FULL TEST YAMAHA TRACER 700 THE MOST IN-DEPTH LAUNCH REPORT OF THE £6299 SPORT-TOURER
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BMW R1200S | SWM CLASSICS | SUSPENSION EXPLAINED | THE RETURN OF TWO-STROKES ESTABLISHED 1962: THE ORIGINAL AND BEST BIKE MAGAZINE
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4 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure
KNOWLEDGE
NEW 7
74
How am I riding today? Maynard Hershon
Subscribe and save cash
76
High-mileage bikes
18
Uncertain times for a privileged few? Leon Mannings
82
Used test: 2006 BMW R1200S
88
Test ride: Honda CB650F
20
Test ride: Yamaha Tracer 700
92
Workshop: Triumph Bobber
28
That’s (sports) entertainment: The High Sider
94
Suspension explained
29
Group test: Mid-capacity naked bikes
99
When is the future? Kevin Cameron
40
Test ride: SWM Classics
44
Test ride: Suter two-stroke race bike
50
The history of two-strokes
TOURING
100 Long-term test: Royal Enfield Continental GT 101 Long-term test: Honda Africa Twin 102 Long-term test: Triumph Speed Triple R 103 Long-term test: BMW F800GS 104 Long-term test: BMW C650GT
55
End to end in 24 hours
56
UK: Snowdonia Day
105 Long-term test: Suzuki GSX1250FA
58
UK: Island hideouts
106 Long-term test: Suzuki GSX-R1000
62
India: The hard way round
107 Long-term test: Kawasaki 1400GTR
66
Events & club focus
108 My bike: Yamaha TDM900
67
Touring in a post-Brexit Europe: Richard Millington
110 Tested: Interphone Sport, Hevik textiles, Resurgence Warrior jeans
68
The Dragon Challenge
112 Classic test: 1968 Kawasaki W2
72
Three tours to try this year
122 Bye-bye Europe: Steve Rose
Test Ride
20 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure
NEW Yamaha Tracer 700
W The original and the best – established 1962 21
Group Test
KTM 690 DUKE R
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£9149 | 690cc liquid-cooled single| 75bhp | 55lb-ft | Tested by Bruce Wilson
oud, proud and certain to draw a crowd; everything about the 690R’s build and ethos seems a statement. From its colour scheme to its raucous and deep exhaust note, it draws attention and for all the right reasons. Having had my test bike dropped off, I spent a good half hour checking out its many styling details, which seemed to flow effortlessly between its components. The more I saw, the more I liked, including its quirky semitransparent airbox. Naked bikes are often the hardest to style, but nothing on the KTM jumped out as an afterthought. There were no random wires to pick fault with or hideous plastic blanks situated right where they shouldn’t have been. The Akrapovic exhaust was a real treat to the eye, and I quickly fell in love with the R’s TFT dash, which shone brightly with the ignition switched on.
Specification KTM 690 Duke R Price: £9149 Engine: 690cc, sohc liquid-cooled single Peak power:75bhp (56kW) @ 8000rpm Peak torque: 55lb-ft (74Nm) @ 6500rpm Frame: Tubular steel trellis, aluminium rear subframe Transmission: Six-speed, chain final drive
Sharp angles and bold colours give the KTM a very striking appearance.
Everything seemed so clear to read which made navigating the bike’s traction control, ABS and power mode selections a doddle. Out on the road the motor quickly won me over. I’ve never been a fan of singles, because of their typically vibey and lumpy dispositions, but the KTM’s engine proved to be really smooth, or at least once it got over 3500rpm. I expected
it to be torquey, but I was amazed at how relentlessly the power continued all the way up to its 9000rpm rev limiter – which really sounded a treat through that exhaust can. The model’s claimed to make 75bhp, impressively ranking it on a par or bettering the twins it was being pitched against, but none of the others could hold a candle to it in sheer delivery of torque.
Suspension: (F) 43mm USD forks, fitted with fully adjustable WP suspension (R) Fully adjustable WP monoshock Brakes: (F) Single 320mm disc with Brembo M50 monobloc caliper (R) Single piston caliper and disc Tyres: Metzeler M7RR (F) 120/70/17 (R) 160/60/17 Fuel capacity: 14 litres Economy: 41.7mpg (tested) Kerb weight: 165kg Seat height: 865mm Contact: www.ktm.com/gb
F SIZE MATTERS
BOTTOM LEFT:
BOTTOM RIGHT:
Day Ride
Views from the top of Bwlch y Groes are fantastic (on a clear day).
Four lakes, two castles, mountains, coast and some of the best roads in North Wales.
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his is a figure of eight ride, beginning and ending in Bala and covering 120 miles. Online route planners tell me that it is three to four hours long, but what with some narrow, pretty mountain roads plus stops for coffee, photos and food I reckon it’s a comfortable day. It isn’t scenery you want to rush through anyway. There’s time at the end for a spectacular short detour to the highest pass in Snowdonia, Bwlch y Groes. Bala has plenty of places to eat, with hotels, B&Bs and campsites for those who want to make a weekend of it. Leave Bala on the A4212 signed to Porthmadog. The first lake is five miles up the road, though Llyn Celyn is actually a reservoir that was created in the 1960s in the face of massive local opposition to supply water to nearby Liverpool. When the weather and light are right there are superb reflections of the surrounding mountains – definitely worth a photo. The road continues round the end of the lake in a tight bend, the first of many. After another five miles or so take the B4391 (on right, signed Ffestiniog) – a superb road that sweeps its way across the open moorland and carries very little traffic. At the T-junction turn right towards Porthmadog on the A470, which takes you down through the town between rows of slate-roofed cottages and out the other side. Keep following signs for Porthmadog as the road becomes the A496, then turn right at the next junction for Porthmadog. After a few miles look out for the B4410 to Rhyd – there’s a big hotel on the junction, the Oakley Arms, and a slip road if you miss it. 56 mslmagazine.co.uk
Bala Lake is the start and finish for this ride.
You soon pass Llyn Mair, which looks natural but is another artificial reservoir, this one to supply water to the local big house – the owner named it after his daughter for her 21st birthday. This B-road is single track in places with some tight bends and spectacular views to the mountains, so one to take care on. At Garreg join the A4085 to Beddgelert, and keep following signs to Beddgelert on the A498. This is one of the main tourist towns in Snowdonia, a good place to grab a coffee or something to eat and have a wander around. According to a local legend it was named after a dog called Gelert who protected the local prince’s baby son from a wolf, and a “burial mound” that was put there in the 19th century to attract tourists. The mound is a pleasant stroll along the riverbank, and still attracts tourists to this day, so it was clearly a good investment.
Llyn Celyn looks lovely, but not all the locals wanted it.
With a self-imposed budget of just £500 each, Neil Windsor and his mate set out to buy bikes for the icy Dragon Rally… WORDS Neil Windsor PHOTOS: Neil Windsor and Nigel Belcher
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old, windswept and tired, but ironically it was one of the best camping weekends I’ve ever experienced. Attending a winter rally in a location as hostile as Snowdonia in North Wales has its challenges but it’s also very fulfilling. The plan was to attend the Legendary Dragon Rally and experience some of its nostalgia by putting our own twist on it. Little did I know that I was going to get more than I’d bargained for! February saw the Dragon Rally in its 55th year, and judging by the sale of all 1400 tickets and extra places having to be accommodated; this is an event still growing in popularity among ‘hardy’ motorcyclists. The annual Dragon Rally is organised by Conwy and District Motorcycle Club, with the first having been held in the early 1960s. It typically takes place on the second weekend in February and is renowned for both its toughness and participants’ ability to cope with the adverse weather conditions. The founding of the rally came after the British motorcycle press reported on the Elefantentreffen (Elephant Rally), held each winter in Germany – a rally notorious for the hardships involved. This prompted British bike journalists to ask whether a winter rally could be a success here too. The 1961 November issue of The Motor Cycle carried an article by George Wilson in which he asked “can such a
68 mslmagazine.co.uk
ABOVE: Admiring the bikes and view in Snowdonia National Park. BELOW: Who says winter camping has to be tough.
dream be realised in this country – a rally for super enthusiasts only, and so organised that by its very nature, only super enthusiasts would want to join in? But above all it must be held in the dead of winter when only men who are men would be interested and the softies would stay away.” The words of George Wilson had massive appeal, and the resulting rally is now one of the longest-running motorcycle events in the UK. For the large number of riders who attended in the initial years it was as a test of stamina and endurance as (in the first two decades at least) it was common on the journey to have to endure snow and ice while also conducting roadside repairs to fickle machines. Then to eventually set up camp in a barren field battling increasingly foul weather conditions with no facilities or luxuries. Your nights comfort was – and still is – as good as your preparation.
Front sprocket cover was modified to look less bland.
The Triumph project as it came to Chris – it’s owner had already had a tinker…
Part three
The block needed a fair bit of work before painting.
Workshop: Triumph Bobber Chris Tunbridge reveals the techniques behind this unique project…
WHO IS CHRIS TUNBRIDGE? Specialising in flawless paint finishes (and an insistence that everything is done by hand), this trained tool-maker has spent years working with his customers to ensure he creates the bike they really want, from original restorations, to totally bespoke machines. Chris’ workshop has seen everything from custom cruisers, through classic BMWs and Yamahas to the dual-sport Ducati Monster featured in MSL’s February 2016 issue. Visit www. ctmotorcycleservices.co.uk or call 07714 266627.
92 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure
T
he original textured black finish on this 2001 Legend TT 900’s engine was pretty sound – Triumph obviously has the rough castings coated before all of the gasket faces are machined. It’s fair to say though that the quality of the casting below wasn’t perfect… With an endless time frame and budget it would be great to have dismantled and refinished it, but back in the real world the textured finish would stay, with remedial repairs where required. The standard coating is very durable, so had only suffered minimal damage and corrosion. The outer engine covers were removed and degreased, as these could be blasted safely. The front sprocket cover is quite a large, bland casing that also has the clutch slave cylinder mounted to it – I suggested to the bike’s owner, Paul Sumner,
that maybe we do something with it. The chain and sprockets would be new so why not see a little of them? I marked out a geometric pattern centred around the rotating point of the front sprocket – with some careful drilling, cutting and fine filing it worked out well. The main engine cases needed some refinishing, so I bought a spare set of crank case bolts from eBay that I had plated before painting – this way I could paint over the original set then replace them one by one with the new plated ones in order to not break the crank case seal. It worked like a charm! I installed the bare engine, then set about assembling the components around it, as well as fitting a new set of stainless headers. Next up were the brake calipers, which I fully stripped, blasted, prepped and painted (as well as plating the original hardware), to add to the detail of the rebuilt wheels (which were checked for runout before
fitting the new discs). The final piece to the rolling chassis was the modification of the fork stanchions. When the bike arrived the forks were through the yokes by 52mm to create the desired ride height, but it looked awful. I took the stanchions to the engineering company next door, who shortened them by the 52mm, along with the spring spacer, before re-threading the internal bore for the caps.
IT’S ALL IN THE DETAIL
With the big bits in place it was time to finish up all the small bits… It’s tedious and time consuming, but it’s absolutely essential. Cutting corners here will negate all the hard work you put in on the big statement items such as the tank and wheels! The rear ‘fender’ fitted to this bike is actually the redundant item from the front. It was too narrow to fit, so needed a bit of a tweak... I asked my mate Pat (who’s a bit handy with a welder
LONG-TERM REVIEW
Test fleet: Royal Enfield Continental GT Vive la difference – the Enfield remains more firmly rooted than other retros.
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he word ‘retro’ gets thrown about a lot these days, and never more so than when related to motorcycles. But as these coverall terms often do, it extends over a multitude of different types – cruisers, street scramblers and café racers, all harking back to an earlier era. But the eras can differ as much as the bikes, something brought home to me after riding the long-term Royal Enfield up to Andover to ride the SWM classics. You’ve probably read all about SWM’s rebirth on page 40, the bikes assembled in the old Husqvarna factory in Italy, most of them pre-existing Husky enduros. The classics are different though – air-cooled 440cc singles that owe much to the old Honda XBR500 motor. And the Gran Milano model is especially relevant to our Enfield, as it’s a caff racer and comes in at exactly the same price. But it’s a very different bike. Being based on the XBR, the engine feels as if it’s straight out of the 1980s, with an 8800rpm redline and a low-geared, high revving nature. Like the Enfield, it’s been updated with fuel injection and whatever else is needed to pass Euro 4, but it’s very different to ride. By contrast, the Continental red lines at 5500rpm, which really says all you need to know. Despite the many changes made to the Bullet in recent years, its roots are still firmly in the 1950s – the sort of low-revving, long-stroke, four-stroke single that was the staple for ride-to-work dads and coffee bar cowboys. That’s meant in a good way, because climbing back onto the Conti to ride home, I was 100 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure
Continental shares some character with old Velocettes.
struck by how relaxing it is. Although it looks every inch the café racer, the riding position isn’t too extreme, and the laid-back thump of the big single doesn’t goad you into riding faster. Mind you, at 60mph it feels fast, and maybe that’s the point. I find myself cruising at around 60-65 and very rarely venturing beyond 4000rpm, partly because that’s when vibration starts to intrude, and partly because I love the long-legged loping feel of the motor at lower speeds. That might explain the astonishing fuel consumption. Enfields have always been renowned for their frugality, and the Continental is exactly the same. I’ve averaged 94.3mpg this month, not through any extreme economy techniques, just by keeping below 4000 (most of the time) and staying away from motorways. I’ve got to head to London on the Conti shortly, so maybe that will push the consumption below 90mpg, but somehow I doubt it. It’s certainly getting plenty of use, with just over 1000 miles clocked up since the last report, including trips down to Devon and Cornwall to photograph
Velocettes for a book, and into Somerset to see another Bullet. In fact, it gets used for almost everything, except when my wife Anna is coming, because it’s only got one seat. Importer Moto GB offers an optional dual seat, and hopefully we’ll be trying that soon.
This sort of use probably isn’t typical (one Bullet owner I met recently has covered 4000 miles in three years) but the Conti seems to be standing up to it. There is a hint of a leak from the downpipe/silencer joint, but that apart, it’s racking up mileage without a problem.
THIS MONTH Rider: Peter Henshaw Cost new: £4999 Spec: 29bhp/32.5lb-ft Kerb weight: 187kg Tank: 14.5 litres Seat: 790mm Miles this month: 1030 Miles on clock: 2038 Average mpg: 94.3mpg Current tyres: Pirelli Sport Demons Modifications: None so far Total value of mods: n/a
Perfect road for an Enfield.
General impressions: Continental continues to impress with its looks, charm and (yes) reliability. Overtaking still needs planning though, as it’s not quick.
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LONG-TERM REVIEW WITH
My bike: YAMAHA TDM900A Ian Watson, 56, from Fife shares his experience of Yamaha’s great allrounder…
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his is my only bike, which I use to cover around 4000 miles every year. I bought it in May 2009 for £5495 from my local Yamaha dealer (and ex-Scottish Road Race Champion) Alan Duffus in Kirkcaldy. I’ve put 28,000 miles on it, making a total of 29,076 on the clock. For some time I’d been looking for my ideal motorcycle – my wife and I had just been to Assen to watch the World Superbikes on my 2006 Yamaha FZ1 Fazer, and while we were sitting in the queue waiting to board the ferry back to Newcastle a black TDM900 pulled up beside us; it immediately caught my eye, and after some time talking to the Dutch rider I was even more interested. Within a week of getting back home I came across an advert for an almost new bike – less than one year old – with 1223 miles on the clock. After a quick call to the dealer I arranged to go that very afternoon for a test ride and, as they say, the rest is history. The FZ1 had served me well, but did suffer a little bit from a snatchy throttle, which Yamaha fixed on later models. The TDM is now used for weekend runs with friends and two-up touring – my wife is very comfortable on the back thanks to the bike’s good seat and ample leg room. We go to Europe every year in the summer – I think Seville might have been the furthest we’ve travelled but the Yamaha has also been to Budapest and Split in Croatia. I like that the TDM is slightly quirky looking, and a little bit different. I also love the noise and character of the parallel-twin engine. The TDM really is a jack 108 Motorcycle Sport & Leisure
of all trades… I know a lot of owners commute on them (although I never have) but it also excels at touring when two-up and fully-laden. It’s absolutely brilliant on Alpine passes, which always puts a smile on my face. It also has a great owners’ forum at www.carpetdm.net – a brilliant source of information and knowledge. It’s not perfect of course – the engine is slightly lumpy at low revs, which is particularly noticeable in town. Oh, and the wind and weather protection could be a bit better, but to be fair its not an out-and-out tourer. The first modification I made was to add some R&G crash bobbins; after dropping an FJR1300 on a Pyrenean road I would never be without a set. I added Givi V35 panniers and a 45 litre topbox, which caters for my wife and I on our two-week European touring holiday.
R1-derived brakes provide plenty of power and confidence.
Over 29,000 miles and Ian has no intention of selling it.
Crash protection was the first thing Ian added.
Classic test:
1968 KAWASAKI W2
As the W800’s life draws to a close, Roland Brown tests the 650cc ancestor that began Kawasaki’s superbike story… WORDS: Roland Brown PHOTOGRAPHY: Mike Anthony
Much of Roland’s test took place on fairly narrow, twisty country roads, and here the W2 proved to be plenty of fun.