Motorcycle Sport & Leisure August 2016 preview

K AWASAKI ALL BIKE KIT TO ‘I WAS LOST IN THE ’ Z7 0 GUIDE BE CE-APPROVED PACIFIC OCEAN BEST SED BUYING ADVICE THE FACTS ON THE NEW LEGISLATION 6 WEEKS ON AN R1150GS-POWERED RAFT

TO SPAIN AND BACK ON THE

YAMAHA XSR700 THE HIGHS | THE LOWS | THE MODS THAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE

PLUS

THE ULTIMATE SPORTSBIKE TEST

TEN OF THE WORLD’S MOST EXOTIC FROM R1M AND PANIGALE TO H2R

27

PAGES OF TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

ESTABLISHED 1962: THE ORIGINAL AND BEST BIKE MAGAZINE

PAY LESS MSL August EDITOR: John Milbank: jmilbank@mortons.co.uk DEPUTY EDITOR: Bruce Wilson: bwilson@mortons.co.uk SENIOR DESIGNER: Holly Munro DESIGNERS: Charlotte Fairman, Tracey Barton PRODUCTION EDITOR: Dan Sharp PICTURE DESK: Paul Fincham, Jonathan Schofield PUBLISHER: Steve Rose: srose@mortons.co.uk GROUP KEY ACCOUNTS MANAGER: Steff Woodhouse: swoodhouse@mortons.co.uk 01507 529452 / 07786 334330 ADVERTISING MANAGER: Martin Freeman: mfreeman@mortons.co.uk 01507 529538 ADVERTISING SALES: Zoe Thurling: zthurling@mortons.co.uk 01507 529412 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 PUBLISHING DIRECTOR: Dan Savage: asavage@mortons.co.uk COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR: Nigel Hole ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR: Malc Wheeler 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 16 for offer): (12 months 12 issues, inc post and packing) – UK £50.40. Export rates are also available – see page 16 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-7PM SATURDAY 8.30AM-12.30PM DISTRIBUTION: COMAG, Tavistock Road, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE. 01895 433600 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.

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KNOWLEDGE

NEW 6

News: All kit to be CE-approved

74

Lift and duration: Kevin Cameron

14

Your letters: Win a Kreiga pack

78

16

Subscribe and save cash

Everyday custom: 1282 miles on an XSR700

18

Euro jackpot or booby prize? Leon Mannings

84

Spreading the load: The best XSR luggage

20

Test ride: Harley-Davidson Dyna Low Rider S & Roadster

86

The skill behind Cada Día’s paint

90

Used test: 2010 Kawasaki Z750

28

The realities of racing: The High Sider

96

Long-term test: Honda NC750X

29

Group test: Ten of the best sportsbikes

98

42

Test ride: Francis-Barnett Falcon 250

Long-term test: Honda Africa Twin

46

Test ride: Metzeler Roadtec 01

100 Long-term test: BMW F800GS

50

Men and their motorcycles: Maynard Hershon

102 Long-term test: Kawasaki 1400GTR

TOURING 51

The novice Peruvian adventure

52

UK: Cornish cream

54

Spain: Meet the family

58

Argentina: The hard way round

62

Events guide

101 Long-term test: Suzuki GSX-R1000 104 Long-term test: BMW C650GT 105 Long-term test: Suzuki GSX1250FA 106 Long-term test: Triumph Speed Triple R 108 My Bike: Triumph Tiger 100 XRx

64

We’re all virgins once: Richard Millington

110 Tested: Datatool Demon alarm, Evotech crash protection, Hevik undersuit, Shark S700S

66

The real life of Pi: Darian Gap on an R1150GS-powered raft

122 Glues and fools: Steve Rose

112 Classic test: Laverda Mirage 1200

Top Stories

THE END OF

CHOICE?

I

The motorcycle kit John Milbank looks at

t’s something many have long feared – being forced to wear CE-approved bike kit. Some saw the compulsory use of helmets as the thin end of the wedge, but we can now confirm that proposals are in place that will see it become illegal to sell clothing specifically intended for motorcyclists without a CE rating for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

I spoke to Paul Varnsverry, technical director at the PVA-PPE group (Performance Verification and Accreditation). He was the project leader of the technical comittee working group responsible for finalising our current CE standard – EN13595 – in the late Nineties. “From 1991 when the group was established, there was intense industry opposition to the standards,” Paul told me.

“Manufacturers and riders’ groups didn’t want motorcycle clothing to be incorporated into the scope of the PPE directive, as they feared riders would be forced to wear CE-marked kit.

But the industry came to an agreement with the European

Commission th motorcycle clothing was only protective the manufactu claimed or inferr that it offered protection from, fo example, abrasion a cuts [it’s why we see notes on kit saying tha doesn’t guarantee protection in the event o crash]. To block the possibility of compulsion, the standards were made for ‘professional use only’.

“A couple of years later the General Products Safety Directive (GPSD) was published. Among its content it dealt with the ‘migration’ of professional use products into amateur use (like being able to buy pro tools in a DIY store).

This meant that the professional use scope of the motorcycle clothing standards effectively became null and void – the directive said that if an amateur can buy and use it, then any legislation applied to professional products also applies to amateur products.”

Read tags carefully to be sure of the rating a garment has – are they talking about the product you’re buying, or others in the range?

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s ing to change in 2018. i ’s goi for ean to all of us…

ll CE-approved kit ust come with a booklet explaining the test procedures.

While the UK’s own Trading Standards could enforce the current rules and restrict what we can buy, the French authorities have been much stricter; if kit is not CEapproved, it cannot be sold.

This, Paul tells me, has led to a variation of the current European standard: “Some people say that the standard is wrong, particularly when trying to get thin textile kit through the CE standard, but we’ve approved a lot of textile clothing. Some French manufacturers wanted their own spec that they could more easily CE mark their products against, in order to continue to sell there. They drew up a test specification based on parts of the European standard that wasn’t as stringent, with smaller areas considered key impact points. It’s still a legitimate CE mark, but one intended for ‘non-professional use’.”

But a manufacturer could also test its products based on different standards; “EN420 is the industrial glove standard,

referenced in the motorcycle glove standard,” says Paul.

“A manufacturer trying to pull the wool over people’s eyes could test for just dye-fastness on its own, then promote the glove as tested to EN420 – when it’s only been tested for that one clause. The consumer would never be aware of the subtleties.”

So how can you be sure that what you’re buying today is rated to the correct standard?

Any garment or protector that claims to meet the requirement of a standard must come with a booklet that explains how it was tested, how to choose it, and how to look after it. Check the content carefully and contact the Notified Body (certification agency) named in the booklet.

If they don’t get back to you, talk to your local Trading Standards department.

CHANGES FOR 2018

Earlier this year the new ‘PPE Regulation’ was passed by the European Parliament, which comes into force on April 21, 2018. Anything sold anywhere as

NEW

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The original and the best – established 1962 21

Group Test

A SPORTING

CHANCE Armed with one of the world’s most demanding race tracks, 48 hours of exclusive testing time and 10 of the latest and greatest motorcycles to grace the planet, MSL takes a long hard look at the reinvigorated sportsbike scene. WORDS: Bruce Wilson PHOTOGRAPHY: Johnny Gowler

H

ow many times have you heard it said that sportsbikes are dead? Whether you blame the recession or a simple change in riders’ preferences, the supersport market in the UK’s taken a huge hit over the best part of the last decade. Sales figures have typically halved annually since 2009, but there’s a recovery under way which has seen 4385 new models registered in Great Britain during the first quarter of 2016 (compared to 5380 for the same period in 2010).

Arguably, there are many reasons for the sector’s rejuvenation, with a larger availability of smallcapacity sportsbikes being fundamental. And then you’ve got technology to thank, too. Not just for the ever-more staggering levels of arm-wrenching

performance – becoming common on most brands’ flagship sports models – but also for the race-derived rider systems that are hastily working their way down from the likes of Rossi’s M1 and onto the bike that you and I will buy. The crossover between race bikes and road-going machines has never been so strong, with features such as launch control, anti-wheelie and even GPS plotting being prevalent on an ever-widening range – on models such as these 10 class-leading, exciting and somewhat mind-blowing super-sport machines you see before you.

These are the pioneers in an ever-expanding selection of high-tech sportsbikes, which we took to the Algarve circuit of Portimao to get familiar with over a two-day, exclusive track test. Here’s what we made of them…

The original and the best – established 1962 29

TOURING Your rides ◆ Expert advice ◆ Places to go

From zero experience to a successful Peruvian adventure.

Steve Dick had never ridden a bike before, yet took a Tiger 800 2500 miles around Peru…

A

t 56 years old, landscape gardener Steve had no licence and had not even sat on a bike before. But he’d already been to Peru three times, working in orphanages, and decided that a bike was the best way to explore the country. “The more research I did the more I realised there was so much more to see,” he told MSL. “I’d come across a few blogs about people on bikes and thought this would give me the freedom to go where and when I wanted.”

So he enrolled on a Direct Access course, passed his test in

mid-winter and began racking up as much road experience as he could. As a gardener, his opportunity to go was December/ January, which is the start of the rainy season in Peru. A friend took him out on a 100-mile very wet run, and Steve also did a two-day off-road course, ending up at the bottom of a 10ft ditch, bending the bike frame and cracking a couple of ribs.

Undaunted, Steve began researching routes, finding that maps could be downloaded from the country’s Ministry of Transport, which were nicely detailed and had roads marked as tar, hard packed or just dirt.

He bought a Tiger 800XC,

which he knew he could hire in Cusco; “Maybe I was a bit naïve – as I have a 29in inside leg, slow speed and stopping caused a few problems but comfort, power and handling on the open road were all fine.”

Picking up the bike in Lima, he headed north on the PanAmerican Highway to visit Kuelap, an ancient site older than Machu Picchu and the Incas.

Much was dual-carriageway, but off the main highway things got more interesting, especially the road through the mountains to Chachapoyas, which is considered one of the most dangerous in Peru. “It was tarred last year,” said Steve, “but it is still narrow with numerous hairpins and no crash barriers. Lorries, buses and taxis hurtle across the road with little regard for gringos on big adventure bikes.”

There were rough roads too, notably through the Canyon del Pato, which includes 43 tunnels boring through a lunar landscape. The Tiger coped, but Steve took his time and kept down to 25mph on the roughest bits.

After 2500 miles in five weeks on his own, Steve reckoned the trip to be a success. “It was mentally more challenging than I expected, but everything worked out reasonably well. If I got lost (which was frequently) I asked a police officer, and they were always happy to help. I never had any problems with the bike, though I did drop it a couple of times causing some minor damage. If I do this again, it’ll be in August-October when there are more travellers around. I think I was the only gringo in the north of Peru.”

Big Ride

Part two

THE HARD WAY ROUND Mick McMillan rode his 1981 BMW R65 round the world. After riding the length of Africa, he and the bike flew to South America, which delivered electrical gremlins and his future wife. Read on...

I

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY: Mick McMillan

first met Sarah in Lima, Peru, saw her again in Cusco, then Quito in Ecuador. We kept in touch, playing Scrabble on Facebook, and I somehow convinced her to meet me a year later in Turkey and ride the last leg home to Scotland. We’ve been together ever since.

But all of that was way in the future as I tried to extract the R65 from Argentine customs, helped by friend Lizzie and her impressive Spanish language skills, while I gibbered away in my next-to-useless Portuguese.

The men seemed reluctant but the women in the office were much more willing to help and eventually, just before closing time, a huge box with “please look after this motorbike” written on the side emerged from the warehouse, wobbling alarmingly on the tines of a forklift truck. A child-like glee filled me as I opened the biggest parcel I’d ever received. With the bars rearranged, the screen reattached and a litre of fuel in the tank, the bike immediately rumbled into life. Hurrah, happy transport in South America!

58 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure

Scrubby terrain in Peru, but the tarmac looks perfect.

E

ven on global motorcycle adventures, few people venture far from the beaten track. Not so for Sri Lankan-born Dylan Samarawickrama, a trained mechanic and resident of Switzerland, who, towards the end of his three year journey around the world on a BMW R1150GS, decided to build a raft, powered by his bike, to sail himself 500 miles around the infamous Darien Gap. We caught up with the newly-married Samarawickrama at the launch of his new book, When the Road Ends, to find out more about this most extraordinary of adventures.

Tell us about the Darien Gap; what is it and where is it?

There is a road network throughout North, Central and South America, but there’s a problem spot between Panama and Colombia where Central and South Americas meet. It’s a large tropical jungle region, about 100 miles in length, called the Darien. This jungle stretches from the Caribbean sea to the Pacific Ocean and there are no roads through this jungle connecting the two land masses. As an overlander you are compelled to find a boat or get a flight to cross over.

68 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure

But there is no official ferry connection to make things easier, so you generally have to ask around at the port and pay a lot of money.

Why did you decide that building a raft to get around the Darien Gap would be a good idea?

When I heard about the obstacle that the Darien was posing and the fact that there were no official ferries to cross over to Colombia, I thought it was a great opportunity to face yet another challenge and accumulate new experiences. Besides that, as a child I always wanted to build my raft and sail on the ocean.

How did you convert the bike into a propeller for the raft?

I bought a second-hand final drive and sawed out all unwanted parts. I removed the crown wheel and machined the pinion to a small shaft that can be coupled with a long external shaft by means of a single bolt going through them. And at the end of the extended shaft I attached a 10in propeller. That was it. And of course I had to seal the thrust bearing from the sea water entering.

TOP LEFT: Beautiful sunset in Tortuga beach.

TOP RIGHT: Meeting locals, Panama.

BOTTOM LEFT: String around the rear to give more traction in mud.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica.

c WORDS:

PHOTGRAPHY:

SPREADING THE LOAD I’m terrible at packing, but this bike had to look as good with its luggage on as it did when bare…

WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY: John Milbank

T

he idea for Cada Día began with Kriega. I was going to build a rugged-looking road bike with adventure styling and Kriega’s Overlander luggage.

I called the company to see if they thought fabricating an ADV platform for the XSR would be feasible, but Dominic Longman, joint founder of Kriega, dropped the bombshell that would change everything; “We’re developing a new pannier system for street and scrambler-style bikes that sounds perfect for the XSR. I’ve got a pre-production version here – why don’t you pop over and have a look?”

Kriega was formed in 2000 by two product designers – both of whom had worked at Karrimor – with the vision of making motorcycle-specific backpacks of the same quality as the highest-end outdoor gear. First called Krug (after the villain in 1974’s Last 84 mslmagazine.co.uk

House on the Left), the name was changed to Kriega after one year thanks to an infringement letter from the champagne company.

Most journalists will tell you of the tens of thousands of miles they’ve put on Kriega kit, and even second-hand packs fetch good money on eBay (the 10-year guarantee is rarely called upon).

“We wanted a brand that was known for its function-driven design,” says Dom, “without the seasonal changes demanded by fashion, and not subject to the price restrictions larger retail chains force on suppliers.

“Quality has always been important; we over-engineer to guarantee quality, and it’s components like the CNC-machined alloy adjusters that set us apart. Many price-driven companies couldn’t justify these.”

The first pack made was the R35, which used a new harness concept that addressed the problems of weight on

The simple design of the new saddle bags hides a secure, quickrelease fitment and total waterproofing.

the shoulders and tightness under the arms. It also did away with the big hip belt, which would foul on the bike’s tank. And a traditional backpack is hard to get on when wearing bike kit, but not with the parachute-style Quadloc harness seen on Kriega backpacks.

The R35 is still part of the range, with just a few tweaks in 2014. “We do not change designs if they are working,” Dom tells us, “even though the general rule is that a product has a maximum life of three years before it needs a fundamental design update in order to gain new sales. We just tweak as necessary. This approach might seem foolhardy in terms of return customer sales, but we’ve

BUYER’S GUIDE PILLIONS

Pillion accommodation isn’t the best – their security can be improved with a Renntec grab rail (www.renntec.com) and comfort extended with a Debbonair gel seat pad or cover (www. danmedicasouth.co.uk).

Rider’s rear ends can also benefit.

HOME MAINTENANCE

Virtually all jobs can be tackled at home if you’re competent. Regular stuff like oil and filter changes are very easy. Getting to the two inner spark plugs is a bit awkward as the thermostat housing and water hoses need moving. Much of the cooling plumbing has to be removed to get to the valves, though they are likely to stay within tolerance for 30,000 miles.

SUSPENSION

Not the bike’s best feature, especially on higher mileage bikes.

Budget £300-£500 for a new aftermarket shock and £200-£250 for a fork revalve.

GEARING

Lowering the overall gearing can cheaply boost the 750’s flexibility still further. Try fitting a one tooth smaller gearbox sprocket, or if that’s not enough, start adding them to the rear too (three on the back is roughly equal to one on the front), but watch your chain length.

Speedo readings will be altered slightly.

BRAKES

Braking performance will stay at its best if calipers are kept clean and serviced. Harder riders will benefit from braided hoses and softer pads.

SPARES AND ACCESSORIES

A large selection of aftermarket parts and spares are available from www.jesterstrickbits.co.uk.

They include rear huggers, fender extenders, crash bungs, end cans and servicing kits.

GENUINE ACCESSORIES

A range of official accessories is available for the Z750, including a screen, belly pan, seat cowl, LED indicators, engine guards and Akrapovic end can.

ENGINE

One of the bike’s biggest attractions. With its flexible and friendly delivery, the inline four gives a useful level of power. It’s one of the primary reasons why the Z750 suits lessexperienced riders.

FUELLING

Fitting a Power Commander improves engine performance.

Fuelling is more precise, giving sharper throttle response and better fuel economy. Fitting and set-up time will cost around £450-£500.

CORROSION

The finish of the Z750 is strong and durable. Use it as a guide to how well the bike’s been looked after. Any bikes in poor condition have clearly been neglected.

OTHER BIKES TO CONSIDER

SUZUKI GSF650 BANDIT

HONDA HORNET 600

DUCATI MONSTER 696

YAMAHA FZ6 FAZER S2

2009-2012, 656cc, parallel four, 84bhp, 215kg In its third and final guise, the Bandit is an excellent roadster.

Torquey and flexible motor helps make the Suzuki easy to ride.

Agile, stable and capable chassis make it manageable. Great value adds to the attraction.

2007-2013, 599cc, parallel four, 100bhp, 173kg The stylish, Italian-built Honda turns heads. The 600RR-derived motor has to be spun harder than some to get the most from it.

Light and agile, having fun round corners is easy. Honda quality and back up are other pluses.

2008-2012, 695cc, 90° V-twin, 80bhp, 161kg An icon, the Duke has lots of cred and Italian allure. It looks gorgeous, sounds beautiful and has a famous name. May have less power, but as it’s a lot easier to access you’ll rarely feel short-changed.

Handles sharply and accurately.

2007-2012, 599cc, inline four, 96bhp, 187kg Stylish and sporty, the wellequipped Fazer is versatile enough to be seen as a good all-rounder. Rides well, with agile chassis and great brakes. But the R6-derived engine likes revs; if you don’t then it might not suit.

The original and the best – established 1962 95

Tried & Tested Evotech Performance spindle bobbins for KTM 1050 Adventure TESTED BY: John Milbank | £32.99 per pair | www.evotech-performance.com | 01507 466729

From bitter experience I know that the one thing more irritating than crashing a bike is seeing hundreds of pounds worth of damage that could have been avoided with some well designed, good value protection.

Made entirely in the UK, these spindle bobbins pass through the front and rear axles of the bike – in this case my KTM 1050 Adventure – protecting the edges of the forks or swingarm in the event of a spill.

A roll-threaded stainless steel spindle secures two machined anodised aluminium spacers that support the sleek nylon bobbins.

By allowing the bobbins to rotate in an impact, Evotech Performance says they offer increased durability and impact resistance over rigid designs. They certainly provide very tidy-looking protection to the frighteningly expensive parts on my KTM. In this case, the left-hand aluminium spacer doubles as the

Shark S700S helmet

TESTED BY: Helen Milbank | £139.99 | www.nevis.uk.com | 01425 478936

This injected thermoplastic resin ACU approved helmet has a four-star Sharp helmet rating (losing the one star for average side-impact protection). This is the ‘Full Mat’ version – prices increase to £149.99 for patterns, and £159.99 for the race replicas, but every helmet in the range includes a drop-down sun-visor and a micro-lock, ratchet-type buckle system. The lining is removable and machine-washable.

The visor is very easy to remove, using a simple push-button on either side of the visor itself, with replacements costing around £45-£50. A Pinlock is included with the lid, and provides fog-free riding – it’s not one of the ‘Max-Vision’ inserts, but I haven’t had any problems with visibility.

While I haven’t found myself over-heating in the lid, the vents make little obvious difference in their open or closed orientations – air appears to drive into the front of the lid regardless of the chin vent’s position, but not to an uncomfortable level at all.

I don’t wear glasses, so it’s not an issue for me, but there’s no space in the padding for spectacles – short-sighted riders may want to look at a helmet with channels formed in the liner. The drop-down visor is effective, though I prefer a

110 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure

dark outer visor to avoid the distracting line of light at the bottom that all helmets give. It stays up securely, until being very easily and positively flicked down with the left-hand-side lever.

I’m very impressed with the comfort of this good-value helmet. I ride fewer miles than some, so I haven’t felt the need to spend two or three times the price, and having used this for a couple of years already, I’m very happy with its performance.

It’s Pinlock ready, but one isn’t included with the lid, so budget an additional £32.99 if you want to remain fog-free. This does push the price of the Shark up considerably, but if it were included, and priced at £169.99, then given the comfort it offers I’d still be impressed.

axle bolt, replacing the stock item, and setting the bobbins perfectly equally on either side of the forks. The same applies to the rear swingarm, where asymmetric spacers provide a perfect fit.

An MT-07 was crashed while testing for MSL recently – it was frustrating to see the damage to the fork bottoms that could so easily have been prevented. I certainly won’t own any bike without these bobbins.