Sommaire pour September 2018 de RiDE

Raglan, Wales My 2005 Yamaha R1, James’s 2003 Honda VFR800, Steve’s BMW F800R and Matt’s 2010 Ducati 1198 Corse at Raglan Castle on a ride to the Brecon Beacons. Gareth Price The Tyrol, Austria Mo and me in the Tyrol on a 2000-mile, two-week trip across Europe, to the Alps, over the Stelvio, down to Lake Garda then back up to Austria. Only one day of rain and very little traffic – perfect! Dave Sims Edinburgh, Scotland Took my Honda VFR 1200 out for a run to the Forth Bridge. Colin Reid Aragon, Spain A trip to Santander, Zaragoza, Andorra, the Pyrenees and the French border. Four days of blazing sun and blazing saddles. Rich Ealing Caithness, Scotland Inspired by pictures in RiDE, my wife Chris and I set out…

BACK IN THE old days, the border between Scotland and England was a place of constant conflict, with Scottish clans raiding south for cattle and plunder, and the English raiding north in search of haggis and shortbread biscuits. Later the main traffic was teenage lovers eloping north to get married at Gretna Green (Scots law allowed marriage at 16, versus 18 in England), and Scots engineers heading south to invent pretty much everything of any importance since the Industrial Revolution. I may have glossed over some of the finer details of 1000 years of history there, but that’s the general thrust of it. Today we’re off to explore the best of the region, taking in both sides of the border in a day-long loop that threads together woods and water,…

We want everyone to have a great summer on two wheels – and that’s where the Great British Ride Out comes in. First, go to www.ride.co.uk/gbro and click the link to our interactive map. Then use the map to link our carefully chosen waypoints to create a ride – just drag the route until it hits all the great roads you want to explore. When it’s ready, simply download the route, put it in your sat nav and go for a brilliant ride. There is one final step: click the “share” button for your route, copy the URL for it and send it to ride@ride.co.uk with “GBRO” in the email title. Each month we’ll select the route we most want to go and ride – and the winner will get…

High and dry in the Highlands Q I WAS FOLLOWING a coach along some single track roads in the Scottish Highlands. Eventually the driver braked to give way to an oncoming vehicle, but then put his coach into reverse and backed up and in the process, ran both me and my motorcycle over. As he reversed, he managed to tear the sump out of his coach, and aggressively told me that the accident was at least partially my fault because I should have sounded my horn to warn him of my presence. The local police did a good job, but my bike was obviously unrideable. I phoned my insurers and it transpired that as there was an exclusion clause for riding in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, they would not…

The new Grand America is the best-equipped and priciest of the nine K1600s available. For your money you get the excellent audio system, cornering and daytime riding lights, keyless ignition and two-stage, electronically adjustable Dynamic ESA suspension. You also get LED foglights, central locking, up/down quickshifter and tyre pressure monitoring. Luggage is roomy but the top box won’t take all full-face helmets and the panniers are too small for them. Foot-boards, an electrically adjustable screen, heated seats, heated grips and cruise control boost comfort. If you crash, the bike automatically calls the emergency services. Hill start control and reverse gear are more than useful on occasion. The bike is speed-restricted to 100mph as the topbox affects stability at high speed. The sat nav our bike was fitted with is a…

“The Turismo Veloce is very much a sporty sports-tourer” AUTO-CLUTCH Ignore the left-hand lever — the auto-clutch does it for you. Especially useful in traffic ENGINE Revised for the latest model, with a new cylinder head design, mounts and starter clutch SUSPENSION Lusso model comes with Skyhook semi-active suspension which works well SPORTS-TOURERS ARE generally designed to work in every situation, from blasting down a twisty road to cruising with pillion and luggage on a motorway. So it’s slightly strange to find MV Agusta’s revamped Turismo Veloce highlighting its major new feature in a different way: negotiating slow-moving traffic with ease in the outskirts of MV’s home town of Varese in northern Italy. That’s because the fast-touring triple’s new star turn is the automatic clutch that gives it the full…

“You can lean it over and scrape a knee in tight corners” CHASSIS Conventional chassis, big-name suspension and brakes and decent tyres mean the Ego handles as well MOTOR The electric motor is fed by an 11.7kW battery for huge amounts of torque and acceleration WE’VE TESTED ELECTRIC scooters (BMW C Evolution), off-roaders (KTM Freeride E) and street bikes (Zero SR) before, but this is the first road-going battery-powered superbike we’ve got our hands on. It’s made by Energica, an Italian firm with a background in hi-tech materials, 3D printing and making bits for Formula 1 cars. The Ego has been made since 2015, but this is our first chance to spend a few days with one. At first it all looks pretty normal. Physically it’s the same size, shape…

ELECTRONICS Four rider modes, including individual, allow tailoring of the traction control and engine braking with an integral shift light on the dash ENGINE Derived from the 2006 Fireblade motor but with revised internals, the motor gives out a useful and useable 143bhp STYLING It’s all about the metal - very few plastic panels to allow the CB1000R to develop a retro feel SUSPENSION Separate Function Showa BPF at the front and monoshock at the rear offer complete adjustability and superb handling MENTION THE TERM ‘sports naked’ and bike designers suddenly go all science-fiction. Aggressive angular plastics, preying mantis-style headlamps and exposed frames, all wrapped in an aurora of day-glo colours. The 2018 Honda CB1000R breaks that convention by offering riders 143bhp of inline-four power, a well-suspended chassis and cutting-edge…

1 ENGINE/GEARBOX The same engine has been the base for many twin-cylinder racing bikes, and they’re known for being very reliable. There are some mutterings on various forums about dropping valves at high mileages but precious little actual evidence. In standard form you’re unlikely to come across major problems unless the bike’s been abused. Make sure you see the bike started from cold — it should fire straight up, with no oily smoke from the exhaust and no obvious rattles. A healthy Versys shouldn’t use oil between services. 2 VIBRATION It’s a twin, so it’s going to vibrate a bit. But some early versions vibrated a lot. Mainly as a buzzy feeling through the bars and pegs, and an annoying rattle from plastics, the clocks and screen area. Kawasaki quickly…

“A brilliantly-priced alternative to other tall tourers” WHEN IT WAS first launched, we said, “This is a great bike for a beginner, but it’s unfair to label it as purely a beginner’s bike. It’s punchy at low speed, has one of the comfiest riding positions around, a clear and high view of the road, and thoroughly refined power delivery. A brilliantly-priced alternative to other tall tourers.” We haven’t changed our minds on any of that, but we can now add that it’s super-reliable, highly affordable used, and easily upgraded in terms of suspension, brakes and gadgets. It’s a genuine do-it-all bike, and definitely worth considering whatever your riding requirements or intentions. You do need to be a bit careful about what you’re buying though. For a start, the 2007-2014, and…

“It was majestic, the Tiger feeling planted but agile, darting left to right” WHEN THE ROAD testers came back from the group ride (p16) I came over all green-eyed… then decided my Great British Ride Out route would follow in their footsteps. I booked Thursday and Friday off and reserved the last room in the Buccleuch Arms. I’d already decided I needed luggage and the parts had been ordered, so I rushed to Peterborough Triumph (www.webbsmotorcycles.co.uk)which fitted the Expedition panniers. Then I went home to pack and explain things to my exceptionally understanding wife... Next morning I set off across Lincolnshire. First stop was the GBRO point at Willingham Woods (not many bikes about early on a Thursday morning), then over the Humber Bridge. The sun was bright, the roads…

THE GEOPOLITICS OF motorcycling is fascinating; how does where we live influence the type of bike we ride? For example, riding an H2 SX SE out in the Fenland wilderness makes as much sense as it ever can, because corners are 14 miles apart and traffic police are outnumbered by wild coypu. It’s total bandit country. But how does the World’s Fastest Sport TourerTM cope in the real world? To find out, I’m visiting my formative stomping ground in the South East. Kent and Sussex are the opposite of the Fens: crowded, bustling, hilly, nadgery potholed roads sprinkled with gravel, all trees and hedges and walking-pace speed limits; choked with traffic and strangled by speed cameras. It’s the last place to take a bike that goes from 50 to 150…

“I’ve always liked big twins. Especially of the Italian variety” THE MODERN RETRO I’M NOT A fan of the Ducati Scrambler 800. Hideously uncomfortable and lacking power and sophistication. Anything arriving with that much hype needs to be outstanding, and I don’t think it is. Which means I was also nonplussed by the arrival of the 1100 — save for its motor, which provided entertainment by the bucketload when dressed as a Monster. Could jacking it up and applying some faux-retro styling change my mind about the Scrambler? Short answer is yes. I’ve always liked big twins. Especially of the Italian variety. Until last year I owned an Aprilia Falco and I’m just waiting for the right Ducati Multistrada 1000DS to come along and empty my bank account. Putting all…

‘THE IBERIAN PENINSULA IS HUGE, WITH EVERY KIND OF LANDSCAPE’ Why tour in Spain or Portugal? Quite simply, it’s the riding. The Iberian peninsula is huge, with every kind of landscape you could imagine - from verdant Galicia on the north-west Atlantic coast to sun-baked Murcia on the Mediterranean. There are towering snow-tipped mountains, vast hot plains, surf-kissed sandy beaches, aromatic vineyards and fascinating towns full of interesting places to visit. And joining it all together is a spectacular network of great biking roads. There’s all kinds of riding — whether you like cruising along two-up or hairing along head-down, whether you want mountains or coastlines or even unpaved roads, whether you want long days on empty highways or short days with lots of stops, there’s something for everyone .…

THE DRIZZLE FALLING as we get off the ferry thickens to proper rain as we pull out of Santander on the motorway, headed east towards Bilbao. This should be the first pop of the cork, the moment that tells you something good has started... But it’s dismal. “It’s worse than it was in England,” moans snapper Weeble when we stop for lunch after 40 miles. “Don’t worry - we’re headed inland,” I say. “Through the Picos? It always rains in the Picos,” he cries. This is patently not true. Sometimes it’s sunny in the Picos de Europa. Most of the time, in fact. But these mountains on Spain’s northern coast can trap warm, wet air blowing in from the Bay of Biscay, condensing it into clouds that sometimes turns the…

‘THE ATLANTIC WINDS... KEEP THE COUNTRYSIDE RICH, GREEN AND BEAUTIFUL’ THE FURTHER WEST along the Spanish north coast you go, the wilder the scenery becomes. The mountains seem higher, the gorges deeper… and the roads emptier, the villages quieter. The Atlantic winds increase the chances of a shower, even in summer, but they also keep the countryside rich, green and beautiful. So many riders never get this far west, which is a tragedy as some of the finest riding is in Galicia and Asturias. WHERE TO STAY LUARCA A sleepy fishing village curled around its hill-fringed harbour, this is traditional Spain at its least touristy. A perfect base for exploring hilly Asturias. Routes 11 & 12 Hotel tip Hotel Baltico, www.hotelbaltico.com MIERES DEL CAMINO Oviedo’s a big city - bustling…

Based on the long-running Z1000 naked bike, the SX adds a full fairing and, in this Tourer guise, panniers with inner bags as standard. It also has a sat nav mount on the top yoke and an integrated gear position indicator. This is a low-tech antidote to the BMW’s packed spec sheet — it has barely changed since 2011, with only a few tweaks to styling and ergonomics over the years, the addition of switchable traction control in 2014, and an upgrade to lean-sensitive traction control and ABS in 2017. It’s a package that’s been hugely successful for Kawasaki, meaning that the Z1000SX has long been one of the company’s best selling models and is its biggest seller in the UK. SPEC Price £10,842 Engine 1043cc inline four, DOHC, 4v…

All three bikes were fitted with Bridgestone T31 tyres. The T31 is Bridgestone’s latest sports touring tyre, which the company says is developed with an emphasis on good wear and especially good wet grip. The rear tyre is dual compound, with harder rubber in the centre for better wear, and softer at the edges for more cornering grip, plus it’s reinforced to suit heavier bikes like these. Importantly for us, it’s very neutral-steering, so we could be sure any differences in feel were down to the bikes themselves, not the tyres. All the bikes were happy on the T31s, but the Kawasaki felt the most benefit because its OE tyres are so bad.…

The smooth one Triumph Sprint ST 1050 > £3000-£5500 > 2005-2011 > 1050cc inline triple > 123bhp > 241kg WRITE DOWN A list of all the features and traits you want from a sports tourer: you’ll find you’re looking at a description of Triumph’s Sprint ST 1050. A big, gutsty, willing, super-smooth engine with a torque curve that’s flatter than an Adam Sandler ‘comedy’. Sharp, precise steering from a long, stable chassis. Strong brakes, considerate suspension and high-rise clip-on bars. Plenty of wind protection, a hefty payload, classy style, a centrestand and a big pillion seat with a grabrail. When the Sprint ST 1050 first arrived, it made Honda’s all-dominating VFR800 feel revvy, compact and needlessly complicated. And all of that remains just as true when comparing them on the…

Wiltshire wanderer Reader Peter Genet created this run around Wilsthire Start/finish Cricklade, Wilts Distance 100 miles Riding time 3.5 hours Checkpoints 2 (Avebury, Westonbirt Arboretum) Peter Genet wrote to the Letters page last month, having discovered the joy of sat nav. He certainly seems to have got the hang of it already, firing over this chilled-out route through the hills of north Wiltshire and ticking off two waypoints. It scoops this month’s honours because even though it’s not in an area that screams “classic biking roads” it’s a route that looks like proper fun — and also takes in plenty of sights for a break off the bike. That wins Peter an Oxford Strada leather jacket worth £199.99.…

Go south, young man 25 DAYS, 5500 miles and ten countries; it’s been crazy, intense and at times daunting — but now the real adventure begins. Though slightly rushed due to my visa dates in Russia, I feel like I have already experienced and learnt so much. I’m currently in Almaty, Kazakhstan for a few days while my bike is looked after and I prepare for the next leg. After a pretty demanding schedule, I finally have time to reflect on the first month of this year-long trip. It’s hard to believe less than 30 days ago I was preparing to leave London and now I have been through places that couldn’t be further from that world of fancy coffees and overpriced everything. So far I have ridden through rain,…

IT’S NOT EASY to stand out in New York, but BMW’s fancy new K1600 Grand America flagship tourer is doing the job well enough, turning heads and raising eyebrows as I cruise across town. Okay, okay, I’m stretching things a bit here. The outrageously spectacular mobile gin palace instantly grabs attention, true enough. But it’s enticing startled views primarily because this New York is sited a long, long way from the Big Apple. It’s a totally different venue with neither skyscraper nor hot dog stall in sight. The New York I’m passing through is a quiet Lincolnshire hamlet where being inconspicuous on something like this is impossible. I’ve been requested to ride the Grand America from here to California; unfortunately not the famous US state, but a holiday village 120…

I thought that was Alston in Cumbria? Well, they argue among themselves. They’re both at about the same elevation — around 300m above sea level — so it’s not like you need oxygen and Sherpas to get up there. Anyway, Buxton’s real fame and wealth originally came from its healing waters, not selling fruit and veg in the open air. According to those flogging the treatments back in the day, pretty much everything from heart disease to madness could be cured by dunking yourself in the mineral-rich water or lathering yourself in local mud. Ah, those crazy, hedonistic Victorians! And the Georgians before them, and the Romans long before them - cleanliness, moderation and healthy living have been the bywords for this place for nearly 2000 years. Ironic that it’s…

The updated Turismo Veloce completes MV’s revamped 798cc triples family, now all Euro4 compliant and including naked Brutale and Dragster plus the racy F3. The Turismo Veloce comes in three spec levels: the Lusso SCS at £17,590; the Lusso with conventional clutch at £15,990; and the standard model, with conventional suspension and no panniers, at £13,490. There’s also a limited-edition RC version of the SCS, with red/white paint and a production limit of 250 units. MV has pruned its four-cylinder line to just the racy F4, available in four models including the exotic Lewis Hamilton edition. A new-generation Brutale four will be unveiled at November’s Milan Show but an all-new F4 is at least two years away.…

B-ROADS There’s a definite and surprising firmness to this naked Honda - none of that wallowy sag you typically get with a traditional large-capacity roadster. It’s a sensation that continues on the back roads, too. In fact, the feedback from the Showa Big Piston Fork and Bridgestone S21-R front tyre is what you would expect from a sportsbike. There is a constant stream of information from the handlebars, allowing total accuracy and confidence in the front end. “There is a constant stream of information from the handlebars” Experimenting with the suspension settings allows you to tailor the damping and preload rates to suit you. The impressive Showa fork separates the damping and spring forces into their own tubes to save weight and boost functionality. Rebound and compression adjustment is in…

AS THE FOUNDER of the Yamaha MT-07 UK Owners’ Club, Janis Strelkovs knows the pros and cons of the mischievous middleweight better than most. Not only does he have 23,500 miles of first-hand experience on his own three-year-old MT-07 Moto Cage, he also regularly hears from more than 1000 other owners too. So, what led him here? “I raced motocross as a kid, but lost interest when I was 13 or 14. I started riding on the road when I was 16, then passed my Direct Access when I was 24. After that I bought my MT-07. I wanted something that was versatile, because I haven’t got a car licence. So I needed a bike that I could commute to work on and not be uncomfortable riding every day, but…

ONCE UPON A time, navigation involved taking readings of the sun or stars and plotting courses on charts. The world changed though – giving us first the asphalt road and then, the road atlas. As the Nineties turned to the Noughties the humble bit of paper was replaced by the sat nav. Over the same kind of timescale, long-distance communication evolved from the carrier pigeon to the telephone and then the mobile… and now smartphones are getting in on the navigation game, too. There’s a big difference, though, between checking on your phone where a restaurant is when you’re walking through a city centre and trusting the phone to guide you, at speed, on a bike. Especially if you want to go touring, following a route that’s more than just…

“They’ve never leaked in the years I have used them” 1 Helmet: Shark Evoline Pro Carbon £439.99 www.nevis.uk.com The only flip-front lid I’ve ever owned and I like it. Very easy to flip the front at tollbooths or in town, and just as easy to flip it down and lock it again. It’s surprisingly quiet, pretty light (1610g) and nicely finished. However, you have to put your hand in front of your face and push up from the top middle of the visor to raise it and operating the sun visor means fumbling for the slider on top of your head. 2 Earplugs: Ultimate Ear Filtered £85 www.ultimateear.com This is my third attempt at custom-made earplugs. I’m still not 100% convinced they’re for me - I find them harder to…

BEARINGS ARE A vital component within your wheels, and will usually work without fault for tens of thousands of miles. When you stop and think about it though, your bearings have an incredibly tough job to do. They have to support mechanical loads, transmit rotational force, and do all of this without any maintenance. Unlike the engine that has its filtered oil changed regularly to maintain efficiency, wheel bearings are lubricated with grease when they are made, then sealed for life. The life-span of a wheel bearing is completely variable and will depend entirely on how the bike is used. 1 Feel the wobble Bearing wear can be detected by raising the wheel off the ground, then wobbling it from side to side. A worn bearing will feel notchy, and…

THE RIDE OFFICE has been itching to get a Honda CB1000R on the long-term test fleet and now one has arrived and I’m extremely lucky to have the keys in my hands. It’s only fitting really seeing as I learnt to ride on a CB125TD, taking it out at every opportunity and loving every second. And my initials are CB too! So for our first ride together, a study of the GBRO waypoints meant I could choose a destination for a day’s riding that was a good enough distance away that I could get a feel for the bike in multiple scenarios but not so far that I would be suffering on it should we not gel immediately. Ely looked perfect as it’s been on my bucket-list for ages now.…

NORTH COAST 1 Laredo (3 routes) p14 2 Laudio p18 3 Logroño p18 4 Luarca (2 routes) p16 5 Oviedo (2 routes) p16 6 Ponferrada (2 routes) p16 7 Potes (2 routes) p14 8 Ourense (2 routes) p16 9 Reinosa p18 10 Santiago de Compostela p18 11 Vilalba p18 12 Zarautz (3 routes) p14 NORTH EAST 13 Ainsa (3 routes) p25 14 Castelldefels p23 15 Colera p23 16 Igualada p26 17 Jaca p26 18 Pamplona (2 routes) p25 19 Reus (2 routes) p23 20 Ripoll (4 routes) p25 21 Sort p26 22 Sos del Rey Católico p26 23 Tauste p26 24 Terrassa (2 routes) p23 25 Tossa de Mar p23 CENTRAL SPAIN 26 Albarracín p32 27 Cuenca (2 routes) p31 28 Ciudad Real p34 29 Ciudad Rodrigo (2 routes) p33…

‘FINDING GREAT RIDING NEAR SANTANDER OR BILBAO IS AS EASY AS A, B, C…” FINDING GREAT RIDING near the ports of Santander and Bilbao is as easy as A,B,C… Asturias, the Basque Country and Cantabria (and La Rioja as well). There are the twin attractions of the coast, with its sleepy fishing villages and golden beaches, and the mountains. The chain of Cantabrian mountains — which includes the Picos de Europa — delivers spectacular scenery, as grey-tipped peaks rise above verdant slopes, with fabulously twisty roads climbing passes and cutting through limestone gorges. WHERE TO STAY LAREDO Midway between Bilbao and Santander is the Cantabrian resort of Laredo - famed for its massive sandy beach. It should be famous for the quality of the riding in the hills around it.…

MAKING AMERICA GRATE AGAIN American Revolution 31% import tax on US-made bikes but prices won’t increase for now HARLEY-DAVIDSON AND INDIAN have been hit by an extra 25% import tariff as part of the European Union’s response to US President Donald Trump’s trade policies. The increase, which sees the total tariff jump to 31% (from 6% previously), came into force on June 22. It applies to all US-made motorcycles with internal combustion engines imported into the EU — meaning Californian firm Zero’s electric bikes aren’t affected and neither are Harley’s EU-market Street 750 and Street Rod, which are built in India. What does this geopolitical posturing mean for UK riders? For now, not much. Harley has stated it “will not raise its manufacturer’s suggested retail prices… to cover the costs…

This posh version of the Supersport features the same chassis and Testastratta engine as the base bike but adds top-spec Öhlins 48mm forks and shock with remote preload adjuster. You get switchable riding modes, with the option to customise them. So in Sport mode you can tweak the traction control or turn it off altogether. Same with the ABS — you get to choose how early it cuts in or turn it off. The ABS system can also stop the rear wheel lifting too high off the ground under braking. No cruise control, but you get a quickshifter that works up and down. Our test bike was fitted with the Touring Pack (£1174.38), with racks to take semi-rigid, expanding panniers, heated grips and an adjustable screen. SPEC Price £14,612 (as…

Introduced in 2015 and unchanged since, the RS is mechanically pretty much the same as an R1200GS but shorter, stiffer and with more protective bodywork. It’s a halfway house between a GS and an RT. This Sport SE has all the bells and whistles — ABS, traction control, quickshifter, active suspension, centrestand, pannier mounts (but no panniers, they’re £637 a pair), sat-nav mounting, daytime riding lights, quickshifter, cruise control, tyre pressure control, heated grips, chrome exhaust, LED indicators and switchable riding modes. As if that’s not enough, it also has the £340 Exclusive Style Package, comprising, errr, Frozen Bronze Metallic paint. If you don’t fancy that, save £340 and have a black one. SPEC Price £15,042 (as tested) Engine 1170cc boxer twin, DOHC, 4v per cyl, air/l/c Power 125bhp @…

IT’S EASY TO rush through Cheshire on the M6 (or sit in a jam on the M6) and assume there’s not much more to the place than footballers’ mansions, Jodrell Bank and traffic – that the only biking attraction is Oulton Park. That’s what’s wrong with seeing the country from the motorway: you miss all the good bits. Get off the beaten track and this is picture-postcard England, all green fields and leafy hedges, punctuated by half-timbered farms and stone-built churches. Our one-day ride weaves its way through this rich tapestry, skirting the busy bits and seeking out the quieter roads. STAGE ONE Nantwich to Uttoxeter 45 miles Leave Nantwich on the A529 to Audlem. In Audlem turn right at the war memorial and then left after crossing the canal,…

Colombia Why you should go Colombia is a land of startling contrasts, from dense Amazonian jungle, spectacular tropical beaches and snow-capped Andean mountain ranges to Bogotá’s fast-growing metropolis and the immaculate colonial architecture of Villa de Leyva, Cartagena and Popayán. Footpeg-scraping bends through lush green forests, mountains and valleys are punctuated by beautifully unspoiled villages and towns, where you’re guaranteed a warm and friendly welcome from the locals and some glorious food and drink. Anyone visiting Colombia is staggered by its beauty, the warm and welcoming peoples and its rich culture. All preconceptions go out of the window. Colombia has a huge biking culture — we had massive support from the Colombian adventure riders in 2003 on our Guinness World Record attempt, and that enthusiasm has grown with time. What’s…

1 MONTH AHEAD MAIN EVENT GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED Goodwood Festival of Speed July 12-15, Goodwood Estate, West Sussex 2018 is the Festival’s Silver Jubilee, so you can expect a packed programme of petrol-based excitement, themed round a retrospective of great moments from the past quarter century. There will be some big names of motorsport past and present, PLUS some seriously tasty machinery. There’ll be a constant programme of cars and bikes running on the famous hillclimb in the grounds of Goodwood House and they won’t be hanging about - everyone wants the bragging rights of being fastest on the day. There’ll also be plenty of action on the forest rally stage nearby and in the Action Sports Arena. Where else can you see F1 cars, rally cars, MotoGP and…

“You feel pretty secure with a decent amount of space” PILLION Surprisingly for a sporty naked, the pillion perch is quite civilised. You’re not precariously high, looking down on the rider’s helmet — you feel fairly secure, with a decent amount of space. Even the footpegs are at a reasonable height. My only criticisms are that the seat pad itself is a little firm and certainly won’t be somewhere you’ll want to spend a lot of time. Also, the pillion grabrail built into the rear subframe is in a very strange position that cants you too far forward and puts you off balance if you hold it with both hands. Other than that, a back-seat ride is very enjoyable. LUGGAGE AND LOAD Despite a lack of bungee points, it is…

THE 2018 HONDA CB1000R has genuinely taken us by surprise — it’s a brilliant sporting road bike with real-world get up and go. In recent years the Japanese manufacturer has been churning out worthy-if-a-little dull roadsters, which ticked all the boxes when it came to build quality, style and safety, but felt stifled when ridden, frankly as if Honda was trying to sanitise motorcycling. That’s not the case with the new CB1000R; the engine is truly exciting as well as bloody fast and offers performance that will engage even the most experienced of riders. The handling is excellent too, thanks to the well-balanced chassis and top-notch Showa suspension. It even gets a bit frisky when ridden really hard. But keeping things at a more sensible pace, the CB1000R still has…

“Nostalgia for anyone into bikes in the late 80s” Where did it come from? Straight out of the GSX-R750F, which in turn was directly developed from the marque’s F1 racers of the early 80s. The 750 was a huge step forward in 1985, but the 1986 1100 was a far-more enticing prospect as a road bike. Until then, large-capacity engines were heavy and slotted into spindly steel frames with narrow tyres and crude suspension. The 1052cc GSX-R11’s engine was oil and air-cooled and, with its alternator riding piggyback behind the cylinders, was narrow enough for good cornering clearance. And it needed to be, because the then-fashionable 16in front and 18in rear wheels and wide (for the time) tyres gave quick steering and plenty of grip, and the fancy aluminium frame…

Oxford XB35 Waterproof backpack £99.99 www.oxfordproducts.com I’VE BEEN USING Oxford’s multi-functioning waterproof backpack for over a year. The main compartment is lined with a waterproof material and claims to hold 35 litres — and I have no reason to doubt it as I’ve managed to stuff it with waterproofs and enough garments for three or four-day tours. There are compartments aplenty here, plus a 1.5-litre drinks bladder. There’s a zipped pocket for keys with a convenient D-latch inside. There’s a padded laptop pocket with a section for phones/mp3 players and a weather-resistant headphone port. On the outside are two pockets, each with a handy elasticated glove pouch with drawstring netting. There’s also a well-thought-out integrated helmet carrier. The padded shoulder straps fasten with a chest strap and a waist belt…

A LEISURELY MORNING, I set off at 11:30am from Peterborough for my trip around Lincolnshire. I’ve broken it down into five stages leading to the highlight, a track evening at Cadwell Park. 1. Coffee Tree Café, Wisbech (1155) First pit stop is for a mid-morning brew not far down the road at the biker-friendly Coffee Tree Café. I have a nice chat with Jo, the owner and she tells me about the biker nights every Wednesday evening. I must give it a go one week. 2. Boston stump, Boston (1315) An opportunity to soak up a touch of culture at Boston’s St Botolph’s Church. 3. East Kirkby Aviation Heritage Centre (1345) I make it just in time to see ‘Just Jane’, the Avro Lancaster, come in to park from her…

Brite idea? I was interested in Simon Hargreaves’ Diamondbrite story (The Finishing Line, August) but I just wanted to challenge the maker’s claim of 50% less cleaning. We had this applied to our new car three years ago at a cost of £400 and all I can say is, three years to the month later, it gets as dirty during everyday driving as any other car and definitely does not require 50% less cleaning! Our bikes are far more exposed, of course, so I would be more than surprised if a long-term test showed any difference — but will remain open to the results with interest. If I’m proven wrong then I would consider the treatment, but as far as our car goes, I wish I had kept my £400.…

IN FAIRNESS, THE phone call might have been a little misleading. “How do you fancy riding a motorcycle from New York to California?” Ever-enthusiastic, veteran tester Chris Moss didn’t wait to be asked twice. But instead of sending him first-class plane tickets, we sent him to a tiny village in Lincolnshire armed with a GPS programmed for the Norfolk coast. Somehow, he still managed to conjure up plenty of California Dreamin’ during his time riding BMW’s new K1600 Grand America for us this month (p42). If you’re a fan of Americana, there are plenty of other ways to sample a taste of the States without having to reach for your passport. In RiDE’s March 2013 issue then-editor Colin Overland discovered the American Motorcycle Experience — a chance to ride a…

Don’t worry: riding bikes in Europe is simple — far easier than driving a right-hand drive car over there. Our top tip sounds stupid: just say to yourself; “Ride on the right” before selecting first gear. The only time most people get confused is when setting off, turning out of the first junction of the day or after filling up: actively telling yourself to ride on the right really can do the trick. For the rest of it, it’s all straightforward — exactly like riding at home. You’re unlikely to ever go the wrong way round a roundabout — the entrances and chevron boards will point you in the right direction. Take care on roundabouts in Spain, though: Spanish drivers stay in the outside lane all the way round, even…

> All the routes described in this magazine are available as GPX files for sat navs, compatible with BMW, Garmin and TomTom devices, from the RiDE website (www.ride.co.uk/Spain18). To preview a route, click on its title. This will open it in Google Maps - but please note that if a road is closed (say, by snow in winter or by roadworks) the previews may not show the true route. To download a route, simply click the “Download the route” link. It will be downloaded as a Zip file, which needs to be opened with Stuffit Xpander, WinZip or a similar application (on a Mac, the Disc Utility) to get the GPX file you can use. > If you have a Garmin or BMW sat nav, we recommend using Garmin’s free…

1 POTES TRIANGLE Start/finish Potes Distance 125 miles Riding time 4 hours One of the most famous rides in the Picos de Europa: Potes to Riaño to Cangas de Onís and back to Potes. Mountain passes, gorges, lakes and amazing views - there’s no wonder it’s so popular. 2 POTES — COAST AND PASSES Start/finish Potes Distance 215 miles Riding time 6.5 hours This longer day’s ride reverses some of the roads from the Potes triangle, heading out to the seaside town of Ribadesella for lunch before heading even higher into the Picos mountains. 3 LAREDO LONG LOOP Start/finish Laredo Distance 245 miles Riding time 7.5 hours From the beautiful coastal town of Laredo, this long day’s ride swoops through the beautiful coastal mountains all the way to the plains…