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PEUGEOT CITYSTAR 200 FIRST RIDE

432

A BENELLI FOLDING BIKE IN OUR FREE-TO-ENTER COMP

PEDELEC POWER! Our 32 page supplement tells you everything you need to know

JACKET BUYING GUIDE

REVIEWS, TIPS AND ADVICE

HONDA CB500F/ CBR500R

LAUNCH RIDE

A BENELLI CITY ZERO FOLDING BIKE 2

BIKES & SCOOTERS RATED OR RIDDEN

PLANNING A HOLIDAY?

SEE OUR TO TOURING P TIPS

Editor: Mau Spencer mspencer@mortons.co.uk Publisher: Steve Rose Contributors: Lee Buxton, Gary Chapman, Paul Fincham, Pete Henshaw, Mau, Mikko, Jonathan Schofield, Charlotte Turnbull, Sue Walters.

Apologies to anyone we’ve forgotten.

Design: Fran Lovely and Charlotte Turnbull Reprographics: Paul Fincham, Jonathan Schofield Divisional advertising manager: Martin Freeman mfreeman@mortons.co.uk 01507 529538 Advertising: Zoe Thurling zthurling@mortons.co.uk 01507 524412 Subscription manager: Paul Deacon Circulation manager: Steve O’Hara Marketing manager: Charlotte Park Publishing director: Dan Savage Commercial director: Nigel Hole Associate director: Malc Wheeler Twist & Go magazine PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ www.twistngo.com www.whatscooter.com Editorial call: 01507 529408 General queries and back issues: 01507 529529 (24hr answerphone) Email: help@classicmagazines.co.uk Web: www.classicmagazines.co.uk UK: 6 issues £22 Europe: 6 issues £27 ROW: 6 issues £31 Archivist: Jane Skayman 01507 529423 jskayman@ mortons.co.uk Subscription Full subscription rates (but see page 60 for offer): (12 months 12 issues, inc post and packing) – UK £24.60. Export rates are also available – see page 60 for more details.

UK subscriptions are zero-rated for the purposes of Value Added Tax. 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. Tel 01895 433600 © 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 No 1471–0501 USA SUBSCRIPTIONS Twist & Go magazine TWIST & GO (ISSN:1471-0501) is published bi-monthly

by Mortons Media Group Ltd., PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ UK . USA subscriptions are $36 per year from Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. Periodical Postage is paid at Wisconsin Rapids, WI. Postmaster: Send address changes to TAG, c/o Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. 715-572-4595 chris@classicbikebooks.com Printed by William Gibbons & Son, Wolverhampton.

Some articles within these pages express the opinions of the contributors and are not necessarily those of Twist & Go. E&OE: While we do our best to ensure our information is accurate, all mention of special offers or other deals are subject to alteration by the companies mentioned.

NEXT ISSUE (111): Published on June 15, 2016 EDITORIAL DEADLINE: May 20, 2016

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WHO’S WHO?

CONTENTS

06

GOSSIP ‘N’ GADGETS

39

14

PRODUCT REVIEWS

OBSERVATION

20

SEV E-TRICKS EVOLUTION

THE ZSX-F 125

71 72 74

HILLFORT TOURING

PEUGEOT CITYSTAR 200i

76

CB500F & CBR500R DUAL LAUNCH

81

WHICH BIKE?

22 24 28 32 34

MAU SPENCER Heading up the T&G team, Editor Mau has been riding bikes since he was 16. He’s also the founding editor of Classic Scooterist magazine – often leading to him being ribbed by his scooter-riding buddies – he gives as good as he gets.

MIKKO NIEMINEN Staff writer, Mikko, had his first taste of biking at the age of 15. Since then he’s been happiest on two wheels – regardless of the make or size of the bike. He’s an all-year rider and is never happier than when he’s road testing a new bike, or a new bit of kit.

4 www.twistngo.com

Up-to-date news and product information A closer look at some of the latest goodies An ultra-light electric moped that looks like a mountain bike Lexmoto expands the ZSX family with a half fairing and USD forks The new 200cc version has over 30% more power

Honda’s new 500s are in their element in the city as well as the mountain twisties

DUCATI SIXTY2

Meet the coolest scrambler in town

TEXTILE JACKETS

Everything you need to know before you buy

PETE HENSHAW 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 specialises in riding small, slow bikes for very long distances; he’s also a sucker for anything eco-friendly, or out of the norm.

WATT BIKE?

Our 32-page supplement reveals all you need to know about pedelecs Our Top 10 survival tips

TOURING TIPS

Planning your first tour

TOURING KIT

The right gear makes all the difference out on the road Touring the South West by Honda Forza 125 – with some ancient history thrown in…

Our expanded guide to new scooters and motorcycles

ARE YOU A SUBSCRIBER? Get a copy of your favourite magazine before others!

See page 60 for details

Congestion-free commuting?

London is officially the world’s worst city in terms of traffic gridlock.

Elsewhere, car drivers wasted an average 30 hours last year due to urban congestion. An alternative commuting solution became obvious at Motorcycle Trade Expo and I was surprised by the amount of pedelecs displayed – was this something we should be covering? So a small eight-page e-bike feature was planned, but interest just grew – and it ended up as 32 pages!

If you only commute a short distance, then a pedelec could be the solution – jump straight to our Watt Bike? feature on page 39 to find out more.

NEWS New security locks RRP: £ various

Two new locks hit the market in the shape of the U-Lock and the Chain Lock: The U-Lock has an opening of 320mm x 165mm and is manufactured from hardened steel resistant to saws and bolt croppers. Coated with a rubber finish, this lock is supplied with a mounting bracket and three keys.

The Chain Lock, a heavy-duty hardened 10mm steel chain, has an integrated padlock with two keys. The chain is encased within a tough nylon cover to prevent scratches and help protect the chain from the elements.

Info: www.ve-uk.com

PM gearbox end plate cover RRP: £129.95 (inc VAT)

This part (PMGC0001) fits Gilera Runner/Italjet Dragster 125/180 pre-rolling nut models made between 1998 and 2000 (Piaggio ceased production of this part some time ago).

Manufactured from CNC aircraft grade alloy, it’s supplied with INA needle roller bearings, double seal viton ball bearing and viton inner seal; all factory fitted and ready for direct installation. Finish is a hard surface gold anodising for prolonged protection.

Info: www.pmtuning.co.uk / 01524 850800

New four-stroke cylinder kit RRP: £ various

This new cylinder kit is for Honda and Keeway four-stroke scooters.

It’s manufactured from aluminium and comes with piston, rings, gudgeon pin, piston circlips, valve stem seals and cylinder gasket set, allowing a simple overhaul of the engine’s top end.

Fitments are available for: Honda 125, Dylan 125, Pantheon 125 (04>), PS 125, SH 125, and S Wing 125. Also for Keeway Logik 125 and Outlook 125 scooters.

Info: www.ve-uk.com

6 www.twistngo.com

LOW COST INSURANCE

0845 600 1664 | lexhaminsurance.co.uk

Authorised & Regulated by the FCA

Latest industry figures figu

(Information supplied by the MCIA)

FEBRUARY 2016 & YEAR TO DATE COMPARISONS BY ENGINE BAND Feb 2016

Feb 2015

% Change

Feb 2016 YTD

Feb 2015 YTD

% Change

0-50cc

520

453

14.8%

1049

1031

1.7%

51-125cc

2448

1884

29.9%

4993

3972

25.7%

126-650cc

747

611

22.3%

1715

1485

15.5%

651-1000cc

828

631

31.2%

1854

1471

26.0%

Over 1000cc

429

406

5.7%

1150

1094

5.1%

3985

24.8%

10,761

9053

18.9%

TOTAL REGISTRATIONS 4972

HIGHEST REGISTERING MODEL IN ENGINE BAND

MAJOR BRAND SALES

0-50cc

Lexmoto Scout 49

32

Honda

903

BMW

215

51-125cc

Honda PCX 125

119

Lexmoto

597

Triumph

213

126-650cc

Honda CB 500 XA

40

Yamaha

550

Kawasaki

205

651-1000cc

Honda CRF 1000

66

KTM

229

Suzuki

144

Over 1000cc

BMW R 1200 GS

20

Piaggio

226

H/Davidson 140

UK PTW BACKGROUND INFORMATION (Dept for Transport figures) Motorcycles in use

Rider test passes

Distance travelled by bike

2011

1.2 million

2011/12

39,900

2011

2.9 billion miles

2012

1.2 million

2012/13

44,900

2012

2.8 billion miles

2013

1.2 million

2013/14

30,500

2013

2.7 billion miles

2014

1.2 million

2014/15

34,600

2014

2.8 billion miles

Suzuki’s hydrogen-powered fuel-cell scooter on its way Suzuki has published patents for its first road-legal hydrogenpowered fuel-cell super scooter.

America is an eager adopter of this sort of tech and Toyota has seen sales of its hybrids rocket in the US so it’s a sound game plan to launch this (although not a hybrid, a purely hydrogenpowered bike) as a first fuel-cell super scoot in America to gauge reaction and customer take-up on the idea. This is a significant move from Suzuki which has been working on the technology for a few years and has already shown its hydrogen-powered motorcycle concept to the world.

Development for the super scoot, which looks like a Burgman, hasn’t really been much of a secret with a lot of actual design and application coming from UK-based firms.

What’s significant is that the patent is now registered and filed with the US market, which was applied for last August but published as a patent on February

25 – this ring-fences this design for Suzuki. Expect more patents to be filed for fuel-cell tech in road-legal motorcycles in the near future.

JT3 carbon open face helmet RRP: £199

Hood K7 jeans RRP: £122.99 (without armour)

Reviewer: Mau You can’t beat a lightweight helmet and weighing in at 1100g, the Premier JT3 open face fits into that category. The carbon aramidic fibre/epoxy resin shell is fitted with a Shalimar (carbon) removable and washable liner. The airflow system is taken care of via two intake vents with the mechanism being slightly different to the normal slide adjuster – instead of that, there’s a small lever which operates in a simple and quick operation, even when wearing gloves.

To complete the airflow, an extraction vent (which looks a bit like a spoiler) is fitted to the helmet’s rear. The anti-fog/ anti-scratch visor is easily removable if the need arises, via a quick-release mechanism.

No secondary internal visor is fitted, but the standard clear visor can easily be removed and substituted with the optional black tinted visor which is available as an accessory from Premier.

The chin strap consists of a quick release system which incorporates micrometric strap adjustment, so the fit can be tailored to individual needs. Even when wearing gloves, the buckling system was quite easy to operate. With the helmet there was one other thing to check out before moving off; if I’m wearing an open face, then I would recommend wearing some form of glasses to increase eye protection – they look cool as well – although with some helmets, that isn’t always

Reviewer: Mikko

easy. In this case, they slipped inside the helmet’s shell with no problem at all.

Out on the open road, by their very nature, open face helmets tend to generate more noise than a full face; in this case however, the visor helped to protect me from most of that and the wind noise level proved to be okay.

All-in-all, the JT3 carbon open face isn’t a bad helmet for its mid-range price. It is available in various sizes ranging from XS to XXL. Info: www.designerhelmets.com

TĀG sound system RRP: 299 euros Reviewer: Mikko TĀG is what the German manufacturer Headwave calls the world’s first concert capsule, designed for listening to music while wearing a helmet.

Installation is super-easy. All you need to do is to clean the helmet and then attach the TĀG on the lid by peeling off the protective film and using the adhesive strip at the back of the device. There are no cables or interior installation required, which means that the system can be used on pretty much any helmet. Once the TĀG is secured on a helmet it just needs to be paired with a Bluetooth-enabled music player and it’s quite literally ready to rock’n’roll.

I mounted the device on my Schuberth C3 Pro helmet and the whole process from opening the box to having tunes booming took less than 10 minutes. The curious thing about TĀG is that there are no speakers or headphones as such; instead, sound waves are generated via transduction, which means that the whole helmet acts as a concert capsule. The sound is immersive, so you feel like the music plays all around you. The idea is that it’s like being at your own private concert.

The system is really easy to use and the sound quality is great, although the volume could be higher. This is probably more to do with my iPhone not providing enough noise rather than the TĀG itself, but if I have my earplugs in, I can only hear the music at speeds below 60mph. At faster speeds the wind noise drowns out the tunes. At city speeds this is not a problem, but for faster riding a music player that pumps out more volume than an iPhone would come in handy.

I’ve only recently started to use riding jeans instead of leathers or heavy-duty textile trousers. The biggest reason for my hesitation was always the level of protection (or the lack of it) offered by motorcycling jeans. So, no prizes for guessing what particularly drew me towards Hood jeans. Yep, it was the impressive level of protection they offer.

The K7 jeans feature a K-tech para-aramid lining, which is soft to touch, but highly abrasion-resistant.

The lining runs all the way from the waist to the top of the boots, which was an instant plus for me.

Some riding jeans only have the protective lining in areas most likely to meet the tarmac in case of a spill, which always leaves me feeling a bit unsure about the protection they would offer if I ended up with the shiny side down. No such worries with these jeans!

The jeans are ready for optional D3O hip and knee armour, with two options to choose from: armour certified to CE Level 1, or CE Level 2. The first option adds £30 to the price of the jeans, while the second option costs an extra £42. Not a big investment for extra safety.

The armour is attached to the jeans with large Velcro strips, which means you can move the protectors up and down, left and right. With some trousers I find that the knee protectors slide to the inside of my knee, but with these I can make sure the armour is exactly where I want it.

Aside from the protection, what I really like is the service that Hood Jeans offers. This is a family business offering great customer service.

The jeans are made in the UK and to make sure the fit is exactly right, leg length is altered at no extra cost – a real boon as I always seem to be in between the standard sizes.

This is a premium pair of jeans and doesn’t cost the earth. They are made in the UK and come with great service included. A safe bet if you’re planning on investing in riding jeans.

Info: www.hoodjeans.co.uk / 01953 861166 / sales@hoodjeans.co.uk

TĀG is designed purely for music, so it does not connect to sat navs, but if it’s a great music experience that you’re after, this is a very interesting product. The device is not currently sold in the UK, but if you’re interested in it, you can find out more and order products via the manufacturer’s website.

Info: www.headwave.de

HAVE YOUR PRODUCTS REVIEWED WHERE IT C www.twistngo.com 15

PRODUCT REVIEWS Bull-It SR6 Carbon jeans RRP: £129.99 (without knee and hip protectors) Reviewer: Mikko Striking a balance between style and safety is a tricky business when it comes to biking gear. The Bull-It SR6 Carbon jeans have the looks of traditional black jeans but they are lined with Covec impact abrasion prevention layer.

According to Bull-It, Covec is similar to Aramids often used in biking jeans, only better: it outperforms aramids in abrasion resistance, has lower thermal transfer and it doesn’t break under folding. It can also be washed without as much damage to the materials and it’s flame retardant.

The name SR6 refers to the 600gsm Covec lining – that covers 60% of the jeans – being able to handle six seconds of abrasion resistance. Bull-It says that its jeans are the first in the world to perform to CE Level 2 safety.

The SR6s look good, with their traditional cut and five-pocket design. Side and rear seam construction has been triple stitched. The genuine YKK zipper works a treat too.

The jeans even come with their own microclimate inside: there’s a 1mm of airflow using Covec structure and cool mesh liner, which keeps you warm when it’s cold and cool in the summer.

CE approved knee and hip armour is available to purchase separately and jeans have pockets for them (although height is not adjustable) so it’s just a matter of slotting them in.

The jeans are also water repellent, which makes the product more versatile and usable even when the skies are grey. The Bull-It SR6 Carbon is available in waist sizes 28–40in with leg lengths of: 32–34in.

Info: www.bull-it.com

Urban Riders TS-01 shoes RRP: £69.99 Reviewer: Mikko

The Urban Riders from TSI Shoes are urban hi-top ankle boots that make a bit of a fashion statement. The black, white and red finish looks stylish and there’s very little that suggests these are anything other than a regular pair of basketball trainers.

The boots have an elastic lacing system, but what’s clever about the laces is that you don’t actually need to touch them.

They are just there to offer a bit of support and look cool.

Fastening is in fact done by the big Velcro strap that goes around the ankle. Very simple and effective.

The boots are made from a mix of PU-coated and regular leather, with built-in ankle, heel and toe protection.

Although they’re not CE certified as protective equipment for motorcycle riding, they are sturdy enough for me to be happy to wear them around town.

The boots are comfortable, but they did take a while to mould to my foot and leg shape, so although it might be

tempting to take them for long walks just to look cool, it’s best to wear them in first.

The boots are available in black, in UK sizes 8 to 12, and the price includes UK delivery.

Info: www.tsishoes.com

Shark Evo One helmet RRP: £309.99 Reviewer: Mau This will be my third helmet from the Shark Evo range. I just love them; I love the way they convert with a flick of the wrist from being a full face, into an open face; this feature is so useful, especially in my job, which involves frequent stopping to take pictures, or to talk to people. They are so easy to use – even with a gloved hand.

My previous two Sharks were both from the Evoline Series 3 range, but this latest helmet is the Evo One, which claims some major innovations in various areas, including a varied array of the latest technical characteristics like the‘auto-up and auto-down’system, which automatically lifts the visor when raising or lowering the chin guard.

Visually, the helmet is much more compact in its design, which gives it a better aerodynamic profile; it’s also 100g lighter than its predecessor. Out on the road this translates to making it much more comfortable to wear, due to less air turbulence being created. The helmet’s Autoseal system (which flattens the visor onto the helmet) helps to create a soundproof seal, which in turn means there’s a vast reduction in wind noise, making it much better on the ears. And this system doesn’t just improve wind noise levels – it also helps with keeping out water and unwanted drafts.

The Evo One comes in two shell sizes (with a Pinlock MaxVision anti-fog system being a standard fitment on both).

The auto-up/auto-down system makes it a doddle to alter the helmet from a full face to an open face, even when wearing gloves. The helmet is also fitted with what Shark describe

as a‘full covering’internal anti-scratch sun visor. Other features include Shark Easy Fit (for those who wear glasses), a micro buckle system and a removable, washable inner liner; it also comes set up and ready to accept the Sharktooth communication system.

Weighing in at 1650g, the Evo One is available in 11 different colourways (mine was the Krono version), and in sizes XS to XL. Info: www.shark-helmets.com

R&G Elevation paddock stand review RRP: Paddock stands £74.99 each / M8 cotton reels £19.90 a pair Reviewer: Mikko Working on a bike can be a bit of a pain, especially if the bike doesn’t have a centrestand. To make my life easier, I went for a set of rear and front Elevation paddock stands and M8 cotton reels from R&G. And what a difference they make! Cleaning the wheels, lubing the chain and adjusting the chain tension are all easy as anything now that the wheels are lifted from the ground.

The cotton reels screw into the swingarms, giving the rear stand somewhere to grip as the bike is lifted. At the front you don’t even need them, as the stand uses the recesses at the bottom of the forks to lift the bike up.

With both stands secured, the bike sits bolt upright and feels very secure.

The stands are simple to use, make working on the bike faster and take the aggro out of things that you don’t want to spend all day on. Less time working on the bike, more time on the road. As far as I’m concerned, they’re worth spending a bit of money on.

Info: www.rg-racing.com

16 www.twistngo.com

FIRST RIDE

Peugeot Citystar 200i 200cc version of the Citystar, with over 30% more power and rip-roaring performance.

Gruntier motor lurks under here

Dash gives all the essential info Plenty of underseat room

e do love our 125s, don’t we? We bought over 43,000 of them last year, more than any other category of engine. And it makes sense, because you can ride one with just a CBT; but to move on to anything bigger, you have to take the full A2 test. So you wouldn’t expect anyone to bother taking the test to ride something slightly bigger than a 125.

Well Peugeot thinks they will, and is targeting the new Citystar 200 at riders whose commute includes faster main roads and motorways, and those who already have a full bike licence, but are looking to downsize.

W

quote a torque figure, but we know it peaks at 6700rpm, a lot lower than the 125. It’s housed in the same steel frame/plastic body, which includes underseat space for a full-face lid with room to spare. Switchgear is simple and you get an analogue speedo plus digi fuel/temp gauges.

What it doesn’t have is ABS (surprising in view of the Euro 4 legislation which will make anti-lock compulsory for everything bigger than 125 from January 1, 2017). Be sure that it will by the end of this year, so if you want one without, buy it soon.

ON THE ROAD

With little more weight than the 125, but a lot more power and torque, the Citystar 200 is... faster. Well of course, but the surprising thing is STYLING just how well it goes. The 190cc What they’re not doing is trumpeting motor makes quite a bit of noise, this Citystar’s bigger heart from the but the reward is very healthy rooftops. It looks identical to the performance. In town, running existing 125 apart from a small ‘blink between the traffic lights, there’s not and you’d miss it’ 200 badge on the a huge advantage over a good 125, left-hand front side panel. In other most of which can keep up with the words, it looks like a bog standard traffic up to 30-40mph. modern auto scooter, offered in Get out on the dual carriageway sober black or conservative white. and open road though, and the Subtle 200 badge is 200 begins to show the EQUIPMENT advantage of those The Citystar’s bigger the only clue to bigger engine extra 65cc’s. Beyond heart is a 190cc an indicated 50four-valve liquid60mph, it just goes cooled single on accelerating, producing 18bhp happy to hold the at 8500rpm, legal limit without which makes feeling stressed. In it 34% more fact, the Citystar is powerful than the even fast enough for 125. Peugeot doesn’t

SPEC: ENGINE

Liquid-cooled 4-valve 190cc single POWER

18bhp @ 8500rpm BRAKES

Front: disc Rear: disc TYRES

Front: 120/70-13 Rear: 130/60-13 SUSPENSION

Front: telescopic forks Rear: twin shocks, pre-load adj WEIGHT

150kg unladen FUEL CAPACITY

9.5 litres COLOURS

Black, white CONTACT

www.3xmotorcycles.com

PRICE £3299

motorway outside lanes, which can surprise some, given that it looks so innocuous. You sit upright, but even at 70mph, the screen is tall enough to keep the worst of the wind blast off, and although there’s no room to stretch your legs out, it’s a fairly comfy perch, with a supportive backstop. The passenger gets good footrests and grabrail, but you’re quite close up and personal.

The performance is backed up by decent suspension (pre-load adjustable rear twin shocks) which delivers good handling. With 13in wheels and Michelin tyres, it takes corners as well as a typical upmarket 125 – you just need to bear in mind that you might be approaching bends faster than usual...

The brakes are well up to the performance, strong at both ends, though because they lack ABS and aren’t linked, you do need that extra level of awareness.

The good news is that if you don’t use all the extra performance, the 200 isn’t especially thirsty, delivering 82mpg – motorway commuting would soon put a dent in that though.

Words/images: Pete Henshaw

WE SAY: If you need the performance and can afford the extra, the bigger Citystar is worth its £400 premium over the 125, and a good stepping stone to a 300-400cc scooter.

★★★★★★★★★★

www.twistngo.com 25

TEXTILE JACKETS The T&G team have been busy testing the latest textile jackets. Here’s what they thought about them…

“A stylish jacket with more features than first meet the eye”

Spada Union wax jacket RRP: £159.99▲

Reviewer: Mikko The Union jacket is made from dry waxed cotton with a fixed waterproof and breathable lining as well as a removable thermal lining. Colour options are black and brown.

The first thing that stands out about the jacket is that it looks very nice and casual, unlike your usual bulky biking jackets.

There are four outside pockets and three internal ones (two of which are in the thermal lining).

The cuffs have poppers and zips to help with fitting gloves either in or outside the sleeves. There are also adjusters at the collar and waist, but these have traditional buckles rather than poppers.

CE-approved armour in the shoulders, elbows and back help make this a practical biking jacket without compromising the retro looks.

Overall, this is a very stylish jacket that has more features than first meet the eye.

Info: spadaclothing.co.uk

36 www.twistngo.com

“This is a great waterproof, windproof jacket”

Weise Outlast Baltimore jacket RRP: £319.99 ▲

Reviewer: Martin Freeman The Outlast Baltimore is beautifully made and looks fantastic. For warmth, it features a 140g Outlast thermal quilted lining.

Starting at the top, the neoprene collar is really comfortable, and the plastic D-loop on the end of the neck strap makes it easy to pull it open and secure it so it’s not flapping around.

The breast pockets aren’t waterproof but the main pockets keep the water out. The two little storm pockets on the front are just the right size for a phone too.

With the zips at the cuffs you can fit gloves in and then zip the cuff down over them. The roll-down neon yellow arm covers and the many reflective strips are great for night-time riding.

There’s removable CE-approved armour in the shoulders, elbows and back which thankfully I’ve not yet had cause to test, but it’s good to know it’s there.

Overall, this is a great waterproof, windproof jacket.

Info: weise-clothing.co.uk

“A comfortable jacket with good levels of waterproofing and warmth”

Buffalo Horizon Jacket RRP: £90 ▲

Reviewer: Richard Graham The Buffalo Horizon jacket is a black touring/sports textile jacket with leather panels on the shoulders and touches of red to add colour. Reflective strips add to the stylish appearance.

It features elasticated panels and adjustable straps for the perfect fit, and comes with a removable waterproof and thermal lining. There’s CE-approved armour on the shoulders, elbows and back, and the outer fabric is 600D, offering high abrasion resistance.

This is a comfortable jacket that allows decent movement, and offers good levels of waterproofing and warmth. There are a number of air-flow zips for summer use and plenty of pocket space both inside and out.

Overall this is a stylish jacket of the quality you would expect for the price. I like it and look forward to using it as an all-season jacket.

Info: www.thekeycollection.co.uk

TRIED & TESTED “I like this jacket, and it will get worn a lot this season”

“An excellent jacket: perfect for commuting, touring or adventure riding”

Tucano Urbano Urbis 4G jacket RRP: £149.99 ▲

Reviewer: Andrew Catton The Urbis 4G comes in navy blue, brown or black. There are loads of adjusters throughout, including in the cuffs and waist.

The zips are big and have draw cords to make them easier to use with gloves on.

I haven’t taken out the removable inner layer yet, but having the option is useful for summer.

The jacket allows movement and has remained waterproof in the showers I rode through.

The reflective inserts in the cuffs and collar can be pulled out if required. Removing the reflectors might not be a good idea in the dark British winter but it does make the jacket more stylish.

The jacket is ready to take D30TM armour, which I added in for extra protection. The armour is pleasantly unnoticeable, but should still work well in a crash.

Overall, I like this jacket, and it will get worn a lot this season.

Info: www.tucanourbano.com

Oxford Montreal 2.0 RRP: £129.99 ▲

“The jacket fulfilled all my expectations for a summer jacket”

Reviewer: Nick Mowbray I’ve had excellent experiences with Oxford products in the past, mainly accessories and luggage, and I’m pleased to report that the Oxford Montreal 2.0 jacket also performed admirably.

The mid-length jacket is very comfortable. There are adjustment points on the arms, collar, waist and hips. It didn’t restrict my movement and allowed me to fully stretch my arms and body. There are also air vents to allow ventilation around the jacket.

The jacket has CE-approved protectors on the shoulders and elbows (with space for a separate spine protector), reflective detailing, a removable thermal lining and a waterproof, breathable membrane. It has kept me dry and warm.

The Montreal is an excellent jacket: perfect for commuting, touring or adventure riding. At such a competitive price, I’d recommend the jacket to anyone.

Info: www.oxprod.com

Furygan Hero Evo RRP: £159.99 ▲

Reviewer: Mau The Furygan Hero Evo is a stylish lightweight summer jacket. It features an abrasion and water-resistant coated polyester outer layer, a sewn-in Furygan Skin Protect lining for further protection, and a technical lining designed to maximise breathability and comfort.

Removable D3O CE protectors are fitted to the shoulders and elbows, offering protection without restricting the freedom of movement. There’s also a pocket for an optional back protector.

The jacket feels comfortable with no restriction of limb movement. There are easy to use‘snap claws’that connect the jacket to your trouser belt preventing it riding up. They also help reduce that‘wind ballooning’ effect.

I would have liked a little more pocket space, but that aside, the jacket fulfilled all my expectations for a summer jacket; it fitted well, it didn’t feel overly heavy, and it was comfortable to wear.

Info: www.furygan.com

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