RiDE October 2015의 목차

HIGHLIGHT OF THE issue for me? It’s a small thing, but I really liked one of the letters you’ll find on page 112, where a reader takes us to task for downplaying the relevance of vented textile jackets. He points out that if used wisely, as part of a layering system, they can actually be brilliant, allowing you to regulate your temperature while staying protected. It makes my day when I hear from readers who understand precisely what we’re trying to do: identify the bikes, kit, techniques and roads that can help us all get more from motorcycling. I like to think we do a good amount of that in this month’s mag. Enjoy the issue.…

STAR PICTURE Brecon Beacons My partner Shirley with her Yamaha Fazer8, and my Triumph Tiger 800 XRx on its first big trip. This is the B4560 over the Brecon Beacons, during a four-day tour through Wales. Good weather and fantastic roads – Pete Griffiths Aberdeen My BMW R1200S at Aberdeen beach after a long run north and back. One of the best bikes that I’ve owned, definitely a keeper – Joseph Croall Austria On a trip across Europe some friends and I from Thames Vale Advanced Motorcyclists encountered some rain – the picture shows my BMW K1200S on the very wet Silvretta Pass. This was our first ride out of See, Austria, where we had been stuck due to landslides at both ends of the village closing the road. Our…

I’m still struggling to split the KTM and BMW, even after all the miles – 3000 of them including our time on the bikes in the UK. I swing back and forth between them. Similar prices, similar abilities – the KTM has a fractional advantage in performance, but the GS has a fractional advantage in ease of use. It still feels like a dead heat. We fill up in Portsmouth and, as Weeble heads off on the BMW, I stop to call home. A chap comes over from his car and nods at the KTM. “Had it long? What’s it like?” he asks. And as I tell him, I realise that I can finally split the two machines: the 1290 Super Adventure is brilliant. Especially if you’re a sporty rider,…

At £160 a day, renting a GS isn’t what you’d call a snip. However, that day rate drops the longer the rental period: three days’ hire is £435, and a week is £980. Insurance cover is included, though there’s an excess of £1000 should you alter the physical condition of the GS significantly. The financial consequences of very light damage can be negotiated on a case-by-case basis. ORS would also like to know if you intend to exceed 300 miles a day, simply to prepare your GS accordingly. Clothing hire isn’t on offer. The £40 charge for the panniers (if you want them) might strike you as a bit stiff, but it’s a fixed cost regardless of whether you hire a GS for a day or two weeks. Buying and…

“I’m going to...” COLIN OVERLAND European Bike Week in Austria has such a good atmosphere and so much to see that it’s worth going again and again. ONE MONTH AHEAD... Festival of Motorcycling August 22–September 4, Isle of Man The Manx Grand Prix, Classic TT, VMCC Manx Rally and a couple of trials gang up to make a persuasive case for visiting Mona’s Isle outside of TT time. www.iomfom.com MotoGP British Grand Prix August 27-30, Silverstone Always good racing, lots of Brits doing well, and the Day of Champions on the Thursday (www.riders.org) is a fun fundraiser too. www.silverstone.co.uk Eurojumble September 4-5, Netley Marsh Massive autojumble in Hampshire is a fascinating insight into other people’s manias, and a chance to pursue the parts or tools that will help you get…

QWe’re planning a trip to the Alps. It’s our first trip to Europe and we’re not sure how far we should plan to ride in a day. What do you suggest? A It may be easier to think in terms of time rather than distance. How long are you prepared to spend in the saddle each day? If you use Garmin BaseCamp or Google Maps to plan your routes, those will give you riding-time estimates. For a relaxed holiday - especially if you’re riding with pillions - we’d plan for six hours of riding a day: that’ll be a comfortable eight hours (or more) by the time you’ve had a couple of coffee stops, paused to take pictures, had lunch and refuelled the bikes. If you’re riding solo, plan for…

Z250SL Styled along the same lines as the Z800 and Z1000, the Z250SL is tiny but still a lot of fun. Next month we ride the similar looking Z300 naked twin. Ninja 250SL It has Kawasaki’s sportsbike family look, but is the same as the Z250 except for fairing, handlebars, seat and the less spangly paintwork. TINY. THE NEW naked 250 single from Kawasaki is a tiny bike. Smaller, by my tape measure, than the Yamaha MT-125, which it in some ways resembles. It’s small but it’s a proper bike that responds well to being ridden properly. Experienced riders will notice the shortcomings – poor damping, flighty handling – but will still be able to enjoy the simple pleasures of a light, agile bike with a pleasingly frisky engine. The…

2002-2004 Honda VFR800 When a firm doesn’t change a bike for over a decade, you have to assume they’re happy with it. The V4 engine is a pleasure when you’re taking it easy, but if you crank up the revs the VTEC system adds a kick. Servicing can be fiddly though. Spec: 782cc 90¡ V4, 110bhp, 59lb.ft, 150mph, 249kg Expect to pay: £2500-£3250 2002-2004 Triumph Sprint ST A revelation back in the day: suddenly, buying British wasn’t a patriotic chore. Simply, the Sprint is a real rival to the VFR. The motor is the centrepiece, with enormous strength everywhere, in a beefy-yet-nimble sport-touring chassis. Spec: 955cc inline triple, 118bhp, 78lb.ft, 150mph, 250kg Expect to pay: £2650-£3300 1999-2004 Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird It’s in the nature of biking that time turns…

WHAT IS IT? A whacking great 1199cc parallel twin motor, with shaft drive, in a tubular steel backbone frame, with spoked wheels (for tubeless tyres). The engine was completely new for the 2010 Super Ténéré - as well as being slim, it keeps its weight low in the bike for better low speed handling. WHAT TO PAY £6500-£7500 Ought to find you a selection of clean 2010 or 2011 bikes with low-to-average miles, probably without much in the way of accessories. £9000-£10,000 Loads of low-mileage later models with extras and luggage, or a wide choice of discounted pre-reg 2014 models with showroom miles. AT ITS 2010 launch the all-new XT1200Z was initially welcomed as a worthy alternative for BMW’s ubiquitous R1200GS. Then it was lambasted for being too heavy, too…

OWNERS ARE MOSTLY experienced (20+ years riding on a variety of bikes), mature (most are in their late 40s or 50s), and confident enough not to be bothered by whether their bike is fashionable or not. David Thomas has put 14,000 commuting and touring miles on his 2012 Super Ténéré, and his verdict is typical: “The more you ride it the better the engine gets, though it can be made better with a few mods. It’s a wonderful distance bike, comfortable around town, and it handles surprisingly well. My pillion loves it even over serious distance and the bike barely notices when it’s two-up. It’s been ultra-reliable. Oh, and it’s not a BMW.” Simon Kenward also likes the fact you don’t see one on every street corner: “I’m always attracted…

2010 XT1200Z New adventure bike with 1200cc twin. Luggage, bash plate and First Edition sticker all standard. £6000-£7000 2011-2013 XT1200Z Same as the original model, but luggage and bashplate now optional extras. £6750-£8500 2014-current XT1200Z Slightly more power (new pistons and cams), no lower gear restrictions, quieter clutch, new all-LCD dash and integrated heated grips. £8000-£11,000 2014-current XT1200ZE All the above upgrades, plus electronically adjusted suspension and cruise control. £10,500-£12,800 2010-current XT1200Z Worldcrosser Just a dealer-supplied kit with carbon bits, anodised chassis protectors and a sticker kit.…

Vango Swift 10 £32.50 www.vango.co.uk This 10-litre rucksack, with a built-in two-litre bladder, weighs just half a kilo. Once full of fluid there isn’t much space left for storage, but there’s a handy zipped pouch on each hip belt for loose coins or toll road tickets. If you want a simple, straightforward hydration pack, it’s a solid start. CamelBak Classic £44.99 www.shop.camelbak.com This is the updated model of that used by Ewan and Charley in their Long Way Down and Round trips. It features a two-litre bladder with a small pocket on the base. The bladder and filling mechanism is well thought through and easy to use. Once filled, the pack easily slips beneath clothing. Givi EA111 Hydration Pack £41.72 www.givi.co.uk This hydration pack from Givi holds two litres of…

MODERN PROTECTION The name and style might both be Retro, but CE armour in the shoulders and elbows means that this Segura jacket is no flimsy fashion piece. PERSONAL TOUCH Made from quality full-grain leather, it comes in four colours – red, tan, dark brown and black – all available in sizes from S to 4XL. Segura Retro jacket £349.99 www.tranam.co.uk I REALLY LOVE this jacket. I’ve always lamented losing my original Wolf jacket from when I was 17 years old, and having not found a keeper from RiDE’s retro jacket test last year I was so pleased to find this from Segura. It feels beautiful quality and is as good off the bike as on. You can choose from brown, tan, red or black full-grain leather. There are five…

If you want a place in the pit garages, aim to get to the circuit around 7-7.30am – space is tight and it can be quite a squeeze. When you arrive, sign on and complete an indemnity form. The organisers will need to see your driving licence – don’t forget it. Take your bike for noise testing, otherwise you won’t be allowed on track. Make sure you wear your crash helmet to the test area. At around 8.30am there will be a safety briefing which you must attend. This tells you what to do and, crucially, what not to do. The first time you ride on track will be following an instructor for a few laps, so you can get an idea where the circuit goes. Most trackdays have three…

SCHOOL’S OUT FOR summer – and I started by taking my son Josh on a camping trip. It’s a bit of a treat for him, as a reward for passing his Grade 5 drumming exam, but it’s also a test for the Tracer. I haven’t done an extended two-up trip on the bike yet and it’s an important hurdle for any all-rounder to clear with confidence. The first challenge is carrying the camping gear. The solution is Yamaha’s accessory luggage rack (£89.99). Fitting is so easy, a 13-year-old can do it – or half of it, under supervision – in 10 minutes. Plenty of space for the rollbag that carries the tent, air bed and cooking gear. It has loads of attachment points: I secure it with Rok Straps and…

I think many British riders are missing a trick by ignoring mesh jackets - they work great with a bit of layering (as you normally recommend). I use a mesh jacket from spring to late summer. On the way to work I put a Regatta softshell body warmer on underneath my jacket. This is wind-resistant and thinner than most jumpers, so adds little bulk but does a great job of keeping my core warm. On the way home, if it has warmed up I just put the body warmer in my small tankbag, or strap it to the back seat and enjoy a comfortable ride home. The same is true on longer rides out, especially if you’re leaving early or likely to be back later when it has started to…

Matt Hull technical editor The world has changed since the first Ducati Multistrada 1200 blew my socks off five years ago, so it’s fascinating to see how the latest very hi-tech version fares in our full UK road test. PAGE 48 Simon Weir deputy editor Style-led gear is not usually my sort of thing at all, but the high temperatures on my recent week in Portugal have made me curious about the short boots tested in our Summer Kit Special. PAGE 72 Kev Raymond features writer I’ve put in a good few miles on the Yamaha Super Ténéré and always thought it a shame it wasn’t more popular. So, now that used prices have come down, the time is right to assess it afresh. PAGE 58…

BLACK MOUNTAIN SOUTH WALES IF A PICTURE’S worth a thousand words, time to stop typing: everything you need to know about the A4069 is in this picture. The Black Mountain road in South Wales has brilliant corners, huge views and (mostly) a decent surface – usually with little traffic – though there are often sheep grazing beside the road. It’s not the only great road in the area by any stretch. The Brecon Beacons is absolutely crammed with outstanding riding. Most of the great roads are a reasonable length, crossing the mountains of South Wales, linking the rural hinterland with the bustling valleys further south. But as good as the other roads are, a sunny day on the Black Mountain is hard to beat. HOW TO GET THERE: From the…

On a big trip, conditions change quickly. In the UK, temperatures were in the mid-teens, with gentle drizzle. Through northern France the mercury dropped further as we hit heavy rain. But by lunchtime the next day the Honda’s dash shows 36° and I’m drinking half a litre of water at every stop. A decade or so ago you’d have struggled to find a tyre that could make a decent fist of handling all these extremes. Not any more though. The Avon Storm 3Ds we fitted coped impressively with our 2000-mile trip. Stacks of confidence and feel when leaving a cool, damp London; good ride and stability on the motorway; and fuss-free on the mountain roads around Paul Ricard and Nice. Even on the hottest asphalt, the Storms didn’t flinch at…

ONE-TOUCH WONDER Quick-release fitting on the base of the tankbags, all operated by one push of the red lever. PRACTICAL PREMIUM New quick-release bases cost between £10 and £20 more than the magnetic or strap-on versions of the same tankbags. Oxford Quick Release tankbags £79.99-£119.99 When we last tested magnetic tankbags, we were very impressed with the quality and attention to detail across Oxford’s range. Now they’ve added a quick-release option to many of the bags. This consists of a metal ring to be bolted around the filler cap of the bike, and a mechanical lock set into a rigid-formed base on the bag. Fitting it is easy. Attaching the bag is even easier. Locate the front of the bag on the ring, then click it down to lock it…

CONTROLS The 2015 Multistrada uses all-new switchgear, which feels similar to that on modern BMWs but looks totally different. It’s also gently backlit to reduce night-time fumbling. CORNERING LIGHTS All-LED headlight contains extra lights in the unit’s corners, triggered by lean-angle information, giving better vision through turns at night. SUSPENSION Semi-active suspension is standard. Riding modes change damping targets at both ends, alters rear preload, and everything can be tailored by the rider. Front preload is adjusted manually. BRAKES Same front calipers as the Panigale. Cornering ABS is standard, with three settings, or can be turned off. Brakes have a linked effect from front to back, but not back to front. ENGINE 1198cc 90° V-twin with new variable valve timing (DVT). Oil pressure rotates cams, changing intake and exhaust timing…

Dan Miles from DMP Motorcycles in Surrey trained as a Honda technician on Blackbirds and VFRs, and also owned a Sprint ST. Here’s what he reckons: ÒI love the Blackbird and VFR - they’re probably two of the best Hondas of that era. The Blackbird can get a bit noisy sometimes - they have balance shafts, which should be adjusted, but no one ever bothers. ÒBoth the VFR and Blackbird suffer from corrosion behind the plastic, especially header pipes and collector boxes. The VFR is harder to work on, and the 16,000-mile VTEC valve service is a big job - about eight hours’ labour. ÒI actually think the Triumph Sprint beats the Hondas on build quality. It’s much nicer to work on than the VFR800 as well, it’s a mechanic-friendly…

Like any big adventure bike, you feel that you own the road - sat up tall, with a commanding view, looking down on other traffic. It’s heavy, especially at a standstill with a full fuel load. Even experienced riders can get caught out and find themselves with a quarter of a tonne of metal and splintered plastic to pick up. But get moving and that weight falls away to leave you with an impression of great balance, outstanding stability and all-day comfort. Riders who’ve partaken of too many pies and/or who travel two-up and loaded will want to raise the rear preload for better ground clearance, and sportier riders looking for sharper steering might want to lower the front, but there’s plenty of adjustment. The slightly stiff front end argues…

Metzeler Tourance £174 a pair One of the OE fitments and owners are happy to stick with them. Hard-wearing (around 7000-8000 miles from a rear), good grip and cheap. Rears square off in the end, though. www.metzeler.com Michelin Pilot Road 4 Trail £209 a pair Not the hardest-wearing (you should get 7000 miles from a set though) but outstanding grip in cold and wet. Some reckon a Trail front with a standard PR4 rear gives better mileage. www.michelin.co.uk Continental TKC80 £196 a pair Not much cop for road use, but popular for those who like a bit of the rough stuff (or just want the full adventure look). Another popular off-road option is the Heidenau K60 Scout. www.conti-bike.co.uk Prices are mail order. Add £6 per pair for p+p. Source SMD…

Service schedule A simple schedule based on 6000-mile intervals, with only slightly more work (oil filter and spark plugs) at the 12k mark - most owners change the filter with every 6k oil change anyway. Dealer charges are around £200-£250 for a 6k service, and £250-£350 at 12k. Valve clearances are every 24,000 miles and the air filter is changed at the same time. New brake fluid every two years, coolant every three, and brake hoses every four. Steering and suspension pivots should be regreased at 30,000 miles but don’t leave it that long. Access for home servicing’s not bad: the tank pivots out of the way and, with only two cylinders, valve clearances and throttle balancing are easier than on some bikes. New and used parts prices Genuine Yamaha…

1 TROUSER FLARE One-piece or two, there needs to be enough slack in a rainsuit’s trouser legs to slip them on easily over a boot. All suits here used a zip, Velcro, or both to secure the flare. 2 POCKETS Accessible pockets on an oversuit remove the need to undo your inner layer, at a petrol station for instance, with the accompanying risk of rain getting in. But pockets, if provided, need to be waterproof. 3 COLLAR A snug collar is a must if you’re to avoid water running down your neck. Many here feature a Velcro strap, with a soft lining on the inside of the collar. Some of the jackets have hoods, which can be worn under the helmet to stop water getting down the neck. 4 CUFFS…

VENTED PALM When it’s warm, put your hand in the Breezy side of the dual-chamber glove and these perforations keep things cool. KNUCKLE ARMOUR With proper protection, they not only keep you dry when it’s wet and cool when it’s warm, but safe at all times too. FOR THE PAST three years, I’ve worn these Held Touring Star gloves almost constantly from March to November. From the far north of Scotland to Sicily and southern Spain, they’ve coped with extremes of heat and rain. They’re simply the most comfortable, versatile, practical gloves I’ve ever used. These instantly became my default gloves for touring and commuting as they can cope with any weather thanks to the cunning dual-pocket design. Turn them over and there’s a vented leather palm: this is the…

AFTER CONTEMPLATING THE to-do list on the CBR from last month, I’ve decided to ignore all of it and have some fun instead. If you’re not careful you can keep on tinkering and lose sight of the whole reason you started a project. So thoughts of future improvements temporarily shelved, I’ve focused on getting the damn thing working. New braided fuel lines to prevent kinking, check and double check all nuts, bolts and fixings, and anything that needed a torque wrench was checked and marked with Tipp-Ex. I’ve never been happy with the way the seat fixes on, so I made a plate from some carbon/honeycomb offcuts to raise it, and some new fixings under the seat foam have made it all feel a lot more secure. With a fully…

WE’RE SITTING DOWN to enjoy some summer sunshine and a spot of lunch in the garden of a pub a few miles outside Belfast. Aimee Fuller is short and softly spoken (usually), but with her peroxide-factory-explosion hair and bright orange KTM clobber she’s unmistakable if you follow snowboarding – the sport at which she represented Great Britain at the last Winter Olympics – or if you saw her a year ago in RiDE. The only empty table is next to a couple who, it quickly transpires, know exactly who Aimee is. Paul and Ruth are RiDE readers. They’ll be heading off to Germany in a few days on their BMW R1200RT, and although Ruth is happy enough on the pillion she’s also started to learn to ride herself – inspired…

Duncan Glennie Age: 65 Bike: Triumph Tiger 800 Typical riding: Touring “After 1400 miles on the TrailRiders, I’m extremely pleased so far. I definitely have a lot more feel and feedback from the road surface through them than with the Distanzias. The old tyres felt soft and squidgy, especially at the rear end. The TrailRiders feel a lot firmer, in a good way. “The ride quality isn’t any harsher, they just feel a better tyre. At times I wasn’t too sure whether the Distanzias were gripping or not, but the TrailRiders don’t feel like they’ll ever let go. I’d say the TrailRiders the best tyres I’ve ever had on my Tiger 800. I prefer them over both the Continentals and the Pirellis that I’d fitted before. I’ve ridden on the…

QI’ve spent years trying to find the combination of helmet, visor and anti-mist treatment that will stop my view getting fogged up. I’ve had very little success with the anti-mist but, as a by-product of this search I’ve found a really good visor cleaner. Plexus is apparently very well known in aviation circles, but it was new to me. I’ve found it to be highly effective, but I’m slightly worried because it’s not something that I’ve heard being recommended for motorcycle visors. Is it safe to use? A We hadn’t heard of it either, but we went on Amazon and bought some. You’re right - it works a treat. Very easy to apply, and highly effective. The only obvious problem is the price - the best deal currently seems to…

The Complete Book of Classic and Modern Triumph Motorcycles Author: Ian Falloon Price: £35 www.motorbooks.com This is a substantial 260-page hardback packed with photos and spec of pretty much everything Triumph have done in the last 80 years. The prolific Falloon’s latest volume focuses on the production road bikes but also touches on racing, customising and some of the more notable customers, not least Bob Dylan and Steve McQueen. Although most of the photos are functional at best, there are some wonderfully evocative period adverts. There’s much pleasure to be had from browsing through, deciding which Bonneville you’d have in your dream garage, and wondering how the dickens the amazing X75 Hurricane ever got the go-ahead. Conversely, you find yourself screaming down the Time Tunnel at the Brylcreemed and tweed-suited…

ROYAL ENFIELD’S FUTURE Middleweight champions of the world DOING WHAT THEY’VE done for decades has served Royal Enfield well. They’re one of the world’s most successful automotive companies, and by the end of the year will be making 50,000 bikes a month – up from 50,000 a year in 2010. But there are new models on the way. Speaking to RiDE, president Rudy Singh and chief exec Siddhartha Lal told us the new bikes will be in the same spirit as their current air-cooled singles, but employing whatever new technology is required to meet performance and environmental requirements. They won’t be extreme or ultra-modern, nor will they be intimidating. That’s important for middleweight advocates Enfield, who see a huge opportunity in emerging markets for converting riders currently commuting on 125s…

A BRIDGE NOT TOO FAR The Millau Viaduct is less than 600 miles from Calais. No quick dash away, but hardly an odyssey given your reward is the tallest bridge in the world. FORTH RAIL AND ROAD BRIDGES EDINBURGH THREE FOR the price of one, as the Scots are building another brain-fryingly large bridge across the River Forth. The rail bridge (pictured below) is a superb piece of Victorian engineering that has just earned World Heritage status. The current road bridge is less exotic, but it gives the best view of the rail bridge. BEST ROADS TO GET THERE... Surrounded by motorways and dual carriageways. North of the river it all smooths out and gets prettier. WHILE YOU’RE THERE… Speyside has a choice of single-malt whisky tours. Or down to…

To a casual observer, endurance racing probably looks much like any other type of bike competition. Man on bike goes very fast round a track, first one to the chequered flag gets the trophy and the champers. Bosh. But dig a little deeper and the differences are more profound. For a start, there are three riders sharing the riding duties over the length of the race (mostly 24 hours, but some rounds are eight). The bikes have to make pitstops for fuel, tyres, brakes and sometimes crash damage. The length of the race means it’s worth persevering, hence the sight of riders frantically pushing crashed or broken-down bikes back to the pits in order to get back out there again. The series has waxed and waned in popularity over the…

Start: Santander Finish: Santander Distance: 1750 miles Time: Eight days Get off the ferry in northern Spain, head for Portugal, spend four days there, turn round and head home. Easy… Eight days to cover all of Portugal. Should be easy - unless (a) you’re stopping to take pictures all the time and (b) it’s over 35°C every day… We did 1750 miles over there. We had only one day with rain - naturally, the first day. After that, the weather improved. We used Spanish motorways to save time, but didn’t use any motorways in Portugal. Partly because we wanted to explore more of the roads, but mostly because the electronic tolling system for Portuguese motorways was so user-unfriendly and we weren’t prepared to risk a large fine for failing to…

1 MILEAGE These beasties are made for putting on the miles, so don’t be put off by a high-mileage example, so long as it’s been well looked after. Make sure the price is reflected in the odometer, however. 2 RESIDUAL VALUE BMWs and Hondas tend to hold their money well, so bear that in mind when looking around. It could be worth spending a little more if that means you’ll buy a bike that loses less in the long run. 3 TYRES As ever, look for matched pairs of recent tyres (check the date code stamped into every sidewall) in undamaged condition, or you’ll have to factor in the cost of replacements. Also, bear in mind what you’ll be looking to do on the bike. If you’ll be doing more…

On the early bikes, not a lot to be honest. A frame, engine, wheels and Dakar-inspired bodywork, with decent suspension. No bells, no whistles. On the electronics side you get a ride-by-wire throttle, with basic (but effective) traction control, two riding modes (Sport and Touring), non-switchable ABS, and a linked brake system that’s so unobtrusive you probably wouldn’t notice it was there if we hadn’t told you. Most of the first batch came with luggage and a bash plate, but by 2011 you just got the basic bike - anything else was an optional extra. There weren’t many of those either - an Akrapovic silencer, a lower seat, engine bars, spotlights and a few other bits, but nothing like the range of extras offered to tempt BMW buyers. And that’s…

2012-2015 Kawasaki ZZR1400 £6500-£10,000 207bhp 186mph 268kg 1441cc inline four If you’re getting a hyper-sports-tourer, don’t settle for half measures. The Kawasaki ZZR1400 is the clear class kingpin, its stroked 1441cc engine propelling a genuine 193bhp to the rear wheel. Adjectives fail to do the force with which it accelerates any justice, so blunt facts will have to do. It can get from 0 to 150mph faster than the space shuttle launching. The engine makes 20 per cent more torque than Kawasaki’s supercharged H2. And it has 20 per cent more power than a K1300S. But what’s really special is how it takes all of that brain-warping potential and makes it just-passed-your-test friendly. The fuelling is beautiful, the motor rich and smooth (unlike the gravelly, lean-running K). The ZZR makes…

Even the best-organised traveller can run out of bottled water. You can purify any water you have access to in three ways: By boiling it for four minutes By sterilising it with chemicals like chlorine, iodine or silver By filtration Water purification tablets (or liquids) are cheap and effective, the only drawback being an unpleasant taste. You also need to wait from 10 minutes to two hours. And they don’t remove impurities from dirty water, so pass visibly dirty water through a filter before drinking it. Manual filter pumps are a quick solution, purifying and sterilising dirty water at up to half a litre a minute. In most cases, tablets added to water pre-cleaned with a filter bag will do fine.…

1 HEIGHT Short boots can leave your shins vulnerable to flying debris, and can feel insubstantial. Try several pairs. 2 STRENGTH You’ll need gearshift reinforcement to save your toes and enough strength to save your feet - and the boots themselves - from the rigours of non-bike use. 3 GRIP Make sure the material and shape of the soles suits your bike’s footrests. 4 COMFORT Short boots can dig in to your ankles or calves in a way taller boots won’t. 5 WATERPROOFING Some are, some aren’t. But even those that are will eventually let water in at the top as it runs down your jeans.…