What I want: BMW R1200RS

One of the people I've always looked up to in life is James Moore. A friend of my father's since the two of them were reporters in Texas in the 1970s, he's always been a touchstone figure for me. He's a strong writer, quick-witted, intelligent, ambitious and generally a lot of other things that I aspire to be.

Back in the summer of 1972, one of Moore's good friends, Butch, returned home from Vietnam and the two of them set out from Michigan on a cross-country road trip. Butch rode a Triumph Bonneville, Moore was astride a Honda CB450.

That last fact is at the heart of why I will never dismiss a Honda. 

These days, though, Moore rides a BMW. He rides a few of them, actually, and rides them everywhere. His current main steed is a BMW K1200LT, of which he speaks very highly. Yes, he admitted to me once, repair costs are higher than with other brands, but to his mind they're worth it because the bikes are generally so wonderful and so reliable.

I tell you all of this to get at the heart of why I am never really able to get over my incredible desire to own a BMW, despite my feeling that the brand is overpriced and generally not all that pleasing in terms of aesthetics. 

A dude I want to be like says they are good bikes and deep down inside, some part of me takes that as unquestionable truth.

Admittedly, Moore isn't the only person singing BMW's praises. Love for the brand is abundant despite its current propensity for issuing recalls on everything it has ever made.

The newest target of praise is the R1200RS, for which reviews are just now beginning to show up. In Visor Down's review, the word "good" is used five times. As are the words "excellent", and "fun". And the general feeling I get from these reviews is that the RS is exactly the sort of sport tourer you would want and expect from BMW.

Essentially, the RS is just an R1200R with some bits of fairing. The R is a bike that I'd also love to have, and in the "What I Want post" I wrote about it a few months ago I admitted that I prefer its look over the RS. But if it came down to a situation of spending my own money on one or the other, I'd probably let practicality win the day and choose the RS. Fairing is useful stuff.

Butch (red helmet) and James Moore, departing Michigan on a rainy summer day in 1972.

Speaking of practicality, like the R, the RS is shaft-driven, which is the sort of thing I have daydreams about. (Oh, to ride a bike that doesn't require fussing with a chain. One day...) And somehow BMW have managed to keep the bike's weight respectable despite the shaft. According to official figures, it weighs just 236 kg wet, which is only 9 kg more than my chain-driven V-Strom.

Meanwhile, the RS's 1,170-cc engine delivers 125 horsepower, the same as the R. But it beats its naked sibling in the torque game, thanks to a different airbox. That last sentence contains information I'm just repeating from other people. If you can explain how an airbox increases or decreases torque, please do so in the comments section.

There are lots of other numbers and features to fixate on (the electronic suspension adjustment appeals to me for some reason), but the thing that draws me to the RS most is the idea of it. We've talked about that a lot on this blog, haven't we? The way some bikes seem to have a spirit.

The R1200RS seems like the bike you would want to choose for a tour of Europe. I've yet to see any photos of the bike with its accessory panniers and top box, but in my mind I can picture it clearly. I can picture the pillion seat stacked up with bags. I can picture myself on the bike. And although I've not yet ever ridden a BMW, I can somehow imagine the thrum of its engine easily tackling mile after mile of French and Spanish and Italian landscape.

And speaking of pictures, you get the sense that this is the sort of machine you'll be proud to show pictures of when you're 90. It has that sort of resonance. It looks like the vehicle upon which great stories are built: "Yeah, I rode that thing to Croatia back in in the summer of '16. That was when I met your Uncle Barry, actually; I saved him from a pack of wild dogs."

In the way that I aspire professionally and personally to be like James Moore, the RS is a bike that (looks like it) fits my aspirations as a rider. 

Though, I'll admit that my vision of myself is evolving rapidly now I'm a V-Strom owner. Perhaps the bike I should instead be salivating over is the R1200GS, which runs the same engine as the RS. Hard to say; the worlds of sport touring and adventure touring blur for me. I like both. I just want to be able to go far and have a good time getting there. The RS seems like a great way to accomplish that.

Having said all that...

Notice that the bike's appeal to me is primarily emotional. Yeah, shaft drive is nice, but the Honda VFR1200F has shaft drive, more horsepower, most of the same features, and will cost you less (and it looks better). The things I like most about the RS are particularly intangible, and although intangibles clearly mean a lot to me, my history shows those intangibles don't hold up well when the money to pay for something is coming out of my wallet.

Meanwhile, according to reviews I've read so far, the wind protection isn't quite what you'd hope from such a high-end sport tourer. And it's got an analogue speedometer, yo. Analogue. In 2015. 

If you are reading this in the God-blessed United States of America, you may not give a damn about being able to ride in countries that measure their distances in kilometres. But with my aspirations toward more European (a) riding, the ability to switch easily between mph and kph has become somewhat important to me. Especially if I'm paying BMW prices.

My V-Strom has a digital speedometer and clicking between the two distance measurements simply requires pushing a button. This is how things should be, and if Suzuki can manage it on a £9,000 motorcycle BMW should be able to provide the same on a bike that costs up to £4,000 more.

And, yeah. what's with that price, anyway? The R1200RS Sport SE will set you back almost £13,000. And after that you'll still have to pay extra for panniers and top box.

_____________________

(a) Yes, technically the United Kingdom is part of the European continent, and certainly it is a member of the European Union, but very few of its citizens think of themselves as European. Indeed, many are aggressively anti-European, as evidenced by the rise of UKIP.

ADSENSE HERE

What I can afford this month: BMW K75S

This thing of tracking my motorcycle savings by searching classified ads for bikes I can afford right now is my new favourite game, y'all. Each month I have a tiny bit more money, so each month I am (presumably) able to climb a little higher in terms of desirability and quality.

The bike this month comes from someone who doesn't know how to upload photos properly, and it is technically £25 more than what I have in savings (surely I could talk him/her down that much) but that doesn't really matter because the machine he/she is selling is so iconic. It's a 1988 BMW K75S.

Wait. Is a K75 an iconic bike? I don't actually know. I thought the old R-series bikes were the ones to salivate over. But I assume the old Ks are, too. Admittedly, I only assume that because John Nelson has one (a 1986 K75RT) that he swoons over, and he strikes me as a cool sort of dude who would only surround himself with cool, characterful, iconic things. He rides a Royal Enfield, after all.

Ah, I'm sure it's iconic. It's a BMW, after all! And as I've mentioned before, there's some part of me that really wants to be a "BMW guy." Dude, I would be the most BMW-est BMW guy of them all if I were rocking around on this thing. 

That is primarily because I would almost certainly first need to develop an encyclopaedic knowledge of not only how to maintain and repair old BMWs but also how to hunt down the necessary parts for them.

Taking a look at the pictures of this thing, although the owner says it is "in good working order" and "starts always first time," it is clear to me that some work would need to be done and I'm guessing that it would need to be done often. I'm guessing, too, that this would be one of those "delightful" old machines so imbued with "character" that it is inclined to do inexplicable things at incredibly inconvenient times -- like having the horn go off every time you shift into second gear, or discovering that it will only start if you lean it at a 30-degree angle.

To that end, uhm, I'm not really sure I want to be this sort of BMW guy. Indeed, I'm not entirely sure that the reason I want a BMW motorcycle isn't similar to the reason my father has always pined to own a 1960s Jaguar.

"Those things are finicky as all get out, Dad," I once told him. 

"Yes," he said. "That's partially the point. I'd like to own an old Jaguar because it implies that I would be rich enough to be able to pay someone to fix it all the time."

With that in mind, I guess it's best that I stick to my un-iconic Honda for the timebeing.

ADSENSE HERE

What I want: BMW R1200R

"It suits you, mate. Really does."

I furrowed my brow at him, half trying to communicate that I didn't quite believe him, half trying to communicate that I hadn't asked for his opinion.

"That's an important part of it, I reckon," he said, unfettered. "How you fit on the bike, like. Me, I look better on that big K1600 over there. Not sure the missus would agree if I told her how much it costs, but, you know, that's how it is. Anyway, I'm just sayin': it suits you, mate."

This conversation took place a few months ago at Motorcycle Live, as I was sitting on the new BMW R1200R. The random bloke in faded high-vis wasn't a salesman trying to sell the bike, he was just being friendly. I think.

His accent was clearly Southeast England -- possibly Kent or Essex -- and I always have a little trouble reading those dudes. Britons love being ironic, so a knowledge of the subtleties of dialectical intonation is key to understanding whether they are joking. I get the Welsh. I get people from the West Country. I'm pretty sure I've cracked Brummies. But my interaction with natives of the Southeast has been limited, so I'm never 100-percent sure. Hence the furrowed brow.

Eventually, I decided he was expressing an honest opinion. I look good on a BMW R1200R.

I guess that's good to know.

And ever since that day -- because I am so highly impressionable -- I've found myself paying more and more attention to the iconic flat-twinned machine that is the R1200R. There's something in its look I find deeply appealing. I have long said I identify more with John Sutherland in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance than with Phaedrus/Robert Pirsig. The new R1200R feels like a natural, almost organic progression of the R60/2 that carried John and his wife, Sylvia, to the West.

It looks like a motorcycle you would want to keep for a very long time. Every review I've read of the R1200R suggests you would be rewarded if you did. The engine's character, 125-hp oomph and presumed durability has had moto-journalists swooning. 

"From where I'm sitting, BMW can do no wrong," wrote Luke Bowler.

I've never ridden a BMW, so I can't fully imagine what it is that earns so much praise. But from aesthetics and features, it's certainly a damned impressive bike. Firstly, it's shaft-driven. As I mentioned in talking about the Honda VFR1200F, that is a fantasy feature for me. Oh! To be free from the hassle of constantly fussing with a chain!

The R1200R carries its 230 kg curb weight down low, which is another feature I find myself looking for in bikes. My current motorcycle tends to carry its weight (220 kg) a little high, which means there's a lot of huffing and puffing to keep it upright when moving around in tight spaces. Additionally, in all the motorcycles I've ridden that have had a low centre of gravity I've found manoeuvring at speed to be pretty much effortless.

Traction control comes standard on the R1200R, as do anti-lock brakes. I've had a little experience with the former and refuse to even consider a motorcycle without the latter. The Triumph Explorer XC I rode last year was equipped with traction control, and only several months after the fact did I clock that this was why a little light on the dashboard would occasionally flash as I navigated the muddy and broken-up roads of the Peak District.

Every time my tire slips on the cow manure that is inescapable on Welsh lanes, I wish my present bike had traction control.

Of course, there are dozens of other features. Electronic suspension. LED lights. Computerised this and that. And on and on. But, truthfully, the things that appeal to me most about the R1200R are its looks, and the fact it is a BMW.

BMW, yo. Though I may occasionally poke fun at the image of BMW guys, some deep-seeded (or is it deep-seated?) part of me wants to be one of those guys. I feel simple-minded for being so drawn to a brand -- wanting to "connect" with its heritage, its image, and all that nonsense -- but I equally can't deny that I am. BMWs just suit me, mate.

This one in particular. Just looking at the R1200R makes me feel a little jittery with excitement and want. I want to hear the engine, feel its heat. I want to swoop through curving roads on it. I want to launch it down the motorway. I daydream of bedecking an R1200R with panniers and screen and taking ridiculously long and meandering treks through Europe, perpetually coming up with weak excuses to take road trips ("Hey, I want to celebrate Bastille Day in Marseilles," "I'd like to see Eurovision in person").

And all the while, I would look so cool doing it.

Having said all that...

The BMW R1200R is as expensive as all get out. The base model will set you back £10,250 (US $15,500) in Her Majesty's United Kingdom. And to get the sexy grey version with fancy gold forks and all the farkles will see you paying out £11,910 (US $18,000).

That's before you invest in a screen and panniers.

To that end, I'm half inclined to say that the faired version of this bike, the R1200RS, might be a more practical choice. But it doesn't look as viscerally good.

Meanwhile, prices for the R1200RS model have not yet been released, but it's a good bet they'll be considerably more than the unfaired R1200R. And it's at about that point, when you're looking at a bike that costs twice that of, say, a Kawasaki Ninja 650 (aka ER-6f in Not America), that a real feeling of doubt creeps in.

Would the BMW be worth it? Especially considering that the maintenance and servicing costs would be greater than with other bikes? I don't know. I wish I had the money to find out.

ADSENSE HERE

A look back at Motorcycle Live

I went to my first motorcycle show recently: Motorcycle Live. The show takes place in Birmingham every year and is reportedly the country's largest.

I can believe that claim. The show runs for nine days, thereby incorporating two weekends, and when I was there on a Wednesday it was packed. Test rides booked up within minutes, empty places to sit were few and far between, and you had to do some pretty aggressive hovering to be able to sit on the models that appealed to you.

The models of motorcycles, that is. As opposed to the other type of model. I'm not sure we would have been allowed to sit on the underfed girls who prowled the convention halls shoving leaflets into people's hands.

I can't find any recent figures, but in 2011 the show drew more than 112,000. If you consider that the European economy has improved (just a tiny bit) since then, and there have been a huge number of new and interesting bikes announced this year, it's safe to say they are on track to do better this year. (UPDATE: 117,000 attended this year) I'm terrible at gauging such things, but I'm willing to bet I was one of at least 10,000 people on the day I visited.

There was plenty of space for us, to be fair, with the hundreds of exhibitors and manufacturers spread through a number of gigantic aeroplane-hangar-sized halls. I suppose the cost of heating such an enormous space is where the bulk of one's £17 ticket price goes. And to that end, I don't imagine I'll go to Motorcycle Live again in the future. I loved getting a chance to see and sit on so many bikes, but overall I don't think it was worth the money, nor the effort I had to put into getting there. Birmingham is 125 miles from Cardiff; riding there in a cold drizzle was a whole lot of not-fun. Riding home in the same conditions was even worse in the dark.

Still, there were a number of positives and I came away from the show with lots of things for my motorcycle-loving brain to spin around on for the next several months. Here are my impressions of the show, organised by the manufacturers that drew my attention most.

BMW

Tiny men love this bike. 

Short guys fucking love the R1200GS. I don't understand this at all, considering it is such a tall bike, but they were swarming around this machine, almost crawling on top of each other for the opportunity to sit on it, squeeze the levers and click the gears up and down.

This is what you do at a motorcycle show, it would appear: click those gears as if they were your path to the Heavenly Kingdom. Make sure you put on a very serious face when you do it, too. You are testing the... uhm... something. It is serious business that demands a serious face. Equally, you should bend down and stare intently at a random part of the engine. Poke it and furrow your brow, so people know you are seriously assessing this bike seriously.

BMW fans were easily the most guilty of this behaviour. They were primarily also white males over the age of 40, with expensive shoes and hairstyles that would have been stylish 10 years ago. Being amongst them made me feel a little sad. I don't want to be one of these guys. But I sure as hell would love to own a BMW. 

I have already stated my desire to own a BMW F800GT. Finally getting to sit on one at the show only increased that desire. I also found myself intrigued by the F800R, which costs less than its fully-faired sibling and isn't as ugly as it looks in pictures. I was surprised to find myself generally unimpressed by the RnineT, but I really dug the R1200RS and R1200R models. I did not dig their prices. The R1200RS will start at £12,500 in Her Majesty's United Kingdom.

Meanwhile, the staff at the BMW area knew very little about BMWs. This was a common theme for all the exhibiting manufacturers. The F800GT on display was kitted with panniers and other extra bits, so I found a woman and asked her if she knew how much that bike would cost.

"There's the... uhm... on the... uh..." she said, pointing to a display board next to the bike.

"Yes," I said. "The standard price is there, but this bike has panniers, a top box, and some other stuff."

"If you... uhm.. ah..."
"You don't know, do you?"

"No. Sorry."

She directed me to a bloke who also didn't know.

Ducati

I couldn't care less about a Panigale; my attention went instead to the new Scrambler, which looks pretty damn good in person. Though, I'll admit that something –– I don't know what –– cooled me on the bike a little. Maybe I'm just not that big a fan of scramblers. Maybe it's the fact that I really can't imagine quite how a Scrambler would fit to my actual life.

I liked it. I just didn't find myself sitting on it and thinking: "Oooh, I need this."

EBR

The same could be said of the EBR 1190RX and 1190SX. Poor EBR got very little love from show attendees. People walked by without even glancing at these American-made machines. They were so ignored I felt I probably could have wheeled one out of the hall without being noticed.

That made me feel just a little sad, because I'm an American and I want to see American things do well. But I have to say I don't really blame all the people who ignored the EBR bikes. In person, they are not terribly exciting. The ergonomics of the bikes are awful for someone of my height and the seats are about as comfortable as laying a sweatshirt across a keyboard.

Harley-Davidson

Impractical but sexy –– Harley-Davidson Seventy-Two

I don't really know what Harley's doing in terms of marketing in the United States these days, but over here they've gone for a completely different vibe than the one I had always known. This is a good thing, in my opinion. Remember that all the old dudes on Road Kings I used to see when growing up in Minnesota are what put me off biking for so many years.

I saw none of that at Harley's area of Motorcycle Live. There were no leather vests with patches. No bandannas and long beards. No biker babes. None of the clichés. Instead, the exhibit area had a live DJ mixing house music replete with bleeps and bloops added via Launchpad. None of the stuff contained in that last sentence ("house music," "Launchpad") would make a damned bit of sense to the Sturgis crowd, and I love that fact.

Not too long ago, I had a conversation with the former head of marketing for Mercedes, who told me that one of the most important things to do when promoting a brand is to reduce your philosophy to three words –– four at the most. From there, you make sure that everything you do fits that three-word definition. Here, the three words I would have used for Harley-Davidson were: Unique, Intelligent, and Modern. If allowed to add a fourth, I would say Urban. I like seeing Harley-Davidson perform this tack.

I sat on a number of bikes and found them to be ergonomically awkward compared to those offered by other manufacturers. This is the same thing I experienced back when I got a chance to test ride the Sportster 1200 and the 883 SuperLow. Harleys just don't seem to fit me well. The exception is the Seventy-Two, which I got to sit on and really enjoyed. I can't imagine how I could ever argue such a bike from a practical side, but man it was cool. Somebody buy me one, please.

Herald

Ever heard of Herald Motor Company? Neither had I. They seem to be a Chinese outfit, offering a load of 125cc machines. But they are pretty cool-looking 125s. Odds of my ever owning one are extremely low. They drew my interest simply because I have a long-running fantasy of duping Jenn into riding by showing up one day with a 125 for her to learn on. She prefers "real" motorcycles, so the aesthetics of these machines would suit her.

Honda

Probably not the demographic Honda was
hoping to capture with the Vultus.

Take the number of short dudes clamouring for a glimpse of the BMW R1200GS and increase it by a zillion: therein you have the number of bald and semi-bald white dudes in their 60s and beyond who were swarming the bulk of Honda's offerings. This made me a little sad considering I am a Honda owner, a general fan of Hondas, and a white guy. I don't want to be anyone's grandfather yet. But here I was hanging out with loads of them and finding much in common.

The redeeming aspect of this is that when you look at Honda owners in general they are a grubby crew who ride their bikes into the ground. Their gear is worn to hell from use. And I suppose, ultimately, that's the group you'd want to be associated with, even if they don't look as flashy as the BMW guys.

Meanwhile, as far as the actual bikes were concerned, I didn't really find myself swooning over them. Many models (e.g., the ST1300 Pan-European and the VT750 Shadow) are long in the tooth and in need of a refresh. Whereas others (e.g. NC750X, et al.) were so mind-numbingly practical I felt I needed a nap.

Also, the Vultus looks terribly cheap in person, and its ergonomics were awkward. It's definitely off my list.

Some positives, however: Honda's sport bikes were drawing a decent amount of attention from younger white males, many of whom still had their hair or, at least, the wisdom to cover things up with a baseball cap. The look of CTX1300 continues to grow on me, though I still struggle to imagine scenarios in which I would choose to buy it over the similarly priced Victory Cross Country. And I found the CB500 series of bike (CB500F, CB500X, CBR500R) to be more formidably sized than I had previously realised. I could definitely picture myself getting by on a nicely-kitted CB500X –– still perfectly able to travel anywhere in the United Kingdom.

The new True Adventure bike revealed at EICMA was on display, and I found one aspect of that bike to be particularly interesting: there was no clutch lever or gear pedal. That suggests Honda will be equipping the machine with the DCT automatic transmission, and creates a whole lot of questions.

Honda seems to be going all-in with its 750cc DCT platform, using it to create the NC750S, NC750X, NC750 Integra, Vultus, and probably soon in the bike currently known as the CTX700 (not sold in the UK) once Honda runs out of old 700cc stock. And now, apparently, the True Adventure. So, what does that mean for the NC750X? Does it get scrapped? Does Honda rework the X's engine to get a little more oomph and transform it into a middleweight adventure-tourer? Will the True Adventure be an expensive novelty machine like the Vultus?

Indian
I got a chance to test ride an Indian Chief Classic as a part of the show and will be writing up a review in the near future. The short review is that it is an amazing machine.

What I was most looking forward to seeing, however, was the new Indian Scout. It is a beautiful machine up close and I am delighted to report that its ergonomics were perfectly agreeable to my 6-foot-1 frame.

I am looking forward to test riding the bike once it officially arrives in Blighty in March. The day the Scout was launched back in August I called my nearest Indian dealership, Blade Victory and Indian in Swindon, and asked to be contacted as soon as test rides are available.

Swindon is some 80 miles from Penarth, which would be a pain in the ass if I were a Victory or Indian owner and needed work done. Though, the guys at the Indian area of the show said the company is working on expanding its dealer network.

In contrast to the image of urban modernity being promulgated Harley-Davidson, the three words I would use for Indian's approach are: Authenticity, Heritage, and Quality. Again, though, there were no leather vests with patches, no biker girls, no incessant blaring of "Born to Be Wild." The feeling was high-end, and I think it "sold" well to the crowd. In a country where cruisers get the least amount of love, Indian was garnering quite a lot of wide-eyed attention. I found it especially refreshing to note how many women were keen to sit on these bikes.

Indeed, throughout the show I noticed that women gave most of their attention to cruisers and classic-styled machines –– the "real" motorcycles my wife likes. I would hope that some of the manufacturers' marketing teams were there to notice this. With the exception of Harley-Davidson, too many manufacturers are ignoring women as customers.

Kawasaki

Kawasaki Vulcan S

Women were giving a lot of love to the new Kawasaki Vulcan S, too. Though, they weren't the only ones. Indeed, with the possible exception of the Triumph Bonneville range, I saw no other bike at the show drawing so much attention from such a wide range of ages, genders and social classes. Kawasaki had three models of the Vulcan S on display and still you had to muscle your way through the crowd to sit on one.

Previously I described the Vulcan S as looking a little "meh" to my tastes, but I rescind that criticism having now had a chance to see it in person. It has a great, quality look, is nice and roomy, and is comfortable as all get out to sit on. I have promised myself that I will test ride one as soon as I can. This is dangerous, because the Vulcan S is "affordable" (less than £6,000) and a positive test ride might result in my just going nuts and getting one.

Royal-Enfield
The Continental GT; what a joke. Uncomfortable to sit on, tiny, and looks cheaply made. I was thoroughly underwhelmed. As were most show attendees, it seems –– the Royal-Enfield area was almost as quiet as the EBR space. Whereas it makes sense for a small, relatively new American company to get little attention it felt a little sad to see a long-standing brand like Royal-Enfield being so ignored.

The bikes getting the most attention were the Classic 500s. They were quite popular with ladies who appeared to be in their 70s and 80s. Seeing this, it suddenly became clear why Royal-Enfield has struggled in recent years to find a UK distributor.

Suzuki
Whereas some of Honda's models are long in the tooth almost all of Suzuki's are. And even those that aren't look that way. Case in point: the "new" GSX-S1000F. Its awful paint scheme makes it look 10 years old. Playing the three-word marketing game with Suzuki, the words that come to my mind are: Affordable, Decent, and... uhm... Affordable. Suzuki's bikes are just a little underwhelming.

Regardless, I am still saving up to get a GSX1250FA. To that end, I spent a lot of time staring at and sitting on the GSX1250FA that was on display at the show. I am pleased to report that I found the ergonomics to be quite agreeable.

Additionally, I found myself warming to the V-Strom 650. It is a formidably sized machine and for all the European journeys that I imagine myself taking on a GSX1250FA, I suspect the V-Strom would be just as well suited if not in some cases better. And it gets better mpg. This is something Bob Leong told me years ago; I trust he's in heaven now saying "I told you so."

Triumph

You have to pay extra for a fuel cap that locks.
Because Triumph.

The staff at the Triumph area knew very little about Triumphs. They did not know when the Bonneville line will get ABS. They did not know if the alloy-wheeled Bonneville can take radial tires. They did not know whether certain Bonneville accessories would fit the Speedmaster. They did not know if you can simply add cruise control to the Tiger XR or if you inherently have to get a Tiger XRx. And on. It was annoying.

That didn't stop me from falling in love with the Thruxton, though. My local dealership doesn't have one on display, so I'd not really had a chance to stare at one in person before. Yes, it uses stupid bias tires and the mirrors are only a tiny step above useless and I wouldn't even consider buying one until Triumph adds ABS and you have to pay extra to get a fuel cap that locks, but it is so cool! I mean, really, really cool. Especially in green.

That bike is so cool some part of my brain has already started to rationalise getting one. My ultra-practical side, the side that is trying to keep me from locking myself into the challenge of making monthly payments, is clinging to my ABS dogma like a priest clutching a crucifix at an exorcism. When Triumph eventually delivers anti-lock brakes (I would expect to see it announced before the summer), I may not be able to hold out any longer. Practicality be damned.

Victory
Speaking of bikes that look good in green, oh my goodness is the Gunner a sexy beast. I have never seen a picture of this bike that manages to capture just how attractive it is in real life. Sitting on the machine, I felt a deep urge to just hug it and thereafter refuse to let go. I could easily imagine a scenario in which staff from the National Exhibition Centre were having to pry me off the bike as I wept and shouted: "It's mah baby! She needs me!"

The seat of the Gunner is ridiculously comfortable; the overall ergonomics of the bike felt ideal. Whether the Gunner is £1,300 better than the £9,000 Victory Vegas 8-Ball, however, is up for debate. I realise the former is presently the only Victory cruiser with ABS as an option, but oof.

Meanwhile, I continue to be disappointed by Victory's marketing strategy. Here is where you hear classic rock being blared. Here is where you see scantily clad women tottering on high heels who don't know a goddamn thing about the bikes they're shilling. I mean Not. A. Single. Fucking. Thing.

At one point in the afternoon, there was a guy who demonstrated that Victory bikes can actually be manoeuvred into very tight turns (if you've had shedloads of training and you don't mind the very high possibility that you'll drop your bike). As he was setting up, one of his crew was flirting with a Victory girl and showing her how to start the bike. He had to show her how to twist the throttle.

I almost started screaming. That kind of bullshit is everything that's wrong with motorcycling. All those females at the show who were paying attention to cruisers and classic-styled machines, you will never sell to them if the underlying message of your marketing is that women exist solely to be stared at.

Don't get me wrong, I like sexy women; I married one. But I can just imagine what my wife's response would be if I were to take her to a Victory event where Lycra-clad anorexics galumph about on 6-inch heels amid a soundtrack by The Offspring. In the game of trying to convince her that bikes are a really good idea we should spend money on, I'd be set back a decade.

Motorcyclists often scoff at this idea –– and there are always exceptions –– but when you buy a bike you are buying into a lifestyle. Or, at the very least, you are buying into an acceptance of a lifestyle, a willingness to be associated with that lifestyle. Buy a Honda and you are embracing all those raggedy old white men. Buy a BMW and you are welcoming the association with short, rich guys. Buy a Suzuki and you're telling the world you're a cheapskate. Buy a Triumph Bonneville and you're showing love for those who take facial grooming very seriously. I'd accept those other associations. I do not want to be a part of or condone the idiot misogyny implied by Victory's marketing.

I weep for Jaqui van Ham.

WK Bikes

WK 650TR (aka CF Moto 650TR)

For quite some time I have pondered whether the WK 650TR –– aka the CF Moto 650TR –– is a bike worth having. A China-made machine whose engine copies the Kawasaki Ninja 650 (aka ER-6 outside the United States) and wears the aesthetics of a Honda ST1300, its price is incredibly appealing. In the UK, it will set you back just £5,200

For that, you get a fully faired bike capable of nigh 68 hp that has incorporated hard panniers, a fancy little 12V plug for your sat-nav/phone, and some nifty wee storage compartments in the fairing. By comparison, if you were to get an actual Ninja 650R (known as an ER-6f in the UK) and add accessory panniers and 12V plug, you'd likely be paying close to £7,200.

Of course, you'd also be getting a Kawasaki. With the WK, you get a bike whose name changes depending on which country its sold in and a sparse dealer network made up of independent shops that look as if they are about to shut down. In fact, they frequently do –– a number of dealers listed on WK's site no longer exist.

But still. What if? That's what any economy-minded motorcyclist asks. What if this WK 650TR were actually good enough? What if I really could get all that bike, brand new, for so little money?

I know other people ask this, too, because the two 650TR machines on display were drawing a decent amount of attention at Motorcycle Live. And clearly all of the people looking had similar concerns about quality. Every bloke I saw get near the bike would first take a furtive glance to make sure no staff were watching, then strike some part of the bike with a certain amount of force. They were yanking on the panniers, banging the tank with their wedding rings, tugging at the doors of the fairing compartments, thunking the mirrors, mashing the pedals, squeezing the levers and otherwise treating the display models as roughly as they felt they could get away with. And when I say "they" I mean "we."

If you consider that thousands of people were doing this day after day, it seems the build quality of the 650 TR is pretty good. What that says for the actual running of the bike, I'm not sure. The truth is, I still don't think I'd trust it. Not least because the 650TR does not come with ABS. A quick glance at AutoTrader tells me that a 2010 ER-6f with antilock brakes and less than 5,000 miles on the odometer can be had for £3,100. Givi panniers and a 12V plug will add another £500 or so. That leaves you paying £1,600 less than the asking price of the 650TR, with a still-higher resale value and a legitimate dealer network.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that the 650TR's 12V plug is oddly located right where my knee pushes against the fairing, which means it would probably be useless. My leg would be accidentally disconnecting whatever I had plugged in. I realise I am a bit tall for the bike but I can't imagine anyone being so tiny they would not disrupt the plug. Except for a baby. And babies really should not be riding full-size motorcycles; it's dangerous.

Yamaha

Yamaha MT-09 Tracer (aka FJ-09)

Instead of getting a 650TR you could get an MT-07. Because that is one of the best bikes I've ever ridden. Equipped with ABS it costs just £100 more than the Chinese bike. No, it doesn't have any wind protection or panniers but it is so much fun you won't care.

The bike of most interest to me at the Yamaha exhibit, however, was the newly announced MT-09 Tracer (aka the FJ-09 in the United States). It's got the look of a legitimately solid and useable machine, comfortable ergonomics and will be priced at £8,100 in the UK. That puts it at almost £2,000 less than most of its competition and still several hundred pounds cheaper than the new Triumph Tiger XR, while offering more standard amenities.

Though, you know, if you do a side-by-side comparison, the difference in price is somewhat visible. Just by looking, a person could probably guess the cheaper bike. That's OK, because the MT-09 Tracer is still (probably –– I haven't test ridden one yet, obviously) a good bike. But it's something to be aware of.

What's baffling is that you would have the same experience when comparing the XV950 (aka Star Bolt) and the Harley-Davidson Iron 883. But in this case you'd be wrong about the cheaper bike. The Yamaha actually costs more in the UK. I personally think the Yamaha is overall the better bike, but it is not so much better as to be worth more than a Harley. This is especially true when you can do such direct comparisons in build quality.

I was able to look at the H-D Iron, then walk across the hall and look at the XV950 and see that the latter really doesn't match up. It doesn't even match up against the Kawasaki Vulcan S, which costs almost £2,000 less (the ABS-equipped Vulcan S costs £5,950; the Harley-Davidson Iron 883 with ABS costs £7,650; the XV950R [ABS equipped] costs £7,800). That's a damn shame because I really, really like the XV950. You'd be silly to pay so much more for it, though.

Other stuff

• Did you know Peugeot makes scooters? I didn't either. That's probably down to the fact that I pay almost no attention to scooters. If I lived in London or an equally sprawling mega-city, I'd probably be crazy for them. They certainly look like fun and I dig how much stuff they hold.
• I saw three black people at the show. Three. This was in Birmingham, which is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in Britain and home to the largest black population outside of the London metropolitan region. Three black people, y'all. Whereas there is still work to be done in attracting women to motorcycling there is a whole lot of work to be done in attracting minorities.
• £10 for a cheeseburger, fries and a soda.
• The NEC offered free, covered, secure motorcycle parking. Through this, one of the highlights of the show for me was the opportunity to chat with different people about the bikes they rode. I got into a particularly long conversation with an old white dude from East Anglia about his 11-year-old Honda ST13000 Pan-European, upon which he had ridden some 87,000 miles thus far. Apart from brake pads, tires and the like, he had experienced no problems with the machine and lamented the fact he had no reason to get rid of it. I decided he was a pretty cool dude and secretly admitted to myself that if the opportunity ever presents itself, I will definitely get an ST1300. Though, if I do, I will in my mind probably associate myself with Steve Johnson, who is neither old nor white.

ADSENSE HERE

The new all-rounders

I'm not really sure what we call these bikes: adventure-sport? Adventure-tour? The bikes that look a bit like offroad-capable machines but that are never intended to be taken off road. The motorcycle equivalent of the Volkswagen Tiguan, I suppose. Though, I feel that's slightly insulting to this particular class of bike. 

But like a pseudo-SUV (a "pSeUdo-V," perhaps?) it is a class of vehicle that borrows offroad styling and features to deliver a positive on-road experience. But in the case of an adventure-touring motorcycle (let's just agree to use that term here), the vehicle is one that is applicable to almost all (paved) scenarios. 

It is an all-rounder. It may not be the perfect bike for any one situation, but it will perform admirably in all. Faster, lighter and better in corners than a cruiser; more comfortable and functional than a sport bike; better suited to long motorway hauls than a true offroad machine. And although very much geared to paved-road use, an adventure-tourer can be expected to hold up on a well-maintained dirt/gravel road. And if, like me, you are on the tallish side (I'm 6 foot 1), adventure-tourers come with the added benefit of ergonomics that don't require yoga.

The real weak point of an adventure-tourer, as with an actual offroad-worthy adventure bike, is that it is ugly. But the incredible usefulness of my own not-terribly-sexy Honda (which is an all-rounder in a sport-tourer guise) has softened my previously aggressive stance on aesthetics in recent months, to the extent that when I play the Next Bike I Will Own game, this type of bike starts to creep in.

This is an example of my practical side, acknowledging that I don't have the money or garage space to own more than one bike. So, whatever bike I do choose next will need to be capable of being put to many different uses. And in the spirit of practicality I've created the following chart to help me examine the qualities of the adventure-tourers I find myself considering most often:

	BMW S1000XR	Honda VFR 800X Crossrunner	Kawasaki Versys 1000	KTM Adventure 1050	Suzuki V-Strom 1000 Adventure	Triumph Tiger 800 XR	Yamaha MT-09 Tracer
Price	(?) At least £11,000	£10,300	(?) At least £10,000	£11,000	£10,000	£8,500	(?) Roughly £8,000
Horsepower	160	106	120	95	99	95	115
Engine cc	1000	782	1,043	1,050	1,037	799	847
Traction control?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Multiple ride modes?	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Weight	228 kg	242 kg	250 kg	212 kg	228 kg	213 kg	210 kg
Unique standard features?	12V plug	- Heated grips - Top box - Centre stand - TomTom GPS - Self-cancelling indicators - Akrapovic exhaust	- Centre stand - Assist and slipper clutch - Adjustable windscreen	- Hand guards - Slipper clutch - Adjustable windshield, handlebars, footrests and levers	- Hand guards - Lower cowling - Engine guard - Panniers - Pointless graphics	-Adjustable seat and levers - 12V plug - Sump guard	- Hand guards - Centre stand - 12V plug - LED headlights - Adjustable headlights, windscreen, seat, and handlebars

You'll note that all are in the largish end of the middleweight category. More and more I find I am attracted to bikes that are "only" a litre or smaller in engine size, and I can't really see why I would need something larger apart from the fact that bigger-engined bikes tend to be more accommodating of tall guys. By and large, though, because of how I ride, a bigger engine is wasted on me. It has horsepower I will never use. Truthfully, for a solid 85 percent of my riding I would be perfectly content astride a Honda NC750X. and I could probably live with its shortcomings the other 15 percent of the time.

But, see, I like being able to dramatically accelerate at high speed. And when I think about the bikes I want, my eye tends to wander toward those with a little more oomph. So, here's a closer look at the bikes in this category that are tickling my fancy at the moment:

BMW S1000XR

This bike was unveiled recently at EICMA, the big trade show in Italy that is like Christmas for those of us who get excited about the new things happening in the motorcycling world. Using the same inline-4 engine of the BMW S1000R, the S1000XR reportedly churns out 160 hp, which, if I'm honest, steps into the "too much oomph" territory for me. Not that I'd complain if someone were to give the bike to me, you understand.

But when I consider how much I think BMW will expect people to pay for such oomph I am reminded of that scene in White Christmas when Danny Kaye asks: "How much is 'wow'?" No pricing has been announced yet, but I'd not be surprised to see a price tag nearing £13,000 on this machine. If it ends up being less that it is only because BMW has figured out how to create its own Harley tax by making almost everything an extra.

An example of how they do this can be found in the F800GT. It's a great bike that in the UK has an asking price of £8,290. But if you want all the features that make it great you'll end up forking out an additional £3,000 in extras. This sort of thing annoys the hell out of me to the extent that even if I could afford a BMW I probably wouldn't get one just out of principle. Probably...

Honda VFR800X Crossrunner

This is a bike I've actually had my eye on for a while. It's been revamped for the 2015 model year and no longer looks as much like a dolphin. It's also been given a few technological upgrades. In the UK it will come with bells and whistles a plenty, but that will jack it up to costing roughly £1,000 more than the old Crossrunner. Which was a bike I already felt was overpriced.

Using the acclaimed (and occasionally maligned) VTEC inline-4 set-up of the VFR800F, the Crossrunner's primary claim to fame is an engine that makes moto-journalists swoon.

I certainly prefer its new look but had been warming to the old aesthetic if not simply because its bulbous front end brought on warm childhood memories of playing with an inflatable Shamu in my family's swimming pool. I've seen a few on the used market that appear to be in really good condition and are far more reasonably priced. If I had a spare £6,000 I'd seriously consider getting one. Although, crikey, is it heavy.

Kawasaki Versys 1000

Speaking of heavy, the Kawasaki Versys 1000 tips the scales at 250 kg! I realise that's nothing compared to the 360-kg Victory Cross Country that I often pine for, but we're talking about a bike with a higher centre of gravity here. Still, the Versys appeals to me on some level.

Like the Honda Crossrunner it's been given a facelift for the 2015 model year, which is too bad because I sort of preferred the old look. Sort of. In a very weird way. I obviously was in the minority.

For me, the appeal of the bike is that its designers put a lot of thought into the passenger experience, which is something that is often ignored on anything that isn't a behemoth American tourer. I also like that, with 120 hp, it hovers right on the edge of having too much oomph but not so much that I'd feel guilty. Its mpg, however, is apparently abysmal.

Price, though, would probably be the biggest issue for me. Prices on this new Versys have not been announced but the existing version will set you back £9,600. Which, in my opinion, is already a bit steep. No doubt the price will only go up to allow Kawasaki to capitalize on the "newness" of this version.

KTM Adventure 1050

Speaking of things that cost a lot. I tend to automatically discount KTMs. They are very much in the "How much is 'wow'?" pricing category. And in that weird thing we all do of assuming a person's personality based on his/her motorcycle choice I've always felt that KTM owners were pretentious. I hasten to add, however, that I have no legitimate reason for feeling that way. I don't know anyone who owns a KTM.

The Adventure 1050 is another bike to have been introduced at EICMA, so there's still a number of unknowns. Because I don't know the bike's price I find myself interested in it –– despite its deep, deep ugliness –– because KTMs have such a good reputation among moto-journalists. The V-twin engine no doubt delivers a whole lot of fun.

However, my lasting impression of the bike will depend wholly on how much KTM asks for it. A publicity photo I saw for the bike features young, sexy people hanging out on a beach. Maybe maybe maybe this bike (like the Ducati Scrambler, which used similar publicity shots) will be one young people could actually afford. But I doubt it.

UPDATE: Amid my writing this post, KTM put more information on its website. The UK price is £10,999. In other words; way, way too much.

Suzuki V-Strom 1000 Adventure

Wait. Do I actually want this bike? Not for the price, no. Here in the UK it would appear that Suzuki is discovering many people feel the same way. A few months ago, Suzuki was offering a £1,000 rebate on this bike. Now that promotion has ended you'd have to be kind of stupid to pay the full price.

To tempt people into doing so, Suzuki has slapped on some luggage and dumb graphics. If the price tag were considerably less this bike might be competitive. I think, though, that if I had my heart set on one I'd just wait until they start showing up on the used market. Oh, wait. They're already there. I just did a search and found a 2014 V-Strom 1000 Adventure with only 130 miles for £7,990. That's more like it.

Triumph Tiger 800 XR

Triumph's strategy for the 2015 model year seems to be one of not doing very much beyond offering long-existing models in a multitude of new skins. Its Bonneville range is in desperate need of an upgrade, for example, but for the 2015 model year (the last year it can do so before EU regulations force it to at least add anti-lock brakes) it is offering the exact same machine they've been selling since 2009 with minor aesthetic changes.

Triumph has most muddied its waters, however, with the Tiger 800 range –– offering the bike in four different guises: the XR, the XRx, the XC, and the XCx. The differences are mostly cosmetic. The XR is the cheapest.

However, in fairness, Triumph claims to have tweaked its 799cc triple to the point that it now delivers roughly 65 mpg. And indeed, its economical nature is really the selling point for me, considering that, in my opinion, its definitely the ugliest bike of the bunch. Coming in at £8,500, the better-equipped Tiger 800 XR costs what the Suzuki should. Also, cruise control is available as an option.

Yamaha MT-09 Tracer (aka FJ-09 in the United States)

I was anticipating seeing this bike at Intermot, but Yamaha chose to wait until EICMA. To my mind, this is the machine to get –– assuming my guess on the price is accurate. Loaded with bells and whistles, the MT-09 Tracer (I have no idea why Yamaha gives it a special "FJ-09" designation just for the United States) is the lightest of the bikes I've listed here whilst being beat in the horsepower stakes only by the BMW and the Kawasaki.

I got a chance to ride the basic MT-09 back in August and my initial impression was that it wasn't as much fun as the MT-07. Primarily I felt this way because I didn't feel the platform fit the particular application. Which is to say, I felt the 847cc triple was better suited to a more all-round bike. I suggested in my review of the MT-09 that its engine would work better in "a bike that can take you long distances." My other issue was the fuel mapping, which is something that quite a lot of other people have commented on.

Both my laments appear to have been rectified with the Tracer. Yamaha says it has adjusted the mapping and this machine is clearly aimed at taking people long distances. And in red it actually looks kinda cool. Kinda. I especially like the look of the bike in red with its optional side cases.

The big question, then, is how much Yamaha intends to charge for it. A basic MT-09 in the UK will set you back £7,000. I am hoping that the extra fairing and bells and whistles of the Tracer will only bump the price up by £1,000 or so.

If I had the money to spend...
Although I like these bikes, it's unlikely that I'll own any of them soon. For the most part, my plan remains to save up enough money to buy a good-condition used Suzuki GSX1250FA.

Had I the cash to spend, however, I think the two bikes most grabbing my attention would be the Triumph and the Yamaha. They just strike me as the best value for money. If the price turns out to be right, I'd say the Yamaha is the overall winner.

ADSENSE HERE

Looking forward to INTERMOT

Bring this bike to the UK, Victory!

For those of us riding in the northern hemisphere, cooler weather is beginning to creep in. Especially in the mornings, some folks are already clicking on their heated gear. Within the next month or two, leaves on trees will change, providing visually stunning riding for those lucky enough to live near a deciduous forest. 

Autumn is a great time to ride, but it brings with it a kind of melancholy because it means the return of what the ancient Celts used to call The Long Dark: winter. Here in the UK, most of us can ride through those months but it is often an unpleasant experience. In other parts of the northern hemisphere, snow will fall, ice will form, and only those with the greatest of derring-do will venture out on two wheels.

Thankfully, this time of year brings us a few things to keep our spirits up: trade and consumer motorcycle shows, where the newest and coolest bikes are most often revealed. 

One such show is Motorcycle Live, which takes place in Birmingham in November. I'm considering going because the event includes the opportunity to test ride a number of bikes whilst also trying out top-level gear. Tickets to the show cost £17 (US $28) and getting there will inevitably mean doing the 125-mile ride to Birmingham in the rain. So, whether I am motivated to go will depend to a certain extent on what happens at a different show: INTERMOT.

One of the world's largest trade fairs for motorcycles, INTERMOT will take place in Cologne, Germany, during the first week of October. The event draws roughly 250,000 visitors and is generally the point when we see a whole host of new models revealed. In the build up to the event there have been all kinds of leaks and rumours, to the extent that I'm half inclined to ride all the way to Germany just to be a part of it.

Maybe next year. Such a trip would require far more planning and money than I have right now, so I'll just have to live it vicariously. In the meantime, here are a few things I'm hoping to see come from INTERMOT:

An ABS-equipped Victory Gunner

I'm probably the only who cares, but Victory are announcing their European 2015 model year line up at INTERMOT. I'd expect it to be pretty similar to the disappointing line up already announced in the United States. But it's worth noting that the 2014 European line up was not exactly the same. The Gunner still hasn't shown up on our shores, whereas we have three different versions of the Hammer (as opposed to one in the United States). Additionally, many manufacturers offer slightly different specs on European models than those sold in the United States. For example, ABS is already standard on all Harley-Davidson machines sold; it will be standard on the Indian Scout when it arrives in March. So, I'd love to see the Gunner finally brought over here -- equipped with the ABS that will be required in the European Union from 2016.

Some sort of magical other thing from Victory

It was about this time last year -- at EICMA, another major European show -- that Harley-Davidson first announced the Street series. That bike, of course, is targeted primarily at audiences outside the United States. If Victory were going to do something incredibly bold and offer a smaller-displacement, liquid-cooled bike, here in Europe might be the place to do it. However, I'd say the odds of such a thing happening are very minimal.

Image of a planned adventure-tourer using the MT-09 engine.

A middleweight Yamaha FJR

I mentioned this in my previous post, but Yamaha is working on two new platforms for the engine currently being housed in the MT-09: an adventure-tourer and something else. I blow hot and cold on such things, admittedly, but lately I've been all hot again on the idea of owning a middleweight sport tourer like the BMW F800GT. But that thing costs too much. So, what I'm hoping to see from Yamaha is a lighter, more affordable version of the FJR1300. Motorcycle cops in the UK are big fans of that bike and I trust their opinion. Although the MT-09 is a disappointment, I am certain Yamaha can still get it right with that three-cylinder engine. INTERMOT may be a little too soon for us to see such a thing, though. So far, I've only heard talk. One would expect spy shots to have been leaked if an actual bike were imminent.

A BMW adventure sport tourer

What are we calling these things? The bikes that, like the Ducati Multistrada, look a bit like offroad machines but are definitely not supposed to be used offroad? I'm not sure of the name being used for them. Nonetheless, there are spy shots of this one and I suspect a German event would be the ideal place for BMW to finally reveal it. I suspect, too, that it will turn out to be a hell of a machine. I'm not terribly hot on the look of adventure and adventure-tourer bikes, but when they are put together well I can't help but respect them. It's a good bet the Beemer will respectable. It will probably also be ungodly expensive and something I'll only be able to admire from afar.

A fleeting glimpse of the new Kawasaki Versys

A revamped Kawasaki Versys

Also spied recently, this time in Romania on what appears to be the site for a promotional video, is an updated version of the venerable Kawasaki Versys. The Versys and Versys 1000 have been around for a while now. Both are top-notch machines by all accounts -- the Versys 1000 especially. It has a whopping good amount of power, a load of bells and whistles, thought-out passenger accommodation, and a pretty agreeable price. But great googly-moogly is it ugly. I mean, even by adventure-tourer standards it's ugly. It looks like it was built by robots. And not even smart robots. The new version appears to have a little more fairing and has done away with the weird death ray headlight. It still looks goofy, but nearly as goofy as it used to.

Something from Suzuki that doesn't suck

I don't really know how things are going in the United States but here in Europe Suzuki is really hurting. In the UK, the company has earned a reputation as the brand of choice for chavs and gypsies, and despite offering massive rebates on its models it is not in the top 10 of motorcycle sales. Reportedly, Suzuki is keen to reverse its dire situation and plans to release at least a dozen new models over the next two years. Perhaps one or two of those will be revealed at INTERMOT. One hopes it will actually be a new model, rather than another reworked Bandit.

Anti-lock brakes on Triumph's Bonneville range

I've fallen out of love with the Triumph Bonneville, especially since learning that its front tire is bias and the rear radial (why?!). But you'll remember that my first real issue with the otherwise beautiful machine is its lack of anti-lock brakes. I'm a stickler on that feature and it annoys me that Triumph has left it off its Bonneville range, i.e. Bonneville, Thruxton, Scrambler, America and Speedmaster. Whereas it is available on all other Triumph models. Although I've cooled on the Bonneville I am still very much in love with the Speedmaster (which receives normal radial tires on both front and rear). With only a year left before the European Union requires it, and several years having passed since the Bonneville range received any real updates, I'm hoping Triumph will be announcing it has extended ABS to all its models.

ADSENSE HERE