Inhaltsverzeichnis für January 2017 in RiDE

THEY’RE NOT REPLACING the CBR600RR for 2017, but Honda have revealed two new Fireblades. The CBR1000RR Fireblade SP and SP2 are lighter, with more top-end power and state-of-the-art electronic aids derived from the RC213V-S, the road version of Honda’s MotoGP championship-winning bike. There are also two new versions of the air-cooled retro CB1100. The 2017 EX acquires a new exhaust, LED lights and new stainless steel spoked wheels. The RS is not just styled differently, it also has revised chassis geometry for sharper steering, 17in rather than 18in wheels, and more powerful brakes. SHARPER BLADE The SP2 is a road-legal homologation special. It has light Marchesini wheels and some big engine changes: different pistons, valves and combustion chamber. There will be a race/trackday kit.…

 THE HIGHLY ACCLAIMED MT-10 gets a specced-up sibling for 2017 in the shape of the MT-10 SP. It gains the Öhlins Electronic Racing Suspension from the R1M and new instruments; along with the regular MT-10 it gets a quickshifter as standard. You can spot the SP by its gold forks and blue wheels. Smaller Multistrada, new air-cooled Monster and extra Scramblers The MT-09 also gets a slight tweak for 2017: twin LED headlights, a quickshifter and slipper clutch, a seat that’s flatter and higher, and a facelift. There’s a new YZF-R6, which will keep the world’s Supersport racers happy even if sports 600s are no longer a big deal among road riders. It has completely new styling, chassis know-how from the R1, a quickshifter and six-level traction control. Yamaha have…

Campaigners aiming to get schoolkids more interested in fruit are using Triumph Tiger 800s for a three-month trip through Africa. They will film their 10,000-mile journey and their visits to fruit producers in Spain, Morocco, Senegal, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa. Then when they return to the UK they’ll visit schools and colleges to talk about the trip, using that as a way to raise awareness of where our supermarket fruit comes from, and the health benefits of eating more of the stuff. The riders are fruit industry veteran Max MacGillivray and milkman Gareth Jones (who you may have heard talking about his six-month African ride on a 1951 Harley-Davidson at last February’s London show). MacGillivray said: “It’s going to be an epic and challenging journey. I have…

Ireland Took a trip around Ireland with my mate Connall – Reinaldo Lombardi Devon My Suzuki Hayabusa Stealth at Anglers Paradise in Devon after a nice ride through the country lanes – Andrew Bunce Northumberland Never give up. Stephen “Spitfire” Hodgson greenlaning in Blanchland – Paul Ashcroft Scottish Highlands My Suzuki GSX-R600 near Kinlochewe, looking down Glen Docherty, towards Loch Maree – Stephen Hynes Bulgaria This is me and my wife Sara at Buzludzha, near Shipka in Bulgaria, on our way back from Istanbul. Great trip with my perfect pillion. I’ve done at least one big trip every year since 2009 when I rode to Paris for the 40th anniversary celebration of Kawasaki’s H1 500 two-stroke triple, on my 1972 H1B with my wife as pillion – Simon Druce Skye…

THE SUN’S PLAYING hide and seek today, glancing out shyly from behind the clouds snagged on Snowdon’s peak. It comes out briefly, painting the roads with warm autumn sunshine before running away again. I don’t mind - chasing the sun’s a pleasure on all of the bikes we’re testing here. Sports touring doesn’t have to mean chasing the sun to the south of France, after all - there’s plenty of epic riding to be had right here in the north of Wales. There was a time when sports tourers were easily identified: long, low, looking like sportsbikes but with fractionally higher bars and marginally bigger screens. Bikes like the Honda VFR750 or 800 and its long-term British rival, the Triumph Sprint ST. Except Triumph stopped building the ST in 2014,…

SUFFOLK HAS NO mountains. Neither do Norfolk or Essex – but the riding in East Anglia is anything but flat and dull. Our route from the historic horseracing town of Newmarket gallops along on quiet back roads, through half-timbered villages and quaint market towns. This is the driest corner of the United Kingdom – the perfect place for a ride at any time of year. STAGE ONE Newmarket to Thaxted 30 miles Leave Newmarket on the B1061 to Haverhill. Don’t miss the left turn a mile after the Dullingham crossroads to stay on the B1061. At the A143 go straight across the staggered crossroads, staying on the B1061 to Keddington. Turn left on the A1017 to Braintree. After one mile, turn right on the B1054 to Steeple Bumpstead, then turn…

Car caused crash, but ex wants cash QI WAS riding along a four-lane stretch of motorway, two-up in the second lane, when I was smacked in the fairing by a chunk of tyre. To my right I could see a Ford Focus grinding along the central reservation. The Focus then span and slewed across lanes four, three and two, coming to rest in the hard shoulder. As the Focus was sliding across my path I braked hard, the front end went out from underneath me, and my now-ex-girlfriend (nothing to do with the crash, we just split up) has got solicitors who have written to me demanding compensation. Now the Focus driver’s insurers have told my insurers that I have no claim. “Negligence cannot be proven against our insured,” they…

A WEEK BEFORE MY 49th birthday I found myself on an off-road tour of Iceland, with 18 men nearly all younger than me. How did I end up on such a hardcore tour when I passed my bike test only a year before, and my off-road riding experience amounted to six days at Off Road Skills in Wales? Wild, rugged, intensely beautiful, wet and freezing, Iceland is a land of extreme adjectives. We set off from Reykjavik on 18 assorted BMWs, and within minutes it began to rain. By lunch we were drenched through to our pants. But this was not totally due to rain – the first casualty of the many river crossings (16 in an hour on day one alone) occurred that morning. The extent of our wetness…

Whether it’s a ride out to the local bike night, a week on the continent or the overland trip of a lifetime, riding your bike with others can be a ticking time bomb. Even the best of friends can end up riding off in opposite directions over things like speed, daily distances, riding styles or frequency of breaks. It doesn’t stop when you’re off the bike either: choosing hotels, setting budgets, what and where to eat can all be flash points. In our experience, the most fundamental split is between those who want to use whatever country they’re in as their personal riding playground, and riders who use their bike as a traveller’s tool, allowing for interaction with the locals and using it to get off the beaten track. For…

“KTM offer a solution for any rider, even those who just enjoy a weekend bimble” DIFFERENT STROKES Four-stroke enduros are more expensive, but they’re easier to ride and feel more familiar for a road rider than the furious two-strokes. The four strokes also stall less and have more low-down power. KTM OWN THE enduro scene. Their range of eight bikes (plus special-edition “Six Days” models that come with lots of options, including traction control on the bigger four-strokes) offers a solution for any rider wanting to compete at any level, or even for those who just enjoy a weekend bimble around. But to stay on top, every year KTM has to make small changes. And even off-road bikes haven’t escaped the wave of Euro 4 emissions regulations coming in, so…

“The chassis is designed to be used as a race bike” A lot of engineering that you can’t see. Crossplane cranks aren’t actually anything new - they’re used in V8 car engines, for example, and there have been various racing versions over the years. But making a reliable crossplane crank for a high-revving, lightweight four-cylinder bike engine is far more difficult (and expensive) than producing a conventional crank. Maybe that’s why the R1 always looked expensive next to its competitors - £10,999 in 2009, when the Blade and ZX-10R were £1500 cheaper and the GSX-R was overpriced but still less than 10 grand. Other posh engine internals include conrods made in one piece and freeze-cracked at the big end for a perfect bearing fit, titanium valves and ceramic cylinder plating.…

SOONER OR LATER most of us want to improve our riding skills, either on road, off road or on track. When it comes to track riding most trackdays offer instruction, but these can still be intimidating affairs. Track schools offer a friendlier atmosphere with limited numbers. RiDE has tried the Ron Haslam School, the British Superbike School and the California Superbike School, and all offer great experiences, low pupil-to-instructor ratios, meaningful instruction and great feedback. Now former GP racer and current TV pundit James Whitham and Paul Drinkwater have teamed up to offer their own on-track training. The instructors are some of the country’s best racers, including TT Legend Ian Hutchinson, Honda BSB rider Dan Linfoot and BMW’s Christian Iddon. On top of the superstar line-up there’s a limit of…

Q With winter approaching, I have a question for you: balaclava or neck tube? A Both have their pros and cons. Even the thinnest balaclava will take up space inside a helmet, so if your lid is already close-fitting you may find that your comfort suffers. But a balaclava can do a better job of keeping the wind at bay; a neck tube has to end somewhere, and it’s easy for cold air to find that limit. Some riders hate the restricted feeling of a balaclava, others don’t like a neck tube bunching around their helmet strap. Some spectacle wearers find balaclavas make misting-up worse. Outside winter, a balaclava made of a breathable or wicking material can also stop your head getting sweaty and uncomfortable in summer. Q In last…

THE BMW GS had been around since 1980. By the time this feature appeared, 17 years later, the range had progressed from air-cooled to oil-cooled, from R80 via R100 to R1100. Here we were looking at a secondhand, 31,000-mile R100GS, priced at £3500. We sort of got it. But we sort of didn’t, too. We really liked it, but we weren’t entirely sure why. The issue, hindsight suggests, is that in 1997 we were viewing all bikes through spectacles focused fully on sportsbikes. Foggy had won two of his World Superbike titles, with two more still to come. It was all about sporting V-twins and sporting inline fours. Getting our heads around a high-rise version of the oddball boxer twins that had perplexed British bikers for decades was proving troublesome.…

 WITH TRIUMPH SALES booming around the world, they can afford to try something different. The new Bobber, based on the Bonneville T120, probably won’t sell in large numbers, but it’s causing quite a stir on social media and should bring a new group of customers to the brand. “Big on attitude, without compromising riding enjoyment” Triumph say that their bikes have been customised in a bobber style since the 1940s, with a distinctively minimalist combination of wide rear and skinny front tyre, chopped rear mudguard, low seat and flat bars. This new production bike is aimed at those who want a bike that’s big on attitude but without having to compromise their riding enjoyment. Key rivals are the Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight, Moto Guzzi V9 Bobber, Yamaha XV950 and Indian Scout. The…

They regained the top step of the MotoGP podium in 2016 thanks to Maverick Viñales at Silverstone, and in 2017 Suzuki’s most hi-tech roadgoing sportsbike ever will arrive in two forms: the GSX-R1000 and 1000R. For years the GSX-R has been favoured by those who like their litre bikes to be relatively simple and untamed by electronics (not to mention cheap). But now the Suzuki will be competing head-on with fully gizmo’d-up rivals from Kawasaki, Yamaha, Honda, BMW and Aprilia. It’s the most powerful production GSX-R engine, peaking at 200bhp. There are three riding modes, 10 levels of traction control, advanced ABS and variable valve timing. The R version will also come with launch control and a quickshifter.…

KTM have revealed an advanced prototype of their new 790 Duke, which they say will turn into a production model by 2018. They’ve not released many details, beyond what’s apparent from the photos: it’s a parallel twin; the frame is made from hand-welded steel tubes; the suspension is from WP and the electronics package includes… well, everything they could lay their hands on. There have also been upgrades across the naked-bike range, with a new face for the Super Duke R. …AND THERE’S MORE NEW BIKES TO COME NEXT MONTH Never miss an issue - see p18 for a choice of great RiDE subscription offers.…

YOUR NEXT GREAT RIDE BIRMINGHAM THE MIDLANDS HAVE never looked so good. Except, of course, this isn’t Birmingham – this is Passo Rolle in Italy’s Dolomites. But often the first step in the trip of a lifetime leads to the halls of Motorcycle Live at the NEC. It doesn’t matter whether you want to see the sights of northern Europe, take a once-in-a-lifetime trip to New Zealand or America – to ride Route 66 or explore another area – or ride somewhere even more exotic like Africa, India or Asia. It’s likely that one of the tour operators at Motorcycle Live can help you find your perfect riding holiday. It is always worth spending time talking to operators before booking any tour. You need to be sure the kind of…

 IF YOU WANT an upright, modern sports tourer, any of these three would do the trick. Wouldn’t they? “I know I’m swimming against the tide of popular opinion, but I just don’t like the Tracer,” says Simon. “The engine’s too buzzy, the suspension isn’t good enough, it isn’t well finished and there’s so much plastic it looks like a Transformer that’s been caught halfway through changing into something cool.” “The Tiger Sport is just the best combination of characteristics” Jimmy’s shaking his head. “I love it. For me, it’s definitely the one I’d want to take home. It’s simple, it’s light, it’s exciting to ride. It’s a great bike.” It’s also a bargain; the most affordable bike here, and in terms of bang for your buck I’d say it’s unbeatable.…

How did your BMW R1200GS Adventure cope with the trip? My bike was great, it didn’t miss a beat. I took it off-road, over rocks, into rivers, across mountains, through the prairies and more tarmac miles than I’d care to remember, and it was faultless. I knew it would be. It’s important to be able to trust your bike when you’re all alone in the middle of nowhere. It’s just you and your bike and nothing else. You didn’t have much room. Did you choose your kit wisely? I wore my 2016 BMW Rallye jacket and trousers every day. My boots are made by Daytona, the Trans Open GTX. I’m on my second pair in eight years. I didn’t wear gloves too often, but I had my BMW GS Dry…

“The tyres move about, but I’m feeling more confident” AFTER ALL THE brave talk, all the preparation and anticipation, this is the moment of truth. I can’t back out now without looking like an idiot. I have to ride over an Alp without the benefit of a nice tarmac road. As someone who doesn’t do off-road riding, I’m nervous – but also excited. The KTM 1290 Super Adventure is supposed to make light work of unpaved roads. Now I’ll find out if it can help a dirt-riding novice like me unlock some wild places. As the road winds upwards I’m distracted more by doubts than nerves. The sat nav is confident this is the right way, but I’m not. The road shrinks from two lanes to one and the verges…

If you’ve got the time, ride together before you head off on a trip and iron out any differences. Agree your budgets before you go for hotels and meals. Camping or five-star hotels? Fast food or gourmet restaurants? Agree a lead rider, your riding positions and your riding system. We use staggered formation, with the leader out to the centre of the road, changing it for bends when everyone should move to the appropriate position. Remember that everything takes longer in a group. Even with something as simple as a decision to set off at 9am, the bigger the group the less chance of it happening. The same with settling bills, choosing places to eat and fuelling up. It takes time. Be clear on how long you all want to…

“The bike’s face has a more chiselled, aggressive look” ADJUSTABLE SCREEN The 15mm-taller screen retains the previous SX’s three-angle manual adjustment. Press a button beneath the clocks with one hand to release, then push or pull the screen back and forth with the other. Easy. MIGHTY MOTOR Kawasaki haven’t changed the 1043cc inline-four motor beyond cleaning it up to meet Euro 4 emissions rules, and haven’t lost any performance on the way. PROTECTIVE PLASTIC As well as bringing a sportier look, the new fairing covers up more of the frame, to shield the rider from engine heat. YOU HAVE TO look quite closely to spot the updates to the Kawasaki Z1000SX. That’s deliberate - the model has been one of their best sellers in Europe ever since it was introduced…

“One of the best-realised retro bikes currently available” TRADITIONAL TOUCHES Where the Street Twin has cast wheels and reverse-cone exhausts, the T100’s even more retro look extends to spoked wheels and peashooter pipes. BEFORE I TIE myself in knots trying to explain where the new Bonneville T100 fits into the 2017 Triumph range, it’s important to make this clear: the T100 is a fine bike, most enjoyable to ride, and one of the best-realised of the retro bikes currently available from anyone. I’m keen to get that out in the open because it’s very easy when discussing Triumph’s fast-evolving line-up to sound bewildered, lost and faintly annoyed that it’s not a little simpler. I think it makes most sense when you regard the Bonneville T120 as the centre of the…

“Basic servicing is within the home mechanic’s ability” 1 ENGINE The camchain tensioner is hydraulic so there’s a bit of noise at start-up until oil pressure builds, and you should avoid revving it until it warms up a bit. But on early crossplane R1s there was the potential for complete failure, leading to catastrophic engine damage – though this doesn’t seem common, and for most owners it’s the start-up clatter they hate rather than the danger of damage. A revised part was supplied by Yamaha, but it’s still not a great design. The smart move is to fit a manual camchain adjuster (about £50) and live with having to tweak it every now and then. There have been some reports of accelerated piston and ring wear on early models. Look…

YEARS AGO WE would return from an amazing European tour or a superb day on track with nothing but great memories and maybe a story or three. But now that’s not enough – now you can come back with high-quality footage of it all. People want to see our exploits and we want to show them what we’ve been up to. Action cameras have made this possible. They have other uses too. Some motorcyclists use action cameras to permanently video all their riding, as a way of helping fight their case in the event of an accident. You can easily transfer them to your mountain bike or car’s dash for the same reason. Most cameras are fairly robust and some have waterproof housings, so you can give them to the…

GLOVES 1, HANDS 0 Gloves resisted the crash well, with just scuffs on the palm and fingers. But the hands inside them didn’t fare so well: Lee broke his right scaphoid. SKIN-SAVER The mix of 1.1 and 1.3mm-thick Italian cowhide has shrugged off the crash with just a few scuffs. If not for the torn knee, it’d be fine to wear again. I WAS OFF-LINE overtaking somebody at Rockingham when I lost the rear and highsided my Suzuki SV650. In the brief period between thinking, “It’s all going wrong ” and the consequences of it all going wrong, there’s plenty of time to reflect. One of my more printable thoughts was, “It’s good job I’m wearing proper quality kit. This shouldn’t be too painful…” For the most part, that rang…

HONDA AFRICA TWIN So far it’s lived up to expectations: capable on and off road and a lot of fun. It’s stood up well to miles of hard use in all weathers OUR HONDA AFRICA TWIN Spec 998cc parallel twin, 94bhp, 232kg Price in this spec £10,499 Current mileage 15,234 Average mpg 45 What’s next? Off-roading - and investigate poor starting WRITING A PREVIEW feature about British Superbikes at Assen whetted my appetite for the journey to watch it myself. The two choices to cross the water from Norfolk were the Harwich to Hook of Holland ferry or the Channel Tunnel. With one rider and a bike it worked out at £180 for the ferry compared with £68 through the tunnel. It adds just under 300 miles, but that’s only…

“The experience has had a positive effect on my riding” APPETITE FOR INSTRUCTION “I started riding as soon as I could afford a bike,” says John Wright. “I grew up in the ’70s, so went down the route of Kawasaki KH250, Honda CB550, and then my all-time favourite bike: a Kawasaki Z900. Then adulthood took over and I didn’t return fully to motorcycling until 2000. I’ve had loads of different bikes since then and have loved them all (except maybe the Suzuki GSX1400 which nearly finished me). I live in the Yorkshire Wolds, so I’m a little spoiled when it comes to rides out.” John K, why did you put yourself forward for this? I have been riding for years, and needed to improve my technique and become a more…

Kawasaki’s excellent long-running ER-6 is being replaced by a new naked called the Z650 and the fully faired Ninja 650. They share a new twin-cylinder engine and a new steel trellis frame. Kawasaki have also dusted down the Z900 name for the first time in 40 years, for a new roadster that has a Z1000-derived engine and new chassis. The Z1000R joins the regular (and slightly tweaked) Z1000 in the line-up. It has upgraded brakes and suspension, and different graphics. We ride the 2017 Kawasaki Z1000SX, page 56 CLEANER AND MEANER The many changes to the 650 engine mean that compared to the ER-6 the Z650 and Ninja 650 will have a smoother throttle response, more low- and mid-range torque, and better fuel economy. Looks like the need to meet…

Predictions that the Euro 4 emissions regulations would signal the death of the big air-cooled bike have turned out to be groundless. BMW, among others, have shown that they have the expertise to make old-school big twins run cleanly enough to please the legislators but with sufficiently pep to put a grin on any enthusiast’s face. The Pure and Racer join the regular R nineT and the Scrambler in a zeitgeist-milking 2017 line-up. The Pure is low-key and simple (rather than cheap), while the Racer has dropped bars, seat hump, rear-set footrests and a half fairing. They share the same engine and chassis. After much dithering, BMW have finally gone ahead with a production version of the K1600 bagger that has been on the cards for years. It’s lost the…

“As sleek and compact as the fixed-front helmet” Flip-front helmet pacesetters Schuberth have revealed two all-new helmets. One is a traditional full-face helmet aimed principally at riders of naked bikes, while the other is their latest flip-front – but at a glance, it looks as sleek and compact as the fixed-front helmet. The flip-front (main image) is the C4, which will join the C3 and C3 Pro in Schuberth’s existing range. They say its aerodynamics make it suitable for sports riders – as well as the touring and adventure riders more usually associated with flip-fronts – and so does the positioning of the anti-fog visor insert, designed to not obstruct your line of sight when you’re crouched down. The C4 will cost £549.99 for plain colours and £599.99 for graphics.…

GRANTED, IT’S NOT the most grown-up of urges. But the desire to change down a gear or two and howl your way through a road tunnel is one of the simpler pleasures in motorcycling. The pleasures are fleeting and mostly aural: particularly if you have a bike with good acoustics. That doesn’t always mean an ear-bleeding race pipe of course (though it generally helps). Riders of big-bore V-twins are winners here, as are those on ripping old two-strokes, or super-high-revving mini inline fours. Even on stock pipes an Aprilia RSV Mille, Suzuki RGV250 or Honda CBR400RR will get your heart pumping when given full beans in a tunnel. BLACKWALL TUNNEL IF YOU live in London, you’ll be very familiar with the Blackwall Tunnel, either from travelling through its hellish maw,…

Givi Easy-T luggage range From £16.47 www.givi.co.uk FLEXIBLE FRIENDS However much you want to carry and wherever you want to carry it, Givi’s range has a solution. This one is the EA103: a modular tankbag with a 40-litre capacity and the ability to be worn as a backpack. Givi have been making luggage for almost 40 years. Their current range of soft luggage is getting a makeover, with 13 updated or new models. The changes are largely cosmetic, including the addition of five bags in a new grey-denim “urban” finish. It’s a vast range of on-bike bags - from the 30L and 40L expandable panniers (£101.94 and £111.64 respectively) to a magnetic tablet holder (£38.94) for iPad addicts. The excellent EA107 tubular tail pack (£77.18) is one of the items…

I’M FINALLY BACK on the road after what seems like an eternity of injury and recovery time. The last few months have not been fun but these unfortunate circumstances have led to the rather wonderful accident of being in British Columbia for autumn. Rather than worry about the snow and trying to race across Canada to beat it, I made the decision to check out this exceptional part of the world at my own pace and stop when the snow forced me off the road. Armed with bear spray, back-road maps, a tent and a budget of $50 a day, I headed out into the wilds of the Canadian Rockies in search of dirt roads and grizzly bears. Canada is an expensive country and my budget was low, but the…

Is it really worth going all that way? Truro is a small city, with a population of less than 20,000, but it’s a great focal point for a trip to the West Country. So park the bike, grab some sleep and just leave in the morning? Not a bit of it – there’s plenty to see. The town centre’s good for a wander, with lots of independent shops and a covered market, plus plenty of restaurants and bars for the evening. The Skinner’s Brewery tour is afternoons only (www.skinnersbrewery.com). Anything cultural to do? The Royal Cornwall Museum is popular, especially with Poldark fans as there’s a trail revealing the truth behind the fiction (www.royalcornwallmuseum.org.uk). There’s a successful and busy theatre, The Hall for Cornwall, staging everything from panto to symphony…

BIG WHEELS Relatively large 16-inch wheels contribute to ride quality. It’s a bike suitable for full-size adults. TAIWANESE FIRM KYMCO’S many claims to fame include creating the scooters that Kawasaki admired enough to tweak and rebadge as the impressive J300 and, more recently, the J125. The Downtown 300 that morphed into the J300 is no longer a UK model, but here’s their new 300. It’s not a revised Downtown; it’s a model that’s new to the UK, with a different fuel-injected four-valve engine, bigger wheels – 16-inch front and rear – and a new look. It’s A2 licence compatible. It costs £1000 less than Kymco’s flagship UK scooter, the Xciting 400i. The 300 is 44kg lighter, but that welcome weight loss doesn’t make it feel insubstantial. It’s a decent size…

“The fairing looks sleek and elegant, and defies convention” ALL IN THE DETAIL Quick-release Dzus fasteners holding the bodywork on are a nice touch – a detail shared with the regular MV Agusta F4. MV Agusta F4Z What’s the big idea? It’s a collaboration between two Italian firms: MV Agusta, the erratic geniuses behind decades of high-performance road and race bikes; and Zagato, coachbuilders who specialise in building show cars for the likes of BMW, Maserati and Aston Martin. It was built as a one-off for a wealthy Japanese bike enthusiast who collects Zagato cars. They say: “He didn’t want anything modern, fashionable, but something that could instead keep its value and appeal. What he wanted was a motorbike that wasn’t comparable to any other, that was classic, but always…

DESPITE ITS LAIRY looks and compact size the crossplane R1 is surprisingly practical and comfortable for daily use. And because of that growly motor giving you the option to shortshift and take it easy if you want, you don’t really feel as if you’re wasting a finely tuned missile if you decide to just burble along rather than nailing it everywhere. Of course, if you do want to nail it everywhere it’s more than happy to oblige. But is it for you? A lot seems to depend on where you’re coming from. Quite a few long-time R1 fans don’t get on with it at all. They like the searing top-end rush and screaming exhaust of a flat-plane inline four, and can’t see the attraction of something that sounds like a…

“A lot faster than walking or hitching a lift on a donkey” #18 Honda step-thru Where did it come from? Variations on the theme had been around since the late 1950s under various names, with the key introduction being the first Super Cub C100 (confusingly, this was a 49cc bike) in 1958. But it was in the late ’60s that Honda perfected the classic look and classic three-pronged line-up of C50, C70 and C90, and in Britain it was the C90 that gained a reputation as unbeatably good-value workaday transport. What changed? Very little, very slowly. Pointless ignition and 12-volt electrics arrived in the mid ’80s, along with a reshaped headlamp. Mere details – for well over a decade it was essentially the same bike. It was in the Honda…

“It can take some shopping around to kit yourself in a way that satisfies your beliefs” The new suit that aims to be better than leather ALISTAIR TOMKINS Inspired to take up stunt riding after watching a display at the Ace Café. Turned vegan after Cassandra showed him the documentary film Earthlings. CASSANDRA FAYE Started riding on the road at 17, and bought a write-off to stunt on six years later. Says a plant-based vegan diet has “transformed my quality of life”. OF ALL THE people you’d expect to wear serious protective gear, stunt riders will be pretty high up the list. That’s certainly true of rising London-based stunt duo Stunted Reality. But they’re also committed vegans, and keen to highlight the challenge facing all riders who’d prefer to…

MATT SAYS... Working on your brakes is understandably not for everyone. But it is just a case of being methodical and taking your time, like any other job. Even if you decide not to have a go, at least use the weekly checks to monitor for problems. MODERN BRAKING SYSTEMS are generally maintenance-free and should happily go untouched between services. But keep an eye on such an essential component to make sure all is working as it should, especially as the temperatures drop and feel becomes more important to us. Brake fluid will enhance your braking and ideally should be changed every couple of years, while replacing your brake pads is essential once your existing pads have worn down. And while you’re down there, give your calipers a good clean.…

THIS MONTH’S GUIDE… Clive Rumbold runs Moto Scotland, Scotland’s premier off-road training and experience centre, based in Inverary. See www.motoscotland.com  for full details #7 Get in shape IN A WORLD where many of us are working longer and harder than ever, or busy looking after kids or family, there can often be little time left over for ourselves. And if our lifestyle is busy but sedentary, topped off with the odd naughty dinner, a few beers or glasses (or bottles) of wine here and there, then it’s all too easy to get out of shape. So what? Well, apart from having to shell out for larger clothes and maybe not feeling so good about yourself, it could restrict your biking options. Not only can it affect your choice…