroriding; and, and, and…

Hmmm. It seemsI’veturneda rant about thefrustrationsoffaf into an explanation of howit’sactuallyall worthwhile.Maybe the 21st Centur yisn’t allthatbad afer all?

Forthose of youwho read this page before lookingatthe rest of themag (whichis probably no-one), let me introduce this issue with thepoint that it hasa distinct IrnBru /haggis/singlemaltfavour. Tishas come aboutinasomewhataccidentalmannerbut, once that taste wasonmylips, Idecided we couldshouldgofor thefullmenu, and embracethe fact Scotland is apopularvenue formotorcyclists,for very good reasons. So, aside from ourbig sports tourer test being Saltire-focused,there’s also apairofreaders’ ridesfrom Alba,and alongtermertriptohis homeland from Al Dowds. Oh,and displaced DumfrieshireianStuartBarkerplays on a Triumphinfuencedbyaman from Montana…

Alan Dowds

Al an is a fr ee la nc ej ou rn al is t, wh o’sb ee nw rit in g ab ou tb ikes fo r25 ye ar s. He’s Sc ot ti sh , bu tb as ed in Lo nd on , an dc ut hi sr id in g te et ha sac ou ri er,s o love sab it of ha rd co re tr af cs pl it ti ng .B oo ks , ma gazi ne s, we bs it es –he’s wr it te nfor th em al l, an ds ti ll love si t.

Phil West

Abikejournalis t for35years, Phil’s afor mer editor of Bike an dW ha t Bike, launch editor of Bik ingT im es,E xecu ti ve Editor of MCN, an das freelancehas wr it ten fort he DailyTeleg raph , EveningStandard, FHMand ever yleading motorc ycle public at ion. He’s al so au th ored 10 motorc ycling bo oks.

92 Tried &Tested Things we’veused

Youthink we knowwhat’s happening in 4weekstime? 98 Kevin Cameron Moretech insights from the guru!

ROAD TESTS

TOURING &ADVENTURE

EDITOR: Dave Manning dmanning@mortons.co.uk

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Need to know ◆ Newmodels ◆ Industry info

Time forTfromSuzuki

2025 has been prettyquiet for Suzuki,withonlyreallythe DR-Z4 models as new machiner y. Butthe Japanese frmhas pulled afankerwith thelateappearanceofthese two retro-styledroadsters –the GSX-8T andGSX-8 TT,both basedonthe currentGSX-8 platform

When thenames appeared as rumoursonlineits eemed possible they mig ht be tour ing variants, butthe ‘T ’inthe name apparently comes from the fr m’ssportyroadstertwins from the1960s and70S, notably theT500 two-stroke(therewere also T90, T125, T200, T250, T305 andT350 mo dels). So that

meansaneo-retro stylefor the twobikes,withthe TT adding a smallheadlampfairing to the mix.

Te fundamentals arever y similar to theGSX-8S: theT models come with thesame 776cc DOHC 8v liquid-cooled 270° parallel twin engine, puttingout 82bhp and78Nmof torque.Techassisfoundations arealsothe same:asteel twin spar main framewithbolt-on aluminium subframe andcast aluminium swingarm,using basic-yet-capable runninggear. Te suspensionisKYB –unadjustable USDforks anda preload-adjustrearshock –and brakes areefcientNissin

four-pistonradialcaliperswith 310mm dual discsupfront

Te newbikes areradically

diferentinterms of style though.AnR&D team split betweenItaly andJapan apparently worked on thelooks, andthe resultsare prettysweet we reckon.B othbikes sharethe new16.5 litrefueltank, radiator shrouds, frontfenderand seat unit, with slightly diferent fnishes on theshrouds,forks andsubframe. Te seatsare also slightly diferent, butthe most obviouschangeisonthe TT, wherethe roundLED headlamp used on both bikesgetsaneat GS1000-style nacelle.Tere’s also aperiod-style slabby belly panaroundthe TT ’s engine We really rate thecolours too -subtleplain fnishesonthe T, andneatcolourfashesonthe TT,withmatchingwheel colours. Addinsomebar-end mirrors andyou have a handsomepair. Critics might pointtothe scantpillion accommodation, butasI remember it,myold 1976 GT500 had aprettyropey dual seat as well

Te newmodelsare pricedat £9,599 forthe Tand £9,999 for theT T, andshouldbeindealers around now. We’llbetesting them as soon as we can!

QJ Motorinthe UK

Te growth of Chinesebrands in thebikeworld continues apace, with this,the QJMotor range, just launched in theUK forthe frst time.QJMotor is a subsidiary of theQianJiang Motorcycle Group, whichhas been buildingbikes since 1985 in Zheijang Province,and is beingbrought into this countr ybythe MotoGB frm. MotoGB used to be theUK RoyalEnfeld importer,and also brings in Voge,Sym,

Benelliand otherbrands, meaningit’saver yexperienced operation allround

Te rangeofbikes is really quiteinteresting.QJMotor ofers machines as diverseasthe £5,699 SRV600 V–a 61bhp 561cc V-4cruiser,the SV T650, a75bhp 645cc V-twin adventure bike andthe SRK900,a 95bhp 900 parallel twin supernaked Te frmevenmakes an 800 inline-foursupersports bike –the120bhp 778cc SRK800. Tat

Kove 800X Rally

AnotherChinesebrand,Kove, butthis800 XRally hasa very competitivespecindeed.Te headlineisthe weight –just 176kg readytoride with fve litres of fuel in thetank–but the rest of thetechisalsoimpressive. It seemstouse avariant of the KTM790/890LC8c engine,with thesameboreand stroke as the KTM799cc unit,putting outa solid 95bhp.Techassisisver y much on thedirt-focused side, with long travel fullyadjustable suspension(albeit by new-to-us Chinesebrand Yu-an), wirespoked wheels,21” frontrim and plenty of crash protectionfor the

bike is actually acurrent contender in theWorld Supersport paddock,showing

howserious thefrm is about itslineup.

Perhapsthe most ‘box ofce’ machineinthe UK though will be theSRT900 SX adventurebike– afagship

£7,699 parallel twin with a 95bhp 904cc engine,19” front/17” rear tubeless spoked wheels,24litre tank andan 835mm seat height

We’llbetryingthe QJMotor lineupassoonaswecan.In themeantime, there’smore infoatwww.qjmotor.co.uk

engine andsump. Tere’s loads of tech –TFT dash,traction control, smartphoneapp,and it’s sensibly pricedat£8,700. Te bike wasonshowatthe ABR Festival last month, attracting plenty of attention, andlooked really sorted in thefesh. We’ll suspendjudgement till we’ve ridden one, of course.

Kove is also racinginthe DakarRally againnextyear, with TT aceJames Hillier,and is currentlyrunningits 321RR-S sportsbikein World Supersport 300 –again, showingthe faithit hasinits products. More info: www.kovemoto.com

Himalayan Flying Goat EV

RoyalEnfeld hadthisver y interestingbattery-powered prototype machineonshowat theABR Festival last month. It looksatfrstglancea bit like aHimalayan trailbikebut is in fact asuper-trick £60,000 hand-built test mule,madeto explore electric possibilities forthe frm.

Te chassisishand-madeby theHarrisEngineering team (EnfeldownsHarrisof course), with agorgeous, braced aluminiumswingarm whichwouldn’t look outof placeinthe Moto3paddock andÖhlinssemi-active suspensionfront andrear. A pair of formed organic aluminium plates join the structureofthe batter ypacks

to theswingarmpivots–it’s beautifulwork.

Te powertrain is just as interesting–ithas an 80bhp StarkFutureelectricmotor as used on theVargMXbike, together with twoStark battery packs. Te bike hasbeen trawlingaroundthe actual Himalayas, as showninthispic near theK2mountain, along with afew otherprototypes. It apparently goes like hell (it’s easily themostpowerfulRoyal Enfeldfactory bike), andthe EnfeldR&D team has learned alot from theproject.Will you be able to buyone of theseany time soon?Defnitely not–but we expecttosee some sort of EV technologyout of the Indianfrm before toolong.

MV Agusta Superveloce1000Ago

At theother endofthe scale from theafordable Suzuki GSX-8 andChinesebrands is this –the incredible Agoedition of MV Agusta’s Superveloce 1000 retro-styledsuperbike.It’s asuper-limitedversion, released to mark GiacomoAgostini’s 83rd birthday last month, andisladen with specialstuf. Te foundation is theSerie Oro Superveloce1000, with thefrm’s 208bhp inline-four999cc superbikeengine, with radial valves,mounted in the trademarksteel trellis/ aluminium pivotplatesframe.A single-sidedswingarmoperates theÖhlinssemi-active rear monoshock, andthe forks are also electronically-adjusted Öhlinsparts. Brembo brakes, Akrapovicexhaust,titanium fasteners,carbonbodywork, it ticksall theright boxeshere. But

the Agoedition adds more -a 24-karat gold numbered plaque on thetop yoke,anAgo signature,and akey whichhas been made from an actual piece of metalfromone of his500GP winningtrophies. MV slicedup thetrophyhewon at Imolain 1972, andusedbitsofthe bronze

ApriliaRS125 GP

Aprilia’s had some very decent resultsinMotoGPthisyear, so it’s celebratingwiththisGP replicaofits RS125 learnerlegalsportsbike. It’s notan easily-tuned-to-30bhp two-strokeany more sadly, but thefour-stroke singlemotor makesthe maximum A1 licence powerof15bhp,even with anew Euro 5+ tune,and it still has aproperaluminium frame–unique in theclass the frmsays. Te paintisa replica of theRS-GP25 machines of MotoGP world champion Jorge Martin andfellowfactory rider

material to make thecasefor the electronic key. Insane AddinacustomAGV lid and Daineseracesuit, whichcome with thebikeand arespecially made, andthe €83,000 price tag almost looksreasonable. Only 83 arebeingmadethough– good luck if youfancy one.

MarcoB ezzecchi,withblack panels andred andpurple graphics, featuringthe logos of allthe ApriliaR acingteam

LookAfter Your Kit

In thelastissue’sLetters pages therewas aquestionasked about thelongevity of ridinggearas, whileweall know that we should change ourhelmets on afairly regularbasis,fve to six years beingsuggested, what aboutthe rest of ourridingclothes,jacket trousers gloves etc.

Kind ly,Aharon Sout hern, customers er vice managerat Ne visMarketing (w ww.nev is. uk.com),gaveuss ome

pointers:

“It’shardtogiveadefnite timeframefor when to replace your ridingkit,asitdepends on severalfactors like UV exposure andgeneralwear. Forthe average rider,I’d recommendreplacing textilegarmentsevery sevento 10 years, or sooner if they’ve been in acrash or show visible damage.Tears,wornfabric, or degradedarmourcan all compromisesafety.

“L eather ge ar canlastmuch longer if well care dfor.Regu lar

sponsors.Priceyat£5,380 –butyou’llbethe coolestL-plate holder on your localJustE ats roster forsure.

cleaningand condit ioninghelp ke ep it supple,but it shou ld st il lb eche cked regu larlyfor sig ns of crack ingorstiff ness, espe cia llyaroundt he se ams andstitching.

“It’salsoagoodideatoinspect your kitmonthly,payingclose attentiontokey impact areasand checking anyarmourthat’sbuilt into thegarment.Glovesusually wear outthe fastest,sobestto keep an eyeonthese more regularly. “

KEMPTON PARK, MIDDLESEX, TW16 5AQ

SEPT 20, 2025

16S FREE

kemptonautojumble.co.uk

Thebackto BASICS BOXE R

WORDS: Dave Manning PHOTOGRAPHY: BMW

Whileitmay have aslightly cumbersome name —one that needstobepronounced as such to distinguishitfromother models in the range—the Gee-slash- Essisnot simply a pure retrodesign, norisitjusta convenient waytoextendthe life of an olderengine. Instead, it represents an expansionofthe currentmodel range, onethatactuallybrings additional capabilit ytoBMW ’s bigtwins.

Thismodel from theBavarian manufacturer isn’tjustanod to theoriginalbikethatsparked the GS phenomenon.Italsorefects a conscious decision, as BMW Motorrad CEO Markus Flasch pointedout, to ofer alevel of simplicity some customers aredemanding—astepawayfrom the ever-increasinglevel of tech that is being seeingonnew models from manufacturers around theglobe

By usingthe oldoil/air cooled versionof thecompany’s boxertwin, ratherthanthe water-cooled 1300 on thenew GS, GSA, RT andRmodels, there’sacleanliness of design andapuritythatawater-cooled powerplant andits attendantradiators andplumbing, wouldnot give.Tis is certainly an interestingdevelopment from thecompany that arepushingtechnological boundaries with notonlytheir world-conquering

tech-heavy tourersbut also their sportsbikes, particularly theM series models

It wouldhavebeenall tooeasytobuild a bike that aped thefrstG/S model’sdesign aesthetics andphysical attributes,but that is neitherthe wayofthe modernworld nor theway in whichBMW wanted to move –“We don’tdoretro”isthe underlying vibe givenout by theteamonthe launch.While thebikemay have thestyle andminimalistic bodyworkexemplifedbythe 1980 G/S, the ideawasn’tto create areplicabut amore capablemachine that couldoutperformnot only thebikethatset thescenefourdecades ago, butalsotoactuallyperform better when compared to more recentversions of theBavarianbrand’s dual-purpose machiner y. Butwemusthaveaquicklook back at that original modeltounderstand thedrive behinddevelopingthisnewfor-2025 model.

Te abbreviationG/S (referring to “Gelände /Straße” meaningof-road / street) wasfrstappliedtothe R80G/S producedin1980 -anair-cooled boxertwin that wasnot only thefrstlarge capacity dirt-friendlyroadbikeinproduction,but whichalso(once suitably modifed)became incredibly successfulinthe epic Paris-Dakar rally-raid.Itwas most notablythose piloted by Hubert Orioland Gaston Rahier at atime before theworld-famousultra-endurance eventrestrictedcapacityto450c singles.So, it

seemsthe Bavarian brandhas come full circle with itsboxer twin of-roaders,but the question that so many areaskingiswhether thenew bike is aretrogradestepawayfrom thetech-heavy21stCentury water-cooled behemoths, or is it areturntosimpler ways andafocus on thepureand basic enjoyment of riding? Only oneway to fndout,Iguess Te initial thoughtisthatit’staller than otherR12 models,whichisofcoursetobe expectedgiven theinspiration behind thenew bike.Teframe in theG/S wasinitially referred to as beingthe same as that on other R12 models,althoughthere wasabit more detailforthcomingand,while it is of thesame designand fabrication, it does have some marginal diferencesaroundthe steering head in that,likeall good ladies’ undergarments, it lifs andseparates.Testeeringheadishigher andfurther forwardinorder to improveits of-roadabilities and, with that in mind, the suspensionislongerand has more travel than otherR12 models.Teresulting 860mmseat height perhapsfeels alittleshorter than that fgure suggests, as theseatisn’t especially wide,but initial posteriorfeedbackpoints towardsagoodlevel of day-long comfort. As mentioned, thefactory wanted to keep technological interference andfaf to a minimum, yetthere arestill threeride modes

–althoughtobefairtheyare actually rather appropriate forthisbikeand do bringsome beneft.Rainhas traction controlatits highest setting, andthe throttle response at itssofest, Road has thesharpestthrottleresponse, while Enduro has amiddlingthrottlealliedtoa minimal encroachment from traction,wheelie andenginebraking control.

Tatreduction in technological rider involvementhas been refected in thesize of thedash. Te standard dash is aclassic circular afairwithatrad’ analoguespeedo anddigital displayinthe centre, although an optionalrectangular TFT screen is available whichat3.5” in size suitsthe stylealittle better in theway it tucksbehindthe minimal headlight surround.Bothtypes bringaclean, unclutteredviewtothe cockpit, somethingof arefreshingclarity andpurityofdesignand ease of use.

Te basic modelis, as you’dperhapsexpect, of aroad-focussedbiasbut thereisa factor y kitthatextends thespectoa more dirtfriendlyarrangement –the Enduro Pro package. It brings diferentwheel sizes(an 18” rear replaces theusual 17” formore appropriate tyre ftment anda modicum of increasedgroundclearance,a claimed 15mm), grippier pegs and20mm taller handlebarrisers, alongside theextra,fourth rider mode,excitinglyand inspiringlyalso called Enduro Pro. Tisfourthmodegives the

LIVERY

Both the re d/white /b lue co lour sc heme and the beige( named ‘Sandrover’) co me a t additional cost, the onlyb asic co lour is the all-black sc heme. The beigei sa ctual ly fo r the ‘Option 719 Aragonit’ ve rsio n, als o h av ing ared frame and three-tone sea t.

ENDUROPRO

The ‘dirt monkey ’ optional spec of EnduroP ro brings increased ride height and ground clearance, an 18” re ar wheel, grippyfoo tpegs, higher bars and adjustable brakep edal tip, a fo urth rider mode

STYLING

It’s not aretro, says BMW, but that sty le is ve ry close to the original, with the profile being pretty close to identical to that 1980 ve rsion.

ELECTRONICS

There’s little in the wayo fd ashboard confusion with numerous re adouts and options, but therea re still three rider modes and the option of afourth.

ENGINE

The same air/oil-cooled powe rplant as the re st of the R12 ra nge, it’s a punchy1 07bhp boxe rt win that overshadows the original G/S with nigh on double the powe r.

LONG LEGS

With eight inches of susp ensio nt rave la te ac he nd ,t he G/ Si sn o lowrider,b ut equallyi th asn’t t he sky-high seat height of ot her Dakar-influenced adventureb ikes ,a nd t he 860 mm claimed fo r the standards eat height sho ul db et aken wit hap inch of salt as the re ality is seen when yo ua ct ual ly sling al eg over

quickthrottleresponsefrom theRoadmode alliedtothe leastcontrol interference from thebasic Enduro mode.

Te Enduro Prokit also hasasuspension reset, in that theforks aredropped through theyokes,thuslifingthe frontto matchthat rear height increase,whichhas theside efect of increasingthe wheelbaseby5mm with a longer sidestandsuppliedto suit the increasedheight,and engine barand hand protectorsaddedfor alittlemoreprotection when on thetrail.

Aside from theadditional of-roadabilities brought by theEnduroPro kit, there’salso theComfort kitwhichaddsheatedgrips, a quickshifer,cruisecontrol andhillstart control. Other optionsinclude BMW’s ‘Connected Ride Control’ to pair thebikeand your smartphone,atyrepressure monitoring systemand theubiquitousemergency call button.And then there’sthe massivearray of Option 719 parts, toomanyto list here butall availabletoviewonthe BMW website,ifyou like alittlebling.

As is usualwithBMW launch bikes, and with their test feet too, thebikes we gottoride weren’tofastandardspec. And, giventhatwe gottoride in andaroundthe factory’sown of-roadplaygroundofHechlingenEnduro Park northwestofMunich, it did make sense forustoride twodiferentversions –the Enduro Pro-kittedwhite andblueone,and the

beige, road-spec’dversionwiththe Comfort kit. Consequently,wecould tryout allthe diferentridemodes on pretty much allofthe situations aG/S riderislikelytoencounter. Dryroads,wet roads,dusty roads, gravelly lanesand freroads,sandwater splashes etc. In fact,everythingexceptmotorways.

Te 107bhp twin is apunchyunit, and surprisinglyfexibleinthe wayitdelivers power. Feisty enough to blastpastslower trafcyet smooth enough to be astoundingly tractableupsteep dirtclimbsatlessthan walkingpace. In fact,the sort of power delivery that fattered my poor of-road abilitieswhile also allowing aspiritedride on thetwistycountry roads around Hechlingen.

Te 21” frontwheel does mean thehandling doesn’thavethe same treacle-to-a-blanket leveloffeedbackyou getwithasticky17” tyre, butthe latter wouldbeasmuchuse as afsh on abicycle when yougot to anykindof of-piste mud, grassorgravel, so theslower steering andlower leveloffront endfeelon theroadisactuallya very happycompromise foradualpurpose machinesuchasthis. And, in allfairness, that feedback andability both on andofroad, canbeeasilyshifed in focus with tyre choice,whether they be full-on knobbliesorsomethinga little more tarmacorientedsuchasthe Metzeler KarooStreetas seen on theSandrover bike here

SPECIFICATION

BMWR1200 G/S

Price: from £14,420

Engine: 1170cc, boxertwin, air/oi lcooling, 8 valves, DOHC, 101mm x73mm bore/stroke

Power: 107bhp (kW) @7,000rpm

Torque: 85lb-ft (115Nm) @6,500rpm

Frame: tubular steel

Wheelbase: 1580mm (1585mm forEnduroPro)

Rider aids: 3ride modes (Road, Rain and Enduro, with additional EnduroPro as part of EnduroPro package), cornering ABS, cornering traction control

Brakes: (F) 310mm discs, twin 2piston sliding calipers, (R) 265mm disc, 2piston sliding caliper

Transmission: 6gears, shaft final drive, optional quickshifter

Suspension: (F) 45mm forks, fullyadjustable, 210mm travel, (R) Marzocchi monoshock, fully adjustable, 200mm travel

Wheels/tyres: (F) 21” x2.15” spoked wheel, 90/90x x21” tyre, (R) 17” x4.00” spoked wheel, 150/70x17” tyre(18” x4.00” spoked wheel, 150/70x x18” tyrefor EnduroPro)

Seat height: 860mm (875mm forEnduroPro kit, 880mm foroptional Rallye seat)

Fuel capacity:15.5 litres

MPG: 55mpg (claimed)

Weight: 229kg (dry/wet)

Warranty: 36 months

Service intervals: 12 months /6000 mi les Contact: www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk

Claimedfuelconsumption wouldsuggest a tank rangeof189 miles, butthatwould be really pushingit, so asafe target would perhapsbe160 mileswitha little sparejustin case.And that’s probably aboutperfect forthe standard seat before youneeda break -it’s comfortableenoughonthe sort of roadsthat mean you’re moving around atouch,but satin oneposition whilemile-munchingon motorway or autobahnmight getyou fdgeting before youthinkabout refuelling.

R&Gframe &swingingarm protectors

From £22.49 ww w.rg-racing.com

Keepingabikelooking at its best isn’tjusta matter of keepingit clean, as thever yact of ridingcan bringscufs and marks, with swingarm and framein particular becoming scufedand marked from regular use-whichiswhy R&G’s stylishE azi-Grip

Motorc ycle Scuf GuardKitsare designedtoprovide aprotective barrier betweenthe bike and rider’s boots.

Made from durablesilicone, each Scuf Guardkit is designed specifcally fora givenbike, ensuring aperfect ft everytime. Te guardsare also incredibly easy to installathome, with each kit comingwitha step-by-stepguide, Scuf Guardpieces, logobadges andanEazi-Gripcleansing wipe Availablefor awiderange of machines,there aremore applications beingaddedall the time

Touratechsoftluggage adaptors

£68.14 ww w.touratech.com

Whilet he popu laradventure bi kerbrand Tourate ch have no less than thre elines of soft

Muc-of

luggage–Endurance,Travel andE xt reme –unt il nowfol k whohavew ishe dtouse the

ceramicprotectionkit

£60w ww.muc-of.com

Te worldofvehicle cleaningand ‘detailing’ appearstobeaneverexpandingone,and this product is aprime example of that,withthe vast range of Muc-ofcleaning productsbeingexpanded with theceramic protectionkit.

Te kitcontainstwo bottlesofgloop -one being 50mlofsurface preparation spray, theother beinga 15mlbottleofceramic coating-plusamicrofbre applicator andtwo

microfbercloths. Te bike needstobethoroughly cleanedfrstand then the preparation sprayisusedto cleanthe surfaces of the bike,removingany wax or polish residuebeforethe ceramic coatingisapplied –slowlyand carefullywhile wearingprotectivegloves! Tisresults inarainbowlike fnishaferbeing allowedtodry forfve minutes,and this is then bufedofgentlywiththe microfbrecloth,and the treatmentallowed to fully

brand’ss of tlug gage systems have had to fitspe cif ic pannier racksf romt he comp any. Thes enew adaptors me an the luggagec an be us ed with the rackspro duce dbyBMW for their GS, rather than having to swaporreplace factor y-f itte d racksa llow ingowners increase dchoice and import antly, to us elug gage they maya lready ow n. It also givest he opt ionofs of tlug gage

cure forafurther 24 hours before beingexposed to the elements.

Themanufacturers cl ai mt hat, af te r appl ic at ion– it cana ls ob e us ed on carb on fibre, vi ny l, ri gi dplast ic, me ta l comp onents andw he els –it’ ll of fe rprote ct ionfor up to twoyears ,t hank sto it sres istanc eto chemic als. As id ef rom sh inyt hings it cana ls ob e us ed on matt fi nishes , althou gh it wi ll resu lt in a darker,r iche rc ol ou r.

on bi kest hatare usua llyf itte d with hard,a luminium panniers. Many ridersprefer theopt ionofs of tlug gage for thef lexibi lity that it prov ides

Theadaptorsare madef rom st ainlessste el tubing (18mm diameterw it h2mm thick wa llss ot he y’re toug h), and areavailable forF850 and F900 GS andGSAdventure, andR1200 and1250 GS and GS Adventuremodels.

Oxford Kickback 3.0armouredshirt

£139.99w

ww.oxfordproducts.com

Styled as perthe lumberjack shirts that were allthe rage with bikers andgarage-dwellersback in thetimewhenthere wasa Millets shop in ever ytown, the Kickback 3.0 is an uprated versionofOxford’s popular ridingshirt. It is spec’d to suit ridingbikes rather than workingonthemina cold lock-up. It’s CE AA certifed, with Level2CEshoulder and elbow protectors(plus aback protector pocket, although the back protector is notincluded), has reinforced three-layer elbow

In this beautifulbookflled with many photographswhich have neverpreviouslybeen published, renowned British journalist (and MSL contributor) Alan Cathcart tells thegloriousstory of MV Agusta’s MotoGP legacy,and theexceptional riders who brought thesemachines to life, from John Surteesand Mike Hailwood to GiacomoAgostini Cathcart unveilsthe behind-the-scenes story of MV patriarchCount Domenico Agusta andhis riders, andlets us to listentoGiacomo Agostini recounting hislifeon twowheelsracingfor the Count. He also takesus trackside allowing us to experience,through his hands-onaccounts,the thrill of ridingsuchiconic motorcycles whichfor decadesremained hidden from themedia spotlight.BesidesMV’sfailed attemptatproducingaFormula 750 racer to equalits Ducati rival’sdesmo V-twins, this book

pads,zipperand press stud closuretothe frontand to the cufs,one zipped internal pocket, twozippedexternal pockets andtwo bellow chest pockets.

It hasawicking mesh liner, andabackventfor warmer days, whilethere arealsobelt attachment loopsand azip to connectto trousers.

It comesinfourdiferent colours(black, khaki, grey and navy)and sizes Sto5XL, it’s also availablein women’ssizes, 8-22,for amoreftted look.

also ofersa rare glimpse behindthe fairings of MV Agusta’s 350cc and500cc World champions, in both threecylinder andfour-cylinder confgurations, with countless photos revealingthe technical marvelsoftheselegendary machines.Withall this,hereis a bookdeserving of aplace of honour in everyGrand Prix

enthusiast’s library. It’s available only in alimited, individually numbered editionofjust1,000 copies,featuring ahardcover bindingand high-quality paper, andtexts in both Englishand Italian. Te 168-pagebook, with 86 largeformatphotos, is availablefor order now, exclusivelythrough the publisher’swebsite.

ANTI-FOG SPRAY

Aspecially developed, easy to useanti-fog fluidfor visors andgogglelenses. This formulationprovidesa naturalstreakfree lustre in secondswithnostickyresidue

OC301-250ml

HELMET CLEANER

Specificallydesignedtoclean helmetsand visors withoutstreaking.Whenappliedwith amicrofibrecloth this productleavesno residueand asmear-freesurface

VISOR MATE

TheMintVisor Mate bottleprovides ever ything youneed to keep your visor cleaninone compactpackage.Withan integrated sponge andminisqueegee on a pump action bottle, it’s pocket-sizedsoyou cantakeitwithyou wherever yougo.

HowTo: 1. Sprayontothe Visor. 2. Usingthe sponge attachment distribute over theentirevisor 3. Usingthe squeegee wipe clean.

OC307-50ml RRP -£7.99

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TH RE E REE FLING

Taking threebikes of very diferent capacities andprice points,all of whichcan quiterightly be giventhe monikerof‘spor ts tourer ’overa three- dayblast to some of theUK’sfinest roadsgaveathree -way Highland fling of epic propor tions.

WORDS: DAVE MANNING, BRUCE WILSON &RICH TAYLOR

PHOTOGRAPHY: GARYCHAPMAN

Sportstourers were theBig Ting in theninetiesatatimewhen sports bikeswerebeginningtoget tooradical,whentraditional tourerswereseenasbeingtoo staid, andwhenthe potentialtocover alot of milesinashort period of time wasseenas beingmore importantthanenjoyingthe surroundings youwereactually.

Tirty yearsaferthe heyday of bikessuch as theGSX 1100F,CBR1000, ZZR1100, VFR750 etc, theworld of thesportstourer seemstohavebeenovershadowedbythe adventurebike, andthere areanumberof comparisonswecan make betweenthe two.

muddier form of entertainment.

Despitethe change in market demand, thereare still anumberofbikes that ft into thesportstourermould,ofdifering capacities andprice points.

Te ‘big sell’for sports tourerswas of alevel of comfortand efciency that wouldallow youtocover some considerablemiles and then, when youarriveatyourdestination,you couldtakeofthe luggageand go foraplayon some suitably twisty tarmac on abikewith some sporting pretensions.Likewise, adventurebikes have theability to do much thesame, with twisty tarmac replaced with a

To reiterate theabilities of theclass,we chosethree bikesonwhichwecould leavethe fatlands of Lincolnshireand travel to an area of theUKthathas adrawfor motorcyclists from alloverEurope-the west highlands, with Fort Williambeingour endtarget. But this wasn’t to be asimplecaseofhavingthe last fewmiles of A82asthe funbit,aswe’d squeezeinsomemixed roads, andanumber of otherwell-knownbikinghotspotsonthe way. Youwill,ofcourse, have seen theroute in thelastissueofMSL (backissuesare availablefromwww.classicmagazines.co.uk/ issues/msl), so here we’llbefocussingonthe bikesthatwe used and, in particular,the big Beemer giventhatwehad aclose look at the TriumphTiger Sport660 in last month’s magazine, andAlDowds is runningaYamaha Tracer 9GTasalongtermer, so he’llbe

providingloads of furtherdetailonthat. We removedthe hard luggagefromthe BMW andthe Yamaha,mainlysothe Triumphwas on an even kilter with them.We also hadarequirementtotravellight as the milescovered were of greaterprioritythan carr ying multiple changesofclothingor having thespace to bringbacktawdr y presentsfor lovedonessuchastartanjam, CDsofbagpipe ensemblesora smorgasbord of deep-fried comestibles. Consequently, we limitedourselves to lightweight luggageinthe form of Oxford Products’fexibleNomad and Aqua ranges

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