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‘McQUEEN SAVED ME’ MERT LAWWILL’S TOUCHING STORY
YAMAHA FJR1300 ALL WEATHERS, ALL ROADS – THE HONEST OPINION
ANSTEY TALKS RCV | VICTORY OCTANE | TRAINING FOR SOUTH AFRICA | INSIDE BIMOTA ESTABLISHED 1962: THE ORIGINAL AND BEST BIKE MAGAZINE
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4 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure
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KNOWLEDGE
NEW
70
7
News: Save 50% on REALRIDER
77
Hooray for UJMs! Maynard Hershon
14
Your letters: Win a Kriega pack
78
Used test: 2011 Suzuki GSR750
18
Cleaning air or dirty trick: Leon Mannings
84
Long-term test: BMW C650GT
85
Long-term test: Royal Enfield Continental GT
20
Test ride: BMW R nineT Scrambler
26
1300 miles on the Yamaha FJR1300
88
Long-term test: Suzuki GSX-R1000
34
Exclusive Bimota interview
89
Long-term test: Triumph Speed Triple R
40
Test ride: Victory Octane
90
Long-term test: BMW F800GS
43
Forgotten adventure bikes
91
Long-term test: Kawasaki 1400GTR
48
Test ride: Continental Sport Attack 3
92
Long-term test: Honda Africa Twin
50
Bruce Anstey talks RCV213V-S
93
Long-term test: Suzuki GSX1250FA
53
The end of proddy racing? The High Sider
94
My Bike: Yamaha Super Ténéré
54
Steve McQueen saved me
96
Staying cool: Kevin Cameron
98
Tested: TomTom Rider 410
TOURING
100 Tested: Earplugs, Givi jerry can, Kriega R15, Raci Babi scarf, Richa Toulon jacket, TCX SS-Sport boots, Shoei J•O helmet
57
End of an era
58
UK: Metroland
60
France: Two-up to Trier
64
USA: Walk in the park
68
Events & club focus
69
Fly-ride logistics: Richard Millington
70
Planning to succeed: Training for South Africa
114 Shock of the new: Steve Rose
20
Test Ride BMW R nineT SCRAMBLER
HERITAGE
BOXER Based on the original nineT, the new Scrambler is cheaper, simpler, and a lot of fun… WORDS: Roland Brown PHOTOGRAPHY: Arnold Debus and Peter Musch
20 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure
I
f there’s a hipster heaven then I must be in it right now. I’m cruising along wearing an open-face helmet and goggles, on an air-cooled BMW boxer with raised bars, gaitered front forks, high-level exhaust and a brown bench seat. BMW’s new R nineT Scrambler is so cool it’s positively glacial, and I’m riding it not down fashionable Shoreditch High Street in east London, but on a smooth road that winds along the bottom of a broad, U-shaped valley cutting through the Austrian Alps. There’s a flaw in this idyllic scenario though, because the huge Alps that rise steeply on either side are partly lost from view in the rain that’s peppering my beardless chin, and soaking my jeans. But the good news is that the Scrambler has been an absolute blast on the mostly wet two-hour ride to get here (and I’m not a total fashion victim: my full-face lid and waterproofs are in the photographer’s car).
NEW Many manufacturers with a claim to ‘heritage’ seem to have a scrambler model these days, and BMW had the ideal base with which to join the off-road themed retro revolution. The R nineT has been a big hit since its launch in 2014, selling over 23,000 units despite a high price tag and uncompromisingly sporty character. An off-road inspired follow-up that would appeal to the custom crowd made perfect sense, especially if it could be made less expensive. The R nineT Scrambler is the result, and if that name is woefully unoriginal it at least confirms the bike’s origins. Its 1170cc, dohc boxer motor is taken straight from the nineT (which is renamed the R nineT Roadster). Its maximum power output of 109bhp and peak torque figure of 86lb-ft are unchanged, despite the new twin-silencer exhaust system, developed by Akrapovič, which helps the Scrambler get through Euro 4 emissions regulations. Most of the differences are in the chassis, which is based on a reworked tubular steel frame that retains a bolt-on rear sub-frame, and kicks out the front forks at a relatively lazy 29 degrees, against the sportier model’s 25.5 degrees. Those forks are 43mm right-way-up units, rather than 46mm upside-downers, and have gaiters for an old-style look. They also have extra travel: 125mm front and 140mm rear against the Roadster’s 120mm at each end.
The Scrambler is simpler, lower, lighter and less expensive than the £11,900 Roadster, costing £10,530.
The original and the best – established 1962 21
Interview
“BIMOTA CAN NO LONGER COMPETE IN SUPERBIKE RACING” 34 mslmagazine.co.uk
Test Ride
SPORT PERFORMANCE Continental’s Sport Attack 3s offer new technology that promises to translate well from track to road…
WORDS: Brod Wilson PHOTOGRAPHY: Alex James / Gareth Harford
C
ontinental had clear goals of how to better its popular road-focused sports bike tyre, seeking enhanced dry grip, better performance in the wet and increased durability. To achieve these aims meant starting with a ground-up redesign of the Sport Attack rubber, and allowed for the German brand to introduce new technologies such as ‘Grip Limit Feedback’ technology – designed to make the tyre move progressively when edging towards its outer grip limits. The new multi-zone single compound is harder in the central band, with more grip on the edges, along with a new tread pattern to aid stability, offer more consistent wear 48 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure
and help with the dispersal of water. We gave a set to endurance racer Brod Wilson to test at Donington Park on his ZX-6R… “Considering these are intended for street use, they really did themselves proud on track. Within a lap of Donington I found the high levels of carbon black meant they didn’t just warm up really quickly, but offered impressive grip even before they were up to full temperature – made all the better by their ‘TractionSkin technology’ outer, which meant there was no scrubbing-in required. The front end was always stuck to the surface and the rear did a good job of
holding on too, though under hard acceleration it was possible to get the tyre moving. But everything was progressive, so I never felt caught out by any unexpected slides. These are by no means race tyres, but they were impressively stable whilst on test, never faltering even when pushed hard through the undulating and rapid Craner Curves section of the track. On occasion, hard driving out of corners would make the tyres run a little wider than I’d have liked, as the 0-degree steel belt carcass compressed under the forces sent to it, but that was an extreme scenario. In more constant-throttle bends the tyres always stayed true, and I also liked the way you could really load the informative front tyre with trail braking deep into bends. The rubber felt supported and that gave me loads of confidence where it mattered.”
Day Ride
Thatched cottages, a spot of half-timbering – this is John Betjeman’s Metroland.
M
y day job is as a riding instructor, so my Honda CBF1000 rarely gets the chance to stretch its legs following pupils on 125s around London. But sometimes I do get to ride for pleasure as well, and this 180-mile day ride avoids all the big towns, following some beautiful twisty roads with little traffic. Heading northwest from my London flat, the real start of the ride is the Ace Café, simply because it’s an iconic motorcycling venue, easy to find on the A406 North Circular and has a petrol station across the road. Both man and machine can be fuelled up prior to riding off... The A40 provides a speedy route out of the city, before diving off the dual carriageway just before it becomes the M40. But the old A40 lives on, and you can follow it further out, past the London Motorcycle Museum, which has lots of classic British bikes, and is open Saturdays to Mondays. Leaving the A40, just before it crosses the M25, we take the A413 to Amersham, as we head into the outer suburbs and to the commuter lands of poet John Betjeman’s classic Metroland. The roads around here aren’t well surfaced, and it’s worth being aware of the largely elderly population of drivers in small cars paying limited attention to events around them. However, the national speed limit prevails, and rapid progress can be made to the more interesting part of the road once
58 mslmagazine.co.uk
BELOW: The A413 has its share of bends.
the dual carriageway ends, rising out of the Thames Valley over the Chilterns, twisting and turning as it does. We should enjoy this route while we still can – when I last rode this way, the fields were populated with posters campaigning against the HS2 railway. If this road becomes an access to the works, we can expect plenty of lorries... Amersham, and then Aylesbury, are quickly bypassed, where we follow signs to Buckingham and through the pretty timbered village of Whitchurch. The road from Amersham is quiet, fast and open, but with challenging corners over a series of rises and dips, so it isn’t just a boring straight-line blast. As it rises and falls heading northwest, some broad vistas open out towards Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds. I always think a good biking road is challenging if ridden progressively, but has marvellous views for when you’re not pressing on. Buckingham is an excellent place to stop, as it’s 90 miles from London and there are plenty of tearooms and filling stations. Silverstone is just a few miles to the north, and the National Trust’s splendid Stowe House and Gardens are close by. However, I head southwest, towards Bicester, and then skirt the northern boundaries of Oxford before stopping off in Witney, between a small independent motorcycle dealer and a fantastic teddy bear shop. The road there is the A4095, which is decent enough, with straights linked by tight corners, but largely tree-lined, which limits your view of the scenery – it’s also subject to a few 50mph limits.
LONG-TERM REVIEW
Test fleet: BMW C650GT Highline After a brief spell of illness, Roger’s delighted to be back on the go…
Oil is checked with a good old-fashioned dipstick.
THIS MONTH Rider: Roger Jones
Cost new: £11,045 Spec: 59bhp/47lb-ft Kerb weight: 261kg Tank: 15.5 litres (3.4 gallons) Seat: 805mm Miles this month: 402 Miles on clock: 2748 Average mpg: 57.8mpg Current tyres: Metzeler Feelfree Modifications: Rear carrier, wind deflector and Top Box Total value of mods: £593.46
I
t’s bliss to be out on the scooter again after a three and half week lay-off due to a minor operation. You may recall the few 30 degrees plus days during the middle of July, and I am pleased to say that it was during this period that I was able to return to motorcycling. With the electric screen set on its lowest position and the slipstream deflectors moved in, I set off on my first ride at 6.15am with the ambient temperature at 17°C. The 24 mile trip was to pick up a van to drive down south… after seven hours caged, the journey home on the BMW – with an ambient temperature of 31° – was a real tonic. During my ride home I found for the first time that the heat from the engine at lower speeds was felt on my calf muscles, where they touch the bodywork on the tunnel just forward of the fuel tank cover. The heat was enough to make me ride with my feet slightly out of the foot boards, helping to keep more body parts cool (the breeze up the jeans keeps an awful lot of the torso more chilled).
84 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure
General impressions: Pleased about the better fuel consumption – I wonder if 60mpg will be the norm by the end of the test?
As the miles are put on the clock fuel consumption is getting better, albeit slightly – I’m now on an average of 57.8mpg as opposed to the 53mpg when I first took possession of the scooter. The hero blobs on the centrestand are bent and all but worn away; a few tweaks of the preload on the rear suspension have allowed me to arrive at a compromise of slightly more ground clearance while cornering but giving a harsher ride, especially on bumpy country roads. At the moment I’m running solo with four clicks of a possible seven up from the base setting. The handbook says that the setting is for one-up with luggage. The versatility of the scooter was proven when my wife asked me to go to our local Co-op store to top up the monthly shop. The under-seat storage compartment will take two helmets… or all the items from the shopping tray shown here. Okay, so a full shop is not going to be done with the scooter, but for the essentials on the way
back from work, it’s easy to just lift the seat, fill as required and ride home. Barrie Coaton is a Harley-Davidson rider and manager of my local Co-op, so was keen to help find the limits of the Bee-Em. After a recent ride the ‘oil check’ reading came up on the dash. Checking the oil level is easy once the nearside rear
footrest plate and work cover has been removed – on this occasion the oil level indicator was half way between minimum and maximum, so a further check in about 300 miles will see if a top up is required. Now I’m back to being a full-time user of the scooter, a few longer rides are on the cards for next month.
A full tray of shopping fits neatly under the seat.
Classic test:
1985 BIMOTA DB1 WORDS: Roland Brown PHOTOGRAPHY: Oli Tennant
104 mslmagazine.co.uk
Roland Brown returns to test the bike that changed the fortunes of Bimota. And nearly killed him…
M
y first ride on a DB1 sticks in the memory, although it was more than 30 years ago. I can vividly recall the excitement of accelerating away for the first time aboard the exotic Bimota. The thrill of its sublime handling and lively, characterful V-twin engine. And most of all, the terror when the throttle stuck wide open as I braked on a wet road, almost turning that first ride into my last. Back in the Eighties, life with an exotic Italian superbike was always likely to be a series of extreme highs and lows, and that was especially true of this, the first all-Italian Bimota. The same could be said of the Rimini firm’s financial affairs, which followed a turbulent path before its eventual demise in 2001, since when the marque has been relaunched without approaching the same impact.
The DB1 played a vital part in the Bimota story, because it was the unlikely sales success of the 750cc, Ducati-powered model that saved the firm from financial ruin following its introduction in 1985. In those days the Italian marque was a byword for twowheeled speed and style but, not for the first time, it was struggling to translate a line of expensive superbikes into a profitable business. The DB1 was designed by the firm’s chief engineer Federico Martini, formerly of Gilera, and was innovative in its use of fully-enclosing bodywork. Two gorgeously sculpted pieces of curved glass-fibre enveloped the engine and frame, one arching over the bulbous fuel tank before coming down to act as both seat and tailpiece; the other clipping on underneath to complete a gloriously distinctive and eye-catching shape. Clever design meant that removing the bodywork required the use of just four big Allen bolts, half a dozen Dzus fasteners and a few disconnected wiring blocks. A handful more screws allowed the nose fairing to be removed, leaving just the series of thin red chrome molybdenum steel tubes that formed the Ducati-style trellis frame. The 748cc, air-cooled V-twin engine came from Ducati’s Pantah, and featured a sohc, two-valves-percylinder Desmo valve arrangement, with belt drive to the cams. Bimota did not tune the motor, which was used as a stressed member of the chassis. The Rimini firm was delighted to have been able to buy the V-twin unit on its own from Ducati, rather than having to purchase complete bikes as they’d done from Japan in the past (one of the reasons for the DB1’s sales success was that it was considerably cheaper than previous Bimotas, partly due to this). By contrast there was no shortage of expenditure on the DB1’s hand-built chassis. The triple-clamps were of Bimota’s own construction and were machined, like the footrests, from a block of aluminium alloy called Avional 14. Forks were 42mm Marzocchis – huge at the time – complete with four-way compression damping adjustment (labelled as ‘anti-dive’) on the right leg. In a uniquely stylish touch, the aluminium brake and clutch fluid master cylinders were located on top of the fork stanchions.
The Bimota’s 748cc Ducati Pantah engine is a stressed member of the steel trellis frame.