Innehållsförteckning för October 2021 från RiDE

Welcome to the October issue of RiDE. As I write this, we’re on the cusp of a September heatwave that promises to be warmer than any day in August and it’s reminded me that as bikers, we’re sometimes a bit too keen to put our bikes away: September, October and even November can be great times to ride a bike. Personally, I plan to take full advantage of any decent weather to ride as much as I possibly can — and I implore you to do the same. In fact, winter in the Northern Hemisphere doesn’t start until December 21, so we’ve still got three more months of fun. Maybe… If you’re planning on keeping riding, our guide to making the most of autumn starts on page 30. It’s packed…

Llyn Brianne, Wales Here are some pictures taken during the Royal Navy Motorcycle Club’s (Yeovilton Branch) tour of Wales. Over 1000 miles of mainly dry and gorgeous tarmac were covered with some superb viewpoints. A few damp periods were experienced but that’s just part of visiting Wales... We try to complete an annual trip (last year we managed to tour the Pyrenees between lockdowns) but this year we returned to Wales and made the Brecons our main location. In the pictures are Rob Allen (KTM 1290 Adventure), Steve Bright (BMW R nineT), Andy Hall (BMW R1200GS), Rob Mallinson (BMW R900XR), Paul Carter (BMW S1000XR), Ady Kirk (Aprilia Tuono), John Elliot (Ducati Multistrada in red) and me, Sam Guest on my Multistrada. The picture from the viewpoint on the A498 has…

TRIUMPH TRACER 700 RIVAL TRIUMPH HAS TAKEN the world by surprise with its latest announcement: the Tiger 660 Sport – a new sports-tourer based on the Trident 660 platform and a direct rival to Yamaha’s Tracer 7. At the time of going to press, Triumph hadn’t given much away but just looking at the disguised prototype, it’s clearly the same engine. So we’d expect near-identical performance of 80bhp @ 10,250rpm, a similar frame and a subframe that looks the same but it’s likely been beefed up and lengthened a little. The biggest change is clearly the addition of a fairing and tall screen and matching them is a new tank, which has likely swelled up to 17 litres. The suspension appears to be very similar to that fitted to the…

In recent years, I have seen the price of bikes (and cars, for that matter) skyrocket. In the case of bikes, it seems to be okay for manufacturers to charge £15k here, £20k there with the justification that the bikes are fully loaded with tech. The only way that most people can afford to pay for a bike like that is on PCP but that’s not for everyone, me included. I have just part-ex’d a 12-year-old Triumph Sprint ST 1050 with ABS for a five-year-old Triumph Tiger 800 XRx. Aside from ABS, the only other technical feature I would have liked on my Sprint would have been traction control; tech that is relevant to safety. I believe that a lot of the tech takes away the purity of what motorcycling…

THERE SEEMS A habit for British bikers to get their bikes out too early (in March when it’s still freezing and salty) and put them away too early (in September when it’s still pretty okay for riding). But if you keep going a bit longer, there could be a wonderful reward — an epic biking autumn. You probably know all that but the next few pages are a reminder of some of the great things to do over the next couple of months… 1 TAKE THAT GREAT ROAD-TRIP Autumn is the ideal time to get out and be reminded just how good the UK is to ride in. Not only are the roads quieter and hotels cheaper, the countryside is ablaze with colour. These are our favourite trips… Moors The…

NOT ABOUT SPEED Early bikes make 80bhp, new ones 75bhp; but all have the same thudding, flexible power delivery RIDER AIDS YOU NEED There’s simple TC, ABS and engine modes but they don’t interfere with your riding PROPER SPOKED WHEELS Latest model combines spokes with tubeless tyres for easier roadside puncture repairs BEST ADVENTURE CLASSIC MOTO GUZZI V85 TT › £11,200 › 75bhp › 60lb·ft › 230kg An authentically-classic air-cooled engine with bags of charisma, attractive retro adventure styling, modern componentry and electronics, and a surprising level of day-to-day and long-distance practicality. The Moto Guzzi V85 TT ticks some significant boxes that elevate it from a minor Italian manufacturer’s left-field choice to a mainstream contender (I know this because I’ve met two owners, independently, who both bought the TT based…

YOUR RIDING EXPERT Clive Shepherd, 62, is a riding coach with Rapid Training. He was a police motorcyclist for over a decade before becoming a police advanced instructor. He’s now a road and track coach and races enduros WAFTING EFFORTLESSLY PAST lines of A-road traffic is one of motorcycling’s most satisfying feelings, combining speed, grace and – let’s face it – a certain sense of superiority. But there’s no denying the risks: get an overtake wrong, and it usually goes very wrong. The problem is that overtaking is one of the most complex aspects of riding a bike – there are dozens of variables and multiple hazards, usually served up with a fearsome dollop of closing speed. What we need is a way of making sure we never miss another…

WHILE IT IS true that you get what you pay for in life, some would have you believe that you need to spend a fortune to have functional motorcycle clothing. However, that simply isn’t the case. The lower end of the motorcycle-kit world is still a decent place to be and you can get a reasonable degree of protection from potential offs as well as the weather if you are on a tight budget. However, unfortunately you won’t be able to have your cake and eat it, and the array of six suits here all have their plusses and minuses. Some have much more features but lower-spec armour; some have better abrasion resistance than others while some, in an attempt to save money, don’t have any vents. The cheapest jacket-and-trousers…

Fancy taking on the alien world of the flat-track dirt oval? Royal Enfield has the school for you THE BIKE Royal Enfield has let its custom team loose on a fleet of single-cylinder 411cc Himalayans, transforming them into 24bhp flat-track funsters. They’re stripped of all road-going bodywork, clocks and bracketry, with the standard 21in front and 17in rear swapped for a set of 19in rims with flat-track tyres. An S&S slip-on exhaust improves sound, rather than performance THE RIDER Dan has taken part in a few off-road experiences, including BMW Off-Road Skills in Wales and the 2019 UK GS Trophy qualifier but is much more at home on tarmac, where you’re less likely to get dirty. He’s never ridden flat-track before but will give everything a go once THE LOCATION…

USED BUYING GUIDE 2001-2020 | £2750-13,000 | 154mph | 144bhp WITH OVER 120,000 sold globally over its 19-year lifetime until being killed off by Euro5 standards, the FJR1300 is not just one of Yamaha’s most successful models; it’s one of the most popular big sports-tourers of all – and with good reason. A worthy successor to the FJ1200, it was based around a grunty, smooth 1298cc four with shaft drive, in a long, stable yet sporty aluminium chassis. It was a great load-lugger, comfortable, reliable and, with 144bhp, brisk too. No wonder it also became popular with the police and emergency services. But best of all, the FJR was repeatedly improved. Within two years it gained ABS and an immobiliser as well as comprehensive makeovers in 2007 and 2013, retaining…

St Davids, Wales Here is me and my partner Mark’s bikes in St Davids on my first big bike adventure on my Honda CB500X. Joanne Hardy Humber Bridge, Yorkshire This is me and my wife celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary with a ride from our home in the Trent Valley to the Humber Bridge on its official 40th birthday. It seemed rather fitting. Neil and Carolyn Davison Mull of Kintyre, Scotland This is my BMW F650 on The Mull of Kintyre with Arran in the background during a 952-mile trip around the west coast and Highlands of Scotland. Andrew Coulthard Snowdonia Here is my very enthusiastic pillion wife Tina and our BMW R1200RT. We travelled to Devil’s Bridge and on to Conwy Castle via the Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia on…

EVERY FEW YEARS, bike firms have to hit ever-tougher emissions regulations. Devised by the European Union, these regs, which govern what comes out of a motorcycle’s exhaust and what noise it produces, have got progressively harder for manufacturers to hit. The result is that some models make less power that previous-generation ones, though not all are affected. Compared to Euro4, Euro5 requires a 12% drop in carbon-monoxide emissions, 40% fewer hydrocarbons and 33% fewer nitrogen oxides in the exhaust gas — alongside other checks. The regulations don’t care how new engines conform, as long as they do. A new bike failing to meet Euro5 cannot be sold in Europe, including the UK. How do manufacturers meet Euro5? Emissions regs aren’t a surprise; manufacturers know they’re coming and employ strategies to…

Q I LENT MY spare bike – a tough old Fazer 1000 winter hack – to my cousin who came over from Ireland in May. He is a British/Irish dual national, who has kept up his British car and bike licence, passing his tests in the Republic. About a week after he went home, I got a notice from the Police telling me to name the rider of the Fazer for an alledged speed offence, which I knew was him. I told the police his name and Irish address and got a letter back, suggesting this wasn’t true and I was going to get nicked for allowing the bike to be used without insurance. My cousin had a 14-day short-use policy for my bike and I gave them the policy…

SINCE ITS LAUNCH in 2012, Honda’s CRF250L has been the go-to machine for fans of green-laning with commuting ability thrown in. The introduction of the Rally version in 2017, with a bigger tank and more wind protection, made it an ideal mini-adventure bike too. However, when it came to miles and A-road speeds, it always ran out of puff; just too slow for many. But Honda has addressed that for 2021. While making the CRF Euro5-compliant, it has taken the opportunity to add extra performance to the water-cooled single through an increase in capacity. Power is now up to 27bhp from 24.4bhp while torque is boosted to 19.6lb·ft (from 16.7lb·ft). However, more significantly, the gear ratios have been altered with sixth now an overdrive and first to fifth shorter. On…

WHEN IT WAS launched in 2019, the Speed Twin offered a great alternative to the sporty Thruxton model in Triumph’s modern classics range. Boasting flat bars rather than clip-ons, not to mention a more relaxed riding position with lower pegs, the Speed Twin was a sporty roadster that could hustle in the bends but didn’t over-step the mark. Last year it was one of the best-selling nakeds in Britain. This year however, Triumph has decided to give it a harder edge. The old model’s right-way-up forks and conventionally-mounted brake calipers have been replaced by upside-down items with radial monoblocs, sportier tyres are now fitted, the engine has been made quicker-revving and more powerful and the electronics enhanced. All changes that see the 2021 Speed Twin appear on paper a very…

THE FACTS The route 150 miles of mind-melting roads and a broad sweep of ever-changing scenery, starting in Forres on the north coast of Morayshire and ending in Blairgowrie in Perthshire on the other side of the Cairngorms. Why it’s great It really does have the lot, from mountains to woods to fields to fiddly bits – and the roads are another level of epic. When to go Right now – it gets chilly in the Cairngorms out of season. Where to visit The whole route is an endless stream of places to stop and stare but if you don’t have a look at the Cairngorm ski centre, or park up at the Spittal of Glenshee, you’re missing out. SOME OF OUR favourite riding routes are all about the road…

BEST FOR NATURE LOCH GARTEN The RSPB nature reserve in the Abernethy Forest around Loch Garten is a wonderful place to stop, sit down on the shore and let the peace lower your blood pressure for an hour or two. The trees have descendants going back 10,000 years on this site. Price of entry Free BEST FOR SCENERY BEN MACDUI SKI CENTRE The brain-bending view from the ski centre, stretching across Loch Morlich to the A9 in the west, is one of those panoramas you can’t really capture on film because the scale is so enormous. You have to see it to appreciate it. Stupendous and spectacular. Price of entry Free BEST FOR MONARCHISTS BALMORAL CASTLE Drop in and say hi to Her Maj at Balmoral Castle at the bargain…

UPDATE 01 BRAKE LIGHTS FLASH like a hundred evil eyes all opening at once. A lorry smears two huge black arcs across the lanes, while a white hatchback spears right at 90° to the carriageway. The smell of burnt rubber and cooked brakes fills my helmet. Somehow no-one crashes. Cause? Unknown. But that’s a big tick for the Trident’s ABS at least. Now can we continue with a little less drama please? We’ve barely got going… This is our first update on the Trident but the odometer already shows over 2500 miles due to numerous road-test performances before I even turn a wheel on today’s trip up north. A big ride on a small bike is always interesting. And I don’t mean small as in capacity – the Triumph’s 660cc…

UPDATE 03 ‘There’s much fun to be had, sub-90mph’ IT’S TAKEN A surprisingly long time to gel with the S1000R. I’ve had the keys for a month now but the truth is, for the first part of my tenure, I was frustrated. You see, I’m a fan of naked bikes and I love race-replicas but I’ve really struggled to get my head around this unfaired superbike. BMW refers to the S1000R as a ‘dynamic roadster’ and, on paper, the numbers look amazing: 165bhp, 84lb·ft and under 200kg juiced. Hardly surprising, given that the 1000R is effectively an S1000RR minus its fairing but therein lies this bike’s glaring contradiction. Most of that power and potential is out of reach due to the bike’s distinct lack of aerodynamics. Cruising above 80mph becomes…

PANNIERS “There is a common issue with this year of Deauville where the external pannier hinges rust. I keep mine nicely cleaned and greased and they are fine.” EXHAUST “The original exhaust is quite poor quality and I fitted a set of stainless-steel pipes almost straight away as the OE ones were rusty. Overall, exhaust aside, the level of finish is excellent on the Deauville. REG/REC “This is a big issue for the Deauville and I’ve been through three so far. A pattern one only costs £12 and takes a few minutes to fit, so I now keep a spare on the shelf just in case” OIL “Honda recommends 10W-40 oil but I use 20W-50, which makes it run quieter and smoother. It never needs topping up between changes.” ALTERNATOR…

Scotland Here are a few of the bikes from a recent trip to the west coast of Scotland — mine is the Triumph Tiger 900GT. The weather was amazing, as was the scenery, and some of the roads, like this grass and gravel-infused beauty, were certainly ‘challenging.’ All thoroughly enjoyable though. Phil Chalk Secret location, Scotland This is a recent picture from my favourite loop on the west coast of Scotland. I can’t tell you exactly where it is, as I don’t want to ruin it for my other local friends... Mark Macdonald Alston, Cumbria This is my new Honda NC750X and my mate Alan’s Triumph Tiger 800XC at Alston on our way home from a great day’s riding. Karl Reed Flamborough Head Lighthouse, Yorkshire Here is my Triumph Tiger…

RIDE READER CHRIS PIERCE Living close to the border between Wales and England gives KTM 1090 Adventure R-mounted Chris Pierce easy access to any number of great rides. This one is his regular 70-mile Sunday afternoon loop THE FACTS Roads A489, A483, A44, A488, A489 again Distance 69 miles Best suited to big engines and sweet steering Nearest big town Shrewsbury Famous for Crossgates Café SHOW US YOUR ROUTE GET A GREAT PRIZE! Email ride@ride.co.uk and tell us about your favourite ride and if published, you’ll get a great prize to say thanks. The Metzeler Roadtec 01 SE — winner of RiDE’s 2020 touringtyre test — is a great tyre that works in all conditions. www.metzeler.co.uk AS WE CHILL over a morning coffee from the café at the Churchstoke Shopping…

Introduced for motorcycles on June 17 1999, Euro1 was the first set of regulations designed to clean-up bike engines – and it lagged way behind the car market’s Euro 1 regs, which were introduced in 1992. Euro1 and Euro2 were relatively non-restrictive; so much so, many bike engines didn’t require fuel injection or catalysts to meet the targets. But by Euro3 in 2006, all bike engines needed catalysts and Euro4 all but finished-off purely air-cooled engines (unless they were very much underpowered). Since the introduction of Euro1, emissions of carbon monoxide have been cut by 92%, hydrocarbons by 97% and nitrogen oxides, by 80%.…

Email ride@ride.co.uk Write to us RiDE, Media House, Lynchwood, Peterborough PE2 6EA ‘Modern bikes are so UGLY!’ Sorry, but I must address the elephant in the room. Modern bikes are just becoming uglier and uglier. Weird pointy-beak front ends; bulbous plastic side pods; frames and engines which just look a complete mess; strange ray-gun exhaust systems; back ends which look like a hacksaw has been taken to the sub-frame. The September issue had two contenders for the most hideous yet, The Suzuki GSX-S1000 looks like half the parts have been removed and not replaced. But the prize for King Ugly must go to the Harley-Davidson Pan America. The styling inspiration has obviously come from the MZ Trophy. Google it for yourself if you don’t believe me. What do I ride?…

It’ll go on for miles The CRF300 Rally features a 2.7-litre bigger tank, totalling 12.8-litres. We recorded an average of 70mpg while on a variety of roads, giving it a theoretical tank range of 196 miles with the fuel warning illuminating at 146 miles, with 50 left. The engine is a huge improvement The bigger-capacity engine and revised gearbox mean you can hold an indicated 70mph with ease (the shift-warning light starts to flash at 85mph in top) and the engine doesn’t feel like it is revving its head off, with vibrations kept to a minimum. Brakes need a squeeze The combination of soft non-adjustable forks and a single two-piston front caliper designed for off-road use mean the CRF still isn’t that quick to stop. The ABS is acceptable for…

THE ROAD BLURS into a fuzz-box maelstrom of greens, blues and greys as the honking-great flat twin gets into a leggy stride, Bayerische blunt force loping through the muggy air with enough energy to spin steam rising off damp tarmac into spiral patterns. Head dipped, shoulders braced, face flattened and heart pumping, straddling the low, flat Beemer apace between the trees is a visceral fist-pump of real-world performance – a low-flying bombing raid, droning just above ground level, guiding the bike with gentle body language as much as steering leverage, leaning into the ride with an economy of effort contrasted against metal hurtling across the landscape. It’s smooth and serene, Michelin Road 5s pinned under newly imperious roadholding to the sketchy asphalt, yet thumpingly dramatic at the same time; piloting…

DOWNLOAD THE ROUTES www.ride.co.uk Best for Astonishing scenery, desolate wilderness, little traffic (including police) and massive skies Length 150 miles Route Forres to Blairgowrie via Grantown-on-Spey, Nethy Bridge, Coylumbridge, Bridge Of Brown, Cock Bridge, Bridge Over Troubled Water and Braemar Roads A940, A939, A95, various unclassified roads, B970, A939 again, A93 Love it because It’s a vast playground of spaciousness, all big skies and barren hillsides. You can get lost in your thoughts as much as in the hills and mountains themselves. Take a picture at Oh blimey, take a spare SD card. If you only have one shot left, use it at the view from Ben Macdui ski centre. And good luck. Stop for a cuppa at Goodbrand and Ross café, Corgaff – it’s the obvious place to make…

1 What colour is the track? Although this is a school for novice riders, Gary is keen to share some racing insights with the group. One of these is the colour shades of the track surface, which indicate differing levels of grip. At some tracks, racers don’t even get a sighting lap, so spotting these colourations before competition is imperative. On our day, the darker patches of clay were avoided as they were wetter and more slippery. On hot dry days, a grippy strip of rubber can be laid down on the racing line, which is faster. 2 Take your time This almost sounds like a bit of a cop-out, 2 but flat-track is unlike any other riding discipline and you’re unlikely to be sliding the rear tyre like Marquez…

2021 DUCATI MONSTER I’VE ALWAYS HAD a hankering for Italian engineering. The passion and elegance that seems to be inherent in everything from an espresso machine to a Le Mans race-car calls to my soul and I am invariably able to forgive many foibles for that all-encompassing emotive feeling. And Ducati is one of the names that instantly gets my heart going. Some Ducati tifosi see the ‘21 Monster as a bit too Japanese; it’s done away with the trellis frame and adopted the 937cc V-twin used by the Multistrada 950. But is it a ‘real’ Monster or a toned-down offering that uses the name alone? We spent 1600 miles finding out… THE FACTS £10,385 ❱ 109bhp ❱ 188kg MILES THIS MONTH 117 MPG THIS MONTH 54.2 1 The engine…

UPDATE 04 WITH A 150-MILE run to do to test sockets (see next issue), I managed to prise the KTM’s key out of Matt’s hands; it’s distance ability, combined with the topbox he recently fitted, made it perfect for a blast down to Guildford. It also gave me a perfect opportunity to try the KTM My Ride app. Priced at £6.99, it connects your phone to the bike and allows turn-by-turn sat-nav instructions to be displayed on the dash. With the app installed and the phone and bike paired, I set the route on the phone, hit the double arrow and instantly, the first direction instruction appeared on the dash. The very-synthetic voice also appeared in my headset and I was ready to go. On the road, it is great;…