RiDEOctober 2017的目錄

MOST FIRMS CLAIM to have invented a new class of bike but Suzuki’s boast of building the first big-bore super-scoot seems legitimate. It was 1998 when the Burgman 400 hit the street, bringing extra grunt to the step-thru world. With 150cc more than the competitors, it expanded the scooter remit into longer commutes and became a hit with riders in Europe. Now Suzuki has given it a makeover, turning the slightly lardy old 400 into a sharper beastie. The basics are simple: a new 15in front wheel for more stability, a 7kg weight loss (now 215kg), LED lighting and a retuned Euro4 motor, which loses some peak power (now 31bhp) but gains low-down grunt. Price is £6395 on the road. Riding the new bike in Turin, the chassis mods have…

“We’re not just going scrambling, we’re going so far off-grid, we’re wild camping” BMW R NINET URBAN G/S X £11,185 • 1170cc flat twin • 109bhp • 221kg Not content with one retro off-roader, the X-version of BMW’s new R nineT Urban G/S adds knobblies and wire wheels to the road-based package TRIUMPH STREET SCRAMBLER £9200 • 900cc parallel twin • 54bhp • 221kg (est) The omission of a scrambler from the new Bonnie range is rectified by a 900cc Street Twin-based bike, with high-level exhaust, long suspension and 19in front wheel DUCATI SCRAMBLER DESERT SLED £9632 • 803cc 90° V-twin •72bhp • 207kg More than a cosmetic variation of the base Scrambler, the Desert Sled has the same air-cooled V-twin but long-travel suspension, 19in front wheel, stronger frame and…

Like the previous Triumph 865cc Scrambler, launched in 2006, the Street Scrambler is closely based on its Bonneville road-bike sibling. In the new Scrambler’s case, it’s the 54bhp, 900cc parallel twin from the Street Twin rather than the 1200cc T120 Bonnie motor. The motor is almost unchanged for the Street Scrambler (fuelling changes to match the high-level exhaust), and so is the chassis spec: the same frame, the same non-adjustable 41mm KYB forks and preload shocks - with the same wheel travel - and the same single disc front brake. Only the addition of a 19in spoked front and Metzeler Tourance rubber, instead of the Street Twin’s 18in front, alters steering geometry a touch. So the Street Scrambler really isn’t much more than a lightly tweaked Street Twin - and…

Claim after collision abroad Q I WAS INVOLVED in a collision in Belgium, with a driver from France. The French driver reversed out of a parking bay without looking and clipped me off my bike. It all seemed straightforward enough. I speak some French, the other driver spoke some English but things have unravelled. Either I noted the number plate down incorrectly or the guy was on false number plates. I sustained minor injuries which did not surface for a few hours. It turned out that I had a small fracture in my finger and I had torn muscles in my upper back, which kept me off work for a few weeks. My own insurance broker has been useless. The phones appear to be answered by some kind of claims…

As I sat quietly updating my blog in a little Airbnb on the outskirts of Durban, I heard the door tentatively creak open. I looked up to see a monkey with an injured arm walk in. Surprised by his cheek, I said, “Hey!”, assuming he would run. Instead he nonchalantly walked past me, hopped onto the dresser, grabbed a banana out of the fruit bowl, and walked back out again. Half expecting him to close the door behind himself, I laughed and said out loud, “T.I.A indeed. This Is Africa, alright!” ‘T.I.A’ is a common phrase used by South Africans, usually after their warnings of my impending doom, as they learn of my mission to cross the continent alone by motorcycle. People here talk about corruption and violence as the…

“What Krugger has changed completely is the bike’s attitude” Thiver-what? The name comes from a tiny circuit on the fringes of Paris. Never heard of it? Us neither – apparently it was big in karting during the 1960s and70s. It’s a curious choice, given there’s not exactly an obvious connection between that tiny track and this enormous beast. Created by award-winning Belgian customiser Fred Krugger, the Thiverval was revealed to the public during the Bikers’ Classics Event at Spa-Francorchamps. What’s the hardware? The Thiverval is based on a Ducati XDiavel S, the £20k hi-tech flagship techno-cruiser that apparently just isn’t special enough for some. Much of the original bike’s fundamentals remain as standard, including the 1262cc V-twin, the belt final drive, the machined 12-spoke wheels, and the superbikestandard Brembo M50…

PRICE RANGE: £6000-£8000 If the lumpy punch of BMW’s Boxer twin doesn’t float your boat, perhaps the sultry snarl of a V-four will. The Honda Crosstourer has a stunning 1237cc powerplant, its exotic layout unique in the adventure world. A smidge more power and torque (127bhp / 93lb.ft) than the GS, though a lot more weight too, at a fully fuelled 275kg. The first 2012 models can now be found in dealers for less than £7000. If it’s power you’re after, a Ducati Multistrada 1200 might fit the bill, with its superbike-derived 148bhp V-twin. It’s a solidly road-focused adventure bike (despite its ‘Enduro’ riding mode), with cast wheels and sports-sized tyres. Dealers are advertising the original 2010 base models from around £6000, with higher-spec S versions from £7000. There’s also…

Service schedule Intervals start with a 4000 mile tyre-kick and fluid check. 8000 miles sees oil and filter replaced, suspension and steering bearings checked. At 12K you’re supposed to check the air filter (which is nonsense - do it at 8 or 16k when you’re doing other stuff) and replace the brake fluid. Again, most owners will do that as part of a proper service, not on its own. 16k is the big one, with a valve-clearance check (they probably won’t need adjusting the first time, and probably not at 32k either, but still need checking), and after that, the cycle repeats, with the exception of a coolant change at 24k (those in the know say more frequently and flush it well). The RR isn’t too bad to work on…

SPEC SUZUKI V-STROM 650 XT Price £8039 + 645cc V-twin + 70bhp + 216kg + 20-litre tank + 835mm seat + Miles so far: 1498 SOMETIMES YOU REALLY do have to pull out all the stops for your mates, especially if it creates the perfect excuse for a bike-related mission. A Jewish friend of mine is getting married this month, and when he told me they had opted for the classic salt-beef beigels for the wedding breakfast, naturally I offered to help out. It’s widely accepted that the East End of London produces some of the finest beigels in the land, with Brick Lane’s Beigel Bake being one of the most famous bakeries. A trip to London would also be the ideal test for some of the modifications I’ve made…

“A pair of not-quite-hooligans having a cuppa” SPEC KAWASAKI Z1000SX TOURER £10,739 + 1043cc inline four + 140bhp + 235kg + 19-litre tank + 815mm seat + Miles so far: 6689 SINCE TAKING CHARGE of the Kawasaki Z1000SX, I’ve had a few other owners contact me to share their experiences. In general terms they, like me, enjoy the bike. Like me, there are one or two minor niggles that they pick up on but nothing that makes them regret their choice of motorcycle. And like me, they all seem to be men of a certain age… To try to get to the bottom of what makes the big sports tourer work for other blokes like me, I’m going for a ride with a fellow owner. Gareth Williams from Hereford is…

“Sniggers drown out the modest 92dB” SPEC BMW R1200GS EXCLUSIVE £15,930 + 1170cc flat twin + 123bhp + 244kg + 20-litre tank + 850/870mm seat + Miles so far: 4202 Sunday 85 miles Meet up with mate Ben and his BMW RnineT for a 90-minute B-road blast, slicing slickly through Lincolnshire, Leicester and Rutland like a synchronised Boxer display team, before rewarding our derring-do with a lunchtime fry-up. Set to Dynamic mode, the GS is huge fun to throw about, surprisingly fast and the two-way quickshifter feels far slicker when the motor’s used harder. After parting ways with Ben, I pick up an easy byway home. Swap to Enduro mode, stand up on the pegs and cruise along in second gear, clonking gently over the potholes, crunching over the dirt…

This initial European KTM Adventure Rally had a fairly low-key launch, promoted through the factory’s social media. Entry was restricted to 150 riders, who signed up through a website, paying €299 for three days’ guided riding (including four evening meals). Camping on site was free but riders had to book their own hotels, as well as pay for their own lunches and fuel. When riders arrived to sign on, their bikes were checked over for suitability by a team of KTM mechanics (who also sorted out any that developed problems as the event went along). Germany tyre firm Continental had a truck there to change tyres for those who needed it. The riding was outstanding, split into three categories: all off-road; 50/50 road/off-road; all road. Though riders signed up for…

Kent, England My dad and me with our Honda CB500X and Suzuki DL650 V-Strom at Beachy Head, on our annual memorial ride in memory of my late grandfather. Oz Dechaine Yorkshire, England With the Kawasaki Ninja H2 at the highest pub in Britain, the Tan Hill Inn in Yorkshire. Dave Taylor California, USA My uncle and I rented a Harley-Davidson Street Glide and Roadmaster and rode from Denver, Colorado to Yosemite National Park in California. We went through Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada on our 12-day trip. Greg McLeod Holland My wife Jodie and our Triumph Thunderbird on our way back to Rotterdam from Arnhem on our first trip abroad. Sean Eatwell Argyll, Scotland Out for a quick ride from home in Glasgow that turned into a six-hour journey.…

If the BMW R nineT Scrambler is the fashionista’s choice of retro off-road boxer twin, the Urban G/S X has, as the name suggests, a more direct nostalgic link to the R80G/S - the bike that, arguably, kicked off the adventure-bike category in the early 1980s. Aside from its styling, the ‘X’ in G/S X refers to the option of heated grips, wire-spoke instead of cast wheels, chrome exhaust, LED indicators and a choice of road or off-road tyres; it adds £635 to the base G/S price. The motor is the same air-cooled 1170cc 109bhp flat twin as the rest of the Euro4-spec R nineT range, which is an adaptation of the old boxer twin that powered the GS proper, RT etc through the 2000s. The chassis isn’t, with conventional…

CANTERBURY’S A LOVELY city that wears its heritage proudly. It may be famous for its cathedral, or at least its arch-bishop, but the whole of the medieval centre is lovely, with cobbled streets and timber-framed buildings. The Norman castle is a ruin but parts of the old city wall have lasted better. Though it’s no longer the capital of Kent (Maidstone has taken over as the county’s administrative hub), Canterbury remains an excellent base from which to explore the countryside. There’s plenty to see in the garden of England, from impressive castles to steam railways. But we’re not here just to wander the tourist sites. We’re here for the riding, which is excellent. Our one-day route takes in the coast on the Sussex/Kent border, before heading to the white cliffs…

IS RIDING OVERLAND significantly more dangerous than domestic touring? Many assume it is and it’s not hard to see why. The media bombards us with bad news, much of it from Africa, Asia and Latin America - what I call the Adventure Motorcycling Zone or AMZ - and this can seem more threatening because our regular lives are generally safe, comfortable and ordered. Sure, it’s stressful to be separated from the familiar and this can be nerve-wracking in the early days of any trip. But just like your first day at school or a new job, once you’re in it, nervousness soon evaporates and on the road, senses tingle with the thrilling newness of it all. As bikers, we’re used to roughing it. What most of us fear is hostility…

1 MONTH AHEAD THE BIG EVENT BRITISH GRAND PRIX August 25-27, Silverstone, Northamptonshire It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Andy Williams might have been warbling about the festive season but that’s only because he never got to experience MotoGP at Silverstone over the summer bank holiday weekend. No matter what, where, why or how you ride, it’s impossible to be anything other than slack-jaw stunned after witnessing the world’s most talented riders flirting with the absolute limit of physics, trying to squeeze every last drop of speed from animalistic 250bhp prototypes so brutal that just one warm-up lap would scare the likes of you and me half to death. Race day tickets are £65 and the full weekend is £79 - but our bargain tip is Friday: just…

“In a sea of BMWs, the Yamaha is the exclusive adventure bike” ANOTHER GROUP OF bikes goes past, riders nodding or waving as they spot me parked up by the side of the gleaming blue Lac de Castillon. I raise a hand in return, counting as they pass. This pod has two BMW R1200GSs and one GS Adventure: that takes today’s GS tally into double figures and it’s not even 11am yet. It’s the first week of June in the French Alps and the early tourists are out. The roads are pretty quiet – in the next few minutes only two cars go past before I hear the purr of another bike engine. I cock my head to the side, listening: it’s a flat note, deep but without the off-beat…

SUMMER SUN MEANS a chance to get out of the winter-weight waterproof textiles and into some lighter, cooler kit. For many riders that can mean a leather jacket, but for others those can be expensive. They’re also not waterproof and, after all, we can never be guaranteed endless - or indeed, any - sunshine in a British summer. Leathers can also be heavy, so they’re hot when the sun is out. This is where sporty textile jackets can come into their own. There will be one to suit any budget. Some have waterproof properties, to address any summer-shower concerns. Others are heavily vented – ideal for those heading somewhere seriously hot for their biking holidays. There’s so much variety, one of them will undoubtedly be right for you. OUR TEST…

“The bike for me is a powerful naked wheelie-monster” SPEC TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE R £8900 + 765cc inline triple + 116bhp + 185kg + 17.4-litre tank + 825mm seat + Miles so far: 400 SO MY FEW short months of Street Cup ownership have drawn to an end and it’s been a bit of a mixed-bag when it comes to how I got on with it. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed blasting around the streets of Amsterdam, and winding along desolate country roads in the Welsh hills. Equally, it’s been a trusty workhorse when riding around town or popping down to the shop (pub). If I’m using it for its intended purpose, the Cup has been brilliant, but when used for an extended distance or at high speed, it’s not so much…

IT’S COOL UNDER the trees, but I’m still working up a sweat. Standing on the pegs of the KTM 1090 Adventure R, weighting them as the knobbly rear tyre tears away the loose surface, I’m trying to pick out the smoothest course up the steep slope while still looking well ahead. I’m concentrating so hard I’m barely aware of my surroundings. Until I emerge from the wood and the view smacks me in the chops: deep blue sky flecked with eye-level clouds, a distant grey-stone mountain and, in between, a yawning gap of green slopes falling away with dizzying steepness to a valley so deep the villages are little more than red-roofed smudges linked by gossamer lines of roads. I have to stop and drink in the view. The military…

“I’ve been practising it and it’s coming more naturally” ROAD POSITIONING has always been a bit of a mystery to me. When I started riding I was convinced the safest place was the centre of my lane. Now I’ve got a few thousand miles under my belt and have seen my fellow bikers constantly changing their road positions for different riding situations, I realise there’s more to it. So I booked myself onto a training day at Advanced Motorcycle Training in Stoke-on-Trent with former police riding instructor and RoSPA examiner, Nigel Bowers. I learnt to ride using the one-to-three system of road positioning, with position one in the left of the lane near the gutter, position two in the middle and position three between the white line and the centre.…

Cleaning a bike properly can be hard work - but just washing the dirt off isn’t enough as the bike will get dirty again. Polishes revive tired paintwork and add a dirt-resistant finish. Sealing the polish with a wax layer will not only make it even shinier but also give a longer-lasting layer of protection that makes it harder for dirt to grip to the surface. All that polishing and shining can be rewarded, if you enter the Love Your Motorcycle competition. Carl and Chris did and they’ve each won an SDoc100 Classic Cleaning Kit worth £49.99. And you can win too. Go to www.ride.co.uk/love-your-motorcycle and vote for your favourite of the shortlisted finalists. Each month two randomly chosen voters will win an SDoc100 Classic Cleaning Kit. At the end…

BMW HAS ANNOUNCED the key updates, facelifts and new technology that will form the core of next year’s range. The biggest news is the new choice of optional extras for the 2018 R1200GS and GS Adventure. Both can now be fitted with a 6.5-inch colour TFT dash, replacing the current twin dials and LCD panel. Known as a ‘Connectivity option’, the new dash can link to your smartphone and crash helmet via Bluetooth to let you make or answer phone calls using the bike’s switchgear, control music and even display turn-by-turn arrows from a phone navigation app. The dash is a £595 extra on new GSs only. BMW’s ‘Intelligent Emergency Call’ feature, seen previously on the K1600GT tourer, will now be offered on both R1200GSs and the R1200RT. In case…

IMAGINE A LAND where everything works with Teutonic efficiency, but the locals are as laid-back and friendly as the Italians. A land with towering mountains and deep blue lakes, where cuckoo-clock wooden chalets stand amid well-tended green fields with miles of smooth, twisty roads, baked in blue-skied summer sun. But this isn’t a Mitteleuropean fantasy – it’s Austria. The Salzkammergut is the area of mountains and lakes to the east of Salzburg – a fabulous city with a well-preserved medieval old town overlooked by a lofty schloss. But it’s the riding outside it that’s special. Austria’s a wealthy nation, which means the roads are well-maintained and – as already mentioned – they have the natural advantage of cutting through a spectacular landscape with the kind of steep hills and low…

There are currently six Scrambler models including the Sled, all powered by the same 72bhp, air-cooled, 803cc, two-valve Desmo 90° V-twin that can trace lineage 15 years back to 2003 and the Monster 800S. It’s not just the same size and dimensions, it’s the same gearbox too (identical internal ratios) - and even that is a stroked Paso/Sport motor from the mid 1980s. That’s 30 years old - a hell of a design life. The Sled’s frame is Scrambler tube steel, beefed-up at stress points for off-road shocks, and sits on taller suspension - massive 46mm KYB forks with triple-clamped yokes and a new KYB shock. The wire-spoked gold rims are 19in front and 17in rear for off-road handling, and the bars are taller and wider. The Sled is free…

Givi S410 topbox trolley £117.50 Sick of straining with a heavily loaded topbox? This might be the solution you’ve been looking for - assuming you have a Givi Monokey topbox. The S410 trolley fits to the bottom of the box and clips securely onto the rack on the bike. But when you take the topbox off, you extend the telescopic handle from the S410, tilt it back onto its two wheels and walk off, pulling it behind you like a suitcase. Simple. As the S410 has six anchor points, any kind of luggage - not just a topbox - can be strapped onto it and wheeled away. www.givi.co.uk Lone Rider Moto Tent World edition €699 (€499 RiDE reader offer) We’ve featured this roomy, high-quality tent before, with its two-man sleeping…

The growth of tour companies over the last decade has been huge. You can now pick a company and ride almost anywhere in the world: Thailand, New Zealand, India, Morocco… the list is endless, and that’s just the long-haul stuff. Closer to home, there are companies that specialise in all things UK and European. But how do you know just what you are getting, when trawling websites, leaflets and brochures? Not all tour companies are the same, so you need one that suits you and ask yourself what you want from your trip. Most of the complaints we see are from riders who did not properly understand what they were booking. Establishing the type of tour is key, so here are a few things to think about: Miles and miles…

Spain? Are you sure? Yes. It’s just to the north of Madrid. Technically the province is part of the larger region of Castile and León, but we’re talking the city of Segovia. What’s so special about it? It’s one of Spain’s historic gems – from the gigantic 160-arch Roman aqueduct and the medieval city walls to the lofty Alcazar and the spectacular cathedral. It’s a city of stone-built streets and pleasant plazas, with museums, churches and palaces to explore. Yeah, but if it’s so close to Madrid, wouldn’t you go there instead? The Spanish capital is stuffed full of amazing places for sightseeing, but it’s also a capital city: busy, sprawlingly massive and cosmopolitan. Segovia’s smaller, friendlier and more quintessentially Spanish. But if you want a day off the bike…

Yamaha MT-09 2013-2016 > £3900-£6200 > 113bhp > 191kg > 847cc inline triple FEW ROADSTERS CAPTURE the raw essence of two-wheeled fun so successfully as Yamaha’s MT-09. It’s playful, joyous, willing, exciting and excitable and on top of that, it’s incredible value too. Its 847cc three-cylinder engine offers up a torrent of torque, that instant, liquid shunt boosted beautifully by sensible, useable gearing. The quirky, offset digital dash includes a gear-position indicator but the whole drivetrain is so flexible and forgiving that you barely need to refer to it – whatever revs, whatever speed and whatever gear, just open the throttle and that glorious motor picks up and roars off. The MT-09 is not perfect though. The very first bikes had a snatchy throttle response – particularly noticeable in the…

“The bike feels instantly familiar and steers lazily but accurately” IT’S THE LEAST expensive litre-sized adventure bike – so if you’re in the market for a big-capacity dual-sport machine, you have to be interested in the new Suzuki V-Strom 1000. Suzuki has restyled the top half of the fairing and seat, sprinkled on cornering ABS, then painted the end result bright yellow. It doesn’t sound much but it’s the second V-Strom revision in three years, so these are several moderate refinements to accompany the tedious but necessary Euro4 engine adaptations. And the asking price is £9639, against £11,210 for Honda’s Africa Twin, £10,439 for Kawasaki’s Versys, £11,900 for the most basic Triumph Explorer and a lot more for the glamour stuff from BMW, KTM and Ducati. Only Triumph’s 800cc Tiger…

“He sure as hell knows he’s looking at a ’Glide” #22 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Where did it come from? From Milwaukee, where else? Well, actually these days the engines and transmissions are made in Wisconsin and the bikes in Pennsylvania. There’s been an Electra Glide on Harley’s books since 1965, when the addition of an electric starter to the existing Duo Glide gave the bike its new ‘Electra’ tag. Since then, according to those who know, there have been more than 100 variants, with greater or lesser levels of luxury and accessories. However, the ‘batwing’ fairing that remains the Glide’s trademark feature only dates from 1969 as an accessory, and 1971 as standard. What changed? Everything and nothing. Over the years it’s gone through multiple evolutions of the big 45°…

WHAT WE’VE FOUND is that the idea of a sporty, summery textile jacket can be interpreted in many ways – and the more focused on summer it becomes, the less flexible it is. While we’ve weighted our scores to emphasise hot-weather performance, it does mean the most-summery jackets don’t score as well as those that make a few concessions to the great British summertime, with waterproof layers and even thermal liners. However, if you want a jacket that will be really light and cool for riding in really hot weather, you can’t beat one that makes use of mesh panels. The coolest was the practically transparent RevIt Airforce (even without its cooling vest), but the most practical below £200 was the Alpinestars T-GP Plus V2 Air. At the upper end…

SPEC DUCATI MONSTER 797 £8035+ 803cc V-twin + 74bhp + 193kg + 16.5-litre tank + 805mm seat + Miles so far: 1395 THIS MONTH HAS been filled with a daughter temporarily back from her travels with tales of exotica and adventure. But for me, stuck here in the homeland, my little bit of Italian exotica has taken me on quite a few small adventures of my own. The first of these saw us caught in a true Rutland County-style tropical storm, but despite this I had a great ride to the Aqua Park and then a long twisty ride home on greasy roads. The standard tyres (Pirelli Diablo Rosso II) didn’t give me one bit of cause for concern and my riding kit kept the deluge out too. A ride…

SPEC YAMAHA TRACER 700 £7139 + 689cc parallel twin + 74bhp + 196kg + 17-litre tank + 835mm seat + Miles so far: 1780 SINCE GETTING THE Tracer back from its 600-mile running-in service, I’ve been on a few long trips – well, long for a novice. I’ve put on an additional 1100 miles this month, visiting friends and family and just getting out and about. I decided it was time to go to my first ever bike night and roped in a friend to come along. We met at Woody’s Bar and Restaurant, a popular Monday evening get-together at Woodland Waters, a camping and fishing site in Lincolnshire just outside Ancaster. The route there covered everything the Tracer is good at – a 20-minute jaunt up the A1 followed…

THIS MONTH WE’VE been camping things up on a beach in the company of three brand-new rugged, rose-tinted roadsters. As chance would have it, ten summers ago RiDE was getting to know the bike that kickstarted the modern scrambler scene. Triumph’s Scrambler 900 was a stylised version of its relaunched Bonneville, with high-level exhausts, chunky tyres and a wide handlebar. While there’s plenty of scrambler-style choice today, a year after the Triumph’s 2006 launch it was still a novel and unique proposition, lacking any direct rivals to compare it to. So for RiDE’s September 2007 issue, we let the Scrambler tag-along with the two most retro-flavoured of our long-term test bikes of the time – a Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 and a Yamaha XJR1300 – for a day in the Dales.…