Good news, bad news: Moto predictions for 2016

(This post was originally published in another form on RideApart)

Prediction 1: THE AMERICAN MOTORCYCLING RENAISSANCE

The good news: We're hitting a renaissance of American motorcycling. There are strong rumors of Indian delivering a bike this year called the Chief Springfield, which will be based on the existing 1811cc V-twin platform. It also seems inevitable that the Scout and Scout Sixty will head in different aesthetic directions.

Meanwhile, Victory has promised a 1200cc liquid-cooled V-twin for 2016. Based on the Combustion and Ignition concepts of last year, the final product will likely disappoint those hoping for the super naked, of which Victory is totally capable—but you know, baby steps. And remember that last year the company also trademarked the name "Victory Charger" for use on an electric bike, which will almost certainly be more than just a rebranded Brammo.

Elsewhere, it seems Harley-Davidson is (slowly) phasing out the Twin Cam 103, and its Street models will need updates (brakes, emissions) by the end of the year if they're going to continue to be legally sold in their target European markets. And Motus has finally (really, no for real this time—we mean it) started production of its MST and MSTR sport-touring motorcycles. Yes, in terms of electronics, the bikes are roughly 15 years behind every other sport tourer on the market (while still costing more), but they are a huge step forward within the American arena.

And therein will be the story of 2016: All of the above will combine to make it year one of a renaissance that will eventually see American motorcycle companies leading in more than just intangibles. 

The bad news: EBR and, by extension, Erik Buell will play no part. Maybe one day, many decades from now—in a spirit similar to the modern affection for Nikola Tesla—crowdfunding campaigns will ensure statues of Buell are erected at all of Wisconsin's major border points. But in the meantime, he's damaged goods. From a corporate perspective, the sum of Buell's career is that he has unintentionally proven there is no interest in American sportbikes. Even companies willing to push against that assertion will steer clear of Buell's bad mojo. 

Prediction 2: THE RISE OF ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLES 

The good news: Thanks to Polaris' acquisition of Brammo last year, Victory can awkwardly lay claim to the title of "First Major Manufacturer with a Production Electric Motorcycle." It's a title that will be held more securely if the company delivers the aforementioned Victory Charger in 2016. But it will have to do so quickly because Yamaha, Honda, BMW, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Harley-Davidson have all flirted with the genre.

And it seems a few of those are quite close to committing. I suspect we'll have a better idea of who's really willing to take the plunge this summer, when the Isle of Man TT Zero takes place.

Meanwhile, established e-bike manufacturer Zero will benefit from tax breaks in the United States, as well as its return to certain European markets from which it retreated a few years ago. And Italian firm Energica is in the process of expanding both its business and its lineup.

This all suggests that the long-predicted "Future of Motorcycling" may have finally have arrived.

The bad news: If the "Future of Motorcycling" has arrived, I think it will still take some cajoling to get motorcycle buyers to the same point. Motorcyclists are notoriously conservative and susceptible to hoodoo beliefs. A company may be able to deliver an electric motorcycle that will 100 percent satisfy a given rider's needs, but that's no guarantee that said rider will buy it, especially if oil prices stay low.

Depressingly, if the two sides can't meet soon it will probably result in the concept of e-bikes being shelved for a while.

Prediction 3: FORCED INDUCTION AWAKENS

The good news: Suzuki, Kawasaki and Honda are all known to be working on some form of forced-induction (turbocharged or supercharged) engine. Forced induction essentially means you can get liter-bike power from a 600cc machine while retaining the fuel efficiency of the latter.

All four of Japan's big manufacturers toyed with the concept in the 70s and 80s, but eventually gave up due to issues with turbo lag, heat, cost and reliability. However, the nearing implementation of strict Euro 4 emissions regulation has revived the concept. Most recently, we've seen it used in the Kawasaki H2 and H2R, but 2016 may be the year in which we see forced induction used in slightly more real-world applications (i.e., bikes that won't rip your arms off).

Suzuki seems most likely to get there first, having revealed its Recursion concept a few years ago, and a production-ready turbocharged engine at last year's Tokyo Motor Show.

The bad news: Without a doubt, Suzuki will pull the most Suzuki thing ever and put its new, fantastico engine in an all-rounder that possesses the visual excitement of a half-eaten bowl of Cheerios. Some time later, Kawasaki will deliver a bike that is less comfortable, less useful, and sickeningly green; and moto journalists from Santa Monica to Sidney will soil their pants in giving it praise.

Last to the party will be Honda, which will place its forced-induction engine in an automatic-transmission and airbag-equipped motorcycle that delivers just 40 hp and looks like a manatee, but has fuel economy of roughly 700 mpg. Some weird Austrian guy will buy one, and thereafter, spend 20 years traveling the world without ever needing to replace a part.

ADSENSE HERE

Long-term ride review: 7,000 miles on a Suzuki V-Strom 1000

One of the many things the Suzuki V-Strom 1000 has going in its favor is the fact it has 7,500-mile service intervals. This is a vast improvement over the 4,000-mile intervals I had with my Honda CBF600SA. 

For reference amongst comparable bikes, the service interval on a Triumph Tiger 800 XRx is 6,000 miles; a Kawasaki Versys 1000 also brags 7,500 miles; and you'll get 8,000 miles between garage visits on a Honda VFR800X. So, the V-Strom 1000 fits into the pack respectably.

I have just scheduled to take my bike in for its first service (a), and I expect it will actually have more than 7,500 miles on the clock by the time it reaches the good folks at Fowlers of Bristol. Because that's the the thing about the 'Strom; you want to ride it.

It is an adventure motorcycle in the broader sense of the word; it encourages you to take the longest route between points A and B. It is the kind of bike that will have you looking at maps, thinking: "You know, riding 300 miles for a sandwich doesn't seem too unreasonable..."

ENGINE:
The 1,037-cc V-twin that powers the V-Strom 1000 puts out 100 hp, according to Suzuki –– a little less according to some independent dyno tests. The similarly specced Kawasaki Versys 1000 claims 118 hp, but the Strom is otherwise on par with what Triumph claims for its Tiger 800 XR/XC models, what KTM claims for the 1050 Adventure, and what Honda claims for the forthcoming Africa Twin. And in my personal experience it is plenty.

Even with the bike's notoriously touchy throttle, power delivery is smooth. Albeit assertive. After all, deep in the heart of this engine is the soul of the old TL1000S. Perhaps because of that sport-bike heritage –– because of what they expect as a result –– some moto-journalists tend to write off the V-Strom 1000 as being not terribly exciting.

I can't understand what the hell they're talking about. Even from a dead stop the bike has punch-you-in-the-chest oomph, it can pass whole rows of cars within a shockingly small window of space/time, and the only challenge I had in getting the bike to hit 130 mph on the German autobahn this summer was in finding the personal courage to do so.

Indeed, at that speed the tachometer showed I was still south of the bike's 10,000-rpm red line. She had plenty more to give, and that was with roughly 40 kg (88 lbs) of luggage and its corresponding aerodynamic resistance.

Meanwhile, at more sane speeds the engine hums without effort. As far as fuel economy is concerned it is happiest at roughly 60 mph, but higher cruising speeds are achieved just as easily and without it getting too thirsty. When Jenn and I travel down to Devon on the bike I tend to keep my speed somewhere in the 80-mph range, which puts the engine at a comfortable 4,500 rpm.

Speaking of which, I've found that the presence of a passenger and full luggage is unnoticeable in terms of engine performance.

There is an old rider's belief that a V-twin betters with age. The V-Strom's water-cooled twin suggests there's some truth to that claim. At about 600 miles it developed a slight, but not at all worrying, knocking that has since transformed into a richer gentle thud. It sounds less surgical now at idle, and more like a very large animal breathing.

At high speed revs, she has developed a beautiful/vicious snarl that I don't remember being there early on. However, that may have more to do with the fact that as I've become more comfortable with, and more connected to the V-Strom I have been more willing to push.

TRANSMISSION:

Suzukis have a reputation for smooth transmissions. I'm not sure "smooth" is the adjective I would choose –– in 1st and 2nd gears especially –– but I will say I have no complaints. False neutrals are incredibly uncommon and can always be attributed entirely to rider error.

First gear is found with a gentle but reassuring "clunk" of the sort we've come to expect from adventure bikes and cruisers. And it's a sound that I prefer.

Over time, I've found the bike works best if you keep it in a lower gear longer than you would on many other bikes. This keeps the revs above 3,000 rpm and therefore ensures the engine is more responsive. Another reason to do this is that the gears are decently long, to the extent that 6th really is just an overdrive gear used for the sake of fuel efficiency.

Clutchless upshifts are easy enough if you can be bothered to wind the engine all the way up to 5,000 rpm or so, but you'll find it won't make anything smoother than the tried-and-true method of pulling in the clutch. Meanwhile, a slipper clutch helps to protect against the negative effects of downshifting like an idiot.

The presence of the slipper clutch, of course, also helps smooth out the act of engine braking. And as a result you'll find you use this technique quite often when bringing the 'Strom to a stop. Lightly tapping the front brake lever just to light up the tail light, shifting down through the gears, and applying only a modicum of pressure on front and rear brakes to bring things to a complete stop. At this rate, I won't need new brake pads for quite some time.

On my previous bike, riding a long distance on the motorway in warm weather almost always guaranteed a sticky transmission once I returned to city speeds. Thankfully I've experienced no such problem with the V-Strom, which I have ridden further, harder and hotter than I ever rode the Honda.

RIDE QUALITY & BRAKES:

The V-Strom 1000's suspension is fully adjustable, both front and rear. I have never bothered to mess with the front because that's a dark art, as far as I'm concerned. Plus, Suzuki set it up so that I have absolutely no complaints.

From time to time I have bothered to twist the pre-load knob on the rear suspension, but for the most part it's been an academic exercise –– doing something for the sake of saying I've done it. Again, the bike was pretty much perfect out of the box. Even adding a passenger and luggage has little effect on the bike's stellar feel.

One thing I particularly love is how solid the bike feels at motorway speed. I've driven cars that were less steady at 80 mph. It's a steadiness that remains through twisting roads. True, you sacrifice a tiny bit of flickablity in the 'Strom's height, weight and 19-inch front wheel, but once you get it into a corner it is solidly there.

I've mentioned before that the 'Strom has fantastic balance, which means that despite its height and wide 'bars it is a great tool for moving through traffic. It maintains this composure even with a passenger, to such an extent that Jenn will now let me filter with her on the back –– something she wasn't comfortable with on the Honda.

Off-road handling, meanwhile, is far better than I would have expected. On my massive trip to Italy this past summer I stayed at a villa in Tuscany that was located about two miles down a hilly dirt road. With traction control on, the bike was sure-footed and confidence-inspiring. Once I had dumped my luggage at the villa, I clicked off the traction control and found the dirt road to be all kinds of fun.

It doesn't make sense to attempt anything more rugged on such a large, heavy bike. If you actually want to climb over rocks or ford rivers you should be on a Honda CRF250L.

The Strom's brakes, meanwhile, are pretty much all you need. The over-sharp bite I experienced from the dual front discs when I first got the bike has softened just a little. Or, perhaps I have developed more finesse. The single rear disc brake is arguably a teency bit soft but not so much that I have ever cared or wished for more.

As I said above, I try to think ahead enough that I mostly use engine braking when bringing the 'Strom to a halt, but there have been one or two Yikes! moments that demanded more urgent slowing and I've never been left wanting.

ELECTRONICS
Speaking of Yikes! moments, the V-Strom 1000's standard anti-lock braking system is unobtrusive and generally unlikely to be noticed. Yet, I've found it to be damn useful when navigating the mud-covered roads of Wales and West England (b).

Traction control has also proved to be a godsend on the same kind of roads. The Strom's uncomplicated traction control system has three settings: off, Level 1, and Level 2. The setting is chosen via a switch on the left handlebar and unlike similar systems on other bikes your chosen setting remains after cutting the ignition. I generally ride with the bike set at Level 1 in normal conditions and crank it up to Level 2 when there's heavy rain or I'm on muddy/algae-covered roads (a surprisingly common hazard in Britain).

I'm pretty certain traction control has saved my bacon a handful of times. There is a sudden slowing that occurs when TC activates, as if the engine were groaning: "Hurngh." It doesn't actually make that sound but behaves as you'd expect if it did. If that makes sense. It's a slightly odd sensation, but preferable to having the wheel kick out from under me and the bike topple over.

The only time I've ever had unwanted traction control intrusion is when riding the famously bumpity-bumpity roads of Norfolk. The system became unsettled and offered its "Hurngh" action despite dry roads on a sunny day. The simple answer was to just shut the system off, which can be done on the move (although, you do need to pull in the clutch).

OK, maybe that's not the only time. I have found that you can unsettle the traction control if you quickly open the throttle, quickly close it and quickly open it again when the bike is in first gear. This causes a rodeo bull sensation that, if you're suffering from the mental fog of having ridden all day, may cause you to prolong the sensation by stupidly opening and closing the throttle a few more times.

The above is a particularly unique scenario that only occurs when the rider has his head up his ass. However, that it is able to happen is partially due to the V-Strom 1000's famously sensitive throttle.

Also frequently lamented in reviews of the Suzuki GSX-S1000 and GSX-S1000FA, the V-Strom 1000's jumpy throttle hasn't gotten a lot of love from moto-journalists. I will admit that it was a little annoying in the first 400 miles or so, but I have gotten used to it now to the point that when I ride other bikes I'll think they're a little odd for not being hyper-responsive.

I've had no problems with the electronics but for a single incident in Baden-Baden, Germany. The weather was particularly warm (approaching 105F) and I had been riding several hours on the autobahn, cruising at upward of 100 mph. Hot, tired and frustrated, I managed to stall the bike, then started it up and threw it into gear all in a single action. Somehow the combination of these factors led to the bike's "FI" light (c) appearing on the dash, and the hazard lights flashing any time I used the indicator.

The problem went away after I had stopped, shut off the bike and allowed it to sit for a few minutes. I still chalk this incident up to my own bad karma (I had shouted at a disabled man) rather than any actual problem with the bike.

COMFORT & FEATURES:
The seat of a Suzuki V-Strom, be it on the 650 or 1000, is renown in the motorcycle world as one of the most comfortable. I'm happy to agree with that and am pretty sure it's actually become more comfortable over time. Generously large, the seat also offers plenty of room to move around on long trips.

Without doubt, however, one of the best aspects of the seat is that it provides adequate space for a human-sized passenger. From looking at the accommodations provided by other bikes I'm inclined to say the V-Strom 1000 is best in class when it comes to pillion space. This comes in conjunction with passenger pegs placed low enough for human-sized legs.

Jenn is 5-foot-8 and tells me she is very comfortable on the back, with room to move around, and good, solid grab handles to hold on to. Since owning the 'Strom I've noticed in her a greater willingness to go places by bike, as well as a greater interest in perhaps getting a bike of her own. If that's not an endorsement for a motorcycle, I don't know what is.

At 6-foot-1, I find the bike's riding position to be just about perfect for me. I am able to flat foot both feet at a stop.

I think the levers are adjustable but haven't needed to, as they fit comfortably to my hands. There are times I have thought about adding 'bar risers to ease occasional shoulder tension on long hauls, but, then, it's cheaper to just shift around a little more whilst on the move.

The too-short-for-me adjustable screen still annoys me, but clearly not so much that I've bothered to replace it over the last 7,000 miles. Mirrors are fantastic, offering a clear and steady view of what's behind. The headlight is, quite literally, brilliant. Though the switch to set to high beam is located a little too close to my left forefinger and has occasionally been activated by accident.

If you ride the 'Strom hard in very hot weather –– say, several hours at 100 mph in 105ºF  –– you will find the bike dumping a whole lot of heat onto you. However, at the speeds that are legal in every other country I've ridden, and in heat that isn't extreme, I have not experienced so much discomfort. Certainly when I've wished the bike would spit heat, i.e., in the winter, I have found the Suzuki to be frustratingly too efficient for hand warming.

To that end, I strongly recommend hand guards and heated grips. Suzuki's heated grips are generic-looking things, so there's no advantage to getting OEM stuff here; Oxford heated grips are less expensive and offer more settings. The Suzuki handguards are reasonably inexpensive (they came standard as part of the Adventure package, in my case) but you should accept that they are really just wind blocks. If you want actual protection, a number of aftermarket options are available.

The Suzuki panniers help the bike keep a narrow profile, to the extent they don't affect my filtering, but the downside is that they don't hold much stuff. When I rode to Italy, most of the luggage duty was shared by two Kriega bags and a lovely, large Oxford Aqua 50 (thanks again, Cam!)

A luggage rack comes standard, but you may find it a little difficult to actually use said rack. This is because the nature of the rack, and how close it sits to the tail bodywork (a gap of only a few millimeters exists between) means that bungee cords are not easily attached. Equally, there are no bungee points elsewhere on the bike. I got around this by using straps that were able to slip under the rack, but others might find that they would want to buy aftermarket rack accessories (I know SW-Motech sells some) to improve its usability.

The dashboard is loaded with useful information –– including gear indicator and a pretty accurate "miles to empty" fuel readout –– and I will never stop cheering Suzuki for being so intelligent as to place a 12v plug up front, exactly where it is needed. Other manufacturers, if they have such a plug, tend to bury it under the seat or, worse yet, inside luggage, making it difficult if not impossible to use that plug to power a GPS.

PRACTICALITY:

In the eight months I've owned the V-Strom 1000 I've subjected it to pretty much everything: extreme heat, extreme cold, wind, rain, sleet, all-day motorway hauls, twisting mountain passes, rutted dirt roads, traffic-dodging city madness, 130-mph psycho runs, wife-pleasing country meandering, and lots more between.

The 'Strom is the definition of all-rounder. It does everything. And, by and large, it does everything well. Especially on the road, which is where I prefer to be. It is capable of moving faster than I prefer to move, of taking curves with greater intensity than I'm willing to take them. I've never found myself pushing up against the bike's limits in any facet.

It'll break the law easily, but when you stay within the boundaries of the law you're rewarded by stunning fuel economy. I have managed to get 270 miles from its 20-litre tank with considered riding. Generally, though, I find range to be between 220-250 miles on a tank.

I've not needed to adjust the chain, perhaps in part because I am pretty meticulous about keeping it clean and oiled. I sometimes look longingly at larger adventure touring bikes with shaft drives (e.g. the BMW R1200GS), but then you have the extra cost and weight to consider.

Everything else has been fuss-free. Changing the oil was a piece of cake. According to the owner's manual I didn't really need to do that, but I'm fastidious about such things.

FIT & FINISH:
A small section of matte paint has worn off at the right-side case cover, right where my ankle rubs against it when riding. I feel a little frustrated by that but it's only about half the size of a penny, and if it's the only problem I experience in ownership I won't complain.

Paint on the tank seems to be holding up well, with no scratches or fading. The plastics look good, too. There is a fair amount of plastic placed around the tank for the sake of aesthetics which creates nooks and crannies that are difficult to clean. To the extent that I've sort of given up on trying.

Equally difficult to clean are the rims. Since they are black, I have stopped putting any real effort into that, too. I spray them with water, squirt them with Muc-Off, then spray them again. If that doesn't do the trick, well, c'est la vie.

I mentioned above that the handguards aren't for anything other than wind blocking, and that is obvious in the fact that bug strikes have caused a number of tiny scratches and nicks. Similar marks can be found on the panniers and the purely aesthetic sump guard.

No bolts have loosened, all the wires and fiddly bits remain secure, as you would expect from a Japanese motorcycle. Everything is solidly put together and feels of good quality.

Although I like the look of them and they do seem sturdy, I often wonder what, exactly, the crash bars are protecting. The vast majority of the engine is located below them. But, I guess that if the bike were to tip over on solid ground they would be the first thing to hit and no part of the engine would actually touch the pavement. Maybe. Hopefully I'll never find out.

COSTS:

As I said earlier, fuel economy can be very good when you want it to be. And even when you're behaving like an ass it remains respectable. Meanwhile, fuel is about all the money I've put into the bike so far. Well, I did change the oil, but, as I say, that wasn't a necessary thing.

The initial 600-mile service set me back about £60. If I'm reading the Fowler's website correctly, the 7,500-mile service will cost £125. I could easily do all this servicing myself, but that would invalidate the warranty. If I choose to keep the 'Strom beyond its two-year warranty period I guarantee it will never see another professional garage for maintenance, because the bike really is that easy to fuss with.

I'm still rolling on the same Bridgestone Battle Wings the bike originally came with. They certainly don't look brand new but still have plenty of tread left, probably a solid 4 millimetres from the wear bar. If I were in a less rain-plagued part of the world, I'd probably let them wear all the way down to said bar. But because I live in Britain I'm keen to replace the tires with a set of Michelin Pilot Road 4s sometime before winter really hits. I think I will also finally bite the bullet and get a Givi AirFlow screen before December, as well.

VERDICT:
Here's what annoys me about the Suzuki V-Strom 1000: there isn't really any bike that's flat-out better.

I mean, yeah, there are certain bikes that look better, or that have more character, or that handle better, or that are faster, or that more useful off road, and so on, but in each of those cases the bike in question will fall far short in some other aspect. Unless you're willing to spend almost double the price of the 'Strom on a wündermotorrad like the BMW R1200GSA, I think you'll struggle to find a bike that does so many things as well.

And because of that I find it difficult to daydream about one day owning one of those other bikes without immediately killing the fantasy with thoughts of how said machine won't measure up to the 'Strom in some other way. That's annoying for me, since I love playing the What I Want game.

Some moto-journalists tend to dismiss the 'Strom because it will not make your bowels loosen with its unholy speed, but press them and they'll admit it's a damn good bike and that more expensive competitors may not actually be worth the additional money.

It is a do-all machine. It goes everywhere, it's utterly reliable, it's affordable, and it's fun. I tend to agree with Wes Siler that the V-Strom 1000 is the type of bike that manufacturers should be making if they actually want to expand motorcycling. Because it's not very niche; something this practical doesn't slot as easily into the "hobby" category as, say, a Harley-Davidson Sportster, or Kawasaki ZX-10R.

It's not a bike for staring at or breaking the sound barrier. It's a bike for riding everywhere, all the time.

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(a) First "proper" service, beyond the simple oil change and once-over it had at 600 miles.

(b) That's farm country, yo. It's not really mud, it's manure. Which is all the more reason to be thankful for ABS brakes; you don't want to go down in that.

(c) "FI" ostensibly means "Fuel Injection" but the light on the dash can mean any number of problems have occurred. It's like the old "check engine" light in cars.

ADSENSE HERE

Gear review: Suzuki Tank Bag

Here's the thing about a tank bag –– any tank bag: once you get one, you will find it extremely difficult to live without. That's something to consider very seriously; there is no turning back. They are that useful: gear so incredibly essential you will wonder how you ever got by without it. 

Ostensibly, the Suzuki V-Strom tankring tank bag is an official accessory item for use with both the V-Strom 1000 and the V-Strom 650. But I'll let you in on a secret: this is, in fact, a SW-Motech Quick Lock EVO City bag that's been given Suzuki branding. 

And that's a good thing. A very good thing. Because SW-Motech gear is top-of-the-line stuff. Made of 1680D ballistic nylon, it is rugged as hell. Holding 11 liters of stuff and expandable to 15 liters, the bag has one main compartment and three smaller external pockets –– one in the front (i.e., facing the rider) and one on each side.

On my recent European trip, the (expanded) main compartment was enough to hold:

–– Two base layer T-shirts

–– Base layer shorts 

–– Long-sleeve T-shirt

–– Three 500ml bottles of water

–– Six candy or breakfast bars

–– Four neck buffs

–– Sunglasses case

–– Digital camera

–– Mobile phone

–– Small packet of tissues

–– Small box of medication (ibuprofen, etc.)

–– Earphones

–– Small notebook

–– Baseball cap

In the front external pocket I was able to store: my Leatherman, two different rags for cleaning my visor and sunglasses, a small pouch containing coins of various currencies, and my house keys. The side pockets are less useful, but offered enough room to hold the bag's waterproof cover in one and a small flashlight in the other.

In the Netherlands

I have found the bag to be invaluable. Not only did it hold all that stuff on my Europe trip, but it also served as a quick and easy place to stow tollbooth tickets when zipping along on Italy's motorways.

The bag attaches to the bike via a simple lock ring that you bolt to the tank ring. It is so simple that the first few times I put the bag on the bike some part of my brain would think: "Really? That's it? Is this a trick?"

Motorcycling luggage is usually so strap-, hook-, or button-intensive that it's hard to believe something could work so easily. But it does. The bag just clicks on. To take it off, you pull a little wire loop located at the front of the bag. Sin problemas.

Compare that system to the magnetic Oxford X30 tank bag I used to use when I had the Honda. Putting a magnetic bag on the tank involved meticulously lining it up and ensuring all the magnets were just so, otherwise I risked having the bag shift. Not to mention the fact it chipped the paint.

It was a situation that created classic Chris Cope moments of unnecessary anxiety. Having spent several actual minutes getting the bag to set on the tank perfectly, I'd be unwilling to remove it if I were stopping someplace just for a toilet break. But then, going into a building without the bag –– and knowing valuables were contained within –– would result in my peeing in a state of rushed panic. Nobody needs that. 

With the Suzuki tank bag, though, life is so much easier. The bag has a handle, or, if I were so inclined, I could attach a shoulder strap that comes with it. It's big enough to hold my gloves and when I'm in the little boys room I can set it on the floor and set my helmet on top. 

Waiting for a ferry

Within the main compartment, along its side walls, are four elastic mesh pockets each large enough to hold an iPod. Within the bag's lid is a small, zippable mesh pocket.

Toward the back of the bag (i.e., that bit which faces the motorcycle's dash) there is a small rubber port hole through which I have run a USB cord that allows me to charge my phone/camera/Kindle using the V-Strom's 12v plug. There is a similar port at the front of the bag. 

The zippers are sturdy with large rubber-coated tabs that are easy to grab with gloved hands. To keep them from flopping around, the tabs for the front and side pockets can be tucked behind small elastic bands. The zippers for the main compartment don't have such a band but are placed in such a way that they won't catch on clothing or touch the bike. Additionally, the zippers for the main compartment can be locked via a small luggage lock of the sort we all used to have on suitcases before the TSA decided it needed easy access to our underwear.

As far as a tank bag goes, this is just about as good as it gets. It's easy to use, practical, and looks good on the bike. Especially on an adventure motorcycle it fits the aesthetic.

All of this said, I am always suspicious of glowing reviews, so I feel personally obligated to identify a few complaints. The first being borne of my own laziness.

Unless you pay your Suzuki dealership to install this bag there will be a certain amount of DIY involved. Definitely do not pay a dealership to install the bag. I am an idiot and I managed to do it. 

All that's required is replacing some screws on your tank ring, and setting the locking mechanism into the bag. The latter part of that process involves drilling holes into the bag, which is insanely stressful, but fortunately the incredibly useful website webBikeWorld has clear step-by-step instructions and photos to help ensure you get it right the first time.

In Germany, where the tank bag is made.

My only other complaint is that housing the locking mechanism eats up a lot of space inside the bag. And that creates a situation where some of the main compartment isn't as useful as it could be because you can't figure out what the heck would fit there.

Additionally, I worry just a little bit about that locking mechanism. When I was in the Netherlands I met a British BMW R1200GS rider who was using the SW-Motech version of the bag. He had been using it for a number of years and had recently had the wire release loop snap on him. Which, of course meant that he couldn't get the bag off to be able to refill the tank.

He was eventually able to get it free by detaching the locking mechanism from the bag, then detaching the mechanism from the tank ring with a set of pliers and a patient mind. He put it all together again afterward and was back to using it when I met him, but hearing about it is the sort of thing that puts doubt in your mind.

Not enough doubt, though, that I don't use the bag on every single ride. As I say, once you go tank bag you don't go back.

ADSENSE HERE

Owning a Suzuki V-Strom 1000: The first 1,000 miles

The odometer on my V-Strom just clicked over 1,000 miles this weekend, so I thought I'd offer my first long-term review of the bike (I plan to write more as I hit other milestones), just in case there's anyone out there considering getting a Strom of their own.

By and large, I would say that if you are considering buying a V-Strom 1000, it won't be a purchase you'll regret. Indeed, my appreciation of the bike has only grown over the past few months. I find I am much happier with the purchase now than I was initially. Each time I take the bike out, it manages to put a smile on my face because of how well or simply it does this or that thing. 

Pretty much everything I said in my initial ride review remains true. The V-Strom is torquey, intuitive, and fun to ride. It is amazingly well-balanced, and offers a real sense of presence on the road without being KTM-like ridiculous.

Building on what I've already said, here are some other things that have stood out for me as I've grown more accustomed to the bike:

Oh my gosh, it is so well balanced

The V-Strom weighs 228 kg wet, but it wears that weight incredibly well. In stop-and-go situations I am often able to keep the bike upright without having to put a foot down. As of this writing, I have had the good fortune to ride 23 different motorcycles in my life and none have been so perfectly -- almost magically -- well-balanced as the big Strom.

As a result of this, the bike is rock solid on the motorway. Obviously, its top-notch suspension plays a part in that. Both work in conjunction to deliver a motorcycle that performs fantastically on the superslab. Maybe that doesn't sound like a selling point, but it is. We so often get wrapped up in a bike's niche abilities that we forget to ask how it performs at everyday tasks. 

The V-Strom 1000 excels at handling the drudgery and, in fact, making it feel worthwhile. Meanwhile, adding luggage and a passenger has no negative effect. Jenn and I rode down to Exeter the other day (about 120 miles from Cardiff) and I hardly noticed her being there -- handling remained as effortless and steady as always.

It moves

In singing the bike's praises for its ability to do boring stuff, I don't want you to get the impression that it is in any way dull. The V-Strom goes. All its low-down torque will launch you to the Land Of Not Legal Speed before you leave 3rd gear and there is plenty of horsepower to keep you there.

In the piece I wrote for RideApart about riding with British police I mentioned the concept of "making progress," and how instructors in the UK use that phrase to encourage you get a move on. Well, the V-Strom has no trouble making progress.

Meanwhile, the well-balanced nature of this bike means it is a lot of fun in corners. It may not be quite so flickable as some machines, but it holds its lines well. I find myself far more willing to hustle through corners than I was on my Honda CBF600SA.

And again, all of the above remains just as true when you are carrying luggage and a passenger.

Mrs. Cope approves

Jenn really likes the bike. I mentioned heading down to Exeter recently: that trip was just for the sake of an afternoon visit -- popping in to have tea with her grandparents -- so we returned to Cardiff on the same day. At the end of that 240-mile day, Jenn had nothing but praise for the bike. Its roomy passenger accommodation meant she had plenty of room to move around. The solid nature of the bike meant she was able to relax and better enjoy the experience of riding.

"I used to like your Honda because it could get us places," Jenn said. "But on this one I'm enjoying getting to those places. It's engaging. It's such a better way to travel than a car."

That windscreen, though

It's not all praise; there are one or two things I dislike about the V-Strom. Chief among them is the stock screen. When I first got the bike, I had the adjustable screen at its highest setting, which I found to be pretty awful. Wind coming off the screen created a lot of noise and a certain amount of buffeting. Even at maximum height it was too short for my 6-foot-1 frame. 

I have since lowered the screen to allow the wind to hit me a little more cleanly. This situation is better, but far from great. As soon as I can do so, I plan to get a Givi AirFlow screen, of which I've heard many good things.

The throttle takes some getting used to

In many of the reviews of the V-Strom 1000 and the new Suzuki GSX-S1000 you'll see criticism of the bike's throttle response. I'm guessing the two bikes use similar mapping. In the V-Strom it means things can be a little jumpy at low revs.

Apparently the issue can be fixed relatively easily with a throttle tamer, but I'm too lazy for that. I have simply learned to live with things as they are. It simply means concentrating a little more on how I use my right hand, and occasionally regulating things a little with the clutch. Another trick is to put the bike at higher revs. Things are steadier above 3,000 rpm. Meanwhile, the problem disappears once you're beyond second gear.

Lots of bits to clean

I hate cleaning, so perhaps this is something only I would notice. But there are a lot of nooks and crannies on the bike. If you're trying to be thorough, you will find it a pain in caboose to try to get at every little edge and angle and corner of this bike. 

I've actually given up. I now just douse the bike with a hose, liberally spray on some MucOff, then douse it with a hose again. That saves me some grief, though I am still forced to contort myself in all kinds of silly ways when drying the bike off.

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Overall, though, I'm happy. Every time I get off the V-Strom 1000, I'll find myself thinking: "Man, I really like this bike." 

And I'm always just a little surprised to be saying it. I guess that's because it's not as sexy as, say, a Moto Guzzi Griso. It doesn't have the sort of raw, base-level emotional appeal of, say, a Victory Gunner. But it wins me over by doing everything so well. 

It's comfortable, it's big, it's sturdy, it's powerful, it's as fast as I'd ever want a bike to be, it's amazingly fuel-efficient and it's managed to charm my wife to such an extent that just the other day she was entertaining the idea of getting a bike of her own. 

Honestly, you can't ask for much more than that.

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A lovely ugly machine

The story of my new V-Strom starts back in February. Tuesday, 3 February, to be exact. That was the day I took off work and rode 80 miles in the freezing cold and snow for the sake of being one of the first people in the UK to test ride the new Indian Scout. 

When I got to the dealership, however, I learned the salesman with whom I had set up the test ride was not there. Nor had he told anyone I'd be coming. The bike was not prepped for a test ride and when I found someone to ask, it became clear they didn't really want to let me take the bike out on such a rough day.

I suspect I will be angry at Indian for a very long time as a result of this. I don't foresee my ever again entertaining the idea of buying an Indian whilst living in the UK. I have no doubt that things are different and better in the United States, but it would seem that in Britain, at least, Indian is not ready to compete against Harley-Davidson.

I dropped the issue and wandered to other parts of the large multi-brand dealership. I ended up talking to the Triumph guys and the wheels started turning in my mind over the possibility of getting a Triumph Sprint GT on finance.

You might not have read the post I wrote about the Sprint GT. I wrote it in early February, then kept it on ice for a while because I had applied to be the rider for Harley-Davidson's Discover More 2015 tour. I thought it might hurt my chances of winning if they read a blog post about my seriously considering getting something other than a Harley-Davidson.

More than 10,000 people applied to be part of Discover More 2015 and I ended up being in that rather large majority of people who will not be getting a free motorcycle and €25,000. Once I learned the bad news, I quietly went back and published the Sprint GT post. Quietly because by that time I had already changed my mind about the Sprint GT.

It's a hell of a lot of bike for comparatively little money, but a few things put me off. Specifically: the idea of financing one. Generally, when you finance something you're agreeing to ultimately pay more than what the bike is worth. It's like going into a clothing store and saying: "Guys, I really like this pair of pants, but I don't feel you're charging enough. Let me give you 9 percent more than what you're asking."

Like pants, motorcycles and cars don't go up in value. Whereas it might make sense to take out financing on a house, to do the same with a motorcycle, car, or the like is to throw away money.

The exception to this, of course, is when someone offers you 0-percent financing. OK, yeah, technically you are "losing" the amount that interest would deliver if you were to put the same amount of money into a savings account rather than a finance payment but interest rates of UK savings accounts are presently so poor as to be almost irrelevant.

Cha-ching

Long story made slightly less long, on Jenn's suggestion, I hunted down a dealership offering a 0-percent Personal Contract Purchase deal on a number of different bikes. On top of this, the dealership was offering the Suzuki V-Strom 1000 Adventure for £1,000 less than Suzuki's suggested OTR price. Plus, they threw in heated grips and a centre stand.

With my Honda as partial trade in, I was able to get monthly payments that are less than the amount I was putting into savings each month toward a new bike.

This, I'll admit, is what put the Suzuki on my radar: to quote James Carville, "The economy, stupid."

From that point, I started reading as many reviews as I could find and comparing it against similar machines, namely: Kawasaki Versys 1000, Triumph Tiger XR, Honda Crossrunner, BMW F800GS and Yamaha MT-09 Tracer (aka Yamaha FJ-09).

The Kawasaki is probably the most similar to the V-Strom 1000 in terms of its ergonomics and abundant passenger accommodation. Moto-journalists tend to give it the nod because it has a little more horsepower. But I don't like the new look of the Versys 1000, and there's suggestion its inline four can be buzzy at high speeds. Also, to get all the bells and whistles I've got on my Suzuki I'd have had to pay almost £2,000 more.

To get the Triumph similarly equipped would have cost about £500 more. It's even uglier than the V-Strom, its seat doesn't look quite as accommodating of a passenger, and it wasn't available with 0-percent financing. Also, the Tiger XR is an all-new model, released only a few months ago, and Triumph doesn't have a great track record of getting things right the very first time.

As for the rest, the Honda is insanely expensive, the BMW is insanely expensive to equip and not quite as road-focused, and the Yamaha looks cheap to me.

What about the Thruxton?

In the comments for my previous post I had a handful of folks say they wouldn't have expected this move.

"I must say I'm surprised," wrote Le Chofforobe. "I thought you would buy a cruiser or the Thruxton."

Well, that was sort of the plan, wasn't it? I'm a big fan of the Triumph Bonneville and the Triumph Thruxton but have temporarily written them off because they lack certain features I find essential, namely anti-lock brakes.

If Triumph were to offer a Bonneville with just a few more horses (at least 80 horsepower), anti-lock brakes and tubeless tires I'd be all over that. After all, I'll admit I'm not a huge fan of my V-Strom's adventure looks; but the features and overall riding experience more than compensate for aesthetics.

There have been spy shots in recent months of both a new Thruxton and a new Bonneville being tested. These, along with EU regulations that take effect in 2016, have most people anticipating a new Bonneville line being revealed at EICMA in the autumn.

But, you know, there's no guarantee that these new Triumphs will be what I want them to be. They'll have ABS, but what about other aspects? Power? Tires? Additionally, see what I said above about Triumph not always getting things right the first time. These bikes will be running new or dramatically changed engines. It's probably best to wait until at least 2017 to allow time for kinks to be ironed out.

Add to this the fact the Honda I used as partial trade-in was not getting any younger. It was 10 years old and right at the point where its value was certain to start plummeting. Especially once I had clocked up all the miles of my trip to Italy this summer.

The opportunity to get the V-Strom came at the right time, at the right price, and it seemed silly to me to wait and hope that Triumph would finally deliver something they've made no strong indication of delivering.

Plus, you know, motorcycle ownership is not marriage. If Triumph (or Moto Guzzi or Victory or anyone else) does produce my dream bike in a year or two, I can always trade in the Suzuki.

For the time being, though, I think I'm going to enjoy riding my lovely ugly machine. The weather has just turned nice here in the UK, the clocks have gone forward and delivered more daylight after work, and I can think of all kinds of places I want to go.

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(a) I am still targeting a return date of 4 July 2019

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Ride Review: Suzuki V-Strom 1000 Adventure

When I posted a picture of the Suzuki V-Strom 1000 Adventure on my Instagram account, I took some inspiration from Dylan Thomas (a) and described the bike as a "lovely ugly machine." On reflection, though, I feel that's just a tiny bit unfair.

Certainly, the V-Strom 1000 isn't as ugly as, say, the Triumph Tiger Explorer. Though, it's certainly not sexy, either. Perhaps it's more accurate to say the V-Strom 1000 Adventure looks dopey. It looks like a dumb animal. A big, dumb animal that is inexplicably, oddly ingratiating.

Let's start with the admission, though, that this is not an offroad animal. There's a caveat to that statement, which I'll get to, but by and large if you are looking for something with which to tackle the Trans-America Trail, this probably isn't it. Instead, it's part of the newish adventure-touring class of machines: bikes that look offroady but aren't really supposed to go off road. Think the Yamaha MT-09 Tracer, the Honda Crossrunner, the Kawasaki Versys 1000 and the Triumph Tiger XR. They're sport-tourers for riders who don't want to spend all day in the fetal position; or tourers for people who don't want to look like senior citizens.

Just as was the case with the SUV trend roughly a decade ago, I feel people are drawn to the adventure-touring class not because of ambitions to traverse the Alaska Range but because of the bikes' ergonomics, oomph, and relative comfort.

The caveat is that you can actually ride the thing across Mongolia if you are so inclined –– with no modifications but the tires. UK-based Bike magazine rode one from England to Japan last year, taking in a 15-country route that included the infamous Pamir Highway and the Mongolian steppe. The Big Strom (or, should it be Beeg-Strom?) proved surprisingly adept at tackling the challenge and garnered praise and respect from the three moto-journalists who rode the different legs of its 14,000-mile journey to the Japanese factory where it was made.

But, you know, really, you wouldn't normally choose a 228 kg motorcycle for remote off roading –– especially one with a plastic bash plate. If you're considering a V-Strom 1000 Adventure, you should just come to terms with that. It's a road bike.

But on the road it's a damned good bike. Especially if you like torque. Running a 1,037-cc V-twin engine, the Big Strom is a torque sandwich: two slices of torque with a pile of torquey torqueness squished between. And all of that torque comes pretty instantly –– roughly 79 lb. ft. at 4,000 rpm. Turn off the traction control and the bike serves as a ridiculous wheelie machine.

Along with your torque sandwich, you get a nice tall glass of horsepower, with the Big Strom delivering about 100 bhp at 8,000 rpm (some reviews I've seen claim it hits 115 bhp). Riding the thing, I found myself reminded just a bit of two of my favourite test rides of all time: the Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 and the Triumph Bonneville, All the superhero oomph of the Harley, with the usability of the Triumph. But with an engine that doesn't even notice if you carry a passenger or are seeking to make progress on a motorway. The V-Strom 1000 is the bike those other two bikes should be.

Meanwhile, in terms of amenities and features, the V-Strom 1000 knocks those other two out of the park. There's the aforementioned traction control, for instance. Being a generally pansy rider, I'll admit that I don't rank traction control as a must. But, I have had one or two bum-clenching moments when encountering the manure that is ubiquitous on Welsh country roads and I live in a country where it rains all the time, so I certainly wouldn't turn my nose up at such a feature.

ABS is standard, of course. In reviews I've read where the moto-journalist is hell bent on trying to off road the V-Strom 1000 they like to point out that ABS cannot be shut off. But that's an irrelevant point as far as I'm concerned. You might as well complain about not being able to shut off the headlight. On the road, there's never any need to do such a thing. Especially considering how unobtrusive it is. I had to put real effort into getting the ABS system to trigger. Ride like you're supposed to and you'll never notice it's there.

The dashboard is loaded with information: two trip meters, a fuel gauge, range to empty, average MPG and instant MPG, time, ambient temperature and so on. Not to mention a nice, big gear indicator. The tachometer is analog but all other info is digital. Riding through a tunnel clued me into the fact that the dashboard looks really cool at night. And pushing buttons at random taught me that switching all the info from miles to kilometres is super-mega easy: a handy feature if you're the sort of person who's keen to do a lot of riding in Europe (b), or an American wanting to visit Canada. Or vice versa.

Just below the dash is a handy 12v outlet, placed where you actually want a 12v outlet to be if you're using a satnav, phone or heated gear. Often manufacturers put their 12v plug under the seat or in top boxes, which almost defeats the point of having such a feature. Usefully, the dashboard readout also lets you know power usage.

Overall, wind protection on the Big Strom is good, though the windscreen leaves something to be desired if –– like me –– you are 6 foot 1.

Being relatively tall, I had no problems getting both feet flat on the pavement at stops. I've read reviews by people who are 5 foot 9 and also had no trouble touching down. Shorter and taller seats are available.

Annoyingly, the foot pegs are placed exactly where my legs would naturally want to go at a stop. At first that meant I had to awkwardly stick my feet forward and out to keep from banging my legs against the pegs when touching down. Then I discovered the pegs have springs and push back easily against my calves. After a few attempts it felt pretty natural.

Not that I needed to put my feet down very often. The V-Strom 1000 is ridiculously stable. I've always prided myself on how long I can keep my feet up at a crawl on the Honda CBF600SA, but the Big Strom –– a heavier, taller bike –– beats it without even trying. If I were into running gymkhana courses this would be my bike of choice. The Suzuki wears its weight well. It doesn't feel like the big bike that it is. That's true even when muscling it around.

It's a neat trick, because the bike definitely has presence. Though it's not as car-wide as a KTM 1050 Adventure its girth manages to command a modicum of respect from other road users that you won't get when on a CBF600SA. Part of that comes, I think, as a result of the V-Strom's headlight, which throws a lot of light. Indeed, I got the sense that the headlight was intimidating one or two drivers.

Throwing around that weight and presence in curves comes easy, thanks to the bike's shockingly good suspension. The suspension is fully adjustable, though I found everything to be fantastic without any tinkering. Matched with the wide handlebars, it makes for a very confident and secure ride. At spirited motorway speeds, meanwhile, the V-Strom 1000 is rock solid and not at all stressed. Cruising at 80 mph brought the tachometer up to just above 4,000 rpm. Its red line is 10,000 rpm. I can't imagine how or why you would ever get close to red lining the thing.

By keeping things normal, it's possible to get roughly 250 miles from the Suzuki's 20-litre fuel tank, which is far longer than my bladder will hold out. But the bike's big seat is comfy enough to support all those miles. Pillion accommodation is especially roomy and superior to that provided on bikes against which I'd compare the V-Strom 1000 –– except the Kawasaki Versys 1000, where the seat size is similar.

Though, before you go inviting a special guy or gal to join you on a cross-country tour you'll want to first get to grips with the Big Strom's throttle and transmission. First and second gear are particularly agricultural. The bike is equipped with a slipper clutch but that doesn't help when you're going up the gears. Getting it quickly up the gears –– say, when accelerating onto a motorway –– can be a jerky experience. This is exacerbated by the bike's touchy throttle. I feel both issues can be overcome, though with applied finesse. Indeed, I was starting to get the hang of things toward the end of my ride.

The front brakes are just a tad bitey, but I suppose I'd prefer that over the alternative. It's nice to be able to stop.

Overall, the V-Strom 1000 is a quality machine. Especially since Suzuki has come to its senses and reduced the bike's price in the UK by £1,000. Before that, the bike's price tag was causing people to compare it against things like the BMW R1200GS, KTM 1190 Adventure and Triumph Tiger Explorer. And against those more powerful, more tech-loaded machines the V-Strom 1000 Adventure looks a little weak.

Specs-wise, it is much more competitive against the bikes I mentioned at the top of this post: Yamaha MT-09 Tracer (Yamaha FJ-09 in the United States), Honda Crossrunner (aka VFR800X), Kawasaki Versys 1000 and Triumph Tiger XR. I think it's a matter of individual preference as to which one of those is best. I personally lean in favour of the Suzuki.

That said, it's not a perfect motorcycle.

The biggest flaw for me is that windscreen. The V-Strom 1000 has a really nifty feature that allows you to easily adjust the windscreen's angle whilst riding, but no position was able to subdue the wind noise. It's a problem that can be fixed with aftermarket solution, but it's annoying to have to put in the work that Suzuki should have done in the first place.

Another problem that might have owners turning to the aftermarket is the dearth of space in the panniers. Suzuki have developed a very clever set of panniers that fit the bike's frame really well, but at the expense of usable space. Combined, the panniers on the V-Strom 1000 Adventure offer just 39 litres of space. The right pannier loses most of its capacity making room for the bike's exhaust. It would hold a bottle of wine and some spare gloves, but not a whole hell of a lot more. Neither pannier is wide enough inside to fit a laptop. My fullface BMW Sport helmet does not fit in the larger (left side) pannier, though I suspect some helmets might just squeeze in.

The V-Strom 1000 Adventure has parking lights, which is a feature I don't quite understand the point of. The feature allows you to leave the bike's lights on without having to leave the key in the ignition. I can't think of a scenario where this would be something I'd want to do. And unfortunately, the parking light setting is right next to the steering lock setting. So, it's easy to set the parking lights by accident. Which is what I did. Fortunately, I wasn't away from the bike for long, else I would have returned to a dead battery.

Also light-related is the awkward placing of the high beam switch. I found that in bringing my index finger back off the clutch lever I'd sometimes catch the switch and accidentally turn on the brights. Considering the already powerful nature of the bike's headlight, hitting the high beam caused drivers of cars in front of me to go into convulsions.

So, with all that said, let's get to the three questions I ask of every motorcycle I test ride:

1) Does it fit my current needs/lifestyle?
Yes. The traction control and offroad-inspired durability are ideal for tackling awful British roads on a year-round basis. Whereas the power, low-RPM cruisability and top notch suspension make it exactly the sort of machine I'd want on a long European road trip.

2.) Does it put a grin on my face?
Yes. I'll admit it didn't right away, but twisting the throttle changes your mind instantly. It performs and handles so well I am reminded of the Chameleon XLE –– the spoof car from an old SNL sketch designed to look like crap and prevent people from knowing how good it really is. Or, you know, it could be that no one at Suzuki knows how to design a bike that's aesthetically pleasing. Based on all of Suzuki's other models, that's probably more correct.

3) Is it better than my Honda CBF600SA?
Yes. So much better that I traded in the Honda and bought a brand new V-Strom 1000 Adventure. All the pictures in the post of the bike next to the River Severn are pictures of my new bike on the day I rode it home.

Yeah, I know: way to bury the news, right? I got a new bike. I'll write about the experience of getting her, and how I came to choose her –– despite some serious reservations –– in a future post.

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(a) Dylan Thomas famously described his hometown of Swansea, Wales, as an "ugly, lovely town." Swansea is, of course, my least favourite place, so I'm inclined to drop the bit about it being "lovely."

(b) For those of you playing along in the United States, Britain uses miles per hour whereas the rest of Europe travels in kilometres.

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.

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