KTM is also building a joint factory with CFMoto in China with an estimated output of more than half a million bikes a year.
From 2021, the factory will make all KTM models powered by the new 799cc parallel-twin for the world market.
That doesn’t mean they won’t build other models.
Perhaps some of these new models may only be available for the Asian market, but we think all would have wider acceptance across the world.
It should be a big year for the KTM group who also own Husqvarna and in August acquired GasGas.
Husqvarna Norden 901
Husky recently confirmed they will produce the 901 Norden adventure bike in 2020 and GasGas say they will move into the street market just like KTM Husqvarna.
Last month, he completed the second failed jump over a barbed wire fence from the 1963 World War II POW film, The Great Escape on a specially prepared Triumph Scrambler 1200.
The bike was modified with different suspension, a lot of weight stripped off, punchy little exhaust and god knows what else under the skin.
Guy even had his trademark unkempt hair cut to look just like McQueen’s!
The jump was aired on the UK’s Channel 4 and you had to be a British TV licence holder to watch it.
The video is not yet on Guy’s or Channel 4’s YouTube channel nor social media and there is no word yet on when it will be available.
Meanwhile, here is the preparation video.
Next stunt for Guy
Guy’s next stunt will be to break the 300mph (482.8km/h) speed barrier on a motorcycle within a mile (1.6km).
The last person to attempt the record, Bill Warner, crashed and died after a tyre failure.
“If anything goes wrong, if it all goes to shit, they’re all right,” says Guy. “Sharon and Dot are all right, and the dogs, Nigel and Steve.”
The King of Every Kingdom Around the world on a very small motorcycle
With J. Peter “The Bear” Thoeming
Last instalment The Bear travelled from India into Pakistan, and now the journey continues, starting with some sound advice. Beware the ice and the hornets – those are among the lessons we were to learn in Pakistan.
Pakistan
There was a dire shortage of pens at the Pakistani border post. All the guards kept borrowing each other’s, which tended to slow things down a bit. I finally donated one of my treasured Nikkos to the bloke who was processing us and we were through in seconds. My second case of bribery, but a cheap one.
On the dusty road to Lahore we noticed the difference in road manners compared to India. Everybody was much more together and aggressive, which made the traffic rather more predictable if also potentially lethal.
A quick maintenance stop. I think Charlie is tightening something on my bike.
The Australian AA guide book gave us a bum steer to the location of the Pakistan AA guest house. They didn’t even have the right street. As a result it took us hours to find it, and we were sorry when we did.
It wasn’t so much the decaying cars outside or yet the mould on the walls and the broken windows, it was the constant drip of every tap in the place that bothered me. We took it anyway, because it was also dirt cheap. Then we set off to find some food and cheer ourselves up.
The Capri Grill in the Mall provided excellent chicken livers and terrible chips. The Mall itself was well worth a look, with the enormous Zam Zam gun referred to in Kipling’s Kim at one end and the slums discreetly tucked away at the other.
But even so Lahore is quite a leafy and attractive place; its Red Mosque is allegedly the largest in the world. You can go and look at it, too, which makes a change from all the closed houses of worship some religions go in for, which seems a bit self-defeating to me.
The road to Rawalpindi looked like a left-over set from a disaster movie. It was difficult to decide whether it was being repaired or had simply been abandoned. We weren’t clear of the monsoon yet, either, so we rode in a downpour most of the day. My speedometer cable broke, too, but at least the weather was warm.
Ad hoc engineering is of a remarkably high standard considering the raw materials.
All the cheap hotels in ’Pindi were mysteriously full, and we wondered for a while if we had a disease that the hoteliers could see and we couldn’t. A kindly gentleman explained that the government doesn’t allow cheap hotels to rent rooms to Europeans; whiteys have to go to the expensive ones.
His cousin, however, happened to own the Alia Hotel, which was not too expensive, clean and comfortable and had room for the bikes in the lobby as well as an ensuite bathroom and toilet. This turned out to be just as well…
At dinner across the road, while trying to choose between the usual gristly mutton, athletic chicken and slimy marrow curries, we drank some bottled water with ice in. The ice, as we should have known, was a mistake.
Our reward was a painful case of the Rawalpindi Runs. Both of us featured delicate pale green faces, dizziness, diarrhea and vomiting – for three days. Hence the convenience of the ensuite conveniences. It had actually never occurred to me that, when someone says “I turned green,” they might be speaking literally. As Eccles says, you learn something every day.
Somehow amongst all that we still managed to get out to the Afghani Embassy in nearby Islamabad, Pakistan’s Canberra, to apply for visas. Here they explained that the visa section was at Nigeria House, across the town.
Who said there’s no cooperation among Third World nations? On the way we had to stop several times and remove our wet weather gear. Well the pants anyway. We reached Nigeria House and, yes, we could get visas, for seven days.
Come back tomorrow to collect them. It beats me why you always have to wait for visas, when all they are is a stamp in your passport. It’s just attempted intimidation. But then I wasn’t exactly in the best possible mood.
That’s a military area of some kind over there. I shouldn’t have taken this photo!
We picked up the visas when we had recovered a little and headed for the border. Within the first couple of miles we were both stung by monster wasps, the side of my face swelling up until I looked like a Dick Tracy character. Bubbleface, perhaps.
Fortunately I got my helmet off before the swelling really got going; otherwise I might have been trapped in it. Apart from that the road north was pretty dull, but enlivened by the marvellously colourful trucks and buses; the paintings on some of them would be the envy of any California customiser.
Peshawar, especially the military cantonment, was pretty and green.
At the gate to the Khyber road, there’s a sign that warns you that once past the gate you’re on your own — the government takes no responsibility for you. During the hours of darkness nobody is allowed in at all. It’s not terribly hard to see why they’re so careful.
All the male locals carry bandoliers and well-used .303 rifles, and they look tough. These are the Pathans of song and story, and they’d make it to president in any bikie patch club I’ve ever seen – without even riding a bike.
The road through the pass is surprisingly good, although infested by cars and pick-up trucks all carrying more passengers than you’d think possible. They take the boot lids off the cars and passengers sit there and on the roof rack while the family of the driver travels inside. Everybody grins and waves, which takes the edge off the universal toughness a bit.
Getting into the Khyber Pass. It’s every bit as forbidding as it looks.
Up through the pass the cliffs are lined with the badges of British and Indian regiments that fought here. There are a lot of badges. Villages feature high walls and watchtowers.
The border town is called Tor Khan and consists of a number of mud huts collectively defying gravity. One of the more ragged-looking edifices is the Tourist Hotel, which, while it may not have running water, does have cold beer as well as a very entertaining proprietor.
Another form of entertainment in Tor Khan is gun shopping. Every shop – even the soft drink bar – has its display of small arms. These are all locally made, despite the lovingly forged “Smith & Wesson” and “Birmingham Small Arms” badges featured on the guns. Beautiful workmanship, though. I guess it would have to be. A warranty problem could lead to some pretty serious results up here.
At the market in Tor Khan. There’s no shortage of beans.
Will we find ourselves at gunpoint in the Khyber Pass? No, we’re just forced to buy insurance… Tune in to Part 12 to read the full story.
Three brands, three middleweights, three engine configurations, three very distinct personalities. Which one are you? Photos by Kevin Wing.
Three riders walk into a dealership…. (I know it sounds like the start of a bad joke but bear with me.) All three are in the market for a new middleweight motorcycle, and each has a unique style and riding experience in mind. They’re in luck — thanks to a challenging economy, increasing growth in female ridership and a need to attract younger riders, manufacturers are doubling down on the small- and midsize-displacement market, meaning there’s a middleweight machine out there for just about anyone. We gathered three of the newest for an unorthodox Comparo Review; rather than pitting them against each other in a head-to-head battle, we thought instead we’d focus on each one’s unique personality. So here we are, the door just swung closed behind us, and our first rider already seems to know exactly what he wants.
We find him standing next to the Honda CB650R, where he’s admiring the waterfall of header pipes cascading from its 649cc, liquid-cooled, DOHC in-line four. The replacement for the stale CB650F, this fresh CB650R rounds out Honda’s Neo-Sports Café lineup, slotting in between the CB300R and CB1000R released for the 2018 model year.
Honda gave the middleweight CB more than just a facelift, with new wheels, an updated steel frame and a new, smaller fuel tank that combine to drop a claimed 9.2 pounds (11.6 pounds on the ABS version), a new inverted 41mm Showa fork with adjustable preload, a slightly more aggressive riding position and a redesigned airbox. The engine got a few tweaks as well, with new pistons and valve timing and a redline that’s been bumped up 1,000 rpm to 13,000. Also new this year is optional HSTC (traction control), which is only available on the ABS-equipped model and can be switched on and off on the fly.
Liquid-cooled, DOHC in-line four is the most potent of the trio, with 83 peak horsepower on tap.Switchable HSTC (traction control) is only available on the ABS model (which our test bike was not). LCD gauge includes range to empty, fuel gauge, gear indicator and a clock.
The result is a seriously sporty machine that will pluck at the heartstrings of any rider yearning for the howl of a rev-happy in-line four in an affordable, fun-to-go-fast package. This is a bike that’s happiest when wound up, with the real action not kicking in until about 6,000 rpm. Per the Jett Tuning dyno, the CB650R spins out a respectable 83 horsepower at 11,000 rpm, with torque topping out at 43 lb-ft at 8,200. “Go fast or go home,” says our rider as he swings a leg over the nearly 32-inch seat.
Footpegs are just a tad higher and farther back than before and the wide, flat handlebar is lower and more forward, but the riding position is still relatively comfortable, especially when compared to the drop-down sport position of our other two comparo bikes. With suspension front and rear being preload-adjustable, it’s easier to find a happy medium for sporting canyon runs and bombing around town, and powerful radial-mount, 4-piston front brakes pinching big 320mm discs provide more than enough stopping power. As someone unaccustomed to an in-line four with less engine braking than a twin, I was happy for the peace of mind those brakes offered when winding things up on a twisty road. While the CB could be a good first bike (Honda says 25% of its 650cc bikes are bought by first-timers), it’s got enough juice to keep an experienced rider happily entertained.
“And,” smiles our first rider as we wander away, “it’s the right color: red.”
It might be fair to say that rider number two is the polar opposite; he’s drawn to the Kawasaki W800 Cafe, a new model (in the U.S. and Canada) for 2019 that evokes the look and spirit of the original 1966 W1. For him, sheer performance numbers aren’t a priority, but rather classic good looks and a timeless sense of style — although a few modern conveniences like a bright LED headlight, ABS and fuel injection don’t hurt.
With the possible exception of the paint, which is a polarizing metal-flake-brown and silver combo (I happen to like it), the W800 checks all the retro-loving riders’ boxes in the appearance department. Central to that is the 773cc air-cooled, SOHC vertical twin, with its distinctive bevel gear shaft-driven cam and 360-degree firing interval. Despite its balance shaft the engine vibrates significantly at idle and throughout most of the powerband, but the wide-ratio 5-speed gearbox shifts smoothly (thanks in part to the assist-and-slipper clutch) and the chrome peashooter mufflers burble modestly. “It’s got character,” shrugs our rider.
Air-cooled parallel twin looks the part, but vibrates excessively at lower rpm and idle. ABS is standard on the single front and rear discs.Classic round gauges include analog speedometer and tachometer and LCD trip info; there is no gear indicator, fuel gauge or consumption data.
That character extends outward from the engine, with the old school double-cradle frame that was designed using Kawasaki’s advanced dynamic analysis software for new school handling, 18-inch spoked wheels rolling on tube-type Dunlop K300 GP rubber, dual rear preload-adjustable shocks, a 41mm gaitered fork and a classic clubman drop-down handlebar. The 31-inch two-tone seat is comfortable enough for about an hour at a time, and the riding position is sporty yet civilized.
Mid-mount footpegs will drag early, the vertical twin generates a middling 46.7 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 44 lb-ft torque at 4,600, and the two brake discs, one front and one rear, both with 2-piston calipers and standard ABS, aren’t up to true sport riding levels, but that’s not what the W800 is all about. Cruising city streets and weekend jaunts into the countryside are what it was made to do, and you’re almost guaranteed to draw some admiring eyeballs when you get to your destination.
Now where did our third rider go? Ah, she discovered the Suzuki SV650X, which mixes the best of both worlds — sporty and retro — and also happens to be a time-tested, proven platform that’s been pasting smiles on faces since 1999, the year the original SV650 launched. In the intervening 20 years there have been S models with clip-ons and half fairings, but in my opinion this new-for-2019 café-racer X variation is the most true to the SV650’s spirit.
The bones haven’t changed: it’s still powered by the same 645cc liquid-cooled, DOHC, 90-degree V-twin that pulls strongly from idle to its peak of 69.3 horsepower at 8,700 rpm and 43.3 lb-ft of torque at 8,100, wrapped in a familiar steel trellis frame. Dual 290mm discs with 2-piston calipers up front and a single 240mm/1-piston combo at the rear work well, and ABS is standard. It’s shod with the best tires of the trio, grippy Dunlop Roadsmart IIIs.
If it ain’t broke…. Liquid-cooled 645cc 90-degree V-twin is still tractable and fun.The SV gets standard ABS and solid if not great braking performance.LCD gauge is simple and easy to read, with range to empty, a fuel gauge, a gear indicator and a clock.
The SV650X also continues to be one of the most user-friendly middleweights out there; nearly everything about it is approachable, from its one-touch Easy Start feature and Low RPM Assist that automatically raises engine speed when releasing the clutch, to its 31-inch seat, narrow waist, predictable powerband and no-frills, easy to read, comprehensive LCD gauge.
It’s responsive and stable, cool as a cucumber, never demanding too much of its rider even when the road gets twisty, and with some suspension work it could be a great track day warrior. Best of all, it doesn’t need to be wrung out in order to have fun, and is equally happy munching through traffic or carving up canyons — though not for hours on end. The fairly long reach to the clip-ons requires a strong core, lest too much weight is placed on the hands, and the low seat and tallish footpegs create an aching need to stretch out cramped-up knees. That said, if you’re young enough, fit enough and/or willing to rest often enough, the SV650X is a cool ride that looks, feels and sounds great.
The Choice
So which one am I? The Kawasaki looks the part, but its annoying vibration, squishy suspension, uninspiring power and high price tag are turnoffs. The quick, flickable Honda is a hoot to ride, but my personal preference is for low-end grunt over a high-strung in-line four. I don’t have a long commute and we have plenty of more appropriate touring bikes in the Rider garage, so for cruising around town and half-day blasts up the local canyons, the cool-as-a-cucumber Suzuki best matched my personality. Wait…does that make me the “cool kid”?
Jett Tuning Dyno results for the 2019 Honda CB650R, Kawasaki W800 Cafe and Suzuki SV650X.Jett Tuning Dyno results for the 2019 Honda CB650R, Kawasaki W800 Cafe and Suzuki SV650X.The Suzuki’s low and forward clip-ons demand youth or stamina, or both. The Kawi’s clubman requires a less dramatic lean, while the Honda is upright and all-day comfy.
Frame: Twin-spar steel w/ aluminum swingarm Wheelbase: 57 in. Rake/Trail: 32 degrees/4.0 in. Seat Height: 31.9 in. Suspension, Front: 41mm USD fork, adj. for preload, 4.25-in. travel Rear: Single link-type shock, adj. for preload, 5.04-in. travel Brakes, Front: Dual 320mm discs w/ opposed 4-piston radial calipers Rear: Single 240mm disc w/ 1-piston pin-slide caliper Wheels, Front: Cast, 3.50 x 17 in. Rear: Cast, 5.50 x 17 in. Tires, Front: 120/70-ZR17 Rear: 180/55-ZR17 Wet Weight: 441 lbs. Load Capacity: 342 lbs. GVWR: 783 lbs.
Performance
Fuel Capacity: 4.1 gals., last 0.8 gal. fuel light on MPG: 86 AKI min. (low/avg/high) 43.0/45.3/48.2 Estimated Range: 186 miles Indicated RPM at 60 MPH: 4,250
Photo by Kevin Wing.
2019 Kawasaki W800 Cafe Specs
Base Price: $9,799 Warranty: 1yr., unltd. miles Website: kawasaki.com
Engine
Type: Air-cooled parallel twin Displacement: 773cc Bore x Stroke: 77.0 x 83.0mm Compression Ratio: 8.4:1 Valve Train: SOHC, 4 valves per cyl. Valve Insp. Interval: 7,600 miles Fuel Delivery: DFI w/34mm throttle bodies x 2 Lubrication System: Wet sump, 3.4-qt. cap. Transmission: 5-speed, cable-actuated assist-and-slipper wet clutch Final Drive: O-ring chain
Electrical
Ignition: Digital Charging Output: 154 watts max. Battery: 12V 10AH
Chassis
Frame: Double-cradle steel w/ steel swingarm Wheelbase: 57.7 in. Rake/Trail: 26 degrees/3.7 in. Seat Height: 31.1 in. Suspension, Front: 41mm fork, non-adj., 5.1-in. travel Rear: Twin shocks, adj. for preload, 4.2-in. travel Brakes, Front: Single 320mm disc w/ 2-piston caliper & ABS Rear: Single 270mm disc w/ 2-piston caliper & ABS Wheels, Front: Spoked tube-type, 2.50 x 18 in. Rear: Spoked tube-type, 3.00 x 18 in. Tires, Front: 100/90-H18 Rear: 130/80-H18 Wet Weight: 488 lbs. Load Capacity: 407 lbs. GVWR: 895 lbs.
Performance
Fuel Capacity: 4.0 gals., last 1.1 gal. fuel light on MPG: 87 AKI min. (low/avg/high) 34.1/40.3/52.9 Estimated Range: 161 miles Indicated RPM at 60 MPH: 3,500
Photo by Kevin Wing.
2019 Suzuki SV650X Specs
Base Price: $8,399 Warranty: 1yr., unltd. miles Website: suzukicycles.com
Engine
Type: Liquid-cooled 90-degree V-twin Displacement: 645cc Bore x Stroke: 81.0 x 62.6mm Compression Ratio: 11.2:1 Valve Train: DOHC, 4 valves per cyl. Valve Insp. Interval: 14,500 miles Fuel Delivery: DFI w/ SDTV & 39mm throttle bodies x 2 Lubrication System: Wet sump, 2.9-qt. cap. Transmission: 6-speed, cable-actuated wet clutch Final Drive: O-ring chain
Frame: Steel trellis w/ steel beam-type swingarm Wheelbase: 56.9 in. Rake/Trail: 25 degrees/4.2 in. Seat Height: 31.1 in. Suspension, Front: 41mm fork, non-adj., 4.9-in. travel Rear: Single link-type shock, adj. for preload, 5.1-in. travel Brakes, Front: Dual 290mm discs w/ 2-piston floating calipers & ABS Rear: Single 240mm disc w/ 1-piston caliper & ABS Wheels, Front: Cast, 3.50 x 17 in. Rear: Cast, 5.00 x 17 in. Tires, Front: 120/70-ZR17 Rear: 160/60-ZR17 Wet Weight: 437 lbs. Load Capacity: 488 lbs. GVWR: 925 lbs.
Performance
Fuel Capacity: 3.8 gals., last 1.1 gal. fuel light on MPG: 87 AKI min. (low/avg/high) 38.9/53.1/58.7 Estimated Range: 202 miles Indicated RPM at 60 MPH: 4,250
A new Polaris Slingshot on the way was no big secret. Now Polaris teases with a 15-second vid showing an angular nose adorned with daytime running lights and a bright bar of LEDs, along with a quick rev of its new engine.
Last November, Chief Detective Chung uncovered a bunch of information about the new Slingshot after it made an appearance at Polaris’ dealer show – including design drawings of a new DOHC inline four, probably of Polaris’ own manufacture, that looks like it will replace the General Motors 2.4 Ecotec four-banger the Slingshot’s used since its inception.
One thing Polaris has already confirmed is that the new Sling will be available with an automatic transmission for the first time, which will definitely make it even more accessible to the huddled masses yearning to breathe free. Polaris says it will release more info shortly.
Like the tides, motorcycle model “platforms”—their basic engineering architecture—ebb and flow…or rather, flow and ebb. At launch they’re atop the world, often supported by global marketing or factory racing initiatives and bought by trendy early adopters. That’s the advancing tide, so to speak, of a product’s life span. Then come the peak sales years, upgrades, and improvements, which are akin to high tide. And finally, inevitably and irreversibly, the product becomes outmoded and updates, tweaks, and BNG (bold new graphics) can no longer keep it competitive. You guessed it: That’s low tide. And it’s also where shrewd buyers swoop in, like plovers racing to grab tasty sand crabs exposed by the falling tide.
But which model year to grab? Logically, by the last year of any platform, the kinks are worked out and the product is refined to the best extent possible before the next platform is released—whereupon value sadly plummets. This is tough for the owners of those bikes, but it’s great for buyers. According to this strategy, here is our “Such a Deal!” look at outmoded used (or to use the PC vernacular, “pre-owned”) adventure bikes. Prices shown are courtesy of the online NADA guide, as noted.
2012 BMW R1200GS
BMW invented the “modern” ADV segment in 1980 with the original R80GS, before the globe-trotting boxer began its upward march in displacement to R100GS and R1100GS levels. Next up, the R1200GS represents the last evolution of air-cooled BMW ADVs before the liquid-cooled R1250GS debuted for 2013. If you’re bargain hunting, focus your quest on the R1200GS and leave the “Adventure” model to the purists—they’ll attract a premium on the used market at collectibles.
For literal globe-trotting, there’s nothing like a big air-cooled BMW boxer with shaft drive and a reputation for durability and longevity. But for technical work, experience and finesse rule.BMW
2017 Ducati Multistrada 1200
With a Multistrada V4 simmering in Ducati’s own hell’s kitchen, it won’t be long before the long-running V-twin models have potent company. And this bodes well for bargain buyers looking for some Italian adventure-touring glam. The “Multi” first revved up in 992cc form for 2003, then expanded to 1,198cc for 2010, and then 1,262cc for 2018. As such, look for a 2017 Multistrada 1200 and enjoy truly high-tech at a used-bike price.
A superbike with a dirty mind, that’s the Ducati Multistrada. Roughly translated, the bike’s name means “many roads”—and that’s just what the popular “Multi” can do.Ducati
2003 Honda Africa Twin
Honoring the original Paris-Dakar rally that finished in western Africa from the 1970s to early 2000s, the V-twin Africa Twin has grown from its original 650cc XRV650 form to 750cc XRV750T, and then to the current literbike, the CRF1000L. Following our logic to grab the last of the previous generation bikes, the 2003 XRV750T commands attention with its rally styling with dual headlights, a huge skid plate, and fork and brake guards.
Think you can ride? Work up to this maneuver on a hefty Africa Twin and you’ve got our attention. The image proves that Honda’s ADV can, in fact, enable real adventuring.Honda
2016 KTM 1190 Adventure
KTM has been at the V-twin ADV game since 2003, when the original 950 Adventure debuted. A Dakar-style bike for good reason, it followed the Austrian company’s first win in the world-famous race. In rapid-fire order, various 990, 1090, 1190, and 1290 Adventure, Adventure R, and Super Adventure models followed. The 2017 1090 Adventure R was stellar, winning Cycle World’s Best Adventure Bike honors. For a deal though, train your scope on a 2016 1190 Adventure.
Austria’s close to glaciers and fjords and stuff, right—or is that Austin or Australia? We get so confused… Regardless, this image fills the mind with just the kind of trip you can, in fact, take on a KTM ADV.KTM
2016 Suzuki V-Strom 650
Following the debut of the big V-Strom 1000 by two years, the V-Strom 650 quickly gained a loyal following due to its lower price point, lighter weight and nimbler handling, lower insurance costs, and better fuel economy. For a lot of riders—including Iron Butt types—it actually became the bike of choice for commuting, touring, and vagabonding. An improved second-gen V-Strom 650 dropped for 2012 and then sunsetted in 2016, making way for the current V-Strom 650 XT. Grab a 2016 model for a song.
Why bother with a bagger or tussle with a tourer when you can do it all aboard a V-Strom 1000? Yes, there’s only slightly more ground clearance than an iguana’s, but aside from that, Suzuki’s grande ’Strom gets it on.Suzuki
2017 Triumph Tiger Explorer XC
The Tiger nameplate has enjoyed a long run at Triumph—more than 80 years. But most recently, the nomenclature defines the company’s ADV bikes, including the impressive three-cylinder Tiger Explorer XR and XC. Three “generations” define this nameplate: 1) 2011–’15; 2) 2016–’17; and 3) 2018–present. The changes are evolutionary rather than revolutionary. In our humble opinion, explore your way to a 2017 Explorer XC, which features off-pavement features such as spoked wheels.
Ted Simon circled the globe on a Triumph in the 1970s, and then wrote the book Jupiter’s Travels. Forty years later, and the Explorer is Triumph’s prepackaged equivalent ride.Triumph
2013 Yamaha Super Ténéré
A mere 30 years (!) after BMW launched its R80GS globe-trotter, Yamaha finally followed with a big ADV of its own, the Super Ténéré. Featuring an 1,199cc parallel twin instead of a boxer or V-twin layout made it unique, and at 575 pounds it was likewise a bit chunky for dirt work—named though it was for a region of the Sahara. The original Super Ténéré came to America as a 2012 model, and the Super Ténéré ES with electrically adjustable suspension followed for 2014. And so, for a “best deal,” look for a 2013 Super Ténéré—the last year before the upscale ES version arrived.
Yamaha launched the first made-for-America enduro bike, the DT-1, in 1968. Comparatively, the Super Ténéré is like SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft: Strap in and chase the horizon.Yamaha
Gloucester-based Smiths Racing and Peter Hickman have swapped their Supersport Triumph Peter HickmanDaytona 675 for a Yamaha YZF-R6 in 2020, adding the 600cc machine to their already confirmed plans for the Superbike, Superstock and Lightweight classes where they will campaign BMW S1000RR and Norton Superlight machinery respectively.
The team have enjoyed a long and successful period with the Triumph 675 including winning the British Supersport Championship on two occasions, with Australians Glen Richards and Billy McConnell, as well as taking Isle of Man Supersport TT race victories with Hickman and Gary Johnson. Hickman’s win in the second Supersport TT race of 2019 followed four successive podium finishes around the Mountain Course whilst he also took a hat-trick of wins last year at the Ulster Grand Prix.
Peter Hickman – Supersport TT 2019
However, due to the lack of new parts to update the Triumph compared to the new generation Yamaha, they have decided to switch to Yamaha power in 2020, with the R6 being a much more up-to-date machine as well is being a consistent race winner in both the British Supersport Championship and at the International road races.
Peter Hickman
“We’re all really looking forward to 2020 and having the official BMW support for the first time is a big thing for us as we’re a privately-run, small team so to get that recognition is absolutely fantastic and nothing short of what, I feel, the team deserves – what we’ve achieved over the last three years has been pretty epic! We’re also running the Norton Superlight and carrying out all of the development work on the 650 Superlight which the team have already got in pieces and set to work on to hopefully turn the bike into a race winner at the TT.
“Finally, we’ve made the decision to change from the Triumph to the Yamaha in the Supersport class for the International road races which will obviously be a bit different to the last three years. We’ve had an awesome time with the Triumph and it’s been absolutely brilliant with the win at last year’s TT and all three victories at the Ulster Grand Prix being phenomenal. The little Daytona has done a fantastic job but, unfortunately, it’s a little bit long in the tooth now so to try and move with the times and keep up with what everyone else is doing we’ve decided to move over to the Yamaha. I’ve never actually raced an R6 before so I’m really looking forward to jumping on it to see what we can do.”
Peter Hickman on the Triumph at the 2018 Supersport TT
The move completes their assembly of machinery for the 2020 season where they will be the official BMW-supported team for the International road races with Hickman again favourite for race honours in the Superbike and Superstock classes having been victorious at the North West 200, Isle of Man TT and Ulster Grand Prix last year.
The team will also contest the Lightweight races with Hickman riding the Norton 650 Superlight which debuted in 2019. Hickman and Smiths Racing took delivery of the bike before Christmas and will now spearhead the development of the machine as they look to build upon the 8th place and 120mph lap recorded at last year’s Isle of Man TT.
Peter Hickman on the Norton in 2019 – Image by Richard Sykes
Hickman will also line-up for the team in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship where he will campaign the BMW S1000RR for a fourth successive season alongside team-mate Alex Olsen.
Darren Jones – Team Manager
“It wasn’t an easy decision for us to change from Triumph as they have been faultless in aiding us all the way through our roads campaign in 2019 but unfortunately, as the bike is no longer in production, we have been struggling to get the parts we need and feel like we are at the maximum when it comes to development. Therefore, 2020 will see us take on a fresh challenge and we feel that’s what’s needed to give Hicky a fighting chance. A big thanks to Steve at Raceways Yamaha for pulling out all the stops in getting us the R6 before Christmas, the boys have started already!
“That completes our machine line-up for the season ahead and with a year behind us with the BMW S1000RR and factory backing we are much better prepared than in 2019. The Norton project is another fresh challenge in the Lightweight class but our firm aim is to demonstrate the skill and experience of our team to turn this machine into a podium contender.”
Rebecca Smith – Team Principal
“We’ve enjoyed a wonderful journey with Triumph Motorcycles, having won two British Championships and two Isle of Man TTs. The support that they have shown us over the last seven years has been fantastic and for that we are extremely grateful. We now look forward to the new challenge with Yamaha and we are extremely hopeful of adding to our success already achieved in the Supersport division.”
Experience Europe in 2021 on your own motorcycle! Contact Get Routed’s Dave Milligan on 03 5625 9080 for more information
As yet another action packed year draws to a close, what better time than now to reflect on some of the most dramatic MotoGP™ photos of 2019? The year belonged to the three World Champions – Marc Marquez, Alex Marquez and Lorenzo Dalla Porta – but a total of 23 riders across all three classes experienced that winning feeling this year.
Need a ride? Don’t worry, Miller Taxi’s are in town! Visit The Official Website: http://www.motogp.com/en Official App on iTunes: http://bit.ly/MotoGPAppItun… Source: Jack Miller on Facebook
The King of Every Kingdom – Around the world on a very small motorcycle
With J. Peter “The Bear” Thoeming
There was more to discover yet about India, and about XL250s if they’re not treated properly. In this instalment The Bear also heads to Pakistan.
Our stay with Paul’s family in Chandigarh was enjoyable – they were non-orthodox Sikhs, very middle class and very kind. We also had some more maintenance to do.
Charlie’s bike was still showing a slight oil leak at the head gasket and my shift drum stopper bolt had shorn through. A friend of Paul’s got his father to make us a new one out of surgical steel, far better than the old with a small ball bearing, and Paul’s brother JP arranged for me to go to the hospital and have a nasty boil on my arm lanced. You know, housekeeping.
Share the road! This bloke kindly made room for us.
By the time we left, the local boys had become rather dissatisfied with their bikes. The Yezdis they were riding, locally built Jawas, lagged rather noticeably behind the Hondas in sophistication. We left them trying to devise a way of improving the rear suspensions to XL standards. The Grand Trunk Road swallowed us, on our way to Jammu and Kashmir.
At a truck stop on the main road we finally managed to get a really hot curry. Indians tend to be very solicitous of Europeans—they don’t believe we can eat their curries.
Should you attempt to order one you will usually be served a boiled egg on toast instead. In this case there was no option, they only had one pot. Charlie and I, being experienced curry consumers, amazed this lot by going back for second helpings.
Just before Jammu we found a back road that would cut a few miles off the run to Kashmir, and followed it up into the hills. We also found that Charlie’s engine was covered in oil … he’d done the tappets in Chandigarh and only finger-tightened some of the bolts. Then my clutch started to slip.
We still managed to enjoy the little back road, surrounded by fantastic cliffs carved out of the soft soil by rapid erosion. A bit dangerous, though. I can well imagine entire sections of roadway disappearing downhill in a rainstorm.
Nuts, nuts and… more nuts at a night market.
Staying at the Green Hotel in Udampur seemed like a good idea at first, until we discovered that there was no water for showers or washing and the room next to ours was being used for a party by a crowd of very drunk Sikhs from a nearby army base.
Sikhs are not allowed to smoke, but boy do they drink… Charlie refused to pay more than half of the bill in the morning and read the riot act to the proprietor in a way I still admire today.
The road to Kashmir is rather like a badly tarred motocross track, and about as much fun, which is to say that we enjoyed it as long as there were no trucks trying to run us off the edge of the road. Sometimes there was a drop of hundreds of metres (I kid you not) straight down from the edge of the road to the river, and no safety barriers.
Some of the mudslides across the road had been here so long they had been given names, on little concrete markers. I suppose it’s easier than doing anything about them…. Just before we got to the 2.5km tunnel that leads to Kashmir we passed a military convoy of well over a hundred trucks.
The tunnel itself is a nightmare with very poor orange lighting, no reflectors and icy drips from the ceiling. Remember we were on XLs, with their notoriously dim headlights.
Kashmir is a beautiful place and it’s easy to see how it gave rise to the legend of Shangri-La, the paradise high in the Himalayas. Everything is green, there are majestic poplars lining the roads and the ground seems to ooze fertility. It has its problems, though, for the visitor. Kashmir is a holiday resort for thousands of people from India and is set up accordingly.
Outside Aruga the Robber’s shop in Kashmir. We had some clothes made here.
The touts trying to sell you souvenirs, a hotel room, a bed on a houseboat or leather clothing can become very trying. They nearly threw themselves under the wheels of the bikes, business cards clutched in their hands, when they saw us coming. Ignoring them, we stayed in the faded Victorian splendour of Houseboat Golden Rod, our every wish catered for. Well, nearly.
The Mughal gardens and floating palaces are worth seeing and shopping is good. We had some leather clothes made by Aruga The Robber (his shop sign) very cheaply, but alas not very well.
That’s Aruga the Robber himself, on the left. The clothes weren’t very good.
The road up is also the road down. We played chicken with another military convoy, buzzed through the heavily fortified town of Jammu— it’s near the Pakistani border—and back out onto the plain. A South African bloke we met was travelling on a Dutch passport because South Africans weren’t allowed to enter India.
He had a two-day-old Indian Enfield 350 with which he’d covered 200km. In that distance he had broken the throttle and front brake cables as well as losing the battery cover and the bolt holding the exhaust in place. He didn’t think that was bad, and anyway there were bike repair shops everywhere.
It would have been an understatement to say that we were hot, and we attempted to order a couple of bottles of beer that night to go with our dinner. The waiter waggled his head and indicated that this was in fact a “dry day”. A number of Indian states have various kinds of prohibition, and we were unable to buy beer.
One of Aruga’s workers. These blokes were a lot more cheerful than he looks.
In at least one state you have to register as an alcoholic to get a drink at all. “Strictly for medicinal purposes…”
I looked the waiter in the eye and said, very slowly and with minimal inflection, ‘I don’t think you heard me. We would like two bottles of beer…’ He folded and sent the eighty-year old ‘boy’ out for the amber nectar. When he returned and placed the bottles on the warm marble tabletop, they were so cold that one exploded. He shrieked and ran and we made do with one bottle.
There was an enormous crowd around when we loaded the bikes up in the morning. In a country of crowds, where foreigners seem to draw them like honey does bees, you get used to them. This one was extraordinary though—commerce ceased all over town as everyone watched us. We had to deliberately tread on people’s toes to get to the bikes. It was scary, even though there wasn’t the slightest feeling of hostility.
A little later, the skies opened and the monsoon proper had begun. Within a few minutes the carriageway was 15 to 20 cm deep in water—muddy water. This meant that not only was the rain obscuring our sight of the way ahead but the potholes were invisible too.
In the Amritsar Youth Hostel we met Jajime, a Japanese chap who’d ridden a Yamaha DT125 from Calcutta to Kayseri in Turkey and was now on his way back. He thought the DT was ‘perhaps a little slow for the long roads’.
While in Amritsar we duly admired the Golden Temple, spiritual home of the Sikhs. One distinguished-looking gentleman took my hand at the entrance to the temple, squeezed it and pushed a Sikh bangle over the hand onto my wrist. He charged me a rupee for it, which I thought was reasonable seeing it’s stainless steel and can be used as a crown seal bottle opener. It is still on my wrist after 40 years.
We then headed for the Pakistani border. On the way, I swerved to miss an elderly gent on a bicycle and fell over. My chain came off and the inevitable crowd gathered while we replaced it.
Charlie takes a hit from a water pipe. Just tobacco
Charlie finally lost his temper and hit a young bloke who obstinately kept getting in his way. Not very hard, but I was concerned how the crowd would take it. They fell about laughing.
We crossed the border at the same time as an unbelievably well equipped party of British Army mountaineers. They were Royal Engineers returning after a few months in the Himalayas on full pay.
Could it be that there’s something to be said for the army after all? Indian Customs and immigration processed us politely, though not promptly – they weren’t together enough for that – while they bossed a motley crowd of hippies around rather brusquely. The Border Safari Suit Ploy works again!
Did you know that you can bribe your way through a border with a pen? Find out all about it next instalment.
