Table of contents for February 2019 in RiDE

Val d’Isere, France Business takes me to Monaco each year but this time I rode down on my 1996 Honda FireBlade rather than taking a boring flight, using three days to get there and two to ride home. Steve Monk Pyrenees, Spain This was the A136 in Spain heading for the French border. A farmer was moving his sheep — we came around a bend and there they were! Chris Halsall Hokkaido, Japan I recently took a six-day solo ride around Hokkaido on a Tracer 900. It was 2000km of volcanoes, waterfalls, gorges, bears, deer, seals, eagles... and some extreme weather. John Sudbury Ypres, Belgium My Ducati 748 at the Menin Gate in Ypres, on the way back from Bruges. A 280-mile, one-day round trip. Paul Hyde…

HUNSTANTON LOOKS PARTICULARLY fine this morning. The still waters of The Wash sparkle in a sugary glaze like one of the seafront’s deep-fried doughnuts, as Jimmy and I pull up at the promenade, seeking breakfast in the form of cappuccinos and a two-for-a-pound sugar rush from Kay’s Donut Shack. Yamaha’s MT-09 and KTM’s 790 Duke — the ‘Scalpel’ — line up among a smattering of various other machines; the unseasonal late-autumn warmth bathing East Anglia means mid-week bikers are collecting on the beachfront, including two mates on Triumphs. One gestures at the MT-09’s full Akrapovic system — a £1113 factory accessory — and says it sounds better with the baffle out. “You’ll be lucky,” laughs Jimmy. “It hasn’t got a toolkit. We can’t even adjust the suspension.” It would be…

Start Hunstanton Finish Pin Mill Time 1 day Distance 125 miles We wanted to find new roads in a familiar neck of the woods and, within 20 miles of Hunstanton, we were in unexplored territory. The route starts at the Green on Sunny Hunny seafront and moves back down the A149 into the Sandringham Estate. We took the B1440, crossed the A148, went right onto the B1153 to the A47, then dog-legged into Narborough and Gooderstone, briefly on the A134 into Thetford Forest, then out again on the B1107. We went through Thetford, out on the A1088 to Woolpit, then Buxhall, stopped at the Copper Kettle for a coffee and cake, then on to Hadleigh on the B1070. Across Dedham Vale, picking up the B1352 through Mistley. We stuck with…

AARON MARTIN AND Paul Harding have arrived at KTM’s 790 Duke from different ends of biking. Aaron is 38, has been riding for four years, and graduated to the 790 via 125 and 390 Dukes. Paul is 52, started riding with Yamaha’s FS-1E in the 80s, and spent the last few decades riding and modifying hardcore sportsbikes. It’s hard to imagine two more opposite paths to KTM’s 790. The Good “I love the hooning factor,” says Paul. “And it’s the only bike I’ve ever ridden where you can change direction mid-corner so easily. It’s just so much fun to ride but also makes the 790 an ideal bike for someone stepping up. It’s almost like riding a pushbike, it’s so light and flickable. “And for the money, the level of…

1 MONTH AHEAD Brooklands New Year’s Day Classic Gathering January 1, Brooklands, Surrey So long as the weather’s kind, this should be a great day out. You can expect 1000 classic cars, bikes and commercials to be on display, as well as the regular displays in the museum and other buildings, though you’ll have to pay for museum entry separately. Worth it though, as the collection of bikes, cars and planes (including a 1940 Hurricane fighter) is outstanding. www.brooklandsmuseum.com Carole Nash Winter Classic January 5-6, Newark Showground The perfect way to spend your Christmas pennies, this well-established show is the usual mix of trade and club stands, as well as a great autojumble section to help you find that missing part for your long-term project - or find a new…

TRIUMPH’S STREET SCRAMBLER for 2019 has the same upgrades as the Street Twin; identical 64bhp 900cc parallel twin with the same internal modifications but different fuel and ignition mapping to suit the Scrambler’s high-level exhaust. This also shifts peak torque 600rpm lower down the rev range. The result is a 4300rpm-wide spread between peak torque and power; this broad rev range translates into more flexibility than the Street Twin. And the Scrambler feels easier to ride on the road; its riding position more spacious thanks to lower, forward-set pegs, a higher, thicker and comfier seat, and higher, wider bars, giving better steering leverage. With a 19in front Metzeler Tourance on a spoked rim, the Scrambler is more nimble and manoeuvrable, at the cost of less ground clearance and a 790mm…

“On top of all the macho crap, the H2 SX really can tour” I HAVE A LONG history with Kawasaki, from before I rode my GPz750 Turbo from John o’Groats to Land’s End in 1984, faster than anyone else has ever done it (on two wheels). Since then I’ve owned a ZX-10, ZZR, ZX-9R, ZX-10R among others, and raced a ZX-6R, ZX-10R and ER-6 Supertwin at the TT. I still own a 750 Turbo, though it hasn’t run in 10 years. “The H2 is a one-trick pony” When Kawasaki announced the forced-induction H2 in 2014, coinciding with me getting a redundancy cheque, I knew I’d have one. I did about 3000 miles on it, but decided it was a bit of a one-trick pony and sold it. When the H2…

NOTHING ELSE CAME close. Asking which sportsbike made the biggest impact in 2018 is like asking which sporting event of 1966 is most fondly remembered by the British public, or which space-based film from 1977 had the best fight between fluorescent phalluses. Ducati’s Panigale V4 drew a deep line in the sand for the Italian firm, ending 45 years of V-twin race-reps. More importantly, it packed more raw speed than any road-legal superbike ever had before. Boasting 211bhp — while still meeting all Euro4 noise and emissions regulations, and still only needing valve checks every 15,000 miles — the Panigale V4 did more than just shuffle the performance goalposts along a little. It dug them up, drove them to a playing field the next village over and planted them deep…

RIDE IT WEARING a blindfold (which, come to think of it, might be a bit tricky) and you’d never imagine the Z900RS is a retro. From its 110bhp, 948cc inline four to its fully adjustable upside-down forks, its radially mounted front brakes and its two-stage traction control, the dynamic is set firmly in 2018. The overall aesthetic, however, is taken from 1972. This is Kawasaki’s tribute to its greatgrandfaster of speed: the original Z1. And it’s no quick-and-dirty nostalgia cash-in but a bike designed by people oozing genuine love and respect for their firm’s heritage. Little messages — like engineering Easter eggs — are evident from nose to tail. So look beyond obvious elements like the RS’s fuel-tank shape, its famous duck tail and the Candytone brown-and-orange paint. If you…

WHO BUYS STREET TRIPLES? The average age of ‘our’ owners was 43 but that spans novices looking for their first big bike to older riders who are looking for something different. And sometimes both in one package. Pete Owens is 52 but didn’t get round to passing his test until 2012, and bought his 62-plate Street straight after: “I wanted a bike that wasn’t too heavy or too fast and I thought a naked would keep my speed down. It’s a superb-handling mid-size bike, great fun to ride fast and slow. “I typically lead group rides anywhere between 150 to 350 miles in a day and find the standard seat comfy enough provided I stop every 90 minutes, which coincides with coffee and loo stops anyway. It’s easy and light…

Q I’m fairly new to biking and I’m not sure what’s wrong with my bike, but every time I brake there seems to be a knocking coming from the handlebars and the bike feels a bit ‘loose’. What could it be? A We suspect that your head bearings are loose. The front end pivots on a set of bearings in the headstock at the front of the frame. These ball bearings are clamped into position by collars secured by a thread on the steering stem. These gradually loosen up with riding, creating the knocking sensation that you’re feeling and need adjusting. Q My annual mileage on my Ducati Monster 1100 is very low and I never hit the service intervals for my bike. Is it really worth getting it serviced every year…

Spidi Globetracker H2Out suit - jacket £749.99 trousers £549.99  www.spidiuk.com THIS SPIDI TEXTILE suit uses Cebonner outer fabric and a Dermizax waterproof and breathable membrane, removable thermal liners (the jacket puffer can be worn on its own), CE armour throughout, including knees and hips (back protector pocket though none included) and plenty of adjustment and vents. There are pockets absolutely everywhere, all with waterproof zips including five on the jacket, (one on the back) and two on the trousers. The latter feature waist adjusters and braces, while a ¾-length zip lets you join it to the jacket. In use, both garments are nothing short of excellent — completely wind and waterproof and breathable with proper base layers. The main zip has a storm flap and the collar has an adjustable…

FABULOUS AND REWARDING it may be but unless you’re introduced to the world of off-road riding carefully, it’s too easy to be discouraged from carrying on. Worcestershire-based Trailquest Adventure Rider Training is well aware of this and provides a safe, gentle and welcoming initiation. Owned and run by hugely experienced global bike traveller Richard Jeynes, Trailquest runs Royal Enfield Himalayans. Undoubtedly one of the most user-friendly adventure bikes on the market, riding it on less-challenging terrain means getting accustomed to the life of lower grip and gradients couldn’t be more straightforward. “It’s not about speed,” says Richard. “We focus on teaching people how to ride adventure bikes safely.” Keen to build his skills is off-road novice Pete Nichols. He’s back on his own Enfield Himalayan for more introductory training after…

SPEC TRIUMPH TIGER 1200 XRT £16,150 • 1215ZZ inline triple • 139Yhp • 266kg • 20-litre tXnk • 835/855mm seXt What’s the best thing about the Triumph Tiger 1200 XRT? It’s a strange thing to say, but it’s the adaptability. What I love about it is that it just works in every situation: solo; two-up; head down and devouring big motorway distances; filtering round Cambridge in the mornings; carving through mountain hairpins… Even the odd, easy gravel road. It simply does everything without fuss. Mostly that’s because the package is so well sorted. The engine is a responsive, muscular, easy-to-use delight — though I only ever use it in the full sport mode. The steering is accurate and light yet stable, while the semi-active suspension with self-adjusting preload gives a…

SPEC BMW F850GS SPORT £13,365 • 853ZZ pXrXllel twin • 94Yhp • 242kg • 15-litre tXnk • 860mm seXt What’s the best thing about the BMW F850GS? It’s such a brilliant all-rounder. Forget the fact that it’s an ‘adventure bike’, it’s just so good at everything, on and off-road. In terms of a particular detail, it has got to be the full-colour 6.5in TFT screen. So clear, so useful, so very cool. What’s the worst thing? The bike is extremely difficult to clean when it gets really dirty, it has so many strange and complex little nooks and crannies, but the tiny non-adjustable screen really takes the biscuit. It may look cute and petite but it just isn’t big enough. Had the bike arrived earlier in the year, I would…

SPEC YAMAHA TRACER 900GT £10,792 • 847ZZ triple • 113Yhp • 229kg • 18-litre tXnk • 850/865mm seXt What’s the best thing about the Yamaha Tracer 900GT? Five months with the 900GT has revealed plenty of pleasing details. The heated grips are toasty hot; the cruise control holds speed solidly; the LED headlights are eye-poppingly bright. But the most relentlessly impressive feature is the motor. On every single ride, that 847cc triple reinforces its case for being one of the greatest engines ever put in a road-going motorcycle — mountains of midrange, lashings of lurid drive irrespective of speed or gear, with a growling edge to its intake and exhaust. Endlessly addictive. What’s the worst thing? There are several limitations to its touring aspirations. The 22-litre panniers mount neatly but…

SPEC KTM 790 DUKE £8499 • 799ZZ pXrXllel twin • 103Yhp • 187kg • 14-litre tXnk • 825mm seXt What’s the best thing about the KTM 790 Duke? It’s such an agile, slim bike that it makes commuting a doddle. So easy to slip between traffic and so natural to balance on. What’s the worst thing? The fuelling isn’t great — I probably should have spent some time fixing that. The 790 would also definitely benefit from an aftermarket shock, some better-quality fork internals and probably an upgraded front brake master cylinder too. And while keeping the chain at proper tension is important on any bike, if the 790 is slack it’ll let you know with an alarming, ear-splitting, high-frequency squeak. What was your defining moment? Nailing the throttle earlier…

Redundancy check When will you be testing one of those new riderless BMWs? I know things are pretty easy already, with traction control, power modes, ABS, cruise control, cuddly toy, heated seats, active suspension, teasmaid, tyre pressure monitors, heated grips, auto blipper, toaster, hill start, full phone connectivity, quickshifter, digital TV etc. But I’d rather not have to actually steer the thing. Also, my wife enjoys the odd pillion jaunt, so I figured she’d be able to go out on her own while I read the latest issue of RiDE. Andy Pike Weight a moment I’ve owned several big tourers during my 40 years of motorcycling and I love my current BMW über-tourer. In fact, this year alone, I’ve racked up over 8000 miles on tours, all two-up and with…

Bike 2007 Suzuki GSX-R1000 K7 Total miles 90,521 Rider Chris Faulks Age 57 Miles per year 10,000 WHEN I BOUGHT the Suzuki in 2008, it had racked-up 3400 miles and I never thought that ten years later, I’d be looking at hitting 100,000 miles on it. But the truth is, I’ve never been able to find another bike that can do everything I need. The plan was to put 10,000 miles on it and then move it on before the value fell out of it but I just kept going and then decided the best course of action was to keep it. “The key to clocking up the miles has been constant use — the most I’ve done in a day has been 400 miles to Belgium. I’ve just used…

WITH A FUEL capacity of over 20 litres thanks to its gigantic low-slung tank, KTM’s new 790 Adventure is set to be the marque’s longest-range bike yet. The new machine, which is based on the 2018 790 Duke, uses a fuel tank that reaches low on each side of the bike, allowing a large capacity without raising the centre of gravity. The bike’s 799cc engine is based on the Duke’s but re-tuned for more midrange, with the result being peak torque is delivered lower down and power is reduced by 10bhp, to 94bhp. Designed as a proper off-road machine, it uses a similar tubular-steel frame to that on the Duke, but with long-travel suspension and 21-inch front and 18-inch rear rims. It also promises class-leading off-road performance in the middleweight…

WE HAVE TEAMED UP with the #ride5000miles campaign to encourage our readers to go further in 2019. Running for the last two years, more than 8000 UK motorcyclists have signed-up to the mileage challenge, which encourages us bikers to use our machines more. It’s an easy thing to take in – and it’s all about targets. All you need to do is make a note of your mileage at the start of your biking the year and then, strive to hit your target by the same time 12 months on. By making a concerted effort to clock-up the miles, to ride to that place you’ve always wanted to go to, or to do that tour you’ve always dreamed of, you’ll love biking even more and if you ride more in…

Yamaha’s 847cc, four-valve inline triple, making 113bhp and 64lb·ft peak torque (the same torque figure as KTM’s 790 Duke but produced 500rpm higher up the rev range), debuted in the MT-09 in 2014 and has established itself as a versatile and punchy mid-range unit, powering the naked MT-09 and the touring Tracer 900. The chassis is also common between the two, with a familiar vacuum die-cast aluminium diamond design. The test bike featured here has a few items from Yamaha’s accessory range: billet front brake lever and clutch lever (£111.66 each), Akrapovic full exhaust system (£1113.46), tank side pads (£34.81), billet bar ends (£55.02) and a fly screen (£123.84). The total value of the options is £1550.45, bringing the cost of the MT-09 on test to £10,092. SPEC Price £8542…

Today’s riding has been epic — England’s B-roads have shown there’s still plenty of undiscovered life in the old country and a day’s blast across even a small chunk of it can still open eyes. Foreign trips are great but down-scaling our ambition and exploring UK back-lanes instead is just as thrilling and satisfying. And the MT-09 and 790 Duke are the perfect balance of motorcycle to do it; more power, more chassis or more weight would be too much. These are Goldilocks B-road bikes. And the KTM is, according to Jimmy, his favourite machine of the two. “It’s lighter and sweeter-steering, more stable and the most potently rapid. It’s better on fuel and better-looking than the MT-09 too, and it’s comfier,” he says. “That’s a conclusive result.” All that…

YOUR NEXT GREAT RIDE 54.327655, -2.205493 BUTTERTUBS PASS AS WE WHILE away winter compiling a checklist of breathtaking views and mind-blowing roads to tick off in 2019, motorcycling minds naturally default to Scotland, Wales or far-flung continental mountains. Yet there’s plenty of stunning scenery in England — and few better places to start than the Yorkshire Dales. Not only do the Dales offer tons of incredible riding, they’re also surrounded by beauty — the Pennines to the north; the Lakes to the west; the Moors to the east; and the Peaks to the south. If the Dales sit at the heart of England’s luscious landscapes, then its left ventricle is the small market town of Hawes. Less than five minutes away is the Buttertubs Pass — once described by the…

ARRIVING IN PERTH, it was cold and wet. Honestly, I was so excited to wear a jumper again after spending so much time in hot places. It’s funny how you start to miss little things like that. It’s hard to put Australia into words, as it has blown my mind; the variety here is astounding and every inch of the landscape is beautiful. I’ve learnt a lot in Australia and I’ve fallen off a lot too; more than in the last four years of riding a motorcycle, in fact. I rode across Australia with a guy called Mike; this meant I could really push myself to ride more off-road (and ride hard) knowing I wasn’t going to be stuck under my bike alone in the wilderness if — okay, when…

Brought peace...? Well, sort of — the legendary Pax Romana was imposed and maintained by the curiously un-peaceful method of importing large numbers of highly trained and heavily armed legionnaires and kicking seven bells out of the indigenous population until they adopted togas and learned to take baths occasionally. We are talking about Chester here though, not Bath. Yes, and Chester was the largest Roman garrison town in the country. In fact, it started off as a fortified camp called Deva Victrix and the town grew up around it. After all, if you’ve got thousands of off-duty squaddies roaming around, they’ll be needing something to do, and something to drink while they’re doing it. Panem et circenses then, I suppose? Bread and circuses, yes. The amphitheatre at Chester was the…

IN A COMPLEX world, it’s easy to see why Triumph’s classy 900cc Street Twin is popular. It’s elegantly simple, unintimidating and unburdened by tech overload. The water-cooled parallel twin’s non-threatening 54bhp makes for carefree Sunday rides; get on, turn the key and enjoy simple pleasures knowing you look awesome and aren’t going fast enough to trip speed cameras. There’s much to be said for that, and for not messing with its formula. Which is why the 2019 Street Twin’s updates, of more power and revs, rider modes and stronger brakes and forks risk upsetting the balance. We’re finding out if that’s the case in the hills around Sintra in southern Portugal, negotiating traffic jams and carving up mountain roads. Thankfully, the revised bike is as manageable as before. Weight is…

IN A MOTORCYCLING world that can fall into the trap of new is best and newer is even better, Yamaha’s MT09 SP is 2018’s unsung hero. When it comes to middleweights, everyone has been raving about KTM’s 790 Duke — and while there is no getting away from the fact it’s a decent bike, the SP has it licked when it comes to practicality and value for money. This is why we love it… 1 It offers great value The £800-more-than-base-model SP buys you a lot. The standard KYB shock is replaced by an Öhlins version, fully-adjustable with a hydraulic preload adjuster perfect for compensating for pillions or luggage. Don’t think its race-bike stiff either — the SP’s rear spring is actually softer than the base model. At the front,…

TODAY I’D LOVE to ride like a girl: Ana Carrasco, the World Supersport 300 champion. Ana won her landmark title riding a tricked-up version of this, Kawasaki’s Ninja 400. But despite a bigger engine than the 300 it replaces, more power and less weight, the Ninja 400 remains A2 compliant. With its claimed 45bhp and 168kg kerb weight it slips inside the A2-licence limits, so no need for restrictions or low-power models. The Ninja 400 is truly new: it has a fresh steel-trellis frame; wheelbase is shorter, despite a longer swingarm; steering geometry is sharper; and kerb weight is cut by 6kg. Impressive, given chunkier forks, larger front disc and a wider rear tyre. The parallel-twin engine’s 35% larger capacity brings 40% more torque, fundamentally changing its character. Where the…

The Street and the R are massive fun but in slightly different ways, as we pointed out in 2009: “The brakes on the standard bike were brilliant. Same with the suspension. So is the R just a cynical styling exercise? No. Those shiny forks are shorter than the standard bike’s non-adjustable units, so they put the rider directly over the front wheel, instantly adding aggression to the riding style. “From this offensive position the front wheel becomes more communicative, relaying everything you need to know. Where the base model bounces and wobbles playfully around bends, the R is a more-serious ride. It is no more powerful than the base model but you feel as if you can put every bhp from the engine to good use. The same’s true under…

1 ENGINE/TRANSMISSION Usually reliable but they don’t like being thrashed from cold and can end up smokey, rattly and use oil. Make sure you see a bike started from cold — a bit of smoke is ok but should clear. Camchain noise is very common. Early ones had a mechanical ratchet adjuster and they can sometimes be noisy when cold if between clicks on the adjuster. You can sometimes fix it by accelerating hard in second and then throttling off just as hard - this puts all the slack in the camchain in one place, so the tensioner can sometimes take up the slack by picking up the next notch in the ratchet. Beware other ‘advice’ from the internet though, says marque specialist Clive Wood: “One thing I’ve seen on…

Over the past twelve months we’ve worked hard to give you the most thorough product tests in the business. To find out which kit works best for you, we’ve travelled thousands of miles, been drenched umpteen times, gone square-eyed from staring at screens, spent countless lost days researching and consulting experts and even fallen off in the name of science. These are the results of a year’s testing — and you can trust them.…

NOW WE’RE IN the depths of winter, cleaning and maintaining your bike is even more important than it is during the longer days of spring and summer. There’s more to keeping your bike in tip-top condition than simply cleaning it. The salt used on the roads as the temperature drops will attack almost every part of your ride, from wiring to forks and bodywork to wheel rims, so it makes sense to try to prevent it from coming into contact with your bike wherever possible. However, some contact is inevitable so it is also imperative to make sure that any products designed to keep ice from the roads are removed from your bike as quickly as possible after use. The good news is that with the right products, of which…

SPEC KAWASAKI H2 SX SE £18,242 • 998ZZ superZhXrged four • 197Yhp • 256kg • 19-litre tXnk • 835mm seXt What’s the best thing about the Kawasaki H2 SX SE? Easy: it’s the Kawasaki’s unique evisceration of distance. Not through speed, but acceleration and — and this is the important bit — so stealthily you don’t even notice. You make an overtake, shortshifting like you do on any other bike but when you look round, the present has evaporated without the H2 even getting past 6000rpm. That’s the bit that knocks — literally — half an hour off Google Maps arrival time over a two-hour journey. Still astonishing, after eight months and 7000 miles. What’s the worst thing? Still got a rear-end imbalance making the bars wobble at 40mph like…

SPEC SUZUKI SV650X £6342 • 645ZZ 90° M-twin • 75Yhp • 198kg • 14.5-litre tXnk • 790mm seXt What’s the best thing about the Suzuki SV650X? The engine, without a shadow of a doubt. The 645cc V-twin is a revelation; gutsy, with so much torque it makes day-to-day riding and cruising easy. But wind the revs up towards five figures and the induction howl raises the heckles. With the slick gearbox, it’s fantastic fun. What’s the worst thing? The riding position. My back isn’t great at the best of times but after a few days of commuting on it, it starts to grumble, then shout and I have to abort and use the car for a couple of days. Only a couple of days mind, before I double-dose ibuprofen and…

THE MET’S RECENT release of footage of force cars knocking off scooter and bike criminals has been met with almost universal acclaim from bikers. The footage, of officers ramming riders of stolen bikes and mopeds, shows police are getting serious in the battle against thieves. In recent years, police have been inundated by reports of stolen bikes up and down the country, as bike crime rises. Towns like London and Bristol are worst-off, with crimes using stolen bikes growing hugely in the last five years. Despite progress with two-wheeled crime, almost 30,000 bikes were stolen in 2017 — and that doesn’t include those taken from people’s houses or obtained in a fraudulent manner. This has been combined with the rise of two-wheeler-riding criminals, who use stolen big-capacity scooters and 125s…

FEBRUARY’S CAROLE NASH MCN London Motorcycle Show is set to host a travel and adventure village with former RiDE columnist Steph Jeavons as one of the stars. Together with fellow globetrotters Sam Manicom and Mark Kemp, she will be appearing on the Travel and Adventure stage, providing some insights and advice for new and experienced travellers alike. Jeavons was the first person to circumnavigate the globe riding a motorcycle on all seven continents, a four-year solo journey on a tiny budget through 53 countries and covering 75,000 miles. At the show, she’ll also be talking about her latest adventure, leading a group of female riders to Everest base camp.…

Bormio, Italy This is me and three friends on the Bormio side of the Stelvio Pass, halfway through our trip from Ijmuden to Roscoff via the Dolomites. Joe Grimes Weardale, UK A great summer led to a number of runs through Weardale to St John’s Chapel. ‘Comrades all, at Country’s call’. Paul Hogarth Gorges du Tarn, France This is the stunning Gorges du Tarn canyon in southern France. It was my first road trip with my husband, covering 2500 miles to Barcelona and back for a wedding. Laura Wilson Humber Bridge, Lincs After keeping a close eye on the weather, I gave myself a day off to ride my Kawasaki ZX-12R to the Humber Bridge. Mike Howarth Mojave Desert, USA Me and Stuart Douglas with our rented Harleys in the…

It’s an overcast but dry day at Stanhope in the Pennines as RiDE arrives to meet Michael Heaton. He’s been the most prolific contributor to the Great British Ride Out in 2018, submitting a route most months. One of them — his Trough of Bowland ride — is the most popular GBRO route this year and wins him the HJC Rpha 90 helmet, worth £449.99. He’s a big bloke — over 6ft, well built. He swapped his Triumph Tiger for a Ducati Multistrada in April 2017 and has done nearly 9000 miles on it since then. “I first got a sat nav when I had the Tiger,” he explains. “And that’s when I started finding routes.” He joined a local advanced-riding group and some ride-outs but says he prefers riding…

1 Make a note of your miles Your target is simple; ride 5000 miles in the next 12 months of biking. Make a note of your odometer’s figure at the start. Take a picture of it, write it down, or even put a sticker with the figure on your bike as a reminder. On modern machines with two trip meters, zero your second trip and then let it run. 2 Ride to some great places That’s all you need to do. RiDE is full of roads and places to visit, so go to some of them. This isn’t about jacking in work and heading around the world (but don’t let us stop you). Instead, it’s about riding to work a bit more, going a bit further at weekends, or even…

KTM’s first parallel twin borrows technology from both KTM’s singles and its V-twins; the 790 shares the twin, top and bottom-end balancer shaft ideas seen in the 690 Duke LC4 single, and a 285° degree crank (which fires at 285° and 435°) to mimic the firing interval of its big LC8 V-twins. The rest of the engine is compact but conventional, the 799cc liquid-cooled motor making 103bhp and 64lb·ft peak torque. The chassis is standard KTM steel-tube trellis with non-adjustable WP suspension. Steering geometry is set up with a relatively long wheelbase for stability and a sharp head angle for rapid steering. The test bike came with an Akrapovic slip-on (£752) and Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa II tyres instead of Maxxis Supermaxx STs as standard. SPEC Price £8499 (£9251 as…

IT’S FAIR TO say that most of Wales is great to ride around: North Wales into Anglesey, down in the south around the Black Mountains, and much (much) more. We’re checking out one of the less-common spots here though — from just inside the English border at Shrewsbury, to the sea, around the bottom of Snowdonia and back again. We take in glorious lakes — Vyrnwy and Tal-y-llyn — before getting close enough to pop into the wacky Welsh Disneyland that is Portmerion. There’s the Irish Sea, and within a few miles, vertiginous mountain passes. If you’re lucky, you’ll get buzzed by fast jets (or slow turboprops) working the ‘Mach Loop’ low-flying training zone. And you’ll be back in England and a stones’ throw from the M6 by teatime. STAGE…

Culture shock Both Chile and Argentina have a very European feel, though in the northern regions there is more influence from native Andean peoples. Infrastructure in the main populated areas is good. Spanish is the main language, so you’ll need a few key phrases to get by. Road conditions Major roads in the north are generally good tarmac but they can be affected by earthquake damage or volcanic activity. Outside main towns, you’ll have the road to yourself. In the north, roads between the two countries traverse the Andes up to altitudes of almost 4500m. Experience level If you stick to the tarmac routes, then this region is great for riders with average road-riding experience. Riders who want something more adventurous can find plenty of rough, remote roads. What’s it…

Few machines have angered bikers like Yamaha’s Niken. Check out any social media post about it and there’s a minority that raves about the innovation and an even smaller segment that has sampled it and talks about front-end grip. However, the overwhelming reaction is one of hate. “What’s the point?”, “Great for disabled riders” or “It’s not a motorcycle” are the three favourites, but can all be answered very quickly. Firstly, it’s designed to give a rider unassailable confidence in the front end. Secondly, it’s as bad for disabled riders as any other motorcycle, as it falls over just the same. Thirdly, it is classified by the DVLA as a motorcycle, though Yamaha prefers ‘Leaning Multi Wheeler’. Ride one and it feels much like a proper bike. The parallelogram front-end…

THE NEW BMW R1250GS engine matters. Its 1170cc predecessor has been the backbone of bike sales for a decade. And not just here: across Europe, five years after its last update, it’s 6% of the new-bike market (including the Adventure). But there’s more: the 1254cc, ShiftCam flat twin is also used in the RT, RS and R, so it’ll power one in three BMW models. It’s not just important for GS owners, it’s pivotal for BMW and for the wider European motorcycle industry as a whole. Which is why we need to find out if the new R1250GS is any good. Q How does the new bike feel? The headline news is the bored and stroked 1254cc motor feels fitter and faster than the out-going 1200 but retains the same…

In terms of equipment and sophistication, that depends on which model you go for. They’re all based on the engine, frame and wheels from the Daytona sports bike. The original base model 07-12 Street was dumbed-down from Daytona spec, with non-adjustable suspension (rear preload only) and two-pot sliding brake calipers at the front. No electronics, no gadgets. The original R brought back the Daytona’s radial four-pots but more importantly fully adjustable (and better quality) suspension, as well as posh Magura handlebars. All of that came at a £450 premium over the base bike. It wasn’t until 2013 that the Street got ABS but at least it’s switchable and works very, very well — better than the crude systems on some middleweights. 2013 also saw the tech gap between the base…

Where did it come from? “A standard 98 R1 is now a very collectible bike” It was a straight — if long-delayed — response to the success of Honda’s original CBR900RR FireBlade. The first Blade of 1992 caught everyone on the hop — light as a 600, nimble as a 400, fast as a 1000 — it was a genuine game-changer. Until then, big sportsbikes had been fast but heavy and a bit ponderous — if you wanted racetrack handling, you had to look to the 750 class (the Blade was originally conceived as a 750, incidentally). So it took everyone else years to catch up, and Yamaha made the best job of it with the 98 R1. It was all-new from the ground up, with a compact motor made…

SPEC HONDA CB1000R+ £12,299 • 998ZZ inline four • 143Yhp • 212kg • 16-litre tXnk • 830mm seXt What’s the best thing about the Honda CB1000R+? Its range of adjustable rider aids. I particularly like how you can tailor the engine braking, as I seem to like less. If you’re on track, you can adjust the engine’s power output to full but on wet roads, reduce that and increase the traction control. What’s the worst thing? I can’t get my head around the autoblipper. I get the idea of smooth clutchless downshifts but I don’t have any confidence in it. Maybe it needs more practice but I can’t help reverting to using the clutch. I can certainly see the advantage for quick or track riding but unfortunately, I’m finding it…

SPEC DUCATI SCRAMBLER 1100 £10,838 • 1079ZZ 90° M-twin • 84Yhp • 206kg • 15-litre tXnk • 810mm seXt What’s the best thing about the Ducati Scrambler 1100? It’d be easy to say the engine is the best bit. Yank the throttle open in any gear and let it do its thing. But for me the original-equipment Pirelli tyres top the list, purely for their “I wasn’t expecting that” factor. They’re semi-knobbly, so they’re supposed to be crap on the road — but they’re not. There’s enough grip that even when it’s really cold I can still lean the Scrambler ’til the pegs scrape. What’s the worst thing? It’s just a shame that those great tyres are fitted onto these ugly cast wheels. Gross. I reckon it’d be much nicer…

Keis G501 Premium Heated Gloves £189 www.keisapparel.co.uk Sizes XXS-XXL Cuff Short Fastening points Wrist, cuff Hard armour Knuckle Visor wipe Yes CE approved Yes Keis says… Combining winter-glove warmth and summer-glove feel, Keis G501 Premium Heated Armoured Gloves deliver reliable, controllable warmth and are made to the tough CE standard for protective motorcycle gloves so you can be confident in their protective qualities. Much more effective than heated grips, they provide heat where you need it most — the exposed area on the top of the hands and around the fingers. An easy-to-use, integral controller on the back of the hand lets the wearer turn the power on and off and change temperature on the move. Made from tough, abrasion-resistant fabric and leather, the Keis G501 Premium Heated Armoured Gloves…

Does wearing shades make me negligent? Q I WAS INVOLVED in a straightforward accident. I was riding along a busy urban road and, as I crossed through a green light, a car in the opposite lane travelling in the opposite direction turned right, straight across my path. I suffered pretty nasty injuries in the unavoidable collision, which may stop me returning to my manual job. Two things are really bothering me. The first is out of the blue, my solicitor (I have checked and he is an admitted solicitor) said because my visor was up and I was wearing sunglasses on a bright sunny day, I should expect a reduction in the damages awarded me by way of contributory negligence. The letter is quite cleverly worded. It says: “You could…