Adventure is relative.
Edi tor Dave Manning
It’sperhapsalittledivisivetolabel acertain styleofbikeasbeing an ‘adventure bike’, giventhatit’spossible to have yourself an adventureon absolutelyany kind of poweredtwo wheeler -itdoesn’t have to have yardsofsuspensiontravel, enough luggagecapacitytoequal aGreyhound bus, or electronics powerful enough to runa billionaire’sspace rocket.
Butthen, it seemsthe term ‘adventure’has become somewhat skewed of late.Take, as an example,the legendplastereddownthe side of some M&S delivery trucks that refers to shoppingasbeinganadventure…orthe TV ice creamadvertthatseeshousewives(probably some househusbands too) swoonatthe sight of JasonMamoa depicting an ‘adventure’that involves him eating an ice cream…
Now, Iappreciatethat, forsomefolk, eating frozen treats perhapscould be an adventure, andthatshoppinginMarksieswillset their hearta-beating with excitement,but surely thosefolkare fewand farbetween?
Perhapsthe tagthat’sbeenappliedto big-tanked, long-leggedbikes with of-road stylingand an underlying vibe of thepotential foraround-the-globe mile-munchingis more down to themodernfashionofgiving absolutelyeverythinga labelofsomeform? Surely,the term ‘adventure bikes’can apply to absolutelyevery singlemotorcyclethathas even been made, regardless of it’s style, engine size,manufacturer or number of flmstars who’ve been recorded aboard theseat. We’ve
allheard thefascinatingstories of people ridingacrosscontinentsonbikes that,atfrst thought, areentirelyinappropriate forthe jobinhand– with theneatside-efect that theapparentunsuitability of themachine in question actually just adds to thekudos and makesthe ride even more of an adventure. So, maybethe tag‘adventurebike’ should actually be used to refertoabikethatisbeingused outsideofits original designedpurpose?
Tere’s many an adventuroustalethat hassprungfromwhathas otherwisebeen somethingofanondescript or normal ride,and if youreally want some adventurethenit’sjusta simplematterofgoing outand lookingfor it
Whilehavingabikewithlongtravel suspension, thecarryingcapacityofasmall pantechnicon, weatherprotectiononly bettered by asmall house, andtyres with tread deeper than theMarianas Trench certainly givesyou thelook, as well as thecapability of traversingvasttractsofuninhabited wilderness,there isn’treallymuchofthat on thecongested roads of Blighty. Most of us aretight fortime, so lookingfor adventurea little closer to home is perhaps quiteapt if we’retofnd it over aweekend (althoughwecan alldream of takingsweeks to explore Africa,traversethe States,get lostinAsia etc). Andmaybe aquickfxto getsomeadventure on aregularride is to have somethingthatisexcitingtoride; that doesn’thavethe weatherprotectiontomakea sub-zerohailstorm into acomfy ride through ‘a bit of cool moisture’; that givesanupper
Motorcycle Sport&Leisure’s contributors...
Phil West
Abikejournalis t for35years, Phil’s afor mer editor of Bike an dW ha t Bike, launch editor of Bik ingT im es,E xecu ti ve Editor of MCN, an das freelancehas wr it ten fort he DailyTeleg raph , EveningStandard, FHMand ever yleading motorc ycle public at ion. He’s al so au th ored 10 motorc ycling books .
Alan Cathcart
Al an ha sb ee n wr it in ga bo ut bikes fo r mo re th an 30 ye ar s, an d ri di ng th em fo re ve n lo ng er.H e’sr eg ul ar ly gi ve nt he ke ys to fa ct or yp ro to ty pe sa nd be in go nf ir st na me te rm sw it ht he bo ss es of bikec om pa ni es ar ou nd th ew or ld al lo ws hi mt ob ag ma ny sc oo ps
Adam ‘Chad’ Child
Yorkshireborn Chad hasb een profes sionally te st ingbikes for20years,a tten de d more than 350bike launch es,and covere dover am illion ro ad te st mile s. Wi th race wins at Oliver ’s Mo untand twotop 10 TT finishe s, Chad is just as happyelb ow-dow nona race tr ackork icking up mudof- ro ad
bodyworkout at speeds approachingthe national limit; that encourages minimalist ridingwithonlythe smallest bagbungee’dto thepillionpad;orthatislight,fickableand maneuverableenoughtomakeflteringan absolutejoy,and back lane exploration into a boundary-breakinggigglethatopens up new destinations whereno-one’sworried about having to turn around andback-track when theslightestnigglesuggeststhe adventurehas come to an end.
In short, atraditional bike with little in the wayofextraneouscreaturecomforts–built light,minimal andfun.Yes.A nakedbike.
As you’ll see, this issueisbuilt around exactly that type of bike.And,without fail, they’reall huge fun, andall very capable of delivering youright into themiddle of some spontaneousand epic adventures that non-motorcyclistsjustwon’t understandor comprehend.
Andyou canbring some righteouspolitical activity into your adventures as well if youwish. Aside from June 10 beingInternational Ride To Work Day(with asingleday plannedto provehow efcientmotorcycles areateasing congestion,cutting emissions andproviding true choice in travel), there’salsowhatisbeing termed as “Riders’ Resistance Weekend” on July 5and 6–witha number of demonstrations plannedbythe Motorcycle Action Group around theUKtopromote thebenefts of motorcyclesoverother formsoftransport More details,whenavailable,can be seen at www.mag-uk.org/riders-resistance-weekend/
John McAvoy
St an ding 6’4”, Joh nisa bi tofuni tb ut hasincre diblysmall fe et It ’s am ir acle he cans tand up on aw in dy day. He‘s beentes ting bikes for twenty ye ar s, an dlikes ale, rock music, falsehips an ds tamp collec ting Once challenged Dani Pe dros atoanarm wres tle, an dlos t.
Alan Dowds
Al an is a fr ee la nc ej ou rn al is t, wh o’sb ee nw rit in g ab ou tb ikes fo r25 ye ar s. He’s Sc ot ti sh , bu tb as ed in Lo nd on , an dc ut hi sr id in g te et ha sac ou ri er,s o love sa bi to fh ar dc or e tr
KNOWLEDGE
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at Harleyads from1994r
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ROAD TESTS
11 BMWF900 /F900XR
The Bavarian parallel twin’s update
20 Ducati Streetfighter V2
Smaller capacity,with morepotential
28 Triumph Trident 660
It’s afeisty littlepuppy!
36 Yamaha MT-07
Tw in cy linder MT with the tripl e’ s tech
56 KTMSuper Duke1390 R
Brutalist style, and bruta li st function!
TOURING &ADVENTURE
July 2025
EDITOR: Dave Manning dmanning@mortons.co.uk
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80 Kawasaki Ninja 1100 SE SX
Andy’s gettingused to the big green mean machine
82 Honda NT1100
Mossyisclearlyattached to the NT already
84 Yamaha Tracer 9GT
Areflectiononaprevious long termer brings Al’s newbike
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86 Honda Transalp
Atrip across to Mona’s Isle forChad
88 Suzuki V-Strom 1050
The big veeisproving ideal daily transport
Need to know ◆ Newmodels ◆ Industry info
2025BMW R1300range updates
It’s perhapsthe least-surprising setofnew bikeswe’ve seen in a while, butthe R, RS andRT variants of BMW’s latest R1300 Boxerare stillimpressive-looking pieces of kit. Te Bavarian frm obviouslyfocused on gettingits bigmoney-makersout frst,hence themassive-sellingR1300 GS appearingalmosttwo yearsago now, with theGSAdventure followinglastyear. Nowit’sthe turn of theless-fashionable, non-adventure-touring models, with 1300 versions of thenaked R roadster, RS sport-tourerand RT full-touring Boxers allrevealed
Obviouslythere’s afairbit of cross-over-all three bikesshare that latest-generation watercooled 1,300cc fattwinmotor, with thenow-familiarShifCam variable-valvetimingand lif heads,underslungtransmission andanoptionfor thefrm’s new AutomatedShif Assistant(ASA) autobox.Power is thesameas theGS, 145bhp@7,750rpm and 149Nm of torque at 6,500rpm –decentnumbers,thoughaway of thehigh-powered inline-fours seen on some of thecompetition
Te Rand RS also sharevery similar chassissetups, with abeefy 47mm USDfrontforkand Paraleverrear, whilethe RT comes with BMW’s Teleleverfront end, whichisbettersuitedtoheavier, less-sportymachines.All threeuse thelatestfabricatedmainframe design, whichusessheet steel
components, together with an aluminium rear subframe.Tat subframedesignisbeefed-upon theRT, allthe better to carryyour signifcantother andall theluggage youcould desire(theRThas hard panniersasstandardofcourse).
Brakes arealsosimilaracrossthe range, with anew setofBMWbrandedfour-piston monobloc radial calipers and310mm discs, plus an optional ‘sport’brake setupwith titanium-fnished calipers and strongerperformance.A newlighter wheel designsaves 1.4kg in totalover theold ones,and thetyresizes are conventional superbikeftments: 120/70 17 frontand 190/55 17 rear on allthree machines.Kerbmass ranges from 239kg on theRto281kg on theRTand 245kg on theRS.
As ever with BMW, it’s the additional technologyand accessoriesthatmakes thebikes so capableasreal-world machinery. Te standard andoptionalkit spec varies accordingtothe bike,sothe R hasmore of anaked roadster bent, theRShas extra touringkit –fairing, screen–while theRTisthe full-on continent-crossingtool. As a base, youget BMW’s latest rider aids: corneringABS andtractioncontrol, plus engine brakecontrol,rider powermodes,and extra ‘Pro’rider mode optionsalsoavailable.TeR andRShaveBMW’sstandard-issue 6.5” colour TFT LCDdashto controlitall,but theRTgets an even bigger 10.25”widescreenHD display, allthe better to show of
navigation,communications and otherinfo, with cunningsplit-screen displayoptions
Te RT also has acoupleoftasty audio options, as beftsaproper touringbike. Te base Audiosetup adds Bluetooth audio plus DAB+ andFMradio with powerful speakersinthe fairing, with full integrationintothe bike’s electronics. Te Audio Proofers higher-spec speakers with separate tweeterand woofer units andactive crossovers,plusan‘Adaptive’mode to matchthe soundtodiferent speeds. Both systems canoutput your terribledad rock to the onboardspeakers, or into your helmet headset as youfancy –ideal.
BMW’s also oferingits latest Dynamic SuspensionAdjustment DSA semi-activeelectronic suspensionasanoptiononthe R andRS, andasstandardonthe RT Te setuponthe Rand RS now features afront fork spring rate adjuster, whichactuallyaltersthe strength of thespringdynamically, rather than just changing the preload. It’s afrstona production bike,thoughBMW pioneeredthe tech on rear shocks more than a decade agowithits ESA II setup.
Te RT also hasaninteresting newfunction, called Dynamic ChassisAdaptation(DCA),which oferstwo diferentchassis setups at thepushofabutton. Oneisaimed at comfortabletouring,withthe front andrearshocksadjustedfor sofer dampingand alazier steeringhead angle, whilethe othermodeisfor sportier riding, lifing thebackend up to putmoreweight over thefront, andalsostifeningupthe damping. Anotherinteresting newpiece of tech that we’rekeentotry out.
Electronic luxur yextends into an optionalactivecruisecontrol setup, with frontand rear radar, that givessafespacingintrafc, andalsoaddsinfront andrear
collisionwarnings. Pair the active cruise systemwiththe new ASAautomatic transmission, andall youhavetodois remember to putyourfootdown when thebikecomes to astopin atrafc jam(we imaginethe automaticsidestands arealready in theprototype stage). Agood thingorabad thing? We’restill undecidedonradar cruise systems to be honest,though plenty of folk love them. Te rest of theoptions list,and ofcialaccessories, is fartoo long to featurehere, butcoversall the bases: electrically-connected, central-lockinghardluggage with lightingand USBchargingpoints, taller andshorter seats, heated saddlesand grips, taller screens, a newcentrally-locked satnav mount, chrome bits, billet bits, fancypainted bits. If youhavethe imagination, andthe PCP fnance, youcan spec each of thesenew Boxers to themoonand back… Te R1300 RT will be on salein June,pricedfrom £18,900 in standard form with hard luggage, with theASA gearboxadding about£750. Next in theshops will be theRand RS, both available from July,withthe Rpricedfrom £13,200, with theSEversionat £15,500 andthe ASA-equipped SE at £16,255. Te RS is alittlebit pricier at £13,700 in base form, risingto£15,990 forthe SE version.
Ducati Panigale V4 LamborghiniEdition
We’resimplefolkhereatMSL. Andwefreelyadmittonot quiteunderstandingthe theory behindL amborghini editions of Ducati’s superbikes,other than both frms beingowned by the VolkswagenAudi Group. Tere have been acoupleof previousL ambotie-ins– a Diavel1260 anda Streetfghter V4 –which ofered unique paintjobs from theItaliancar brand’s catalogues, some bolt-on trinketr y, andmassive price tags. Teyseemedtoall sell though,despiteeye-watering prices, whichshows what we know aboutwell-heeled Ducati obsessives andtheir Italiansupercarinterests.
Tisone makesmore sense than theDiavelcertainly.It’san Italiansuperbike paying homage to an Italiansupercar: the£450,000 Lamborghini Revuelto: a1,015bhp hybrid with aV12 engine andthree
electric motors,carbonfbre chassis220mph topspeed and 0-60 time of 2.5 seconds. Classy.
Te bike is basedonthe 2025
Panigale V4S, with forged wheels, dr yclutch, titanium Akrapovic pipeand carbon bodywork, again paintedtomatch thecar.Priced
to notsellat£75k,just630 Lambor-galeswillbemade (with63evenposhercustom variants reserved forapproved Lamborghini carowners). Form theusual orderly queue at your dealer or at www.ducati.com.
Yamaha’s prototypeMT-09 hybrid
On thefaceofit, hy br id powert rainsoffer as olid option forhelping to de carb onis e motorc ycle desig n. Addingan elec tr ic motortot he powert rain, with asma ll batter yp ack, then usingb ot h petrol andele ct rica lp ower in a blende dfor mc an give theb est of both worlds. Youget the cleansilentb enef itsofele ct ric dr iveatslowspe edsand around town,w it ht he range, power andquickref il lofap et rol machine. Kawasak i’sNinja and ZHybrid7modelsmadea go od st ar tont he te ch last ye ar, though theprice,weig ht and st ylings eems to puts ome potent ia lownersoff. Andnow it lo okslike Yama ha is having agoaswel l, with an on linev ide oshowing a prototype hy br id-p owered MT-09, with an elec tr ic motor mounte db ehindt he cy linder block.
Detailsare sc ant–t hisis very much an earlyprototype rele as e–but we imag inet he systemw ill us es omeoft he
te ch se en on thelatestY-AMT automaticgearb ox.Addingan elec tr ic motorto thedrive train ne edsa cunning transmission desig ntochangeb et we en batter yand petrol power (Kawas ak i’shybrida ls ousesa roboticclutchand ge ar boxto manage theswitchover)
What will be interestingishow much Yamaha tiltsthe
performance/economy balance: a more powerful hybrid system that prioritisesacceleration over mpgwould be an novel developmentontwo wheels –thereare plenty of highperformancehybridcarsout therealready
We’d exp ec ttohearmoreon Yama ha’s hy br id plansatt he bi ke showslater this ye ar.
CadwellSummerBikeBash
Classic Bike TrackDaysnext event, held at thepopular CadwellParkcircuit in LincolnshireonJuly19-20, is set to be somethingspecial. Aside from celebratingthe 40th anniversar yofSuzuki’s GSX-R family –withthe usualCBTD format beingfollowedwithan addition in theformofspecial tracksessions forpost-2000 GSX-Rmodels–there’llalsobea specialfocus on theHamamatsu brand’sRG500(andthe 400cc home market equivalent), also celebratingits 40thanniversar y in 2025. Astoundinglythisyear also sees Suzuki’s GSX 1100EFE hittingthe same milestone, with Cadwellhosting themodel’s European Rally.
Ahugehighlight of the Summer Bike Bash will be welcomingthe AmicaleSpiritof Speedfor their frst visitto CadwellPark. Aglobalgroup of genuineracebikeenthusiasts includingGrand Prix, MotoGP, WSBK,BSB andT T-F1, they will be ridinganeye-watering selectionof rare andex-factory machines in some very special race bike paradesacrossthe weekend, andgivingeveryone
thever yrareopportunity to see theseamazingbikes up closein thepaddock
TheC adwell Park paddo ck wi ll be ahiveofact iv it yshare d betweent he trackbikes (w hich create ashowinits ow nr ig ht) andt he many machines on displayf rom clubsand individuals, includinga ll the
Suzu ki mo dels pres ent celebrat ingt heir 40t h Annivers ar ies. Al lclassic
motorc ycle clubsand individual exhibitors–espe cia llyGSX-R andRG500 ow ners –are very welcome to be ap ar toft he Summer Bi ke Bash anddisplay their bi kes, mayb et akep ar tint he luncht imep arades (t hree laps, completelyf re eofcharge), enjoyachi lled we ekendand the Saturday eveningenter tainment anda ll forf re e–justcomplete theb ooking form!
Furtherdetails canbefound at www.classicbiketrackdays.com/ summer-bash
Track-trialled
twin
TheF900has hadan imagemakeoverbybecomingthe obligatory one make suppor tclass at BritishSuper Bike race meetings with theF900 Cup-where stripped back butother wise standard F900sget thesor tof thrashingonlya grid full of up -and-comingwannabe’s andoccasional ex-pro’s candishout.The up -shotisthatthere canbenodoubt the humble F900 hasentered theheartsand mindsofmanypeoplewho otherwisemay nothavenoticed it.
e F 0 h had an e m r by b g the obligator y one support class British Super the F900 Cup - where but other F900s get the sor t of
2025 BMWF900R &F900XR
Whether it’s on thebackofthis newimage andaudience, or a developmentstepthatwas always likely forthe bike,the 2025 F900R (and itslonglegged sibling, theF900XR) has hadanumber of updates, allofwhichare aimedatgivingita
bit more fzz. Teymay notsound like much, butthe footpegs have been movedfurther back,and thehandlebarshavebeenmoved furtherfor ward to throwmoreofthe rider’s weight over thefront of thebike.
Te ‘25 bike also gets wheels from the S1000R that are1.8kglighter,whichisa
signifcant amount of weight to losenot only from an unsprung weight perspective, butalso thereduction of thegyroscopicefect which comesfrom lighter wheels massivelychanges howthe bike turnsand changesdirection Te electronics nowalsoget “Dynamic Pro” rider mode,whichlets youcreateyourown rider mode by pickingyourpreferred levels from theenginemode, traction controland ABS, whichnow features corneringABS knownas“ABS Pro”,but otherwisethey’re the same.Tegood news is that,consistentwith allother BMW models,there’s a“fun” button on theswitchgearwhichifpressed (and held), will switch of thetractioncontrol andthus allowfor wheeliestotakeplace,impromptuor otherwise.
If theelectronics have hada light touch, the frontforks have been replaced completely. Tey’re nowfully adjustable forpreload as well as compressionand rebounddamping, whichisa bigupgrade that givesyou the opportunity to tune andtailorhow thefront of thebikefeels,which is especially handyon abikewithjust100bhp.Not that there’s anythingwrongwitha bike with modest poweroutput, quitethe opposite,someofthe best ridesI’vehad over theyears have been on bikeswithrelativelylow powerfgures
WORDS: John McAvoy PHOTOGRAPHY: BMW/Jamie Morris
However, it is true that on such bikes, youdo rely more on corner entr yand mid-corner speedtocover theground, so beingableto dialinasweet frontend that talkstoyou loud andclear is abig plus,particularlyona bike that is goingtobeusedina one-modelrace series!
Te engine itself remainsuntouched,and whywould BMW dive into it andgospending
time andmoney on some more powerthatit really doesn’tneed?
Te F900 is pitched at aprice pointand user who’snot goingtoget hung up on whetherthe bike has100bhp or 115bhp.Tis bike is all aboutdeliveringkicks forsensiblemoney,and at £9,090 the2025 versionis, astoundingly, the same price as the2024 bike whichdoesn’t have theforks or light wheels.Kudos to BMW for
managing to do that,althoughthe F900 we rode was, as usualbyBMW,fully loaded with allthe extrasincludingthe snazzy paintjob that takesthe ”astested” price to £12,320 whichis starting to diluteone of theF900’s main selling points –it’sprice
Ever ythingabout theF900isset up to be prettysafe andwitha fairlybroad window of operation.Tat is to saythatthe F900R is as happybumblingalong,ridinglazily in a highergearletting theenginedothe work by just rollingthe throttle on andof, as it is having thecogs in thegearbox swappedofen andletting therevsgoall theway to thered line. It’s just as willingineachscenario and givesa fexibility that is as suited to thedaily commuteasa trackday
I’ve gotnopreviousexperience with the 895cc parallel twin engine,thiswas thefrst time I’ve ever sampledit, andjustlikeany large
Road Test
capacity parallel twin engine,its main party pieceislow down punchwhich converts into instantdrive of thebends.Ofcourse, it does keep buildingpower as yourideup through therevs, butphysics is physics, andthe simple fact is thehigheritrevs, theharder it gets to revhigherstill,but that doesn’tmatterbecause thelow andmid-rangepower andpunch is so efective youdon’t need to rely on topend powertoget awriggle on
Shifinggearatabout ¾maximum revs wasplentytobeabletomakethe BMWgo very fast on theroad, andthe good news is that foraparalleltwin, it did revquite freely in thefnal25% of therevs, so on theodd occasiononthe road andcertainly if you took oneontrack,you wouldn’t be sat watchingthe rate of revdropofasthe red lineapproached. It revved really cleanlyall theway to theredline.
If Icompare it to thelikes of theYamaha MT-09 andSuzukiGSX8 whichare probablythe BMW’s most obvious alternatives in termsofprice and proposition at least, I’dsay with certainty that theridingposition on theF900R is more purposeful andlends itself more to hunkeringdown, droppinga shoulder and pullingitoverthatextra fewdegrees in the middle of acorner.
Andthisiswhere Ifnd myself back at the beginningofthisreport, in so much as inevitably I’ve had to make acomparisonto otherbikes,whichkindofisn’t fair on them or theBMW becausethey’re allsodiferentto each otherthatmakingadirectcomparisonisa bit pointless, certainlyinthe context of them beingalternativesbecause they sort of aren’t Te Yamaha makesloads more powerfrom its3-cylinder engine,and theSuzuki makesa
good dollop less whilethe BMW sits roughly bang in themiddle,soyou endupatthatmost inconclusive conclusionthatitreallydepends on what youwant.
Wherethe BMW really does score highly over theother twoiswiththe levelof adjustabilityithas availableinits suspension whichaddssignifcantlytoits feelingofquality andsmoothness. Ifound thesuspension, in particular thenew forks,tobeverysmoothand
with an especiallywell-supported frst movement in theinitial part of thestroke. Quiteofenonbikes with smallprice tags, the forks canfeelunder supportedand allowthe bike to pitch forwardmore than thepressureat thebrake leverprobablywarrants. It’s avery smallthing, butonceyou notice it,it’shardto ignore andjustbecomes asourceofirritation. Notsoonthe Beemer
Te F900R’s suspensionfeltverysupportive of thebikeateachend andthere wasplentyof controlwheneverthings gota bitenthusiastic, andIstarted throwing it abouta bit. Tatsaid, I’mwillingtobet that thanks to theinclusionof preloadadjustment, I’mcertain it couldbe made to feel even better than it alreadydoes.
Overall,BMW really must be saluted for addingfully adjustable suspensionand lighter wheels,plusa fewextra 1’sand 0’stothe F900 andkeeping it to thesameprice as theprevious model, that’s quiteanachievement especially thesedayswheneverythingisseemingly gettingmoreexpensive withoutany upgrades Ten, by changing theridingpositiontoone that leansa little bitmore to thesportyside of riding, they’reobviously hoping to pick up some newblood from thecustomerbasewho do want amodest, well-pricednaked bike whichcan,ifcalledupon, be thrown around with highlevelsofcommitment(andwho may have seen thebikeinactionatBSB rounds). BravoBMW foraddingsomespice to the F900R andnot charging extra forit.
If youfeelthose changeshavemoved the F900R away from beingafexible all-rounder capableoflongdaysinthe saddle then fear not, as there’salsoanew-for-’25 versionofthe XR Turn thepagetoreadmore.
SPECIFICATION
BMWF900R
Price: £9,090 (£12,320 as tested)
Engine: 895cc, liquid-cooled,parallel twin, DOHC, 4valvesper cylinder 86mm x77mm bore/stroke
Power: 105bhp (77kW) @8500rpm
Torque: 68.6lb-ft (93Nm) @6750rpm
Frame: Steel “bridge” style frame
Wheelbase: 1514mm
Rider aids: rider modes, quickshift/autoblipper, traction control
Brakes: (F) 4piston Monobloc calipers, 320mm twin discs, (R) single-piston caliper,265mm disc
Transmission: 6gears, chain final drive
Suspension: (F)43mm upsidedownforks, fully adjustable damping and preload control, 135mm travel, (R) monoshock, fullyadjustable damping and preload control, 142mm travel
Wheels/tyres: cast aluminium wheels, Seat Height: 760-835mm
Fuel Capacity: 13 litres
MPG: n/a
Weight: 208kg (wet)
Warranty: 3years
Service intervals: 6,000 mi les
Contact: www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk
Road Test
Whatabout the XR?
As dayfollows night,and notwanting to miss outonanother fast developing sector,BMW appliedall thechanges made to theF900R to theF900XR “Tallrounder”. Te result is actually notabad proposition,and well worth consideration
In termsofwhat’sdiferentbetween the 900R andthe 900XR chassis, theonly diference, anditisthe ONLY diference, is
longer travel suspension. Te frontforks have 170mm of travel compared to 135mm, andthe rear wheeltravelis172mm compared to 142mm,and that’s it.Asaresultofbothbikes having thesamesteeringheadangle,the longer travel forks do mean that thewheelbase on theXRislongerby20mmwhich is quitea decentamount.
In termsofwhat’sdiferentbetween the 2025 900XR andthe 2024 900XR, aside from
thoseself-same changesthathavebeenmade to theRwiththe lighter wheels (whichmake up alarge part of theXR’soverall 3kg weight loss), the‘25 bike gets atallerscreenand some
SPECIFICATION
BMWF900XR
Price: £10,890
Engine: 895cc, liquid-cooled, parallel twin, DOHC, 4valvesper cylinder,86mm x77mm bore/stroke
Power: 105bhp (77kW) @8500rpm
Torque: 68.6lb-ft (93Nm) @6750rpm
Frame: Steel “bridge” style frame
Wheelbase: 1523mm
Rider aids: rider modes, quickshift/autoblipper, traction control
Brakes: (F) 4piston Monobloc calipers, 320mm twin discs, (R) Single-piston caliper,265mm disc
Transmission: 6gears, chain final drive
Suspension: (F) 43mm upside down forks, fully adjustable damping and preload control, 170mm travel, (R) monoshock, fullyadjustable damping and preload control, 172mm travel
Wheels/tyres: cast aluminium wheels, Seat Height: 775-845mm
Fuel Capacity: 13 litres
MPG: 67mpg (claimed)
Weight: 216kg (wet)
Warranty: 3years
Service intervals: 6000 mi les
Contact: www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk
tweakstothe fairingpanelsfor better –read quieter andmore comfortable–aerodynamics.
Now, I’ve notmadeabig secret aboutthe fact that I’mabit of acloset “Tallrounder” fan, andone of thehighlightsoflastyearfor me wasblattingabout on an M1000XRin disbelief at howsomethingsobig and comfortablecan be so agileand easy to ride really fast –easierthanthe M1000RRit’s basedon. AllIcan sayisthatthe stor y continueswiththe 900XR
Youjumponitand saytoyourself, “AHH THIS IS ANICEPLACE TO BE” whichisa form of damningpraise, becauseIshould really be saying “OHYEAH,THIS IS GOING TO BE FUN”. However, it really doesn’ttake very long before theusefulnessofthatlonger travel suspensionand associatedhigher centreofgravity starts to make itself known, andwithaslight tweaktomyridingstyle, specifcally usingmylegs andhipstoget the bike turninginstead of feet andhands,and theXRisseriously hustlingalong,keeping up with thepackofenthusiastically ridden900Rs with no problem at all.
WhereIdid fndthe 900XRlessappealing is whenever Iwantedtothrow in theodd wheelie.Teextra suspensiontravel, higher centreofgravity andsame100bhp beneath meantthatgetting thefrontwheel up in the airwas afairlycruel process with little or no mechanical sympathy whichIwasn’t comfortabledishingout.So, forme while actually Iver ymuchenjoyed thedynamics
andcomfort of the900XR,eventothe point that Idid actually prefer it in more scenarios than Ithought Iwould,Idid endupsayingto myself that if Ihad to pick one, it wouldbe the900R, butonlytosatisfy thechild in me And, of course,for thosereadersofamore mature disposition,mono-wheelingisoffar less importance than an increase in suspensionmovementand acorrespondingly more fexibleridingability,alliedtothe greatervisibilitythatthe higher riding position ofers.
However, the900XRdoesmakean extremely strongcaseespeciallyifyou bring price into theconversation. At £10,800 (£13,740 as tested)it’s£1,000 more than the 900R whichunfortunately puts the900R into thesameprice pointasthe HondaHornet 1000, BUTbecause the900XR is aver y diferentproposition,the Hornet can’tbepart of theconversation, so youhavetolookat Yamaha’s Tracer,and Triumph’sTiger Sport foralternatives, andinthatcompany the BMW is agenuinecontender
Oxford Aqua Ddry bags
£24.9w ww.oxfordproducts.com
Whilemostluggage hasa claim of beingwaterproof to agreater or lesser extent, there’snoharm in ensuring your individual elements of gear are independentlykeptdry,and roll topdry bags arethe perfect solution.
TeseOxford bags come in a pack of three, of 5, 7and 12-litre capacity,and arenot only waterproof,but also tough(with interlaytaped seams) and lightweight.Tey maynot keep waterout if youfully submerse thebag,but if you’re in that
situationthenyou probably have more to worr yabout than if your sparesocks arestill dr y.
Forawater-resistant seal,the roll topneeds to be rolled at least threetimes before theclips are connected, ideally with anyair squeezed outbeforehand, and thefactthe latter pointneeds explainingshows theefciency of thesealcreated
Essentialgearfor thosewho travel, whetherusinghardof sofluggage,orevenifyou just carr ysomespare clothes in a rucksack
AlpinestarsChromeV2gloves
£54.99 ww w.oxfo
Tesefully syntheticsumm ridingglovesfromAlpines combinethe comfortofsup fexible fabrics with thepro of CE-certifedknuckle guar andthe practicality of a touchscreen-compatible th andindex fnger.
NorthToNorway
£9.99Available from bookshops
Beingaselfconfessed adventurer with a fondnessfor languages, histor y andgoodbeer, StephenOliverisset to slingtogetheran interestingbook, madeall themore so by thefacthis journeyfromSpain to Norway’s North Cape is by motorcycle.
Hisjourney,by HondaNT1100, runs from Europe’s most southerly point, Tarifa in Spain, to itsmost northerlyreachable pointbyroad, the Nordkapp in Norway,aspartof Stephen’slargerquest of visiting thefourcardinal points (north, east,south,west) of the continent.
From theheatofthe Mediterraneantothe icy expanses of theArcticCircle, theroute travelledthrough breathtakinglandscapesand
diversecultures, andevento theRussianborder,the book shares Stephen’schallenges, motivationsand obstaclesmet alongthe way.
In paperback, and290 pages long,there areanumberof blackand whitephotographs, andmapsdetailingthe route.
With ashort constructi restrained by ahook-and-l wriststrap,accordionpan thefngers, andvents for increasedairfow, they’re eminentlypractical forurb commutes andcasualride
£125 ww w.kriega
Designedwiththe specifc purposeofadditional carr ying capacity on amotorcycle, the R15 isn’tencumberedbyany hiking or campingfocus butis builtpurelytobring 15 litres of storage whileridingabike. Te Quadloc-lite harnesstransfers weight away from theshoulders andontothe chestand body, improving fexibilityand reducingfatigue,and an extra waiststrap securesthe load
furtherwhenridingof-road.
Tere’s an internal pocket with acompressionstrap,that canbeusedtostore a hydration pack,while four externalstrapskeepthe load stable,and an externalzipped pocket givesstorage for easy-access items.
Availableinblack or camoufagecolours (bothwith safety-conscious refective strips),theyhavehookpoints to addanextra US-Dr ypackif more capacity is required
ClassicTwo-StrokeEngines by Stan Stephens
£30.00 ww w.dandybooksellers.com
If yougrewupona steady dietof 1970s-90s Japanese two-stroke machiner ythenthe name Stan Stephens will certainly ring abell. Te Kent-based tunerbuilt up an incredible reputation with his work on thelikes of Yamaha’s RD250 and250 LCs, 350 and500 YPVS,Suzuki RGV250 and RG500 models.And he’s continuedhis developmentwork rightupuntil recentyears,before retirement.
Stan also wroteaseriesof columnsonhis work in oursister magazine, Classic Motorcycle Mechanics, andhe’snow collectedthose pieces,withsome
otherwork, andput it into a bookform.
“Thisb ookw il lb e golddust fort wo-strokeent husiastsand me chanics,”hes aidw henwe sp oketohim. “I have putt hem in groups of firstlyt he tuning ar ticles,t hent he engine rebuilds,t hens omeinteresting ar ticles andlastlys omegenera l workshopj obs. Thereare 250
A4 pagesw it h85s ep arate ar ticles andhundre ds of photos.
“Tanks to DandyBooks for itshelpwiththe set-upand printing of this book.Italso publishesmyautobiographyand
sellsthembothonits website –I hope youbuy it andenjoy it!”
Lose weight, GO FAST
Ducati Streetfighter V2S
Lighter, spor tier andpowered by the Italianfac tory ’s all-newV2, is the Ducati Streetfighter V2 trulyanaked Panigale V2 spor ts bike?
Atfrstglance, it seemed Ducati was swimmingagainst the tide with theall-new 2025 PanigaleV2. Whileits monocoqueframe and class-leadingelectronics were undeniablyimpressive, theall-new 90-degreeV2powerplant- shared with thelatestMultistrada V2producedjust120 hp,anotable 33hplessthanthe outgoing model.
To some,thislookedlikea step backward.But with adramatic 17kg weight reductionoverits predecessor,the newPanigale V2 provedits meritduringtrack testingearlier this year.Agile, composed,and deceptively fast,it more than madeupfor thedropin outright powerwithsuperior handlingand usability. In fact, thosemissinghorseswerebarely missed
Now, Ducati hasfollowedup with theStreetfghterV2S. Much like itsbiggersibling, the Streetfghter V4S whichis essentiallyanaked Panigale V4S, thenew V2S is,apart from its upright ergonomics andthe absenceofafairing,nearly identical to thePanigale V2on
paper. It shares thesameengine, chassis, suspension, wheels,brakes, andelectronicpackage.Teonly real diferences lie in thedetails
At theheart of theStreetfghter V2S is thesamelightweight, non-Desmo V2 engine from the Panigale,delivering120hpat 10,750rpm and68.8lb-f of torque at 8,250rpm.Tanks to variable intake timing, Ducati claims 80% of that torque is availablefrom just 4,000rpm allthe wayto11,000rpm, giving it abroad andusable powerband.
Te chassisfeaturesthe Panigale’s aluminiummonocoque frame, whichusesthe engine as a stressed member,along with a double-sidedswingarmand fully adjustable Öhlinssuspensionfront andrear. Te non-S versioncomes equipped with aKayabarearshock andMarzocchi frontforks instead. Elsewhere, components like the wheels,BremboM50 calipers, 5-inch TFT dash,and suiteof lean-sensitive rider aids arecarried over from thePanigale
Allofthese components are tailoredtothe Streetfghter’s specifcweight anddynamics. Ducati claims awet weight
WORDS: Adam ‘Chad’ Chi ld PHOTOGRAPHY: AlexPhoto