Table of contents for 4 November 2020 in MCN

BIMOTA SPECIAL EIGHT PAGES OF EXOTICA ‘It’s both thrilling and totally unique’ FIRST RIDE: NEW BIMOTA TESI H2 ON TEST Break out the big guns BMW’s biggest ever air-cooled boxer, the new R18, takes on the biggest capacity production motorcycle ever, Triumph’s Rocket 3 GT around the MCN250. Both bikes are different sides of the same cruiser coin: big capacity motors and loads of torque, as well as showstopping styling. Both cost near enough the same too, at around £20,000. But while Triumph’s 2.3-litre Rocket is a muscle bike that you could use every day, BMW’s exquisite R18 sacrifices usablity for authentic custom cool. PAGE 27 TOP STORY Trident’s forking good value! Triumph have finally revealed full details of their all-new entry-level machine, and not only does it come at…

£9699 Suzuki GSX-R1000 Suzuki are racking up the points in MotoGP and you can rack up the savings on this 2017 GSX-R1000 in MotoGP colours. It has been hiding its light under a bushel in Youles’ showroom for three years, but it will still hit 150mph in just over 10 seconds, so it’s far from a slouch. • www.youlesmotorcycles.com SAVE £1500 £13,908 BMW R nineT Scrambler BMW Aberdeen have teamed up with BMW to both offer £750 for the deposit on a 6.9% PCP. • www.john-clark.co.uk • Engine 1170cc • Power 110bhp • Weight 220kg • Seat height 820mm SAVE £1234 £9995 Honda VFR800F Honda’s V4 VFR800F series bows out after 22-years’ service, but there’s still this red example available in Kent. • kent-motorcycles.co.uk • Engine 781cc • Power 108bhp…

Bloody winter, creeping closer and closer. And my full-time employer (you don’t think I do this as a day job, do you?) wants to get the office re-opened in the City, after more than six months of us all working from home, so that means a winter commute. A month or two back, I noticed how prices of used scooters have gone skywards. People want to be on two wheels to avoid the jams caused by the mistaken belief that everyone can be made to cycle or walk to work. And in London, all those cheap hacks from the late 1990s have been driven off the roads, there’s a shortage of new small bikes. The thing is, not everybody’s got the message, so there are bargains. If you want an…

Name Stuart Steele Height 6ft Current bikes Triumph Rocket 3R (2020), Harley Davidson V-Rod Nightrod special, Honda ST1300, CB750f2 (1980), Suzuki RG250 Gamma Been riding for 41 years Occupation Senior Account Manager First bike Yamaha PW50 Dream bike “I have owned or own my dream bikes, however I would love the RGV500 in Lucky Strike colours!” “I’ve ridden motorcycles all my life and had so many it’d take a month of Sundays to list them all. I love the feeling of getting on my bike and knowing that it’s going to be a great adventure. Whether its the open road travelling all over Europe every summer, the speed of a short burst around the great roads of Northern Ireland or meeting up on a Sunday with like minded-bikers and having…

‘Insurance is a game - and you can win’ Heart thumping and wallet twitching at the sight of these desirable bits of exotica? Mine too. A big thing with bikes like these is the concern over running costs, though - it’s very well having something extraordinary, but it’ll need a mortgage to run, won’t it? Maybe not. Though certain parts may be hard to locate, there’s a wealth of knowledge about parts shared with lesser models - or in the case of some Ducatis, cheap car parts that are the same. Servicing needn’t be extortionate either. An older bike will be simpler and easier to work on than a modern electronics-riddled one and not beyond home-mechanic skills, and if you use a specialist you’ll find their rates are no worse…

• Used for at least 1000 miles • Fit, features and product quality evaluated • Waterproofing tested in real-world conditions RATINGS Exceptional Very good Good Average Poor Dane Ribe £799 ‘My favourite textiles? I reckon’ Tested by Mike Armitage for 1000 miles Scribble out a List of desirable attributes for textile clobber. Doubtless it’ll go something like: waterproof, warm, comfortable, well made, easy to put on. Probably in that order. I’ve tried various Dane textiles over the last five or six years, and all have slapped a fat tick against each. The latest Ribe jacket is no exception. Replacing the popular Sealand, its specification includes lots of fancysounding stuff like DuPont ComforMax, Gore-Tex Pro, Armacor, labyrinth closures and 3D Mesh. I’m not sure what it all is, but do know…

It really flatters my riding and that in turn inspires confidence. I took it to Brands for a trackday and was shocked how much lean I was getting, my knee was going down so easily. There’s nothing I need to do to it and nothing out there that comes close. It’s taken me a while to get used to, but now it just makes me smile and that’s all I want from a bike. It’s basically a race bike with lights – every time I open the garage I rub my hands and think ‘Great!’ HOW GOOD IS THE RUBBER? OE Michelin Power RS 2CT+ They don’t react well to changes in temperature and can feel desperately stiff. In the wet they’re not good and they don’t like greasy conditions…

SENIOR DESIGNER Daily rider with forty-five years of experience, both on and off road. Owns 30 bikes. It feels like only last week that I was looking at my rear tyre, fat and splodged out at the bottom. Here we go again. I blame these punctures on Covid, and I will tell you why: with everyone now taking staycations they are having work done on their houses, so there are vans clogging almost every street. With every opening of the rear doors, there is always a stray nail or screw that drops into the road. These are the ones I keep picking up, and it’s not a cheap hobby at £140 a tyre plus fitting. On the plus side though and perfectly timed, a new set of fitting kit/adapters for…

60, Essex. Graham has owned everything from GSX-Rs to BMWs before he saw the (orange) light. “I’d always loved sportsbikes. I had loads of Fireblades and a BMW S1000RR, but my knees were really suffering. Then after a couple of operations, I thought it was time to start slowing down and being sensible, so that’s when I bought an R1200GS. My mate who I’ve ridden with for years said the same, only he then went out and bought a KTM 1290 Super Duke R! I spent two years chasing him around the lanes, me hanging off my GS like a monkey trying to keep with him, before I finally bought my own KTM as the GS was just so dull. That was the idea of being sensible well and truly out…

MECHANIC Paul Knight of A55 Motorcycles in North Wales When seasoned spannerman Paul Knight took this old, but low-mileage, Honda CB500 for an MoT he wasn’t expecting too many issues, but a rare discovery left him feeling deflated. The owner of A55 Motorcycles in North Wales explained: “The rear tyre was bit flat, so I pumped it up and rode it for its test and it passed no issues. But when the owner came to pick it up that night the rear tyre was completely flat… which was embarrassing as I was the last man to ride it! “I looked for foreign objects in the tread and found nothing. Although the tyre had plenty of tread, it was six-years-old and so the owner decided to replace it anyway.” When the…

Has it really been seven years since the MT-09 burst onto the scene? Now, for 2021, Yamaha have given the naked triple its biggest update yet. Starting with the engine, the CP3 triple has been given a boost from 847cc to 889cc. With that Yamaha have overhauled the innards with new pistons, conrods, camshafts and cases, which has resulted in a 1.7kg weight loss on the engine alone - a theme that’s carried throughout the new bike to deliver an overall claimed kerb mass of 189kg. The capacity hike has resulted in a small power increase (up 2bhp to 117bhp @10,000rpm) but the biggest change is the torque - not only is there more of it (four extra lb.ft - meaning 68.5lb.ft @7000rpm) but it arrives 1500rpm earlier in the…

Another week, another lockdown. This time it’s England joining the pool from tomorrow, following Wales - which dived in first during late October. It’s wildly frustrating for all as we see the last few decent warm and sunny days of the year vanish into the inevitable cold winter drizzle, but it’s important that our biking community takes it on the chin and sticks to the rules. By all means still ride to work, to the shops, or to see those who depend on you - we will be, too - but let’s be beyond reproach when it comes to leisure rides or meeting at biker haunts. A disappointing chunk of the biking population tarred the rest of us with the brown end of the stick last time around, it’d be…

SENIOR WRITER Bimota have confirmed that their long-anticipated KB4 retro sportsbike is set for a limited production run in March 2021, with a planned 20 units allocated to the UK market. Speaking to MCN earlier this week, the Rimini firm revealed that the bike will feature a TFT dash alongside ABS, traction control, a quickshifter, ‘cornering management’ electronics and power modes as well as cruise control - effected via the ride- by-wire throttle. There’s also Bluetooth connectivity. On top of that, the retro looks will be complemented by modern ancillary components, including Brembo braking hardware, OZ forged wheels and a billet rear swingarm. Suspending the chassis will be manual Ohlins suspension - despite earlier statements from the factory suggesting it might be semiactive. Interestingly, the rear unit is now said…

NEWS EDITOR BMW are well known as masters of tech on the road and track but now they’re staking a claim as masters of tech off the track too with their latest venture. In a bid to gain valuable seconds for their official World Superbike racing team, they’ve taken to manufacturing rapid prototype parts at the circuit. Traditionally for a race bike, the rider would make a request then back at the factory an engineer would design a new component, run a simulation, manufacture the piece in metal and install it on the bike to be tested on track. It’s a time–consuming process and if a problem shows up in practice, it can’t realistically be fixed until the next race weekend or test. Now, by embracing the latest tech, BMW…

Every week we give a different rider a wodge of fictional cash and ask them to ‘buy’ the bike that sets their soul on fire. This is Martin’s pick... As well as being a toplevel racing driver, Sky Sports’ man-on-the-mic in the F1 paddock Martin Brundle is a bike nut who spends as much of his spare time on two wheels as possible. So, armed with a healthy £9000 budget, what would Martin splash it on? “It would have to be a Ducati 916, a bike I owned in the 1990s but for one reason or another sold almost straight away. “I had a Garelli 50 when I was 16 but despite dad riding an Ariel Square Four he never encouraged me, probably because he’d ended up in the hedge…

1 Ride the new 2021 bikes The Festival is the only place where you can ride all the latest bikes back-to-back. No need to book, just bring your lid and licence. It’s no exaggeration to say that there are hundreds of test ride slots all up for grabs. From cruisers to sportsbikes to learner friendly machines, they’re all just waiting for you to jump on board! 2 Moped Mayhem chaos The wild and wacky race returns to the showground with huge grids and guaranteed carnage. Known for its wild racing, huge grid, madcap machines and raucous paddock atmosphere, bike racing doesn’t get more grass roots than Moped Mayhem. 3 Stock up on kit bargains There’ll be hundreds of stalls selling everything from premier brands to end-of-line bargains to help you…

• Readers Neil Goulding • The Ride East coast figure-of-eight on my Kawasaki Ninja H2 • Miles 400 • Time needed Well, I did it in 12 superchaged hours but you could make a two-day trip of it because there is plenty to see • Don’t miss this What a day out on the H2. The Yorkshire moors and Lincolnshire Wolds are a must with great roads THE ROUTE THE PLAN Setting off from Oakham towards Grantham it’s all about getting a great day’s riding done on ace roads with an amazing bike. GOING UP… Taking a few socially distanced breaks definitely helps you keep going. GOING COASTAL When you live inland it is always a treat to ride north and east to get to the coast. THE BIKE The…

Q ‘Hit by kid on an electric scoot’ In June I was riding my moped to work in Cardiff. It was a single Lane road in each direction with kerbs both sides and the speed Limit was 30mph. I was probably doing about 25 to 30mph. A kid on an electric scooter was on the kerb coming towards me on my side of the road. He lost control and the scooter went into the road in front of me. I tried to swerve to avoid it but I lost control, hit the kerb and came off. I had some quite nasty injuries and was off work for five weeks recovering. I wish to claim compensation and wonder if there is a body that can pay up like the MIB that…

SHS SPECIAL Sammy couldn’t afford a proper trials bike so he made this, the Samuel Hamilton Special. In 1954 he won best newcomer on it in the Scottish Six Day Trial. NSU 250 SPORTMAX After three road races, NSU importer Terry Hill asked Sammy to ride the new 250 Sportmax. He went on to win dozens of international road races on it. ARIEL HT5 Sammy’s most famous bike. He developed the HT5 until the duo were almost unbeatable, winning the Scottish Six Day twice and the Scott trial three times. BULTACO SHERPA Sammy developed the Sherpa T in an astonishing 12 days, turning it from 200cc into 244. He won first time out and took the European Trials Championship twice on it.…

Kawasaki’s 49% stake in Bimota has revived a famous brand and given us this mad mix of power and poise. The Tesi H2 delivers a thrilling level of performance that only the bike which donated its engine to it can match - but it does so in a way that’s completely unique in today’s marketplace. It’s a bike that thrives when ridden with gusto, but it can cope with the lumps and bumps of an everyday road ride thanks to its ‘funny’ front end. Throttle response at slow speeds is poor and it doesn’t like second-gear, 40mph corners but give it a handful and the world shrinks... fast! The factory is now building 20 a month and about 50 have already been sold. even at €64,000. It’s been 30 years…

Colin Reed I’ve been going to the Yamaha Off-road Experience with my friends every year for the last 16 years. We’re all pushing on for 60 and one of them had a few troubles with his back so was keen to try the Ténéré Experience rather than ride the enduro bikes because it’s a bit less physical. I didn’t know exactly what to expect with the bike, but I was really impressed with how nimble it was and just how well it performed off-road. It felt really solid and controllable and we had such a good day. We’re already making plans to go back next year and now the dilemma is whether we ride the enduro bikes or do another course on the Ténérés.…

1 Proper Motorcycle Cleaner £7.99 I like that they’ve reduced the amount that is shipped in each package, as you get the cleaner as a tablet you dissolve in water. It works well too. Julia Mundy, Norwich 2 SDoc Cleaner £14.99 I only clean my bike a few times a year but when I do, this cuts through the commuting grime. After it’s dried off, I then apply ACF50 to protect the bike. Stephen Snell, Basildon 3 Procycle Complete Cleaner £6.36 There are two types. The gel is better if you wash your bike regularly and the Complete Cleaner is best for hardcore dirt. Andy Whiting, Northampton 4 Gunk Engine Degreasant £6.99 Gunk seems to work well on grease and oil. I use it in a pump-up garden spray bottle, so it…

BRUCE DUNN MCN’S expert technician 1 Consult the experts Not everyone likes to ride their bike in winter, so it makes sense to store it properly. It’s not uncommon for some bikes, particularly newer models, to have special requirements if they are to be left for a long period of time. So first, check the manual to see if there is anything detailed in there, particularly regarding the battery and electronic systems. 2 A bath before bedtime Give it a proper clean. Even if this is the bike you only use on dry, sunny days, you should still give it a thorough going over. Wash all over with a dedicated motorcycle cleaner, use a brush to get behind exhaust downpipes, and into awkward places. Really scrub all the dark places…

2010-2012 3 x British Junior Production Minimoto Champion 2 x British Junior Minimoto Champion Scottish Junior Minimoto Champion British GP50 & GP70 Metrakit Champion 2013 Melville Motorcycle Club F125 Club & Open Champion Knockhill Motor Sports Club F125 Champion Youngest Aprilia Superteens race winner at Donington 2014 Becomes youngest-ever Aprilia Superteens Champion with 17 wins Selected for 2015 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup 2015 Rookies Cup – 10th Overall (2 Poles / 2 Podiums) RFME Spanish Moto3 Championship 7th overall (1 Podium) FIM CEV Repsol Moto3 Junior World Championship – 19th Overall (Competed in 5 races) 2016 Rookies Cup 6th Overall (2 Podiums) Junior World Championship 28th Overall (Best Result – 9th) 2017 Rookies Cup 12th Overall (One Victory) Junior World Championship 13th overall (Best Result – 5th) 2018 Inaugural…

Peter Hickman BSB & ROADS Peter Hickman led the former Smiths Racing team to the Showdown for three consecutive seasons, making them the top BMW squad. On the roads he made history, taking five TT victories and setting a new lap record of 135.452mph. He’ll have the all-new M1000 RR at his disposal in 2021. Xavi Forés BRITISH SUPERBIKES Xavi Forés returns to BSB after a year back in WSB. The experienced Spaniard secured a hat-trick of podiums at Donington, and another one at Knockhill, for Honda in 2019. Forés was crowned 2018 WSB Independent Riders champion with five podiums to his name on the Barni Racing Ducati Panigale R. Alex Olsen SUPERSTOCK 1000 Alex Olsen remains but will now ride in the National Superstock 1000 series. Olsen had a…

For those who like to take life at a leisurely pace, this is a perfect full day’s ride, where you get the chance to see the sun rise and set over the sea but without having to travel the breadth of the country. Our journey begins in Lowestoft, where they lay claim to being the most easterly point in Britain and you can watch the sun rise over the North Sea. From here take the road north and it’s not long before you hop over the county border from Suffolk to Norfolk. Hug the coast as you pass through Great Yarmouth and on to Cromer. It’s a diverse coastline with a windmill at Happisburgh to explore and crabs in Cromer to sample. If you have the time, head inland to…

Steeped in Roman history and with gravel lanes, high hills and twisty hairpins to explore, this is a great ride. Leave Hexham and Hadrian’s Wall, on the B6305 and after around 5.5 miles, there’s a tight left-hand bend by a farm, turn right here and continue through to the A686. Turn right to Alston before taking the minor road to Haltwhistle. At the A69 head towards Carlisle and after half a mile, left again to Alston. Cut through Hartside Pass and on to Melmerby. The A686 takes you to Penrith before you need to turn right on the A66 and over the M6. Continue on the A66 towards Workington. Start your journey into the lakes and pick up signs for Ullswater. With the lake on your left, hug the shoreline,…

NEWS EDITOR TOP STORY Triumph have finally unveiled the Trident: a new entrylevel triple that by their own admission is designed to knock Yamaha’s MT-07 (see right) off the middleweight top spot. So what is it? Well it’s not just a reskinned Street Triple S if that’s what you’re thinking. For a start the engine is completely different and while they might share the same capacity, the bore and stroke are different as are the rest of the innards. That means new piston, new crank, new cylinder head, new cases, new clutch, new liners, new camshafts - in fact, it would be simpler to name the parts that are the same. The result of this work, or so Triumph say, is an engine that has the magic combo of low-down…

MICHAEL NEEVES MCN Chief Road Tester Neevesy’s instructed at the school for eight years and also attended the final day at Donington Park. My final lap last Monday was emotional. It was the last time I’d ride around Donington on a Fireblade, wearing my red instructor’s bib, with a customer in tow. I’ve seen how the school operates from behind the scenes during the eight years I’ve been with them. It’s more than just a riding school, it’s always been about giving back to our sport for Ann and Ron. Thousands of young and new riders have been introduced to biking and many racers have been nurtured, not to mention the all those who’ve got their track fix from some the best instructors in the land, on one of the…

Schuberth C4 Pro Helmet £369.99 ‘Microphone and speakers are built in’ With a welcome 40% off, this flip-up lid is a bargain. In our recent test, we gave it a five-star quality rating and also found it to be comfortable from first wear, quiet, well-ventilated and we loved the glasses channel, which stop the arms of specs digging in. The three-position top vent and push-release chin vent work well, the drop-down sun visior is effective and the flip-up mechanism is easy to operate. It comes with speakers and microphone pre-installed, so is easy to hook up to a Bluetooth intercom system. With anti-fog Pinlock insert fitted, the extra wide visor gives a broad field of vision. The Schuberth has a ratchet style fastener and the lining is both removable and…

THURSDAY 5 November 11.10pm, EUR2, Best of Bikes: Silverstone British Superbikes FRIDAY 6 November 8am, BTS2, Live MotoGP from Valencia, Spain: Free Practice SATURDAY 7 November 8am, BTS2, Live MotoGP from Valencia: Free Practice 2. Qualifying at 11am SUNDAY 8 November 7.30am, BTS2, Live MotoGP: Warm-Ups, 9.15am Moto3, 11am Moto2 and 12.30pm MotoGP. 2pm Chequered Flag 10am, EUR2, Live Motocross World Championship: Race 1 of MX2. 11am Race 1 of MXGP. 2pm Race 2 of MXGP. 3pm Race 2 of MX2 KEY TO CHANNELS: DRT - DISCOVERY REAL TIME DSC - DISCOVERY CHANNEL DHD - DISCOVERY CHANNEL HD EXS - EXTREME SPORTS CHANNEL EUR1 (2, HD) - EUROSPORT 1 (2, HD) MOT - MOTORSPORT.TV CH4 - CHANNEL 4 CH5 - CHANNEL FIVE BBC BBCI–BBC INTERACTIVE ESPN–ESPN CLASSIC CHANNEL ITVDST–DISCOVERY TURBO SHED–DISCOVERY…

NEWS EDITOR The inaugural King of the Baggers race was run last week at Laguna Seca, with flat-track pro Tyler O’Hara taking top honours. The close-fought event has spawned from a growing performance bagger scene in the US, which has seen manufacturers and customisers breathe on traditional full-dress tourers. The winning machine started life as a stock Indian Challenger but S&S have done some serious work to turn it from a luxury cruiser into a stripped-down racer. The capacity of the Powerplus engine fitted to the Challenger has remained the same at 1769cc but S&S have ported the heads for improved gas flow. They’ve also fitted Stage 2 cams, to help draw more power out of the big twin. Helping it breathe even more freely are a K&N air filter…

“I’ve been riding trials since the late 1970s, so have been through everything: two and four-stroke, twin shocks, monoshocks, the works and have owned loads of different brands from GasGas to Montesa. Before I retired my job involved working on electric vehicles and I’ve always been a fan of the technology, which is why buying one didn’t worry me. I’m now on my second as they are brilliant and the Epure Race is every bit as good as a petrol trials bike. “I compete at novice level alongside my brother Andy and son Alex and would call myself an enthusiast, I’m not that naturally talented! Andy has some heath issues which mean he struggles with gears and that made electric a natural choice, which is why we bought our first…

Diversity does matter I think Richard Newland’s question on diversity among bikers is a valid one and think more can be done to encourage this. Biking culture is fabulously non-discriminatory as pointed out in your letters page (October 21). We look out for each other and I think create an environment where anyone is welcome. But ‘non-typical’ groups need encouragement. I’m guessing most of us will have been introduced to biking through families or friends, but this is self-limiting in terms of growing our community. I think we should all be interested in this to ensure we are not an aging, ever-reducing and marginalised group. So, back to the manufacturers. Why not promote training and offer discounts to Deliveroo riders (other delivery companies are available) to keep them riding? I’m…

£18,995 BMW R 18 ● 1802cc boxer twin 8v ● 91bhp @ 4750rpm ● 345kg wet £20,200 Triumph Rocket 3 GT ● 2458cc inline triple, 12v ● 165bhp @ 6000rpm ● 294kg dry When it comes to cruisers bigger engines are most definitely better. Harley’s big V-twins, for example, just keep growing. But it’s not just bragging rights, it’s also to get their air-cooled engines through emissions regs. It’s also why BMW’s return to the class has resulted in the biggest boxer yet - the stupendous 1802cc, oil and air-cooled pushrod twin R18. So, how does it measure up to the biggest-engined cruiser of all: the 2500cc, Triumph Rocket 3 GT? For the start of our showdown I take the biggest of all first, the Rocket 3… and am glad…

BMW’s biggest ever boxer is an exercise in classy minimalism, while the Rocket is a true muscle bike, an exercise in excess with enough numbers, features, modes and spec for three bikes, never mind one. The R18, by contrast is nothing more than it needs to be to deliver a characterful cruiser. There’s just one clean, simple dial, plain glossy black or metal surfaces, craftily hidden wires and just a solo seat. The engine just happens to be a big 1800cc to deliver the grunty, US-style vibe required of it. Both deliver, but in different ways. The 2500cc Rocket is a hilarious force of nature but its brilliance is in also being impressively versatile and manageable. All of that, for £20k, almost seems a bargain. The R18, by contrast, is…

MCN CONTRIBUTOR The extent of the V-Bob’s replica Fat Bob styling is to be admired, as are the ‘junior Harley’ sensations its exhaust note and overall ride engenders, so much so it makes you wonder why Harley themselves haven’t built something along these lines as an entry into their range. Many, at £3799, might be tempted. But it also has to be said that, in virtually every dynamic respect, from its hard tyres to its dull brakes, weak suspension and limp performance, you’re only getting what you pay for. As long as you’re aware of that, it’s a welcome addition in an entry-level cruiser category with so few alternatives and would be quite cool for cruising the city streets. THE FACTS £3799 Bullit V-Bob 250…

The experience is aimed at anyone wanting to get their first taste off-road, prepare for their next adventure or complete the most comprehensive test ride of a Ténéré 700. There are a number of courses available starting with the one-day tour, two-day tour plus the Go Beyond tour and the Adventure Bike Skills course. The cost for the day course is £260 and includes bike, kit hire, refreshments and lunch www.yamaha-offroad-experience.co.uk…

IAN PALLISER I’m pushing 60 and have ridden bikes since I was 16. After six years with a Tiger 800 I moved to a Tiger 900 GT PRO last March. I’ve done 3500 miles to date. It has a great engine, it feels like a big twin and I don’t feel the vibes that some people mention. It’s a totally different engine character to the 800, it doesn’t thrive on revs like the 800 and I really like it. The handling is similar to the 800, which is great, but the brakes are better. I find it very comfortable, the big-screen dash is over kill but fairly intuitive, but I’m not sure I need all the modes. The OE tyres are poor, so I’ve changed them to Metzeler Roadtec 01s.…

2020 KTM 1290 Super Duke R An all-new chassis, improved electronics package, upgraded suspension and a more refined motor make Beast 3.0 the best incarnation of the dynasty. But it is also the most expensive... 2017–2019 KTM 1290 Super Duke R Beast 2.0 came with a TFT dash alongside uprated electronics that include cruise control and a keyless ignition and upgraded WP suspension. Power was quoted as less but its revised motor is stronger than before. 2016 KTM 1290 Super Duke R Special Edition The SE is a first generation bike with bits from the Power Parts catalogue added. You get an Akrapovic end can, wave discs, stiffer triple clamps, adjustable levers and flash paint. 2013-2016 KTM 1290 Super Duke R The original Beast 1.0 delivers a wild ride with…

One of the most common problems that crops up when you store a bike is that the battery has gone flat when it’s time to get riding. People often think that because their bike is new and in perfect condition with low mileage it will be fine. Quite often that is not the case and the cost of replacing the battery will not be covered by a warranty. And, yes I mentioned replacement, this is because if the battery has fully discharged it will be irreversibly damaged. We mention about putting your battery on charge in one of the steps, and that’s because of what battery boffins call ‘parasitical drain’, the tiny amount of energy that alarms and trackers use to monitor the bike’s status which over time add up…

‘MotoGP future: Brinu on the bots’ In a year of feast and famine, a weekend with no MotoGP after three in a row feels weird. Not that long ago we were wondering if there’d be any racing this year. Now we’re grateful for a brief respite. But what if the looming lockdowns prevent the final three rounds from happening? Thankfully, technology will soon be in place to restore things to normal. Or, more correctly, ‘the new normal’. Driverless cars are on the roads already. Can you see the way forward for MotoGP? Riderless motorcycles. Plug in jockeys will never catch the coronavirus; suffer lapses in form; insult their sponsors; nor (like Iannone) fail a drug test. We’re halfway to eliminating real riders. Once riders were characters, with humour and glamour…

Has it really been seven years since the MT-09 burst onto the scene? Now, for 2021, Yamaha have given the naked triple its biggest update yet. Starting with the engine, the CP3 triple has been given a boost from 847cc to 889cc. With that Yamaha have overhauled the innards with new pistons, conrods, camshafts and cases, which has resulted in a 1.7kg weight loss on the engine alone - a theme that’s carried throughout the new bike to deliver an overall claimed kerb mass of 189kg. The capacity hike has resulted in a small power increase (up 2bhp to 117bhp @10,000rpm) but the biggest change is the torque - not only is there more of it (four extra lb.ft - meaning 68.5lb.ft @7000rpm) but it arrives 1500rpm earlier in the…

Has it really been seven years since the MT-09 burst onto the scene? Now, for 2021, Yamaha have given the naked triple its biggest update yet. Starting with the engine, the CP3 triple has been given a boost from 847cc to 889cc. With that Yamaha have overhauled the innards with new pistons, conrods, camshafts and cases, which has resulted in a 1.7kg weight loss on the engine alone - a theme that’s carried throughout the new bike to deliver an overall claimed kerb mass of 189kg. The capacity hike has resulted in a small power increase (up 2bhp to 117bhp @10,000rpm) but the biggest change is the torque - not only is there more of it (four extra lb.ft - meaning 68.5lb.ft @7000rpm) but it arrives 1500rpm earlier in the…

Take the A487 north towards Dolgellau, meander through the river valley, turn left on the B4405, skim along the edge of Tal-y-llyn Lake. At the junction with the A493 turn right for Dolgellau and within a few turns get a glimpse of golden beaches of Cardigan Bay below. Stick with the road as it turns inland to run along the river and when it reaches the T-junction hang left towards Betws-y-Coed. Follow the A470 to Ffestiniog then right on the B4391 to Bala. When you hit the A4212, continue towards Bala. Take the B4391 to Llangynog, a road that climbs rapidly via a couple of steep hairpins to cross the windswept upper moorland. Sensational views beckon from the top of the pass before you make a dramatic descent into the…