Twist & Go - July/August 2013 - Sample Edition

WELCOME

Newmag,new home,newfuture It’s a hectic time at T&G Towers. I’ve just moved office and I’m only just getting my feet under the table – okay, cards on the table; what I’m really saying is that if you’ve tried contacting me and have had no response, then that’s the reason why.

Talking of response, thanks to those who contacted T&G to give us your opinion on our redesign, which seems to have gone down well with an almost overwhelming response of support – I say ‘almost’ because there were a few negative criticisms, although they were mainly of a constructive nature – apart from the guy who claimed to be a subscriber and proceeded to deconstruct the magazine. I tried to respond directly, but the contact details provided weren’t correct and on checking our subscriber base we could find no record of him.

On a more positive note; we have many articles to suit everyone’s taste in this issue with a large selection of reviews on all shapes and sizes of bikes; this is backed up by a variety of articles with advice and tips on various related subjects. However, we’d like you to become more involved as most of the machines we report on we only get to ride for a short period; you, on the other hand, buy and ride them every day and consequently you’re likely to be in a better position to tell us what they’re really like in real life everyday use – so why not let us know.

Send in a short report on your bike (with half a dozen pictures) and if we publish your article, then we’ll give you a free subscription; the ball’s in your court. The same thing applies with any advice or mechanical tips you may want to share, so don’t be shy.

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WHO’S WHO? MAU SPENCER

Has been riding bikes since the tender age of 16 (younger actually, but that’s another story). He’s also the founding editor of Classic Scooterist magazine and has a foot in both camps – often being ribbed by his classic scooter riding buddies , he gives as good as he gets.

HARRIET RIDLEY

Harriet began riding as a teenager; she got a job as a motorcycle journalist and did everything she could on two wheels including touring and racing. But she’s never forgotten where she started (riding a Piaggio Si to school) and still today commutes on her Honda Silver Wing.

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IAN ‘IGGY’ GRAINGER

Some say‘The Ig’started riding scooters at the age of 15 and never stopped, although his mum still hopes one day he’ll grow up and get a ‘proper’bike – she’s likely to be disappointed.

He’s been a regular contributor to T&G and various bike and scooter magazines since 2003.

WAYNE RILEY

Has ridden bikes and scooters since he was 16 years old. His wardrobe contains a parka and leather jacket, side-by-side. He has ridden professionally for many years and has escorted most members of the royal family. He’s old enough to have frequented the original Ace Cafe.

PETE HENSHAW

Specialises in riding small, slow bikes for very long distances. Pete doesn’t own a car and is happily dependent on two wheel transport – anything powered by petrol, diesel, pedals or slight electrical assistance. He’s a sucker for anything eco friendly, or out of the norm.

DAVE BELL

Passed his bike test in 2009 (midlife crisis) and has been riding anything that our mags will lend to him to test, so he’ll ride anything with two wheels from 1700cc cruisers to 50cc autos.

Dave’s philosophy: “As long as it has two wheels it’s cool!”

In association with

PRODUCTS Weise leather jacket £259.99

AllbikestobefittedwithABS

The new vintage-looking Weise Thruxton leather jacket is made from 1.2mm cowhide with CE approved armour at the elbows, shoulders and back. It has a removable thermal lining, four external pockets with zipper closure plus one internal pocket. Chest sizes are 40 to 50 inch.

Info: 0117 971 9200 / www.weise-clothing.co.uk

Alldrive 1⁄4in drive socket set £38.66

A new addition to Laser Tools’ Alldrive range is this professional quality 1⁄4in drive socket set (part no. 5530).It has a unique tapered profile that fits metric, AF. Whitworth, spline and star fasteners, so the five sockets included (8, 10, 11, 12 and 13mm) cover many applications. Also included is a bit holder and 50mm extension bar. The ratchet handle head swivels and the handle swings out to form a handy T-bar.

The plastic storage box is lined with foam to keep the components tidy and secure. Ideal for working in confined areas and the compact size means that it is particularly suitable for motorcycles.

Info: www.lasertools.co.uk

Hooked on securely

Lynx Hooks are a new securing system for fixing all things to all bikes (although possibly not suitable for securing gorillas or pianos to a Vespa, but who knows). They are super stretchy and have a secure interlocking hook system which means that they can be extended in length or made into spiders or nets by attaching them to each other.

The locking system is safe so that old hazard ‘bungee blindness’ (bungees pinging-off as you stretch them and hitting you in the eye, causing extreme swearing) will not happen.

Various prices – see website.

Info: www.wemoto.com/ info/lynx_hooks

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From 2016, antilock braking systems (ABS) will become standard equipment for an increasing number of motorcycles in the EU. Under EU legislation, it will be mandatory to fit an antilock braking system to all motorcycles that have an engine displacement greater than 125cc. As of January 1, 2016, this

will apply to motorcycles that are granted type approval and, from 2017 onwards, to all newly registered models. In addition, smaller motorised two-wheelers with a displacement of 50cc or more are required to have either ABS or a combined brake system. The latter links the front and rear brakes mechanically, with the result that both wheels

CRF250R upgraded Honda has announced a major upgrade for the CRF250R. Following last year’s major upgrades to the CRF450R, the CRF250R has now been subject to an extensive improvement programme. The flagship CRF450R meanwhile, has received further engine

development for greater torque, throttle feel, top-end power and over-rev. Its 48mm KYB air front fork has also been upgraded for improved oil flow and damping characteristics.

Info: www.honda.co.uk/ motorcycles

are always decelerated during braking. However, this solution does not regulate brake pressure – meaning wheels can still lock. Following ratification by the European Parliament and the EU Council of Ministers, the regulation has now been published in the EU Official Journal and thus officially come into force.

UK routes to ride Carole Nash has unveiled a new online resource for the biking community. It will provide motorcyclists with access to a route finder, allowing users to search for a suggested route based on a range of factors including location, level of difficulty and a rich bank of information on general points of interest.

Info: www.carolenash.com/ insidebikes/routes-to-ride

Think Bike!

The West Mercia Safer Roads Partnership has launched its 2013 ‘Think Bike’ campaign to help reduce casualties and deaths on roads across Herefordshire, Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Worcestershire.

Over the past three years there have been 32 fatalities and 265 serious injuries involving motorcycles. A quarter (25%) of all those killed or seriously injured in road traffic collisions in West Mercia involved a motorcycle.

Castrolproduct safetyrecall Castrol is recalling one litre bottles of Castrol oil used in two-stroke engines due to water contamination, which may potentially be sufficient to cause engine seizure. The affected products and the batch numbers were on sale from September 3, 2012. The products are mainly used in motorcycles or small scooters, but can also be used in other equipment with two-stroke engines.

Product Filling batch codes Castrol Power 1 Racing 2T 141735, 143802 Castrol Power 1 Scooter 2T 119990, 147997 Castrol Act>Evo 2T 126486, 135401, 150755

3D601 tank bag £86.16

The 3D601 tank bag has a rigid structure and is claimed to be impermeable due to its EVA laminated fabric and waterproof zip. It has a four litre volume capacity in addition to its inner pockets and integrated GPS holder.

The outer cover is fabricated through a thermoforming process, which guarantees full load capacity without risks of breaking.

Info: www.givi.co.uk / 01327 706220

Malossi internals for BMW £ various

WHAT TO DO If you have used one of the products with a batch number listed, do not use your equipment and contact Castrol for advice.

If you have not used the product, return it to the retailer

for a replacement or refund.

If you have any queries contact Castrol on UK 0800 046 9260, Ireland 1800 932 600.

Castrol apologises for any inconvenience caused.

E-Speed to go into production KTM’s E-Speed concept scooter will advance into series production in 2015. This scooter will follow the sporty off-road Freeride E, which is available from 2014. KTM has spent a lot of energy developing a completely new drive system for the Freeride E, which can now be utilised in the E-Speed.

Just four weeks after the first presentation of KTM’s E-scooter at the Tokyo Motorcycle Show, the E-Speed made its first appearance in Europe when it was shown to the domestic market at the Bike-Austria Exhibition in Austria.

PRODUCTS

Malossi has released an uprated Kevlar drive belt for the BMW C Sport 600 and GT 650, which is claimed to offer key benefits over the OE belt. In addition to the drive belt, Malossi also manufactures its Multivar 2000 variator kit (VB515501) for the BMW range, which claims to improve acceleration, pick-up and consistency across the whole rev range.

Info: sales@ve-uk.com / www.ve-uk.com

Wemoto brake disc bargains £ various

Wemoto is offering top-quality JT brake discs at bargain prices for popular Japanese and Italian motorcycle and scooter models.

The parts sell for attractive prices compared to OE parts and these stainless steel brake discs are suitable for road use, with either organic or sintered brake pads.

Sample retail prices (while stocks last): Yamaha YP 125 Majesty front disc, £26.66; Ducati M900 Monster rear disc, £51.20; Honda NT 400/650 Bros rear disc, £68.27.

Info: 01273 597072 / www.wemoto.com

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NEW MODEL

LML Star 125 Automatic If there’s one scooter that should have been launched years ago during the 1990s automatic scooter boom, it’s an automatic version of the ever-successful and iconicVespa PX.

The vertical engine layout and airbox fit in quite nicely

ell the Indian scooter manufacturer who forced Piaggio to relaunch the PX a couple of years ago has once again beaten the Italian giants at their own game. The LML Star 125 Automatic brings Vespa PX styling and an auto engine together to give the best of both worlds, classic scooter styling without the gears.

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QUALITY The LML still retains a slightly rough-edged feel when compared to the Italian original. Just little things, like the sidepanels using a bullet connector to connect the rear indicators – something you have to fiddle with every time you take the panels off (hopefully not too often with a reliable four-stroke automatic engine) – which isn’t easy to do single-handedly, unlike the PX’s age old and simple in-built connectors that simply make a circuit when they’re put on.

Underneath the panels the new auto engine has been shoehorned in and looks quite tidy, but from the other side the wiring is a bit messy and the dummy spare wheel cover is a bit tacky. With the panels on, everything is hidden though, so it’s not worth worrying about. Other than these minor annoyances the LML is well finished though and it costs £571 less than a geared Vespa PX125, so those little problems can be largely forgiven.

CHASSIS The original LML Star steel monocoque frame has been retained, but it also has a tubular steel structure beneath it to provide some extra strength and of course to mount the new engine. The rear footbrake and holes in the runner boards have been removed, as have the ones for the fuel tap/choke lever and two-stroke autolube sight glass. On a practical note it hasn’t got any storage

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The instruments are basic but do the job. Note the red stop light to let you know you’re braking!

beneath the seat, but it does have a roomy lockable glovebox and there are various retro styled chrome rear racks to bolt-on for additional storage space.

ENGINE The 125cc engine has a vertical layout which is meant to place more weight towards the front of the scooter to aid handling. It’s a simple two-valve, single overhead camshaft unit built entirely by LML; it’s Euro 3 compliant and produces a claimed 9.1bhp and 8.7Nm of torque.

Fuel economy is claimed to be 46kpl. The engine is air-cooled, using a series of vents in the bodywork and panels, it’s known as LIAS, or LML Inlet Air System. It also runs a Dell’Orto ECU, so fuelling is reliable.

HANDLING If you’ve ever ridden a PX you’ll know that the handling characteristics take a bit of getting used to, they’re a little bit twitchy and the LML is no different. Once you’ve got used to it though, you can throw it about; they’re light, flickable and great fun to ride.

If you want to improve the handling, there are plenty of tyres to choose from and it is worth swapping the standard Sava tyres for something with a better tread pattern – it’ll cost you less than £60 to change them.

You can do the job yourself at home as well, thanks to the split rims and inner tubes, (much less hassle than tubeless rims).

One thing you don’t get is a spare wheel – or anywhere to store one (something the geared LML Star and PX still retain). The front shock absorber is the same fitment as the PX, so it can also be upgraded if you

wish; Malossi, SIP and Bitubo all do good quality aftermarket shocks to fit the LML – not that there’s too much to complain about with the original item. The front disc, rear drum combination work well and give enough stopping power.

SPEC: ENGINE

124cc, air-cooled, four-stroke, automatic POWER

9.1bhp

TWIST & GO The LML comes with both electric start and a backup kick-start. To start it you pull in a brake lever and press the button. Our test bike took a few seconds to start, but it soon settled into a steady tickover. One thing worth noting is that the rear wheel spins on tickover and if you take it off the stand, it will move along slowly by itself until the auto choke closes. The stand is probably one of the worst features on this scooter. It’s not too hard to take the LML off the stand, but putting it back on is difficult. It’s mounted to the engine and sits too far back, so requires a good heave – not good for novice or female riders and you end up pulling hard on the seat to get it on the stand. UK importer, MotoGB, is working on a redesign, which will be passed on to the factory.

TORQUE

8.7Nm

CHASSIS

Steel pressed monocoque with tubular steel subframe BRAKES

Front disc Rear drum SUSPENSION

Single sided front fork with shock absorber Single rear shock SEAT HEIGHT

820mm

TANK CAPACITY

8 litres

WEIGHT

112kg

CONTACT

www.lml-scooter.co.uk

PRICE £2499 PROS Well priced

On an ordinary LML the engine is on this side; on the auto it hides the battery and spaghetti junction wiring

CONS

Hard to get on the stand Looks Panel good connectors Lightweight Untidy wiring

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URBAN SURVIVAL SKILLS

PARKING T&G offers some useful tips on how to park without getting fined, or getting your bike nicked.

Tucked away and out of sight, but is it safe?

P

arking your bike doesn’t sound much like an urban survival skill, but it is – it certainly is if you want to get back and find your ride not only still there, but free of fixed penalty stickers.

First off, the legal stuff. On private land, with the owner’s permission, you can park wherever you like and wheel clamping there is illegal. On public space (roads, car parks) it’s legal where there are no parking restrictions, where the bike is not causing an obstruction, or is in a marked motorcycle bay.

Pavements are officially a nono, but if the bike is tucked away and not an obstruction, you should be okay, though that’s up to you.

Mind you, I parked a Burgman on the side of a wide, deserted pavement in London one evening and was duly ticketed. In Paris, where they’re a bit more laid-

Don’t use the whole space for one bike!

back about these things, scooters on pavements are accepted as part of the urban landscape.

Now, when it comes to keeping the bike secure, the inclination is to find some dark and apparently safe corner in the belief that no one will notice it.

But it’s also easier for miscreants to smash the steering lock and wheel the bike into the back of a waiting Transit without being noticed, so the best place to park is an open and well lit space – preferably with other bikes, because there’s safety in numbers.

The more visible the deterrent, the better – disc lock with DayGlo reminder cord, beefy length of chain, red flashing LED. But theft isn’t inevitable. That same Burgman that was caught pavement parking in London, I once left in Bristol (on a pavement) all day, unlocked, with the keys in it... and it was still there at five o’clock. Either Bristolians are exceptionally honest, or this says something about the desirability of boggo Burgman 250s to joyriders.

Anyway, marked motorcycle bays are the best option. On-road ones often get crowded during office hours.

If the bikes are squeezed in, make sure there’s room for you and the bikes either side to leave – with everything on sidestands, it doesn’t take much to set off the dreaded domino effect.

Paddle the bike/scooter in backwards, because if you park nose in, hauling the thing out up the road camber can be hard work.

Some car parks have marked bike bays too, but they’re often tucked away in a far corner, unsigned and as easy to find as an intellectual debate on reality TV – it’s just a case of cruising around until you find it.

Park in a car bay and that’s a ticketing opportunity. At the moment (but if you know different, tell us) Westminster City Council is the only local authority to charge for bike parking.

So there you are: park visibly, with other bikes and without causing anyone else hassle and you should be okay.

Words & images: Pete Henshaw

Nice one – an open plan official bay with spare spaces

Cyclists are our allies – don’t take their spaces

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If you’re visiting a hot climate, nylon-based clothing is an attractive alternative to leather

Stayingfresh inthesun

As summer approaches nothing beats the rush of a burn along challenging twisties, or a sedate country lane cruise. Yet the heat brings its own issues and a pleasant summer’s day can quickly turn you into a sweaty mess.

Not how we’d protect ourselves here in the UK

GET THE RIGHT GEAR Traditional biking gear used to be limited to bulky leathers, but just as much protection can be offered by modern lighter weight fabrics. Breathable gear comes in all forms.

These sweat-wicking base layers are useful, sucking moisture from your skin and increasing the efficiency of sweat evaporation. These are lightweight and affordable, dry quickly and a T-shirt looks great once you’ve removed your jacket.

Perforated leather clothing is a good riding compromise. If you’re in a hot climate, then modern nylon-based gear with mesh linings are an attractive leather alternative. Jackets and warm-weather boots with vents and mesh ventilation panels are worth the investment if you are riding daily.

REMEMBER THE OBVIOUS Modern bikes and equipment often have innovations that enhance your riding experience. Consider this checklist: HELMET VENTS: open them! Full face lids can be stuffy and claustrophobic in hot weather, but most have integral vents that provide a welcome blast of air if you remember to open them.

OPEN FACE HELMETS: these will never offer the same protection as a full face lid, but are extremely appealing in very hot weather.

LEGSHIELDS/FAIRINGS: these are there for your protection from wind and to stabilise airflow. They’re invaluable, but on hot days, a draught wouldn’t go amiss. If your fairings have adjustable vents then

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ensure they are open and direct a little air to your lower body.

REMOVABLE WINDSCREEN: if you can jettison your windscreen in summer, then do it. A full face lid is necessary to maintain protection from insects, but a rush of fresh air will more than compensate.

ENGINE CARE: some engines run hot and it doesn’t help matters when you’re clamped around a furnace. Aftermarket engine heat reducers are available and worth considering if you’re subjected to prolonged and regular heat exposure.

AVOID MIDDAY TRAVEL: if you can stay out of the midday sun, then do so. Parking up and resting in the shade during breaks also helps.

CONSIDER THE LESS OBVIOUS LONG JOURNEYS: when it’s hot and sticky, staying in one position can be uncomfortable. Try standing, or sticking your legs out straight to open up those sweaty creases. Heavily faired bikes often clutch a pocket of stale air around them and breaking this allows fresh air in to help cool you and your bike down.

SWEATY FEET: the use of foot powders helps absorb some of the moisture produced by your feet – it also stops your socks from becoming soggy!

SEVERE HEAT CONDITIONS: cooling vests and skull caps are designed to be soaked in water before putting them on and they keep the skin damp and cool. A less extreme suggestion is to soak a scarf or bandana in water and wrap it around your

neck. Wetting your hair before putting your lid on is another good way to stay cool.

SAFETY FIRST: wearing protective gear is essential to keeping you safe, but it can be bulky, cumbersome. It’s tempting to ditch riding gear and wear a T-shirt and shorts on hot days. Exposure to the sun on a bike can be dangerous as the airflow over exposed skin gives the illusion you are cool, when in fact you may be getting hideously sunburnt.

STATISTICS Although bikes are involved in 1% of UK road accidents, bikers account for more than 20% of deaths or injuries. In the sun it’s easy to get dehydrated. This drains your body of electrolytes and makes you dizzy and disorientated. Heatstroke is common and easily missed; drink regularly and consider buying a fluid backpack. The possibility of causing an accident as well as the victim of one makes it important that you have adequate insurance cover.

While the UK Government insists by law that all bikers wear helmets, no current laws are in force regarding protective clothing.

The health consequences of a tumble at speed without protective clothing are gruesome. Stay safe this summer and protect your body in the same way as you provide cover for your bike.

Words & images: Evelyn Yates

The product has endless possibilities, from beanie hats to personal armour D30 is available in a wide range of motorcycle protection products

D30:Thescienceof impactprotection Often it’s the simple ideas that turn out to be the most effective, like mixing flour, oil and water to create fun pliable home-made Play-Doh for kids. It was something as simple as that which gave British inventor Richard Palmer an idea to help Olympic skiers (and ultimately us two-wheeled folk) to avoid serious but oftenpreventable injury.We were recently invited down to the D30 Lab in Brighton to find out more.

R

ichard studied for a degree in mechanical engineering and completed a course in design before working for chemical giant, Dupont. He went on to set up his own innovation design consultancy before forming D30 in 2001. Richard’s invention was first used by Canadian and US athletes in the 2006 Winter Olympics after he incorporated the product as armour into ski suits. His new product, known as D30, was lightweight, flexible and very good at dissipating energy.

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Prior to D30 (and still today), most body armour is made from foam of varying thicknesses and densities, mainly because it’s cheap and can do the job, but it also has its downsides; it needs to be a certain thickness to absorb the energy and it can be bulky, so it’s not always comfortable to wear. That’s just one of the areas where D30 scores highly.

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT Since those early days, distinctively orange D30 has been incorporated into various applications; it’s used to make mobile phone and tablet cases

Moulding and prototype manufacturer are also done at the Brighton HQ

for T-Mobile, shock-absorbing tennis racquets for Head, (Novak Djokovic won the 2013 Australian Open using a D30 racquet). D30 is also developing head-to-toe protection for the military; there are various action sports companies using it to protect their athletes and of course it’s also used in bike sport at the highest levels; plus many wellknown kit manufacturers use it for the armour in their road-going bike kit (Companies like Furygan, Armadillo, Triumph, KTM, Rukka, Belstaff and Held to name just a few).

RYUICHI KIYONARI

D30 perform its own drop testing in-house SO WHAT IS D30?

Basically it’s a soft and flexible composite material which comprises polymers and dilatant fluid. A dilatant is a shear thickening fluid, which reacts to shock by thickening and absorbing the force.

In layman’s terms, if your D30 body armour has an impact, the shock causes the material to harden momentarily, which reduces the shock massively. The higher the stress of the impact, the harder D30 reacts, but it instantly reverts back to its liquid state and can be used over and over again – unlike some polystyrene-type shock absorbers (like the lining of a crash helmet for instance which is designed to be used only once).

In its basic form D30 is a liquid, but by combining it with different polymers and some clever chemistry it can be used to form solid shapes which have the properties of a dilatant and a polymer. The D30 can be adapted for various applications and can be engineered to suit various temperatures and conditions. Motorcycle protection needs to be suitable for extremes of temperature so D30 ST Mesh, XT Solid and XT Mesh are the three most common types found in bike armour.

D30 Smart Skin is another innovative use for the product which can be heat bonded to base layers to provide perfectly placed lightweight armour. One of the most common forms of D30 you’re likely to come into contact with is T5 Evo – a range of pre-shaped limb protectors used by a number of clothing manufacturers as standard

fitment in bike jackets, leathers, trousers and textiles; these sit alongside the Viper range of D30 back protectors.

While at the factory we were given a sample of D30 in its dilatant form and it’s fair to say it kept a boardroom full of adults and a tame Japanese superbike rider quiet for half-an-hour as we prodded, pulled, hit and twisted the material. It is very much like the Slime you used to be able to buy as a kid. The demo kit includes two types of foam of different densities, a ball bearing and a stylish hammer. Put a bit of D30 on the back of your hand and hit it with the hammer and there is very little shock to the knuckle.

Drop the bearing on to one of the pieces of D30 foam and the energy is dissipated, stopping the ball bearing almost dead, useful in armour. Use the other one and the bearing bounces back; this kind of D30 would be used in tennis racquets and for the soles of running shoes where the energy can be harnessed to good effect.

ADVANTAGES OF D30 When compared to conventional foam protectors D30 can be used thinner, so it’s not as cumbersome; this makes it ideal for armour in Kevlar jeans for instance (Rukka already use it in its gear). It also means motocross and mountain biking armour can be thinner and lighter. It’s also used in beanie hats (ideal for the cool BMX kid who won’t wear a helmet). 3mm of D30 ST solid transmits 57% less force than a 10mm piece of conventional EVA foam, despite being 60%

thinner; 6mm D30 decreases that force by 79%. Quite impressive.

TESTING At the D30 Lab everything can be done in-house, from design and prototype to sampling, testing and manufacture. D30 Lab has its own in-house AD Engineering drop tower testing rigs and Instron tensometer so it can test armour to meet and exceed the stringent CE standards.

Depending on which product you opt for, D30 is level one or level two CE certified (D30 is also certified to other standards around the world).

Tests are carried out at the lab, but products are also tested independently. Final production is done in the UK, America and Asia.

CONCLUSION

One well-known rider who has benefited from D30’s protective qualities is British Superbike rider and three times British Champion, Ryuichi Kiyonari. Kiyo had recently walked away from a big crash at Thruxton – he puts that down to wearing the best kit. Kiyo was at the lab to see how his armour was made and we caught up with him for a quick chat:

How has armour improved during your career?

“Back in Japan I have every leather suit I’ve ever raced in. Ten years ago they just had sponge in them, now it’s much better.

Thruxton wasn’t a small crash; it still hurt but I walked away.”

I see you’ve got your crashed leathers, is that to show the D30 people?

“After a crash I always show my kit to manufacturers so they can look at how it performed. I can’t afford to get an injury; if I’m injured the whole season can be ruined.

That’s why I always wear the best boots, leathers, helmet, gloves and armour.”

I’d heard of D30 – usually from press releases about new jackets – but I’d not taken any notice and I wasn’t sure exactly what it was until I visited the factory. Seeing the product in action and realising its future potential for all kinds of applications has convinced me to try and specify riding kit with D30 armour in the future, or to get replacement D30 armour for my existing kit. A great demonstration for me was when our guide deliberately threw her iPhone at the floor, with its Tech21 D30 case it survived perfectly. Remember, all armour isn’t equal, Even Kiyo became so specify the best. mesmerised by D30 Words & images: in its raw state Iggy

Superbike technology now available for scooters from G PR .

U si ng the sam e technol ogy and processes used to produce thei r range ofsuperbi ke road and raci ng exhausts G PR can now offer a huge range ofscooter exhausts.

H and m ade in Italy using only the best m aterials.

D on’t pay m ore for l ess.

For m ore details locate your localG PR stockist at w w w .gpr-m otorcycle-exhausts.co.uk or callM oto Legends D istribution on 01636 605105