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The Gold Star’s a great first effort’ REBORN BRITS GO HEAD-TO-HEAD NEW BIKES Harley-Davidson's 120th specials The constant battle to signal - and capitalise upon - manufacturing heritage continues as Harley-Davidson become the latest brand in motorcycling to rack up 120 years of production. And to ram home the message, the extensive crop of special edition models boasts styling cues that hark right back to the genesis of the brand. It's not all about looking back, though, with multiple other model updates. PAGE 04 GREAT ESCAPES See the very best of Europe How many times have you ridden somewhere new, to later discover that you missed a glorious road, view, café or stop-over location by a matter of meters? Frustrating enough when it's local, but it's gutting if you've ridden all the way to the Alps.…

‘Time to relive the Goldie era of Brit bikes’ The jury is still out on why retro bikes are so wildly popular. Is it a backlash against the complexity of cutting-edge machinery; rose tinted goggles inspiring irresistible nostalgia (but without the oil leaks); a revolt against stratospheric prices of many new bikes; fashion; or a simple antidote to the savage pace of modern life? Whatever is motivating new young riders, wizened old riders, and everyone in between to go retro, a huge part of the surge in take-up has to be down to how strong the pool of talent is within the sector. The power of being able to choose whether you buy something British, German, Italian, Japanese, American (or elsewhere) makes any partisan brand addiction easy to sate, too. But it's…

Triumph have begun a UK dealership tour for their new Street Triple 765R and RS which will give customers the chance to see both models up close. Running until March 19, visitors can also have their picture taken on a special tilted stand to replicate getting their knee down. The tour starts today (Jan25) at Peterborough Triumph, before heading on to Somerset. Prices begin at £9595 for the R, and £11,295 for the RS. See triumphmotorcycles.co.uk for more. GT’s a touring King The Suzuki GSX-S1000GT has been named as the best-selling sports tourer of 2022 despite not going to market until April. FinaL figures for the year saw 781 bikes registered, with the forecast for that figure to top 1000 units sold before the end of March this year, which would mark 12…

TOP STORY Special edition anniversary Harley-Davidson models are nothing new. Their 50th birthday was marked in 1954 with bronze medallions on specific machines, and the 1978 75th milestone saw special black and gold paint. In fact, since 1988 an anniversary tribute has been offered on select bikes every five years, and for 2023 it’s no exception - with six limited -run cruisers hitting dealers. Not content with merely producing flashy paint jobs, the Milwaukee firm have also announced a range of updates to other parts of their two- and three-wheeled line-up, with new tech, upgraded V-twin engines and more besides. HIGHLIGHTS •Six special editions to mark the special occasion •Revised Breakout with new engine, bigger fuel tank, and more tech •Limited-run CVO special •New Nightster Special arrives at the lower end of Harley’s pricing range Birthday…

For 2023, Harley will be offering just one top-spec model in their Custom Vehicle Operations programme: the £50,395 CVO Road Glide Limited Anniversary. Individually numbered and dressed in a heritage paint scheme that points to HarleyDavidsons of old, the CVO special will be limited to 1500 units worldwide. Each bike will start with a base coat of black, before an application of Heirloom Red (the same as the anniversary models) on the front fender, fairing, fairing lowers, fuel tank, side covers, bags, and more. This is then finished with a red pinstripe and a gold scallop applied by hand. The side profile of an eagle in flight completes the look, with subtle wing details seen in the fuel tank and side bags,…

One Harley getting more than pricey paint is the Breakout, which now starts from £24,195 and benefits from a new air/oil-cooled Milwaukee-Eight 117 V-twin motor, updated electronics, a bigger fuel tank, and revised styling. The new 1923cc engine can already be found in models like the Road Glide ST and replaces the old Breakout's 1868cc Milwaukee 114. Power is up to 99.6bhp (from 92.7bhp) at 4750rpm and torque is now 123lb.ft at 3500rpm -that is up from 114.3lb.ft. The H-D soundtrack is delivered via a two into a twin shotgun exhaust, with a forward-facing filter flowinq air into the engine. You can now also go further without trips to the pumps too, with an 18.9-litre fuel tank taking over from the previous 13.25-litre design. This is topped by a set of chromed dials…