Motorcycle Sport & Leisure July 2015

MT-09 TRACER CER

FIRST FULL TOURING TEST

“THE

FOUR COUNTRIES ON YAMAHA’S GREAT VALUE ADVENTURER

BEST ’

ROAD BIKE I VE

RIDDEN BMW S1000XR:

”

The new bike to topple the GS?

HIGH & LOW BEAM VISION

Essential observation skills from the police

AERODYNAMICS

Dustbins, land-speed records and frogs: the history of wind protection

PLUS

THE NEW NAKED

BENCHMARK World exclusive review of Aprilia’s Tuono V4RR

EIGHT MORE FOR THE ROAD…

JULY 658

MV AGUSTA TURISMO ◆ BMW R1200RS ◆ KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE ◆ BMW R1200R SUZUKI V-STROM 650 ◆ KAWASAKI VERSYS 650 ◆ BMW K100RS ◆ KAWASAKI Z1000SX

The unattainable dream John Milbank

D

o you own your dream bike? I think I do with my 2008 Ducati Monster S4R, but love can be fickle. If you are already with ‘the one’, then congratulations! How long did it take you to get there? When my mate started riding, he bought a sportsbike. Not because he wanted one, but because it’s what everyone else in our group had. Only now is he finally toying with the idea of getting what he really wants. It might be a new Ducati Scrambler, or maybe a Harley Iron 883.

Steve’s got the courage now to say “I don’t care what anyone else rides”, but will his next machine be ‘the one’? I’ve lost count of the number of times another one of my buddies has excitedly ridden over with ‘the keeper’. Mark’s gone from Fireblade to Hyperstrada to GSX-R600 to Yamaha MT-01 to R1200GS in the space of a few months. Of the GS, he said: “This is what it’s all about. It’s perfect.” Yeah, I’ve heard that before.

We’ll be riding to the Ulster GP this year, so we’ll see if that’s what he’s still on by then.

Maybe there is no ‘perfect’ bike. Maybe it’s the occasional change that keeps motorcycling so fresh for all of us. Or maybe we just all need more money and bigger garages, so we can keep them all.

Speaking of change, I had a letter this month asking where Tony Carter – MSL’s previous editor – had gone. I can only apologise for not pointing out that he’s now editor of our sister titles, MotorCycle Monthly and MoreBikes.co.uk (my previous job). We both agreed to swap positions very quickly, and while I’d written my own sign-off in the pages of MCM, I foolishly didn’t

think to check that Tony had done the same. Contrary to what one person I met asked, it wasn’t ‘because of the R1 crash’… we both simply saw an opportunity we couldn’t miss. I’m delighted to be here, and I hope you’ll join Bruce, our contributors and me as we enjoy the very best of the motorcycle world. It doesn’t matter what you ride, or how you ride it, you’ll always get a wave from us.

Working on this issue, we were very sad to hear of the passing of C J Ayton – the kind, charismatic founding editor of Motorcycle Sport; forerunner of MSL. We also suffered the loss of one of racing’s true gentlemen – Geoff Duke OBE. It took some shuffling of pages at the last minute, but we hope you’ll enjoy the tribute to him in this magazine.

John Milbank, Editor

Bruce’s view Every now and again you get to ride a bike which blows you away. For me, most recently, that was BMW’s new S1000XR on its launch near Barcelona. It just wasn’t what I expected it to be; it was comfier and quicker; better handling and more characterful. Perhaps one of the best road bikes I’ve ever ridden, with fantastic tech and a real-world focus.

I can’t wait to ride an XR again.

Bruce Wilson, Deputy editor

Two of the things that make me a very lucky man...

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 Has ridden for 37 years and been a bike journalist for more than 30. At Bike he ended up as deputy editor before going freelance. An author of 11 books, as a racer he was Bemsee 1300 champion 1984 and raced UK F1, Superstock and Superbike, plus World F1 races.

Chris Moss Mossy has raced the Isle of Man TT, dispatched in London and ridden everything from CX500s to fullblown GP prototypes. A former chief motorcycle tester for Motor Cycle News, the 53-year-old admits he’s still loving two-wheeled life, and still learning.

Peter Henshaw Peter knows his stuff – he’s a former editor of this very magazine. Now a freelance journalist, he’s got the same enthusiasm for anything with wheels that he’s had since a child.

An all-year-round biker who doesn’t own a car, he has more than 40 books to his name.

Carli Ann Smith Carli is one of the most exciting female voices in motorcycling.

She might be the youngster of the team, but she’s ridden since she was 12, starting on a DT125. A member of the IAM, she loves – and rides – everything with two wheels (and sometimes three).

mslmagazine.co.uk 3

Allerford Minehead Porlock

Lynmouth Lynton

EXMOOR NATIONAL PARK

SOMERSET STUNNER WORDS: Bruce Wilson PHOTOGRAPHY: Joe Dick

Somerset, Devon

IF YOU’RE PASSING

One to ride: Route: Minehead to Lynton Distance: 20 miles Time: 45 minutes Kicking off from the popular and historic seaside resort of Minehead, you have to ride south of its golden sandy beaches in order to pick up the A39; taking a right turn for a westerly direction.

Filled with bends and lined with beautiful vistas on each side, the narrow, green-lined strip of Tarmac takes you south of Minehead’s impressive North Hill, which is often awash with

yellow gorse bushes during the summer months.

Before too long you come across a junction that leads into the stunning village of Allerford, with its ford and packhorse bridge. It’s not compulsory to stop here, but after a cream tea from any one of the location’s many cottage-eateries, you’ll be glad that you did.

Back on the A39, the road gets narrower again and the hedges and trees notably taller as you hit the first of the ride’s ascents before dropping down into the

tranquil village of Porlock. On the far side of the village you take a left turn to climb the notorious Porlock Hill, which tests the best of engines as you clamber up its one-in-four gradient for more than a mile.

At the top you’re gifted to stunning views of Exmoor’s moorlands and the Welsh coastline on the far side of the Bristol Channel.

Around five miles from Porlock you cross over from Somerset to Devon, as indicated on a stone plinth by a pull-in layby. Having

avoided the many sheep that cross this route, you eventually head back towards the coast and descend down the panoramic Countisbury Hill into the town of Lynmouth. The sister town of Lynton is perched up above, and the best way to visit it is by pulling up in one of Lynton’s many car parks and taking the waterpowered, 125-year-old Victorian Cliff Railway to the top. All you have left to do is admire quite possibly the best view of Devon... and indulge in some of the finest fish and chips in the UK.

First Rides BMW S1000XR

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NEW

REAL-WORLD ADVENTURES BMWs showrooms could soon have many buyers asking; ‘Do I really need the off-road capability of a GS?’ WORDS: Bruce Wilson PHOTOGRAPHY: BMW

E

ver since its reveal late last year, the XR has been subjected to a plethora of opinions; quite often being dismissed as BMW’s attempt at recreating Ducati’s Multistrada.

It’s the fourth addition to BMW’s S1000-family, each powered by the highly praised 999cc, in-line-four motor. While it doesn’t use the same 200bhp engine as seen in the HP4 or S1000RR, it mirrors the naked S1000R’s identically, with the same gearing, cam-profiles and 160bhptuned output focused on delivering low rpm torque and a consistently smooth delivery all the way through its rev range. A different exhaust and altered fuelling optimise the package, which is also bolstered by an all-new frame and swingarm, lengthening the bike’s wheelbase by 109mm (now 1548mm). As the head of BMW’s in-line-four model line Rudi Schneider explained, “The XR needed its own chassis. The bike’s frame needed to be longer for added stability, and taller for comfort.”

While it’s hard to gauge the model’s extended wheelbase from looks alone, there’s no mistaking its domineeringlytall build, which features a rider’s seat height of 840mm. At 5ft 10in, swinging a leg over bike – which comes with an adjustable screen and hand-guards as standard – was a bit of a challenge; my feet only being able to reach the ground on tiptoes. Thankfully, there’s a low seat option available (820mm) and also the potential to buy the bike in a

The secondary black panels on the XR’s fairing are designed to deflect wind out from the bike.

lower-suspended version (reducing the minimum seat height to 790mm). To create the desired look and ride height, the XR’s suspension travel is longer than the S1000R’s; 30mm at the front, 20mm at the rear.

On the bikes we tested near Barcelona, the S1000XR Sport SEs were equipped with BMW’s proven Electronic Suspension Adjustment technology. By switching through options, the rigidity and focus of the setup could be altered to suit our preferences; this also being the case for the power modes. As standard, the XR

comes with ‘Rain’ and ‘Road’ riding modes, but our higher-spec options also featured the livelier ‘Dynamic’ and customisable ‘Dynamic Pro’ outputs.

Unlike the R1200RS reviewed this month, the XR’s Pro mode also carries BMW’s new ABS Pro technology, allowing you to brake in corners without risking the front wheel washing out by moderating the braking pressure according to the angle of lean picked up by the bike’s sensors.

As with all BMWs built since 2013, the standard bike is equipped with traditional ABS. It took just a few metres of road to realise that this model is substantially different to anything else on the mslmagazine.co.uk 21

First Rides Aprilia Tuono 1100 V4RR

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NEW

STREETS AHEAD Unconvinced after Aprilia’s press launch for the new Tuono 1100 V4RR, Alan Cathcart headed back to Italy for a private test on the brand’s flagship street bike.

WORDS: Alan Cathcart PHOTOGRAPHY: Kel Edge

T

he Aprilia press launch ride for its new supernaked model was treated as a same-day postscript to the track test of the new RSV4 sportsbike; an afterthought event comprising a mere 40 miles inland loop from the Misano race circuit along narrow, bumpy, traffic-choked roads, which at no stage allowed you to use a true fifth gear, let alone sixth.

It gave no opportunity to evaluate the bike truthfully. As a result of this I declined to write a word about it until I’d had the chance to ride the Tuono 1100 properly at the Aprilia factory in Noale, north of Venice three weeks later. A glorious spring day riding through the foothills of the neighbouring Dolomite mountains with test rider, Alessandro Rizzi, on a similar bike. It’s the only way we can honestly tell you what the bike’s like.

I was very glad I’d insisted on doing this, because please believe me when I tell you this is a phenomenal streetbike that’s even better than before – and it was already top dog in the sector. Climbing aboard, I found a revamped riding position via the onepiece taper-section handlebar mounted to the upper tripleclamp, which is a little shorter and flatter, meaning you’re slightly more inclined forward to load up the front wheel with your body weight.

But it’s not at all uncomfortable and doesn’t tire your wrists or shoulders; the new 15mm-lower seat is better padded and more accommodating, exactly as Aprilia claims it to be compared with the previous numb-bum plank. Though you feel more a part of the bike now,

there’s a more spacious riding position than on the RSV4 thanks to the lower footrests, which are, however, still seriously rearset, so this is indeed a sporty stance.

Having tested the original Tuono V4R five years ago, I was convinced that it was the best all-round street sportsbike I’d ridden. Challengers from rival manufacturers have come along since – headed by the KTM 1290 SuperDuke and BMW S1000R – but the cubed-up version of the Tuono has unquestionably regained its supremacy.

In order to keep its musclebike one step ahead of the latest competition, rather than nominally updating it by adding a few more stickers and a couple of revised engine maps, Aprilia has taken the most straightforward route to delivering extra power and torque, and simply added cubes.

It’s taken the uprated 999.6cc 65º V4 motor found in the new RF/RR Superbike duo, and further maxed out its already radically oversquare 78 x 52.3 mm dimensions with a 3mm overbore to 1078cc, thus increasing power to 175bhp at 11,000rpm (up from 170bhp before).

But the biggest gain is in torque, with a massive 89lb-ft now available at 9000rpm, compared with 85lb-ft on the previous one-litre version.

More to the point, there’s already 20bhp more than before at 8000rpm, and a far flatter torque curve for greater lowdown grunt. It’s a totally versatile, thoroughly practical everyday motorcycle with phenomenal performance, that’s nonetheless been developed to be completely at home in all kinds of riding conditions.

Unlike many naked bikes that are spinoffs from the company’s sports mslmagazine.co.uk 37

First Rides BMW R1200RS

THE SENSIBLE CHOICE BMW’s R1200R is a great bike in its own right, but adding a fairing could put the RS at the top of many buyers’ lists

WORDS: John Milbank PHOTOGRAPHY: James Wright and Jason Critchell

44 mslmagazine.co.uk

NEW

W

ho said Euro 3 would spoil our fun?

The R1200RS has a raucous engine note that defies the penpushers, yet still – thanks to clever exhaust valve tech and careful engine management – toes the bureaucratic line. Sensible then, but always there to remind you how brilliant bikes are.

In 1976, BMW’s R100RS was the first production bike to come with a wind-tunnel-designed full fairing mounted to the frame. 39 years on and BMW is continuing the concept that – in its own words – established the sports-tourer segment.

In many ways this is a very similar machine to the R1200R that Bruce rode in issue 653 – the motor is the same water-cooled boxer twin used in the R1200GS and R1200RT, producing 123bhp at 7750 rpm and 92lb-ft at 6500rpm.

The airbox, intakes and radiator have been modified for the RS (and R) to suit the new bike’s design; BMW says this has a slight benefit to lowdown torque, and while I couldn’t see it in the company dyno charts, let’s be honest, why would it need it?

The motor pulls cleanly from just 2500rpm, with a healthy 74lb-ft of torque from the off – that’s only 9lb-ft less than the S1000RR’s peak.

The bike isn’t aggressive – it’s got what I can best describe as a ‘gentlemanly’ power delivery. The machine’s strong, and it’s capable of going very fast, but it doesn’t have that frantic feel to it of many motorcycles.

At about 4000rpm the engine softens off a touch, but this is the only noticeable lull in the smooth delivery – as the single-colour Thin Film Transistor (TFT) display reaches 5000rpm, you’re pushed ever harder forwards, without fear of a sudden rush of unwanted acceleration.

REASSURINGLY STABLE On the face of it, with the R and RS basically the same machine from the headstock back, the £600-£1000 premium the faired bike commands

Specification BMW R1200R Engine: 1170cc, air/liquid-cooled boxer twin Power: 125bhp (93kW) @ 7750rpm Torque: 92lb-ft (125Nm) @ 6500rpm Transmission: Six speed Final drive: Cardan shaft Frame: Tubular steel bridge frame Wheelbase: 1530mm Tyres: Front – 120/70/17 Rear – 180/55/17 Weight (wet): 236kg Seat height: 820mm Fuel capacity: 18 litres Contact: www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk

might leave you wondering which to choose – Bruce was, after all, impressed with the R’s comfort.

Both have the same ride height, but by altering the design of the forkbottoms for the RS, the front wheel has been moved forward, reducing castor and increasing the wheelbase by 15mm. This is to give the RS a slightly slower feel to the steering – not that the R is twitchy, but the focus is moving away from a street machine to a sports-tourer.

Compared with a machine such as Kawasaki’s Z1000SX, the RS has an 85mm longer wheelbase – you’re aware of this being the larger bike in corners, but that fits well with the more mildmannered power delivery and riding position of the BMW, and it still responds quickly.

The test ride was blighted by very high winds – rounding a mountain corner early on I was hit by a gust that didn’t unsettle the bike, but did make it feel like it wanted to drop quickly into a corner. Fortunately, we had the chance of three relatively sedate laps of the Almeria race circuit, which proved how stable and predictable the bike really is.

Later routes saw perilously exposed narrow roads, with no barriers to protect us from the sharp drops, but the RS’s composure and manners (and my refusal to look down) made it a safe and enjoyable ride.

The BMW has two riding modes as standard – Road and Rain; the other journalists laughed, but I preferred Rain mode while navigating the hairpins up and down the mountains; by subtly reducing the throttle response when rolling on and off the power, it made for a much smoother and easier ride. As the route opened up, Road mode gave a more instant delivery of power.

Riding Mode Pro offers a sharperstill Dynamic option, and also a User mode, which allows the rider to set their own parameters – a more enticing option for me.

Our bikes were fitted with Gear Assist Pro. I thought a quick-shifter mslmagazine.co.uk 45

TOURING Your rides Expert advice Places to go

Riding the four corners of France

O

n June 14, 2015, Andy Havill and four of his close friends will be setting out on a 3000-mile ride to take in the four corners of France. The week-long trip will help raise money and awareness for the Bone Cancer Research Trust (BCRT), which played a significant role in aiding Andy’s young nephew, Alex, who sadly lost his life to the illness last year, following a 24-month fight.

“Alex was just 15 when he died, having fought cancer bravely,” explained Andy. “It was devastating to see such a fantastic and youthful life lost. People don’t realise it but bone cancer is extremely prevalent, especially in young people. Every year, just in the UK, more than 600 new cases of primary bone cancer are diagnosed, and around 300 people die from these cancers.

Alex at Crufts 2014.

That’s six families every week who will lose someone to primary bone cancer. It’s a cruel and devastating disease, and even those who do survive are often left with life-changing physical and emotional scars.”

Having taken part in other cancer fundraising events in the past – including a £100 banger car drive from Calais to Geneva to Barcelona and back to the UK – Andy felt he could couple his passion for motorcycling with his commitment to fundraising. “We were sitting in the pub one day and the topic of riding between the four compass points of France somehow came about. Avoiding motorways, we reckoned we could clock up around 4500 miles on our bikes and take in some pretty amazing scenery while we were at it. The focus of the trip is to raise as much money and awareness as possible for BCRT,

Andy with a couple of his mates who'll be joining him.

Vray-Dunes

Lauterbourg Phare De Saint Mathieu

Pradells

in the hope that the 100% charity-funded trust will be able to help other people as much as is humanly possible.”

Riding on a plethora of motorcycles, ranging from a classic BMW R65 to a 2004 Harley-Davidson Softail, the group will first head to the furthest point west; a lighthouse at Phare de Saint Mathieu. From there they’ll run along the north coast to the furthest point north, which is just past Dunkerque at Bray-Dunes. Heading east, the

next point to reach will be Lauterbourg in Alsace, before passing through Mulhouse and Lyon, en route to the furthest point south at Pradells. To find out more about the group, including how you can contribute towards a very worthwhile adventure, check out www.justgiving.com/4-pointschallenge/

We want to hear what you’re up to…

If you or your friends are planning a great trip, we’d love to hear all about it. Feel free to get in touch with us via msleditor@mortons.co.uk

Alex, 14th birthday in hospital.