Table of contents for January 2024 in RiDE

‘Biking is still the most exciting and enjoyable thing you can do’ As I write this, I've just got back from the NEC bike show – and it was a really enjoyable experience. As well as being the busiest I've seen it for years, there was a throng of new, exciting bikes – and the clamour to see them, to sit on them, was palpable. Among the most perused was Suzuki's GSX-S1000GX, the tall-rounder version of the GT model introduced a while back. The ‘tall-rounder’ class is getting ever more popular as manufacturers look to create bikes that imbue the best qualities of adventurers and sports tourers – so if you like the riding position of an adventurer but never venture off‑road, they make a lot of sense. I was…

2024 NEW BIKES SPECIAL EASY ACCESS Like the GSX-8S, the seat height is 810mm, so it should be manageable for shorter riders. Despite our Simon's thirsty fuel economy figures on the 8S, regular riding should return in the region of 60mpg. GRINDING OUT The pegs are in the same position as on the GSX-8S. Although comfy, they can suffer from ground clearance issues. It begs the question why Suzuki hasn't given the GSX-8R more clearance… Suzuki is muscling its way into the burgeoning practical middleweight sportsbike sector with the GSX-8R twin, costing £8899 OTR. Based on the GSX-8S roadster, it becomes the fourth bike to use Suzuki's 776cc parallel twin motor – also shared by the V-Strom 800 DE and 800 RE variants. Softer sportsbikes are hot property at the…

Honda has revised and now the NX500 renamed its popular 471cc parallel twin offering for 2024, retaining the same A2-compliant performance with subtle tech upgrades. Power remains at a class-capping 47bhp at 8600rpm, with a claimed 32lb·ft at 6500rpm. All three retain their existing chassis parts, with the key changes found towards the surface. All models feature a 5in TFT dash controlled via new four-way backlit switchgear, while smartphone connection allows turn-by-turn navigation through the Honda RoadSync app. All three also receive basic traction control, too. The CB500F naked is renamed the CB500 Hornet with new bodywork inspired by the larger 755cc version, while the sportier, fully‑faired CBR500R gets changes to closer mimic its Fireblade big brother. The long-legged CB500X adventure bike is also renamed for 2024, becoming the NX500.…

Decent ergonomics The Himalayan is comfortable – the seat offers good support without being too soft, and the relationship between seat, footpegs and handlebars gives a natural-feeling riding position that also works if you stand up on trails. Taller riders will want higher bars or risers, though.  Make it your own A plethora of extras are available for road and dirt. Road-biased riders may want the hard panniers and taller screen, while adventurous riders can fit crash protection, soft panniers and a longer, flatter ‘rally’ seat.  Info overload While the dash is neat and compact with plenty of information, finding it can be fiddly. It's so far removed from the current bike – and the riders who love it – that it might be a step too far. The Google…

1 IT HANDLES AND ‘FEELS’ RIGHT Electric bikes often feel exactly what they are: built by people driven by zero-emission ideology, not by people who understand a motorcycle. The LiveWire team – now separated from Harley-Davidson – is full of people who have been riding, building and racing ‘real’ bikes, and it shows. The Del Mar has proper ride quality and support from the suspension, where many crash through holes with a general crude feel. It feels together – a premium product, with nothing standing out as cheap or poorly made. 2 IT'S LIGHT AND FAST Not ‘light for an electric bike’ – light, full stop. 198kg is a bag of sugar less than a Honda CB500X. Electric power claims aren't directly comparable to ICE bikes, but 83bhp underpinned with…

As a four-cylinder 400, the ZX-4RR's most logical twin-cylinder rivals aren't of the same capacity. Instead, it sits more comfortably against 600-700cc twins, like Yamaha's R7 and Aprilia's RS660. Of this pair, the Kawasaki is closer to the R7 in terms of both power and price – the £8910 Yam makes a claimed 72bhp. Ridden back-to-back, the Yamaha has the edge on initial acceleration and off-corner drive thanks to the 689cc twin's vastly superior torque (49lb·ft compared to the Kawasaki's 29lb·ft), but once in its groove the ZX-4RR can keep the R7 honest. Aprilia's RS660 is a cut above both the Yamaha and Kawasaki. With 100bhp on tap, superior brakes and a more superbike-like chassis, the RS660 has both the R7 and ZX-4RR on the ropes before its superior top…

Aprilia RS660 £9650 > 99bhp > 49lb·ft > 180kg (kerb) Wonderful mid-sized Italian twin with just the right amount of power for swift road riding and trackday fun. Riding position is more forgiving than it looks and the level of tech is the right side of baffling. Aprilia has just dropped the price to £9650 – a saving of £650 over the previous RRP. Yamaha R7 £8910 > 72bhp > 49lb'ft > 188kg (kerb) Punchy, lightweight and beautifully agile twin-cylinder sportsbike. The R7's appeal is to be found as much in its simplicity (no rider modes, TC or quickshifter as standard) as its willing engine and level of finish. A perfect back land scratcher, but not so good as an all-rounder on account of its low bars and unmistakably sporty…

It's got very clever preload The GSX-S1000GX has four rear preload settings. Auto mode measures payload and sets preload automatically, or the rider can manually set solo, rider + pillion, or rider + pillion + luggage. For best solo steering, set it to rider + pillion to add weight to the front end. There's no top-box option, but there is a centrestand The GSX-S1000GX takes the same 36-litre panniers as the GSX-S1000GT – colour-coded, with matching locks and the plastic rails to hold them, they'll cost around £1200 for the set. No top box, which will be sorted by the aftermarket. A centrestand is an optional extra, price to be determined in the coming weeks. The engine is superb The same unit used in the GSX-S1000GT, the 999cc inline four…

Triumph Tiger Sport 660 > £8945 > 80bhp > 206kg > 835mm seat Based on the Trident, the Tiger Sport adds a half fairing and upright riding position. Well specced as standard with 12v and USB ports, TFT dash, traction control and riding modes, you can add hard luggage, heated grips, auxiliary lights, handguards and an up/down quickshifter – turning it into a mid-sized sporty tall-rounder that can easily do longer distance. Kawasaki Versys 650 > £8129 > 66bhp > 217kg > 845mm seat Launched in 2007 and restyled in 2015, the Versys 650 shares its zippy 649cc 180° parallel twin motor with the Z650 and Ninja 650 (and various Chinese bikes). Available in trim levels including panniers, top box, fog lights, heated grips, handguards and more, it's a superb,…

DOWNLOAD THE ROUTE www.ride.co.uk Best for Adventure bikes and machines that aren't about going fast Length 58 miles Route Clitheroe, Whitewell, Dunsop Bridge, Caton, Bentham, Cross of Greet, Slaidburn, Clitheroe Love it because It takes in every kind of road and has a brilliant variety of scenery, too. Around every corner is a surprise and there are so many places to stop. Perfectly suited to leisurely riding, you'll find fun and challenge on the route and superb views everywhere. Take a picture at Jubilee Tower is a great place for a pic on a sunny day, but it's also worth a terrible selfie at the centre of the UK at Dunsop Bridge. Stop for a cuppa at Puddleducks Tea Room. Superb café with great food, a nice seating area and…

RATED THE RiDE PRODUCT TEST ‘Building a good winter glove is no mean feat’ The main requirement of winter gloves is to keep your hands warm and dry – and the ARMR Kumaji 3.0s do that brilliantly. Their combination of warmth and dryness, coupled with more-than-acceptable fit and feel, make them worthy of a Best Buy triangle. And at less than £50, they're great value. In a close second, the Knox Storms and Oxford Hamiltons scored the same marks. The Storms kept our hands dry and warmth was very good, but came at the price of bulkiness and reduced feel. The Oxfords offered excellent feel and the best warmth, but one glove allowed water in. But based on each doing different things well, both deserve a Recommended triangle. NEXT MONTH……

Rally Raid shock, £498 Rather more substantial and better damped and sprung than the rather puny OE shock. Full adjustability, too. Available in two different specs and tailored to your weight. rallyraidproducts.co.uk Michelin Trackers, £150 The CRF's OE IRC tyres aren't all that. Sack them off for these road-regal enduro tyres. They work fine on tarmac but offer great grip in mud and last 1500 miles – very good for a knobbly. michelin.co.uk Gearing, £48 Spend £13 on a 13T JT front sprocket and £35 on a Renthal 42T rear to perk up the pick-up. Fit a quality O-ring or X-ring chain while you're at it, too. jtsprockets.com, renthal.com A great introduction to the world of greenlaning with the ability to tackle slower tarmac trips, too. Honda reliability is a…

GARAGE LONG-TERM TEST BIKES UPDATE 05 THANKS TO A busy riding life that included putting big miles on the Tracer 9 GT for the tall-rounders special, it's been a quiet-ish month for MT-10. But I've still learned a lot and spent some quality time with the old girl. After a wonderfully warm autumn and the beginning of November being as mild as it comes, a late-month cold snap has been an enlightening experience. The MT-10 is a wonderful, hedonistic, pleasure-seeking summer conveyance, but I've been impressed with how well it has performed as the weather has got colder and wetter. A number of things work in its favour as the weather closes in. The first advantage is the amount of mechanical grip. In a past life I used to ride…

PETROL PRICES ARE never far from the headlines – and despite dropping from eye-watering peaks of nearly £2 per litre in summer 2022 they're heading that way again, hitting all of us in the pocket. Figures for September 2023 showed fuel costs had risen for four consecutive months, with averages for unleaded way past £1.50 per litre in August and pushing towards £1.60 in October. And that was before Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel in October, which sparked an immediate jump in the cost of crude oil on fears it will spark further instability in nearby oil-producing powerhouses like Saudi Arabia and Iran. Unsurprisingly, crude oil prices and petrol pump prices are intrinsically linked – when the former rises, the latter follows soon after. The delay between crude price changes…

KTM has revealed the 990 Duke naked, which takes over from the 890 as the firm's mid-sized sporting option. The 990 Duke will be the final stepping stone towards the firm's full-fat 177bhp 1290 Super Duke R, and produce a claimed 121bhp from its 947cc DOHC parallel twin that is Euro5+ compliant. Available in an ‘electric orange’ paint scheme that nods to the original 2005 990 Super Duke V-twin, the new model uses the twin-cylinder motor as a stressed member in a powder-coated steel frame. It comes paired with a closed-lattice swingarm, with compression and rebound-adjustable WP Apex forks as well as a rebound and preload-adjustable shock. A pair of 17in rims are shrouded in Bridgestone S22 tyres. These cast-aluminium wheels are combined with 300mm discs and dual radially-mounted four-piston…

‘Can you help with my wet-weather riding anxiety?’ Q I'VE NEVER LIKED riding in the rain, but recently I've started to get really anxious about it and can't seem to sort myself out. It's taken the edge off my motorcycling because I don't go out if it's raining and spend the whole time fretting if it starts. Short of going to a shrink or moving to the Sahara, is there anything I can do? Please don't print my name, I'd rather my riding mates didn't know. Thanks. A THE FIRST THING to say is there's no shame in feeling anxious – almost all experienced riders have felt like that about one aspect of their riding at some time. For me, it was after a big crash when I was younger…

BMW'S M1000R IS a razor-sharp, track-focused take on the brilliant S1000R Sport. It costs £4165 more – for that you get the 207bhp inline four ShiftCam engine from the S1000RR superbike. That makes it the most powerful supernaked money can buy. It has wings, slide control electronics, racier Marzocchi suspension internals and the more powerful Nissin calipers seen on the homologation-special M1000RR. Also a raft of ‘M’ bolt-ons, a belly pan, lightweight forged wheels, a lithium battery and an Akrapovic end can. But what do you do with the extra 44bhp and the jump in top speed from a claimed 158mph to 174mph? Very little on the road, but despite its venomous speed, firmer ride and brutal stopping power, it's still a friendly everyday bike. Power delivery is refined and…

KAWASAKI'S ZX-4RR IS a big deal for the lower middleweight sportsbike class. Not only is it the first all-new 400cc inline‑four machine since the mid-1990s, it's the perfect antidote to the myriad twins dominating the sector. It's also the most powerful production 400 ever, producing a claimed 76bhp at a heady 14,500rpm and able to spin on to a screaming 16,000rpm redline. At £8806 on the road, the ZX-4RR is going head to head with Yamaha's accomplished R7 and Honda's CBR650R, and even pushing towards the likes of Aprilia's fabulous RS660. Kawasaki's made no secret of the fact the ZX-4RR is heavily influenced in its design and engineering by the ZX-6R and ZX-10R, right down to its engine architecture and chassis geometry, so its credentials are more than skin deep.…

The ZX-4RR isn't a beginners’ bike, and Kawasaki isn't offering an A2 licence-friendly version. Doing so would be pointless given the A2 power limit is 47bhp and the engine doesn't produce that until 10,000rpm – restricting it would rob the motor of all its usable power. But in full-fat form it's a lot of fun. Sportsbike die-hards will love its all or nothing nature and the fact it has to be worked to give its best. While Kawasaki has opted not to bring the base ZX-4R to the UK, the RR comes with higher-spec suspension – like an SP version of the old ZXR400 – giving more experienced riders the scope to tailor the handling to their riding style. Plus it makes this version feel that bit more special than…

THERE IS NO getting away from the fact that most adventure bikes never hit the dirt, but most still work brilliantly as road bikes. Their tall riding positions, wide bars and long-travel suspension make them as adept at churning miles as they do lapping B-Road Britain. But there is always room for improvement. Enter the tall-rounder. Taking away an adventure bike's off-road capabilities but imbuing it with more grip, more agility and a tarmac-loving focus makes for some seriously compelling and versatile bikes. Tall-rounders (or adventure-style bikes with 17-in wheels) have been around for a while. We'd say the modern starting point was the 2004 Ducati Multistrada 1000, but as the biking public's backs are getting collectively more creaky, they are gaining in popularity – especially as the lines between…

DESCRIBED AS A ‘long‑distance sportsbike’ by BMW, the M1000XR (M XR) is designed to be the ultimate do-it-all bike that's as happy on country roads as it is a circuit. Following the same formula as its M-Series siblings, the M XR is heavily based around the S1000XR (S XR) but with performance-enhancing parts added to give it a sting in its tail. By using this pattern, BMW has created a bike that, while boasting an impressive spec, is tantalisingly close to the standard model in terms of price. So, what extras do you get? The M XR is powered by the M-Series and runs ShiftCam with the bulk of its torque made over a wider rev range than the S XR. So in reality it has far more midrange as…

Abus Granit Victory XPlus 68 £104.99 mobil.abus.com THE CLAIM “Rounded form makes it difficult for thieves to get a hold and the 14mm locking bolt made from extra-hardened steel makes a clear statement.” THE REALITY This latest disc lock from Abus is slightly different from those we tested in last month's issue – it features a pin that goes through the disc into the lock itself, making it compact to use and carry. This example is approved to Sold Secure's Diamond level for powered cycles and is easy to use – unlock, insert the pin and lock It either comes with a separate reminder cable or, as here, an integrated version. Serious protection for a great price – shop around and you'll get it for less than the RRP.…

Schuberth S3 £419.99-£419.99 www.bikerheadz.co.uk I've been using this helmet since introducing it last month – and I'm impressed. All its first impressions remain – low weight and noise levels, great visibility and venting, and customisable fit – and the more I use it, the more I like it. As mentioned last month, I used to not get on with Schuberth helmets because of my head shape, but the custom fit option eliminated any tight spots. In fact, now it's settled in I'm going to visit the dealer to tighten it slightly – that's the beauty of the system. Venting is great and vision is excellent. It's a brilliant day-to-day lid. Jim Blackstock XCP Cleaner & Degreaser (5L) £19.99 www.xcp-protection.com The winner of a Recommended triangle in our bike washes test,…

FINAL UPDATE I WOULD SAY 2023 has been the year I've fallen back in love with middleweights – and the Triumph Tiger Sport 660 will hold a special place in my heart thanks to its versatility and ease of use. I've used the bike for commuting and leisure, but it proved its worth on the run to Germany that I wrote about last month. From the first ride of the Tiger, I've loved the characteristics of the three-cylinder engine. There's so much midrange stomp, which means it pulls hard in every gear and never feels out of breath. The sound is intoxicating – and the 2000-odd miles I've done in the past couple of months have been a breath of fresh air. It's also proof that you don't need a…

YOUR RIDES MY FAVOURITE RIDE SUSSEX AND KENT ROMP  RIDE READER TOMASZ KOLODZIEJ Tomasz comes originally from Katowice in Poland (“close to the Czech border – great roads”). He's been living in the UK for 10 years or so – working in restaurants at first – but these days he's a salesman at Vines BMW in Guildford. WE'D ORIGINALLY PLANNED to start at Botley but because I was coming up from the West Country and heading to Essex that evening, it made sense to reverse the route and start at Billy's on the Road, near Billingshurst. “It doesn't matter,” says Tomasz over coffee. “It's good either way. Ashdown Forest is just spectacular.” Tomasz has been riding since 2011, starting out with sportsbikes. “I did a few trackdays, but a couple…

BMW R1250GS > 59.5mpg > 134bhD > 106lb-ft A big engine doesn't have to be thirsty, and BMW's perennial bestseller proves it with nearly 60mpg. The new R1300GS is nearly as good at 58.8mpg. Royal Enfield Continental GT > 72mpg > 47bhp > 38lb-ft Air-cooled engines are theoretically less efficient than water-cooled ones, but at more than 70mpg Royal Enfield's twin begs to differ. Honda NC750X >80.8mpg > 58bhp > 51lb-ft The NC750X was designed with fuel consumption as a priority – and proves it with more than 80mpg. Honda C125 > 188.4mpg > 9.6bhp > 7.7lb-ft You can't mention economy without thinking of the Honda Cub. The latest version's injected 125cc engine manages nearly 190mpg in standardised tests. Economy figures based on World Motorcycle Test Cycle data. We reckon…

2024 NEW BIKES SPECIAL Meet the LXP Orioli: MV Agusta's first production adventure bike. Based on the Lucky Explorer 9.5 concept, the 931cc three-cylinder machine is inspired by the Cagiva Elefant ridden to victory in the 1990 Dakar Rally by Edi Orioli, after whom it's named. It's being released as a first edition for now, limited to 500 units and expected to cost in the region of €30,000 (about £26,000). Just a handful of parts are shared with MV's existing 798cc triple – the intake and exhaust valves, oil pump and part of the transmission. Claimed weight is 257kg and power 122bhp at 10,000rpm. Torque sits at 75lb·ft, with 85% available from 3000rpm. Controlling that power is a six-axis IMU, which unlocks a number of lean-sensitive electronic aids. It has…

WHEN THE ROYAL Enfield Himalayan launched in 2016 it garnered an army of fans with its simplicity, character and sub‑£5k price tag. Fast‑forward seven years and the all-new Himalayan aims to keep its core market happy while attracting a new sector of the market. Enfield's first-ever liquid-cooled engine, their first use of double overhead cams and their first foray into ride-by-wire throttle replace the 24bhp 2v, SOHC air-cooled engine that was even carburetted for the Indian market. The new engine is 10kg lighter and now boasts 40bhp and 30lb·ft of torque – an improvement of 16bhp and 6lb·ft. The impressive torque figure (10lb·ft more than the Honda CRF300, 2lb·ft more than the KTM 390 Adventure claims) is down to it retaining a comparatively long stroke that will happily plod and…

ROYAL ENFIELD HAS tapped into its glorious history with the re-imagining of one of its greatest hits – the Bullet 350. It uses the same chassis and 20bhp ‘J-series’ single as the firm's Meteor, Hunter 350 and Classic 350. It's the priciest of the line-up but still only £4629 (and £65 per month on PCP). Performance is on par with a 125, but there's enough power to keep up with traffic and hit an eventual 80mph. There's lots of usable grunt – and the fact it's happy to plod along as you enjoy the scenery is the joy of the Bullet 350. Power is delivered smoothly, the fuelling perfect and it's far more refined than Bullets of old. Royal Enfield has remastered its greatest hit The shift through the widely-spaced…

There's no denying that the ZX-4RR is peaky, especially compared to its twin-cylinder opposition. A claimed 76bhp is extremely impressive from a mere 399cc, too. But you've got to work the motor hard to get the best out of it – usable power is between 10,000-14,500rpm. Short-shifting is pointless, unless riding through town or caught in traffic. At A-road speeds it's best to keep the engine charging in third, fourth or fifth gear. Do that and the ZX-4RR is brisk, responsive and fun. So, no, the ZX-4RR isn't too peaky for the road, you simply have to use the gears to extract the best from it. Luckily the standard-fitment quickshifter makes light work of ratio changes, so keeping the engine on the boil is easy once you erase all notions…

Although Ducati has just released the Multistrada V4 RS, with a price tag of £31,995 (and limited in its production), it is even more lairy – so the BMW's natural competitor is the £26,761 Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak. Powered by the Granturismo version of the firm's V4 (the RS runs the superbike-spec Desmosedici Stradale), the Pikes Peak breaks from the current Multistrada normal by introducing a 17in front wheel where the other models run 19in fronts. It also gets a single-sided swingarm, wider rims, lightweight wheels and Öhlins Smart EC2.0 suspension (as used on the firm's sportsbikes) whereas the Multi V4 S runs Skyhook semi‑active suspension with a conventional swingarm. And it's good. Very good… The more sports-targeted Multi model brings with it an extra feeling of fun through its…

THE BIKE AHEAD elbows through the trudge and drudge of morning traffic with more vim, aplomb and elan than most on a daily commute at the tail end of autumn. But that's the effect KTM's explosive 890 SMT has on suggestible RiDE magazine editors called Matt – give ‘em a KTM and watch as they kick off like a firework. I'm behind on the Yamaha Tracer 9 GT, new-for-2024 extra pannier girth holding us back a fraction on the more industrial overtakes, but sparkling triple midrange grunt fully intact and easily making the ground back up to the KTM with an exquisite soupçon of mid-morning drama. We're making our way from RiDE HQ to the start of a day's blat along the north Norfolk coast, starting at Sunny Hunny –…

THE FACTS Roads A lovely 58-mile afternoon ride through some amazing scenery and past points of stunning natural beauty, taking in everything from TT-like moorland passes to nadgery C-roads barely wider than your handlebars. Why it's great Quite simply, there is no one around. So, if you're the kind of rider who's sick of the congestion of the Peak District, this is right for you. When to go You'll need your thermal kit if you choose deep midwinter, but for the rest of the year it's very doable. Even in the summer holidays, it doesn't get too busy. Where to visit There's lots of good places if you like hiking, but we'd combine the route with a day at Inch Perfect Trials and make weekend of it. ‘Every mile in…

Motorex Viso-Clean £8.42 (for 6) www.bickers-online.co.uk THE CLAIM “Quickly and effectively loosens and removes dust, insects, oil residue, etc. Contains one wet wipe and one dry, and fits in any small bag.” THE REALITY These are awesome. They remove all road grime and if you leave the wet part on the visor for a few moments, they loosen dried-on bugs. Dry wipe buffs off all smears and marks, leaving the visor sparkling. Not cheap, but very, very effective. VisioDry rain repellent £13.99 (15ml) visiodry.fr THE CLAIM “New generation of water repellent that guarantees perfect vision in the wet, even when stationary.” THE REALITY This stuff is brilliant – applied properly, rain bounces off. In our test one small section didn't, so we must have had some form of contaminant there.…

EVERY MOTORCYCLIST FEELS the lure of the lanes, but the transition from tarmac to looser surfaces is daunting. Honda's CRF250L is the bike to take you there. The CRF250L appeared in 2012 and remained in the range until 2021, when it was replaced by the CRF300. Its 23bhp single-cylinder engine – sourced from the CBR250R and retuned – is good for 80mph, but this is beyond its sweet spot. While the on-the-road price was low and some appointments – such as the suspension and steel frame – basic, the overall package was good: robust plastics, lustrous finish, clear LCD dash. It might lack the focus of the dedicated enduro-type machines, but that adds to the CRF250L's appeal for those dipping their new off-road boots in the dirt. The CRF250L received…

‘137k miles and it's as strong as ever’ David Pape's BMW F800GS Adventure eats up the miles both commuting and on RoSPA duties – all while sipping fuel and oil Name David Pape, 67 Bike 2013 BMW F800GS Adventure Total Miles 137,800 Miles per year 10,000 “I BOUGHT IT from a good friend with 110,000 miles on it,” says David. “It has a full BMW service history – they've had to add pages as they ran out of space in the handbook. I get a constant 58mpg commuting, although at weekends that can drop if I'm out with other RoSPA riders (I'm a Gold Pass holder) as it can be a spirited ride with them.” Despite the high mileage, David says the GSA uses hardly any oil. “I check it…