BUY USED: TRIUMPH TIGER EXPLORER The big adventurer that’s a solid second-hand bargain
FOUR of the BEST Adventure, street, custom & naked Kawasaki Z650
MARCH 2017 No.678
+28 PAGES
Ducati Multistrada 950
OF TRAVEL & ADVENTURE
Triump ph Bobber
THE SCIENCE OF SHEEPSKINS Why they make great saddle covers, & how to create your own
KTM 1290 Sup per Duke R
PLUS MUCH MORE:
How to ride in the Andes Victory Motorcycles closes NEW Triumph Street Triple Kawasaki parallel twins: three bikes, one engine 1987 Norton Classic tested Heated kit reviewed
RIDE, CAMP,
CRASH A Mini Mondo adventure with Austin Vince & the Africa Twin
Contents
PAY LESS MSL March EDITOR: John Milbank: jmilbank@mortons.co.uk DEPUTY EDITOR: Bruce Wilson: bwilson@mortons.co.uk SENIOR DESIGNER: Justin Blackamore DESIGNERS: Fran Lovely, Charlotte Turnbull PRODUCTION EDITOR: Dan Sharp PICTURE DESK: Paul Fincham, Jonathan Schofield PUBLISHER: Dan Savage: asavage@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 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 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. 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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20 NEW
66
How to ride in the Andes
70
A mini adventure in Spain with Austin Vince and the Africa Twin
6
News: Triumph’s new Street Triple
14
Letters: Win a Kriega pack
80
The science of sheepskins
16
Subscribe and save money
83
Events and club focus
18
Bikers change sex and get younger? Leon Mannings
19
Exclusive discount advanced training
20
Test ride: Ducait Multistrada 950
26
Test ride: Kawasaki Z650
32
Test ride: Triumph Bonneville Bobber
38
Test ride: KTM 1290 Super Duke R
44
What’s the point of the Dakar rally? The High Sider
45
Kawasaki’s most versatile engine
53
Mea culpa: Maynard Hershon
KNOWLEDGE 84
2013 Triumph Tiger Explorer Buyer’s Guide
90
Long-term test: Piaggio MP3
91
Long-term test: Suzuki SV650
92
Long-term test: Kawasaki 1400GTR
93
Long-term test: Honda VFR1200F
94
Long-term test: Herald 250 Classic
95
Long-term test: Suzuki GSX1250FA
96
Long-term test: KTM Super Duke GT
TOURING
97
My Bike: KTM 1050 Adventure
54
Somebody, please rescue me: Richard Millington
98
My Bike: Yamaha Fazer 1000
55
Peugeot scooters ride overland to Vietnam
100 Tested: Keis X25 heated jacket, Keis X2i heated trousers, Shoei J-Cruise, Shark Skwal, Furygan Caprino boots
56
USA: The other Route 66
103 Changing nature of the job: Kevin Cameron
58
Italy: European Triumph
104 Classic test: 1987 Norton Classic
62
Japan: Ducati Globetrotter
114 Into the sunset: Steve Rose
66
104
Test Ride Triumph Bonneville Bobber
FACTORY BRILLIANCE Triumph’s ready-made custom bike might look all style over function, but there’s much more to it… WORDS: John Milbank PHOTOGRAPHY: TRIUMPH
I
must be the only person in the UK who didn’t really like the Bobber when it was launched. In photos I thought it looked too bulky at the front. Even in the metal at Motorcycle Live I wasn’t impressed. This was a factory custom too far. A styling exercise and little more. Of course, just because it wasn’t for me, wouldn’t mean others weren’t going to like it, and Triumph’s claim that the UK’s first allocation of 450 units will be going to cash pre-orders (production schedules have been revised, so there should still be bikes in stock in February) indicates that I’m in a minority. But this faux-hard-
tail was never, in my mind, going to be much more than an object d’art. It would be for posing outside a Shoreditch café, nothing more. I was very wrong. The Bobber uses the same engine as the T120 Bonneville, but it’s far more than just a rehash with a clever fake hard-tail. The gearing is the same as the T120, including the final drive, so any differences in performance are purely down to the Bobber’s tune, which includes a new pair of air-boxes that sit on either side of the shock, and the new exhaust, which uses the T120’s twin-skinned downpipes to hide the diversion through the catalytic converter
32 The original and the best – established 1962
ABOVE: The superb handling surprised every journalist on the launch.
beneath the engine. It’s a piece of engineering genius that gives simple, flowing lines to the bike as your eye follows the path from the mock carbs, through the cylinder head, then down and out of the exhaust. The ‘High Torque’ engine drives smoothly out of corners, and feels strong, if not frantic. It’s no sportsbike, but if it was extra speed would need to be scrubbed off more quickly, and the Bobber has a stylistically-dictated single disc, bitten by a twin-piston caliper. It doesn’t look enough in a world of radiallymounted four-pots, but it is. A good choice of pad material, combined with braided brake-lines and an
NEW
Specification TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE BOBBER Price: From £10,500 Engine: 1200cc liquid-cooled, 8-valve SOHC 270° parallel twin Power: 76bhp (57kW) @ 6100rpm Torque: 78.2lb-ft (106Nm) @ 4000rpm Transmission: Six-speed, chain final drive Chassis: Tubular steel twin cradle with tubular steel swingarm Suspension: (F) Unadjustable KYB 41mm forks; (R) Unadjustable KYB shock Brakes: ABS (F) Single 310mm disc with two-piston floating Nissin caliper; (R) 255mm disc with single-piston floating Nissin caliper Tyres: Avon Cobra (F) 100/90 19; (R) 150/80 16 Seat height: 690mm Tank size: 9.1 litres (2 gallons) Kerb weight: 237kg Contact: www.triumphmotorcycles.co.uk
unobtrusive Continental ABS unit, give enough stopping-power for all but the most panicked deceleration. Adding some back-brake meant I never got into any difficulties, even when things got, erm, spirited. I did notice a little snatch in the throttle when rolling on and off – it seems a common thing in today’s leaner fuel maps, but it wasn’t overly intrusive. The ‘rain’ riding mode reduces low-down throttle response, but feels very natural, and doesn’t decrease the peak output. Sixth gear at 3500rpm pushes you along at an indicated 80mph. The revlimiter cuts in at 6750rpm, and while we did get some motorway and
open-road riding in (which was surprisingly easy going for a bike like this), we didn’t get the chance to find the top speed. That’s not what this machine is about, but one journalist, who did a slightly different route, said that from 110mph the Bobber felt to be running out of breath.
ACCOMPLISHED PRACTICALITY The handling is brilliant. The pegs do touch down easily, and after our day’s riding – which saw 24 bikes on the road – 12 machines had scraped exhausts. To be fair, we were over-excited journalists on switchback Spanish roads, pushing
the machines over for photos. I didn’t touch an exhaust down, but there was nothing left of the pegs’ hero-blobs after the 130 mile ride. The bike’s fully-fuelled kerb-weight is lower than the Bonneville T120, at 237kg compared to 239kg, but that’s thanks to the smaller tank, which is 14.5 litres on the T120. The Bobber’s dry weight of 228kg is greater than that of its sibling, at 224kg, and while the machine can feel weighty that mass is carried very low in the frame. Handling is uncompromised however, and while lean angles aren’t great, it’s better than the HarleyDavidson Forty-Eight that Triumph sees as one of the bike’s rivals.
TOP: Bobbers are already selling very well, but if you’re unsure, book a test ride. I promise you won’t be disappointed. MIDDLE: Clocks have a great bronze metal finish. ABOVE: An optional LED headlight – made for Triumph by JW Speaker – will be available.
Get MSL extra at www.mslmagazine.co.uk 33
RIDE. EAT. CAMP.
REPEAT If you’re dreaming of a round-the-world motorcycle adventure, but don’t know how to get started, a Mini Mondo trip will set you on the right track. WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY: Mikko Nieminen
T
ravelling the world on a motorcycle, rough camping in the wild, and living every moment to the full is the stuff that all budding adventure riders dream about. But setting off on your own major biking adventure takes skill, knowledge and experience even before you ride the first mile. So, where do you go for tips on how to get started? How about a Mini Mondo trip to the Spanish Pyrenees with long-distance motorcycle traveller, film-maker and all-round adventure expert Austin Vince?
MINI WHAT? Mini Mondo is a five-day trail riding, rough camping and team-building exercise in the breath-taking natural wilderness of the Pyrenees. The trip simulates
the conditions that Austin and his travelling buddies found on Mondo Enduro, a 440-day round-the-world motorcycle trip that was turned into a documentary film of the same name. Austin and his co-leader for the trip, Dai Jones, have spent years in the Pyrenees, finding the most amazing network of connected trails, which means that on Mini Mondo you only spend a fraction of the time on Tarmac, maximising the off-road riding experience. The trip is all about preparing people for their own adventures, not just razzing around on the Spanish trails, although they are excellent, and certainly add to the enjoyment. The most important lessons from Mini Mondo are teamwork skills and the ability to look after yourself and others in challenging locations and situations.
TOURING & ADVENTURE
WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG? Apart from what I had read online, and the instructions telling me what kit to bring, I didn’t know much about Mini Mondo as I arrived at Hotel Cal Petit, our meeting point in Oliana in the Spanish Pyrenees, just south of the Andorran border. I had crossed the Channel by Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth to Caen, and had a couple of days of riding through France and Andorra to get there. A lovely leisurely start to the trip. I was on the Honda CRF1000L DCT Africa Twin; a big, capable 998cc parallel twin with 94bhp of power and 72lb-ft of torque, just dripping with adventure spirit. All I knew was that I was going to be riding the machine on some amazing trails, camping rough amid the stunning mountain scenery, and spending the next five days in very close quarters with seven other guys. I didn’t know it yet, but I was about to have one of the most intense and satisfying experiences of my life.
SLEEPING TOGETHER At the hotel, I went to the reception and asked for a room booked under my name. I was faced with silence and a quizzical look. I tried to explain that I was part of the Mini Mondo group, with Austin Vince. That seemed to hit a chord with the receptionist: “You sleep with Austin Vince?” she asked cheerily. “Well, no”, I tried, “I know him, but we’re not, err...”. This would have been a good time to know some basic Spanish. Then it dawned on me, she was just trying to put people into twin rooms, not pimp us out. I felt like a prize idiot. The sooner this conversation was over the better: “Yes,” I agreed. “I sleep with Austin.”
Our group gathered for the initial briefing in the evening, where Austin explained what we were going to be doing over the next few days. We would be riding from Oliana to Mollo – some 350 miles – almost entirely on trails, wild-camping on the way. We would only leave the wilderness to buy food and petrol. To all intents and purposes we would be living off the grid, to simulate travelling across less-developed areas of the world. Working as a team meant that all the shared equipment – from water containers to food, saucepans to the washing-up kit – was divided between the riders to carry, and we had a rota of jobs such as cooking, washing-up and getting the campfire going, that we were responsible for. We were then allocated our tarps in case it rained at night (no tents, just sleeping bags, bivvy bags and tarps if needed), whistles in case of an emergency and Mini Mondo woolly hats. While Austin explained the basics, I stole a glance at the bikes and realised that the majority of them were small, nimble-looking dirt bikes: a Honda CRF250, a Beta Alp 4.0, a Honda XR650R, a Suzuki DZ-R and a Honda Tornado. But comfortingly, there were two other Africa Twins (a DCT model like mine and a geared version). I wasn’t alone with the big beast after all! Most of the bikes had soft luggage and knobbly tyres. Only mine and another Africa Twin sported hard luggage and dual-purpose tyres (mine being the Honda hard luggage set and Pirelli Scorpion MT90 A/T tyres). Austin wasn’t impressed with my panniers: “If they last the week, I’ll be amazed!” he offered.
It’s difficult not to feel small in a setting like this – even when you’re thrashing around on a big adventure bike.
Test Ride 2017 Ducati Multistrada 950
SIBLING RIVALRY Ducati’s mini-adventurer promises to be more accessible and cheaper to run… can it deliver?
T
WORDS: Mikko Nieminen PHOTOGRAPHY: Ducati
he Ducati Multistrada 1200 is a popular bike, but the 160bhp beast isn’t for everyone. That’s why Ducati has introduced the new Multistrada 950; a more accessible machine with a 937cc, 113bhp engine. Ducati says it’s four motorcycles in one: a bike you can use for touring, urban, sporty or enduro riding. And as Ducatis go, this one is quite affordable too. The smaller Multistrada shares a lot of its components with the full-fat version, including the frame and much of the chassis, but the smaller capacity engine – although still powerful – should make this more of an easy-going everyday bike than its high-maintenance big sister. The engine, riding modes, geometry and rider comfort have all been designed to make this an easy-to-live-with bike, and appealing for people who don’t necessarily feel like they need all that power, instead preferring to trade some of the horses for extra stability, everyday usability and smoother power delivery.
20 The original and the best – established 1962
The Multistrada 950 has its work cut out as it’s challenging the likes of the BMW F800GS and the reborn Africa Twin in the ‘near-litre’ category of sporty adventurers, but with its competitive pricing, long service intervals, good build quality, and a more road-oriented approach, it should do Ducati proud. By the Italian company’s standards, the Multistrada 950 is something of a low-cost bike, but it still looks and feels premium. The styling is derived from the Multistrada 1200, with touches of the 1200 Enduro such as the 19-inch front wheel, double-sided swingarm and pillion grab rail, as well as some items, like the new seat unit, that are unique to the 950. The overall appearance is great and at a glance you might be hard pressed to say whether you were looking at a 950 or 1200 version. The black and white LCD dash is easy to read and although the electronics package from the 1200 has been simplified, there are still more options in the menu than there are types of pasta in Bologna.
NEW
Get MSL extra at www.mslmagazine.co.uk 21
Day Ride This Rustic Road lives up to its name.
THE OTHER ROUTE 66 Forget Trump, there’s a far nicer side to the US – the Rustic Roads of Wisconsin WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY: Anthony Wood
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obel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck wrote of Wisconsin: “Why then was I unprepared for the beauty of this region, for its variety of field and hill, forest and lake? I never saw a country that changed so rapidly, and because I had not expected it, everything I saw brought a delight.” This is the Wisconsin I live in. And there’s no better place in the world I know of to take a leisurely motorcycle ride in the peak of autumn. Our state has various designated rural routes called Rustic Roads; winding, scenic and delightful byways whose only requirement is, ‘to have outstanding natural features along its borders such as rugged terrain, native vegetation, native wildlife or include open areas with agricultural vistas’. They may be Tarmac, dirt or gravel and, in the words of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, ‘are not scheduled for major improvements that would change their rustic characteristics’. And the state has more than 700 miles of them. Since it feels like it might be the last warm riding day of autumn, I convince my good friend and riding partner Eric Wallner to take a day so we can indulge ourselves. Eric has ridden his vintage 1990s BMW R100GS for nearly the entire 25 years I’ve known him. It was his enthusiasm that got me riding, 56 The original and the best – established 1962
and eventually to purchase my F650CS a few years ago. I was in the market for a larger airhead twin, but couldn’t pass up the low price on a bike with just 2000 miles showing. Although the CS has been dubbed an oddball city bike by its many critics, I have fallen in love with it. Its sturdy Rotax engine goes on and on with little maintenance, the ride is comfortable, and the CS easily cruises the highways at 65-80 mph, if you don’t mind the buzzing seat at around 3500rpm. And for cruising up and down the country roads at 25-40 mph, it’s ideal. ABOVE: Red Rooster Cafe opens at 5am... and it sells pasties! BELOW: Yes sir, the Americans do cholesterol as well as anyone.
FARMS AND VALLEYS The Driftless Region lies in the southwest of Wisconsin – a large expanse untouched by the various glaciers that weathered and smoothed the rest of the state over thousands of years. Because of this the area remains rugged and hilly, filled with winding country roads that carry your bike down breathtaking hills, making your ride feel like luscious thick cream poured from a warm bottle. In Mineral Point, a small Welsh community nestled in the rolling hills, we fuel up with a scone and tea before heading south toward Rustic Road 66, through an area historic for its tiny lead-mining communities established in the early 1800s. Heading down County Road O, we speed past corn and dairy farms, hundreds of acres of feed corn and grazing land with views to the horizon that go on seemingly forever.
TOURING & ADVENTURE
Mineral Point
Dickeyville IPPI SISS MIS ER RIV
Shullsburg Dubuque
After an hour or so the flatness gives way to the abrupt hills and stunning beauty of the colours of the changing leaves – red, orange and bright yellow – which turn a routine trip into magic. We stop to stretch in Shullsburg, another small community, with old stone buildings built into the surrounding hills. We decide on lunch and I opt for a grilled cheese sandwich, made with the gooey, delicious cheeses the town is noted for. After lunch we make the Rustic Road area, and it doesn’t disappoint. We wind even further down into a valley whose road follows a river lined with cattle farms and abandoned buildings, the latter the only sign that the area thrived during the mining boom 150 years ago. But now it’s peaceful and bucolic here, with old stone houses and towering grain silos that mark the local farms. After an hour or so we head west and make our way to the Mississippi River, famous in folklore and the writings of Mark Twain. We stop for a rest and to view the massive bluffs that cascade down to the wide and powerful waterway that for generations has accommodated heavy shipping and travel from the far north to the Gulf of Mexico in the deep south. And it’s only minutes away from our doorstep. After wandering the shores of the river and chatting with fishermen we hit the road again, making our way through more small towns and villages – Sandy Hook, Dickeyville, Cornelia and Platteville. Further on there are more evocative names, like Maple Hollow, Stumptown, Pine Grove and Old Lancaster.
TOP RIGHT: Downtown Shullsburg. ABOVE LEFT: Sluice gated dam on the mighty Mississippi River. ABOVE RIGHT: F650CS, perfect for Wisconsin back roads.
BELOW: Even the road signs are rustic.
About five miles from home, Eric skirts down a back road shortcut. We ride for a few minutes, then stop, pulling into a gravel parking area next to a small river, almost hidden from the road. Standing on the one-lane bridge, we watch the last traces of sunlight dance away over the horizon. Eric comments on just how lucky we are to be living here, in one of the most beautiful, scenic areas of the state, possibly the whole country. How fortunate we are to walk out our door, jump on our bikes at a moment’s notice and ride through what we can only describe as a breathtaking, natural wonderland. I can do nothing but nod in agreement. For more information on Wisconsin’s Rustic Roads go to: http://bit.ly/rusticroads
Write about your adventure You don’t need to be a professional journalist or photographer, just give a sense of where you’ve been and why other MSL readers might enjoy the same trip. We’re looking for the following: Day Ride – favourite day or half-day ride local to you –(1000 words); Mid Ride – a week or two in Europe (1400 words); Big Ride – anything more adventurous or further afield – (1800 words). We’ll need a selection of good, high-resolution pictures – at least 1Mb each. When your story is published, you’ll receive a free 12-month subscription to MSL. Submissions or questions to: msltravel@yahoo.co.uk
Get MSL extra at www.mslmagazine.co.uk 57