RiDE February 2019

THE PAST YEAR has had the lot for us bikers. There’s been the grip and endless sunshine of the best biking summer since 1976, amazing places to ride to and also, wonderful bikes to do it on. Things have never been better. To celebrate, we’ve revisited the best machines, kit and gadgets of the year. I now want to put a deposit on a Kawasaki Z900RS, need a Venhill pressure gauge in my toolkit and know that a Lomo rucksack is the most waterproof money can buy — and it’s just £30. You may also notice a bit of a change: I’ve taken over as editor from Simon Weir, who’s left to travel the world — though you will still see his large yellow helmet popping up here and there. Running RiDE…

Martin Fitz-Gibbons Deputy editor No model has given me more cumulative joy over the years than Triumph’s Street Triple. And while the latest 765 is a great bike, I can’t help think the original 675 was a bit more fun. Just £3000, you say? Time to get clued up on what to look out for… Jim Blackstock Production editor We already know that the new BMW R1250GS is a better bike than its predecessor. But this month, we break it down into much deeper detail to see exactly how and where the 1250’s improvements lie. The scales, dyno and data-logger will reveal all... Caroline Barrett Editorial assistant I admit it — I didn’t ride as much as I wanted to this year. Just too much going on to be able to find the time to get out on…

THE MET’S RECENT release of footage of force cars knocking off scooter and bike criminals has been met with almost universal acclaim from bikers. The footage, of officers ramming riders of stolen bikes and mopeds, shows police are getting serious in the battle against thieves. In recent years, police have been inundated by reports of stolen bikes up and down the country, as bike crime rises. Towns like London and Bristol are worst-off, with crimes using stolen bikes growing hugely in the last five years. Despite progress with two-wheeled crime, almost 30,000 bikes were stolen in 2017 — and that doesn’t include those taken from people’s houses or obtained in a fraudulent manner. This has been combined with the rise of two-wheeler-riding criminals, who use stolen big-capacity scooters and 125s to evade…

“Never going to be ‘pleased’ to see a rider knocked off, but these gangs are not bikers. They are criminals and this is the kind of reaction the Met is having to take.” Matt Brown “It’s great that the police are trained and allowed to intervene in this way. There has to be a stop to those thieves’ actions, who will realise they will be dealt with.” Vincent Guilon “This may shock our modern society, but guess what; criminals don’t stop robbing, mugging and assaulting you because you ask them nicely.” Christopher Arnold “When they decide to run you off the road for no reason, remember you condoned it. Be careful what you wish for.” Jeffery Gough…

WITH A FUEL capacity of over 20 litres thanks to its gigantic low-slung tank, KTM’s new 790 Adventure is set to be the marque’s longest-range bike yet. The new machine, which is based on the 2018 790 Duke, uses a fuel tank that reaches low on each side of the bike, allowing a large capacity without raising the centre of gravity. The bike’s 799cc engine is based on the Duke’s but re-tuned for more midrange, with the result being peak torque is delivered lower down and power is reduced by 10bhp, to 94bhp. Designed as a proper off-road machine, it uses a similar tubular-steel frame to that on the Duke, but with long-travel suspension and 21-inch front and 18-inch rear rims. It also promises class-leading off-road performance in the middleweight adventure-bike…

FEBRUARY’S CAROLE NASH MCN London Motorcycle Show is set to host a travel and adventure village with former RiDE columnist Steph Jeavons as one of the stars. Together with fellow globetrotters Sam Manicom and Mark Kemp, she will be appearing on the Travel and Adventure stage, providing some insights and advice for new and experienced travellers alike. Jeavons was the first person to circumnavigate the globe riding a motorcycle on all seven continents, a four-year solo journey on a tiny budget through 53 countries and covering 75,000 miles. At the show, she’ll also be talking about her latest adventure, leading a group of female riders to Everest base camp.…