Inhoudsopgave van January 2021 - RiDE

‘The latest retros give the best of both worlds’ As motorcyclists, we seem to love harking back to the past. However, if we remove our rose-tinted visors, it’s easy to see that the bikes aren’t anywhere near as good as today’s. But with the latest crop of retros, we can have the best of both worlds. As I write this, I’ve just come back from a couple of wonderful days riding Triumph’s Thruxton RS and Royal Enfield’s Interceptor 650. Both designed and developed in the UK, there’s a huge price gulf between them. However, both share the flies-in-your- teeth, wind-in-your-hair thrills of yesteryear but combined with dependability, modern finish levels and in the Triumph’s case, pretty damn-high performance. A mate of mine called them Britain’s coolest bikes and I reckon…

Peak District I have been reading your magazine ever since discovering the joys of life on two wheels two years ago. A friend of mine introduced me to the idea of riding green lanes and yesterday, I decided to give it a try. Here’s a picture of my highly capable 2018 Triumph Tiger 800 XCA getting her feet dirty. I had a blast and am keen to find more local trails to ride. Despite keeping the bike upright on the dirt, my only battle scar came from it sliding off the side stand when I eventually got back on tarmac. Doh! To finish off the day, I watched the sun set at the top of the Cat and Fiddle before a 15-minute ride home. Sam Dawson Get your bike in…

BMW HAS UNVEILED its most technologically-advanced models yet. One of the most interesting bits of tech is the new adaptive cornering lights fitted to the GS, GSA and RT. Unlike other models, where additional side-mounted LEDs illuminate, on the new BMWs the headlight reflector swivels to cast the beam into the oncoming corner. The Germans have also upped the level of safety electronics as standard too, with all the bikes now coming with dynamic traction control and ABS Pro from the factory, as well as Hill-Start Control (HSC). After purchase, you can also add Pro riding modes plus HSC Pro, which accesses the IMU for smoother takeoffs. There’s additional comfort to be found elsewhere on the GS, including heated rider and passenger seats (something people have been asking after for years)…

IT WON’T HAVE escaped your notice that sportsbikes are getting ever-more track focussed, cramped and expensive. As each year passes, they become less relevant as usable road bikes. Some manufactures have tried to help with some real-world sportiness. There’s the Kawasaki Ninja 650, Honda CBR650R and Ducati Supersport but, if you’ve always loved the thrill, looks and tech that only a race rep can offer, they’re too wishy washy. Aprilia has the answer. The new RS660 is a performance bike that handles like a mini RSV4 and has superbike-spec tyres, suspension and brakes. It’s a looker and comes with the latest electronic wizardry, from rider aids to cornering LEDs. So far, so sportsbike but it’s also made to be ridden on normal roads by normal riders. So, its new 99bhp,…

Best for Quiet Scotland, amazing scenery, peace and bloody quiet Length 160 miles Route Dumfries to Dumfries via Dalbeattie, Kirkcudbright, Gatehouse of Fleet, New Galloway, Newton Stewart, Straiton, New Galloway again Roads A711, A755, A75, B727, Laurieston Road, A762, A712, A714, Galloway Forest Road, B741, A713, A712, A75 Love it because It’s a convenient, compact weekend trip into a remote and beautiful part of Scotland without having to slog all the way north to the Highlands. Take a picture at Night, from the top of the Forest Park - there’s no ambient light whatsoever, so it’s a great spot for wild camping, shooting-star trails, and some nocturnal hanky panky. Stop for a cuppa at The Belfry, Kirkcudbright (pronounced Kuh-coo-brit, I think). TOP TIP If you’re feeling adventurous, try the Raider’s…

‘As soon as I saw my twin brother’s, I ordered mine!’ “Having ridden all sorts of bikes since 1975, my Interceptor is probably the most laid back of them all. I wouldn’t go touring around Europe on it but if the sun is shining and I have an afternoon, then a bimble in the countryside on this docile wee twin fits the bill perfectly. That beautiful-sounding engine (well done on the firing order, RE) coupled with probably the smoothest gearbox of any bike I’ve had is the perfect recipe to soothe your soul. The price was excellent (I sold my Tiger 1200 and bought both this and a VFR800 with the proceeds), the build quality is adequate and the handling and the performance in general exceed expectations. As I get…

46% LESS THAN A THRUXTON RS 2017 Ducati Scrambler Cafe Racer > 73bhp > 50lb-ft > 188kg wet With a £7000 budget, you’ll easily find a low-mileage Scrambler Cafe Racer and although some may discount the SCR because of its modest power output, they handle brilliantly, are far more comfortable than they look and that air-cooled V-Twin gives all the best parts of the Ducati experience with very few of the downsides. With its bespoke suspension set-up and great details, it’s the best in the Scrambler range, we reckon. Better than the RS… Lightness of handling – the Scrambler feels featherweight when you’re on the move and is really easy to dominate, which makes it one of the best B-road bikes around. Worse than the RS… You need to work…

WHY DO I leave everything to the last minute? The week before our Zero SR/F is due to go back, I finally decide to see how far it’ll go in a day. In the past three months, I’ve done a handful of three-figure days, with a best of 200 miles. But for its final month with us, this SR/F has been upgraded with Zero’s accessory 12kW rapid charger (see box-out), promising one-hour refills. Time to see what difference it makes. 9.14am 0 miles Later than I wanted (everything at the last minute) but at least the bike’s ready. One joy of electric bikes is that you always leave home with a full tank. It’s like having a petrol tap in your garage. 10.38am 62 miles A speed-limit cruise through the…

‘This is between Loch Melfort and the east side of Loch Ness. I’ll be riding through winter and may squeeze in a few camping trips, too.’ Mike Taylor ‘Here’s my BMW R1200RT at Land’s End on a four-day, 1000-mile tour of Devon and Cornwall. I don’t own a car, so ride all-year round.’ Augusto Mota ‘I’ve raised over £7200 for Pancreatic Cancer UK after riding to 26 countries over 13,700 miles on my Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE.’ Trevor Kerr ‘Here I am above Beddgelert in Wales with my husband Kevin. It was glorious and there was hardly any traffic on the roads.’ Tracy Atkinson ‘This was taken on a recent tour of France. I was going to head to Cornwall but went abroad and plan to visit Scotland shortly,…

WE ARE LIVING in unprecedented times, where the new normal is anything but. Even riding your motorcycle is different. Covid-19 and the subsequent spring/summer lockdown changed driving habits and our usual travel or motoring routines overnight. Traffic density dropped like a stone at the start of the first lockdown (down by an average of 56% according to government figures, and over 80% in some areas) as the country was forced to stay at home. Then as restrictions eased many road users, including us bikers, took advantage of new-found freedom and flocked to beauty spots across the UK, like the Lake District, Derbyshire Peaks and Brecon Beacons - a situation intensified by foreign travel restrictions, forcing those who would otherwise holiday abroad to instead seek destinations closer to home. At face…

Triumph has whipped the covers off its finished Trident, taking aim right at Yamaha’s MT-07. Built to be an entry into the brand, Triumph says the 660cc triple will stand out in the mid-sized market amongst twins and inline fours. The engine is all new, producing 79bhp (for A2 power reduction) and comes with the sort of tech you expect on more-expensive machines, including ride-by- wire, engine modes and switchable traction control. It’s also got a TFT dash, which can be connected to a phone for playing music, taking calls and running Google maps. As well as a low headline price of £7195, Triumph has worked hard to give it long service intervals (10,000 miles) as well as making the jobs themselves quicker.…

I read with interest ‘Can bikes be the future in the post-Covid world?’ Clearly there are many advantages of riding for commuting/leisure/friendships etc. However, as a group, we are woefully behind the organisation and commitment to our chosen transport compared with cyclists, for example. Motorcycles are part of the solution to congestion, pollution, infrastructure requirements compared with cars and other forms of transport. So where are we going wrong? Well, when did we last write to our MP telling them how good a bike is as part of a solution? When did you last ask for motorcycle lanes, covered motorcycle parking (even the worst £50 push-bike benefits from this), lockers at work for your helmet and potentially wet gear in the winter, road tax concessions etc? You get the drift.…

Half a superbike engine Aprilia’s 659cc parallel twin is essentially the front slice of its RSV4 and Tuono motor. It makes a class-leading 99bhp but is tuned for road work with a reworked cylinder and variable-length inlet trumpets. It makes 50lb·ft - 80% of it at 4000rpm and 90% at 6250rpm. A powerful new Marelli 11MP ECU controls everything from fuel maps to rider aids, cruise control and cornering lights. Dash is stunning Its colour display changes from white to black in low light, along with dipped beam. There’s a choice of Road and Track modes and the dash is also mission control for the rider aids. There are two base modes and one that lets you choose between three levels of engine power and braking, three ABS settings, eight…

THE S1000XR IS a fabulous Frankenbike, blending equal parts adventure, all-rounder and superbike - three things BMW has proven unbeatable at over the past decade. It rides high and mighty like a gangly GS; spreads itself across the sports-touring spectrum as seamlessly as an RS; and shrieks into the distance when you crack the throttle like a voracious RR. Launched in 2015, it was updated for 2017 and now, for 2020, there’s another tiny tweak with pointier headlights and some fangs sticking out the front. Or so you’d be forgiven for thinking. The latest XR is like Trigger’s broom. It actually has a new engine, a new frame, new suspension and new technology. In fact, virtually every component, from handlebars to seats to footpegs to brakes - even the brake…

THERE’S BEEN TIMES, over the last few months, where this humble sub-£6000 retro has been Britain’s best-selling bike. Back in June, in the chaos and confusion of a global pandemic, more Interceptors were sold in the UK than base-model BMW GSs and even as things returned to normal, its popularity continued. In September, the 195 Interceptors sold beat Yamaha’s Tenere 700, Kawasaki’s Ninja 1000 SX and any sportsbike. Royal Enfield sold 1278 Interceptors last year, to riders from existing after a second bike, to new licenceholders. So how has an Indian-built air-cooled SOHC parallel twin won the hearts of so many riders? Its main rival costs 42% more There is no getting away from the fact that the Enfield is basic. The engine is air-cooled, the wheels spoked, it has…

THIS IS PERFECT motorcycling. It’s the last mild day of 2020 and the Thruxton RS and I are making the most of it, flicking between the twists and darting between the light and shadows on my favourite autumnal B-road. Below me, the Thruxton feels anything but retro - a 1200cc, fuel-injected motor thumps out gobfulls of torque, Showa Big Piston Forks and Öhlins shocks tread the line between support and ride-quality with modern-day sophistication while a set of tyres grippier and more durable than a GP bike would have had a generation ago key into the cool tarmac, telegraphing confidence, grip and agility. This is the retro-bike dream and right now, as the 60-Watt warmth of an October sun warms the B1050, I’m happy to live it. The idea of…

WE ALL NEED a little carrying capacity from time to time. Whether you’re heading away for a night or two with your mates or commuting and need some normal clothes for when you arrive at work; whatever the journey, carrying your kit with you and making sure it is secure and dry when you arrive is paramount. There are all sorts of options available to carry your gear but one of the most versatile - and useful - is the roll-bag. Designed to be chucked on the back of the bike, usually on the pillion seat if you’re riding solo, these are generally easy to use, waterproof and once you get to where you’re going, easy to whip off and head into the hotel or the office. We assembled a…

‘So many styles of roll-bags for different bikes’ THIS WAS ANOTHER difficult product test to call; if nothing else, it suggests that manufacturers are really upping their game when it comes to housing your kit safely and keeping water out. What was also interesting was to see so many different styles of roll-bags available, for different styles of bike. There were three bags that topped the charts and coincidentally, showed very different approaches. The Lomo roll-bag is extremely basic, with just a carry handle but it’s also exceptionally well made and kept all water out. And at just £11.50, it’s a bargain, even when you’ve bought straps to hold it on. On that basis, it is well deserving of a Recommended triangle. The Kriega US20 is very well-made and thought-out…

HONDA’S CRF250L HAS proved a hit for riders who – like the idea of heading down a muddy lane, but don’t want the hassle, aggression and ridiculous maintenance regime of a ‘proper’ off-road bike. Launched in 2012 and made in the Far East, it uses the single-cylinder four-stroke motor from the CBR250R, packing 24bhp in a steel frame with basic suspension. With its can-do attitude and keen price, we’ve been impressed – it has proved to be far more fun and capable when the going gets sticky than most adventure bikes. And it has converted two staffers into card-carrying greenlaners. Here’s what we learned… 1 It can tackle anything Dirtbike snobs will scoff but the bare essentials are there for a great bike. Its measured 146kg isn’t light by enduro…

Bike 2012 Husqvarna Nuda 900 R Total miles 95,551 Rider Keith Gilby, 60 Miles per year 16,000 “I’VE GENERALLY AVOIDED mainstream bikes and before the Husky I owned a series of supermotos, which are great fun but totally impractical and is why I ended up with the Nuda. I live in East Yorkshire but when I got a job in Essex in 2014, the 220-mile commute wasn’t possible on a supermoto. I saw the Nuda in 2011 at the bike show and loved its mad blend of a supermoto and naked bike and I also prefer twins to inline fours, so when I saw one for sale in 2014 with just 850 miles on its clocks, I snapped it up. At that point, the Nuda was seen as a failure,…

WHAT HAPPENED TO the weather? Today was forecast to be a bright and dry day but it’s anything but - it’s cold and a thin drizzle’s falling as we meet up for a much-needed coffee at the visitor centre by the Upper Derwent reservoir. “This is one of those places you’d never find if you didn’t know it was here,” says Dave, and he’s right - it’s tucked up at the end of a narrow dead-end road which runs along the eastern side of the reservoir (where the Dambusters did their practice runs). Dave’s only been riding four years, having got into bikes following the loss of his partner, Kate, in January 2016. “She always wanted us to have a Harley, so we hired an HD with a hearse sidecar…

‘I ran into a filthy, unlit road cone. Do I have a claim?’ Q I PURCHASED MY motorbike as a direct result of Covid. I am a new rider and I bought the bike to avoid crowded trains. On one of the first journeys I did after dark, I ran into a road cone. I fell off, luckily with nothing worse than some bumps and bruises but with expensive repairs to my bike which I do not want to run through my insurers. It is rideable, just not pretty. The road cone was the first one leading towards maintenance work being carried out by a water company. The cone had no reflective strips; no battery lights; and was filthy. I contacted the water company which had a sign up saying…

FANTIC HAS ADDED to its Caballero 500 range with the new Scrambler Deluxe. It costs £200 more than the standard Scrambler 500 and for that you get extra retro-ness in the shape of a browner, more comfortable seat, cross-braced Tommaselli bars, brown Domino grips and a battleship-grey paint job. That’s on top of an already impressive spec that includes machined-ally footrest hangers and yokes, spoked wheels, LED lights, Öhlins-a-like forks and Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR rubber. The 449cc single has a tweaked fuel map and re-valved forks, but the changes are subtle and make little difference to the way the Fantic rides. That’s a good thing because the Deluxe offers the same Scrambler 500 experience we’ve come to know and love since its release last year. It’s involving, crisp-handling and…

MUCH OF THE thrill of planning a bike trip is the childlike joy of opening a map, pointing to a region previously unvisited and saying; “I know, let’s go there!” - then savouring the whirlwind romance of discovering new tarmac and new scenery. These days, that usually means clicking on Google Maps to preview the roads on Streetview, which spoils the surprise somewhat - but at least we know what we’re in for… or we usually do; peering at a computer screen, at the chunk of southern Scotland lying to the west of the M74 - the Galloway half of Dumfries and Galloway, or known by local Doonhammers as Stewartry - reveals the main route around Galloway Forest Park was photographed by Google’s van in March 2009. So it’s frigid…

BEST FOR FOREST RIDING RAIDERS’ ROAD Ten miles of forest unpaved road, slippery in places and two-way with everything from family cars to 4x4s. Not the place for enduro bikes but adventure bikes ridden steadily. Price of entry Small toll forestryandland.gov.scot/visit/forest-parks/galloway-forest-park/raiders-road-forest-drive BEST FOR PEACE AND QUIET BALCARY BAY There are plenty of coves and bays along the northern Solway coast but Balcary Bay offers quiet contemplation for a while, with the Bay Hotel alongside. Hestan Island, with its smugglers’ caves, can be reached at low tide from the opposite side of the bay. Price of entry Free BEST FOR DAMS CLATTERINGSHAWS DAM The 450m hydro-electric dam was built between 1932 and 1934 and rises nearly 25m from the River Dee below. There’s no access to a footpath across it but…

In a motorcycling world that spent the whole of the last century pushing in a head-down developmental charge, little did we know that by the start of this one, bike firms would start looking backwards when developing new machines. But the results are some of the best-looking bikes of our time… SIMPLE! 1999 Kawasaki W650 › 50bhp › 195kg › £4000 now Beating Triumph’s revived Bonnie to the market, the W650 had a smooth, oil-tight motor, superior handling and wondrous quality. Fancy one? Nothing really goes wrong but watch out for ‘customised’ hipster-bikes. They’re invariably worse than standard. SEXY! 2004 Triumph Thruxton 900 › 69bhp › 205kg › £4000 now The revived Thruxton started a legacy that continues today. It used a similar chassis and air-cooled 360° parallel-twin as the…

Manufacturers are waking up to the needs of a wider (and lower) section of the biking public; for novice riders, the confidence of a low seat can make the difference between becoming a life-long rider or packing it in. Most new bikes have low-seat options but these are often just standard seats with less foam. Triumph and BMW are leading the way in offering bespoke, low-suspension versions of some models though. Triumph’s new Tiger 900 comes in a GT Low version, with 40mm lower forks and 19mm lower rear, giving a 760mm seat instead of 810mm. It opens up the Tiger to a new audience. BMW offers a similar set up on the new F900XR; an optional lowering kit takes 20mm out of the front and rear. Combined with a…

THE CLAIM “The Sidi Adventure boot really is ready for anything and any weather - whatever style of riding you throw at it. Stacked with features, this award-winning boot is designed to keep you warm, dry and most importantly, comfortable. Lined with a Gore-Tex waterproof breathable membrane, they’re designed to keep you dry all day long. Plastic protection on the heel, removable arch supports and a non-slip sole ensures that you are comfortable and safe.” THE REALITY When I slid my feet into my first adventure boots in 2012, little did I know they’d still be firm favourites eight years later. In that time, I’ve used them on and off-road from South Wales to South Africa, and have barely cared for them, rarely cleaned them and still they’ve never let…

FEW BIKES HAVE dominated their class or proved as much of a phenomenon as Triumph’s middleweight roadster. Essentially a naked version of the Daytona 675 supersports launched a year earlier, the Street Triple was an immediate hit due to an irresistible mix: grunty, characterful and fast three-cylinder engine; typically-Triumph nimble handling; new rider-friendly upright ergonomics and practicality; distinctive, ‘bug-eyed’ mini-Speed Triple styling. Best of all, it was tempting value, too. Classier than a Kawasaki Z750 or Yamaha Fazer, faster than a Ducati Monster and the most affordable all-rounder in Triumph’s range, a whopping 7500 were sold that first year. To capitalise on that success, Triumph added the R version in 2008; in 2012 the duo got a thorough makeover with distinctive but controversial fox-eye headlights and this version was replaced…