RiDE December 2017

THE WORLD OF motorcycling has changed a lot in the last ten years. Sportsbikes selling less, adventure bikes selling more… and sports tourers have changed too. Some are more upright, others more exposed and all of them — like sportsbikes and adventure bikes — make a lot more power. Fortunately, what hasn’t changed is how great it is to ride in Yorkshire. This month, Martin and the test team headed to the Dales with three great sports tourers. From popular biking routes to back lanes, they found brilliant roads highlighting the strengths – and the weaknesses – of their bikes. Read their story on p14. Of course, what I took from it is that it doesn’t matter what bike you’re on or where you are. What counts is taking the time to…

Martin Fitz-Gibbons Deputy editor This month I rediscovered Yamaha’s XT660R (p108), which left me mourning the demise of light, single-cylinder trailies. But Duncan McCallum didn’t sulk — he turned a KTM 690 Enduro R into his ideal adventure-tourer. It sounds awesome. PAGE 36 Kev Raymond Features writer Plenty has changed over the years I’ve been riding — bikes, tyres, kit, roads — but rain hasn’t got any less wet. And so waterpoofs aren’t any less crucial. But which suit to go for? One-piece or two? Cheap or premium? I’d like a test of, say, 19 of them… PAGE 80 Caroline Barrett Editorial assistant I spent last year riding an Indian Scout Sixty – my first taste of a cruiser. Maybe it’s left a mark, because I’ve noticed Triumph’s Bobber several times this year and wondered how it feels…

TRIUMPH’S RAPIDLY EXPANDING family of Bonnevilles welcomes another member this month in the guise of 2018’s new Speedmaster. It’s the most laid-back of all the modern Bonnies, with feet-forward pegs and wide, pulled-back handlebars, plus chrome-heavy styling that puts it squarely in the cruiser camp. Beneath the relaxed, retro look, the Speedmaster shares much with the enormously popular Bobber (reviewed on p46). It has the same 1200cc parallel twin making 76bhp and 78lb•ft of torque, its liquid cooling and fuel injection cunningly camouflaged by engine fins and neat carb-style throttle-body covers. The chassis is similar too, with short-travel forks and a faux-hardtail swingarm, the rear shock hidden under the seat. The Speedmaster differs by using 16in wheels at both ends (the Bobber has a 19in front), with a wider 130-section front tyre.…

CONSISTING OF A fully faired model, the GSX-R125, and a naked version, the GSX-S125, both of Suzuki’s new 125s slot neatly into the firm’s established model families. But other than their branding, everything else on the bikes is new. They share a steel frame and the same liquid-cooled 124cc single, which has a four-valve head, twin cams and a more oversquare design (bigger bore, shorter stroke) than any rival. Power is capped to a learner-legal 15bhp, but with a claimed 122mpg, it is frugal. With power a level playing field for all 125s, Suzuki has focused on making its bikes as light as possible – the GSX-S is 133kg, the R 134kg — giving them the best claimed power-to-weight ratio in the class. This dedication to weight reduction is displayed in…

PREMIUM HELMET BRAND Schuberth has joined forces with German clothing brand Held to offer a range of “Held by Schuberth” crash helmets. Essentially, they’re the same as conventional Schuberths but with different liners and colour schemes. Prices are likely to be the same: the full-face H-SR2 Race costing £550 (plain) or £600 (graphic); the flip-front H-C4 Tour £560 (patterned) or £550 for a plain colour (including silver); the H-C3 Pro, in gloss finish, costing £400. This is part of Held’s 2018 collection. The new jackets are made with ecofriendly tanning methods, including the Stone (pictured, £352). There are new gloves, including the Gore-Tex Chikara GTX (pictured, £180) and new luggage, like the Smart Carry Bag (£44) – a handbag that becomes a rucksack.…

ROMANCE AND ADVENTURE What did you do for your honeymoon? Malaysian couple Alfi and Diana got married and quit their jobs to ride from their home, Selangor, to London (marking 60 years since the country’s independence from Britain). They set off in April and rode through Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Iran, Armenia, Georgia and Turkey on the way to Europe. They didn’t do this on an adventure bike, but a Honda PCX125 scooter. HISTORY Ana Carrasco has made motorcycling history as the first woman to win an FIM World Championship race. The 20-year-old took the landmark victory at the Portimão round of the World Supersport 300 championship. “I think it will be a change of mentality and people will realise that a woman can fight for the championship,” she said.…