Motor Cycle Monthly - August 2018

GET UP TO SPEED

THE WORLD’S

BIGGEST BIKING MONTHLY!

August 2018

#146

KR-1 it up!

1989’s Kawasaki screamer in detail

He’s BACK!

T ★ SP Y SHO

Y SHOT ★ S SP

PY

★ SPY SH OT O SH

V85! What’s REALLY happening with 2019’s hottest roadster!

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McGuinness is ready to race

PY SHOT ★S ★

HOW NEW ROAD SIGNS WILL WILL: ‘Save riders’ lives’

KTM’s 790R!

2019 Adventure revealed EARLY

It’s taken a while, but safety boffins have finally come up with a range of road signs that are specially made of a type of plastic which breaks easily and safely if crashed-into at speed.

Tests are currently being carried out in Germany where European vehicle safety experts are giving the new signs’ design a thorough motorcycle-related workout.

More on Page 6

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NEWS 3

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Thermometers and switchgear show details of rider comfort design.

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1. New screen 2. Different brake reservoir 3. Extra frame work 4. Air intake direction 5. New undertank design 6. Thermometers 7. New shock, possibly WP 8. Thermometers 9. Rubber chassis mounts 10. Working bash plate

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Guzzi’s V85 snapped in action!

Italian creation set to take on GS and Scrambler market with lots of clever touches.

Half LED headlights remain.

Words: Tony Carter Photographs: BMH Images More images of the 2019 Moto Guzzi V85 prototype in action have surfaced – and they tell us a lot about the production version of the sexy on-road enduro-styled thumper.

Here’s what looks to be the same as we saw on the sublimely sweet concept V85 enduro shown at last year’s EICMA show in Milan: • The motor is still the air-cooled V-twin which, with a capacity of 850cc, should kick out somewhere just under 80bhp.

• The modernly-retro bodywork looks the same as we saw at the show with the bike’s huge front mudguard and twin headlights staying.

But there’s a host of changes that we can see from the spy shots too, many of which are subtle and show a real attention to detail.

Firstly, there’s that motor. One of the great tricks by the range’s designer Miguel Galluzzi (the man who invented the Ducati Monster among many other great bikes) is that the Guzzi engines are mounted on a type of specialist rubber buffer. This buffer on each of the critical engine points is specially ‘tuned’ so that when the bike’s revs are under 2000rpm the bike will rock from side to side in a traditional Guzzi motion as each cylinder files. Go over 2000rpm and the system counters the rocking system. That motion disappears and the bike smooths out, it feels more like you’re riding a four-cylinder

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motorcycle. Clever stuff. And on the images you can see one of the rubber mounts in place so expect this bike to rock like a Guzzi at low, engine idling type speeds and be super smooth and torquey once you get rolling.

The latest spy shots don’t feature a finished sump but there is a bash plate bolted onto the bottom of the bike, suggesting two things – that the finished bike will have a large, pretty bit of bodywork over the sump like the prototype has and that the bike in the photos is also being used off-road at some point.

Move up to that big beaky mudguard and you can clearly see the large air-intake grille sited on it, just under the headlights. It’s a clever solution, driving air to the motor’s mouth and the raised fins either side of the intake help direct the cooling stuff on the move. On the rear side of the mudguard are three steps which act as vortex generators to disturb the air as it passes over the back of the bodywork, helping to force more cooling air into the right direction for the motor as well as stabilising the front of the bike at speed. It’s a similar idea to what you see on the visors of some helmets now.

On the side of the headlights is a bodywork mount fixed in place without anything attached to it.

This could be for bodywork to come around the side of the headlights, perhaps for an extension to the E​ ditor Tony Carter ​Editorial design Fran Lovely Publisher Dan Savage Email editorial@motorcyclemonthly.co.uk Picture desk Paul Fincham and Jonathan Schofield Production editor Dan Sharp Divisional advertising manager Zoe Thurling 01507 529412 Advertising Lee Buxton 01507 529453 Emma Knott 01507 529583 Advertising deadline for September issue August 1, 2018 Distribution 01507 529529

windshield to help deflect windblast from the rider. It could still be on the bike for test-measuring devices to be attached to though. We’ve been told that there are some additional bodywork bits to be finalized on the V85 so we think it’s the former.

The screen on the V85 is very different to what we saw on the prototype, with the top of the screen itself kept low in the middle and two higher shoulders flaring up in a dramatic looking way to get rid of head-buffering winds. The screen also has a large scoop pressed into it which runs right up the middle of the unit.

Our spy shots show that the V85’s front brake reservoir is different to the prototype’s but the huge handguards stay the same.

Under the petrol tank you can see that the production bike’s shape is seriously different to the scooped angular loveliness of the prototype and in our photos it’s easy to see why.

It’s to do with heat dissipation.

The prototype has a series of stick-on thermometers stuck to the top of the bike’s cylinders and the bodywork that surrounds them.

In our shots you can see that the most heat is coming directly off the cylinder, naturally, and the underside of the tank is around a fifth cooler than the cylinder’s outer. Nearer the rider’s knee the thermometer there is barely a half of the temperature of the undertank temperature showing

how effective at whipping heat away from the rider the V85’s bodywork already is. By the rider’s right foot the temperature is at half that of the cylinder head and on the exhaust side of the bike a thermometer near the rider’s left ankle sits at around half the temperature of the cylinder head.

The bike’s rear shock is a simple white colour instead of the gold Ohlins unit on the prototype. We can’t be sure what shocks the V85 will end up with but at the moment, they look like WP items. We can see that the bike in the photos is currently undergoing ride-height adjustments with the shocks on show being reduced in static height by 3mm at this stage of the final round of testing.

There’s no dials on the bike in the photos, it’s an LCD screen with a large surround that juts out from the top to cut down on sun glare that the rider, suggesting that it’s not a colour TFT screen on the bike which are easy to read in direct sun. The bike’s switchgear (on the right hand side) is very simple to operate with a thumbcontrolled up/down switch clearly shown which will let the rider scroll through electronics on the bike.

Guzzi says it was so impressed with the public’s reaction to the prototype V85 that the new bike will be as close as possible to how the original looked.

Expect the final production version to be shown at this year’s EICMA show in November.

Mudguard gets vortices in the back.

Rear shock has changed.

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CAUGHT! KTM’s 2019 390 Adventure bike £250 off accessory kits for selected Suzukis

Suzuki has launched a couple of new accessory packs that could help you save up to £250! Essentially, there’s a new sports pack available for the GSX-R1000R and GSX-R1000, and a café street pack for the middleweight naked SV650.

The Sport Pack for both the rangetopping GSX-R1000R and GSX-R1000 further enhances the racing look with a double bubble screen, pillion seat cowl, and brake and clutch lever guards. GSX-R logo wheel decals, a tank pad and fuel cap trim, plus alternator cover and clutch cover protectors. The pack is completed with a Suzuki rear paddock stand.

The RRP is £785.

The Café Street Pack for the SV650 offers a fly screen and numberboards, and a tuck roll seat, like the one found on the SV650X. There’s also a tank pad, while blacked-out rear brake and gear levers and pillion footrests replace the standard silver items. It’ll set you back £679, offering a saving of £214.

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Spy shots showing two versions of the same bike leaving the factory give an indication of just how small but capable next year’s bike is.

We’ve brought you pictures of the 2019 KTM 390 Adventure undergoing testing before, and to be honest these latest photos from our man in the bushes don’t really show us that much which is new; other than how much room there is for a pillion (and, in turn, that gives us a good idea of the overall size of the motorcycle in question).

Our exclusive spy shots are two separate versions of the new motorcycle, one of them kitted with after-market KTM engine bars and substantial luggage rack including big pillion grab handles and one basic version with none of the extra bits bolted on. The lesserspec bike is the one with the pillion

on the back. On both we can see the 390 Duke-esque bodywork, extended travel forks and more upright riding position.

The motorcycle also gets a small screen and familiar KTM winddeflecting see-through bodywork parts mounted under the headlight.

Both versions of the bike snapped are running with some snazzy handguards fitted too.

Powered by the same 373cc liquidcooled single cylinder motor as the Austrian firm’s 390 Duke naked roadster, the bike shares many chassis and suspension parts with the donor bike. Expect it to make around 44bhp when the Adventure version goes on sale early next year.

NEWS 5

REVEALED! KTM’s 2019 790 Adventure R bike

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These are OFFICIAL photos of the bike from the factory itself. And it looks MEGA. So enough with the spy shots of the 790 Adventure bike from KTM that we’ve been bringing you for the past year or so, here’s the official unveiling of one of the hottest bikes of next year – and KTM tells us that it’s calling the bike the 790 Adventure R. The Austrian factory of fun unveiled the motorcycle at its European Adventure Rally towards the end of June. And here’s photos of the bike being finally shown in action.

The all-new paralleltwin powered bike has been developed alongside KTM’s latest Dakar-winning weapon, the KTM 450 Rally, to be the link between the firm’s enduro bikes and street range for 2019.

Riders at the event were given an exclusive opportunity to see an early pre-production version of the KTM 790 Advetnure R ridden by Chris Birch – an eight times New Zealand Enduro champ and triple Roof of Africa winner.

Full details of the bike will be revealed at EICMA, Milan on November 6 this year, but for now here’s what we know about the bike: ● Utilises new KTM LC8c 799cc parallel twin engine, tuned for a wider spread of torque when compared with KTM 790 Duke.

● Over 400km fuel tank range. ● Low seat height. ● Low-slung fuel tank for optimum centre of gravity. ● Fully adjustable WP suspension front and back with long travel and PDS for the shock absorber. ● Radial mounted, four-piston front brake calipers with ABS and off-road ABS options. ● Adjustable ergonomics to match the rider and the riding situation. ● Spoked wheels in true off-road sizes for optimum tyre choice.

Suzuki RGV250 owners! Suzuki Vintage Parts has forks! Yeah, forks!

Suzuki has began the remanufacturing of old parts for its Vintage Parts Programme, starting with fork outers for the iconic RGV250 VJ22.

Suzuki GB’s Tim Davies said: “We launched the Vintage Parts Programme to highlight the number of new components still available for some of the older and classic Suzukis that are still with owners or that are becoming restoration projects.”

For more information visit: bikes.suzuki.co.uk/vintage-partsprogramme Learners Commuters Buying On Two Wheels

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6 NEWS

NEW plastic road signs ‘will save bikers lives’

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Roadside notices redesigned to dissipate energy during a crash, reducing the likelihood of a rider being hurt.

Words: Ross Mowbray

European vehicle safety experts DEKRA are trialling a new range of plastic road signs in Germany to minimise the risk of injury for motorcyclists involved in accidents.

The majority of road signs are currently manufactured from steel – and as a result, they can be a real hazard for motorcyclists. And that’s

why DEKRA is currently testing a range of plastic solutions. To show the difference, DEKRA has released a video (see stills below), showing the incredible difference between steel and plastic in an accident.

As you can see – the full video is available to watch on www.

MoreBikes.co.uk – the crash tests performed by DEKRA on the new

plastic road signs have yielded some pretty impressive results. The impact of a motorcyclist against a steel pole will most likely have fatal consequences, but a collision with the new plastic poles would likely only cause minor injuries – because the poles simply break.

Some of the new signs have already been installed in the region of

Baden-Württemberg in Germany – and will gradually replace the old metal installations. Plus, approval from the Federal Ministry of Transport for use of the new plastic road signs throughout Germany is pending. No news yet from the UK Government – but looking at the video, they’d be hard pressed to ignore the advantages.

ABOVE: You can see how the metal road sign doesn’t give way and causes major injuries for the sliding biker.

ABOVE: With the plastic signage the support gives way easily, taking the brunt of the impact force and causing much less injury to the rider.

Cool custom Bol MV The latest MV Agusta Bol d’Or Series bike from custom bike builders WSM was finished by legendary builder Walter Siegl himself. It shares plenty with WSM’s previous Bol d’Or incarnations, but comes with a few notable differences – and unlike the others, it’s been made for use out on the road.

A new lighter aluminium subframe was added, on top of which a new Kevlar fairing made by John Harvey of FuelCel is introduced. That’s not all though, WSM added magnesium wheels, machined aluminium foot pegs – and even reconfigured the electronics and engine mapping. The MV Agusta Bol d’Or Series tips the scales at 150kg (almost 36kg lighter than the standard machine) and kicks out power of around 140bhp.

8 NEWS

REVEALED

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Suzuki extends its low rate finance offer

Here’s the patents for Yamaha’s NEXT Niken And it’s an MT-03-powered leaning three-wheeler!

Here’s what we’ve been sent on the next Niken from the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer. It’s a series of official designs from the factory that are being filed as part of a patent for the next Yamaha three-wheeler.

Two things are clear from the drawings; the funky two-wheeled front end is virtually identical to the MT-09-powered Niken three-wheeler that had it’s world launch a few weeks ago and the new bike’s powerhouse and chassis, seat and petrol tank come directly from the current MT-03.

In the designs, the small Niken has extra frame parts that can be seen around the bulk of the engine, these are to cope with the extra side-turn forces generated by the bike’s quirky front end. Other than that, the 321cc, liquid-cooled, four-stroke, DOHC,

four-valve motor, swingarm, wheels, seat and tank are all identical to the current learner-legal, 42bhp A2 friendly MT-03.

We’ve brought you many reports of rumours in Japan that Yamaha has been looking at smaller capacity Nikens as part of a future line-up but up until now, those rumours have fluctuated between a very small capacity 125cc MT-based version and a larger MT-07 derived option.

With Yamaha already serving the small-capacity three-wheeler market with the Tricity scooter, the small option Niken looks to have been wishful thinking and with these exclusive images of the MT-03powered Niken the 07-version doesn’t appear to be in the pipeline anytime soon either.

Suzuki has announced an extension to its low rate finance offers across its 2018 model lineup.

As part of the extension the GSXR1000R, GSX-S750, GSX-S1000, SV650 and new SV650X will continue to be available under the 2,3,4% finance offer, which allows customers to choose either a PCP or hire purchase deal, and select the term of their agreement.

The new bike’s style is mainly taken from this MT-03.

Honda’s fitting FREE tracking systems

Honda is offering Datatool’s innovative Thatcham-approved tracking solution (TrakKING Adventure system) supplied and fitted at no extra cost to all new road bikes.

And if you’ve got an older Honda, then you can get the system fitted at a discount. The only cost involved is the ongoing 24/7/365 monitoring subscription.

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10 NEWS

John McGuinness announces racing comeback!

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Energica Ego riders take World Record

The Island legend will make a return to racing on the TT Mountain course – he’s now confirmed his entry for the 2018 Classic TT.

Now back to bike riding fitness, 23time TT race winner McGuinness, will again campaign the 500cc Team Winfield Paton in the four-lap Bennetts Senior Classic TT Race due to be held on Saturday, May 25.

Having been out of race action since the 2017 North West 200 where he sustained career threatening injuries, McGuinness got a taste of the 37.73mile Mountain course again at this year’s Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy, with two parade laps on the SG7 Norton he had been due to ride before failing to regain full fitness in time for the June event.

McG will line up on the same 500cc Paton that he rode at the Classic TT between 2013 and 2016. Technical issues held the Morecambe Missile back in his first two attempts with the team but team and rider made amends in 2016 when he ran out a clear winner.

Having overhauled early leader Dean Harrison in the 2016 Senior Classic TT Race, McGuinness’ fastest lap of 113.342mph saw him set a new class lap record which still stands

today and his winning margin over the Bradford rider was more than 20 seconds.

McGuinness said: “It’s been a hard road back from the North West 200 crash and I thought we were there heading into the TT but another setback just left us a few weeks short.

I absolutely loved doing the two parade laps this year and the reaction I got from the fans was amazing. The next big target for me was always the Classic TT, and everything is going in to being fully fit and prepared for a proper return to racing.

Two blokes and an Energica Ego have managed to cover 1260km in 24 hours – proving that it is possible to tour with an electric vehicle. And the Energica Ego has entered the Guinness World Record books, as the electric bike capable of covering the greatest number of kilometres in a single day.

“I just want to be out there with the rest of the guys again, going as fast as we can” – John McGuinness “I’m buzzing about the whole thing really. I love the Classic TT atmosphere and I really enjoy working with Roger Winfield and his team and their Paton is a joy to ride around Mountain circuit. I’m not going to make any predictions on how competitive we are going

to be, but when I rode the Norton at the TT, the feeling was good and, above all else, I just want to be out there with the rest of the guys again, going as fast as we can and putting on a good show for the fans. If we get a result out of it then that will be a bonus on this occasion.”

Indian Motorcycle (finally) confirms FTR 1200 – and now YOU can WIN one We first brought you news of the plans for a production version of the FTR flattracker over two years ago – and now Indian Motorcycle has finally confirmed that an FTR 1200, inspired

by Indian’s storied history in flat track racing, is set to make it into production. And you’ll be able to buy it next year.

The announcement comes in response to months of speculation and demand for a street version of the company’s successful FTR750 – a purpose-built flat track racer that has dominated the American Flat Track professional racing series since its introduction in 2017. That speculation was intensified by the company’s development of the FTR1200 Custom, a one-off build that toured global motorcycle shows this past year. And the new

production FTR 1200 will take inspiration, design and performance cues from these two predecessors.

The FTR 1200’s full specification is yet to be announced, but it will have a flat tracker style, a trellis frame and be powered by a V-twin engine.

Indian Motorcycle senior designer Rich Christoph, said: “We wanted to make sure that the FTR 1200 wasn’t merely a regurgitation of the FTR1200 Custom, but something uniquely ‘street,’ albeit flat track inspired.”

Suzuki’s strange uplighter plans

Suzuki has filed designs for a new LED light system that projects a beam of light onto the ceiling of a tunnel, to help riders be better seen. The system will be installed on the rear of a motorcycle (or scooter) with a builtin sensor that will recognise that the vehicle is in a tunnel – and then it will project a beam of light onto the ceiling or sidewall as you ride along.

Watch this: Honda’s WSB tech revealed

How to win one To really ramp up the excitement for the FTR roadster, Indian has announced a prize draw for fans eager to find out more about what will be one of the most exciting bikes of 2019.

To be in with a chance of getting your hands on the new Indian FTR 1200, just go along to the website www.win-ftr1200.com where you can enter for free into the prize draw.

Log on to www.MoreBikes.co.uk and search for ‘CBR1000RR’ to see a brilliant video of what goes into Honda’s WSB electronics. The film features video of Vincente Pechuan Vilar, electronics coordinator at Honda, getting under the skin of the World Superbike CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2.

Martin Gelder

By Bob Pickett and Andrew Wegg Martin Gelder, the founder of motorcycle endurance racing website Race24.com passed away on Monday, July 2, 2018, aged 58.

Martin’s importance to endurance cannot be overstated. His professional career had led him to working with Peter Gabriel, but his passion was endurance and he became press officer for threetime world champions Phase One. He saw the endurance world lacked coherent coverage, so using his

web-design skills he created Race24. Ground-breaking in its day, Race24 reported live from the track, supplied news and provided a fan forum. Today this is the industry standard, but Martin’s forward-thinking was revolutionary.

Russell Benney of Phase One said: “Martin’s legacy, via Race24 and its blog, includes the near single-handed creation of a whole community that was previously unconnected and for that we thank him.”

An excellent photographer, Martin’s images were seen in a wide number of magazines

and bridged the gap between racing and classic motorcycles.

Martin’s joint interests came together with the newly formed Endurance Legend classic series working on the 4-Hour race at Donington in 2017 and again this year a short time before he passed away from stomach cancer after a very short stay in hospital.

He leaves behind his mother, sister and her family; his partner Linda Rutter, their foster son James, Linda’s grown up children and many friends worldwide.

Sena wants AR helmets Augmented reality head up display manufacturer DigiLens has just announced it’ll be partnering up with Bluetooth giant Sena as it looks to build a range of motorcycle helmets with integrated audio-visual HUD systems. The plans have around £45 million of investment – close to £20 million of which has come direct from Continental in Germany.

12 NEWS

Harley-Davidson set to move some of its production out of the USA And it’s all because of President Donald Trump

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Words: Ross Mowbray In an attempt to mitigate the impact of a widening trade dispute between the US and Europe (well, actually, the US and everywhere else), HarleyDavidson has confirmed it plans to move some of its manufacturing outside of the United States.

Harley-Davidson confirmed that it was shifting some of the production of its motorcycles outside the United States, in an attempt to avoid European Union tariffs imposed as part of a widening trade dispute.

In fact, Harley-Davidson confirmed that European Union tariffs on its motorcycles had increased to 31%, from 6% – and estimated that the higher tariffs would add about $2200 on average to every motorcycle exported from the United States.

As a result, the Milwaukee-based brand has said it would move the production of bikes bound for Europe

outside of the United States. The company sold about 40,000 new motorcycles last year in Europe, which is equivalent to a sixth of its worldwide sales, making the region its most important market after its home country.

A spokesman for the company said: “Harley-Davidson believes that the tremendous cost increase, if it is passed on to its dealers and retail customers, would have an immediate and lasting detrimental impact to its business in the region, reducing customer access to Harley-Davidson products and negatively impacting the sustainability of its dealers’ businesses.”

Watch this video: knee down crazy!

Trump threatens ‘big tax’ on Harleys imported into the US US President Trump has turned on Harley-Davidson after the American company announced it’s moving of production out of the United States.

Trump claimed that the price increase on ‘foreign’ metal imports was put in place to protect similar products produced on American soil rather than letting non-USA products undercut homemade options and threaten American workers’ jobs.

But now, with his usual Twitter-led outrage, Trump has publicly attacked HarleyDavidson directly, saying that the company is using the tax issues as a cover to move

some of its production abroad.

Trump has threatened Harley with a “big tax” on bikes imported to the US. Trump said: “A Harley-Davidson should never be built in another country – never! Their employees and customers are already very angry at them.

“If they move, watch, it will be the beginning of the end. They surrendered! They quit! The aura will be gone and they will be taxed like never before!”

Log onto: www.MoreBike.co.uk and search ‘kneedown’ to watch an amazing video of a seven-year-old girl with incredible motorcycle skill getting her knee down in torrential rain.

Posted by the Track Day Riders group, the girl’s father shot the footage of her draggin’ her knee on a go-kart track in the wet. It’s an amazing display of ability from the rider who’s legs aren’t quite long enough to be able to reach the ground!

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2018

Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight Special and Iron 1200

Factorymade bruisers with all the specific bolt-on bits already bolted on. But does it work?

Words: Matt Hull Photography: Harley-Davidson Even Marmite divides opinion less than Harley-Davidsons.

Some riders let the archetypal American motorsickles become their world and would never look at anything other than the very finest in V-twin Milwaukee metal, while others would rather be seen riding a carousel pony than be seen on an American ditch pump.

Until recently I was unashamedly on the fence. As a high-mileage rider the smaller bikes just didn’t fit my remit; to be fair at just over 6ft I didn’t really fit them either. And the tourers felt too cumbersome at slower speeds, which for someone who’s ridden for over 20 years they shouldn’t feel (though I’m told by many that, like anything, you get used to it). But I’ve always admired the company’s ability to keep to its ethos, stay loyal to its core customers and, somehow, keep those rumbling V-twins passing evermore stringent emissions and noise regulations. I’ve also noticed over the years that I’m getting more drawn to that chopper look and the neverending ways to customise, or personalise your bike.

The majority of bikes H-D sells don’t even leave the showroom as standard – the company’s accessory catalogue has now reached biblical proportions and draws you in like a class A drug. And while in the US of A it’s the touring bikes that take

centre stage, here in the UK (and the rest of Europe) we prefer the smaller Sportster range and larger naked models. So to make the most of this they’ve taken their Sportster; a model in constant production since 1957 and brought out two new models: the Forty-Eight Special and the Iron 1200.

At £9995 the new Forty-Eight Special model is the same price as the standard Forty-Eight. So you get Tallboy handlebars, the engine has a chromed bottom-end, a different seat finish and AMF-era decals on that tiny tank – I liked them but older Harley owners look back at that time with anything but fondness, so I’m not sure how they’ll go down. It looks great through these eyes at least, with a true heritage shining through.

Meanwhile, the Iron 1200 is cheaper than the Forty-Eight at £9395, giving you an Iron 883 with 30% more power (up to 66bhp), more torque, higher bars, café racer-style seat, a small cowl, some black engine parts and those graphics for just an extra £500.

This could be the big one for Harley – their biggest seller now has the powerplant everyone really wants.

And though you can already have your 883 converted to 1200cc, the Iron 1200 has the gear ratios of the 1200, so gearing is tailored to the bigger engine, whereas converted bikes accelerate better but are then forced to cruise at higher revs.

WORLD LAUNCH 15

Finish and features are great on both bikes. Switchgear is easy to use, the remote key doesn’t even need to come out of your pocket to start the bike and for my height the Tallboy bars and forward foot controls give a dominant, somewhat macho legsin-the-wind stance. Sons of Anarchy – I’m a’comin for you.

The Tallboy bars look high but somehow once on the bike they place your hands in a seemingly natural position. And forward controls are the way forward for a lanky git like myself, though those shorter of leg also had an affection for having their feet in the breeze as opposed to the Iron 1200 with its more traditional mid controls. The seat is low, at 710mm, which helps.

After quite some miles, you find yourself with an arched back, but there’s a multitude of positions to sit in. 50-60mph is most comfortable in a chilled-out kinda way, while 70 plus is easily achievable but a lack of any wind protection starts coming into play. What you do notice is overtakes at 50mph plus – lorries need more planning than with bikes like the Bonneville, also a 1200cc retro-styled bike.

The engine is superb in a silky, ironed-out kind of way. Power, or should I say torque is there from idle but there is no point in revving the Sportster; it’s all over from half way through the rev range. Just ride the torque and enjoy how infrequently you have to change gear.

TECH SPEC Harley-Davidson Iron 1200 and Forty-Eight special

Price: Iron 1200 £9395 on the road, Forty-Eight special £9995 Engine: 1202cc V-twin, air-cooled Power: 66bhp Torque: 70.8lbft (96Nm) @ 3500rpm Wet weight: 256kg Fuel tank: 12.5 litres Seat height: Iron 1200 735mm, Forty-Eight Special 705mm

“I didn’t understand Harley-Davidsons until this year. But having experienced riding the new 1200cc models this month, I can see why they’ve been so successful.”

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“I really enjoyed riding the Sportster, though for me the Forty-Eight is much more comfortable over the Iron 1200.”

Forty-Eight Special TINT OLDSTYLE TANK CHROME ON ENGINE

16IN FRONT WHEEL

FOOTRESTS

According to several owners, the finish has got better too, some say since Indian motorcycles have been getting a larger market share. We could not possibly comment, but any improvements are welcome.

I really enjoyed riding the Sportster, though for me the Forty-Eight is much more comfortable than the Iron 1200.

It all comes down to the peg position – to me legs forward feels better, I have more control and it’s more natural – though it doesn’t look it. And while the heritage of that peanut-sized tank goes right back and aesthetically it look good, filling up every 75 miles will get right on your nerves. But hey, if you want sensible, go to your Honda dealer…

1200 IRON

I didn’t understand really HarleyDavidsons until this year. But having experienced riding the new 1200cc models this month, I can see why they’ve been so successful. And will no doubt continue to be – Harley has promised 100 new models in the next 10 years. They are a classic in every sense – continuous production since 1957, V-twin, primary drive, everything on display (the modern electronics are cleverly hidden on a bike with such minimal bodywork), sound great (insert potato joke here) and give a great, engaging ride if you are in the right speed range.

Whether what they offer suits your riding, well, that’s up to you. But I can now say I get it.

TALLBOY BARS

BLACKED OUT ENGINE PARTS HEADLIGHT COWL CAFÉ RACER SEAT

The Forty-Eight has a 16in front wheel fitted with a balloon-like 130/90 tyre, whereas the Iron 1200 wears a 100/90 19in tyre (both have the same 150/80 16in rear, but with differentstyled wheels). You’d have thought this would make a large difference and the Forty-Eight would steer like an overweight doughnut with extra sugar sprinkles, but the honest truth is I couldn’t really feel the difference.

Both felt sure-footed and while these are no sportsbikes – despite the name – they were consistent and predictable. Just as predictable was the sound of scraping underbellies as tighter corners started coming to us.

Various parts touch down depending on how your preload is set, starting with the heroblobs, sidestand on left turns, foot pegs, exhaust on right turns; anything after that starts to get serious. To a rider used to these kind of bikes its usual and a bit of preload or changing your riding style helps, or you could – dare I say it – slow down a little?

The rear shocks and front forks need a mention. Upgraded a few years ago they have transformed the budget boneshaker ride to one of comfort and agility. Even they could easily be improved on, but it’s a great start and will please most owners.

  17

18 FIRST RIDE

Honda CB125R: Teenage kicks The 125cc roadster combines big bike looks with all the fun of a 125! Words: Alan Dowds Photography: Honda One of the great ironies of humanity is that when you’re young, you can’t wait to get older. But when you get old, you’d give anything to be young again. Teenagers are gagging to get into pubs and nightclubs as soon as they look vaguely 18, and the delights of driving a car, deciding how much mess is acceptable on your bedroom floor, and being able to surf as much internet grot as you fancy, all seems like a dream existence.

Of course, when you hit 35, and are besieged by woes about money, nasty bosses, creaking bones and keeping your daft offspring in check, being 15 again seems like an awesome prospect. It’s a similar deal with bikes. Small-bore novice machines try their hardest to look just like their big brothers, in order to bask in the undoubted coolness of a flagship model. Honda’s new CB125R has certainly managed that.

If you have seen it at any of the recent bike shows, you may even have confused it with its 300 or even 1000cc big brothers. Honda’s come out with a whole new ‘design language’ on these three bikes – the CB125R, CB300R and CB1000R. Dubbed Neo Sports Café (NSC), it’s a look the big H has been toying with for a good few years now – with a number of concept bikes using the theme. A large, round LED headlight, high-quality brushed alloy bodywork sections, mature, classy colour schemes – all wrapped round a keep-it-simple engine and naked roadster chassis recipe.

Waterproofed

We’re in Lisbon to ride the 125, with what should be lovely weather, but is turning out to be an Atlantic gutbuster of a storm. Lisbon is a great city, but it’s right on the edge of the ocean, and the wind’s passed over a few thousand miles of nothing but sea since it left the US coast.

Indeed, our first evening ride is cancelled due to the lashing rain, but next morning, we get our waterproofs on, and just go for it.

The CB125R’s big-bike looks catch me out in the hotel car park straight away – as I almost put my gloves down on one of the outriders’ CB650Fs, erk. I catch myself just in time, hop onto an ice-white 125, and get set. The grown-up feel continues, with a decent seat height, highquality handlebars and a neat LCD dashboard, with a clear layout. I’m sad not to find a span-adjustable front brake lever though – my stumpy digits always prefer a shorter reach.

No matter. The little engine coughs into life instantly, and the first chinks in the big-bike appearance start to show. The exhaust has been specially designed to encase the rider in an aural bubble of cool sound, and does that well. But there’s no mistaking the low-power note of a 13bhp motor. Or the low-power, er, power, of a 13bhp motor. Of course, for old duffers like me, who are used to riding 150bhp+ monsters, it’s a bit of a shock to have a tenth of that.

FIRST RIDE 19 TECH SPEC Honda CB125R 2018

I’m not that bothered to start with though. The slick cobbled streets of Lisbon, soaked in rain, are no place for 200bhp this morning, and neither is my sleepy mind.

I’m adapting to the little bike quickfast though, and the first impressions are good. The motor feels like a proper mini-roadster lump, with a decent, natural-feeling torque curve all the way through. Some 125s from the past have been a real mess in terms of power delivery, with gaping holes in the midrange, or sudden sharp cut-offs at the top end, but this feels like a normal middleweight motor (albeit 50-odd bhp lower down the scale.)

The fuelling is fine too, although I’m not spending much time at part-throttle while trying to keep up with the guide rider’s Africa Twin…

you right in control. Negotiating a couple of soaked roundabouts for pics, my heart was in my mouth once or twice as the (quite decent) Dunlop rubber finally let go.

Crashing a 125 wouldn’t earn me many cool points in front of my peers today.

But where a cheaper, less sophisticated chassis setup of yesteryear would leave you in the dark, I felt like I knew what was going on at the tyres here, and was in a position to take charge. The balance is excellent, with weight carried low, and it’s easy to keep your feet up for ages when you stop at red lights. The poise at walking pace is tremendous too, and combined with the narrow profile that lets you whizz through really skinny gaps, it’s a proper urban champ. Once we make it out of Lisbon city centre and head towards the tourist town of Cascais, the engine is less appealing, but the chassis takes over. On some faster sweeping A-roads, the CB feels more than up to an extra 30bhp, but the motor is feeling the pressure.

126

The wet weight of the Honda in kg.

A light one.

Firmly in control

The chassis is even better. Round town, the good brakes, smart ABS, commanding riding position and direct front end feel combine to put

Price: £3949 Engine: 2v single, SOHC, liquid cooled, 124.7cc Power: 13.1bhp @ 10,000rpm Torque: 7.4lbft @ 8,000rpm Transmission: 6-speed, chain drive Frame: Steel tube trellis Front suspension: 41mm Showa USD forks Rear suspension: Monoshock Brakes: Single 296mm wave disc, four-piston Nissin caliper (front), 220mm disc, single-piston Nissin caliper (rear), IMU-assisted ABS Wheels/tyres: Aluminium/Dunlop GPR-300, 110/70 17 front, 150/60 17 rear Wheelbase: 1345mm Seat height: 816mm Wet weight: 126kg Fuel capacity: 10.1 litres Contact: www.honda.co.uk

20 FIRST RIDE

The dichotomy is even sharper when we get into the hills around Sintra – uphill, the CB engine wheezes a little, but on the other side, you can charge downhill with gay abandon.

The extra thrust imparted by gravity widens the grin under my Shark lid, and I have a real fun dice with a very nice Swiss journalist, eking out every last rev from the motor.

in good sizes (110/70 17 F and 150/60 17 R) has made the little CB good fun in the bends.

After lunch, we hot-foot it back to Lisbon and the hotel. We take in some motorways along the route, and I discover that you’ll be able to keep up with traffic on dual-carriageways.

What’s even more impressive is the fuel consumption though. Despite almost constant thrashing all day, the little CB is showing over 100mpg on the dash.

Good stuff.

The day’s over, and it’s time for a beer now. Luckily, I’ve got no problems getting served at the hotel bar. Would I like to be 17 again, struggling to get into pubs and clubs, and wishing I had my own place?

For sure – especially if I could have one of these little CB125Rs to ride…

816

Frugal and fun

In mm, the seat height of the Honda. Good for learners.

We shouldn’t be too surprised at the strong chassis performance right enough – since the frame and forks are shared with the CB300R, which has more than twice the power of the 125. Cunning design means Honda’s been able to fit both the 125 and 300 engines into the same housing, without too much in the way of compromise. That, together with good tyres (Dunlop GPR-300s)

  21

22 TEST RIDE

BMW R 1200 GS TE Exclusive & Yamaha MT-10 Tourer

Do new bikes make touring better? Mikko and Carl retraced their steps on a route they first rode five years ago on bikes from 2005. This time they were armed with the latest equivalents of the same models… sort of.

John o’Groats Wick

Ullapool

Words: Mikko Nieminen Photography: Gary Chapman, Mikko Nieminen & Carl Woodward Standing by the iconic John o’Groats sign in the far north of Scotland, 550 miles from home, with the wind blowing over what used to be my hair, was one of those bucket list moments in my biking life. But the journey here had begun a long time ago.

To be precise, it started five years ago when my mate Carl and I grabbed our bikes and headed vaguely in the direction of the Scottish Highlands from our homes in the East Midlands.

We didn’t book any accommodation in advance, partly because it was September and we figured it wouldn’t be too busy, and partly because it was indeed September and the weather was likely to dictate which way we wanted to go. Carl was on his 2005 BMW R1150GS Adventure, and I was on my identically aged Yamaha FZR 1000 Fazer. It was my first riding trip to Scotland, and as it turned out, the first of many.

We still ride the same bikes, and put a reasonable amount of miles on them every year, but they are 12 years old now and we were curious about what has changed in that time.

So, in October 2017 we decided to do the trip again, only with the modern equivalents of our bikes – or at least the closest we could find. Carl’s bike for the reunion trip was the BMW

R1200GS TE Exclusive, so not an Adventure model, but it had all the possible gadgets available in the GS range and we figured it would be the one to go for.

I was on a Yamaha MT-10 Tourer Edition – again, not exactly the direct offspring of the Fazer, but it’s the current ‘sensible’ Yamaha derived from the R1, just as the Fazer 1000 was back in the day.

The idea was to see how much the bikes had developed in 12 years, whether the roads and places we visited in Scotland were still as good as they were five years ago, and if we’d have as good a time as we did on the first trip.

Giant leap

We always knew that the new models would be light years ahead of our old bikes, but it was still a bit of a revelation to jump straight from the old bikes to the new: we only got a few hundred yards down the road before we stopped at traffic lights and Carl pulled up next to me: “I can’t believe how light this bike is. It feels completely different from my old one: it’s lighter, smaller, smoother and more powerful,” were his first impressions. As it happens, I had just been thinking the same about the

MT-10. It seemed to be a lot more manoeuvrable than I had expected, and certainly a lot more powerful than the old Fazer, which I never found lacking in power in the first place.

On a couple of occasions when I went for a rapid overtake the difference between the two bikes was clear as the front wheel skipped along the tarmac, toying with the idea of taking off, but just about maintaining contact with the ground.

The electronics keeping the MT-10’s rear wheel biting the tarmac and the whole package horizontal are incredibly clever.

And among all the updates that the bikes have gained over a decade, it is indeed the electronics that are arguably the biggest leap forward in terms of technology on both bikes.

To Carl the GS seemed very different from the old version, with not just ABS like his old GS had, but also traction control, electronic suspension, ride modes and even keyless ignition.

Switching the suspension from Road to Dynamic firms it up, and allows you to ride the bike a bit more aggressively than its adventure touring looks might suggest. “It just makes me realise that my GS’s suspension is pretty knackered – it’s like riding a pogo stick compared to this,” was Carl’s verdict.

Inverness Aviemore

Aberdeen

Fort William

Perth

Falkirk

Edinburgh

Glasgow Jedburgh

Ayr

Dumfries Carlisle Belfast

Newcastle upon Tyne

Darlington Isle of Man Leeds

Dublin

Hull

Liverpool

S F

Nottingham

Newark

TEST RIDE 23

The riding modes on offer are Rain, Road, Dynamic and Enduro, but they didn’t seem to make as much of a difference in handling as the suspension settings, and Carl settled into switching between Road and Rain, depending on how Scottish the weather was.

The Yamaha is equally advanced compared to its predecessor. While the Fazer lacked any rider aids, such as ABS and traction control, the MT10 boasts both of those, as well as ride modes, but relies on traditional, fully adjustable suspension. The ride quality was great from the start with the suspension slightly on the hard side, but the 120mm travel both front and rear offering enough comfort for serious mile-munching.

Over the first couple of hours on the road I went through the Yamaha’s ride modes (STD, A and B) but didn’t find much difference in them and settled for STD, which seemed perfect for touring while still offering plenty of poke should I need it.

“If the first day had been rainy and mainly spent on motorways, the second day of our trip was the complete opposite: we rode all day in glorious sunshine, on some of the finest roads I’ve ever been on.”

Moving on up

The first day of riding was supposed to be the boring bit, making progress on bigger roads to get within spitting distance of the Highlands. But we didn’t even get over the border before we had helped a horse and rider cross the road and nearly been wiped out by three different cars pulling out in front of us – I guess there are no boring rides.

Both bikes feature cruise control, which was much appreciated on our long and rainy ride up the A1 to Scotch Corner, across the A66 to Penrith, followed by the A75 and A76 to Ayr, where we stayed the night.

On the motorways both bikes behaved in an exemplary fashion, with the cruise control making life easy and the screens helping to keep the rain at bay. Carl took a little while to find the best possible position for the adjustable screen on the GS, while I was instantly satisfied with the fixed screen on the Yamaha. It took the wind off my body, leaving only my head and the top of my shoulders in

the airflow. I’m not usually a big fan of screens, but this one worked a treat.

I just wish the mirror arms on the Yamaha were an inch longer to help me see more of what’s behind me and less of my jacket sleeves.

Into the Highlands

If the first day had been rainy and mainly spent on motorways, the second day of our trip was the complete opposite: we rode all day in glorious sunshine, on some of the finest roads I’ve ever been on. From Ayr we followed the coast up to Greenock and took a ferry to Dunoon – and that’s where the really good riding started. We continued up to Inverary, then Oban and Fort William, further up to Fort Augustus and then towards our second night’s stop, Ullapool. Throughout the day the roads got gradually better with less and less traffic, and increasingly dramatic scenery. The final stretch to Ullapool on the A835 was the icing on the cake, even if we struggled to see where we were going with the setting sun in our eyes.

24 TEST RIDE On day two the bikes continued to impress. With dry roads we managed to get a bit more out of the ample power available, but still not getting close to using everything that was on offer. With 125bhp the new GS has almost 50% more power than the 1150, and Carl was finding overtakes a lot easier than on his old bike. The MT-10’s peak power is 160bhp as opposed to the Fazer’s 140bhp, and on a bike that only weighs 210kg you can really feel the power. It doesn’t seem to matter where you are on the rev range, what gear you use or how fast you’re going – there’s always power when you ask for it.

As the roads got more interesting both bikes had a chance to impress with their cornering ability. They both tip into corners with great ease and hold a line without a struggle. The GS in particular, with its 190/200mm suspension travel and ESA automatic suspension, seems to also soak up any bumps in the road to the extent that it’s difficult to tell if there are any.

The MT-10 hasn’t got the same level of suspension travel or the benefit of automatic suspension (although it is fully adjustable), but while the suspension works well it feels decidedly more firm than the GS.

Agility

TECH SPEC

The MT-10 feels short and light.

Combine that with a sharpish steering angle and it turns much quicker than the old Fazer. It doesn’t feel flimsy though, and maintains composure at higher speeds too.

Yamaha MT-10 Tourer Edition Price: £11,849 Engine: 998cc liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4-valves Power: 125bhp @ 11,500rpm Torque: 92lb-ft @ 9000rpm Wet weight: 210kg Tank: 17 litres Seat height: 825mm Contact: www.yamaha-motor.eu/uk

North Coast 500

Day three consisted of riding a part of the North Coast 500 (or NC500 for short) route from Ullapool to John o’Groats. I had thought that the roads around Fort William and on to Ullapool had offered some great riding and dramatic scenery, but the A835 heading north out of Ullapool and then the A837 from Ledmore blew everything I’d seen before right out of the water. The mountains on the west side seemed to touch the sky, while the sea on the left was eerily calm.

Riding position

The upright riding position is comfy, with fairly wide bars and plenty of legroom. The comfort seat doesn’t make a huge difference from the standard one, but the screen is one of the best around.

Suspension

It deals with bumps well, but you know when you ride over them, whereas the old Fazer soaked up the bumps better, but suffered from lack of composure in fast cornering.

Power

The MT-10 has a lovely linear power delivery. There are no big peaks or troughs – just plenty of useful power readily available. It’s not too dissimilar from the Fazer, just more crisp and enthusiastic.

Electronics

The MT-10 features switchable traction control, ABS, cruise control and riding modes (STD, A & B). There’s not a huge difference between the modes, but they’re all good.

Looks

You wouldn’t think of the MT-10 as being effectively the same bike as the Fazer unless you consider that both are naked(ish) versions of the R1. The ‘Darker side of Japan’ looks are modern and menacing.

Continued on page 26

  25

26 TEST RIDE

Continued from page 24 Soon after we passed the ruins of Ardvreck Castle, the road turned into the A894, and then we followed the A838 from Laxford Bridge all the way to Tongue. From there we took the A836 to John o’Groats.

In all honesty though, you don’t really need to worry about the road numbers as long as you have the coast to your left and good roads to ride on.

After about 55 miles of the biking nirvana of winding A-roads from Ullapool, the road turned into a single track for a long stretch, and there were quite a few camper vans to overtake, but most of the drivers seemed to be only too happy to pull in and let us past.

With a lot of slowing down and speeding up, the gearboxes got a good workout on day three, and the quickshifters on both bikes proved useful. Carl found that on the GS the shifts from first to second and second to third were a little jerky, but higher gears seemed to slot into place easier. The same applied going down the box using the auto-blipper.

On the Yamaha, I found that in towns I tended to use the clutch to shift up just to keep everything smooth, but accelerating out of town the autoshifter worked a treat, with much more effective gear changing than I could ever do myself.

Even though the road along the north coast is a single track for a fair distance it’s still reasonably fast on a bike. What slows you down is the constant temptation to stop for photos – the scenery is genuinely breathtaking, and surprisingly varied, from rocky mountains that look like they belong to a Tolkien story to more

gentle green hills and fields further west. The day ended at the iconic signpost at John o’Groats – another box ticked on my biking bucket list.

Carl on the other hand was still as comfy as ever on the GS. If truth be told, I was a little envious of the level of luxury the BMW offered.

What goes up…

Mostly impressed

Day four started with glorious sunshine and a gentle coastal ride down south. Again, the scenery had completely changed with gently rolling hills and a big wide road hugging the coastline.

From Inverness we carried on to the Cairngorms on the A9. The area is fertile for distillery touring, with plenty of Speyside whiskies made here. We stopped at the Dalwhinnie Distillery, and since we couldn’t taste anything while we were on our bikes, we picked up some little bottles to take home – it would have been rude not to.

We spent the night in Falkirk and on the last day of riding took in the A7 down from Edinburgh as an alternative to the A68 that we’d both been on numerous times. It turned out to be a good choice with some lovely twisty sections leading us in the general direction of Kielder Forest Park. The last leg of the trip was on the A68 and finally the A1. It wasn’t until we were within an hour’s ride from home that I first started to feel like I was ready to get off the bike. Being on the A1 didn’t help as you don’t tend to move on the bike much on a big road like that, and the thought of nearly being home must have played a part too.

The new bikes were always going to feel great compared to our old models, but exactly how they impressed came as a bit of a surprise.

TEST RIDE 27 I had anticipated being blown away by the sheer power and light chassis of the MT-10 Tourer Edition, but I was most impressed with it being so much more comfortable than I had expected.

The screen (although unadjustable) takes the wind and rain off your body, leaving your head in the clean air, and best of all creates no buffeting at all.

The comfort seat isn’t hugely different in terms of comfort from the standard seat, but looks good and is easily comfy enough to ride the tank empty without stopping. Which brings me to the only real negative of the MT-10: with a 17-litre tank and average 40mpg that I achieved on our trip, I was on the lookout for the next petrol station after every 100 miles. But fuel economy aside, it’s very difficult not to love the MT-10. It’s surprisingly comfortable, hugely powerful and extremely fun to ride. I managed to fit all my luggage in the 20-litre each panniers without even bothering with a tail or tank bag, and the bike didn’t seem to handle any differently with the luggage on.

The GS on the other hand is built exactly for this sort of thing: big miles, big loads, big smiles! It doesn’t offer the same sort of performance as the Yamaha, but in terms of rider comfort, you can’t fault it. With the bolt-upright riding position, wide bars and heated grips, and the adjustable seat and screen, it’s popular for a reason.

As for Scotland, it’s still in my eyes the best place for riding in the UK. The north coast is far away from pretty much anywhere else, but it’s worth taking the time and making the journey.

The roads, scenery and people you find there will make it an unforgettable trip, regardless of what bike you ride.

I wonder what the bikes will look like in another 12 years… Maybe the next reunion trip will be made on an electric GS and MT-10...

TECH SPEC

Lightness

BMW R 1200 GS TE Exclusive

Everything feels light: clutch, throttle, putting it on the centrestand, and riding it. It all adds up to create an impression of a much lighter bike than the spec sheet would have you believe.

Riding position

The new GS seems more comfortable than the old one.

On the old bike it feels like you’re sat on top of it – on the new one you feel like you’re sitting in it.

Gears

The quickshifter is great working up the gears (apart from the jerky shift from first to second), but going down the box it feels like you get more control using the clutch.

Engine

The new model is not just more powerful at 125bhp, the engine is also smoother, with less vibration. There’s plenty more top end (great for sixth gear overtakes), but arguably less character.

Price: £15,565 Engine: 1170cc air/liquid-cooled, twin-cylinder 4-stroke boxer Power: 125bhp @ 7750rpm Torque: 92lb-ft @ 6500rpm Wet weight: 244kg fully fuelled Tank: 20 litres Seat height: 850mm/870mm Contact: www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk

Suspension

The automatic suspension is an impressive bit of kit. You have two suspension profiles (Road and Dynamic) and the option of changing preload from Max to Auto to Low.

Electronics

It’s a Marmite thing, but if you’re a bit of a geek, you’ll love it. You can monitor everything from tyre pressures to air temperature, and it’s all very user friendly.

28 BEHIND THE SCENES

Words: Bob Pickett

BEST OF BRITISH:

DAVIDA

The idea of this series is to celebrate British companies involved in the world of motorcycling. And can there be a more British company than Davida? From humble beginnings in 1974 to the present day, the company’s production process has remained in-house at its headquarters in Birkenhead, Wirral.

On top of this, the helmets are still hand-made by the Davida team, most of whom have been with the company for over a decade and some more than 30 years, going back to its formation.

Davida (the name comes from a clever marketing strategy, making premium of the European Endurance biking scene prevalent at the time) started out manufacturing specialised components (their vacuum gauges were re-branded by Honda as their official kit and are still being made), but the life-changing move came in the early 1980s when founder David ‘Fid The Lid’ Fiddaman (‘Fiddy’ for short), decided he could make a better open-face helmet than what was

available at the time. As a result, a design classic was born.

Since then, perhaps the greatest compliment is Davida helmets have gone from being retro-styled to being the one other people copy.

THE PROCESS

So how is it done? Every Davida helmet is literally hand-crafted, a highly labour intensive process requiring it to be passed through many hands all the way through its production. The starting point is the size and head profile. Years of practice and thorough research has led to the development of a range of shell profiles (Davida will work to halfsizes) designed to closely fit different head shapes. The initial model has been finely sculpted by hand using time honoured modelling techniques.

The Davida shell tooling is for Davida helmets only – no other brand uses their tooling. Overall helmet size is proportional to head size, with six helmet sizes created from three shell

BEHIND THE SCENES 29

sizes and three EPS liners – each size then created with different leather lining sizes. It is always best to visit Davida at a show or one of their registered stockists (see www. davida-helmets.com for a full list) to get an exact match.

The shell is made from fibreglass, which is pressed into a heavy steel mould and coated in resin, then a head-shaped bladder is inflated to create the head shape. Once cooled, The shell is hand-sanded using an orbital sander to create a smooth finish. Each helmet is then primed and given an inspection to ensure no imperfections; once past this quality control, each helmet gets it’s own unique barcode, Davida can trace the manufacture of every helmet that leaves the factory. The glassfibre shells and polystyrene liners are made in Europe to stringently monitored specifications, with the leather liners, painting, assembly and finish happening in Merseyside.

Painting is still done by hand

(I know I’ve said this before, but the attention to detail and refusal to move to mass-production type machinery is a vital part of the Davida process).

Single colours are straightforward, but multiple colours are masked by hand.

Top coats of paint and lacquer are applied in a dust-free specialist paint room, then eye-checked in a lightbox to ensure not even the smallest speck of dust will be missed. Complex designs can see the shell being hand masked and sprayed up to five times.

Once past this approval stage, the shell is baked to harden the paint before moving to the assembly room.

Now, the outer rubber trim is glued to the shell straps made from the same grade leather as the lining shortly to be added – attached by studs to the shell to ensure they won’t come away. Studs (for attaching peaks and/or visors) cannot be retro-fitted, so if you are approaching Davida for a bespoke helmet it is important to specify at this stage if they are required.

Next, the leather linings (natural leather is used as it softens and ages well, making the helmet even more comfortable as the years go by), are cut and sewn. More than 1 square metre of the finest grade aniline dyed leather is used to create the luxurious quilted leather lined interior, finished with a pure satin crown for a superb level of comfort. A goggle retainer is fitted to the rear of the helmet using the same quality leather.

The quilted liner fits inside an EPS multi-density shock absorbing layer pressed into shape within the shell.

The leather linings can be replaced on Ninety 2 and Speedster V3, so you can order a different colour if you want to personalise your helmet further.

So you’ve got your helmet, you can now order visors, goggles (if, like me, you wear glasses, you can order goggles with prescription lenses fitted) to match. Davida also makes

gloves, leather jackets and jeans (not made at the factory, but to Davida’s own designs), and face masks. The firm doesn’t sit still – its range is constantly being refined, and 2018 saw the launch of its first full-face helmet, the Koura. Fiddy popped one on my head: instantly comfortable, light, well balanced, utterly quiet (a welcome Davida trait).

We hope to test one for a future issue, once initial orders are satisfied.

30 ADVERTORIAL

Stein Dinse is a German company which helps us to look after our Italian motorcycles.

This year, Stein Dinse celebrates 35 years in business. Formed by Hans-Dieter Stein way back in 1983, Stein Dinse has made a name for itself selling top-quality products specialising in the classic Italian machines we love so much.

Based near Brunswick in northern Germany, the Italian parts specialist is a huge concern. Today it sells more than 40,000 different products from more than 200 suppliers from a 7000sq m (70,000sq ft) warehouse facility that is 100% dedicated to the ‘Passion for Italian’. Specifically, this is a passion for all things Moto Guzzi, Ducati and Aprilia – with a dash of MV Agusta thrown in for good measure!

Not just ‘late-model’ parts either – the company sells hundreds, in fact thousands of parts for older models, especially Moto Guzzi models, that are just not available from anyone else, anywhere.

Stein Dinse is by far the world’s largest spare part and accessory seller for these top Italian brands, but don’t worry that they’re based in Germany – if you want to order then you’ll find not only do they have knowledgeable staff, they do even have a ‘native’ speaker so you can rest assured that you’ll get the part you need for your Italian classic.

Hans-Dieter is still (ahem) ‘hands on’ even after more than three decades. He says: “For older models, we offer several spare parts and accessories, which are completely

“Despite regular maintenance and revision, we are getting ready for another major upgrade and relaunch of our e-commerce platform this year with even better functionality and help for our customers.”

So what does Stein Dinse sell? Well, the available products stretches from replacement engine and service components such as filters, pads, tyres, oil and gaskets, to exhausts, brake lines, luggage and luggage carriers, calipers, discs as well as bike clothing and helmets.

Want to know more?

Then head to the aforementioned e-commerce platform at: www.stein-dinse.biz

Big place, but then it does carry a lot of parts! sold out in the market or no longer available. It may happen that there is a missing part in our range, but since we are deeply engaged with preservation of old machines, we can always ask our alternative suppliers.

Through the decades we have continuously developed the trading of components and spare parts for the great Italian brands Ducati and Moto Guzzi. Meanwhile, we are the official importer for Dellorto, Brembo,

Mistral and Unibat, offering almost every spare part for current Italian models too. We sell to dealers and to enthusiasts, and in addition to our catalogue, we offer our entire range, including many specialty service and repair replacement spare parts and components online too – with excellent shipping to all European destinations and beyond and orders placed up to 4pm usually being shipped the same day.

ADVANCE

TICKETS

ON SALE NOW!

2018

FRIDAY, AUGUST 31 SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 NETLEY MARSH, HAMPSHIRE SO40 7GY GATES OPEN 9AM

• THOUSANDS OF BARGAINS AT ONE OF THE UK’S LARGEST AUTOJUMBLES! • CHARTERHOUSE AUCTION

Starts on Friday at 1pm

FREE

PARKING

!

FRIDAY: •Adults: £9 SATURDAY: •Adults: £8 CHILDREN U12: FREE

TICKET HOTLINE: 01507 529529 VISIT: WWW.CLASSICBIKESHOWS.COM TRADE ENQUIRIES: 01507 529430

@classicbikeshow

/classicbikeshows

32 WHAT’S ON

What’s On: the essential dates 2018 JULY 20-22 British Superbikes – Round 6.

Brands Hatch GP. www.britishsuperbike.com.

21 Kempton Park Motorcycle Autojumble. Kempton Park, Staines Road East, Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex TW16 5AQ. www.kemptonparkautojumble.co.uk.

Tel 01507 529529.

21 Scorton Auto & Bike Jumble.

Scorton, North Yorkshire Events Centre DL10 6EJ. Tel Bert 07909 904705.

21 Leigh Food Fair & Vintage Classic Car/Bike Show. Leigh Village Hall, Leigh, near Sherborne, Dorset DT9 6HL. www.leighfoodfair.co.uk.

Tel 01935 873846 21 50-50 Afternoon Gathering & Bike Show. Carington Arms, Folville Street, Ashby Folville, Leicestershire LE14 2TE. 21-22 Aberdare Park Road Races.

9 Park Lane, Aberdare CF44 8HN. www.aberdarepark.co.uk.

21-22 Scottish Motorcycle Festival.

Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh. mcnscottishfestival.co.uk.

22 Cheshire Classic Motorcycle & Car Show. Capesthorne Hall, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK11 9JY. Tel 01484 667776. www.classicshows.org.

22 Old Fossils Charity Bike Run. Horndean Technology College, Barton Cross, Horndean, Hampshire PO8 9PQ. Tel 02392 593004. www.waterlooville-mcc.co.uk.

22 BTSC Eddie Creighton Memorial.

Newbridge Garden Centre, Broadbridge Heath, Horsham, West Sussex. Tel 01798 812383.

22 Bike Day. Ace Cafe, Ace Corner,

North Circular Road, Stonebridge, London NW10 7UD. london.acecafe.com.

22 Rideout. Meet Morrisons supermarket, Diss IP22 4XF. In aid of The Brain Tumour Charity.

Tel Andy 07774 780992.

25 VMCC (Essex section) Third Wrinkly Run. Starting from Writtle Green.

Tel 01268 763805 26 LE Velo Lancs & S Lakes. Malham.

Meet village centre. Tel 01772 782516.

26 Krazy Horse – Park it in the Market.

Greenwich Market, Greenwich Church Street, London SE10 9HZ. www.krazyhorse.co.uk.

26-28 Moto Guzzi Club GB Summer Camp. The Powis Arms, Brampton Road, Lydbury North SY7 8AU. Tel 07593 676802. www.motoguzziclub.co.uk.

27-28 Armoy Road Race. www.facebook.com/faugheen.rrclub 27-29 Scottish National Assembly of Vintage Motorcycles. Coupars Sports Ground, Coupar Angus Road, Blairgowrie, Perthshire.

Tel 01241 852369 28 LE Velo Northampton gathering.

Red Lion,Thornby NN6 8SJ. Tel 01604 499858.

28-29 Vintage Garden Festival.

Letchworth Garden City. letchworthvintagefestival.org.

Tel Norma 07445 705673 or Hayley 07900 287778.

29 Classics at the Castle. Bodelwyddan Castle, Rhyl, North Wales LL18 5YA. Tel 01484 667776. www.classicshows.org 29 Sports Bike Special. Ace Cafe, Ace Corner, North Circular Road, Stonebridge, London NW10 7UD. london.acecafe.com.

TO GET YOUR EVENT ON THESE PAGES EMAIL jclements@mortons.co.uk

29 Vintage Motor Cycle Club North Cotswold Section, Cotswold Way Run. Hayles Fruit Farm, Winchcombe GL54 5PB. Email ncvmcc@gmail.com or see www.northcotswoldvmcc.com.

29 Suffolk Auto Jumble, Church Farm, Kettleburgh, near Woodbridge, Suffolk IP13 9JX. Tel 01728 724858 (before 9pm) 29 Exeter Classic MCC 30th Annual Dartmoor Charity Run, start Exeter Quay. Tel 01647 252680. www.exeterclassicmotorcycleclub. btck.co.uk/Dartmoorrun.

AUGUST

3-5 The 44th Annual Gloucestershire Vintage & Country Extravaganza.

South Cerney Airfield, Cirencester. www.glosvintageextravaganza.co.uk.

3-5 British Superbikes – Round 7: Thruxton. www.britishsuperbike.com.

4-5 S&T Regularity Run. VMCC (Stirling Castle Section), Cultybraggan Camp near Comrie. Tel 01764 653474.

4-5 International West Kent Run. The Friars, Aylesford, Kent ME20 7BX. Tel 07761 005995 or visit. iwkr.co.uk.

4-5 Trimpley Vintage Rally Weekend.

Bite Farm, Trimpley, Bewdley, Worcestershire DY12 1NU. Tel 07986 170715. www.bvmc.org.uk.

4-5 LlandBikeFest 2018. Royal International Pavilion, Llangollen, LL20 8SW. www.llanbikefest.co.uk.

Tel 07960 693398.

4-5 National Sprint Association (Southern Section). Westonzoyland Airfield, Bridgewater, Somerset, TA7 0LZ. www.sprinting.org.uk 5 Garstang Autojumble. Hamilton House Farm, on A586, off A6,

Garstang, Preston PR3 0TB. www.garstangautojumbles.co.uk.

Email info@garstangautojumbles .co.uk.

5 Normous Newark Autojumble.

The Showground, Drove Lane, Winthorpe, Newark, Notts NG24 2NY. www.newarkautojumble.co.uk.

Tel 01507 529529.

5 Suzuki Sunday. Ace Cafe, Ace Corner, North Circular Road, Stonebridge, London NW10 7UD. london.acecafe.com.

5 LE Velo Lancs & S Lakes. Rivington.

South Barn. Tel 01772 782516 5 MotoGP – Round 10: Monster Energy Grand Prix Ceske republiky. www.motogp.com.

7-11 Ulster Grand Prix. www.ulstergrandprix.net.

10-12 Moto Guzzi Club GB GuzziFest.

Riverside Camping and Caravan Park, Marsh Lane, North Molton Road, South Molton, North Devon EX36 3HQ. Tel 07593 676802. www.motoguzziclub.co.uk.

12 Classic Motorcycle Show. Hen & Chickens, Baldock. Tel 07963 609143.

12 The British Two-Stroke Club (Leicester section). The Belvoir Run (venue to be arranged).

Tel 0116 275 0532.

12 Taunton Classic Motorcycle Club, Annual Exmoor Run. For details visit tauntonclassicmc.weebly.com.

12 Sunbeam MCC 56th Graham Walker Memorial Run. Beaulieu, Hampshire.

Tel Ian McGill 01293 771446.

Email acsociable1@sky.com.

12 VMCC & Classic Bike Day. Ace Cafe, Ace Corner, North Circular Road, Stonebridge, London NW10 7UD. london.acecafe.com 12 MotoGP – Round 11: Motorrad

Grand Prix von Österreich. www.motogp.com.

14-19 VMCC (Essex section) Summer Camping. Tel Dave Iszard 01621 892206.

15-20 Norton International Rally, Austria. www.nortonownersclub.org/events.

16 LE Velo Lancs & South Lakes.

Arnside, meet car park next to viaduct.

Tel 01772 782516.

17-19 British Superbikes – Round 8: Cadwell Park. www.britishsuperbike.com.

18 Scorton Auto & Bike Jumble.

Scorton, North Yorkshire Events Centre DL10 6EJ. Tel 07909 904705 18 Sunbeam MCC first Bolney Vintage Run. Bolney, Sussex. Tel Rob Pond 01306 628297/07907 694751. Email events@sunbeam-mcc.co.uk.

18-19 The Classic Car & Cheshire Autojumble Passion for Power. Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 6QN. www.cheshireautopromotions.co.uk.

Tel 01507 529529.

19 Ladies Day – Bring What Ya Run. Ace Cafe, Ace Corner, North Circular Road, Stonebridge, London NW10 7UD. london.acecafe.com 19 UK Monster Truck Nationals.

Santa Pod Raceway, Airfield Road, Podington, Wellingborough, Northants NN29 7XA. www.monstertrucknationals.co.uk.

19 Taunton Auto Jumble. Taunton Rugby Club, Hyde Lane (off A38), TA2 8BU. Tel 07977 643852.

19 Harley Ride In. Sammy Miller Museum. www.sammymiller.co.uk.

19 Sunbeam MCC second Summer Pioneer Run. Handcross, Sussex.

Tel Rob Pond 01306 628297/ 07907 694751. Email: events@sunbeam-mcc.co.uk.

RIDE THIS IN A DAY 33 Border country loop The northern edge of Bristol is a complex hodge-podge of urban sprawl, industrial estates and motorways – but get outside of that and it’s a great set of roads to ride. Words: Peter Henshaw All right, there are some nice bits, and you can leave the city on the last few spectacular miles of the A4, clinging to the Avon Gorge and passing under Brunel’s best known bridge. But just a few miles away across the Severn is far more open country, lots and lots of twisty tarmac, and – a bit further north – mountains.

This ride starts at the old Severn Bridge (free for bikes). The views are always a treat as you ride across, but watch out on a blowy day – it’s not the side winds which can catch you out, but the sudden shelter from the bridge towers!

Assuming you’ve survived that, take the first exit on the other side (signed Chepstow) and follow signs for A466 Monmouth. Round the outskirts of Chepstow, past the race course, and it’s all pleasant enough, but nothing special.

This all changes after a couple of near-hairpins, when you crest the side of the Wye Valley then twist your way down to the river at Tintern.

You pop out right at the ruins of Tintern Abbey, brooding over the broad valley – the wide curvy river and steep-sided slopes look more like the Rhine or Moselle than anything English or Welsh.

The A466 running along the valley is a joy – fastish with some nice corners and just a few villages (and possibly deer) to watch out for.

You’re never far from the river, and cross it at the midway point on a lovely old toll bridge into Wales. After about 10 miles the valley suddenly opens out, the trees fall behind and you’re on the outskirts of Monmouth, waiting at the lights to cross the A40. Head straight over, right at the T-junction and follow your nose to the next set of lights. Straight over those and you’re back on the A466 for Hereford, which writhes its way up a steep narrow valley out of town before opening out with good views of the Black Mountains, far to the west. Nice and swoopy, that one.

At Wormelow Tump, turn left onto the B4348 which takes us through Much Dewchurch and downhill to cross the A465. Straight over, stay on the B-road for Coldwell to join the Golden Valley. Finally we dip down to Hay on Wye, which is a good coffee stop. The next section is about 20 miles of single track tarmac, so slow down and keep eyes peeled on the innumerable blind corners. To find it, turn left into Hay’s main street then take a left (Forest Road) signposted to Capel-y-ffin. Turn right after a mile or so (again, signed Capel-y-ffin) and you’re on the lane which will take us right over the Black Mountains.

Up a very steep climb and we pop out on the mountainside. We’re just inside Wales, paralleling the border which is about a mile to the east, all the way up from Hay. Over the top on a pass between the peaks of Hay Butt and Twmpa before we start the long descent down Gospel Pass (another name to conjure with) through the tiny villages of Capel-y-ffin and Llanthony. Capel has the UK’s smallest polling station electorate.

Eventually, we come out on the A465, just outside Abergavenny, and boy does it feel good to open up on a road wider than a single car. Down to the big roundabout just outside town, but don’t take the A40 back unless you’re really short of time. Off the same roundabout, take the B4598 to Usk instead, which runs alongside the big road for a few miles before crossing it and diving off south. At Usk, turn left following signs for the A449, but again, forsake a dual-carriageway for another B-road, the B4235 which crosses it and is signed (bit of a clue that we’re nearly home) for Chepstow. That’s confirmed when the ups, downs and twisties give you glimpses of Severn Bridge in the far distance. About 12 miles from the A449, this B-road deposits us back at Chepstow, a couple of minutes from the bridge. We’re back.

A49

A438

Hay-on-Wye

A465 Hereford A465

B4348

Much Dewchurch A49

Llanthony A465

Ross-on-Wye

A479

A466

A40

Crickhowell A40 Abergavenny Monmouth

A465 A40 A4042

A466

Pontypool

Usk

Tintern

A449 vB423 Chepstow

Newport

M4

M48

S F

34 

PRODUCTS 35

NEW PRODUCTS

Each month MCM features a range of brand new gear, to help you find the best-value products on the market today.

New carbon modular helmet from LS2 – the Vortex MCM TOP PICK

RRP: £299 // Sizes: XS-2XL If you’re in the market for a new flipfront lid – check out LS2’s Vortex.

It’s comes with a carbon fibre shell, Bluetooth connectivity and dual-homologation, meaning you can wear it open or closed. And best of all, it looks pretty stylish too.

Made from 100% highgrade carbon fibre – the same material used in Formula 1 and MotoGP – the Vortex weighs just 1300g, which is significantly less than most other flip-front helmets on the market.

LS2 say its low weight helps to keep the wearer’s head stable at speed and reduces pressure on the neck and fatigue on longer stretches – which sounds like it’d be a real bonus if you were doing some big miles.

Inside is a removable and washable lining for comfort, plus there’s dynamic flow-through ventilation with adjustable intake ports, internal channels and exhaust ports – to help deliver a constant, light flow of air. It also comes equipped with both a neck and chin curtain, a pinlock compatible quick-release 3D Optically Correct ‘A Class’ Polycarbonate visor, and a drop down sun visor too. The LS2 Vortex is also available with the LINKIN Ride Pal system (RRP £129.99) for the special price of £399.99.

For more information, visit: www.ls2helmets.com

Diamondbrite Motorcycle Pro Sealant RRP: From £150 // www.jewelultra.com Diamondbrite has just unveiled a new pro sealant for motorcycles – to make it easier to clean your bike and keep it in showroom condition.

Essentially, Diamondbrite’s Motorcycle Pro sealant is the first fully-guaranteed flourocarbon polymer paint protection system specifically designed for motorcycles. One professional application will form a tough, highgloss barrier on painted surfaces – shielding bodywork from pollutants, and reducing the risk of fading and oxidisation caused by road grime and salt, bird droppings, ‘bug splat’ and other corrosive pollutants.

Diamondbrite also reckons its Pro Sealant makes cleaning easier too. Dirt and grime won’t stick to the high gloss finish – and there’s no need for waxing and polishing, since the coating preserves the newbike shine. In fact, Diamondbrite’s laboratory tests show that it reduces the need to wash painted parts by as much as 50%.

It’s important to point out that Diamondbrite does need to be professionally applied by a trained and approved dealer – entitling you to a three-year guarantee against etching, fading or pitting.

And the only aftercare required is an occasional application of Diamondbrite Pro Preserve, a spray-

After care kit

As part of the Diamondbrite protection package, you’ll also get an after-care kit thrown in.

Supplied in a handy carry bag, the kit includes; ● Pro Preserve 250ml Mini Trigger Bottle (top-up for the Pro Paint Protection). ● Chrome and Metal Polish 250ml Bottle (cleans and shines aluminium and chrome). ● Motorcycle Degreaser (safely strips built-up oil and grease; easy to wash away). ● Anti-Bacterial Sanitiser (for helmets, boots gloves and clothing). ● Waterless Detailer 500ml (a faster way to clean a lightly soiled motorcycle). ● Motorcycle Bike Wash 500ml (high-foaming cleaner designed for regular use & biodegradable).

To check out a video of the diamondbrite pro sealant in action, visit: www.morebikes.co.uk

Want to look like Deadpool?

HJC unveils its latest Marvel lid – celebrating the release of Deadpool 2 RRP: £469.99 // Sizes: XS-2XL Marking the release of the second Deadpool film – which tells the story of ex-special forces agent Wade Wilson – HJC has given its premium RPHA 11 sports helmet a swanky new Deadpool styled paintjob.

Getting down into technical specifications, the RPHA 11 is constructed from carbon fibre, aramid and carbonglass hybrid fibre, which work together to provide enhanced

on/wash-off solution, which works to maintain the integrity of the Pro paint protection.

In short, if you’re looking for a way to keep your pride in joy in top condition you might want to consider investing in Diamondbrite’s Motorcycle Pro Sealant. Plus, if you’ve bought your bike on PCP – it’s be the perfect way to help protect your deposit.

shock-resistant performance – at a lighter weight.

For ventilation it comes equipped with an aerodynamic top vent, a new forehead vent and redesigned side-intake vents. And if the temperature starts to rise, the lid comes equipped with a multi cool interior with advanced antibacteria fabric lining and enhanced moisture wicking for quick drying. It also comes with an enlarged view port,

HOW IT WORKS

Diamondbrite Motorcycle Pro Sealant is made from a unique blend of ‘self healing’ fluorocarbon polymers. Once applied, the Pro Sealant bonds to microscopic pitted pores on painted surfaces, creating an ultra-thin layer of protection which is highly durable, while remaining flexible enough to cope with expansion and contraction of the surface caused by changes in temperature.

The smoother finish makes it difficult for dirt particles to stick to it, while remaining highly water and soil repellent.

It reduces friction, which helps when you’re giving your pride and joy a clean, and it also contains specialist UV absorbers, which work to prevent damage from sunlight to the treated surface.

Forcefield Tech 2 Climate Control Shirt and Pants RRP: From £49.99

meaning the lid offers a wide field of vision. Plus, it comes with two visors, one clear and one light smoke – and a Pinlock anti-fog lens too.

You’ll no doubt have noticed that it’s not an especially cheap lid – but the HJC RPHA 11 has made a name for itself over the last couple of years as one of the best value helmets on the market.

For more information, visit: www.oxfordproducts.com

Protection specialist Forcefield has just unveiled a selection of new products as part of its Climate Control range, combining the latest production techniques with cutting edge technology to produce the very best in base layer design and functionality – specifically the Tech 2 climate control shirt and pants.

They’re clever bits of kit – offering compression in key areas which allows the surface knits to massage and stimulate your skin, which Forcefield claims works to improve overall comfort. As a result they are said to help keep you cool in hot conditions, and warm in cooler conditions. The shirt and pants also incorporate DRI-M technology (Dynamic, Reactive, Intelligent Material) – which helps to wick moisture using a combination of BeCool and Dryarn fibres.

In short, if you’re in the market for a new set of base layers – it’s worth checking out Forcefield’s all new Tech 2 range.

For more information, visit: www.forcefieldbodyarmour.com

36 TRIED & TESTED

TESTED

Each month MCM features a range of gear that we’ve tested extensively out on the road, to try and find the best-value products on the market – so you can spend your hard earned cash with confidence.

Furygan Vittorio Gloves RRP: £64.99 // Sizes: S-3XL I’ve been wearing a pair of Vittorio gloves from Furygan over the past few months, and I’ve got nothing but nice things to say about the French brand’s latest addition to its extensive range.

Manufactured predominantly from goat leather for protection and comfort, the gloves blend Furygan’s Skin Protect lining (which has been approved by Furygan’s R&D department for reinforcing leather in terms of tearing and abrasion resistance) – and in short, they’re a wellequipped pair of gloves that ought to be up the job should your hands need protecting in the event of a tumble.

Plus, there’s a D3O protection shell for your metacarpals – in addition to multiple reinforcements in the form of doubled layers and additional foam on areas exposed to abrasion in a crash situation.

Thankfully, I haven’t had to put the protection to the test just yet though.

For comfort there are reinforcements on top of the palm and inside the thumb,

and between each finger there’s even padded textile inserts. It all works well, and out on the road, I found them extremely comfortable – and because they’re fairly thin, you’ll still get all the feedback you need through the bars. They’re also perforated leather for air flow – to help keep your hands cool in the warmest of weathers.

And there’s a wrist adjuster too, to help you get the perfect fit.

All in all, they’re a stylish and comfortable set of gloves, that’ll keep your hands cool in warmer weather. Well worth a look.

For more information, visit: www.nevis.uk.com

Crave Denim Kevlar Shirt RRP: £259.00 // Sizes: XS-XL The Crave Bear Kevlar shirt is a clever bit of kit that looks good both on and off the motorcycle – and comes with a full Kevlar lining which should help keep your skin intact should the worst happen and you take a tumble.

With the scorching weather we’ve been having – it’s been my go-to jacket since I got my hands on it a few months ago.

It’s a simple but well equipped jacket, and comes with a full para aramid anti-abrasion layer (Kevlar) and microfibre lining layer for breathability – like I said, perfect for the summer.

Additionally, there are pockets for CE protection on the shoulders and back, and room

for D30 protectors on the elbows. Admittedly, I’ve been wearing the jacket with an armoured base layer underneath – but if you’re going to do that, you might need to go one size up to ensure there’s room. There’s also a phone/wallet pocket on sleeve, one zipped inner pocket and two small breast pockets.

In short, this handmade jacket from Crave is a fantastic piece of kit. It’s not cheap, I know – but it’s stylish, lightweight, comfortable, and doesn’t look out of place on or off the bike.

I love it.

For more information, visit: www.dot4distribution.com

Bell Moto-3 Ace Cafe GP 66 Helmet RRP: £249.99 // Sizes: XS-2XL There’s no denying the Bell Moto-3 Ace Cafe GP 66 is a cool-looking lid.

It looks almost identical to the iconic helmets worn by 1970s scrambling stars – but don’t worry, it’s equipped with the latest and greatest modern materials and technology, to meet European and American safety standards and help keep your noggin safe out on the tarmac (or dirt).

It’s not packed with an abundance of features though – after all, it’s a fairly simple and straightforward design, that’s been tried and tested over the years. So why change a winning formula?

The lid is made using a modern lightweight fibreglass composite shell – which comes in three different sizes, allowing you to get the perfect fit. Regarding the fit, I did find it quite tight initially, but after around 1000 miles the padding seems to have given a little – and it’s now spot on. It also comes equipped with a full internal EPS liner, and a removable/washable anti-microbial terrycloth liner. And that’s about it.

Like I said; it’s simple, but purposeful.

I love it.

The one we’ve been testing is the Ace Cafe GP 66 special – which celebrates 80 years since the iconic London-based biker haunts inception. The lid was designed in

THIS MONTH’S BEST BUY

collaboration with the team at the iconic Ace Cafe in London – the original home of the now worldfamous cafe racer motorcycle.

As a result, the helmet features a Union Jack inspired red, white, and blue livery with a red stripe on the right, and a blue stripe on the left.

It also comes with a detachable sun visor, and there’s an Ace Cafe logo on the back.

For more information, visit: www.bellhelmets.co.uk

Forcefield Freelite Back Protector RRP: £99.99 // Sizes: S-L

Back protectors are important pieces of kit – right up there with a decent helmet and pair of gloves.

Up until February this year, I’d not been wearing one – but since then, when my Forcefield Freelite arrived, I’ve made sure to always stick it underneath my jacket to keep me just a bit safer should the worst happen.

I’m really glad to say that I’ve not needed to thoroughly test it quite yet – but knowing I’m as well protected as possible inspires riding confidence.

The overall design of the Freelite is one of simplicity. No fancy clips or buckles, just a wide Velcro strap and elasticated shoulder straps to hold the CE2 layered armour in place. And in place is where it stayed. Even when I was riding a machine that needed a bit of playful man-handling, it neither moved nor came undone. It’s a clever bit of kit, and with its breathable, flexible construction you’re getting good bang for your buck.

The armour itself is soft enough to shape to your body when it warms up under your jacket making the fit snug. As with all new pieces of clothing it took a few rides to really bed in fully and for me to get used to the feeling and forget it was even there. In no time at all I found myself in the routine of putting the back protector on before the jacket.

If I had one negative about the product – it is that after wearing it daily for five months (on and off at least three times a day) the Velcro began to lose its grab. This is an extreme amount of use in a short

period of time so may not be fully representative of the product’s longevity . Aside from that, the back protector is very well-made and surprisingly comfortable – and if you’re looking for a back protector, you could do a lot worse than Forcefield’s Freelite.

For information, visit: www.forcefieldbodyarmour.com

Know this: FRAMES They’re one of the largest individual components on any bike, but what exactly do frames do?

Words: Mikko Nieminen Photograph: Mortons Media Archive

WHAT IS A FRAME AND HOW DOES IT WORK?

HOW DOES LENGTH AFFECT A FRAME?

Fundamentally, a frame is there to hold the engine and wheels in the correct relationship geometrically and to have sufficient strength to resist the braking and cornering forces which are being applied to it.

The length of its frame can severely affect the geometry of a motorcycle. The longer a bike’s frame is, the slower it will turn, but it will gain in stability. Short frames are more nimble but they can also be a lot more twitchy to ride; especially if they have an acute rake/trail.

WHAT MATERIALS CAN FRAMES BE MADE FROM?

Frames can be made from pretty much anything, ranging from carbon fibre to billet aluminium, steel tubing to alloy sheeting. As long as the product used is strong enough to cope with the stresses which are put onto it, the material used is almost irrelevant. However, some materials like aluminium are preferred because they are more pliable and can be altered during fabrication should any amendments be needed.

Carbon fibre on the other hand is moulded, which means you have to create a new mould every time you wish to develop a new part of the chassis. It’s very expensive and very time consuming to produce, which makes it a less favoured option.

IS THERE A PERFECT FORMULA FOR CHASSIS DESIGN?

No, there’s not. You’ve got a lot of conflicting forces acting on a motorcycle and what you’re trying to end up with is the best marriage of all those forces. There are a number of different ways in which you can achieve that. By altering the weight distribution, wheelbase, offset, rake angle and even the trail, you can work towards improving the harmony and producing a better chassis. Unless you build a chassis from scratch and make the engine suit the frame, there are no magical numbers to work with, although most production bike frames will be quite similar in dimensions. The wheelbase and rake/trail measurements are pretty similar across most contemporary machines, with subtle differences made to suit the bike’s characteristics.

WHAT TYPE OF FRAME ARE THERE?

There are loads of different types of frames but the common types used on contemporary motorcycles are the full loop type of chassis – which is rigid in its own right – and the stressed member type chassis which uses the engine as a stressed member. Typically, Ducatis use the engine as a stressed member, so pressure is absorbed and passed through the engine as if it were a part of the frame. A full loop chassis is totally self-sufficient, meaning it’s as rigid and strong with the engine bolted into it as it is without it.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE SWINGARM PIVOT POSITION?

The swingarm pivot position is extremely important to a motorcycle. The aim is to have it as close as possible to the gearbox sprocket to minimise the variation in chain tension as the wheel moves through its suspension travel. The closer the gearbox sprocket is to the swingarm pivot, the less the chain tension will vary. This is important because chain tension directly affects a bike’s rear suspension unit and in turn, its handling characteristics. It’s also important that the area chosen for the swingarm pivot is strong enough to cope with the excessive torsional leverage created by the rear wheel through the gyroscopic effect.

THE STIFFER THE CHASSIS THE BETTER, RIGHT? No. Years ago when bikes had skinny tyres, very little grip and low levels of power, a stiff chassis would have been okay. But today with a modern set­up, you need a degree of lateral flexibility in the chassis. Advancements in technology have seen tyre grip levels increase, along with brake horsepower figures. The effects of these advancements mean that without lateral flexibility, a chassis would develop bad chatter, so manufacturers have had to incorporate flex into chassis design. When producing a chassis, it’s always very difficult to gauge how much lateral flex you want in it, because it’s dependent on the tyres you’re using, the suspension setup you’ve got and the rider’s individual riding style. It’s important to remember that when a bike’s cranked over in a corner, the suspension cannot work correctly, meaning the chassis and tyres have to work extra hard to absorb the forces placed on the bike; hence why you need lateral flex.

WHAT IS THE HEADSTOCK?

The headstock is the area at the front of the frame responsible for holding the steering head bearings, which support the fork legs. The angle of the headstock plays a big part in determining how fast or how slow a bike will turn, as well as how stable it will be to ride.

KNOWLEDGE 39

40 UNDER THE SKIN

Ducati’s V4

PANIGALE The amazing V4 is bristling with design brilliance, pioneering engineering and class-defining electronics. This is the state of our art.

BOUNCY BITS

While the standard V4 is equipped with fully adjustable 43mm Showa Big Piston Forks and a fully adjustable Sachs shock and steering damper, the V4 ‘S’ and V4 ‘Speciale’ get the full Öhlins electronically adjustment treatment, featuring the suspension guru’s second generation Smart EC 2.0 and corresponding NIX-30 forks and a TTX36 rear shock – which allow for compression and rebound adjustments at the touch of a button; the preload needs adjusting manually. The two higher spec models also come with an Öhlins steering damper.

HIGH TECH

Sporting an updated six-axis Bosch inertial platform, the new V4 includes a host of tantalising new rider aids and features such as controlled drift during braking, ABS cornering for just the front wheel (which is track focused) and a new up and down quickshift system that takes lean angle into account. These join a long list of already-proven Ducati technologies such as Ducati Traction Control, Ducati Slide Control, Ducati Wheelie Control, Ducati Power Launch and the Ducati Engine Brake Control. The models each feature three new Riding Modes (Race, Sport and Street), which are all adjustable via the stock fitment second generation 5in TFT display that also facilitates full data-logging.

UNDER THE SKIN 41 MOTORING ON

Leaning heavily on the V4 masterpiece Ducati races at MotoGP, the all-new Stradale motor is something of an animal with a claimed 210bhp and 91.1lb-ft on tap. Its capacity has been set at 1103cc, with cylinders banked at an aggressive 90º angle to enable its compact size. For strong mid-range performance, Ducati has opted for a long stroke with its road going versions, and it also benefits from a counter-rotating crankshaft and a twin pulse ignition in order to produce greater inertia. Variable intakes and the latest generation Desmodromic cam timing are among other goodies in the build, which combine together to make the motor a performer all the way up to its 13,000rpm limiter. For the race track, Ducati’s also set to release a legislation-friendly 999cc V4 which is said to produce a similar output to its larger capacity brethren later this year.

HOT WHEELS

Looking great and helping exponentially in the handling department are all new wheels. The standard Panigale V4 is fitted with three-spoke cast aluminium rims, while the fancier ‘S’ and ‘Stradale’ versions are kitted with three-spoke forged aluminium options. All of the models are equipped with Pirelli’s latest generation Supercorsa SPs, sporting a 120/70/17 profile front and a 200/60/17 sized rear.

FOCUSED FRAME

Moving away from the monocoque design of old, Ducati has switched to a minimalist and featherweight (4kg) beauty called a ‘Front Frame’. The advantages of this include being able to separate torsional and lateral rigidity, allowing for more stability and improved rider feedback, plus sharper rigidity and improved ease of use. As with the 1299, the V4 uses its Stradale motor as a stressed member. This means the Panigale V4 is both incredibly slender and lightweight, with the V4 ‘Speciale’ and ‘S’ models boasting a featherweight 195kg wet weight, while the standard bike weighs in at 198kg. The use of magnesium for the front subframe has also helped to keep the pounds off, while the rear subframe has been produced using shell-cast aluminium. The Panigale V4’s long 600mm singlesided swingarm is produced from aluminium and is intended to aid stability and grip levels.

ANCHORAGE

Brembo’s new Stylema Monobloc calipers are the choice of brake for the V4. Compared to their predecessors, they’re more compact and are incredibly lightweight thanks to being machined from a single piece of alloy (saving 70g per caliper without compromising on performance). Ventilation has also been improved alongside a greater hydraulic performance, with four 30mm pistons gripping twin 330mm discs for the greatest braking performance possible.

CLASSIC TEST 43

OF A GENERATION:

The KR-1 wasn’t a big commercial success for Kawasaki, but it gained a cult following, and it’s a fitting reminder of a time when 250cc two-stroke racereplicas ruled the streets.

Words: Roland Brown Photography: Phil Masters

The testers of the day didn’t hold back the superlatives when the KR-1 was launched in 1989. One enthused about a bike “with such reserves of handling, braking and useful power that its limitations are only found in the deepest reaches of rider ability”. The KR-1, he concluded, was “a production bike par excellence – one of the best instant racebikes a budding Wayne Gardner could buy”.

Kawasaki’s achievement with the 250cc two-stroke twin was to bring a slice of Grand Prix style, sound and glamour to the street.

On the world’s racetracks in 1989, Honda’s former champ Gardner was taking on Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey and Kevin Schwantz on 500cc V4 two-strokes. But it was in the 250cc class that the streetbike battle was raging, as the KR-1 arrived on the scene to compete with Yamaha’s TZR250 and Suzuki’s RGV250 in a frenzy of screaming engines and smoking exhausts.

Those few years in the late 1980s and early Nineties were the heyday of race-replica quarter-litre strokers. Their rev-happy twincylinder engines made 50bhp and gave top speeds of over 125mph.

Their aluminium frames helped keep their dry weight below 130kg and their narrow power bands and sweet-steering chassis made every ride down a twisty road an opportunity to imitate the way that 250cc champions Sito Pons or Luca Cadalora would have attacked Jerez or Mugello.

Kawasaki’s glory days in 250cc Grands Prix went back another decade, to when Kork Ballington and Anton Mang had ridden the KR250 tandem twin (cylinders in line with the bike) to four consecutive world championships between 1978 and 1981.

That success led to an awkwardly styled KR250 roadster, which had a similar engine layout and was sold in Japan but in very few export markets.

44 CLASSIC TEST

“The Kawasaki screamed along at 90mph-plus with minimal strain on the rider.”

TECH SPEC Kawasaki KR-1 1989

Engine type: Liquid-cooled two-stroke parallel twin Displacement: 249cc Bore x stroke: 56 x 50.6mm Compression ratio: 7.4:1 Carburation: 2 x 28mm Keihin Claimed power: 55bhp @ 10,500rpm Transmission: Six-speed Electrics: 12v battery Frame: Aluminium twin spar Front suspension: 41mm telescopic, adjustable preload Rear suspension: Uni-Trak monoshock, adjustable preload and rebound damping Front brake: Twin discs, four-piston calipers Rear brake: Single disc, twin-piston caliper Front tyre: 110/70 x 17in (Bridgestone BT92) Rear tyre: 140/60 x 18in (BT92) Wheelbase: 1365mm Fuel capacity: 16 litres Weight: 123kg dry (claimed)

The KR-1 had a very different engine: an across-the-frame parallel twin with crankcase reed-valve induction. The roadster’s angledforward cylinders were fed by a pair of 28mm Keihin carbs. On the exhaust side, the expansion chamber system incorporated KIPS, standing for Kawasaki Integrated Power-valve System, designed to add torque at low revs. The motor incorporated a balancer shaft plus the racy feature of a side-loading, six-speed gearbox.

The claimed peak output was 55bhp at 10,500rpm.

A glance at the KR-1 confirms how far bike technology had come in the eight years since the steel-framed KR250 had ruled the racetrack. The KR-1’s frame was constructed around two massive aluminium spars, and held respectably thick 41mm forks that were adjustable for preload. Its rear shock was a rising-rate Uni-Trak with adjustable preload and rebound damping. Apart from its headlight and mirrors, the curved full fairing could have come straight from a racebike.

Understandably, for all its racy style and aggression, the little Kawa didn’t really have the performance of a superbike – which in some ways was more of an asset than a disadvantage, as it encouraged hard riding. In the first three gears there was high-revving fun to be had at legal-ish speeds.

By 8000rpm and into the power band in fourth gear it was doing about 80mph, tearing forward with two gears still to go… but still at speeds unlikely to land its rider in jail.

The leant-forward riding position encouraged throttle-to-the-stop behaviour, especially as the fairing and screen gave a useful amount of wind protection. The Kawasaki screamed along at 90mph-plus with minimal strain on the rider. After long trips some testers complained of numb hands from the solidly mounted engine’s vibration, and there was a bit of a buzz at around 7000rpm, but that wasn’t a problem on most rides.

If the KR-1’s straight-line speed was impressive, its handling was better still. That stout twin-spar frame felt rigid enough to have coped with twice the Kawasaki’s power output. And the bike’s light weight, racy geometry and 17in diameter front wheel meant it could be flicked into bends with the lightest of nudges on the clip-ons.

Suspension was very good too – firm without being harsh, and damped well enough to keep things under excellent control. Sure, the KR-1 could sometimes get a bit twitchy when ridden quickly on a bumpy road, but you had to be trying pretty hard to get it seriously out of shape. The Kawasaki lived up to expectations on the track, too, with numerous production race victories.

Inevitably with such a focused bike, there were drawbacks. The KR-1 might have been roomy for a small-bore machine but its thin seat got painful pretty quickly. The fuel range from the 16-litre tank could drop below 90 miles, though well over 100 miles was possible with more restrained use (though why would anyone ride it like that?). The motor drank two-stroke oil almost as fast as petrol, requiring frequent top-ups of the under-seat tank.

More seriously the KR-1 wasn’t the best-finished or most reliable bike Kawasaki has ever produced.

The fact that many were raced, and almost all were thrashed, doesn’t excuse the fact that the engine suffered with a variety of problems including piston breakage (some riders fitted Yamaha TZ250 racer parts) and blown gaskets.

Alloy parts and the exhaust were prone to corrosion if not well looked after, too.

One thing Kawasaki can’t be accused of is failing to update the KR-1. Just a year after its launch it was replaced by the KR-1S, which featured a new E-box aluminium frame with different construction. New porting, ignition, the exhaust and other mods added 5bhp, and the already excellent suspension and front brake were also

12,000

The £s being asked for a rare Kawasaki KR-1R now!

uprated. It all added up to make the two-stroke an even faster and more track-ready machine.

Unfortunately for Kawasaki, what it didn’t do was make the KR a big commercial success. Despite its performance and many production racing victories, the Kawa sold in relatively small numbers. It perhaps suffered from falling between Yamaha’s slightly slower but more practical TZR250 and Suzuki’s even more radical and stylish RGV250, both of which also benefited from more recent Ggrand Prix racing links.

At the end of 1992, after just four years (and a total production of no more than about 10,000), the twin was dropped from Kawasaki’s range.

It hadn’t lasted long but had certainly given the firm’s image a boost, and become a cult machine for a small group of enthusiasts. The era of 250cc two-stroke race-replicas is gone for good, but while bikes like the KR-1 survive, they won’t be forgotten.

The KR-1 looked good whether in this bike’s red, white and black or the more typical Kawasaki combination

How much?

Despite having been produced in relatively small numbers, the KR-1 remains reasonably priced compared to many Japanese classics.

Norwich-based specialist Extreme Trading sells many small-capacity strokers and it recently advertised two low-mileage Japanese imports on its eBay showroom for around £4000 apiece.

“For that price we prepare them, clean the carbs and fit a new battery so they run of white, light green and blue. This bike’s exhaust was from the later KR1S, with light colour and aluminium cans, rather than the original KR-1’s black system with steel cans. But the bike was otherwise standard and in good condition for its age, its speedo showing just under 20,000 miles.

The handlebars were clip-ons mounted below the polished top yoke,

properly,” says boss Ciaran Perrin. Scruffy bikes can be found for £2000-£3000, but restored or very clean KR-1s can be worth £5000-plus, and the KR-1S slightly more.

“You’d expect to pay £5000£6000 for one of those,” says Ciaran. “The most desirable is the rare KR-1R, which has bigger carbs and a close-ratio gearbox, and was sold only in Japan. People ask £10,000£12,000 for them, but whether they get it is another matter.” while the pillion seat was a thin piece of foam coloured red to match the plastic seat hump. That pillion perch didn’t look remotely inviting but the KR-1 was surprisingly roomy once I’d climbed aboard. Its seat was low but the footrests weren’t so high that the bike felt cramped, especially as there was quite a stretch to those low-slung clip-ons.

CLASSIC TEST 45

At a standstill the Kawasaki seemed almost ridiculously light, slim and manoeuvrable, thanks to its claimed dry weight of just 123kg. Starting was effortless, with the lightest of pressure required on the kickstarter to bring the two-stroke crackling into life, with a puff of smoke and that two-stroke smell.

Pulling away was easy enough, too, though the little liquid-cooled engine was slightly rough until it had warmed up, and even after that its low-rev response was feeble.

The Kawasaki choked and wheezed below 5000rpm and pulled more strongly from that point, though still without any real enthusiasm… until its tacho needle hit about 7500rpm, when the bike came to life in classic two-stroke fashion.

Suddenly it had the sound, fury and aggression of a Grand Prix bike, screaming forward with the needle flicking towards the 11,500rpm redline while my left boot jabbed at the gearlever to keep up. And the chassis performance was well matched to the engine. Even this well-used bike felt remarkably good, steering with impeccable precision and slicing through roundabouts at kneedragging angles.

For a smallcapacity machine there was plenty of grip, with this bike’s Bridgestones – in respectably wide 110 front and 140-section rear sizes – probably working better than the rubber that the bike would have worn when new. The same was possibly true of the ferociously powerful

123

The dry weight in kg of the quarter-litre two-stroke

brakes, because the Kawa’s inherent advantages of twin front discs and small but efficient calipers were boosted by this machine’s addition of braided hoses.

It all added up to a deliciously quick, agile, responsive and above all enjoyable bike that felt ready for a track day, and had the potential to make every road ride feel like a Grand Prix race. Just one short blast on an example as good as this one was more than enough to make it clear how the KR-1 earned its small but enthusiastic following.

46 

VJMC 47

Waiting in the wings: Honda singles

“The home of the Japanese classic”

Honda, being stung into mid-1980s action by Yamaha’s popular XT500, rapidly offered up the XL500 trail bike – and then, just as Yamaha had made a road bike out of the XT500 in the guise of the SR500, so Honda followed suit with the FT500.

Words: Steve Cooper Unfortunately it was not one of Honda’s finest efforts even if the flat tracker styling was sharp and different.

Poorish performance did little to sell the bike and Honda rapidly found that it wasn’t going to be selling boatloads to misty-eyed greybeards who winsomely wished for modern versions of Velocettes, AJSs, Gold Stars and the like. To make matters worse the UK FTs were fitted with kick start only engines that regularly and monotonously ate kick start bearing pinions. With something of an ‘own goal’ reputation it was back to the drawing board.

Attempt Number Two proved to be a significant improvement upon the first generation of Honda large capacity singles. The all-new XBR500 was marketed as a ‘sports single’ with the positive attributes of a one pot

motor allied to all the advances in technology that had occurred over the intervening two decades. A lithe and subtly streamlined 500 single wearing modern profile panel work, Honda’s unique Comstar alloy wheel and a radical new power unit appeared in 1985. The FT500 motor had been binned in favour of a totally fresh mill that owed more than a nod to the company’s rather successful 250 four valve single.

The design was entitled RVFC or Radial Four Valve Concept and borrowed cylinder head technology from the 1930s but powered by a cam chain rather than push rods. With the capability of a ton plus top end the XBR offered decent performance for a big single but, crucially, presented none of the foibles associated with the bikes of the 1960s it aped. Sales were better than modest yet not as good as Honda had hoped for and especially so in the country that had always

championed the big single. Ultimately the XBR500 failed and was side lined by the UK’s slavish addiction the fast emerging cult of the superbike… well, almost anyway.

In a supreme case of irony, Honda chose to reinvent the XBR500 just a couple of years later – launching the bike many felt should have been sold from the off. The so-called new machine was marketed as the GB500 TT or Tourist Trophy and essentially aped the forever cool lines of the classic British single. Complete with classic pin striping, faux clip

on handlebars and what looked like aftermarket headlight brackets the bike had all the clichéd styling of a 1950s rocker’s machine subtly tweaked and modified for a more modern rider yet, thankfully, not corporately linished and smoothed to within an inch of its life. If you have a hankering for a large capacity single with striking good looks and innate reliability, allied to character by the bucketful yet without the acknowledged hassle that comes with a 1960s Brit single, then this is the one to go for. They may not be

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cheap (reckon on £4000-£5000 for a decent example) but they really are fun to ride. Surprisingly smooth, good on fuel, decent handling for the genre and, most importantly, almost impossible to break… oh, and they don’t leak oil either!

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Broad Oak Road Canterbury Kent CT2 7QG 01227 378430 www.robinsonsfoundry.co.uk Suzuki, Indian, Aprillia, Moto Guzzi, Piaggio, Vespa, Victory, Fantic

BOD’S CUSTOM CYCLES LTD

Unit 6 Newton Farm Ashchurch Tewkesbury GL20 7BE 01684 869482 www.bodscustomcycles.com Herald

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BLACK DOG MOTORCYCLES

139 Kingstone Road Staines Middlesex TW18 1PD 01784 451344 www.blackdogmotorcycles.co.uk Kymco

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FLITWICK MOTORCYCLES

Station road Flitwick Bedfordshire MK45 1JR 01525 712197 www.flitwickmotorcycles.co.uk Yamaha

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208 Grahams Road Falkirk Stirlingshire Scotland FK2 7BX 01324 620111 www.jim-allan.com Aprillia, Moto Guzzi,OSET,Quadzilla, Slam Bikes, Suzuki, Yamaha

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Unit 4, Oldington Trading Estate Stourport Road Kidderminster Worcestershire DY11 7QP 01562 824259 www.motorcyclemart.co.uk Yamaha

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Central Garage, Water Street Rochdale Lancashire OL16 1UH 01706 716650 www.robinsonsrochdale.co.uk Benelli, Hanway, Hyosung, Kawasaki , Keeway, FB Mondial, Lambretta Royal Enfield, Suzuki, Sym, Yamaha

GREENHAM KAWASAKI

35 Lindenmuth Way, Greenham Business Park Newbury Berkshire RG19 6HW 01635916464 www.greenhamkawasaki.co.uk Kawasaki

MCS SCOTLAND LTD

49 Main Road Crookedholm Kilmarnock KA3 6JT 01563590159 www.mcs-scotland.co.uk Yamaha

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Old Pit Garage, Coome Bend Radstock Avon BA3 3AT 01761433522 www.parsonsmotorcycles.co.uk Beta, Suzuki, Sym, Kawasaki, BMW, Vertigo, KTM

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14 Digby Drive, Leicester Road Industrial Estate Melton Mowbray LE13 0RQ 01664 569006 www.performancemoto.co.uk AJS, KSR, Mash, Peugeot, SWM, Reiju, WK, Torrot

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368-378 Cleethorpe Road Grimsby NE Lincolnshire DN31 3DH 01472268714 www.robspeed.com Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda

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Unit 7B, Fromeside Industrial Estate Dr Newtons Way Stroud Gloucestershire GL5 3JX 01453757942 www.stroud-motorcycles.co.uk www.roadrunnermotorcycles.co.uk Used Bikes, MoT Testing Centre, Clothing

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1-3 Kingsway Centre Kings Street Dudley West Midlands DY2 8PX 01384252222 www.dmc-bikes.co.uk Yamaha

SUZUKI LONDON

101E High Street Edgware Middlesex HA8 7DB 0208 951 0139 www.glmsales.co.uk Suzuki

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40 Bathhurst Walk Iver Buckinghamshire SL0 9BH 01753 655511 www.right-gear.co.uk Sym, Keeway, Hyosung, Lexmoto, UM, Benelli, Hanway

ALAN DUFFUS

19-21 St Clair Street Kirkcaldy Fife KY1 2QF 01592 264135 www.alanduffus.com Yamaha

USED BIKE GUIDE 49

Honda’s ‘adventure’ 500: not X-rated at all

The CB500X is the adventure-oriented member of the CB500 family. Sitting taller and more upright than the rest with 20mm longer forks, it was introduced in 2013 – servicing a then largely ignored smaller capacity adventure bike market. Minor updates came in 2016. We took out a 2015 model with 20,000 miles clocked.

Words and pictures: Bob Pickett

Give me some spec

A steel diamond frame houses the 471cc parallel twin shared by the rest of the CB range, putting out 46.9bhp at 8500rpm with 31.7lb-ft torque at 7000rpm, weighing 195kg wet.

Bringing this to a halt is a single 320mm, two-piston caliper wavy disc up front, supported by a single 240mm, one piston caliper wavy disc rear.

So what’s it like to ride?

I am a big fan of the CB500 family; the X is perhaps the most user-friendly.

It’s wasp-waisted, so the 31in seat height wasn’t an issue, my 29in legs reached the floor comfortably both sides. The riding position is upright with the bars placed nicely and centrally located pegs. The ‘crosserstyle’ seat doesn’t look too comfy, but I had no aches after a morning’s ride.

Pulling away, the 471cc parallel twin provides gentle power. A lot of CB500Xs find themselves earning a living as commuter bikes (as did this one), and it is easy to see why.

It will sit upright, balanced nicely at next to no revs, it’s narrow so it’ll squeeze through tiny gaps and it is so easy to paddle.

That twin has another side. Feed revs and it is perky, buzzing away beneath you. There was a vibey patch around 5000 revs but you’re quickly past that and into the fun part of the range. The X is so simple to corner: nudge those bars, press on the inside peg and over it goes. It tips easily but always feels in complete control.

Despite the long forks, it’s more accurate than you’d imagine (weaving through some detritus

off the back of a flatbed, I didn’t need to back off ).

Sticking with the suspension, it’s got the right balance between compliance and feedback. I took it down a back road I use regularly.

It floated over all the ripples and bumps, never once being disturbed yet giving me just the right amount of feedback to know what was going on.

Other than that, the mirrors give loads of feedback and the digital clock supplies core information at a glance. The brakes have enough power and good feedback, though those long forks dive (a dab of rear helps).

What’s it worth?

The dealer wants £3995 for a 2015 model with 20,112 miles logged with full service history and heated grips.

A search revealed a decent number around. Sticking with the older model tested, prices ranged from a 2013 bike for sale at £2999 with 31,625 miles to a 2015 model with 6359 miles logged for £4195.

Thanks to What nick is it in?

Cosmetically it’s fine (couple of paint chips on the grab rail and the clutch lever needs replacing; embarrassing ‘didn’t get the stand down’ incident), all the consumables (chain, tyres etc.) have plenty of life.

Johns of Romford, Honda Branch for the loan of the bike: 46-52 London Road, Romford, Essex, RM7 9QX Tel: 01708 746293 or 01708 726048 www.johnsofromford.co.uk

50 WHITE DALTON The MCM legal column is compiled by managing partner Andrew ‘Chef’ Prendergast and his bike-riding barristers and solicitors at White Dalton Motorcycle Solicitors.

The firm deals with personal injury claims and its sister company, Motor Defence Solicitors, deals with all the motoring offences.

White Dalton lawyers have a vast knowledge of bike law – and they have full bike licences, too. They don’t act for insurance companies or the prosecution. White Dalton is Britain’s premier specialist motorcycle law practice, and if its professionals don’t know the answer to your question there probably isn’t one. Don’t rely on the advice from your insuranceappointed solicitor, get proper independent advice.

For road traffic offences call the Motor Defence solicitors on 0800 280 0912 For non-offence cases call White Dalton motorcycle solicitors on 0800 783 6191

Need advice If you need advice on a biking-related legal question or query, email mail@whitedalton.co.uk The best Q&A will be published in MCM, in confidence, of course.

Q&A

Our specialist motoring solicitor Andrew Prendergast guides readers through their legal trials and troubles...

Q

I was on my Ducati Scrambler (my first ever new bike – I am weeping while I write this) following three chaps who were setting off on a tour around Wales. Now Wales isn’t that far from Milton Keynes, but nonetheless one of these ‘adventure’ riders had a mini fire extinguisher strapped to a pannier. This duly then fell off after he hit a bump, bounced and then hit me in the chest. I in turn got a wobble on and crashed into a parked car. Not good. While Mr Adventure stopped, his insurer reckons that because the fire extinguisher wasn’t on his bike i.e. it was separated after it fell off, then they don’t have to pay out. Is that right or wrong?

A

I’m gutted for you. Damaged pretty bikes always make me sad. Leaving that aside, Mr Adventure’s insurer is full of it. Absolute cobblers.

S.145 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 states they must cover “any liability which may be incurred by [Mr Adventure] in respect of the... bodily injury to any person or damage to property caused by, or arising out of, the use of the vehicle on a road”. So as the fire extinguisher fell off his bike as it was being used on a road, they will have to pay out. If they continue down this line, I would happily issue court proceedings, stick it in front a judge and get an order against them. That should ‘extinguish’ the problem.

Some people really are dipsticks.

Q

I make deliveries for the local Chinese takeaway on their moped. I was dispatching sweet and sour chicken with noodles to one of my regulars when I got something sour but not very sweet myself. A ticket from the Old Bill. They had followed me through town, checked the plate and then lit me up. I now either have to go to court or accept an offer of six points and a fine for having no insurance.

All because my employer had forgotten to renew the policy for his company moped! When I told my employer he just laughed and said he was glad he wasn’t riding. I could have punched him but I need the job. I don’t see why I should be punished

because of him. Do you see a way out for me or do I need to just accept the offer?

A

You did well not reacting to your employer when he laughed at the situation. Moving forward, I do see a ‘way out’ for you. My advice is do not accept the offer. Instead, go to court once you are asked to.

If you can, make sure you get legal representation before the hearing date to advise and/or represent you. The court will have no choice but to find you guilty as having no insurance is a strict liability offence. However, because you relied on your employer to insure the works moped, the court will likely find what are known as ‘special reasons’ and not give you points and a fine. To argue ‘special reasons’ successfully it must: ● be a mitigating or extenuating circumstance; ● not amount in law to a defence to the charge; ● be directly connected with the commission of the offence; and ● be one which the court ought properly to take into consideration when imposing sentence.

While accepting the offer will be the quickest thing to do, going to court would be best option for you. Lastly, while I appreciate work is hard to come by, I would look for another job as your employer appears to be the definition of incompetent.

For more info, go to:

Jurby Fest merchandise range is now available

Wemoto has raised more than £48,000 through the sale of its Jurby T-shirt over the past three years to help the Manx Grand Prix Supporters’ Club.

This year’s T-shirt design celebrates the 40th anniversary of Mike Hailwood’s TT comeback.

Wemoto has added caps, pins (badges) and fridge magnet bottle openers to its Jurby range – with all the profits going to the charity.

The charity also supports injured riders and their families, as well as donating money to help with medical equipment.

For more information, visit: www.wemoto.com/parts/jurby_ merchandise

Learners Commuters Buying SOLICITORS

www.whitedalton.co.uk

On Two Wheels

Riding

For more information on getting on two wheels, check out our brilliant sister publication – On2Wheels

Classified FREE Selling your bike is

THE WORLD’S

BIGGEST BIKING MONTHLY!

For sale ARIEL BOBBER STYLE fitted with V-Twin S/V Jap engine, interesting fun bike, £10,000 consider as p/x basket case lightweight bike. Tel. 01978 842668. Clwyd.

BMW K100RT 1987, in Motorsport white colours, one owner, outstanding condition, comfort seat plus original unused, BMW panniers and top box, 86k careful miles, £2850 ovno. Tel. David 01482 814103.

E Yorks.

BMW top box and panniers, 139,000, full s/h, too heavy for me now, 6 previous owners, £1500. Tel. 07775 994087.

Berks.

HONDA CBF600 N9 600cc, 2009, Pearl amber yellow, 4,500 miles only, mint condition, never seen rain, many extras, currently Sorned, will get new MoT, must be seen. Tel. 01582 601467.

Dunstable.

HONDA CBR600F-T £1800. Tel. 07837 101226.

for private readers

HONDA MSX125 Grom, 2014, black/gold, lovely learner bike, cheap to tax, good mpg, less than 4,000 miles, careful mature owner, no damage, cash on collection please, £4150. Tel. 01872 572887. Cornwall.

HONDA PCX’S 125 Super bike, with extras, 64 reg, low mileage, this Honda is in mint condition, save £400 on dealer price, mature 70 year old rider, £1500.

Tel. 07852 650477. Yorks.

KAWASAKI KZ1100-A1 1981, 48k, MoT, no advisories rebuilt, frame and panels/ tank resprayed, all parts either replaced with new or overhauled using new parts where necessary, brand new Hagon shocks, new Motad exhaust, lovely bike, Sorned, £2900 obo Tel. 079170 62811. Dorset.

HONDA CX500 Custom, 1981, Canadian import, vgc, no MoT, garaged and not ridden for 4 years because of ill health, two new tyres, new battery, £1000 ono Tel. 01244 378828.

Cheshire.

KAWASAKI VERSYS 650 650cc, 2010, 640 miles from new, showroom condition, one owner, Givi top box, new battery, £3150.

Tel. 01606 46527. Cheshire.

BSA BANTAM D14 1968, 175cc, restored back in 1995, only taken out a couple of times a year and on sunny days, just had carbs cleaned, new ignition coil, spark plug, battery and oil change, starts and runs well for 50 year old bike, brakes and electrics all work, tax and MoT exempt. Tel. 07802 504756. Northants.

HONDA GL1800A GoldWing 1832cc, 52 reg, silver, genuine 7,800 miles, 2 owners, very good condition, reverse function, MoT to 24/6/2019, viewing by appointment, sold as seen. Tel. 01356 623981. Tayside.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON XLH883 Sportster, 1990, 25k miles, excellent condition with extras, £3000. Tel. 01905 641012.

HONDA NIGHTHAWK 650 1985, full MoT, steering head, stripped and cleaned new fork seals, rear tyre, HT leads, plus, brake seals, pistons, pads, repair manual, £1600. Tel. 07434 483039.

Warks.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON Fat Boy FLSTF, 2008 (08 reg), 10,511 miles, 10k service, two owners, two keys, screen and rear carrier, garaged, MoT Aug 18, reluctant sale, must be seen, vgc, £9000. Tel. 01273 842943.

West Sussex.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON 1973, FLH Electraglide, matching numbers, totally original, recent restoration and serviced, starts and runs like a champ, panniers and top box include, £12,950. Tel. 0742 7008163. London.

HARLEY SPORTS CUSTOM 2008, 883cc, injection model fitted, 1200cc, S&S Conversion, n tyres, MoT, some extras, only 5k miles, £4900. Tel. 01745 823233. N Wales.

HONDA CB125S 1972, complete rebuild (cheap insurance), best example, £3000. Tel. Paul 01935 474998. Email: yeovil@ bransonsmotorcycles.co.uk

HONDA ST1300 Pan European, 2003, 30,700 miles, lovely condition, ill health forces sale, £3000 firm. Tel. 01283 820063. jn.jgstone@tiscali. co.uk Derbys.

HONDA VFR1200FA Sept 2011, 55k miles, MoT Aug 2018, full s/h, panniers, top box, centre stand, heated grips, good tyres, £5500. Tel. 07876 426745.

South Yorks.

HONDA C90 2002, 37k, red, fair condition, owned since 1,100 miles, must be clean, no time wasters, good investment, £800 ono Tel. 07546 963739.

E London.

HONDA GOLD WING 1100 1979, genuine Honda Comstar alloy rear wheel, 2.50x17, new/unused, £100; Honda CM400, 1979, exhaust prechamber/collector box, solid condition, £25. Tel. 01285 659376. Glos.

KAWASAKI ZX-R 750H1 1989, low mileage, 11 months’ MoT, Street fighter, too many new parts to list, needs carbonation sorting, commitments force sale, £1600 ono Tel. 07470 200136.

Essex.

KAWASAKI ZX-R 750L2 1995, MoT 1/6/19, 44,651 miles, Micron carbon race can and standard, K+N Dynojet, new battery, lots of history, additional bodywork available, call after 16.30, £1800. Tel. 07780 361893.

MOTO GUZZI V50 1982, Monza, 15,198 miles, plastics and fairing are all in good condition, full MoT, fans of the marque will know that the Monza edition differs from the V50 ‘tourer’ as it has clip-ons, rear set footrests and of course the front bikini fairing - giving it a look that is not too dissimilar to that of a small block Le Mans, £2900. Tel. 07547 37376. Man. NORTON COMMANDO 850cc, Mk 3, 1975, electric start, excellent condition, reluctant sale by mature owner, £8950 ono Tel. 0116 241 4354. Leics.

PIAGGIO ZIP scooter, 50cc, 2015, black Tel. 07867 804593.

Herts. paulwash277@gmail.com

SUZUKI 650 V-STROM 09 model (AK9), petrol tank and all panels - silver, new and unused, £150 buyer to collect from KT12. Tel. 01932 240150. Surrey.

SUZUKI BANDIT (GSF1200 SA K6) excellent condition, quick sale, one of the last of the original Bandit 1200’s (2006/56), looking good in black, very low mileage at just under 5,900 miles, one owner, two keys and full s/h with receipts/MoT’s, tank pad ad rear hugger fitted from new (original chain guard inc), condition as would be expected from such a low mileage bike, currently on Sorn and MoT’d until 30/08/18, £2999. Tel. Dave on 07719 476144. Worcs.

SUZUKI BURGMAN AN650 Executive, 2016, only 2,768 miles (still riding so may go up slightly), great bike comes c/w TomTom Rider Sat Nav and Givi box shop fitted, high spec vehicle for luxury riding. Comfort is top on the list for this bike. Manual or automatic transmission, protective screen which can be raised or lowered whilst moving, data tag security, full s/h, 2 keys, c/stand, h/brake, elec start, h/ grips, h/seats, large comfortable seat with storage underneath, white, 2 owners (one was the shop), only rode in dry weather and garaged over the winter months, £7000 no offers. Come and see it I think you will agree that this is the bike to be out and about on. Tel. 077010 87895 you will not be disappointed.

SUZUKI GS550 Four, 1978, 37k miles, runs great, current MoT, very clean example, new front tyre, recent battery, tax exempt from this year, £1750. Tel. 07814 355571. Lancs.

SUZUKI SV650 2014, MoT, full s/h, 1,020 miles, new battery, £3200. Tel. 01902 791570.

West Mids.

SUZUKI HAYABUSA 1300R unrestricted, 99 model, 14,000 miles, two owners, £3250 ono Tel. 07976 752528. W Mids.

TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE America 800, 19,290 miles, 2003, much preferred carb model, fully loaded with extras, MoT till May 19, must be one of the smartest show models in country, £3950.

Tel. 01621 778184. Essex.

TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE T120R 1964, fully restored, ridden as a beautiful motorbike, completely rebuilt with Black Diamond valves, and the lowest compression pistons that could be found to deal with modern fuels, carburettors were bored and re-sleeved for reliability runs fine, starts first kick, and idles like it should, 2333 miles from rebuild, £1295. Tel. 07956 946625.

TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRD 1996, good condition, MoT, 31,200 miles, history, spares, now too heavy, will sell or exchange for America or Speedmaster, £3650 ovno. Tel. 01509 559930. felix31@live.co.uk Notts.

TRIUMPH 3TA 350cc, bikini model, 1964, black with ivory tank, low original mileage, show winter, hence £5000 ono Tel. 07752 312211. Berks jct 13 M25.

TRIUMPH T100 EFI rear Rentec carrier, no. REN7256 B/C plus fittings and instructions, all but new free choke, nob for above, bike included, £25. Tel. 07840 364013. Bucks.

VINCENT FIREFLY 1956, V5, in my name engine sweet Raleigh sports, 24in frame, Sturmy Archer 3 speed with hub brake, 26 x 1 3/8 in stainless wheels, show or ride, shoulder injury forces sale, £2100. Tel. 01782 392090. Staffs.

Choose one of the following methods:

1 2 3

ONLINE www.motorcyclemonthly.co.uk EMAIL freeads@motorcyclemonthly.co.uk POST MCM Reader Adverts, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR

useable as is or could be restored back to standard, your choice, runs very well, starts first/second kick, Racoon 60cc barrel, spanny pipe, draws a crowd wherever its parked, collection only from Raunds NN9 6JF, just off A14 Jct 13, £1500 ono; cash on collection or bank transfer please Tel. 07802 504756. Northants.

YAMAHA TR1 XV1000, 1983, matching numbers, 12k miles, later model refurbished, resprayed, rechroming many new parts, rare bike, superb condition, £3250 ono Tel. 01246 200842 or 07935 175649.

Derbyshire.

YAMAHA DIVERSION 600cc, 2001, in use, MoT Sept, 32k, gone back to small bike, age 77, £750. Tel. 01767 691209. Beds.

YAMAHA XJ550 Special, 1981, 46,370 miles, good condition, runs well, ill health forces reluctant sale, import, £1195 ovno Tel. 01508 528379; 07876 497888. Norfolk.

YAMAHA FS1E 1988, 30th Birthday in August, owned by same family since new, MoT, no advisories, new battery and horn, Cafe racer style, perfectly

YAMAHA XJ900 Diversion, 90,900 miles, very reliable workhorse, full MOTAD 4-into-2 exhaust, MoT, £895 ono. Tel. 07976 269958. Beds.

YAMAHA XV250S Virago, 1997, excellent condition, red, MoT til April, 11,972 miles from new, starts runs and rides like new, original red 2-tone paintwork, careful lady owner, service book stamped and many receipts for servicing, A2 licence legal, low seat height, lightweight and easy to manage, passenger back rest, luggage rack, engine protectors, £1695 ovno. Tel. 01329 289080.

Hants.

YAMAHA FZR EXUP 1000 1989, red/white, 27k miles, vgc, standard can, seat cowl, runs well, on Sorn, £2100 ono Tel. 01945 581440 anytime. Cambs.

YAMAHA RS200 200cc, 1981, one year’s MoT, very good condition inside and out, very original, eligible for classic insurance, selling due to age! mine not the bikes, £1850 bargain. Tel. 01227 740909; 01227 40909. Kent.

YAMAHA XJR1300 2005, exc cond, MoT Apr 19, 24k, £3500, no offers, blue. Also Yamaha FJ1200, 1991, 3XW, with Watsonian sidecar, 60,000 miles, MoT, £4250 no offers Tel. 01202 518284. Bournemouth.

YAMAHA XS250 1980, MoT, 31k miles, lots of new parts, too many too list, ring for details, was advertised last month but with the wrong phone number. Tel. 07490 114629. Bognor Regis, West Sussex.

CLASSIFIEDS Parts for sale

AMAL CARBURETTOR 376 size 15/16”, £30 inc postage Tel. 01522 794711. Lincs.

APRILIA PEGASO STRADA 2007-2009, 660cc, fuel tank cover cowl plus electric cowl opener, dual seat fairing cover, l/h, r/h windshields, new dashboard panel, new Aprilia windscreen, £60. Email: ernestealey@hotmail.co.uk Tel. 07759 659969. Cheshire.

CARBON FIBRE HUGGER for Yamaha MT-07, (believe it fits all models), provides greater protection than the original Yamaha hugger, slight scuff on front end, but cannot be seen unless you know it is there, otherwise as new, c/w original fittings and is an easy replacement for the original hugger, cost £154 new, accept £80 plus £5 p&p. Tel. 07831 643825. Tyne & Wear.

CUSTOM PAINT 2004 by Choperit 10.500 miles new Power Commander, crank sensor and rear master cylinder been stood a while on Sorn and no MoT, may consider p/x of a cruiser £7000 ono Tel. 07599 896631. Cheshire. crewztheviewz@hotmail.co.uk DOUGLAS DRAGONFLY leading link forks, suspension units, mudguard, headstock, no wheel, may suit trike builder, good condition, £300. Tel. 01159 300100. Derbys.

HANDLEBAR RISERS approx 3”, polished alloy, actually used on Yamaha XJR1300 but maybe used on other bikes, £15 the pair Tel. 07504 327299. Torquay.

HARLEY GENUINE SILENCERS part no. 65682-40, vgc, were on my 2006 Softail Night Train, ideal for MoTs if not permanent fixture, cat marked, worth £400, sell for £175. Tel. 07840 364013. Bucks.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON windscreen tool rolls, £10; leather tank cover, fits Harley Davidson, £10; vinyl side panniers fit any custom bike, straps to frame l/r side, small size, £25 pair; slight damage to l/side corner. For show only, 1960 helmet, cork open-faced, complete with red lining, size XSM, £30. Tel. 07790 934835. Stoke-on-Trent.

HONDA CBR400RR 1988, on Sorn, was rideable two years ago, spares or repair, £600 ono or exchange for running 125cc.

Tel. 01903 533443. Sussex.

HONDA DEAUVILLE SEAT 650, very good condition, £60; Honda CB250F, not Superdream seat, 1980, good condition, £70. Tel. 01299 210758. Worcs.

HONDA MBX125 83/84 model, parts MTX 125, 83/84/85/86 parts, NSR125 JO20 89/90 model parts, Honda CB550 rear drum wheel, complete, £150 plus postage; CB650Z 81 model parts, Honda VTR1000 Scorpion, stainless cans and link pipes, £175; small grab handle, £35. Tel. John 07858 134475. Durham.

MOTO GUZZI NUOVO PARTS: frame/forks, wheels (spoked) with brand new tyres (Avon), was being built as bobber, hence frame deluged), £350 the lot; also: dynamo, gear-lever, main rand, engine side cover, h/lamp shell. Tel. 01978 842668 (please leave message if no answer).

Clwyd.

MOTORCYCLE TYRES Avon Gripster AM24, 120 x 90 x 18”, as new, £25; Mitas Enduro rear, 120 x 80 x 18”, new Dunlop D803 trials 400 x 18 radial, part worn, £10. Tel. 01380 870819.

Wilts.

PAIR DUNLOP WM2 19in steel rims, taken from 1969 Norton Mercury with full width hubs, in need of refurbishment but sound, logo very visible.

Tel. 07845 682582. S Yorks. onearmedbandit@btinternet.com

PANTHER M100 600 engine, twin port for rigid model, no broken fins, engine turns as found in cellar, engine no. M8 best offer secures. Tel. 01229 464263. S Cumbria.

PIAGGIO ZIP SCOOTER 50cc, 2015, black. Tel. 07867 804593.

Herts. paulwash277@gmail.com SINGLE M/C TRAILER c/w loading ramp, spare wheel and lighting board, strong and robust, tows superb, £150. Tel. 01743 860362. Shrops.

SPARE PARTS for Honda Superdream 250 and Suzuki GS500, rebuilt engine for Suzuki GS500, must collect, £450. Tel. 01299 210758. Worcs.

SUZUKI GS650 forks, £100; nice cond, petrol tank, £15 plus p&p; need repair/paint Kawasaki GPZ600R petrol tank, £75 ono; needs painting, radiator, £35; Yamaha TDR250 side stand, £25; kick-start, £35; idiot lights, high, neutral, indicators, £25; CB1500 Hornet ABS. Tel. 07858 134475. Durham.

SUZUKI GSXR250/400 1990, import, black petrol tank, alloy swing arm/chain guard, £35; GS550E gold rear wheel, £30; GS1100E forks/yokes, BTM dial adjuster type, £100; GS850 front wheel, tyre, discs, £75; GS500E mid 90s, silver engine parts. Tel. 07858 134475. Durham.

TRIUMPH 675 STREET TRIPLE blue flame, stainless cans and link pipes, £175; Honda VTR1000 top yoke handlebar conversion kit, £125; Suzuki 750/800 Intruder rear wheel, 86 onwards; GPZ1000 ZX rear wheel/crushdrive, Ducati front wheel/no discs. Tel. 07858 134475. Durham.

TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE T100 King & Queen seat, £100; Honda VFR, 1996, hugger, £15 & luggage rack & 2 mirrors, £30; Goretex leather boots, new, 10/44 EU. Tel. 01189 678802; 07974 234466. Berks.

Subscribe to Motor Cycle Monthly: www.classicmagazines.co.uk/MCM or call 01507 529529 TRIUMPH PARTS: R & G tail tidy fit S & R models to 2017, vgc, £40 plus postage; Evotech Shark fin toe guard to suit Street Triple 2014-2016, vgc, £10 plus postage. Tel. Sarah on 07511 865455. Email. sarahwensley66@internet.com WINDPROOF UNDER SUIT comp long sleeve top (with full length zip), trousers, socks & gloves, 2 suits available, one large and one size extra large, all kit in grade condition, £20 per suit (plus £5 p&p per suit it required) Tel. 01604 905850. Northampton.

YAMAHA F800GT 2013, Ztechnick ‘V-Strom’, tall touring screen, Z2478, as new, £75; Motorad tank, rucksack, used 3 times, exc cond, £70; Motorad battery charger, used twice, bus plug type, £55. Tel. 01483 284652. Surrey.

YAMAHA MT-09 850cc, Renntec grab rail, as new condition, instructions and all fittings, £40 or £55 with postage, a must if you carry a pillion Tel. 01706 215436. Rossendale, Lancs.

Wanted

BMW TWIN or single wtd, any type or cond, up to year 2000.

Tel. 0151 2608612. Email. andersonstephen240@gmail.com LEWIS LEATHERS/D LEWIS / Aviakit leather jacket wanted, any size, any colour, check the back of your wardrobe? £100 plus post, maybe more.

Tel. 01223 350289 or 07788 636027. Cambs.

PEUGEOT MOPED 50cc, have approx 1960-1980 used all over France, believe model is Velos? with big wheels, similar to NSU Quickly 50cc. Tel. 07910 448662 (can leave message). Herts.

TRIUMPH ROCKET 3 WANTED 2300cc, flyscreen & fitting kit, front & rear dresser bars, must be in exc cond, cash waiting, any distance collected or post paid,

UK only. Tel. 07775 680094.

Essex.

WANTED BLUE TANK for ER500 Kawasaki, 2006 reg. Tel. 01474 359968; 07986 465088.

WANTED BSA A65T 1971/2, oil in frame, still looking for a small US spec export petrol tank to complete restoration, Tel. David 01256 321436. Basingstoke.

Email. thehubbards1954@ hotmail.com YAMAHA RD250E WANTED seat, rear light and bracket plus mudguard tail piece etc, plus Allspeed exhausts, will travel.

Tel. 07946 331428. W Yorks.

Parts wanted

HARLEY-DAVIDSON WANTED older model preferably but anything considered.

Shovelhead, early evolution model or Sportster. Project, complete runner or basket case.

Anything considered. Tel. 07866 464450 if it goes to answerphone please leave a message and I’ll call you back. Warks.

WANTED CZ175 Posi lube model pref, runner, oily rag model so will be ridden, no show ponies.

Tel. 01744 35096. Merseyside.

Miscellaneous

DYNAMIC BB TROUSERS black, worn twice, thick w/proof soft padding, XL, £15; jacket Viper Rider air flow, size 44, worn twice, £25; Honda handlebars, screen, £35. Tel. 07881 860997. Lincs.

JACKET BY SPADA good all weather (heavy duty), black yellow panels length, hard padding to arms, shoulders, back, 4 deep pockets, Inc removable quilted lining, XXL, £35 ono; trousers: Touring Blue Delta black waterproof not leather, thick, soft padding XXL, £20; jacket bomber style Nitro, black leather, yellow trim, hard padding to arms, shoulders, back, stylish, XL, £30; trousers black leather J & S, 42Ó

waist (107 cm) inside leg 30Ó (76 cm), £25 ono. Tel. 01635 254426.

Berks.

AERO DARIAN USA made, pure Goretex jacket, red, £50; Fieldsheer off-road boots, size 8, metal protected toe and shin, worn twice, £25. Tel. 01604 452934. Northants.

BAGSTER TANK COVER to fit a Yamaha MT-07, red colour, excellent condition with no damage and all fastenings working as they should, used very little as I no longer have the bike, cost £110 a gift at £70 plus £4.50 p&p Tel. 01783 1643825.

Tyne & Wear.

BIKE LIFT ‘B2 SUPERLIFT’ 2 years old, as new, (new cost £300+), £125 ono; buyer collects.

Tel. 01604 831349. Northants.

BIKE REG W80 XJR for sale, held on retention in my name, £425. ovgo. was on Yamaha 1300. Tel. 07523 326472.

BOOTS Forma Adventure Low Style, size 44, UK 9, new, light brown, never worn, a bargain at £50 can post. Tel. 07919 158173. Hants. geoffrey. downing@ntlworld.com BSA UNIT SINGLES Haynes workshop manual, 1958 to 1972, C15, B25, C25, B40, B44, B50, unmarked, as new condition, £7.

Tel. 07399 359072.

GIVI TANK LOCK hard tank bag and fitting, fit just about all models Yamaha MT-07, comp version with inner tray mobile phone section transparent window, used once absolutely unmarked, new £115 accept £65 £4.50 p&p. Tel. 07831 643825.

Tyne & Wear.

GIVI TOP BOX with fittings and key, £30. Tel. Pete on 01795 539878. Faversham, Kent.

GORTEX MOTORBIKE JACKET (mens) armoured, nearly new, 4XL, b/red, Tigo make, £30; M/ bike bag fits on sissy bar (Pinto rings, 40 hr), 3 side pockets, good heavy vinyl, vgc, £40; tank

bag fasteners to petrol tank by 4 elastic hoops, £25. Tel. 07790 934835. Stoke-on-Trent.

HISTORY OF CLUBMANS I.O.M. TT Racers, 1947/56 by Bill Snelling, new signed, £17.50; The Story Of The TT, TT Special

by G. S. Davison. Tel. 01484 663007. W Yorks.

HONDA THE WINNING YEARS

by Peter Kneale/Bill Snelling/Joey Dunlop, £15; 50 Years Honda World Championship Racing TT Racers, new, £23; I.O.M. TT History, 1907-80 by Matthew Freudenberg, £10. Tel. 01484 663007. W Yorks.

HONDA VT500E factory works manual, genuine, 1983, vgc, £30; Haynes manuals; Passola, CB Rizer, ST1100, Pan European, MZ 150/250, CB750/900 (45), ladies leather jeans, size 30W, 32” leg, good condition, Sportex Frontier, £20. Tel. 07891 076778. Hants.

I.O.M. T.T. PHOTOGRAPHIC HISTORY by Bill Snelling/John McGuinness, £15; I.O.M. T.T. Racers, Alf Grey Collection, 1957/71, Volume 1, £12; Ragged Edge Irish R/Racing by Stephen Davison, £17. Tel. 01484 663007. W Yorks.

LADIES AKITO MERCURY plus leather jacket, size 18, (40” chest ), hardly used, excellent condition, £50; also ladies Akito T-force leather jeans, size 18, perfect, £40. Tel. Tom 07804219057. Tyne & Wear.

LADIES OPEN-FACED black motorbike helmet, size small, Glass Viper, excellent condition, £40, cost £70, worn once; mens motorbike Gortex jacket, armoured, nearly new, XL, black/red, Tigo make, £30; motorbike, waterproof bag for rack on bike, good condition, £30; post of easy rider, off film, 1982, 2ft x 3ft, slightly damaged bottom r/h corner, £30 ono. Tel. 07790 934835.

Stoke-on-Trent.

LEATHER TROUSERS jacket 34”-50”, 2 jacket 44”, jacket 42”, trousers 34”, two red crass helmets, large & medium, black helmet, med silver helmet, med waterproof jacket, lined, size 12, ladies. Tel. 01737 423871. Surrey.

LOTS GL1200 SPARES Thunderbird 900, tinted Nacelle screen, £25; torque wrench, unused, boxed, £30; CBF1000 front mudguard, £35; Hagon rear chrome shocks, boxed, suit large bike, £100; Goldwing handlebar mirrors, £35; Vetter fairing, exc, £50. Tel. 07434 513161. Lancs.

RADIATOR GUARD stainless steel for Yamaha MT-07, believed to fit all MT-07’s, unmarked cond, not been in use long and don’t have bike, cost £65, £35 plus £4.50 p&p Tel. 0191 2375555. Tyne & Wear.

ROUND THE TT COURSE with H. L. Daniell, that lap at 91mph, Castrol map 35” x 23” when opened, £20; two Steward pictorial maps, 70/77 illustrations off TT course vantage points, £20.

Tel. 01484 663007. West Yorks.

SWIFT BOOTS black leather, protected shins, size 9, sturdy boot, gc, £35; GSB boots, black leather, standard style, size 9, slight scuff on one toe, £20 buyer collects Tel. 01635 254426.

Newbury, Berks.

THE HISTORY OF MANX GRAND PRIX Shell publication, £20; Ken Sprayson TT in colour, 1963-80, £15; The Nazi TT 1939, Roger Willis, £12; M. Dunlop R/Racer, It’s In My Blood, £11. Tel. 01484 663007. W Yorks.

TRAILER Moto X-2 bike, purpose built, solid, good tyres, w/order, ideal for Moto-X or Super Moto, £175 ono Tel. 07546 963739. Essex.

TWO ISLE OF MAN Commemorative 1997 Fifty Pence Coins, offers; Dunlop waterproof jacket conceal hood, size 40” chest, as new, £15. Tel. 07523 868640.

Bedford.

  53 ACCESSORIES

CUSTOM BUILDERS

MOT AND SERVICING

MOT AND SERVICING

TYRES

NUT & BOLTS

WANTED

PAINTWORK

WEB WATCH

EVENTS

ACCOMMODATION/TOURING

SEATING

EXHAUSTS SERVICING

TRAINING COURSES

MOT AND SERVICING TRACKDAYS/RACE SCHOOLS

CHROMING

TRAILERS

CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES

WORKSHOP/SERVICING

TYRES

54

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