RiDE August 2019

‘YOU’RE NEVER TOO old to learn’ is my elderly dad’s favourite saying and when it comes to biking, he’s right. One of the best things about being a biker is the power you feel as you gain experience and learn more and more things – and this issue of RiDE is designed to help with that, whether you’ve had your licence for fifty years or five minutes. Our 14-page how-to isn’t about patronising already experienced readers, but filling in gaps and reaffirming what we know already. It’s been fascinating reading and a useful reminder of many things. For example, I put some of the off-roading tips into action the first time I took my Multistrada up a (very dry) green lane and I now know all the secret clues that identify…

Martin Fitz-Gibbons Deputy editor For a year RiDE has followed Henry Crew in his quest to become the youngest person to ride round the world. His ambition, maturity and ability to hit deadlines are all utterly humbling. His story deserves your time; his charity deserves your money. Jim Blackstock Product editor When I was a kid, I loved building models of late 70s and early 80s motorcycles. One I remember vividly was the bizarre Suzuki Katana. With the new version ridden in this issue, I’m keen to see whether the Katana spirit still cuts it. Simon Hargreaves Contributor Tankbags are the Marmite of biking luggage; we either love ’em or hate ’em. Or, I suspect, many of us are a bit of both – so I’m keen to know which one ticks the most practicality…

It’s the future, or so they’ve said for the past decade. While electric cars are now so common you rarely notice one on the road, electric bikes remain almost non-existent in 2019. However, mainstream brands are starting to get involved. BMW has its plug-in scooter, the C evolution. KTM has its electric enduro, the Freeride E-XC. Harley-Davidson’s long-promised LiveWire arrives this autumn. Ducati has just released the MIG-RR – alright, it’s a mountain bike, but it’s a start. And Triumph is part of the TE-1 project, a collaborative venture to develop an electric motorcycle powertrain in the next two years. But right now a small American firm is leading the – ahem – charge. Zero Motorcycles has built electric roadsters for 10 years and its latest machine, the SR/F, promises a…

‘It’d be like riding on reserve all the time’ “A 50-mile range? That’s the reserve on my bike — the bit where you’ve basically run out of petrol. I don’t think I’d be comfortable riding like that all ‘I’d like to try one for a day’ “I’d consider one if the range was good enough for a full day’s ride (80 to 200 miles). I can see the long-term cost benefits, but they’re still some way off convincing every rider. Personally, I’d really like to try one for the day.” Ian Speight ‘Perhaps hydrogen fuel cells are the future’ “Range anxiety would spoil a leisure ride and make touring virtually impossible. Hopefully battery technology will get better, or perhaps hydrogen fuel cells could be a way forward.” Richard Higgott ‘£20k? That’s a house deposit!’ “It’s a great…

DON’T GET HUNG up on the vintage styling, the stripped-back starkness or the exposed chromed driveshaft. This is the Concept R18, and it confirms BMW is building its biggest boxer engine ever. At the core of the R18 is an air-cooled, 1800cc flat twin — the motor that will be powering a brand-new production bike heading to BMW showrooms in 2020. Ignore the bead-blasted aluminium block, the polished valve covers and the Solex carburettors — they’re just there to appeal to nostalgic magpies, and stand zero chance of making it to production. What this concept does reveal, however, is that the finished motor will operate its valves using push-rods, rather than overhead cams. For now BMW is offering no other details — no performance, bore or stroke figures. But this motor will…

IF YOU’RE LOOKING for European destinations for your summer trips, KTM and Ducati have opened new museum displays to tempt you to their hometowns. KTM’s Motohall is a huge three- story museum set in Mattighofen, western Austria. It’s packed with road, race and dirt bikes from the firm’s history. See ktm-motohall.com for more information. Meanwhile, in Bologna in Italy, Ducati has opened a temporary exhibition at its museum that celebrates Ducati’s use of aerodynamics in MotoGP. Called ‘Anatomy of Speed’, it runs from now until October 8th.…