RiDE February 2018

THIS ISSUE is a bit different. It’s where we look back at the best bits of 2017, from life with the year’s test bikes (p102) to brilliant products (p87) and great rides (p34) – including some of your trips. With a summer that was actually sunny, it seems 2017 was a properly memorable year for lots of us. More than anything, though, this is an issue where we take the time to look, for one month, at some of the more curious corners of motorcycling we explored in 2017. Was this the year when electric bikes became practical (p68)? Or was it the year a two-stroke revival became possible (p72)? And just how special was Ducati’s final big-bore V-twin superbike (p60)? Enjoy our review of 2017. We’re already looking forward to another…

Martin Fitz-Gibbons Deputy editor In the summer I compared KTM’s 1290 Super Adventure S with BMW’s R1200GS in a pure road test, on tarmac all the way. We’ve saved the Alpine adventure rematch, between the off-road-ready Rallye and 1290 R, for our year-end spectacular. PAGE 10 Kev Raymond Features writer Though I’m not of a vintage to have ridden the Kawasaki Z1 when it was new, I was about when the Zephyr was fresh. The new Z900RS nods towards the older machines, but promises modern performance – so I want to know: how does it ride? PAGE 54 Caroline Barrett Editorial assistant Finding kit can be a challenge sometimes – even here in the office, with so many issues to hunt through to find a test. That’s why I find the Gear of the Year story so useful,…

NEW BIKES Royal Enfield’s new twins Two models sharing a brand-new parallel twin – and all developed in Leicestershire MEET ROYAL ENFIELD’S new multi-cylinder machines: the traditional Interceptor and the café-racer Continental GT. What separates them from the rest of the firm’s range is that they’re powered by a completely new 648cc parallel twin, which hopes to expand Enfield’s retro charm to a wider audience. The motor is air-cooled, uses a single overhead cam, produces 47bhp and has a 270° crank to give the same sound and feel as a 90° V-twin. It drives through a new six-speed gearbox and a slip/assist clutch, which claims a light lever action, “notch-free” shifts and no wheel hopping on rushed downchanges. The chassis has been developed in partnership with Harris Performance, the legendary British racing, tuning and…

JONATHAN REA Not just a good month but a good year overall for Kawasaki’s most-successful World Superbikes racer. After taking a third consecutive world title, he was awarded an MBE for services to motorcycle racing in the summer. He made it to Buckingham Palace to collect his award, presented by fellow motorcyclist Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge. MOTORCYCLE LIVE A mostly dry nine days saw more than 107,000 visitors head to the NEC in Birmingham for the annual Motorcycle Live show. There were more than 40 manufacturers showing their 2018 bikes — including several that were launched at the show (left). RiDE spent several days prowling the halls and there was a great atmosphere especially around some of the new models with plenty of first-time visitors and new riders as well. Bad month…

ADVENTURE Bridgestone A41 Road-going adventure tyre replacing Bridgestone’s A40. Bridgestone says the A41 has better wet grip than the A40, thanks to a larger contact patch and more water-displacing grooves on the tyres’ shoulders, without any loss in mileage. Available from January 2018 in the usual large-capacity adventure sizes. Dunlop TrailSmart Max Dunlop’s TrailSmart is being replaced in the most popular sizes with this TrailSmart Max. Key improvement is not grip but life. Dunlop says the Max’s front lasts 64% longer and the rear 15% longer than the TrailSmart. Construction is new on both, the front has a new profile and the rear uses a harder centre compound. SPORTS TOURING Bridgestone T31 The T31 tyre takes over from Bridgestone’s T30 Evo. More flexible rubber compound on the T31’s front claims to give more confidence in the cold…

“It’s a big bike – a great fit for a tall rider like me” BMW R1200GS RALLYE £12,945-£16,450 • 1170cc boxer twin • 125bhp • 860mm seat • 244kg • 20L tank KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE R £14,499 • 1301cc V-twin • 158bhp • 890mm seat • 217kg • 23L tank IT’S COLD UP here. The sun is shining strongly in a perfect, clear blue sky, the grass is green and somewhere out of sight, there’s a marmot yipping. There are two other colours in this scene: the grey-brown of the trail up the Col du Parpaillon… and the white of the snow that’s blocking our path. That’s a bit of a problem, not least because one aim of this trip is to see how the new, off-road-focused BMW R1200GS Rallye and KTM 1290 Super Adventure…