Tabla de contenidos para December 2023 en RiDE

Fancy riding this route? Listen to Shaun Best time to ride “Mostly any time, but probably best avoided during peak traffic hours and on bank holidays, when it can get really congested.” Best bit “Stonehenge – I just love the history and the sense of mystery about the place.” Be careful “Going into towns. It's easy to carry the speed from the faster surrounding roads into town without noticing you're going too fast.” Best place for a cuppa “The Red Lion in Avebury, because it's a great place to sit in the middle of the historic stone circle surrounded by great views, enjoying a drink or a good meal. Chopper's near Burbage is a good option if you're looking for an out-and-out bikers’ cafe.” Also remember “There are plenty of…

FIRST RIDE PATON S1-R THE LATEST VERSION of the S1-R celebrates 60 years of Paton (which was five years ago, bafflingly – but it's on sale this year), with a heightened spec over the S1 to be almost identical to the bikes ridden by Michael Dunlop and others to road racing wins in recent years. The engine, from a Kawasaki Z650, is treated to high-compression pistons, a Power Commander and absurdly loud SC Project titanium exhausts, legal only on race circuits that start with ‘Isle of or ‘North West’. The Paton is raw and aggressive despite the linear power curve of the commuter-derived engine. It only weighs 175kg (kerb) and the chassis has lost none of the race focus – the solid foam seat pitches you hard on to the…

The Transalp is competent off-road, with a great standing position and supple (if a little bouncy) suspension. But aside from having wheels that need inner tubes there is little getting in the way of 100% road use – it is certainly more of a road bike than something like a Ténéré 700. The off-road-inspired turning circle is fabulous. With a turning radius of 2.6m you can easily U-turn the Transalp in the road without going anywhere near the verge, which is really handy, and the seat height of 850mm feels lower as the bike is nice and narrow. It is a bit disappointing that the Transalp only gets preload adjustment front and rear as we're not totally convinced by the shock. While the ride quality is lovely and the Transalp…

BEST FOR ENVIRONMENT The Eden Project, St Austell The biggest threat we all face is climate change – and the Eden Project seeks to educate and inspire people to gain a better understanding of how all elements of the environment interconnect. Price From £33 edenproject.com BEST FOR HEAVY ARTILLERY Bovington Tank Museum, Bovington If you are remotely interested in tanks, then a visit here is a must. You'll find everything from static displays to demonstrations of the only surviving running Tiger tank. Definitely tanks for the memories (sorry). Price From £17.55 tankmuseum.org BEST FOR NOSTALGIA Dartmouth Steam Railway, Paignton The Dartmouth Steam Railway offers stunning views as it wends its way from Paignton to Kingswear, opposite Dartmouth on the River Dart. There, you can treat yourself to a ride on…

Schuberth S3 £419.99-£499.99 bikerheadz.co.uk THE CLAIM “22.06 homologation with pre-installed Pinlock 120 anti-fog lens. Optional custom fit option with various sizes of cheek pads and heads to ensure perfect fit. Developed in Schuberth's in-house wind tunnel for superior aerodynamics and aero-acoustics. Class 1 Optics means clear vision without distortion.” THE REALITY I've never got on with Schuberth helmets – I have the wrong-shaped head. So the option to tailor the fit is intriguing. This is a nice helmet – it's light, comfortable against the skin and vision is excellent. It's unbelievably quiet – one of quietest helmets I've tried. Ventilation is also exceptional – top of the head, to the visor and a separate vent direct to the face. The custom fit is a huge bonus – with the S3…

Motorex chain cle aner £11.98 THE CLAIM “Effective at cleaning all drive chains and effectively removes highly adhesive residues.” THE REALITY This does a great job of loosening and lifting dirt and old lubricant from chains, allowing you to get in with the brush to bring it up spick and span. But you need to use it again to get rid of residue – it isn't water-soluble so you can't get in with the hose before moving on to the rest of the bike. Oxford Smart fingers £14.99 www.oxfordproducts.com THE CLAIM “Affix to the fingertips of your gloves and you'll never need to remove them to use your phone.” THE REALITY We tried these on a pair of Oxford gloves (ironically) that refuse to work my iPhone – and lo…

RiDE TELLS IT LIKE IT IS Our product tests are carried out by real bikers with years of experience and on real bikes and are combined with empirical testing developed and carried out by qualified engineers. WHAT THE TRIANGLES MEAN For more than two decades, the RiDE Best Buy and Recommended triangles have stood for performance and value for money. A RiDE Best Buy award means that a product has been tested under real-world and, where appropriate, laboratory conditions to assess its performance in all relevant criteria and has excelled in its field, while offering exceptional value for money. A RiDE magazine Recommended triangle means that a product has either done an outstanding job at a higher price or a reasonable job but at a significantly lower price. So while…

AS A REGULAR snapper for RiDE, I accompanied products editor Jim Blackstock on a recent trip to France on this borrowed Pan America. Launched in 2021, the advent of an American adventure bike was always a tantalising prospect – I've always had a soft spot for Harley-Davidson and I've watched with fascination as the firm takes on what must be biking's most difficult category to get right. We covered 800 miles in all conditions. This is what we learned… 1 It sure ain't a GS Well, duh… it's a Harley. But, being an adventure-y machine, its most obvious comparison is going to be the best-selling motorcycle in the market segment. However, this isn't where the strengths of the Pan America lie. It's not trying to be a GS – and that's…

UPDATE 04 WITH WINTER APPROACHING it'll soon be time to coat the GSX-8S in a layer of XCP Rust Blocker – and to help with grip in the wet, a pair of Dunlop Mutants are ready to go on. Over the past few years they've acquired a reputation as a pretty good wet-weather tyre, as well as a pretty good dry tyre – but I've managed to not try a pair for any length of time. It'll be interesting to see how they compare in feel and grip to the SportSmart TTs currently fitted – I got them just in time to ride at Snetterton last month, and the extra grip and confidence they instantly produced over the stock RoadSmart 2s were welcome on the track. On the road the…

Exmoor, north Devon In ideal conditions, with the temperature just perfect for a full day of riding, I managed a loop of north Devon returning through Exmoor. A total of 168 miles – and would have loved to have gone further. Steve Buller Wurzen Pass, Slovenia This is me and my mate Dave Murphy on the Wurzen Pass between Slovenia and Austria. We explored the wonderful twisty roads while our other six mates spent the day around Lake Bled where we were stopping. Andy Gregory Cape Agulhas, South Africa I had a wonderful adventure riding across South Africa with my wife for her ‘30th’. Here's us at Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point in Africa on the penultimate day of our near-4000km adventure from Pretoria to Cape Town. Peter Brunsden Oresund…

‘A car pulled out on me – and the driver says I'm to blame. Can he do that?’ Q I WAS RIDING along the main road when a car emerged from a side road and into my path. Luckily, I sustained fairly minor injuries but the case has turned into a nightmare on two grounds. The first is that I didn't use my fully comprehensive insurance and used what I was told were ‘credit repairs’ – ie, my bike would be repaired by an accident management company, not by my insurer. The credit repair bill with storage and engineers’ charges looks extortionate to me, and the other guy's insurers are making a fight of that. The second issue is that the other driver has formally said in his defence that…

It's more user-friendly BMW has subtly refined the GS's switchgear, making the up-down button programmable to your most-used functions. There's also an electronic ride height adjuster that automatically reduces seat height from 850mm to 820mm when coming to a stop – great for shorter riders. Plus an optional extra electric screen. Engine upgrades make a real difference The new air/liquid-cooled 1300cc engine offers the same familiar GS character, but with extra rpm, more grunt and a meatier midrange for improved real-world performance. Outright bhp figures don't match the KTM or Ducati, but on the road – where it really matters – the R1300GS will be hard to beat. It's one step closer to crash-proof £1115 Innovation Pack comes with Headlight Pro, which incorporates cornering lights, driving lights and high beam…

Feeling shiftless There is no gear or clutch lever: ‘manual’ transmission mode uses two buttons on the switchgear (they're too small to be called paddle-shifters, and fiddly for big hands or winter gloves). It's a good system, though we'd like Sport mode to have an auto option with higher shift rpm. If there's no gear lever, we'd prefer to go all in and let the computer do the work. Honda's DCT has this function, and it works well. Not a cooking model You don't appreciate the discomfort even a small petrol engine's heat creates in traffic, until it's not there. I'm not an EV fanatic, but I found myself cutting the ICE once traffic speed dropped below 40mph. It's cooler, as well as vibe-free, and the lack of noise helps…

FIRST RIDE SUZUKI V-STROM 800 RE 1 IT'S MORE COMFORTABLE THAT THE DE The RE has unique handlebars that are lower, narrower and set further forward than the V-Strom 800DE, as well higher/more rear-set footpegs that aim to give more comfort as well as more feel for the front tyre. The spread of weight across your contact points is improved, as your knees are a little lower and more bent, with less weight directly through your spine and backside. It's still relaxed, but not compromised by the need to stand up on trails. A taller, wider screen is protective, but not noisy or buffety for my 6ft height. Vibes over 6000rpm (80mph in top) are lessened by different footpegs, but still noticeable. 2 IT INSPIRES MORE CONFIDENCE 70mm less suspension…

‘I like Transalp's road focus’ BEN MILLER Age 45 Height 6'0” Owns Ténéré 700 What's good? “I've always had a soft spot for Hondas – I have an NC30, which is beautifully intricate. But when it came to buying a middleweight adventure bike in 2020 Honda didn't have a suitable product (I quite liked the old Transalp), so I bought the Ténéré. “I love the graphics and gold wheels on the Transalp – they're reminiscent of retro Honda off‑roaders. And the engine is fantastic, not at all what I expected. The NC750 models are dull to ride, but the Transalp has bags of spirit – far more than the Yamaha. The Ténéré's motor is quite flat and I like the Honda's extra spunk as well as its sound, which is…

THE FACTS The route A 258-mile, day-and-a-half blast alongside the Cornish pirate coast, South Devon beaches and English Riviera, along the Jurassic Coast to Poole. Why it's great The roads vary from tiny, technical lanes to larger and faster, more flowing routes with everything in between. And you're rarely out of sight of the sea. When to go If you can pick a couple of bright and sunny midweek days in autumn or spring, you stand the best chance of minimising traffic. Avoid school holidays at all costs. Where to visit Dartmouth Castle guarded the entrance to the river Dart for hundreds of years. A 30-minute walk from the centre of Dartmouth, it offers excellent views, a well-placed cafe and, if you can manage the steps down, the beautiful and…

Oxford Mondial 2.0 Ladies £299.99 (jacket) £249.99 (pants) THE CLAIM “The best-selling Mondial Dry2Dry Laminate returns with improvements including CE Level 2 protectors, increased adjustability and more wearer‑friendly ease of use.” THE REALITY At 5'10” tall with a 33in inside leg, I struggle to get trousers that are long enough, so often end up wearing unisex… and they don't fit around my hips. These are female-specific and I opted for the longest leg – they are plenty long enough. Great sleeve length, too. It's waterproof even in torrential rain, and has a CE A rating and level-2 shoulder, elbow and knee armour. It's a shame that it does not include a back protector and hip armour.…

SHOEI NXR2 £539.99 www.shoeiassured.co.uk THE FACTS USED BY Matt Wildee USED FOR 18 months USED ON Sports tourers, nakeds, sportsbikes TOTAL MILES THE CLAIM “Shoei have pushed resources and technologies to the brink, utilising a state-of-the-art wind tunnel facility, an extensive array of proprietary materials and the industry's most stringent quality assurance practices.” THE REALITY I've been very impressed with Shoei's NXR2, finding it comfortable, lightweight, well-built and with excellent visibility. Over the past 18 months I've clocked 5000 miles with it in every kind of application possible – from 12-hour days on a sports tourer, to 170mph on Silverstone's Hangar Straight on a Ducati Panigale V4. In every circumstance it has performed admirably. The NXR2 was Shoei's first sports lid to apply to the new, more stringent ECE 22.06…

Stretch out fuel stops to the DL's 230-mile potential with an upgraded perch. This lovely seat has a more ergonomically pleasing shape than the standard fitment and will vastly improve the Strom's long-distance prowess. seatconcepts.com Improve an already decent year-round workhorse with this winter must-have accessory. Oxford has been making heated grips for years; they're easy to fit, robust and have a five-step heat setting. oxfordproducts.com Wider and taller than the V-Strom's standard fitment screen, the British-made Powerbronze is pre-drilled for easy fitment and there are no fewer than 14 different colours to choose from. fastbikebits.com An excellent package with the right amount of performance, handling and character to make it a stalwart of the middleweight adventure class. Although showing its age and lacking equipment compared to some rivals, it's…

FIRST RIDE SUR-RON ULTRA BEE THE SUR-RON ULTRA Bee is the newest, most powerful version of the UK's most popular electric bike, and one of few to offer a serious alternative to petrol rivals. The price is within range of the Honda CRF300L (and cheaper than the Rally, with the £500 government subsidy), offering a similarly non‑threatening, user-friendly ride on the trails with some advantages… and downsides. The 12.5kW motor (about 17bhp, but it's not really directly comparable – the 325lb·ft torque figure isn't as outlandish as it sounds in practice either) is gearless, clutchless with three modes to tailor the response to your power needs, and offers no distraction from navigating rough terrain. The chassis is easy to manage – it weighs just 85kg and has a super-slim construction…

The parallel twin has a very smooth and linear power delivery that makes it feel friendly and relaxed, even if it could do with more urge at lower revs. It's tall geared, so in top at 70mph the rev counter hovers around 4000rpm and the motor often requires dropping a gear or even two for proper progress. Happily, the engine feels good as the 270° firing order has a pleasing thump, which fans of the old V-twin will appreciate. Yet this character comes with minimal intrusive vibrations. In town the clutch is lovely and the assist and slipper clutch light, while the engine punches forward with good spirit and a fairly smooth throttle action.…

Cap'n Jaspers Sutton Harbour, Plymouth Founded in 1978, this has played host to bikers and petrolheads ever since. It's a lovely spot, looking out over the harbour – and the food is good-quality and plentiful. Can't argue with a half-yard hot dog… capn-jaspers.co.uk Breakwater Bistro Breakwater Beach, Brixham Upscale indoor dining (book ahead) or outdoor take-out dining/bar on Brixham beach. Good food, and a great place to sit and watch the sun going down. brixham-restaurant.co.uk Kapes ice-cream Esplanade, Sidmouth This ice cream and coffee hut on the seafront in Sidmouth serves up great ice cream and even better coffee, with a great selection of cakes to go with it. Perfect human refuelling. linktr.ee/kapes.uk…

Roadskin Taranis Elite jeans £179.99 roadskin.co.uk THE CLAIM “These motorcycle jeans for men, in dark indigo blue, achieve the highest possible protection rating AAA – in one cool and comfortable layer. Cut with a straight leg, the lightweight triple-stitched Taranis Elite jeans will take you anywhere you want to go.” THE REALITY These single-layer jeans are very nice. Cut on the slimmer side of straight, they stretch over boots and had plenty of room at the waist and crotch – I needed a belt (as I do with any pair of jeans, riding or not) for a good fit. But the leg length stumped me. With an inside leg of 31in, the size guide suggested Regular – this put the armour in the right place, using the lower of two…

Alpinestars Corozal Adventure £319.99 www.alpinestars.com Since these won our product test last month, I've done nearly 1000 miles in them in dry, drizzle and sustained heavy rain on motorways and A-roads, and off-road. They have proved just as comfortable as in the test and provide enough feel for a cross-country blast to be real fun. They don't get too sweaty and kept my feet dry during a solid day of drizzle in Wales. But they didn't manage to keep all the water out in a five-hour slog in torrential rain, which included an hour stood still while emergency services closed the motorway to deal with a collision. The bridge of both feet was damp – not sopping – but almost 48 hours later they were still wet on the outside,…

DECEMBER 2022 WINDPROOF LAYERS Oxford ChillOut £44.99 oxfordproducts.com RST Windblock £54.99 rst-moto.com No clear winner here. The Oxford gave the best windproofing but its breathability was compromised, while the RST had good windproofing and breathability but wasn't as comfy. JANUARY 2023 TYRE-PRESSURE GAUGES Draper 91357 £12.99 drapertools.com A great little gauge that is accurate, easy to use, has all the functions you need and is available for less than £10 if you shop around. Bargain. RECOMMENDED Laser 6055 £69.62 FEBRUARY 2023 HEATED GRIPS Ultimateaddons Premium £129.99 ultimateaddons.com Good value, simple to fit, nice to use and with a quality feel, these grips heated up very quickly and got very hot. They should work across a wide range of bikes, and their integrated controller means they're easy to use and unobtrusive.…

NEW BIKES THE SMART-MONEY TEST SPORTSBIKES AREN'T WHAT they used to be – and that's a good thing. Radical riding positions may be perfect for the track but they're not much fun on the road, especially when the load on your wrists and neck doesn't ease until you reach indecent speeds. Hypernakeds are the new sportsbikes – packing the same brain-melting performance, scalpel-sharp handling and sophisticated electronics as their race replica cousins, but without the discomfort of extreme ergonomics or acres of plastics that hide the glorious engines that make them so engaging to ride. KTM call their 1290 Super Duke R ‘The Beast’ with good reason. Powered by a 1301cc V-twin producing just shy of 180bhp – and only a smidge heavier than most 600s – this naked powerhouse…

UPDATE 05 CAN ONE BIKE do everything you want? It's the million-dollar question when it comes to motorcycling – and I have been trying to work out if there is a ten-grand answer to it. In a miracle of modern planning, the planets aligned for a massive final round-the-UK trek to help me find out. I loaded the 790's Touring luggage with anticipation – and some clothes – and hit the road. A two-hour motorway slog followed by another two hours on enjoyable, though sadly wet A-roads took me to the Sweet Lamb Motorsport Complex on the A44. Here, I spent a day at the KTM Adventure Bike Experience where off-road god Mark Molineux and his son Tom taught me the basics of how to ride on the loose. Moly…