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MOROCCO NNIN E GUIDE TO PLA O CCO YOUR COMPLET TRIP TO MOR YOUR RIDING
BMWs we would inclines on our off-road have needed specialised wheels. paddle tyres resembling Moroccan salad With dinner of around a and chicken Tajine a group of with campfire shared Touareg men, semi-nomadic indigo wearing their traditionalit was a scarfs, blue turbans and a Later we climbed magical night. under a jet-black large sand dune with stars. sky, brimming returned to sleep We eventually tents, deep in the in our Bedouin of silence, desert, to the sound precaution of having taken the upside down to leaving our boots by lizards or id unwanted visits desert foxes avoid f and scorpions. Snakes saw their tell-tale live here, too. We when we morning the in tracks again to watch climbed the dunes turning the rays the sunrise, the a l ndscape into s
RT SAHARA DESE goes, As offroading one this is the big
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WHAT ARE THE ROADS LIKE?
“The roads and road conditions are not the same as Europe. You can forget about those beautiful, nice, wide Tarmac roads. usually really narrowRoads are in Morocco and you get big trucks on them, and you get loads of animals like goats, people, and and loads of dogs. sheep, camels “All those things you need to be mindful of, but then riding in Morocco, people are very friendly and generous, generous with space on the road as well; they’re all very aware of bikes.”
CHAR RLEY BOOR RMAN’S MORO OCCO TIPS arley Boorman ha ntless times. as ridden in Africa He’ nches and even ’s done tours, bike th he gruelling Parisar Rally. We talke nturer about ed to the motorcycle ridiing in Morocco
T
Sahara h is it. The mighty e his i nine Desert – covering million square kilometres times larger and almost 100 average summer the UK – where
HOW MUCH DO I NEED? TIME
CHARLEY BOORMAN
“Give yourself loads do big days because of time. Don’t all you’ll be doing is riding from A to B, and there’s so much to see in Morocco and so much to experience – you want time to see it all. “You’ve got Marrakesh, which is incredible, you’ve got the Atlas Mountains, then down on the other side you’ve got the huge sand dunes. You can go out and stay in these beautiful Bedouin tents in the middle of the desert. There’s ancient ruins and a lot of history here, and tons and There’s beautiful tons of hotels. hotels all along the stunning coast food is brilliant.” as well, and the
WHEN SHOULD
ABOVE: Charley knows Morocco
well – and loves riding there
I GO?
TOUR
Another unforgettable volcano extinct destination is the near Erfoud. With Gara Medouar, crater walls, it soaring 2800ft-tall to hold African was once used to Portugal slaves being sold the – hence it’s nickname, ‘Portuguese Prison’. out for ruts You need to watch the gravelly access and dips along the front road and I lost in patches of innumerable times it’s such a dramatic deep sand, but you’ll feel inspired rock formation inside the crater. to film a movie the first, mind, You wouldn’t be the location for because it’s also Mummy The Mummy, The of Persia: The Returns, Prince and most recently Time, Sands of of (it was the lair Bond’s Spectre Blofeld). the evil villain
DESERT KING OF THEbased in Casablanca, offers
(both road Wheels of Morocco, and six set tours of fabulous tailored expeditions s with a large selection from their Atlas and off-road) here are The snippets destinations. .nett : www.wheelsofmorocco
’S MOROCCO
IS IT SAFE?
TIPS
“Morocco is very safe. One of the big things people who come to Africa worry about security. Morocco is safety and is moderate Muslim a very country, they’re very relaxed about they’re very strict religion, but about robbery and thieving. It’s just not tolerated here at all, and you can have severe consequences if you’re caught stealing. So, it’s a safe country to travel around in and travel by yourself, you can easily no problem.”
“The weather here is very changeable, so I would say always bring really good kit and make sure you have WHAT ELSE plenty of IS “It’s really important warm stuff. THERE TO DO? to choose the right time “There’s loads of year. Usually of stuff February, March zip lining, mountain to do here: and April are really good times when it gets warmer biking, and to come, but you for cycling, can of course be Tour de France unlucky and get kind of cycling rubbish weather. is really big here But normally it because of all the would be clear French influence. blue sky,16-20ºC, chilly at night, “There’s people but you’d get that everywhere, anywhere. especially when you “I remember years desert. You think go out into the ago we got you’re in the snowed in going middle of nowhere up the Atlas and you think Mountains. there’s no one here, and then “We were 20 bikes some kid comes over a d th h
k 19 www.mslmagazine.co.u
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WORDS
& PHOTOG
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TOURING IN IRELAND BMW F850GSA & TRIUMPH TIGER 800
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BIG
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TT GUIDE
GET READY FOR THE BIGGEST RACE EVENT OF THE YEAR No.705 June 2019
SOLO
RAPHY Y: Chris
Adve Scott coun nture how try. Andriding is if a Chris to go anyobig in the exce Scott.about iit ne know rpts Here solo from are , it’s s a som his ttrave e ls OFF
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YAMAHA MT-09 USED BUYING GUIDE ◆ BMW C400GT ◆ CLASSIC TEST: 1983 KAWASAKI GPZ1100 A1
RIDIN G
Universally challenged Mikko Nieminen
E
very now and again I almost forget what a plonker I am. Luckily I work with bikes, which gives the universe plenty of opportunities to put me right pretty swiftly. Last time this happened was just a couple of days ago. As usual, it involved bikes, so I thought I’d share the story with you. I have two motorcycles: a Yamaha Fazer 1000 for Tarmac and a Suzuki DR350 for falling over in mud. They’re neither new and flashy, nor old and characterful. They are somewhere in the grey area in between – the biking equivalent of a pair of chinos and a cagoule; not something you brag about, but do the job. Anyway, a mate wanted to borrow the Fazer, so I thought I’d better give it a quick test ride as it had been standing for a few months. It didn’t start. Just a battery issue, I figured, because it didn’t sound like it was really trying to turn the engine properly. So, I plugged it into a trickle charger (I know, should have done that when I left the bike in the garage all those months ago, but life got in the way). I decided to give it a day or two, then try again — it would be fine, no worries. In the meantime, I decided to check whether the DR started. I didn’t have plans to ride either of them anywhere, but it would be nice to have at least one bike in the garage that was actually working. The DR sounded much better when I pressed the start button; there was certainly nothing wrong with the battery. But it didn’t start either. Pulling the choke out didn’t help (it rarely seems to make a difference on this bike). Nor did leaving it for a bit, pacing up and down the drive and cursing. After a few attempts I admitted defeat. It was not to be. Stupid bike! I went back in the house, sat down and considered
From desperation to elation, through hissy fits and cosmic guidance selling both bikes just so I didn’t have to worry about them not starting ever again. I was in a foul mood. It’s at those dark moments when you find yourself wondering a) which food products were originally created as a joke, and b) whose side God is on when it comes to football, and sometimes c) you see the light and realise the answer to your bike problems. Now, the answers to a) and b) are obvious: Marmite and Nottingham Forest, no question! And to make me feel suitably humbled, the last one was pretty obvious too: suddenly I remembered that the DR has a fuel tap. It’s one of those once ubiquitous items that have disappeared from modern bikes. I bet I didn’t open it before trying to start the bike. To be honest, I usually forget to switch it off when I finish riding, and I sometimes forget to switch it on when I try to start the bike. It’s not like this was the first time. Why didn’t I remember that? I’m such a plonker! I finished the coffee, cursed some more, went back to the bike — and of course the fuel tap was in the off position. And of course the bike started as soon as I twisted it and tried again. I really am such a plonker! The silver lining is that both bikes are now running, but it was a suitable reminder how much has changed in a short time – and what a plonker I am: I remember to charge the comms system in my helmet every night, but I forget something as basic as this. I know I'll do it again, but that’s why I love bikes – they keep me on my toes.
Mikko Nieminen Editor
Motorcycle Sport & Leisure’s contributors... Roland Brown
A bike journalist for more than 30 years, Roland has contributed to countless publications worldwide and authored a dozen books on bikes. He has tested machines ranging from Rossi’s YZR-M1 to a 1923 Douglas, but still can’t decide which type of bike he most enjoys riding.
Chris Moss
Mossy has made a living from bikes since 1985, first as a motorcycle courier in London, and then as a journo from 1995. He’s raced, ridden and tinkered with hundreds of different bikes, but he’s the first to admit there’s still loads to experience and learn.
Peter Henshaw
Peter is our history man. He’s written more than 60 books and is a former editor of this very publication. Now a freelance journalist, he writes about transport of all kinds, though bikes are really at the heart of it all. He’s an all-yearround rider who does not own a car.
Maynard Hershon
Maynard lives in Denver, Colorado, US, and rides a lovable Kawasaki ZRX1200. He began riding in 1962 and found that on or off the bike he was happiest thinking about motorcycling. He’s always led a life that’s focused on riding, rather than life’s more mundane trivialities.
Ross Mowbray
Ross works across the modern motorcycling magazines at our publisher, Mortons Media. That means he gets to ride all manner of two-wheelers, from Monkey bikes to trikes. Don’t let his youthful appearance fool you, he’s a seasoned petrol-head, respected test rider and a handy offroader, too.
www.mslmagazine.co.uk 3
Contents
20
PAY LESS
NEWS & OPINION
P30
7
14
News
Your monthly update on everything motorcycling.
Latest products
Here’s all the new and exciting kit this month.
28
Maynard Hershon
30
Subscription offer
38
40
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Your letters
This is what MSL readers have on their minds right now.
The High Sider
Can you move from MotoGP to WSB and master both?
110
32 ROAD TESTS 10
Yamaha R125
Impressive tech and great riding on the new little Yamaha sportsbike.
20
Ducati Diavel
32
Moto Guzzi V85TT
42
Brexit touring
50
4 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962
It looks like you couldn’t possibly have fun on it. Wrong, it’s a carnival on wheels!
Is this a real challenger in the middleweight adventure game?
Taking the BMW F850GSA and Triumph Tiger 800 XCx across the Irish border.
BMW C400GT
Riding the new touring scooter from Bavaria.
90
118
TOURING & ADVENTURE 55
56
60
Touring news
34k miles round the world on scooter and sidecar.
Day ride
Welsh Marshes offer quiet roads for a day ride.
Mid ride
Would you go touring Slovakia two-up on a two-stroke 50?
64
Richard Millington
66
Long ride
72
History Boy
76
Riding in PNG
82
Why do the numbers on bikes get bigger when cars go in a different direction?
Jeremy’s epic ride continues to Cambodia.
This month our ride location scout heads up to Northumberland.
Papua New Guinea is about as far away as possible – and that makes it an intriguing place to ride.
TEST FLEET 98
Mossy’s time with the trail bike comes to an end.
102 Honda VFR800X
Day-to-day bike with a sporty edge for fun riding.
103 Kymco AK550
Navigational tools of the Kymco keep Jonathan on track.
A day in the life of...
...a tour leader. What’s the reality of leading a tour group?
Honda CRF450 L
104 Suzuki GSX-S1000F
Riding in the spring winds is not the best fun.
105 BMW R1250GS
Adventure
Mikko is introduced to big GS – is it the ultimate adventure bike?
106 Yamaha Niken
The Niken is great, but a couple of things could be better.
107 Honda CB650R
James gets his hands on the new Neo Café Racer.
42 KNOWLEDGE 87
88
90
97
Events
The best biking events in May.
110 Buying guide: Yamaha
MT-09
A hugely popular bike when it came out. Still a cracker!
Crash protection
118 Classic test
Going faster
124 Tried & tested
Does it work? Is it expensive? We find out.
Ron Haslam Race School gives you wings.
TT preview
Here’s all you need to know about the 2019 Isle of Man TT.
1983 Kawasaki GPz1100 was hugely impressive and left its mark in history.
Biking essentials tried, tested and evaluated.
130 Kevin Cameron
Can we convert all vehicles to electric power?
June 2019
EDITOR: Mikko Nieminen: mnieminen@mortons.co.uk DESIGNER: Gareth Williams PRODUCTION EDITOR: Mike Cowton PICTURE DESK: Paul Fincham and Jonathan Schofield PUBLISHING DIRECTOR: Dan Savage PUBLISHER: Tim Hartley GROUP KEY ACCOUNTS MANAGER: Steff Woodhouse: swoodhouse@mortons.co.uk 01507 529452 / 07786 334330 GROUP ADVERTISING MANAGER: Sue Keily DIVISIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER: Zoe Thurling zthurling@mortons.co.uk 01507 529412 ADVERTISING SALES: Charlotte Mountain: cmountain@mortons.co.uk 01507 529538 SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER: Paul Deacon: pdeacon@mortons.co.uk CIRCULATION MANAGER: Steve O’Hara: sohara@mortons.co.uk MARKETING MANAGER: Charlotte Park: cpark@mortons.co.uk COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR: Nigel Hole EDITORIAL ADDRESS: MSL Magazine, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6JR WEBSITE: www.mslmagazine.co.uk GENERAL QUERIES AND BACK ISSUES: 01507 529529 24 hr answerphone help@classicmagazines.co.uk www.classicmagazines.co.uk ARCHIVE ENQUIRIES: Jane Skayman jskayman@mortons.co.uk 01507 529423 SUBSCRIPTION: Full subscription rates (but see page 30 for offer): (12 months 12 issues, inc post and packing) – UK £51.60. Export rates are also available – see page 30 for more details. UK subscriptions are zero-rated for the purposes of Value Added Tax. SUBSCRIPTION AGENTS: Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6JR CUSTOMER SERVICES NUMBER: 01507 529529 TELEPHONE LINES ARE OPEN: MONDAY-FRIDAY 8.30AM-6PM SATURDAY 8.30AM-12.30PM DISTRIBUTION: Marketforce UK Ltd, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HU. 0203 787 9001 PRINTED: William Gibbons & Sons, Wolverhampton The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. If you are sending material to us for publication, you are strongly advised to make copies and to include a stamped addressed envelope. Original material must be submitted and will be accepted solely on the basis that the author accepts the assessment of the publisher as to its commercial value. © Mortons Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher. ISSN: 1478-8390 MOTORCYCLE SPORT & LEISURE (USPS:001-522) is published monthly by Mortons Media Group Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ UK. USA subscriptions are $66 per year from Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. Periodical Postage is paid at Bancroft WI and additional entries. Postmaster: Send address changes to MOTORCYCLE SPORT & LEISURE, c/o Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. 715-572-4595 chris@ classicbikebooks.com
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NEW Need to know ◆ Your letters ◆ First rides
BLOOD BIKES VOLUNTEERS REPLACED IN NEW £14M DEAL
Warwickshire and Solihull Blood Bikes ‘excluded’ in NHS transport shake-up
T
he University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust has ended its longstanding arrangement with the Coventry and Warwickshire Pathology Service and the Warwickshire and Solihull Blood Bikes. The service, which was previously offered by the WSBB’s volunteers since it was founded in 2012, will now be carried out by QE Facilities Ltd as part of a new £14 million contract. Warwickshire and Solihull Blood Bikes claim they were excluded from the tendering process. Speaking about the news, Mark Lavery, chairman of WSBB said: “We are shellshocked and gutted. At no stage have we been involved in the tendering process. It was through making our own enquiries we found out that UHCW has chosen to pay a company for work we have previously done free of charge.
“We are devastated the NHS could make such an award without consulting us. We have completed over 7000 calls in all weather conditions since we were founded in 2012, and it is estimated we have saved UHCW nearly £700,000 in that time. All our unpaid volunteers are shocked at the decision. We
have committed significant time and effort to grow the group where public donations have enabled us to invest in five vehicles to maintain service in all weathers, 365 days a year.” A University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust spokesman said: “The Coventry and Warwickshire Pathology Service (CWPS) serves 1.6 million patients, four acute hospitals, nine Clinical Commissioning Groups and more than 250 GP practices. It runs a transport and logistics service to safely transfer blood samples and other medical items between hospitals and other sites. Demand has grown massively and approximately ten million samples were handled in 2018/19. “The transport service was previously delivered by a wide range of suppliers. With complexities increasing and the service potentially expanding, a decision was made to
standardise delivery. In line with public sector procurement regulations, we went out to open tender and supplier days were held to inform organisations of our requirements. “This process has now concluded and the contract awarded to QE Facilities, a wholly-owned subsidiary company of Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust. Any profit generated is reinvested in health care, not transferred to independent shareholders.” The spokesman added: “All previous suppliers – including volunteers from the Warwickshire and Solihull Blood Bikes – have been informed of the changes and thanked for their invaluable contribution. It should be noted Warwickshire and Solihull Blood Bikes transported approximately 1000 samples a year – 0.01% of the total received by CWPS. We are immensely grateful to the group for its hard work and support.”
Top Stories NEW FLYING MILE RECORD AT PENDINE SANDS Record-breaking racer Zef Eisenberg established a stunning new benchmark for the Flying Mile at Pendine Sands in South Wales. Riding a specially made 400bhp supercharged Suzuki Hayabusa that was built and prepared by Eisenberg’s MADMAX Racing Team, he set a two-way average of 182.40mph on Saturday, April 6. Previous records have been achieved on four wheels rather than two: In 1927, Sir Malcolm Campbell reached 174.8mph at Pendine in his iconic aero-engined Blue Bird. That
OLIVERS MOUNT IS ALL GO
record was unbroken until 2015, when actor Idris Elba achieved 180.361mph along the historic beach in a 650hp Bentley Continental Super Sport twin-turbo W12. Eisenberg needed only a single run in both directions on the ‘Green Monster’ to surpass them both.
Motorcycle racing is all set to return to the iconic Olivers Mount, the only English road racing circuit. Tickets are on sale and dates confirmed for the popular Barry Sheene Classic and the International Gold Cup at Scarborough’s famous Olivers Mount road racing course. The Barry Sheene Classic, set to celebrate the return of racing to the course, will be held on July 27- 28, followed by the Gold Cup (which has previously seen wins for Guy Martin, Dean Harrison, Mick Grant, Geoff Duke, Barry Sheene and David Jefferies) on September 27-29. Advance tickets are available from Duke on 01624 640024 or online at www.dukevideo. com/oliversmount
IMPROVING YOUNG RIDERS’ SAFETY WITH MONEY OFF CBT Staffordshire County Council and vice-chair of the SSRP, explained that the county continues to have some of the safest roads in the country, which is something the County Council has worked hard to achieve. “We know that young bikers are particularly vulnerable and
Staffordshire takes an innovative approach to rider safety with workshops and monetary incentives In Staffordshire young people aged 15 to 21 are being offered a £50 voucher off the cost of their Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) course which allows them to ride on the roads. To receive the voucher, they must attend a Pre-CBT
workshop, which offers advice on safer riding, rules of the road and an overview of the Highway Code. The campaign is being co-ordinated by the Staffordshire Safer Roads Partnership (SSRP). Helen Fisher, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport at
8 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962
at risk on the roads, and our next round of workshops will not only give them the extra knowledge and skills to keep them safe, but they’ll save money on the cost of their CBT course, too,” said Helen. For further information, visit www.staffsyoungriders.co.uk
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