RiDEJune 2020的目錄

‘I got this picture at a cold 7.30am under the Severn Bridge. Owing to work and family commitments, it was one of the first rides of the year.’ Noddy Davies ‘Out exploring aboard my Yamaha FZ8 and finding the snow on the tops by the Llyn Brenig Reservoir, in North Wales.’ Lee Parsons ‘I’ve been escaping the winter with some enduro riding in Sicily. Here’s a shot with Mount Etna in the background. Bliss!’ Alan Jones ‘Me and my dad, Ade, out for a ride together after he picked up his first bike in around 15 years. Here’s to many more.’ Nathan Skyrme ‘Out with my friend Bill on his KTM Super Duke R in Eynsford, Kent, on our way to lunch. It was a bit of a damp day…

THE FACTORIES Triumph Location Hinckley, Leicestershire People employed 1000 (UK) Bikes made in 2019 6500 in the UK, 65,000 worldwide Triumph is Britain’s premier bike firm by a country mile, with a world-beating range and annual production of 65,000 bikes. The company has bowed to economic common sense and transferred ever-more production to its three Thai plants. From 2020 the firm is moving all mass production to Thailand, refocussing its Hinckley base on R&D and hand-building around 4500 high-spec Triumph Factory Custom (TFC) models a year. Norton Location Castle Donington, Leicestershire People employed 70* Bikes made in 2019 Even Norton’s administrator doesn’t know. DfT figures show that about 270 new Nortons were registered in the UK last year. Norton’s former CEO, Stuart Garner, claimed 80% of production went abroad. If…

Harley-Davidson and Indian have each launched a new entry level cruiser. Harley-Davidson has added the Softail Standard, which is powered by its 107 Milwaukee-Eight engine and costs £11,495 — its cheapest entry into the big-twin range. Indian has released a smaller-capacity version of the Scout Bobber, making that cool blacked-out styling available to those on a tighter budget. Just like the Scout Sixty, the new Bobber Sixty is powered by a 999cc V-twin, which makes a respectable, if not earth-shattering, 78bhp. Both are basic, all black cruisers, but each with its own flavour.…

QI HAD AN embarrassing accident in a supermarket car park. I was parked next to a car and, having bought my bits and bobs, I jumped onto the bike, started it up and immediately fell off. I had left my disc lock on. My bike toppled over and left a mark on an elderly Ford Escort (yes it was an Escort, not a Focus). I went to security, got the shop to tannoy the driver of the car and waited for an eruption. A lady of middle years and kindly aspect came up to the counter, asked; “Have I left my lights on again?” and I explained I had dropped my bike on her car. She thanked me for not riding off and we walked out to her car. She…

I’ve just read the RiDE Investigates article in the April edition about the age of bikers. While the stats in respect of license acquisitions speak for themselves, I must challenge the general view that young people are not getting into bikes. I am part of a riding group (not a motorcycle club) called Midlands Riders. We organise ride-outs at least every other weekend from February through until October and the vast majority of these rides are deliberately 125 or learner-friendly. With over 10,000 members in our Facebook group, we have a very wide range of people who just enjoy riding. It is invariably the younger members of the group who actually do the most riding. Young bodies mean less aches and better resilience to the cold! We welcome anyone to…

‘Now, at the start of spring, it’s practically empty’ SURROUNDED BY ITS more traditionally handsome national-park neighbours – the Lakes, Dales and Peaks – Lancashire’s Forest of Bowland doesn’t even warrant their status; it’s an Area Of Natural Beauty; a sort of panoramic consolation prize. Which is ironic because despite being called a forest, trees are conspicuous by their absence – ‘forest’ is used in an archaic sense, meaning ‘a royal hunting ground’. The Forest of Bowland is mostly low hills and moorland, and the roads aren’t what you’d call sweeping tarmac epics. They’re generally short, sharp, gnarly and a bit sketchy. Perfect for enduro-style adventure bikes, nimble nakeds or classic machinery. And this is precisely why riding around the best of Lancashire is good idea — it’s not exactly…

Start Inverness, Highlands End Inverness, Highlands The Route A862 to Windhill, B9169 to A9, A9 to A99 at Latheron, A99 to John o’Groats, A836 to Tongue, A838 to Laxford Bridge, A894 to Newton, B869 to Baddidarach, A837 to Ledmore, A835 to Auchindrean, A832 to Kinlochewe, A896 to Shieldaig, unclassified road to Tornapress, A896 to Strathcarron, A890 to Achnasheen, A832 to Gorstan, A835 to Marybank, A832 to Muir of Ord, A862 to Inverness Distance 500 miles Best Bits A9 from Helmsdale, A836 from Strathy, all the west coast Best On Pretty much any bike…

SINCE IT WAS introduced three years ago, Triumph’s Street Triple RS has stood alone as the lairiest, sweetest-handling middleweight you could buy. But in our view, it was the worst of the range — the suspension was rock-hard, the engine needed loads of revving to make decent progress and it felt like it would be better off with a fairing and some clip-ons — it was little more than a de-constructed sportsbike. However, is has been a strong seller for Triumph and, for many, that combination of supersport chassis, triple motor and flat bars is a recipe for fun and once tried, almost impossible to resist. Which is exactly what RiDE reader Brad Wendes discovered when he picked up his Street Triple 18 months ago. Brad remembers: “I went to…

Mirrors £20 The Street Triple’s standard mirrors are next to useless, as they vibrate really badly. Triumph sells aftermarket CNC items that cost around £200 a pair and are considerably better but Brad reckons the £20 Chinese online copies are just as good and considerably less expensive! Fly screen £97 Naked bikes don’t have much weather protection but Triumph’s small fly screen actually makes a noticeable difference. “Before I fitted the screen, the wind would go down the back of my jacket and inflate it,” says Brad. “But with this, I can stoop and it goes over my head.” Exhausts from £300 As the collector box follows the sump’s line, removing it can harm the bike’s looks. According to Brad, the Arrow exhaust system is a nightmare…

THE VAST MAJORITY of riders only replace their shock absorber when it has reached the end of its working life. However, your bike’s suspension has an enormous effect on not only comfort but also, handling. While in most cases a bike’s original equipment suspension is adequate, it can always be improved upon, as Yamaha’s latest Tracer 900 perfectly demonstrates. Alongside its siblings the MT-09 and XSR900, the Tracer has a reputation for poor standard suspension. “The issue with the Tracer is that the shock is very firm in its initial movement, giving a harsh ride, then almost collapses through its stroke before excessive rebound holds the back end down,” explains suspension expert Richard Adams from British firm Maxton. “This takes weight off the front, causing the bike to run wide…

The dyno runs shocks through pre-set cycles to see how damping responds. OE The OE shock is firm in rebound damping and the adjuster has little effect. When rebound is varied, compression alters too. Maxton The NR4 has a wider range of rebound damping and its adjustment is independent of compression damping. Comparison The Maxton shock has 50% less minimum rebound damping available and also less compression, allowing it to recover faster from any movement and tracking the road’s surface better.…

2011-2018 | £3000-£6000 | 134mph | 90bhp IF THERE’S ONE bike Honda knows how to build, it’s a sports 600. The CBR600 topped sales for much of the 1990s and into the 2000s, until the world moved on to adventure bikes. But Honda persevered with a lower level, less-ambitious sport middleweight. In 2011 a new CBR600F appeared; basically a Hornet 600 with a fairing, the 600F was a pretty, capable, slightly soft but vice-free bike, with a good spec: assembled in Italy with a Japanese-built engine, adjustable USD forks, ally frame and swingarm and a 94bhp CBR-derived motor in stylish, simple bodywork. The bike that followed was 2014’s CBR650F. Completely new and built in Thailand, the engine was loosely based on the previous CBR, but with an extra 50cc, making…

IN A MOTORCYCLING world where few adventure bikes get their wheels muddy, KTM’s 790 Adventure R is designed to get down and dirty — which suits me just fine. In the last year, I’ve evolved from a rider who loved how invincible adventure bikes feel on the road, to one who wants to sometimes ride them off-road too. New for 2019, I sampled the Adventure a couple of times last year at KTM’s Adventure Bike Academy and I was impressed with how light it felt and how easily it shrugged off evil-looking terrain. But I hadn’t really ridden one on the road so this year is about finding out whether a bike that is so capable in the muck can actually work as a proper, functioning road bike. There are…

Lynmouth, Devon Here is Joel Millett’s first and my second-generation BMW S1000RR on our trip up Porlock Hill (with its 1-in-4 gradient) over Exmoor to Canterbury Hill to Lynton and Lynmouth for a well-deserved pasty and ice cream. A brilliant day and a great ride. Chris Prouse The Mumbles, Swansea Bay This picture was taken just as the sun was poking its head out after an early, quiet sunrise ride on my Versys 650 to Swansea Bay. Mark Akerman San Francisco, USA This is me and my best mate Paul finishing up our tour of America at the Golden Gate Bridge. We picked our Bonnevilles up in Vegas and rode to LA and then San Fran through the Mojave Desert and up the Pacific Coast Highway, which was amazing. I’d…

DAM SANCHEZ EARNS a crust as a software development expert but when he’s not staring at a screen, he’s out doing something in the open air — taking photos, drawing, endurance sports, rowing, playing football or, just as likely, blatting about on his beloved Super Duke R: “My grandfather in Galicia bought a 250cc scrambler when I was 11 years old (my family was into anything on two wheels), so I got into off-roading from an early age, then went from dirt biking to motocross to sports riding, trackdays... With family in Spain and going to see them as much as I could, I’d find new routes and ways to get to see them, so touring was part of that too.” This route, though, is closer to home. “I get…

Photos have emerged that confirm Ducati’s Multistrada V4 appears to be nearly ready. The engine seems to be out of the Streetfighter V4 but likely retuned for more midrange, though we’d still expect peak power of nearly 200bhp. Paired with the new motor is a brand new chassis with cast mainframe and a streel-trellis subframe. The new bike also has a double- sided swingarm; a shame as the single-sider is a classic. The other big new feature Ducati is testing is cruise- control radar that enables the bike to speed up and slow down with traffic automatically. We’d expect Ducati to unveil the finished machine in November and considering how much the Streetfighter costs, don’t be surprised if the Multistrada comes in around £20k.…

I arrived at Land’s End just after storm Ciara expecting to have the place to myself. However, I was amazed to find a group of motorcycle enthusiasts who had collectively travelled far further than myself. The Women Riders World Relay (WRWR) was having a photo shoot after a 64,500-mile journey around the world to encourage more women to ride motorbikes. I felt privileged to be able to photobomb this piece of history and I hope that the WRWR’s goal to attract more women into motorcycling is a great success. Mark Steer The WRWR has been an amazing success since it was founded by Hayley Bell last year and now has over 20,000 members located in over 100 countries. The relay (a global event with a baton passed from woman to…

THE FACTS Cost £15,765 Engine type dohc inline triple, 4v per cyl, l/c Capacity 765cc Power 126.2bhp @ 12,500rpm (measured) Torque 58.6lb·ft @ 9250rpm Fuel tank 17.4 litres Seat height 822mm Wheelbase 1379mm Weight 165kg (dry, claimed) Rider aids ABS, rider modes, traction control, up/down quickshifter TRIUMPH HAS CREATED one of the purest, most exciting sportsbikes ever. It’s also one of the friendliest, but there’s a problem. The new Daytona Moto2 765 Limited Edition costs a not-inconsiderable £15,765 and the company’s only making a few of them: 765 for the US and Canada and 765 for the rest of the world. In simple terms, it’s a Daytona 675R powered by a tuned 765cc inline three-cylinder Street Triple RS motor with power up from 121bhp to 128bhp. It also comes with…

THERE’S GOLD IN them thar hills — literally. As the Africa Twin’s wheels spin us through the village of Tyndrum in Stirling on the A82, we ride in the shadow of Ben Lui to the west; its snowy slopes reflect morning sunlight in golden luminescence. But there’s actual precious metal here; nearby, a long-proposed gold mine will soon produce an estimated £30 million per year. I half expect to pull over at Tyndrum’s famous fuel stop/ café and find a range of panning sieves and shovels on display; more Golden Boot than Green Welly. Anticipation at the forthcoming 360 miles is so powerful I can taste it. This is a grand loop that takes in three of my favourite roads; the A82, A87 and A830. They offer a combination of…

Start Padiham, Lancashire End Long Preston, Yorkshire The Route Sabden Road to Sabden, Clitheroe Road to Clitheroe, unnamed road to Whitewell, then a huge loop on unnamed roads to circulate round to Dunsop Bridge, then Newton-in-Bowland, B6478 to Waddington, unnamed road to Grindleton, Sawley, Tinkler’s Lane to Slaidburn, Lythe Fell Road to Moor Cock, Slaidburn Road to Bentham, B6480 then unnamed roads to Gisburn Forest, B6478 to Long Preston Distance 95 miles Best Bits Pendle Hill, Grizedale Lea, Lythe Fell Road Best On Mid-size adventure bikes or sporty nakeds…

New Shark lid’s an improvement Shark Spartan GT Carbon £469.99 www.nevis.uk.com THE CLAIM “The Shark Spartan GT Carbon is a fibre composite full-face helmet, featuring Shark’s latest innovations and expertise acquired over the years. The combination of fibre and carbon layers, associated with the multi-density EPS, offers the highest level of protection. The Spartan GT has extended boundaries in terms of both safety and comfort, in the aim of satisfying expectations voiced by the most demanding racers.” THE REALITY This isn’t really a racing helmet (it’s got a flip-down sun visor, for example), but it is a very competent sporty road and touring helmet that does everything well, is comfortable and has very few downsides — but then at the best part of £500, you’d expect it to be good.…

1 SPRINGS The Yamaha spring rate is 9.75kg/mm, which means it takes 9.75kg to compress it one millimetre. Maxton would use this rate of spring for a rider weighing around eight stone, which is why the Tracer’s rear feels soft for most European riders. Maxton has thousands of different rate springs but generally uses 10.75-11.5kg/mm on a Tracer. The finish on the Maxton spring is also a higher quality with its ends closed and ground. 2 PISTON The Yamaha piston is 40mm in diameter while Maxton uses a 46mm piston, which also has more holes for the oil to flow through. The bigger the piston, the easier it is to control the oil’s flow as it passes through the piston before peeling back the shims, leading to better damping characteristics.…

While not all bikes come with inherent issues, it's all too easy to overlook the poor suspension on those that do and just put up with what the original settings and chalk it up to ‘character.’ However, by investing in a quality aftermarket shock absorber, the improvement in riding enjoyment and the bike’s handling are remarkable. On the road ride, the Tracer was transformed by the Maxton shock, leading to not only a plusher ride quality but also delivering more confidence in all riding, as the bike was far less inclined to run wide exiting corners. When you look at the costs involved, investing in an aftermarket shock is a bit of a no-brainer. The only issue is that once you have sorted the back end of your bike out,…

The CBR600F and CBR650F are very different bikes but both tended to be bought by conscientious and careful owners who looked after them. You’re unlikely to find many that are thrashed. The CBR600F from 2011 onwards is at the tail end of the original CBR600 line stretching back to the 1990s, and benefits from slightly higher-quality finishing and component detailing than the later 650s. But it’s also very soft, especially at the back; check you can either adjust it, deal with it, or are prepared to uprate it. Other than that, check for loud camchain rattle — but the engine should otherwise be quiet and smooth. Check the gearbox in every gear under load. The CBR650F is, generally, not as opulent as the 600F and can feel buzzy at first…

The KTM was pretty filthy after a single exploratory bimble down a green lane, so I took it to the jet-wash. However, somehow, despite years of jet-washing bikes with no problems, I managed to get a slight misting of water inside the KTM’s very useful dash. So far it is reducing each day, though this does seem to be a fault with a few 790s, with some owners having dashes replaced under warranty. It wouldn’t put me off the bike but I would advise all potential owners to take care where they spray……

‘I opt for the bigger bike. It’s brilliant’ THE LAST SEVEN months with our dinky 250 have been a blast. We’ve commuted on it, greenlaned on it and made cost-effective tweaks. It’s now more comfortable, has more grip and better suspension. But can it really compete with it’s big-money big brother? Despite looking similar, there’s a world between these two bikes, which explains the price. The big bike has its motor derived from an off-road racer, the smaller from a 250 commuter. The expensive one has a proper race-derived ally chassis, the cheaper one has a steel chassis for minimal cost. One is made in Japan with HRC stickers, the other in built in Thailand. I could go on... But on the holes, ruts and woodland trails around Thetford forest,…

Alcalá de la Jovada, Spain During a week’s visit to the beautiful Spanish areas of Alcalá de la Jovada and La Vall d’Ebo with my brother, while exploring the endless forest trails and valley tracks along the winding CV-712, we were lucky enough to have our flights back to the UK cancelled due to storm Ciara. The extra three days were spent in glorious cloudless sunshine, enjoying some tricky off-road riding and stunning scenery on our Honda XR and Yamaha Serow. On the day we took these pictures, my wife was sending me her own pictures of heavy snow back home in the UK. As they say, every Ciara cloud has a silver lining. Roy Fender Get your bike in RIDE & win a BikeTrac system Each month the Star…

‘The biggest shake-up in helmet testing in 20 years’ HELMETS ARE ABOUT to undergo their biggest shake-up in 20 years, as ECE 22.06 takes over from the existing 22.05 standard. ECE regs are set by the United Nations, so Brexit won’t affect them. For the 22.06 standard, the tests will take place at a wider range of speeds and at multiple points across the helmets — a bit like the SHARP test. There will also be a test where the helmets are dropped onto an anvil at a 45° angle, to test for rotational forces that can damage brain tissue. The rest of the updates are to do with styles of helmet and items fitted to them. For 22.06, tests on flip-up lids will take place with the chin bars…

WE WERE RIDING through Iran during the ‘Fastest Circumnavigation of the World by Motorcycle’ record attempt. As we came into Iran from Turkey, we were in mountainous territory and it wasn’t warm but near the end of our first day, we could feel the temperature climb. At six the next morning, it was already nudging 30° and I knew that wasn’t good. Part of the problem for me was how I had to dress. Iran is a predominantly Shia Islam nation, so I had to cover up more than normal. I had my standard bike gear on — we’re talking 18 years ago here — and there wasn’t the specialist vented kit we’re all used to now. So on top of that, I had a long black manteau and a…

THE FACTS Cost £20,590 (otr, including charging cable and electric vehicle grant) Engine air-cooled AC electric motor Power 110bhp @ 5000rpm Torque 140lb·ft @ 500-4000rpm (est) Battery capacity 12.6kWh (nominal) Seat height 787mm Wheelbase 1450mm Weight 234kg Rider aids Five riding modes, cornering ABS and traction control, cruise control FROM MOTOGP TO Ewan and Charley, it seems everyone’s going electric. Today it’s the turn of sports-touring. This SR/S is the first faired road bike from Californian electric-bike veteran Zero. Beneath its bodywork is the same motor, frame, battery and charging technology as last year’s impressive SR/F naked (RiDE, August 2019). Surprisingly, the riding position isn’t any sportier for this S — it’s actually more relaxed than the unfaired roadster. The S’s suspension is set softer for comfort, the pillion seat…

THE FACTS Cost £7195 (as tested) Engine type dohc parallel twin, 4v per cyl, l/c Capacity 649cc Power 67bhp @ 8000rpm Torque 47lb·ft @ 6700rpm Fuel tank 15 litres Seat height 790mm Wheelbase 1410mm Weight 193kg (wet) Rider aids ABS KAWASAKI HAS UPDATED the Ninja 650 for 2020 with a new dash, sportier styling, fresh rubber and a better pillion seat. A new exhaust helps unlock an angrier, more throaty soundtrack, too. The TFT dash, which is well designed and easy to read, runs with a rev counter along the top, a gear indicator and fuel gauge. Otherwise, the Ninja carries on where the old one (and ER-6f before that) left off as a fun and engaging middleweight. The real deal-breaker, though, is the price. In the KRT colours (the…

1 THE WHEN Choosing your moment seems obvious; everyone knows bank holidays and school breaks are when our national parks and popular tourist routes like the A39 and NC500 get crammed with motorhomes and caravans. But it’s also worth checking out the time next year’s route looks its best; the NC500 in May, with the roadsides on fire with bright yellow gorse, or the reds and oranges of Thetford Forest in early autumn, or the incredible golden sweep of the North Yorkshire moors in November. Not all the best days are mid-summer! 2 KEEP A LOW PROFILE Many of the best riding routes in Britain pass through the most spectacular natural views; places where our lovely, pristine bikes can actually spoil the scene for everyone else. So it’s always worth…

UNLESS YOU SPEND your life on trackdays or off-road, there’s a school of thought that says a set of sports-touring tyres is all you’ll ever need, thanks to their all- round longevity, grip and handling. The latest generation of sports-touring tyres grip ferociously as well as offering great wear characteristics. A good set should offer great confidence from the off, be stable and work in all temperature ranges. It’s a big ask but there is no doubt that the big manufacturers are up to it — we’re living in a golden age of tyre technology. But which feel the best in normal riding? To find out, we tested six of the best-selling sets on the market (Avon failed to get involved) on a typical sports tourer — the BMW R1250RS,…

WHEN WE CONDUCTED our last sports-touring tyre test in freezing, soaking wet conditions, Metzeler’s old Roadtec 01 stood out and now, two years later, in more typical spring conditions, the results with the updated Roadtec 01 SE are similar. When it comes to that magic combination of sweet steering, confidence and stability, they’re the best tyres here. We were very impressed by Dunlop’s RoadSmart III, a tyre that gives lots of confidence and should feel perfect if sporty riding isn’t always your thing. It does everything you’d want from a sports-touring tyre and felt the best at steady speeds — and had one of the best performances in braking, too. But this test proves that the latest crop of sports-touring rubber is very competent. There wasn’t a single set of…

We tested the two shocks back-to-back on a 2020 Yamaha Tracer 900 with the Yamaha’s shock set on its standard settings and the Maxton NR4 set for our rider’s weight by Maxton. Initial impressions When you sit on the Maxtonequipped bike it instantly feels firmer and lacks the initial sag as the bike ‘settles’ under the rider’s weight. This lack of movement does make it feel like it is sitting a bit taller though, increasing seat height. However, the Tracer’s seat height is adjustable. Also, the NR4 shock can have its length altered if you are shorter (or longer) in the leg. High-speed stability Through faster corners, the stock Tracer has a tendency to weave a bit and feel loose at the front end, a sensation the Maxton shock reduces.…

OFF-ROAD RIDING HAS always been a source of both frustration and fear to me, especially on an adventure bike. I just don’t get it and assume any angle of lean will result in the tyres washing out and me hitting the dirt, rapidly followed by a heavy adventure bike that will probably squash me. So when, on the recent 2020 Africa Twin launch, I got talking to Dave Thorpe and he suggested I attend the Honda Adventure Centre he runs to ride an Africa Twin in the mud, it was time to banish my demons. Based in Exmoor, the one thing you can guarantee is that as well as a nice slow pace (there is such a thing as Somerset-time) there will be a lot of mud as, in my…

1 Drifting is fun! You don’t crack open the gas on a sportsbike in first gear and encourage a slide to see what will happen but in an off-road environment, you can. Starting small, it doesn’t take long to get a decent drift going, which looks and feels awesome! 2 Look ahead When you are on over 250kg of Africa Twin Adventure Sport DCT (in a narrow muddy rut, it is all too easy to get freaked out, let your eyes drop and become fixated on what’s directly ahead, which inevitably leads to a wobble and either feet down or a topple. By looking well ahead and plodding on, it is amazing what the bike will sort out below you and your natural riding reflexes will deal with without you…

Kawasaki Ninja 650 (2012-2019) 67bhp 49lb·ft 193kg ER-6f parallel twin with less power, torque and weight but with clip-ons and sportier styling. Slightly flimsy and underpowered in comparison. SUZUKI SV650S (1999-2012) 72bhp 74lb·ft 189kg Sporty, grunty and long-lived V-twin makes huge sense as a do-all middleweight. 2003-on models better and good ones start at £1500. Yamaha XJ6 Diversion F (2010-2016) 77bhp 44lb·ft 216kg 600cc inline four all-rounder came in naked, half-faired and fully faired guises. High revving, smooth, soft and now cheaper than the CBR.…

Know about the unknowns The perky stroker will keep its problems to itself. Wheels might look good but corrode from the inside out — a subtle loss of pressure can be a tell-tale. Spokes can break free from the hubs and the rear subframe swallows water and quietly rust itself away, out of sight. Check for bodging Engine work by competent hands is a sign it’s been looked after. Original exhausts rot for pleasure and are super-rare in good nick, so accept repair patches or aftermarket pipes. There’s little to fit the unusual wheel sizes, so you’ll have road-only rubber (Avon Roadrider or Bridgestone BT45). R1/R6 ‘blue spot’ calipers do bugger-all without a master-cylinder change. Issues you have to live with Gear levers jiggle at tickover, regardless of adjustments or…

IT’S BEEN BUSY for RiDE’s Africa Twin Adventure Sports — Peak District last month; the Isle of Skye via Lancashire (page 48); Somerset as Jon Urry visited the Honda Adventure Centre (page 96); and finally 250 miles around Lincolnshire. The result is 3000 miles in a month and a squared-off rear Bridgestone AX41T. The Bridgestones do the job; fine in the dry but less confident in the cold and wet. A pair of Michelin Anakee Adventures are ready to go on — it’ll be interesting to see how they feel and last. I’ve also tweaked the suspension. It was soggy on the settings it arrived with, the bike sitting back with the front feeling vague. I wanted more direct feel, with less weight-transfer on the brakes or gas and a…

Bike 2003 Yamaha TDM900 Total miles 104,856 Rider Chris Summers Age 57 Miles per year 15,000 I bought the TDM in 2006 purely for commuting, as well as an excuse to get back into biking. After racing a 1963 Ducati 350, I did the usual kids thing and stopped riding but when I relocated with work to the outskirts of Liverpool, the public transport was a nightmare so I turned back to two wheels. “I spent ages looking at various bikes but the TDM wasn’t on my radar, as I only remembered the weird-looking original model. After visiting various dealers though, the Yamaha made sense. I’m 6’4” and the TDM’s upright riding position suited me. Adventure bikes weren’t that common in 2006 and I didn’t fancy a heavy GS, so…