Sommaire pour February 2024 de RiDE

‘As a biker, make the most of 2024’ As a motorcyclist, it is so easy to get to the end of each year and wonder if you could have got more out of it. Our Tour 2024 special aims to help with that. It's packed with wonderful ideas – from an NC500-beating route in Scotland for the summer, to brilliant winter escapes you can take right now. These great destinations and top tarmac will help you get more from biking – and all the routes are available for a free download from www.ride.co.uk. The eagle-eyed of you might notice we have a new riding coach. Ryan Decarteret has returned to the law-enforcement world and he's replaced by Dave Hewson, also a coach for Rapid Training. I've known Dave since he…

Ducati has teamed up with luxury car firm Bentley for an exclusive version of the Diavel V4, limited to 500 units. It's the first collaboration between the brands, both part of the VW Group. Prices for the ‘Ducati Diavel for Bentley’ start at a mind-blowing £58,000. It's based on the standard Diavel – meaning the same 1158cc V4 Granturismo unit. Featuring styling inspired by the exclusive Bentley Batur – a 730bhp luxury cruiser coach-built by Mulliner – you get a ‘Scarab Green’ paint job plus forged rims that look like those found on the car. A further 50 ‘Ducati Diavel for Bentley Mulliner’ models – costing £71,000 – will be reserved for existing Bentley customers only. It will offer different colours for the seat, calipers, carbon parts and rims. Bodywork…

‘Is it really worth fitting the stickiest tyres to my road bike?’ Q I'VE TREATED MYSELF to a two-year-old Fireblade and am thinking about the tyres to put on it in readiness for the better weather. As it's a very powerful sportsbike I'm tempted to go for the stickiest rubber possible. Maybe a road-legal track tyre? I'll be riding on the road, but might do a trackday. What are your thoughts? Stuart Yells A I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND your logic because, in absolute terms, the stickiest rubber is found in race slicks, so surely they're perfect for powerful sportsbikes? Unfortunately, that's not the case if you're riding on the road – despite what some tyre companies’ marketing departments suggest. The reason is operating temperature. Tyres that are designed for the track…

FIRST RIDE TRIUMPH SCRAMBLER 1200 XE TRIUMPH'S 1200 SCRAMBLER has been hugely successful since its introduction in 2019, and for good reason. Combining retro style with premium componentry meant they had a genuine ability to not only excel on road, but also tackle some serious off-roading. The Scrambler 1200 XE has now been given a slight overhaul, including an updated motor, latest-gen Brembo Stylema calipers and a switch from a Showa/Öhlins setup to a fully-adjustable offering from Marzocchi, which, among a few other tweaks, has made the XE cheaper than its predecessor. There is also a base-model X, which is £1400 less but loses the TFT display, fork adjustment and Brembos (for Nissin), but does have a slightly lower seat. The XE looks no worse for the £400 price cut.…

Despite feeling much narrower and less bulky than before, the R1300GS is still very comfortable. Our bike came with the electric windscreen package, which includes additional wind deflectors and a slightly taller screen. Together they deliver excellent weather protection. The tallest screen setting provided enough shelter for riders taller than 6ft, with no helmet buffeting nor visual distraction. You could happily ride with it in this setting all day long. On steady throttle engine vibrations are minimal and adaptive cruise control makes distance effortless. A heated seat is extra – it's not quite as sumptuous as the old bike's seat but still more than comfortable enough to see off the tank range. But pillions may not be quite as happy. On a long ride our pillion (who was 5ft 10in)…

BMW has completely redesigned not only the GS's chassis and ESA (now called DSA) but also its Telelever front end – and it's instantly apparent. There's a much more positive front-end feel on the R1300GS, with the Telelever far less apparent in its action compared to the R1250GS. Entering bends the 1300 gives loads of feedback where the older Telelever system tended to have a hint of a tiller about it and a slight disconnect through the bars. It's certainly sportier in its attitude, but the trade-off is a ride that, when the pace ups, feels slightly more on the edge than the older model. That said, the new DSA does a remarkably good job of keeping it all in check. A real upgrade in both the plushness of the…

THE SOUTH WEST 660 is a stunning route that takes in four counties and some of the most rugged – and varied – coastlines in the south‑west of England. The riding is also diverse – everything from exposed and deserted moorland to snatches of brilliance among a busier network of roads closer to larger cities. However, the crème of the riding is on the north Cornwall coast. It's home to some stunning roads – from surprisingly enjoyable double-digit A-roads to tight and twisty lanes in and out of hedgerows and villages. And, of all of it, the road from St Ives to Sennen Cove and Land's End is my personal favourite. Sure, the section over the top of Exmoor is open, fast and flowing; the run out towards Lizard Point…

RACING FANS OF a certain vintage may fondly remember making their way south every October for the Bol d'Or 24hr endurance race at Paul Ricard on the Côte d'Azur, taking the N85 – or, as it's better known, the Route Napoléon – to get there. Starting in Grenoble on the northern fringes of the French Alps, the N85 isn't the most scenic ride or even the best tarmac – there are countless Alpine and Pyrenean passes that make a stronger claim. But if you're not a fan of hairpins and prefer a more open, flowing ride that actually goes somewhere, the N85 is still the best way to head south across France to the Mediterranean. DOWNLOAD THE ROUTE www.ride.co.uk ROUTE NAPOLÉON Distance 235 miles Route Grenoble, Corps, Gap, Castellane, Draguignan.…

TOUR 24: GREAT RIDES FLOATING ALONG IN Normandy, next to an empty ribbon of golden sand sloping gently down to the ebbing sea, you would never imagine that we are just a handful of hours from British soil. This part of France is delightful in its changing nature but it carries the weight of history too; these beaches formed the landing points of Operation Overlord. It's better known to all of us as D-Day – June 6 1944, the day the allied forces invaded mainland France in what was the beginning of the end of the Second World War. Commemorations to the sacrifice and bravery of those who took part is everywhere and makes this a deeply poignant, as well as enjoyable, one-day tour. We roll off the ferry in…

Getting to Cherbourg is easy; Brittany Ferries runs three sailings a day each way and we took the overnight crossing from Portsmouth. It's a very civilised affair; we boarded at 2230 for a 2315 sailing, arriving in Cherbourg at 0800 local time. We had time for a quick bite and a beer before crashing out in a superbly comfortable two-berth cabin. The return journey to Portsmouth logically sees you get on the ferry at Caen, just up the road from Pegasus Bridge. You can go for one of the six-hour daytime crossings or the longer, eight-hour overnighter with a cabin, which arrives at 0615. The cost for an outbound overnight trip on Wednesday August 21 this year, returning on an overnight crossing on Thursday August 22 is £616, for two…

SW-Motech Drybag £55.44-£83.16 www.sw-motech.co.uk THE CLAIM “SW-Motech is rolling out the next generation of its Drybag range, with improved materials, revised design and simplified fastenings throughout.” THE REALITY Drybags are a great go-to luggage solution for almost all bikes – and this revised range from SW-Motech uses a new material for improved flexibility and comes with mounting straps to loop on to any appropriate mounting point on the bike. As you'd expect of SW-Motech, it is very nicely made and has a real air of quality to it. The material is indeed flexible and the fittings seem very solid. A half-length Velcro strap fastens the opening before you roll it over and a carry handle makes carting it around easy. It's pricey compared with some but very nice quality, and…

Roadskin WP over-trousers £29.99 Roadskin.co.uk THE CLAIM “Crafted from heavy-duty PVC, these are durable and withstand the occasional brush with a hedge.” THE REALITY No membranes here, just a mesh lining to and a PVC construction to keep water out. And keep you dry they do. You may get sweaty but rain stays out – and at £30 a pair, if you need to replace them once a season it's no hardship. Halfords tie-down straps £3.50 www.halfords.com THE CLAIM “Can be used to secure all kinds of goods. TUV certified and conform to EN-12195-2.” THE REALITY These non-ratchet style straps have lots of uses in a busy biking life – securing toolboxes in vans and fuel cans on bikes, as a secondary strap for safety's sake when tying a bike…

UNTIL YOU NEED one, a portable or rechargeable tyre inflator probably seems like one step removed from the kitchen sink in your luggage. However, when you do need one, they can make the difference between continuing your adventure and spending hours at the side of the road waiting for a brightly-coloured lorry. Off-road riders will know the importance of changing tyre pressures; typically they will drop them by as much as 10-15psi when riding on the loose to make the most of the grip available from tyres. However, once back on the tarmac for any significant distance, the pressures need to be brought back up to the manufacturer's recommended level. Alternatively, if you're on a large tour with fairly big mileages, you will want to be checking your pressures regularly.…

BIG BIKE BRAGGING rights are a priority to some manufacturers and Kawasaki has often held the crown as King of Quick. The ZZR1400 was built to take the top hyperbike title from the Suzuki Hayabusa, and did when it was launched in 2006. The first-generation ZZR1400 boasted a heady 187bhp from a 1352cc inline four, ram-air assisted engine and a rear-tyre-bothering 114lb·ft. While the Hayabusa had a slight edge in grunt lower down, the ZZR quickly asserted its dominance over the old master up to a speed-limited 186mph. Kawasaki made the useful addition of ABS for 2009. The second-generation bike arrived in 2012 and big numbers got bigger – capacity now 1441cc thanks to 4mm more stroke, taking power up to 197bhp and adding a touch more torque. It also…

WHEN SUZUKI REVEALED its first ground-up new engine since, arguably, the Hayabusa in 1999, we were excited – yay! A new Suzuki motor! – and underwhelmed – oh, it's a flubby 82bhp parallel twin. But the 8S has a few tricks up its cylinder sleeves. As the start of a shared engine and chassis platform (followed by adventure 800DE, crossover 800RE and sporty 8R), it turns out the engine is a gem, gutsier on the road than on spec, and the bike's design quality and finish is a step up over traditional mid-priced middleweight fare. So here, in more detail, is what we've discovered over the summer… THE FACTS £8165 > 82bhp > 202kg MILES THIS MONTH 318 MPG THIS MONTH 52.6 1 It talks the torque The 8S's 776cc parallel…

FRONT END MONTH IN BIKES KTM HAS LAUNCHED a 187bhp 1390 Super Duke R range for 2024 – powered by a monstrous 1350cc motor. Available in a standard and Evo guise, the duo will take over from the 1301cc 1290 Super Duke selection that first shook up the supernaked scene 11 years ago. The new bikes get a revised LED headlight design similar to the recently-revealed 990 Duke and they've grown a set of subtle winglets that droop below the shoulders of the larger 17.5-litre fuel tank. Lowering unsprung mass is a set of Michelin Power GP-shod 17in rims weighing 1.2kg less than before. Based on the existing V-twin found in the outgoing 1290, the higher capacity has been achieved thanks to an increased bore of 110mm, up from 108mm.…

NEW BIKES FIRST RIDE TRIUMPH TIGER 900 GT PRO TRIUMPH'S TIGER 900 range has ticked a lot of the right boxes since its release in 2020, especially with the road-biased GT Pro which has proven to be a well-rounded, comfortable and complete package. Packed with a shedload of tech and powered by that glorious 888cc T-plane motor, the Tiger 900 won the hearts and souls of many. But it did have a few quirky foibles, the main issue being the excessive vibes through those big, wide handlebars. For the 2024 range Triumph has gone for evolution rather than revolution, tweaking the engine, ergonomics and tech to not only improve performance, but also refine the riding experience – and it's succeeded. The motor has been significantly updated, with new pistons, an…

As expected, there are a myriad of optional extras on the new GS. Topping the tree is the upgraded semi-active suspension (DSA), which is certainly worth having as it adds a level of plushness to the ride quality. Adaptive Vehicle Height Control is a further £490. If you regularly take a pillion or are a bit short in the leg, this system is excellent as it drops and raises both ends of the GS (the first time front preload has been able to be altered) by 30mm, and has a feature to make the bike easier to get on to its centrestand. It makes a massive difference to the ease of getting on and off the bike, especially with bulky panniers fitted. Adaptive cruise control (contained in the Riding Assistant…

BMW claims to have shed 12kg compared to the R1250GS – so you would imagine swapping from the old bike to the new one would feel like stepping off a GS Adventure on to a GS. But it doesn't The new bike is noticeably narrower, with its seating position more ‘on’ than ‘in’, while the 1250 has a wider tank splaying your legs. But the 1300 doesn't feel leagues away in terms of weight and still has that reassuringly GS aura about it. Fire up the bikes and the 1250 has far more of the boxer spirit about its feel and sound. It has a deep rumble and a hint of vibration that's lacking in the new engine, which doesn't instantly scream to you that it's a flat twin. Much…

Twisting, turning, bisecting salt marsh and cornfield, the A149 captivates. Unmodernised, narrow and threading through time-warp fishing villages, hit it on a quiet summer evening when the shadows are lengthening. Few places have the same gentle charm. It all starts in Hunstanton, with its kiss-me-quick charm and a ready supply of bikers. For generations it's been the place to head on two wheels and hang out on the coast, but it's advised to keep moving. The best parts of the A149 are between Hunny and Sheringham. On a clear day it's a joy: peppered with quaint places to stop and the kind of cafes and paths that make you want to come back for a walking – as well as a riding – holiday. You flow through Thornham (stop at…

THE 18.9 MILES from Bala to the A490 are as exquisite as road riding gets. Wales’ overwhelming geography means all roads meander and adapt to their surroundings, but the way the B4391 sweeps though the moorland, climbs inexorably or clings resolutely to sheer valley sides makes it truly special. In short, it's motorcycling heaven – even if Wales’ recent obsession with speeding enforcement means circumspection may be wise… Bala is a great basis for the start of any touring holiday. The centre of the ‘Welsh Lake District’, it sits on the shore of Llyn Tegid and is a hiking and water sports hub. There's plenty to stay for, but as soon as you leave the road takes on a welcoming, familiar flow. Rolling though verdant valleys, the pine-topped distant hills…

Café de France, Barfleur A short ride from the ferry port in Cherbourg, this archetypal French cafe sits next to the harbour and jetty at Barfleur so you can watch the fishing boats come and go while enjoying lovely coffee and a perfect French breakfast; croissant and baguette with unsalted butter and jam. facebook.com/jacques.gaelle50 Arromanches You probably won't be ready for a meal when you fetch up here, but it's a good place to stop and have an ice-cream while looking out over the beach to the remains of the Mulberry harbour. Compagnie des Glaces has some lovely rich ice-cream in loads of flavours but the dark chocolate is superb. fr.restaurantguru.com The Field Kitchen, Sainte Mére Église This military-field-kitchen-themed bar/cafe on the main square in St Mère is an odd…

WINTER RIDING SOME SAY THERE no such thing as a ‘riding season’, but there is also no getting away from the fact that riding is less fun in winter. As a motorcyclist, I've ridden through the past 20 winters and always found pleasure amongst the pain. But recently, my enthusiasm has waned. I've got bored of the post-ride cleaning, the hours getting dressed and undressed, and most importantly, the cold. I love riding motorcycles to an almost unhealthy degree, but I'll be honest: recently, winter riding hasn't always seemed worth the hassle. I'm sure some you reading this feel the same. Today is all about trying to fall in love with winter riding again. I've borrowed a Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Explorer – a touring-based adventure bike with good wind…

The KTM Adventure Bike Experience is based at the Sweet Lamb Motorsport Complex between Llangurig and Aberystwyth on the A44. The Experience uses KTM 890 Adventure Rs and runs several courses, beginning with the one-day Introduction we undertook, for those with no off-road experience at all. The cost is £395, including bike hire and refreshments and once you have done that, you can develop your skills further. The next step, for example, is the weekend Bronze level, costing £595 but adding to your skills enormously. A day at the school is relaxed but serious; both Mark and Tom are exceptionally professional but they keep it light and fun, by first showing you the wrong way to do it, then the right way, then getting you to do it the right…

Furygan Land £109.99 www.furygan.com THE CLAIM “The first mid-season gloves in the range to feature Thindown, a high-performance natural and eco-friendly padding.” THE REALITY These are a reasonable fit, but the Thindown lining (a material based on duck down) is plush. On the bike they don't feel overly bulky and there is decent feel for the controls. But they are not as warm as I would like. On an hour-long ride at 7°C, my fingertips began to get cold. They're billed as ‘mid-season gloves’ so we may have expected too much. If the temperature is around double figures, you should be OK; much lower than that and you may need something chunkier.…

RATED THE RiDE PRODUCT TEST ‘The Michelin is a nicely-made and well-specified unit’ With the highest score here, the Michelin Mini Inflator takes the win in our test. It is a really nicely-made and well-specified unit, that comprises everything held together in a single unit, and is easy to use for every conceivable application you might need. Sure, it doesn't have a built-in power bank, but we have one of those anyway – and while it isn't the quickest in our inflation test nor has the longest battery life, both are more than enough for what we would need them for. Coupled with a nice price, we feel it is worthy of a Best Buy triangle. Running the Michelin a close second are the Bosch and the Sealey units. The…

UPDATE 07 All manufacturers have an accessory catalogue but KTM's PowerParts range is renowned as one of the most extensive. The optional extras from the Austrian company are numerous, ranging from hard parts such as fork clamps and exhausts, to electronic upgrades, to comfort seating. We decided to pick a few choice additions for our stock 790 Adventure to see how they affect the overall riding proposition or whether they help to look after the bike. THE FACTS £9999 > 94bhp > 199kg (dry) MILES THIS MONTH 773 MPG THIS MONTH 60.24 COSTS THIS MONTH £3608.50 £84.39 Fuel £3524.11 Accessories…

ONE MONTH ONLY Four-hundred miles in a day is a good test for any motorcycle, but in the chill of winter you can learn a decent amount about a bike. I ran a Tiger 1200 XRT (the GT's predecessor) in winter 2018-19 and was impressed with its plush feel and solidity, so was intrigued to see how the new bike (which is lighter and more powerful) coped in similar circumstances. I found out on a foray into the Peaks for our ‘Into Winter’ feature (page 58). On the motorways much reminded me of the old bike – long-legged gearing makes for relaxed cruising and the vibes that some have moaned about weren't a problem. In fact, it was a joy – the T-Plane crank gives an organic feel to the…

Triumph has finally spilled the beans on its TF250-X motocross racer ahead of its 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship debut. Powering the TF is a 250cc four-stroke single, which is mated to a single-exit exhaust and five-speed gearbox with an Exedy clutch. Inside you'll find a forged aluminium piston and titanium valves, as well as diamond-like carbon, low-friction coatings and magnesium covers to help keep the weight down. If you want one for yourself, Triumph will be opening specialist centres in Europe, Australia and the USA in the spring.…

It's less vibey Alongside the significant engine changes, Triumph has fitted a new seat unit and a dampener on the top yoke, to combat the vibrations. The result is that the pulsations have drastically reduced and the riding experience is far smoother. Cheaper to run Valve clearance intervals have been raised to 18,000 miles, which goes hand in hand with a 27 per cent drop in service costs. Consumption has also improved, with an average of 55mpg on throttle-happy roads that rose towards 60mpg on A-roads. Software is slow The Tiger 900 GT Pro comes with the same 7in TFT and software first seen on the Tiger 1200 range. It's fairly simple to navigate but not the cleanest interface. It also has a really slow processing time when navigating through…

WHO WOULD WANT to be the engineer tasked by BMW with completely redesigning the GS? And by complete redesign, we mean just that – a new engine, new chassis, new electronics, new gearbox, new suspension and even new wheels. The challenge of improving on the UK's best-selling bike – and what is almost universally recognised as being the benchmark adventure tourer – without upsetting the well-balanced formula is about as daunting a task as you can be given. But that's just what BMW has done for 2024 with the all-new R1300GS. Featuring a radically different and more powerful boxer motor, a 12kg weight reduction and chassis with greater emphasis put on both road and off-road sporting ability, BMW claims the new GS is less complex than before and has taken…

The new motor only shares the same layout as the 1250's boxer – and it feels very different. Far smoother when revving and less of the characterful boxer rumble and vibration. It's also more refined and more responsive. At low revs it's not intimidating and will happily pull top gear from as low as 30mph (even when in cruise control), but over 6000rpm it makes you pay attention. When worked it leaves the 1250 for dead. The new gearbox is more positive in its action and precise on downshifts using the autoblipper, but our test bike threw up a few occasional false neutrals in its higher gears when upshifting. One of our test bikes also developed an electrical fault (switchgear related) that required it being recovered to BMW.…

THERE ARE FEW places in Scotland where you can't fail to be amazed by the stunning roads or extravagant scenery on either side. From the Cairngorms to the West Coast, the Borders to Glen Coe, it's almost all life‑changing stuff. But we can only ride one route at a time – and the winner of my current favourite ride in the UK is a bit of a cheat because it's 455 miles and therefore takes two days to do it properly. We're in Tyndrum in Stirlingshire on the A82, in the shadow of Ben Lui to the west, slopes reflecting morning sunlight in dappled mossy green hues. Fuel up at the Green Welly, then head off towards Glen Coe – the A82 is wide and flowing, reading the road's momentum,…

THE WHOLE OF Spain seems laid out in front of me like a perfect 3D map. Perched at the top of the Cerro de la Mezquita, 3000ft above the distant Mediterranean, Europe's best biking country stretches into the distance. To the east the sea twinkles in the unseasonably hot December sun; to my west the snow‑capped mountains of the Sierra Nevada stand stark and proud. Back home children are eagerly awaiting Santa and shivering against the cold, but in Andalusia it's as warm and welcoming as a perfect English summer's day. This is everything you'd want from a winter biking escape. Today I've joined German tour company Sierra Nevada Tours (www.sierra-nevada-tours.de) in a bid to escape the winter gloom and as an opportunity to test Arai's new Tour-X5 helmet (full…

TOUR 24: THE EXPERTS ‘Ride briskly and do the stopping slowly’ Si hargreaves, touring writer Bike Whatever I'm asked to ride Miles/year 10,000 “My advice is work out what you like about riding big miles, and do that. Touring isn't prescriptive; some dawdle in the scenery, some chase the horizon. Some riders like to prepare thoroughly, planning routes, hotels and fuel stops – right down to where they're drinking coffee and where they're undrinking it afterwards – while some don't even know which road they're taking, let alone where they're sleeping. Both are cool. “In the same way you can tour on anything from a C90 to a Gold Wing, there's no right or wrong way. Touring is a state of mind, not a state of being. “My way is…

Best for An enjoyable and varied ride through the scene of one of recent history's most important events. Length 110 miles. Route Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, Barfleur, Quettehou, Grande Hameau des Dunes, Sainte Mère Église, Osmanville, Grandcamp Maisy, Longues-sur-Mer, Arromanches-les-Bains, CourseullessurMer, Lion-sur-Mer, Bénouville. Roads D116, D1, D902, D14, D15, N13, D514, Rue de la Mer, D35. Love it because it's so easy to get to if you're within reasonable travelling distance of the ferry – you can leave home on Friday night and be home by Sunday lunchtime. Take a picture at the head of Omaha Beach; it's almost impossible to imagine the horror that took place there. Stop for a cuppa at the Hotel de la Marine in Arromanches. They do lovely seafood, and the bar has outside seating with a fine…

Rukka's Pathfind-R retails at £649, with retailer deals for about £100 less. Using a drop-liner and complemented by an integrated thermal lining – as well as Rukka's Aldrich wind-proof and breathable mid-layer and its merino wool base layers – I've not been as warm and dry for as long in such a sustained onslaught. There's lots to like – the fit is excellent and the shorter jacket means you water doesn't pool in the sitting position. Wide cuffs mean it's easy to get gloves underneath and then seal well. It's AA-rated with level-2 armour. The Road-R trousers do an excellent job, too. Available in a range of leg lengths, they seal well around the bottom of sports-touring boots, have a good amount of adjustability and resist water relentlessly, even when…

ADVENTURE BIKES ARE getting more and more popular – and the promotional paraphernalia that accompanies every launch seems to get more and more extreme. Every video, every advert has some crusty demon of dirt smashing through desert whoops or jumping and sliding a bike that – at 200kg-plus – really seems better suited for touring. For many of us, it's almost enough to put you off – it's all so inaccessible and so far away from what most adventure bikes are used for. The truth is that adventure bikes will go off-road – and your enjoyment of this rises exponentially if you do get their wheels muddy. But if you've never done it before, or a bad experience has put you off, the prospect of taking a quarter of a…

RATED LATEST KIT RATED Keis UltraFlex J601RP heated jacket £220 www.keisapparel.com THE CLAIM “Features a thinner material structure than the alternative soft-shell J501RP and J505RP jackets. Designed to fit between the base layer and outer jacket when there is not a lot of space for a mid-layer heated garment.” THE REALITY Confession time: In the past, I've never been a huge fan of heated jackets. While some (like contributor Simon Hargreaves) swear by them, the feeling of a bulky ‘inner coat’ with warm electrical elements replacing a jacket's thermal liner – and then battling against the cold – has always made me feel slightly queasy. Truth is, I'd rather just layer up. This mid-layer-style jacket is a bit different. While it can replace a thermal jacket liner and has the heat…

FEBRUARY 2023 HEATED GRIPS Ultimateaddons Premium £129.99 ultimateaddons.com Good value, simple to fit, nice to use and with a quality feel, these grips heated up very quickly and got very hot. They should work across a wide range of bikes, and their integrated controller means they're easy to use and unobtrusive. RECOMMENDED Oxford HotGrips Pro £199.99 MARCH 2023 LOCKING-RING TANKBAGS SW-Motech Pro Daypack £171.90 (inc tank ring) sw-motech.co.uk A superb combination of quality, features and waterproofing. An innovative fixing system makes it easy to both fit and remove. RECOMMENDED Kappa RS309R2 £108.92 (inc tank ring) APRIL 2023 BIKE WASHES Oxford Mint £7.99 oxfordmint.co.uk Quick, easy, no-fuss, general-purpose bike wash that does the job at the right price, with a five-litre bulk top-up option available to reduce future costs. RECOMMENDED XCP…

UPDATE 01 IT'S BEEN ALMOST ten years since I rode the first evolution of the Honda NC750X – the NC700X. NCs are one of biking's underdogs – discounted by some, but useful, bulletproof and more fun than their reputation suggests. So, when editor Matt asked if I would like to run the parallel twin for the winter, I jumped at the chance. I picked the bike up a day or so before RiDE's print deadline and in the first 100 miles so far the memories have flooded back. Compared to my old 700 it now benefits from DCT and riding modes, as well as rider aids such as traction control. It also has multiple LED lights, which should be an improvement. The traditional fuel tank space is now a storage…

‘It was my only transport for six years – and it's still my main bike’ Two crashes, two paint jobs and a lot of commuting miles since she bought it, Pam Baraud's CB600F Hornet is still going strong Name Pam Baraud, 58 Bike 2007 Honda CB600F Hornet Total Miles 119,546 Miles per year 7500 PAM'S DAY JOB (well, night job really – she's on permanent late shift) is driving trains for London Underground. But when she's on the surface she prefers two wheels. Her Honda CB600F Hornet is her go-to bike for commuting (it's ULEZ compliant) and fun. “I bought it new,” she said. “I was getting back into biking after having my son in ‘96, saw the Hornet and fell in love. My other bike is a 1989 GSX-R750…