Motorcycle Sport & Leisure October 2019

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PLUS: ROAD TEST: DUCATI SCRAMBLER ICON ◆ CLASSIC: KAWASAKI KH400 ◆ LAUNCH: BMW R1250RS ◆ PROTOTYPE TEST: MV AGUSTA BRUTALE 1000

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Do not disturb Mikko Nieminen

P

ublic relations management is a dark art. I have witnessed some very clever PR gurus putting a 'spin' on things and completely changing public opinion about the subject at hand. But it doesn't always work. For instance, calling the M25 a motorway rather than a rolling circular car park was never going to fool anyone. You can’t even pretend it’s a decent car park.

Over the last month I have spent far too many hours on this soul-destroying stretch of Tarmac. Friday rush hour there makes medieval torture seem like just a bit of harmless fun. And that's even if you're on two wheels and manage to make more progress than most.

However, crawling along in the middle of such a huge number of vehicles allowed me to look around and see what people did in their cars.

It wasn't a pretty sight. A worrying number of drivers seemed to be paying almost no attention to what was happening around them. Some were just eating and drinking. Others were chatting to/arguing with their passengers. And a scarily large number of drivers were on their phones, doing everything from talking and texting to actually taking selfies!

When you ride a motorcycle on a multi-lane carriageway and people in the cars around you are more interested in updating their social networks ('I'm stuck in traffic, again, lol') than concentrating on driving, it makes you think. Although mostly it gives you visions of them casually killing you with their absent-mindedness.

Somewhere between being scared and being angry I wondered whether us bikers are really any better. The traditional argument is that we are more aware of our surroundings because we are more exposed to them – and probably because the changes in that

Are we really paying attention to what we do on the roads? environment can have more serious consequences for us bikers than those travelling in their metal bubbles.

But are we really more aware of what's going on? I haven't ever tried to have beans on toast while riding, nor have I spent any time perfecting my trout pout for high-speed selfies. I do, however, often listen to music and satnav directions, and sometimes even do video commentary and take phone calls. Does that affect my concentration? The truth is, I'm not sure. I still feel like I’m in full control, but am I just kidding myself?

You could argue that being on a motorcycle still makes you more perceptive of your surroundings.

After all, being in a car you don't hear much of what’s happening around you and your vision is more restricted – and that's even if you don't have the Hit Parade blasting out at full volume and kids fighting over their favourite toy in the back seat while you're trying to drive the car, have some crisps and pop, and still catch some tunes – good luck trying to keep an eye out for anything unexpected then.

I guess at the end of the day it's all about degrees of distraction, combined with personal ability to focus on the job at hand. I know how I drive and ride, but different people might have very different approaches that work for them. It would be great to hear what MSL readers think about this. Am I being harsh to others, reckless myself, or somewhere in the happy medium? Drop us a line and let me know.

Mikko Nieminen, Editor

Motorcycle Sport & Leisure’s contributors...

Alan Cathcart

Alan Cathcart has been writing about bikes for more than 30 years, and riding them for even longer. He’s regularly given the keys to factory prototypes and being on first name terms with the bosses of bike companies around the world allows him to bag many scoops.

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.

Dave Manning

As a selfconfessed motorcycle anorak, Dave’s particular two-wheeled penchant is for customised bikes – in each and every modified form they come. He’s a strong believer that every single bike ever made is worth trying, whether they have been customised or not.

Ross Mowbray

Ross works across several motorcycling magazines.

That means he gets to ride all manner of twowheelers, 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 off-roader, too.

www.mslmagazine.co.uk 3

Contents 18

NEWS & OPINION

Get the original & best bike magazine every month

P32

40 Maynard Hershon

Can an experience be memorable if you don't remember it?

7 News

This month's most captivating stories in motorcycling.

41 The High Sider

Is WSB boring or exciting? Or a bit of both?

12 Mick Extance

Preparing for Dakar after the biggest journey of his life.

42 Kit guide

Buying casual motorcycling boots.

The ins and outs.

14 Products

The latest bits of kit that you need to know about.

PAY LESS

TOURING & ADVENTURE

30 Your letters

53 Touring news

32 Subscription offer

54 Day ride

MSL readers debate today's burning topics.

Be the first to get your hands on the mag and save £££.

The youngest RTW rider returns home.

Mini-adventure in the Peak Distict.

With BOATs and all.

78 58 Mid ride

Taking the leisurely way to Spain and back.

62 Richard Millington

Is there such a thing as a favourite road for Richard?

64 Long ride

The Harley riders complete their tour of India.

71 Best places to ride

Here are five locations that are proper bucket-list stuff.

71 4 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

74 Packing for a tour

It's not what to take – it's how much.

76 Events

There's plenty going on in September.

TEST FLEET 90 Triumph

Scrambler 1200

Matt has his leg cooked for free.

91 BMW R1250GS

Adventure

Even great comfort can be improved.

92 Honda CB500X

Roger has swapped the VFR800X for a smaller model.

74 ROAD TESTS 8 Ducati Scrambler Icon

Riding the 800 in and around Bologna.

18 Baggers

These big bikes are a lot more versatile than you think.

34 BMW R1250RS

The boxer twin finds a good home in sports touring chassis.

44 Prototype testing

MV Agusta Brutale 1000 prototype sets the bar high.

KNOWLEDGE 77 From track to road

IAM RoadSmart improves people's road riding skills on track.

78 GS Trophy qualifier

If you thought that the GS Trophy stuff is a walk in the park, think again.

86 Learning to off-road

This is the nicest way to get started in trail riding.

86

93 Kawasaki Versys 1000 Texting bike disturbs Bertie’s peace.

94 Honda CB650R

New accessories make a good impression on the Honda.

96 KTM 1290 Super

Adventure S

Accessories and brain massage make the orange one a happy bike.

97 Yamaha Niken

Mossy finds the Niken’s front wheel grip limits.

98 Kymco AK550

There are dark screens, and DARK screens.

100 Buyer's guide

2016 Honda Africa Twin.

110 Classic test

1976 Kawasaki KH400 was a special bike. It still is.

117 Tried & Tested

Biking essentials tried and tested.

122 Kevin Cameron

British two-strokes went through interesting developments.

October 2019

EDITOR: Mikko Nieminen mnieminen@mortons.co.uk DESIGNERS: Charlotte Turnbull, Fran Lovely & Tracey Markham 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 32 for offer): (12 months 12 issues, inc post and packing) – UK £51.60. Export rates are also available – see page 32 for more details.

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NEW Need to know ◆ Your letters ◆ First rides

It will soon be oh, so quiet Potential phone ban and noise control could mark a big change to how we ride and drive

Hands-free phone ban for drivers ‘Should be considered’ says DfT

First ‘noise’ cameras trialling on real roads

According to reports on the BBC, drivers could be banned from using hands-free mobile phones in England and Wales if a group of MPs gets its way.

Current laws give the ‘misleading impression’ that hands-free options are safe, they warned.

While it has been illegal to use a handheld phone at the wheel since 2003, using a hands-free device creates “the same risks of collision”, the Commons Transport Select Committee said.

An expert told the committee that taking a hands-free phone

A couple of months ago we heard the first news that the UK is to undergo trails of the so-called ‘acoustic cameras’ – new tech where microphoneenabled roadside gadgets can pinpoint vehicles with loud exhausts. Now the same technology has gone on live trial in France.

Sited in the Yvelines region near Paris, specifically on the n 117-corner rider’s road in SSaint-Forget (take note of this sspecific detail if you’re out that way), the units have been given w the snazzy name of ‘Medusa’, aaccording to the newspaper Le L Parisien.

So far, so Orwellian, but here’s the rub. It’s reported that on one Sunday the multi-microphoned S unit u on this particularly nice bit of o road indicated 450 ‘peaks of noise’. What that means in terms of how loud the vehicles were, nobody is saying right now.

But the fact that this number has been made public is clearly a push to persuade the public at large that this emerging tech is the way to go in terms of solving the perceived ‘noisy vehicles’ menace.

call caused “essentially the same” amount of distraction as being at the legal limit for alcohol blood level in England and Wales.

A public consultation on the proposal should be published by the end of 2019, the cross-party group said.

Since March 2017, motorists caught using a handheld phone have faced incurring six points on their licence and a

£200 fine – up from the previous penalty of three points and £100. The MPs urged the Government to consider whether penalties should be increased further “to better reflect the serious risks created by drivers committing this offence”.

Hand-held phones are already banned, and hands-free units could go, too

www.mslmagazine.co.uk 7

Test Ride Ducati Scrambler Icon

CITY SLICKER

Forget about big performance and gadgets galore – sometimes a simple, fun bike is all you need

WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY: Mikko Nieminen

I

f you live in a city and want a cool-looking bike to commute, zap around, and maybe have a bit of fun with too, the Scrambler Icon might well be on your shortlist.

To see if it should be seriously considered, I had a chance to sample the bike at its birthplace in Bologna, Italy.

Riding the Icon out of the Ducati factory gates into the city was an exhilarating experience, but the high

temperature and relentless sun had turned the city into an open-air sauna, so I soon headed for the hills just outside town.

After just a few hundred yards you start to appreciate the relaxed riding position with the low seat (798mm) and roomy peg positioning. It's easy to grip the tank with your knees for more support if needed. The bars are wide and high, making steering easy, responsive and accurate.

Too much information in a small space

Suspension is perfect for city riding

8 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure – established 1962

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