Inhoudsopgave van August 2019 - RiDE

‘It’d be like riding on reserve all the time’ “A 50-mile range? That’s the reserve on my bike — the bit where you’ve basically run out of petrol. I don’t think I’d be comfortable riding like that all ‘I’d like to try one for a day’ “I’d consider one if the range was good enough for a full day’s ride (80 to 200 miles). I can see the long-term cost benefits, but they’re still some way off convincing every rider. Personally, I’d really like to try one for the day.” Ian Speight ‘Perhaps hydrogen fuel cells are the future’ “Range anxiety would spoil a leisure ride and make touring virtually impossible. Hopefully battery technology will get better, or perhaps hydrogen fuel cells could be a way forward.” Richard Higgott ‘£20k?…

Dashing around Dash cams are all the rage in cars to offer protection and evidence and now, the same is possible for bikes, thanks to Innovv. Single (C5) and twin-lens (K2) versions are available, the latter with GPS mapping built in. There’s also a helmet-mounted C5 version. Fully waterproof, the bike-mounted C5 is £209.90 with a 128gb storage card and the K2, £319.90 with the same card. innovv.co.uk Quick, slow, quick quick-shift Owners of bikes like the Yamaha MT-10, R1 and R6, Kawasaki ZX10 and Honda CBR1000 can add a Stand Alone Blipper Shifter Kit from HM Quickshifter. Two versions are available – Lite is a plug & play adjustable shift/back-shift system while Pro adds a pit-lane limiter and auto warm-up. More bike applications will follow, as will updates like…

THE A6024 HAS formed part of the Tour de Yorkshire route as well as the 2014 Tour de France (they must have been lost) but to be honest, it is wasted on anyone wearing Lycra. Once you have left Holmfirth, you start to get into the swing of things as you pass through Holme and begin the climb up towards the high point of Holme Moss. The first few bends just outside Lane are well surfaced and mean that when the sun is out, you can lean a bike over with confidence. From there on it is more about the lovely views than tight bends but that doesn’t mean it is any less amusing to ride. Once you see the transmitting station (tall radio pole) you know you have reached…

THE 2019 BMW S1000RR packs a monumental 205bhp punch but it’s a surprisingly reassuring road bike. After redefining the superbike nine years ago with massive power, clever electronics and just about enough practicality for the road, BMW’s new S1000RR has had a proper revision. There is a new, lighter chassis, even cleverer electronics and an all-new engine. Using a variation of the ShiftCam technology we’ve already seen on the 1254cc flat-twin, it promises midrange power and a searing top-end. It works, too — while the motor kicks out those 205 crazy horses, the roll-on power means you can just drive along on waves of torque. But encourage it into action and it’s every bit the full-on superbike. The chassis is stunning, especially with the optional M lightweight wheels fitted; the…

While everyone else is focusing on the corners — leaning further over and scraping body parts harder — try doing the complete opposite: focusing on the straights instead. GP-winner turned track- coach Simon Crafar says that; “by shifting your focus from the corners to the straights, you will go faster with less risk.” That means getting your bike upright as soon as possible after a turn and quickly and fully opening the throttle for the following straight. Which is exactly what many corner- obsessed trackday riders fail to do at all.…

Your first ride off-road Stand-up It may feel strange but the extra balance, feel through the footrests and visibility it gives is a game changer. Practise doing it on road or by doing figure-of-eights in a car park. Prep it Good dual-purpose tyres like Pirelli’s STR Rally will make a huge difference to your confidence levels and also offer good on-road performance. Remove footrest rubbers if you have them to improve feel and grip. Go back to school The quickest way to learn the skills required and boost confidence is to get some training. See manufacturer websites for details. MG A front-end slide When the bars go vague and floaty in your hands as you commit to a corner, your front tyre is probably losing traction. If the bars then…

Spotting a ringer — a bike whose identity has been changed — is easier than it used to be but still needs to be done to avoid buying a wrong ‘un. First, check the engine and frame numbers for evidence of tampering. Then check they match the ones on the V5 registration document. Use the online MoT checker (www.gov.uk/ check-mot-history ) to look back at the mileage records and check they agree with what you’re looking at while also seeing a picture of its health over the last few years. A vehicle check (from HPI, for example) will also show if it’s been stolen or written off in the past and give another layer of peace of mind.…

The commute is your Groundhog Day: an opportunity to refine the same ride a little every morning. But it’s not breathless derring-do that will save time in the long run but efficiency from the moment you pick up your helmet and to when you sit down at your desk/tractor/737 to start work. So work on being slick. Riding kit all in one place and easy to slip on, no tricky boot fastening mechanism, visor already cleaned, bike facing the right way and fuelled. On the road, think your way through traffic and challenge yourself to stay feet-up all the way, no matter how slowly. Calm, planned riding usually rewards with more green lights than red. But if it doesn’t, don’t worry about it. There’s always tomorrow.…

Textile clothing needs to be kept clean, particularly laminate items like Gore-Tex or a manufacturer’s own version. Dirt clogs pores and stops them doing their job properly. To keep them clean, occasionally whip out the liners and armour and if necessary, pre-treat stubborn areas with a small brush and some detergent. Then into the washing machine — NO FABRIC CONDITIONER — with a cleaner such as Nikwax Tech Wash. Follow washing instructions but generally, a hand-wash cycle is recommended. When finished, drip dry but give them a short blast in the tumble drier to help reactivate the laminate. Finally, put armour and linings back.…

1 Evict children’s bicycles, freezers and garden tools. This is your space now. 2 Get everything off the floor and onto shelves and wall hooks for hanging bodywork and paddock stands. Consider a couple of skyhooks too, for lifting one end of the bike. 3 Lay an old carpet over the main working area, paint the walls white and add extra plug-in lighting where needed, both high and low-level. 4 Scavenge a work bench: raid skips and recycling centres for timber and the dream find, a discarded kitchen worktop. Pallets can be useful too. 5 Create separate working areas for clean and dirty; organise your storage with tools and potions within easy reach of the work area. 6 Ensure there’s enough room to walk and work all around the bike…

DUCATI TANK BAG The magnets aren’t strong enough so I’ve added a bungee for extra security, as I did lose it in Kazakhstan though to be honest, I probably over-loaded it. The bag has a great zip pocket at the top and is fully waterproof. I left my glasses on the bike in Australia and the sun’s rays were focused on the tankbag, burning a hole through it! MALLE LUGGAGE Malle is a London-based company that makes wax-canvas luggage. It’s beautifully constructed and incredibly strong but isn’t waterproof and in high ambient heat, the wax melts! I packed everything inside it in plastic bags. I crashed with these bags fitted and they still look brand new. ENDURISTAN BAG Enduristan make loads of adventure luggage and it is waterproof but the…

A RiDE Best Buy award means a product has been tested under real-world and, where appropriate, laboratory conditions to assess its performance in its field and has excelled, while at the same time offering exceptional value for money. A Recommended triangle means that a product has either done an outstanding job at a higher price or a reasonable job at a significantly lower price. So while not worthy of a Best Buy, it still performs very well in one of these criteria. Our product tests are carried out by real bikers with years of experience and on real bikes and are combined with empirical testing developed and carried out by qualified engineers. The RiDE Recommended triangles stand for quality and value for money. Look for them when shopping.…

HAVING TESTED A wide range of tankbags, what was very evident was that while a careful read of a bag’s specification list will help you make an informed decision, you really do need to get hands-on to confirm your selection. It was only when we started to poke around the bags that we noticed things such as poor zips or a lack of features and these are often the difference between a great bag and one that leaves you irritated when you use it. And waterproofing was also a key decision maker. A lot of the bags claimed to be ‘showerproof’ but only the bags that had a separate waterproof cover remained bone dry during our test and any that didn’t have a cover let water in. So if you…

Price from £10,930 standard (£11,890 as tested) Engine 1170cc flat twin, 4v per cyl, a/c Power (measured) 104bhp @ 7000rpm Torque (measured) 82lb·ft @ 6000rpm Transmission 6-speed shaft Frame tubular-steel subframes Front suspension 43mm forks, 125mm travel, no adjustment Rear suspension monoshock, 120mm travel, adjustable preload and rebound Front brakes 320mm discs, 4-piston calipers Rear brake 265mm disc, 2-piston caliper Front tyre 120/70 cR17 Rear tyre 180/55 cR17 Wheelbase 1493mm Rake/trail 26.6°/105mm Seat height 805mm Kerb weight (measured) 222kg Fuel capacity 17 litres…

“Fantastic bikes! Fun; light; grunty; dead reliable. You can get a really mint early one for six grand and that’s a huge bargain, especially with the price of new ones now. Few people will really feel the benefit of spending that extra 14 grand for a new SP — you just can’t use all its potential on the road anyway. We are seeing more people buy them for trackdays as they get cheaper — they make an impressive track toy. Buyers tend to be older guys. Some say they don’t want the electronics on the newer versions, and it’s true the Blade was the last hurrah for analogue bikes. “As for colours, Repsols always sell well, along with any of the limited-edition colours. We’ve got an Urban Tiger in at…

2008-2009 CBR1000RR All new superbike — inline four, twin-spar cast/ welded chassis, fully adjustable suspension and radial brakes. ABS available from 2009. £4500-£6200 2010-2011 CBR1000RR Very minor update — an aluminium cover for the silencer and a very slightly reworked tailpiece. £4900-£6500 2012-2013 CBR1000RR Lighter wheels, upgraded instrumentation, subtle restyle of upper fairing and headlights, and posh Showa Big Piston Forks and matching rear shock. £6300-£8500 2014-2016 CBR1000RR An extra 2.7bhp courtesy of a gas-flowed cylinder head and updated settings for the engine management. Otherwise unchanged. £7000-£10,000 2014-2016 CBR1000RR SP Track-focussed version, with the same engine as the standard bike plus matched and balanced pistons and con-rods. Single seat, with lightweight subframe. Fully adjustable Öhlins forks and shock, Brembo monoblock calipers. £9500-£10,500…

RST TracTech Evo III Sport Waterproof £139.99 www.rst-moto.com AT £140, THESE boots offer excellent value, with sufficient levels of waterproofing, feel and protection — and all for less than half the price of Alpinestars’ top-of-the-range waterproof race boot, for example. I’ve used these TracTech Evo IIIs for more than 3000 miles, from the depths of winter and into summer and I’ve found them to be flexible, comfortable and offer most of what you need in a sporty boot. Based on RST’s full race boot, the level of protection is impressive. There is armour galore; a rear ankle support structure prevents overextension of the ankle and there is a large shin protection and toe box, too. Combined with a stiff, hard sole they inspire more confidence than most other midrange boots.…

If you want to become a part of a future RiDE Reader Rated feature, start by heading to our Facebook page. Click on www.facebook.com/ RiDEmagazineBauerMedia/ (or just search for ‘RiDE magazine’‚ and look for the blue tick), like our page, and keep your eyes peeled. We’ll post our calls for volunteer product testers there and explain how to get in touch. If you’re successfully selected, you’ll be sent the product to be tested, along with an evaluation form to complete. Simple! Suggest a product Got a burning desire to see a particular piece of kit reviewed by the RiDE Reader Rated panel? Send your suggestions to ride@ride.co.uk…

Testing, testing… It seems that nowadays, if a bike can’t do mega speed and 0-60mph in milliseconds, then it’s no good. I feels as if we have gone down the new-car technology route, where if a bike is not loaded to the gunnels with electronics, then it’s considered no good. I can appreciate ABS but why all the added gizmo’s that make bikes so expensive now? Graham Hunt R Hopefully you’ll have noticed that we don’t normally quote performance figures in RiDE, preferring to explain what the bikes feel like to ride and how well they achieve their goals. Much of the technology involved on modern motorcycles is primarily for safety — ABS, traction control and engine modes are all intended to reduce accidents. Of course, they can often be…

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Martin Fitz-Gibbons Deputy editor For a year RiDE has followed Henry Crew in his quest to become the youngest person to ride round the world. His ambition, maturity and ability to hit deadlines are all utterly humbling. His story deserves your time; his charity deserves your money. Jim Blackstock Product editor When I was a kid, I loved building models of late 70s and early 80s motorcycles. One I remember vividly was the bizarre Suzuki Katana. With the new version ridden in this issue, I’m keen to see whether the Katana spirit still cuts it. Simon Hargreaves Contributor Tankbags are the Marmite of biking luggage; we either love ’em or hate ’em. Or, I suspect, many of us are a bit of both – so I’m keen to know which…

WITH THE HALFWAY point of the year looming, scores of R5K readers have been hitting their 5000-mile targets, revelling in the summer weather and going the distance, both here and abroad. “I went through 5000 on Tuesday — on a trackday at Cadwell Park,” says BMW R1200GS Adventure rider Martin Buck. “That probably qualifies as the best thing this year, although Sunday afternoon in the sunshine in south Wales comes close.” R5K regular and obsessive traveller John Jess has also been piling on the miles. The Panigale 899 rider loves clocking miles all over the world. “I’m just shy of 10k so far this year but the highlight was renting a 1299S in Las Vegas and riding to LA to meet up with fellow R5K- member Malky so he could…

VENTS Help to generate air flow over the gloves to keep your hands cool ARMOUR Look for hard protection over the knuckles and scaphoid at least. Fingers as well is ideal MATERIALS Leather generally for summer gloves with grip panels over the palm on some LINING Some form of lining will help to keep them fitting well and not get sticky in the warm LABELS Worth noting that gloves MUST have CE labels by law to be used in France DESIGN Long or short — a Marmite question. Long offers more protection but also bulk and vice versa WHAT ARE THESE GLOVES? Tuzo TZG10 Evo £29.99 These were Best Buy award winners in our October 2018 glove test A pair of summer gloves is one of the most satisfying items…

BEFORE THE SERVICE Check your owner’s manual for the work due. Take a peak at the colour of your engine oil and coolant and at the cosmetic condition of your oil filter, which you could mark with a dab of Tippex. If you can access the air filter, inspect that too, and if the brake fluid is due to be changed, note its colour. Phone pictures can be useful. Walk around the bike noting things like chain and throttle slack and whether the brake pads are near their service limit. AT THE DEALER Before handing over your key, confirm with the service manager exactly what work is to be done. AFTER THE SERVICE Ask for a check-sheet of the work done. Re-inspect. Is the oil clear and filled towards the…

DO Buy a bike that’s six years old. At this point, a bike will have reached its base value and its worth should only fall by £100 or so per year, depending on condition and mileage. DON’T Buy brand new. There’s a price to pay for being that very first owner on the logbook — at least 20% of its new value as soon as you turn the key for the first time. DO Become a geek. If you want to buy brand new, use information provided by manufacturers’ PCP packages to compare the Guaranteed Future Value of various makes and models to work out which one’s the best investment. DON’T Buy a fully loaded touring bike with lots of optional extras brand new. DO Buy a two-year old fully…

Do Take plenty of detailed pictures. Wash your bike, park it against an uncluttered background on a bright day, then take shots of both sides from a low angle. Include closeups of any marks, scrapes or blemishes, as this gives a potential seller less opportunity to bid you down on the price if they’re already aware of them. Don’t Send pictures via email or messaging if you’ve taken them with your smartphone’s ‘location tagging’ feature enabled. Your location will be embedded within the file, meaning that unscrupulous types will be able to view your exact address, pinpointed on a handy little map. Turn this function off. Do Be realistic about the value. Check the market to see what other, similar bikes are making before setting your price. Don’t Be vague…

DON’T Push the bike out the garage, plonk it on its stand and shoot it next to the wheelie bin. DO Ride to a sunny location with a clean background, big sky or a road snaking off into the distance. DON’T Just get off the bike, walk back ten paces and shoot. For a start, you might get run over. DO Consider your bike’s best angle. Three-quarter rear is usually hot while three-quarter front usually isn’t. Always have the bike leaning away from you or upright on its centre stand. DO Move the bike away from walls, fences or hedges. Check for telegraph poles or foliage ‘growing’ out of the bike and that the foreground is clean. DON’T Shoot into the sun unless you want an underexposed mood shot. Instead…

I WAS RIDING FOR up to 16 hours a day, which is brutal. I tried to keep it to between six and ten hours daily but even that’s hard on the body — depending on the terrain, I could cover anything from 100 to 600 miles. A lack of sleep and food is the hardest part; you just run your batteries low and that’s when you are in danger of a crash. I lost a third of my body weight between the UK and Singapore, dropping from 80kg to 57kg, as I didn’t eat enough. My body is also pretty broken; my posture has changed from being on the bike in the same position for so long; my shoulders have contracted; my chest muscles reduced; and my back is knackered.…

If you fancy a retro but with modern performance and manners, you can’t go far wrong with a BMW R nineT. The original (launched in 2014) was a huge hit but came at a premium, whereas this Pure promises most of that bike at a much more tempting price. It delivers an exciting ride, the nineT’s considerable power (14bhp more than the Triumph) and lusty boxer motor make it a drama-filled thrill every time you point it at some medium-speed sweepers. But on occasion you can tell that the Pure is the budget member of the R nineT family — especially when it comes to its single-dial clock and basic forks. And so the Triumph Speed Twin edges ahead in our back-to-back testing. It exceeds our expectations, matching the BMW…

Dunlop Roadsmart III £228 a pair Lots of owners rate Dunlops for the Blade — the rounded profile seems to suit its smooth-steering handling. These are a good choice for mileage — for pure grip try the Sportsmart 2 Max at £216 a pair. Metzeler Sportec M7-RR £262 a pair Sticky, stable and quick to warm up, but not great for wear (maybe 2k from a rear on the road). Ideal for trackdays though. For better wear, you could always try the Roadtec 01 at £267 a pair. Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa 2 £274 a pair Superb trackday performance — at a price. Surprisingly good on the road too, wet or dry, and reasonable mileage (some owners claiming 4k from a rear). Prices are mail order. Add £6 per pair…

Bull-it Covert jeans £179.99 www.bull-it.com Tested by Matt Wildee, editor AS WE WERE only featuring one product from each manufacturer in last month’s jeans product test, these jeans missed the test. However, subsequent testing on the road and with our test rig has proved that they’re a good buy, with excellent protective qualities. The Coverts feature a multi-layer approach to protection. For a start, the outer denim shell is rated to 75km/h (47mph), while high-risk zones are also reinforced with a Covec Lite liner, which is rated to a claimed 120km/h (75mph). As well as this, there is CE Level-2 protectors on the knees and hips. They are a AAA-rated jean meaning they have been tested for maximum protection. This all sounds like a heavyweight combination, but on the bike…

RiDE contributor Simon Hargreaves has already competed his challenge, but the rest of the team aren’t far behind. Dep ed Martin has clocked 1500 miles this month. “I’m now on 4459.6 miles,” says RiDE’s staff pedant. Editor Matt isn’t far behind, with 1250 miles this month on his Multistrada and R1. “I’m now just over 4000,” he says. Product editor Jim Blackstock has passed the 3000-mile mark, too.…

Each month the Star Picture will win a BikeTrac security tracker with a year’s BikeTrac subscription. As well as helping recover your bike if it is nicked, it logs journeys and gives live battery voltage information, too. How to send us your photos Email your most inspirational biking photos to us at ride@ride.co.uk with ‘Your Rides’ in the subject line. Please send us the original unedited photo file, ideally at least five megapixels in size. And don’t forget to include your full name, too.…

IT’S ALL HILLS, thrills and Spilsby round these parts: Lincolnshire’s foldy-Wolds are anything but a level playing field. But the rolling hills, open fields and, most importantly for us, combination of fiddly twisties and flowing A-roads are the perfect fusion of tarmac ingredients to find out if Kawasaki’s up-spec’d 2019 Versys 1000 SE is any match for the technical might of BMW’s S1000XR Sport SE. But before RiDE deputy editor Martin and I saddle up and disappear into leafy Lincs, we need to clarify a few things. Like, what versions of what are we riding? For the last six years, the Kawasaki Versys has been a budget version of its rivals. So while BMW’s base S1000XR had upgrade options (for a price), with items such as semi-active suspension, multiple riding…

Price £11,545 Engine 999cc inline four, 4v per cyl, l/c Power 148bhp @ 10,000rpm Torque 80lb·ft @ 9500rpm Transmission 6-speed, chain Frame aluminium twin-spar Front suspension 43mm forks, fully adjustable Rear suspension monoshock, adjustable preload and rebound Front brakes 310mm discs, 4-piston calipers Rear brake 220mm disc, 1-piston caliper Front tyre 120/70 cR17 Rear tyre 190/50 cR17 Wheelbase 1460mm Rake/trail 25°/100mm Seat height 825mm Kerb weight 215kg Fuel capacity 12 litres…

Riding an unknown road looks like sixth-sense magic — but you’re ‘reading’ the road. This means you’re watching the point of perspective ahead where opposite edges of the road appear to ‘meet’. This is the vanishing point. It’s a real thing; look for it and get to know how it behaves. If the vanishing point moves away at your pace, the corner doesn’t tighten; you can maintain speed, or accelerate to ‘chase’ it. If the vanishing point comes towards you, the corner is tightening and you should reduce your speed. The keys points are: concentrate on chasing the vanishing point; practise on familiar roads to fix your technique; ride within your comfort zone — slower than your maximum pace and always with a margin for error – because although you’ll…

WEAR A SUIT Magistrates tend to be middle-class folk with middle-class values, so project as a decent sort who has erred and not a court regular. If you have an old school tie or a military background, show it. BE POLITE Address them as ‘sir’ or ‘ma’am’ — definitely not as Beaky or Big Man — and speak clearly. DON’T UNDERPLAY THE OFFENCE While 38mph in a 30 limit might not seem like a heinous crime to you, it matters to the bench. Don’t say ‘only’ 38mph, agree it was significantly over the limit and apologise. DON’T TRY TO BE RUMPOLE OF THE BAILEY The most effective licence saver when pleading guilty is simply to be as smart, sorry and nice as possible. MENTION THE REAL VICTIMS You may deserve…

WITH WILD LANDSCAPES, brilliant roads and, occasionally, stunning weather, Scotland’s North Coast 500 is one of Europe’s greatest rides. It’s quieter midweek and out of holiday season, but you should always take care on single-track stretches: don’t assume other vehicles will stop in passing places. We prefer to do it as a clockwise loop, taking the amazing west coast first and returning to Inverness on the less-demanding east coast. Ride it over two days or three, watch out for deer, gravel and Dutch tourists — and enjoy every epic mile. Use the www.northcoast500.com website to plan your fuel stops.…

In the 1990s every motorcyclist in the UK feared the Volvo 850 Estate, especially yellow ones with tow bars driven by a chap in a cap. Today it could be a grumpy farmer in a Discovery or kids in a Clio. But while certain car and driver combinations rightly ring alarm bells, it’s the time and the place you encounter them that really matters. A Renault Clio being driven by an attentive and unaccompanied teenager in the morning is a different beast to one that’s full of his mates later that night. And knowing that farmers don’t get much sleep in July and August might explain that unfortunate exchange of views last summer. Schools, garden centres, Friday nights — they all have specific effects on certain cars and drivers. So…

STICKERS I have stickers from all over the world — reminders of mad events and amazing people. The Russian bike festival was nuts! I ended up on a 3000-mile detour with bikers who refused to sleep! I was so sleep-deprived I left my glasses on the bike and rode off, losing them somewhere. An eye test in Cyrillic for a new pair was a challenge… SEAT A guy in Seattle offered to cover the original seat with a leather one but I wish I hadn’t said ‘yes’. It’s so slippery that you end up sliding all over the bike. I rode using the Ducati comfort seat, which was perfect for the trip. AUXILIARY FUEL CANS Two days before I left, I thought I’d better pack extra fuel, so I bought…

PANNIERS ARE ALL well and good for longer trips but sometimes, you just want the convenience of a small piece of luggage on a bike and heading away for a day or overnight trip. It is in this scenario that a magnetic tankbag makes perfect sense – as long as your bike has a steel tank, that is. Magnetic tankbags come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes that mean they can be used as a quick and easy access point for items such as a wallet or phone while touring or for carrying a reasonable amount of luggage on a bike that lacks panniers. Not only this, many double up as rucksacks or day bags, meaning you can use them when you reach your destination and avoid having…

ZIPS Inspect the quality of the zips, as these are the main weak point when it comes to water ingress. Do they have extra waterproofing? Are they easy to operate with a gloved hand? Do they have tags on them? EXPANSION An expandable tankbag will give you the best of both worlds, but they can be more expensive and fiddly to use. Also, when fully expanded, they can be bulky and get in the way. MAXIMUM LOAD Not all suppliers quote a maximum carrying load but if you are planning on carrying heavy equipment such as an SLR camera, this could be worth investigating. EXTRA SECURITY Most magnetic tankbags come with an extra strap that you can attach to the bike as a fail-safe should the magnets’ hold fail. If…

WHEN HONDA LAUNCHED the all-new Fireblade in 2008, none of us knew it would form the basis of its flagship superbike right up until the present day. Born into a world where electronic rider aids had yet to filter down to mainstream bikes, the Fireblade instead concentrated on Honda’s Total Control concept by being lighter and easier to manage than its rivals — and even today’s machine boasts the same engine and chassis architecture as a 2008 Blade you can pick up for £4000. Instead of gyros and mode switches, the new bike featured more power (a real 165bhp, up 5bhp on the old model), a bit less weight (a 4kg diet), a new frame, uprated suspension and brakes to help get you out of the trouble the engine could…

Kawasaki ZX-10R 2008-2010 > £5000-£6000 > 998cc inline four > 185bhp > 196kg As an alternative to a 2008-2011 Blade, the ca-10R of the same era looks a natural choice — similar power, similar lack of electronics. But in reality they’re chalk and cheese. The Kwak has none of the Honda’s easy-going charm — although it’s less brutal than the previous incarnation, it’s still a raw-edged, headbanger’s tool with the subtlety of a baseball bat. Fun if you’re in the mood, hard work if you’re not. Yamaha YZF-R1 2009-2014 > £5800-£8800 > 998cc inline four > 180bhp > 206kg The 2009 R1’s crossplane-crank engine design, which creates uneven firing intervals, makes for a unique, growly and offbeat feel — more like a V4 — that’s not to everyone’s taste. A…

Service schedule Basic intervals are 4000 miles but there’s not even an oil change scheduled. We’d do it anyway as there’s only three litres so the oil gets a hard time. 8000 miles sees oil and filter changed, general fastener check, a full visual level and condition check plus head bearings checked and adjusted. 16k is the big one, with valve clearances and spark plugs checked and exhaust valve lubed and adjusted. Air filter, coolant and brake fluid are changed every 24,000 miles and spark plugs, not until 32k. Not too bad to work on, once you get the bodywork safely out of the way. New and used parts prices For OE parts, air and oil filters are £40 and £13.50 respectively and brake pads £38 a pair, while a…

Products tested by RiDE readers, for RiDE readers. Complementing RiDE’s extensive kit tests, on these pages we’re turning things over to you. Each month, one brand-new product — from a visor sponge to a flip-front lid to a textile suit to a set of tyres — is used, evaluated and rated by a fresh panel of regular RiDE readers. These judges are free to use the product however they like, decide for themselves how well it lives up to the manufacturer’s claims, then deliver their scores and comments. RiDE Reader Rated is unique, allowing a range of voices to be heard from across a broad spectrum of motorcyclists. If there’s an issue with something, the RiDE Reader Rated panel will find it. And if they give something a thumbs-up, you…

Q SOME YEARS AGO, I went through a very unpleasant divorce and my ex-wife has always been difficult about me having contact with our daughter. My financial position has changed and I can no longer afford a car. My ex-wife has said that she will stop contact with my now-14-year-old daughter if she goes on my bike. As I need to pick her up, and my ex-wife refuses to drive her to me in what is an 80-mile round trip (which I understand), this is turning into a real problem. I do not want to give my ex-wife any leverage over contact but my daughter now fits into ladies size 8 motorcycle gear; she has the full safety kit and she loves being on the bike. Can my ex stop…

With reference to the July issue of RiDE and its focus on sports tourers: you appear to have inadvertently missed the best-kept secret in motorcycling. A sports tourer should get you to the twisties in comfort and then allow you to enjoy the roads when you get there. It needs to be light, not too long, carry a decent fuel load and have good fuel economy. It needs to have a motor that brings out your inner hooligan but which can purr like a pussy cat if required. I give you the Triumph Tiger. Basically a Speed Triple in a frock and we all know what a hooligan the Speedy is. I recently completed a quick tour of Northumbria (Kielder TT, etc) on mine. I got 58mpg, wheelied (by accident),…