BIKE

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It was a long time coming, but the first proper, rollicking ride of the year was worth the wait. It was a day of apexes, acceleration and overtakes. Of rolling scenery and rolling roads. Of sweaty leathers, squashed flies, ice cream and fish and chips. Dark visors and big grins. And the satisfaction of a pre-ride bodge that lasted all day (I’ve now fitted the replacement silencer). Five go mad in Lincolnshire? Not really. The riding was measured. Spirited but safe. Brisk rather than ballistic. It was about the company as much as the actual ride. We laughed a lot. Story on page 38 and we hope yours was as much fun. The world is covered in great roads, there are lots of amazing journeys (Dubai to Dublin? Page 93) and fantastic…

next stop dakar

‘The paintjob harks back to an era when motorcyclists raced with their bones in more pieces than is medically recommended’ Yamaha have mined their rallying back catalogue to create this, the new Ténéré 700 Rally Edition. Though it’s fundamentally a standard Ténéré with a saucy 1980s Paris-Dakar paintjob and some rufty-tufty bolt-ons from Yamaha’s accessory division, the overall effect is dramatic, and makes a GS Adventure look rather flaccid. Because the original Ténéré 700 is already a decent off-roader, Yamaha haven’t changed the basics - suspension, engine and geometry remain the same. But there are some useful additions should you wish to take on the odd byway or wadi. A 4mm thick aluminium bashplate now encloses the engine and lower frame tubes and provides a mounting point for a toolkit and there’s…

flexy flyer for sale

IT WON THE NW200 TOO In 1976 the famous Triumph test rider and racer Percy Tait joined Suzuki’s factory team. He won that year’s North West 200 on this bike. TOUGH LIFE This XR11 is proof that top level road racing is incredibly hard on bikes. The stone chips, dents and hurriedly fashioned fixes all tell a story. AMERICAN HISTORY This isa 1975 bike-the final incarnation of the XR11 -and was first used by Suzuki works teams in America before being shipped to the UK. HOW TO BUY IT The Bonhams auction is a cross between a normal one and eBay. An auctioneer will be live at his rostrum, but the hall will be empty and bids will come in online, by phone or via an absentee bid. ‘The 750cc two-stroke triple is exactly as it was after…

radar is here… almost

NEW REAR SUBFRAME This is aluminium, which will help offset the increased weight of new electronics. NEW SWINGARM This appears to be significantly larger than the old model’s, presumably to increase stiffness. TWO OPTIONS The ‘R’ has conventional suspension and the ‘S’ gets electronic. Both will have a 21in front and 18in rear. The must-have gizmo for 2021 looks like being radar-controlled cruise control, with KTM joining Ducati and BMW in the race to launch the first bike with it fitted. The above spyshot shows KTM’s progress – the new 1290 Super Adventure will come with two radar snouts poking out either side of the headlight. All three manufacturers are using Bosch radar hardware, which should allow the bikes to smoothly accelerate and decelerate with traffic when you switch on cruise control. It sounds easy, but clearly…

aston brough to become road bike

Aston Martin Executive Vice President Marek Reichman has told Bike he wants to see a road version of the Aston-Brough AMB001 superbike. The 180bhp turbo V-twin that was recently seen testing is currently a track-only machine. ‘It would be relatively simple to convert it to a road bike,’ says Reichman, who is also Aston’s Chief Creative Officer and led the design of the AMB. ‘Whenever Aston Martin enters into a relationship, I don’t want it to be for just one project. Brough have invested a lot into the engine, gearbox and chassis - why end [the relationship] with just one bike?’ The engine is Brough’s 997CC 88° V-twin used in their current models, fitted with a variable geometry turbo and an intercooler. Brough will manufacture the bike, with Aston leading the design. Development…

if it ain’t broke six it

There’s nothing to it,’ says Allen Millyard when Bike ask how he turned a four-cylinder ZIB into a six-cylinder machine so perfect it looks like some never-before-seen prototype from Kawasaki’s museum. More incredibly Allen transformed the ZIB in his shed. ‘People get so hung up on what you can’t do, rather than what you can. I get it all the time on Facebook – people saying “you can’t cut crankshafts in half, they’re made in special factories under extreme tolerances”.’ Yes, but they are. ‘Maybe, but if something has been made, you can unmake it. The ZI crankshaft is pressed together like a two-stroke one, so you can get it apart with a bit of thinking and a lot of force. And then you can extend it and rebalance it by sawing…