RiDE December 2018

SCUM-BUSTING Bikers United is a new website designed to combat bike theft. The brainchild of former RiDE staff writer Ben Cope, Bikers United allows victims to upload details of their stolen bike, which then get shared across multiple social media platforms. “It gives people who’ve had their bike stolen more reach and more power,” says Ben. “In the first three weeks we’ve had more than 100 bikes uploaded and I hope we’ll get to 10% of all the stolen bikes in the country within a couple of months.” Head to www.bikersunited.co.uk to sign up and find out more about bike security. ROBOTS BMW has made an R1200GS with so many rider aids it doesn’t need a rider. The autonomous bike can pull away (with some help), ride around a test track and brake…

BMW R1250RT HAND IN HAND with the new R1250GS (see p50 for our first-ride review) is a similar update to BMW’s best-selling tourer. The R1250RT uses the larger 1254cc boxer twin, with the same variable valve timing and identical 134bhp and 106lb·ft. Its chassis is mostly R1200RT, though its optional Dynamic ESA semi-active suspension now includes automatic preload adjustment. Kerb weight is up to 279kg but payload has increased by 7kg to 226kg. There are new front brake calipers (as the R1250GS), and a new front spoiler behind the front wheel (due to the new exhaust header-pipe routing). There’s also an R1250RT Sport, which comes in red with a cut-down windscreen. The R1250RT will start at £14,415 when it arrives around November, with the fully loaded LE £16,710. Indian FTR1200 THIS LOOKS FANTASTIC.…

YOUR NEXT GREAT RIDE THE PEAK DISTRICT 53.203750, -1.868393 THERE’S STILL TIME to get out there and enjoy some of England’s green and pleasant landscapes. Alright, it’s October, which means we might be closer to the Winter Solstice than the Summer Solstice but it’s not that cold yet. Put on a thick pair of socks, grab your neck tube and get riding. Admittedly, chances are you’re probably not planning a fortnight-long escapade to the Outer Hebrides, but instead looking for somewhere with head-spinning scenery that’s a little closer to home. Our choice would be the gorgeous Peak District — fairly close to the centre of Britain and only a morning’s ride from deepest, darkest London. Once there, the UK’s original National Park offers a plethora of panoramas, with a feast of farmland, moorland, hills and…

New for 2018, the Adventure Sports adds even longer-travel suspension (an extra 20mm) and a larger fuel tank (an extra 5.4 litres) to the regular Africa Twin. It’s the least-expensive of the four bikes here, at £12,599 — good value given the standard trim includes heated grips and a 12-volt socket. Our test bike included a centrestand (£180), a two-way quickshifter (£600), foglights (£430), as well as wind deflectors (£70) and little screen visors (£55) bumping that total to £13,934. Panniers (40-litre left, 30-litre right) are an extra £585, and inner bags £95. RiDE’s scales show our test bike weighs 250.4kg with a full tank but no panniers. The ATAS has a surprisingly low maximum weight rating of just 438kg, which means the useable payload is a disappointing 187.6kg. SPEC Price from…

IF YOU’VE EVER been to watch the superbikes at Snetterton, you’ve passed Thetford. It’s a quiet old market town that expanded rapidly in the late 20th Century, thanks to its designation as an ‘Overspill’ town from London. But the old centre makes a decent place to visit. It makes a great base for riding, too. True, you don’t have the challenging elevation changes of more mountainous regions but you do get miles of twisty, enjoyable riding and often better-than-average weather. This is Breckland, characterised by dry heathland and, more recently, Thetford Forest – England’s largest man-made forest. STAGE ONE Thetford to Attleborough 30 miles Leave Thetford on the B1107 to Brandon. In Brandon pick up the A1065 to Swaffham. Go straight across the Mundford roundabout and after three miles, turn right on the B1188…

Q I’m thinking about going to the Le Touquet beach race next year. Any tips? Are there any decent roads in northern France, or is it a flat wasteland of autoroutes and Carrefours? A Le Touquet is a brilliantly bonkers spectacle, and a great excuse for a winter ride. It’s a three-day event, running from Friday February 1 to Sunday February 3 2019, but you only need to turn up for the main race. It starts at 2pm on the Sunday and lasts three hours, though after five minutes you’ve no idea what’s going on. Don’t stay in the town – ride in that morning, park where you’re directed, walk to the beach, enjoy the sandy madness, then leave when you like. The coastal D940 (Sangatte to Boulogne) is far nicer…