Table of contents for October 2018 in RiDE

East Yorkshire, England On the north shore of the Humber, on the way to the Yorkshire Dales. What a glorious place to ride. Chris Chambers Grossglockner, Austria Rode my BMW S1000R on the B500 in the Black Forest, through the mountains to Austria’s Grossglockner. It was epic and the roads were amazing. Steve Pearce North Carolina, USA My rented Harley Street Glide at Deal’s Gap (Tail of the Dragon) on a two-week trip to Daytona Biketoberfest. Matt James Llanfair..., North Wales My Honda GoldWing and Paul Warner’s BMW R1200R on a trip to Wales, stopping at that place with the name! Mike Woodhall Aberystwyth, Wales First run on my new Triumph Sprint, my brother’s Benelli on a new engine and my friend’s Kawasaki Z1000SX in its new fairing. Ian Gibbons…

ROUND THE WORLD? Pah. Every Tom, Ewan and Charley can do that. The most challenging adventure in motorcycling today is the Trans Euro Trail: a 24,000-mile off-road loop that runs through 30 countries, stretching from the Arctic Circle to the cusp of Africa and back again. The entire route is free, legal to ride, and supported by an active community of enthusiastic, knowledgeable overlanders. Along the way it takes in more than 1800 miles of English and Welsh trails and backroads, which in itself has to be the biggest British adventure going. Just three problems: the UK stretch alone takes two weeks, is designed for small and mid-capacity off-road bikes on proper knobbly tyres, and is aimed at skilled riders. Well, we don’t have any of those but we do…

NORMALLY WE TRY TO avoid staying in big cities, but there’s no doubting there are some benefits for biking trips. Plenty of choice for accommodation, lots of pubs and restaurants for the evening – and if the surrounding countryside is stuffed with so many of our favourite roads… Of course, the trade-off is that there may be a bit of messing about on bigger roads to blast clear of the suburbs at the start of the ride, but that’s a small price to pay. Our ride around Middlesbrough uses so many quiet roads you’ll almost wonder where the people have gone as you’re enjoying it. STAGE ONE Middlesbrough to Stanhope 45 miles Leave Middlesbrough on the A19 north towards Newcastle and Durham, crossing the River Tees and taking the third…

Bumot Extremada soft panniers for BMW R1200GSA £449 www.adventurebikeshop.co.uk These quick-release soft panniers (with a semi-rigid backing on the rack side) fit straight onto the standard frames on all 2014-on BMW R1200GSA models. Constructed from 1100 denier Cordura, there’s a 650g Nylon liner to keep the water out and then another layer of Cordura. They come with roll-top inner bags for even more weather protection. Capacity is 31 litres on the exhaust side and 35 litres on the other, plus two external pockets on each bag. Plenty of strapping points to fix stuff on top too. Givi Fluo suit £86 www.givi.co.uk Writing this in the middle of a heatwave, the idea of a waterproof oversuit seems laughable. But by the time you read this it’ll probably be tipping down and…

Namibia Why you should go Huge blue skies, gravel roads into endless horizons, spectacular desert, remote game lodges, classic dunescapes, a harsh but beautiful coastline and the shimmering salt pan and waterholes of Etosha National Park; Namibia has so much to offer. What’s it like to ride there? Namibia is definitely for those who like a challenge. Only a small number of major roads are tarred, the rest are gravel and range from relatively well-maintained and straight to bone-shaking dirt corrugations and rocky tracks that are sometimes impossible to identify in the rock-strewn landscape. There’s quite a bit of sand to tackle too, of course, often just a layer over harder ground, but sometimes some devilishly deep sand pits await. So you need to be very focused on the road…

Brighton? Isn’t that a bit, you know, old-fashioned? Well, in a way it is. Certainly architecturally you’d never mistake it for anything but what it is — a playground for Georgian and Victorian holidaymakers. So you get sweeping Georgian crescents, solid Victorian back streets, a good rail link and a nice pier — most are gradually falling into picturesque decline nowadays. And overlaid with all of that is a much more modern vibe. Tourism’s less important than it used to be and there’s a lot of alternative economic activity. Brighton’s very artsy, craftsy, techy and forward-looking these days, while still keeping that veneer of seaside charm. So far so genteel, but what about all the mods and rockers, eh? Well, that was a long time ago now — 40+ years…

AH, THE MONKEY. That itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny bundle of densely packed, sepia-tinted silliness. Honda’s minuscule miracle has been putting smiles on faces for almost six decades but now, the titan of tiny has grown up. Where the original had a 50cc engine and fitted in the boot of a car, Honda’s 2018 Monkey Z125A takes its foundations from the MSX125. Its 9bhp motor is as simple as you can get away with today: an air-cooled undersquare single with two valves and a single cam. Its dinky 12in wheels are little more than a metre apart, and even with its gallon-and-a-bit fuel tank brimmed, the whole bike weighs just 107kg. With a heave it’s possible to pick the Monkey clean up off the ground, so while this might be the King Kong…

CHASSIS The 790 Duke isn’t nicknamed The Scalpel for no reason — accurate and razor-sharp handling out of the box ELECTRONICS Ride-by-wire means four rider modes, adjustable engine braking, launch control and cornering ABS ENGINE KTM’s first parallel twin is a masterpiece - revvy yet gutsy from the midrange right up to the 10,000rpm rev limiter SUSPENSION Forks feature split function - compression damping in one leg, rebound in the other. No adjustment but none needed IN RECENT YEARS, as we know all too well, a lot of riders have been moving away from pure sportsbikes, their quivering licences finding refuge on high-performance naked bikes. Traditionally big capacity, the market has now opened up to include smaller-engined machines that might pack a little less power, but don’t skimp on overall…

OWNERS SEEM TO be a mixed bag of youth and experience, and high mileage vs sunny Sundays use. The one thing they seem to have in common is a hankering after a return to ‘proper’ bikes. The R nineT (a 2014 model now with 11,400 miles on the clock) is Jake’s first bike, although he’s wanted to ride since he was a kid forty or more years ago: “I liked the riding position, the torque, and mostly how mechanical it feels. It’s fun to ride, there are no rider aids and it’s well-suited for someone that isn’t a very aggressive rider.” At well over 6ft and 13 stone, he found the original suspension lacking though: “Terrible on bumps, and the front end dives under braking. I upgraded to Hyperpro springs…

Triumph Thruxton R 2016-current £8700–£12,250 • 1200cc parallel twin • 96bhp • 135mph • 61mpg • 206Kg (dry) More authentic-looking than the BMW and probably nimbler handling, though the R nineT likely has more low down thump. Where this R version of the Thruxton scores, though, is the suspension. Öhlins rear shocks and Showa BPFs are fully adjustable and though standard settings are a bit too stiff for the road, twiddling the adjusters sees it perfectly poised. Yamaha XSR900 2016-current £6000–£8899 • 847cc inline triple • 113bhp • 150mph • 54mpg • 195Kg Yamaha’s take on the modern retro theme gives a new set of clothes to the excellent MT-09 — and in the process gives it a whole new character. Sweet-handling, though suffering a bit from budget suspension, it’s just so easy to ride. The real star…

Engine 1170cc ohc boxer twin, 4v per cyl, air/oil-cooled Power 109bhp@ 7750rpm Torque 88lb·ft @ 6000rpm Transmission 6-speed, shaft Chassis steel-tube trellis Front suspension 46mm forks, 120mm travel, no adjustment Rear suspension monoshock, 120mm travel, adjustable preload and rebound Front brake 320mm discs, 4-piston calipers Rear brake 220mm disc, 2-piston caliper Front tyre 120/70 ZR17 Rear tyre 180/55 ZR17 Wheelbase 1476mm Rake/trail 25.5°/102.5mm Seat height 805mm Fuel tank 18 litres Kerb weight 222kg…

1 Don’t use the force With the caliper on the bike, undo brake pad retaining pins and fasteners holding anti-rattle plates (where applicable). These often seize because of heat, dirt and moisture, so decent tools and a careful approach are essential. An impact driver may be required for stubborn bolts. Don’t force anything. With everything loose, you can then safely remove the caliper. 2 Now it’s time to come clean Remove the brake pad retaining pins, clips and anti-rattle/squeal plates — thin slivers of metal or wire fitted to the pad backing, bolted to the caliper or wedged in under the pad. Clean them up with brake cleaner and a light abrasive on heavy deposits or corrosion. Replace any missing or damaged fittings, especially any with chewed heads, which may…

It may have been a first in the UK, but KTM’s Adventure Rallies have been hosted in a variety of other countries for a few years now. They’re already an annual feature in the USA and Canada, Italy, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. KTM aims to give adventure-bike owners an opportunity to sample their machines’ capabilities in a great environment. And that’s the case regardless of rider ability. Ranging in length from three to five days, it’s hoped the true sense of adventure biking can be enjoyed, with all the challenges and camaraderie associated with it. All you need to take part is a KTM Adventure bike of any age and capacity from 690 to 1290 ranges. For more info, see www.ktm-adventure-rally.com…

IN MY LAST report I told you how well-suited the KTM 790 Duke was for a track evening at Cadwell Park — no surprise really. So what kind of experience would the 790 give me on a mini-tour of Wales? I came up with a rough plan of riding to the bottom of Wales then working my way north. From Peterborough to South Wales was a chance to see how the bike would fare on motorways. The lack of wind protection is something I’ve adjusted to but the riding position actually works in this scenario. A bit of bum-ache set in after around 100 miles but the seat is spacious enough to find another sweet spot. The real pain came from my 15-year-old tankbag, which I fitted just before setting…

I RECENTLY HAD my riding assessed by Rapid Training. I achieved an 8 out of 10 overall. Not bad and it means I’m still competent enough to ride bikes for work. A comment in the summary of my assessment raised a smile; that my riding has ‘a slight Jekyll and Hyde element to it’. Fair comment but I’m placing the responsibility squarely on the Ducati Scrambler’s chunky, yellow shoulders. And here’s why… Dr. Jekyll will see you now The first part of the assessment took place on busy dual carriageway. I sat at the speed limit and chose not to pick off the queue of cars. Why? Apart from not wishing to exceed the limit (officer), the Scrambler is horrible to ride faster than that for the prolonged periods prescribed…

IN TWO MILLENNIA the Fosse Way has seen it all, from legions of Roman troops to a trio of 2018 adventure bikes (p18). But while this month’s Group Ride followed an unpaved stretch that makes up part of the Trans Euro Trail, for our May 2009 issue, RiDE tried to follow the Fosse in its full Lincoln-to-Exeter glory. Experienced off-roaders Rob Hoyles and Adam Duckworth took BMW’s F650GS and Yamaha’s XT660Z Ténéré for the trip. On paper, it should have been a piece of cake. “Riding 300 miles in two days doesn’t sound like a big deal,” admitted Rob at the start. “I mean, if a few sandal-wearers in metal skirts on wheelbarrows with iron wheels being towed by horses could manage it — it’s going to be a cinch…”…

ONLINE RETAILER SPORTSBIKESHOP has opened a new store in the real world — which it boasts is “The second-best stocked store in the country” after its original shop outside Boston in Lincolnshire. The new store in Milton Keynes carries the top 20% of the gear SBS sells, with a vast range of kit from Alpinestars, Armr, Dainese, DXR, Furygan, Held, Rev’It, Richa, RST, Spada and many more. “The difference is that in Boston, we have a large number of every item in every colour and in every size,” explains Sportsbikeshop’s Chris Winters. “In Milton Keynes, we have one on display and less in stock, ready to restock immediately from Boston.” With a huge selection of ladies kit and crash helmets, anyone needing to try an item on before buying can…

The Africa Twin was revived in 2016 after a 13-year absence. Other than its name, the CRF1000L was a completely clean-sheet design, with a 998cc parallel twin, a steel-cradle frame, long-travel suspension and proper off-road tyre sizes, including an 18in rear. It’s been gently updated for 2018 with a lighter lithium-ion battery, a ride-by-wire throttle and a few other detail tweaks. The standard Africa Twin costs £11,575, but our test bike has a number of official accessories fitted, including a centrestand (£180), foglights (£895), a 12V power socket (£20), heated grips (£325) and a taller screen (£125). There’s also an automatic DCT version (£12,549), an Adventure Sports model (24-litre tank, longer suspension, £12,599) plus a DCT AS (£13,549). SPEC Price £11,575 (£13,075 as tested) Engine 998cc 8v parallel twin, l/c…

The F850GS replaces the ageing F800GS, which first appeared in 2008. The 850 doesn’t just have a bigger engine — it’s a new bike from the ground up, sharing almost nothing with the 800. Where the 800 used a tubular-steel frame, an underseat fuel tank and a 360° crank, the 850 has a cast-bridge frame, a conventional tank and an offbeat 270° crank. The F850GS starts at £9400, while the Sport (quickshifter, heated grips, LED lights) is £10,650. Our test bike has Comfort (£560: keyless ignition, tyre-pressure monitors, centrestand), Style (£225: graphics) and Premium (£840: cruise, rack, semi-active suspension) packs, sat-nav mount (£200), TFT dash (£595) and SOS button (£295). SPEC Price £10,650 (£13,365 as tested) Engine 853cc 8v parallel twin, l/c Power 94bhp @ 8250rpm Torque 68lb·ft @ 6250rpm…

We’ve had a stunning summer so far: long, hot days and — especially when the World Cup had people glued to the telly — nice, quiet roads. Perfect riding conditions. Hopefully everyone’s been making the most of it, getting out to discover new places and new roads to enjoy. That’s what the Great British Ride Out is all about: going a bit further than normal, getting a bit more from the bike, having a better summer on two wheels. Better still, it can win you prizes. The idea is simple: go to www.ride.co.uk/gbro and click the link to our interactive map. Pick the waypoints you want to visit and plan the most entertaining route between them, then go and enjoy the ride. When you get back, send us the route:…

Should I appeal a parking fine? Q I HAD TO take my bike into Westminster and after shackling my bike down with every lock I own, I went to pay the parking fee. I do not usually take my bike into London but I do have the ‘Ringo’ app to pay for parking. As I went to pay I realised that I had my car’s registration number registered and not my bike’s. With a crappy signal I struggled adding the bike’s number and in the end, gave up. I got to my meeting, and once I had a solid wi-fi signal I put my bike’s registration number in and paid, at 11.17am. At the end of the day I went back to my bike and I had been ticketed at…

1 MONTH AHEAD British Superbikes August 17-19, Cadwell Park, Lincs No matter how much racing you’ve seen, if you haven’t watched up close as some of the best riders in the world launch themselves over the Mountain and into the tight, twisty and dangerous Woodland section of this historic track, then you’ve been denying yourself a treat. Deny yourself no further.... www.britishsuperbike.com Festival of Bikes Sept 8-9, Cheltenham Town Hall A celebration of choppers, customs, café racers, scooters, specials and classics. Pretty much anything non-standard really, with the emphasis on shed-built ingenuity, not chequebook bolt-ons. Why not enter your modified bike? www.thecustomshow.com Drunken Monkey Rock Festival Aug 3-5, Upton on Severn, Worcs Not really bike-related but with free camping all weekend, you and some mates could turn it into your…

B-ROADS The KTM 790 Duke is one seriously compact bike. It’s narrow and pared down, with minimal frontal area and a slim seat. It feels hollow between your knees as it scythes through country lanes, more like a skinny motocrosser or supermoto than a traditional road-going naked. By contrast the footpegs are in a fairly high and rear-set position. The new Duke certainly feels a lot lighter and friskier than the 169kg dry weight KTM claims. It changes direction instantly, with only the lightest input required at the ends of the flat one-piece handlebar. This impressive agility also comes with surprising stability: you’d expect a bike as light and slim as this — especially with such relatively steep steering geometry and a short wheelbase — to have its bars waggling…

The seat lock is located under the left-hand side panel and allows the rear pillion seat to be removed only. The rider’s seat is secured by two torx bolts, but there is almost no reason to investigate any further than this because pretty much everything you need is under the pillion seat. It houses the bike’s battery, which has very accessible terminals should you want to attach accessories or a trickle charger. The main fuse box is located next to the battery, along with the starter solenoid and various relays. With all of these electrical components neatly tucked under the pillion seat, there is very little room for storage.…

Lots of fun - for a while. Pretty much everyone agrees that the standard seat on the base model is torture after an hour or so. That’s a shame as the rest of the dynamic package is very good. With no complicated electronics or gadgets to get in the way, it’s all about the basics of the ride — geometry, engine characteristics, steering and handling. When it was originally launched in 2014, this is what we said: “It’s as refreshing as a glass of icy water after a rich meal. You just get on, turn the key, ride off and simply enjoy the bike. It does that traditional boxer drive-hard-from-low-down thing, jumping out of corners with vigour. Going down a gear delivers enough engine braking to make the strong radially…

Service schedule A simple schedule, based on 6000-mile intervals. It’s labour-intensive because valve clearances are checked at every 6k interval. Fortunately they’re easy to access and not too hard to set. Oil and filter are also changed at 6k, along with throttle body balancing. Spark plugs, air filter and final drive oil are every other service. Fork oil is at 18,000 miles — we’d change it sooner. Gearbox oil and alternator belt are due every 24,000 miles. Brake fluid’s every two years but again, we wouldn’t leave it that long. Apart from that, just the usual checks, including spoke tension and run-out. New and used parts prices New service parts aren’t bad — £12 for an oil filter and £17 for an air filter, and brake pads at £68.50 a…

“After our heads it’s our hands that need protection the most” YOU CAN’T BEAT a good pair of gloves. They’re your primary connection with the bike – with the throttle and the front brake, not to mention secondary controls like indicators, headlights and maybe the heated-grips button. A good pair of gloves should be almost unnoticeable, imperceptibly making every ride a bit better, while a bad pair will limit feel, impair control and make every ride a bit less pleasant than it should be. A really bad pair can be uncomfortable, sometimes to the point of being painful. On top of which, motorcycle gloves have a far more serious job to do: they have to protect our hands. That means they need to be properly stitched together, of robust materials…

1 Racer High Speed £189.99 www.tranam.co.uk Sizes S-3XL Cuff Long Fastening points 2 Hard armour Knuckle, Finger, Palm, Wrist Visor wipe N CE mark Y High-spec race gloves made of kangaroo and Pittards cow leather, with a stingray inset on the palms and Superfabric over the hard knuckle protector. There’s also hard armour on fingers, wrist and palm. They took about a week to break in, after which comfort was “Perfect” according to the tester. Feel was excellent and control impeccable… “But palm sliders interfere with grip on some bikes.” Outstanding gloves, but check they work with your bike. SCORES Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10/10 Build . . . . . .…

Held Phantom II £300 www.held-uk.co.uk I’VE BEEN USING these gloves for nearly four years now, rather than one. And though the colour may have faded in places and they could do with a clean, their performance is pretty much as good now as it was when I first pulled them on. It’s important to note, though, that these are not straight off-the-peg Phantom IIs (which cost £201.99). These were custom-fitted to my large hands — a process that can add 50% of the price of the glove and allows the spec to be refined, from colour(s) of leather to what type of protectors are used. My gloves are kangaroo leather with a Kevlar lining inside on the back of the hand. Standard Phantom IIs use stingray inset panels, but I…

CRESTING THE LAST hill on the way up to the Sweet Lamb Motorsport Complex reveals some seriously satisfying sights shimmering in the summer sun. The paddock looks impressive, crammed full with everything needed for a great off-road biking weekend. It’s KTM UK’s first three-day Adventure Rally event for its adventure bike customers. There are loads of the orange dual-purpose machines and their riders sampling various challenges and plenty of staff in attendance, keeping it all under control. Together with several trucks, awnings, 70 tents and all the associated sounds and smells, it’s a small community with a very big atmosphere. I’m really excited to be joining the party. There’s lots to take in. Just under 70 guests have arrived to be part of it all, having made the trip on…

AT 56 LITRES, I’m not sure if the Givi V56 topbox is the world’s largest, but it ought to be. It’s the Tardis of topboxes. Two full-face lids and room to spare? A week’s food shop? A month’s worth of pants and T-shirts (longer, if you’re as unkempt as I)? Swallowed whole. Unlike Kawasaki’s panniers, the box doesn’t add to the H2’s width so filtering is unaffected. Handling isn’t either; at sub-walking pace the hand of Givi influences the back but when rolling, the box has almost no pendulum effect. Fitting the rack wasn’t straightforward; Givi’s instructions are scant and working out which screws and bolts to remove (it’s not obvious; two cross-head screws are hidden) and how best to route indicator and registration plate light wires took a bit…

ON ONE OF the hottest days of the year, rather than the wide open, sweeping roads of the Lincolnshire countryside I decided to head for the claustrophobic, congested and hot streets of London on the Honda CB1000R+ Why? I’m a child of the city and not only did I want to get a ride to the Smoke but I was also hankering after a burger to beat the poor offerings of my carnivorous colleagues and to add another good café GBRO waypoint. Forget the blast down the A1; that’s just a means to an end. Google Maps found me a great route along the Old Great North Road, the A111 towards Cockfosters taking in what can only be a classed as a Millionaires’ Row. It’s tricky to rubber neck at…

YOUR EYES DO not deceive you: it’s an adventure bike with a Harley-Davidson badge. Called the Pan America 1250, it’s a glimpse into the broad-minded future of the American firm, whose range is about to expand dramatically. Along with this divisively styled dual-purpose machine, Harley also has a 975cc Streetfighter, a range of electric bikes and a sub-500cc model hiding up its sleeves. For a firm that’s spent 115 years focusing on large-capacity customs and cruisers, this is a seismic shift. Harley is keeping the Pan America’s details quiet for now (it’s not due until 2020) but it appears to use a new water-cooled, dohc, 60° V-twin. The frame is also new while modern parts include radial Brembo brakes, upside-down forks, tubeless spoked wheels and an adjustable screen. And it’s…

WELL, EVERYONE BUYING a brand-new Honda or a Piaggio Beverley 300/350 or Vespa GTS300. The Piaggio scheme sees TRACKER units fitted free of charge to the three big scooters, with the first year’s subscription also provided for free. A scooter with a tracker will also get a 10% discount from Lexham insurance. Mark Knight of Piaggio said the scheme should; “Offer greater peace of mind, while also helping reduce insurance costs.” Honda is offering to fit a Datatool TrakKING Adventure system to any new bike, though the owner will pay the monthly subscription. “This is a long-term Honda commitment to ensuring peace of mind for riders,” said Honda’s Neil Fletcher. RIDE says This is a good move and we hope more manufacturers follow suit. A tracker might not stop your…

BMW Motorrad Days THIS YEAR BMW’S famed Bavarian booze-up drew 35,000 riders from 30 countries who guzzled 20,000 litres of beer (which averages out to just a pint per person: lightweights). The event, set in the ski-town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, saw a mix of stands and displays from 80 exhibitors, stunt shows, a wall-of-death, plus test rides and ride-outs through the area’s stunning mountain landscape. Surprisingly, there was no big announcement — not even a hint — of any new models or ground-breaking technology being developed. It seems like we’ll have to wait until the Intermot show in October for any news on the hotly rumoured and anticipated R1250GS… World Ducati Week THE 10TH WORLD Ducati Week attracted a record-breaking 91,596 riders to Misano over the three days of the biennial…

This third-generation Tiger 800 follows in the pawprints of the original (2011-2014) and the ride-by-wire update (2015-2017). The core engine and frame haven’t changed much but electronics and sophistication have improved. Today there are six Tiger 800s: four road-focused XRs and two more dirt-minded XCs. This, the XCX, includes cruise control, a TFT dash, 12V DIN power socket, adjustable WP suspension but no centrestand. The Matt Khaki Green paint on our bike is an extra £150. If you want more, there’s a higher-spec XCA (£12,450) which adds all-LED lighting, backlit switchgear, centrestand, heated grips and seats, spotlights, an extra riding mode and an aluminium radiator guard. SPEC Price £11,250 (£11,400 as tested) Engine 800cc 12v inline triple, l/c Power 94bhp @ 9500rpm Torque 58lb·ft @ 8050rpm Transmission 6-speed, chain Chassis…

Human Kindness I HAVE BEEN in Kazakhstan for a while now, a lot longer than I had expected. I was in Almaty for a month waiting for a new clutch and valves to fix my bike. I have just arrived in Atyrau after retracing my tyre tracks for almost 2000 miles; my Turkmenistan visa request never got a response so I am heading to Aktau where I will get a ferry across the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan then ride into Iran. The centre of Kazakhstan is vast, windy, sandy and either really hot or really cold, one day you’re riding in 40°C heat and the next, it’s 7°C with a brutal wind. Today I was happy to travel a road I haven’t ridden before for the first time in a…

The sensible one BMW F800R > £3250-£5500 > 2009-2014 > 798cc parallel twin > 86bhp > 199kg ALMOST A DECADE before KTM’s 790 Duke, another firm was taking its first steps in the midrange roadster market. It too used an 800cc parallel twin with unusual firing intervals to replicate the sound and feel of its larger engines. The BMW F800R’s twin is a grunter rather than a screamer – and certainly not a drinker. From tickover it doffs softly but substantially, drives determinedly though a decent midrange, then tails off to a plentiful rather than pant-wetting 86bhp top-end. And it does it all on a sniff of petrol – 50mpg is a minimum, while 70mpg or more is easily achieved. The chassis is long and stable yet beautifully balanced at…

By modern standards, not a lot - at least in the way of gadgets, extras and riding aids. Front suspension is completely non-adjustable, rear shock has rebound and a neat little aluminium preload adjuster knob. ABS is standard, and ASC (traction control) is an option but otherwise, that’s it. Naturally, being a BMW there’s plenty of opportunity for raiding the accessories catalogue, but most owners seem to steer clear of dealer options (heated grips and Akrapovic exhaust apart), preferring to keep the bike’s basic, stripped-down character intact. To start with, at least... BMW specifically designed the R nineT to be easily modified — it even went so far as to make the rear subframe easily removable, and made the engine and lighting wiring looms completely separate, so you can strip…

You know a bike’s a bit special when a motorcycle journalist spends their own money on one. Ben Miller did just that during his time on Bike, RiDE’s sister title. “I’ve been riding since I was 19 and had various sportsbikes — Honda NC30, Aprilia RSV Mille R — and wanted to treat myself to a new bike. I was sick of buying stuff other people hadn’t looked after properly. I really wanted an HP2 Sport but wasn’t sure I wanted another sportsbike. A mate had just tried an R NineT and recommended it highly — good-looking, useable, similar engine to the HP2 Sport. So I bought it new from Park Lane BMW in 2015. “The riding position is a double-edged sword. Comfortable for short journeys and B-roads, where you…

“They’re not run-in until they’ve done 3000-4000 miles ” 1 ENGINE No real problems - it’s a well-proven unit. If you buy new or low mileage, be aware that they’re not really properly run-in until they’ve done 3000-4000 miles at least. Until then they feel a bit tight, and maybe a bit vibey. There are a few reports of the engine cutting out for no obvious reason — either on downshifts or while idling. Possibly related to the very lean fuelling needed to pass emissions controls and often worse with aftermarket exhausts. Many owners swear by an aftermarket BoosterPlug, which richens up the mixture at low rpm and under hard acceleration. It’s plug and play but not cheap at £122 from Motorworks.co.uk . One thing — BMW recommends a 15w50…

“One of these makes a tempting choice…” WE REALLY LIKE the R nineT. It’s fun, easy to ride, easy to live with and it holds its value well too — find a nice one, keep it that way and you won’t lose out when you move on. It’s not that comfortable for long distance, true, but then most people aren’t looking at one of these to ride round the world. The main downside is the suspension, but that’s easily sorted without spending a fortune. Dealer servicing costs are an issue, as always with BMW. While it’s mostly very easy to service one of these at home, you need to make a calculation as to whether you’re best off keeping a fully stamped service book anyway — partly with resale value…

“L-Plates and flares flapping in the wind” Where did it come from? Essentially, from the UK learner laws of the 1970s and early 1980s. Back then a 17-year-old on a provisional licence could take to the streets on a 250 with no training at all, L-plates and flares flapping in the wind. Naturally, we all wanted a lairy two-stroke to impress our mates at the weekends but, equally naturally, a lot of us needed something more sensible to get to work on during the week. Honda obliged with a sleeved-down, single-disc version of its CB400N parallel twin, itself based on the earlier Dream but with Honda’s then-new ‘European’ styling (angles and straight lines rather than traditional curves). So we kept a poster of an RD250 or Elsie on the wall,…

1 Held Revel II £87.99 www.held-uk.co.uk Sizes XS-3XL Cuff Long Fastening points 2 Hard armour Knuckle, Wrist Visor wipe Y CE mark Y Lightweight goatskin glove has a hard knuckle protector, a carbon wrist pad and a Superfabric scaphoid pad but no finger or thumb armour. The pre-curved fingers are superbly comfortable - “Though the little finger is very long,” noted the tester (like all Held gloves, it can be ordered with long or short fingers). The one-piece palm gives “direct feel and great control” though it does feel very thin. For the money, an excellent set of gloves. SCORES Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7/10 Build . . . . .…

THE LIGHTS GO down and the music comes up. At the far end of the long, narrow room, they appear: a small group of men and women. They strut forwards with a kind of half-swaggering, half-dancing gait, alternately waving arms wide and clapping in time with the music. In time with the other spectators, faded in the shadows. But nobody’s looking at the other onlookers: all eyes are on the beautiful people moving along the catwalk. Or on the motorcycle gear they’re wearing, anyway. Over the next half an hour, the models take it in turn to walk the catwalk in a range of items — touring and adventure-style textiles, one- and two-piece leathers, casual jackets and armoured jeans, waterproofs. They make sure everyone gets a good look at each…

1 Helmet: Shoei Hornet ADV £439.99 www.shoeiassured.co.uk I’ve used this RiDE Recommended lid for two and a half years. It’s a brilliant choice for adventure riders who spend most of their time on the road, but still fancy the odd dirty excursion. It’s extremely comfy with a plush liner, quiet at speed and, crucially, stable at speed — impressive given the prominent peak. No internal sun visor, so I bought a dark visor — fairly quickly changed, apart from having to take the peak off. Venting could be better, even once you’ve whipped out the chin curtain, as it does get warm off-road. 2 Jacket: Weise Dakar Adventure £269.99 www.weise.co.uk A well-priced, decent-value adventure jacket using a 600-denier polyester outer, a back protector, Level-2 shoulder and elbow armour, a removable…

“Track virgins were definitely part of the target audience” AT FIRST, I thought MFG was joking when he suggested I head to the Bike Shed’s inaugural Café Racer Cup track/race-day event at Lydden Hill in Kent. I mean, I’d only been riding a couple of months and had driven further in one hit on holiday a couple of years ago than all the miles I’d put on the SV since I was handed the keys. However, looking at the Café Racer Cup website, it soon became clear that genuine track virgins were definitely part of the target audience (regular and rapid riders were also welcome though) and that the retro-styled Suzuki, with its headlight fairing, clip-on bars and tuck-and-roll seat was a perfect fit. So it was that I –…

CHOICE. EVERYONE THINKS they want more but it quickly overwhelms. The problem’s summed up by a philosophical paradox known as ‘Buridan’s Ass’. It says that a donkey placed an equal distance between two identical piles of hay would be so unable to choose between them that it’d starve to death. There’s a similar contrast between Yamaha’s two most important newfor-2018 models: the fun, frisky MT-07; and the upright, upmarket Tracer 900GT. Both are important enough that RiDE wanted to spend the year living with them, but it’s tricky to ride two bikes at once. So we’re taking turns — and having spent several months getting to grips with the updated MT-07, now it’s time to swap it for a new Tracer GT. Besides all the obvious differences — the extra…

THAT FAMILIAR FEELING; best laid plans falling by the wayside at the first hurdle. The plan sounded plausible enough; take full advantage of the hottest summer we’ve had since I was in short trousers, collect my wife from Bloomsbury in London and head out East, for a weekend in Southend-on-Sea. In theory, the smaller GS should be really good for the job. Its compact design and high riding position aiding navigation through grid-locked traffic. But it’s been a while since I’ve crossed London during the evening rush-hour, and things really have got tricky in recent times. Looking in people’s windows from this higher vantage point allows you to see just how many drivers are on their phones and it’s far too many. Obviously, it’s also much busier on the roads…