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15 NOV -
12 DEC 2017
RIDDEN: 2018 BMW GS Adventure • Ducati Monster 821 • KTM 1090 Adventure R

TRAVEL
LOST
IN
FRANCE
“The other riders must be
well ahead… I reckon I can
reel them in before long”
And Italy. But not to worry: a day in the
Alps is always a good day — it doesn’t
matter if you’re not where you should be
Words Simon Weir Pictures Marco Campelli and Alessio Barbanti
IT TAKES ME about five minutes to
realise I’ve detached myself from
the touring group and nobody
seem to have noticed. I’d stopped
at the foot of Col de l’Échelle on
the French-Italian border (literally
10ft into France) to tighten up the
mirror I’d knocked loose and stop it
twirling around. Now I’ve sorted it, the
other riders must be well ahead of me.
Still, with the 150bhp of a shiny new
KTM 1290 Super Adventure R at my
disposal, I reckon I’ll reel them in before
too long — solo riders always travel
faster than a group, right?
The early morning sun is just clearing
the far peaks, painting deep shadows on
one side of the valley as I climb Col de
l’Échelle, hairpins separating a series of
long traverses with rocks on one side
and enormous drops on the other. At
the top, the road turns away from the
vast plunge to the valley and passes
through a few tunnels to emerge in a
shady wood, before descending to an
Alpine meadow swarming with goats.
Their goatherd raises his stick in salute
as I roll off to pass them.
If I’ve really screwed up, the group
might be waiting for me at the junction
at the bottom of the pass — and I don’t
want to ruin their ride. Luckily, there’s
nobody there. I turn onto the D994G — a
broader, faster road in the chilly shade
of the mountain. It leads to the bigger,
quicker, busier N94 to Briançon.
I don’t have a map or a sat nav, just a
rough idea of the more-or-less circular
route — but I didn’t check if it goes
clockwise or anti-clockwise from here.
I try to work out which way I’d lead a
group, so set off along the N94.
Passing Briançon, views unfurling in
front of me and the sun warm on my
16 | MAY 2018
MAY 2018 | 17

TRAVEL
Lost (kinda) and trying
to make up time
back and painting both sides of this
east-to-west valley with golden light, the
1290 fires out overtakes to fly past what
little traffic is about. A few miles after
Saint-Martin-de-Queyrières the road
slithers down a series of broad hairpins,
dipping me briefly into chilly shade until
I emerge on the valley floor.
Passing beneath the fortress of
Mont-Dauphin, frowning down on the
road from its low peak, I start looking for
the rest of the group. If they’ve been
going particularly slowly, I reckon I might
catch them here… but I don’t. I’m more
likely to find them as the N94 carries on
down the valley to Embrun… but still no
sign. Surely they’ll stop for a coffee at
Savines-le-Lac, I think — there’s a great
café right on the corner. Nope, no trace.
I decide not to stop
either, but there is a
choice to make: do I stay
on the south shore of
Lake Serre-Ponçon, or
cross the bridge? The
north bank’s a whisker
more scenic; but the
D954 on the south side is
broader and better-surfaced, so it’s easy to
carry a bit more speed. I take that one. The
views are still great — especially as it
descends after Le Sauze-du-Lac.
Where are they? I ask myself as I turn
onto the D900 towards Barcelonnette.
When I get there, I realise I really didn’t pay
enough attention to the route. There are
OUR ROUTE
Start/Finish Bardonecchia
Simon’s route 330 miles
La Bonette route 290 miles
Pillion route 200 miles
I separated from the tour group,
which did the relaxed (and
pillion-friendly) ride. My ride was
very much longer, with lots of far
more demanding roads: great for
experienced solo riders on
adventure bikes; not really suitable
for first-time-in-the-mountains
riders and definitely not for those
with a passenger. A safer long-day
ride is the Allos/La Bonette version
of the route. All three options are on
the routes page at www.ride.co.uk
GETTING THERE
Don’t want two long, hard days of
motorway to get to Bardonecchia?
Try shipping your bike to Geneva
on the Bikeshuttle: a good day in
the mountains from Bardonecchia.
See www.bikeshuttle.co.uk
“I could ride
something more
adventurous…”
944
three choices from here: carry straight on
to Col de Vars for a relaxed day; go south
over Col de la Cayolle for a longer day that
includes Col de la Bonette, the highest road
in France; or south over Col d’Allos for a
long-winded version of
that route. Surely the tour
group’s route would
include La Bonette?
By now I reckon I’ve
missed the others at a
coffee stop, so decide to
take the long road over
Allos and wait for them.
Col d’Allos tends to get overlooked because
it runs parallel to Cayolle (on the traditional
Route des Grandes Alpes) and La Bonette
(with its headline-grabbing 1802m summit
loop). Allos has just as many great corners
but virtually no traffic — it’s a great ride.
When I get to Colmars I turn onto Col des
Champs. It’s narrow, steep and seriously
La Bonette route
Pillion route
Simon’s route
FRANCE
Looking for
adventure? You
came to the
right place…
D1091
D900 Barcelonnette
Colmars
D908
Bardonecchia
Briançon
Guillestre
D900
Jausiers
www.ride.co.uk/routesGET THE
ROUTE
Isola
23
ITALY
Sampeyre
twisty: the ideal road for the 1290 R, which
gobbles up the bumpy sections and howls
across the smooth, freshly laid ones. There
are a few cyclists to squeeze past — I try to do
it politely, as the only thing separating them
from the big drop into the
valley is a foot-wide verge
of scrubby grass.
I fill up in Guillaumes, then
stop for lunch in Beuil and
park the bike where the
touring group can’t miss it. But
while a few other bikes stop…
not the KTM group. I suspect
that I’ve gone further off-piste
than intended — so what am I
going to do next? I could ride
over Col de la Bonette and Col
de Vars… or something even
more adventurous. I get the
bill and get back on the bike.
From Beuil I carry on along
the rough and gravelly D30 to
Saint-Sauveur-sur-Tinee,
turning north on the M2205 as
if heading to La Bonette. But
when I get to Isola, I hang a
right — up the manically
twisty M97 to the ski town
of Isola 2000, the Col de la
Lombarde and Italy. This is a
fabulous ride: as the road
climbs it gets narrower and
twistier, more demanding and
more beautiful.
Dropping down into the next valley, I
head quickly to Demonte and turn north
again on one of the most challenging,
exciting roads I’ve ever ridden: the Colle
dei Morti. The pass of the dead. It’s great to
to ride it again; even better to be on a bike
so suited to its demands. This is the minor
Alpine pass dialled up not to 10 but to 15:
steep, narrow, twisty, enormous views,
massive drops, dubious surface… In places
whole sections have disappeared and the
‘repairs’ are nothing more than gravel. The
Nice to know someone’s watching over you…
KTM simply devours it: there’s no
mountain road too rough for the 1290 R.
I rattle down through Marmora, up the
spectacular gorge on the tiny SP104, with
its shrine to the Madonna to protect the
travellers on this dangerous road, and over
the Colle di Sampeyre. I know there’s an
off-road route from the summit of the pass
down to the valley but as I’m riding on my
own I stick to what’s left of the tarmac –
though I half suspect the trail’s in better
condition than the badly broken-up road.
From Sampeyre I’m back on bigger
roads. The sun is starting to sink towards
the peaks as I climb Col Agnel, the
highest international border in Europe
and, for my money, the best to ride. It
climbs in a spectacular series of hairpins
and flowing turns, then cascades into
France in a flowing rush.
A few miles after the huge Château
Queyras I turn onto the D902 — the Route
des Grandes Alpes and my absolute
favourite pass: Col d’Izoard. The villages
are decked with yellow and cycling
banners are everywhere, as the Tour de
France will be finishing a stage here in a
few days time. I’m on my own time-trial,
racing the setting sun through the woods
from Brunnissard, past the rocky Martian
landscape of the Casse Déserte at the top
of the pass and bounding down the broad
hairpins through the trees to Le Laus.
I cross Briançon almost without
looking, heading out on the broad N94
Castles in the sky
What can you see off the bike down here?
Loads. This region was contested for years
and the tension between nations produced
some fabulous fortifications that you can visit.
As well as the huge Mont-Dauphin defences
designed by Vauban, Louis XIV’s chief military
engineer fortified the entire town of Briançon
in the 17th Century. Between there and the
Italian border there are the impressive Fort
des Trois-Têtes, Fort Janus, the vast Fort du
Randouillet, Fort de l’Infernet at the top of a
mountain… and more. And that’s just the
French side of things. Must-see sites in Italy
include the fortress at Exiles and the
enormous complex at Fenestrelle — the
largest fortification in the Alps.
again. This time I don’t turn off for Col de
l’Echelle but stay with the main road all the
way through Montgenèvre and into Italy,
firing the KTM down the immaculately
surfaced SS24 to Cesana Torinese and back
to Bardonecchia. It’s so dark that, turning
into the town, I flip my black visor up.
Naturally, I’m the last one back to the
hotel — but I don’t mind. I’ve had a truly
stunning ride on some of Europe’s most
scenic, challenging roads with a brilliant
bike that was truly built for the job. And as
sociable as riding with the group would
have been, I bet it wouldn’t have been half
as great as the ride I had by getting lost.
18 | MAY 2018
MAY 2018 | 19

TRAVEL
The riding was a mixture
of on- and off-road. In
this part of the world,
both are amazing
THE KTM ADVENTURE RALLY
Something for everyone, both on and off-road...
I
EXPERIENCED ALL THIS because I
was lucky enough to be the only UK
journalist at the KTM Adventure
Rally. It’s an owners’ meet with a
difference. This isn’t about wearing a
branded T-shirt, getting tipsy and
buying bolt-on bits from trade
stands: this is about really riding the bikes
as they were designed to be ridden. Yes,
half the riders do wear orange T-shirts and
there’s plenty of socialising in the evenings
but in the morning, everyone’s out bright
and early, clear-headed and ready to ride.
The Adventure Rally started in Australia
and expanded from there. In 2017 there
were events in Australia, America and New
Zealand as well as the European rally in
Italy that I attended. Riders signed up to
ride entirely off-road, 50/50 on-road/
off-road, or entirely on tarmac — though
this was by far the least-popular option.
Most people opted for some level of
off-road riding, with groups and routes
adjusted to suit all skill levels. Our full
report on the off-road element appeared
in the October 2017 issue of RiDE.
My experience was that the Adventure
Rally brought together like-minded riders
from all over Europe. There was great
support from the factory, with a technical
team to help anyone who had a problem
with the bike, as well as a tyre truck to
replace worn rubber or switch people
from the road tyres they rode down on, to
knobblies for the event, then back again.
There were guide riders and even a medic.
Though there were a few crashes, the only
injury was a sprained thumb and all of the
130+ riders rode home at the end of it.
Best of all, though, was the quality of the
riding. I know that the roads in that corner
of the Alps like the back of my hand, but I
knew only one or two unpaved passes. The
KTM Adventure Rally introduced me to
mile after mile of spectacular off-roading,
suitable even for a relative dirt-riding
novice like me, while providing
challenging routes for the more
experienced riders. The event showcased
not only the bikes and what they can do
but also the fantastic riding and scenery
in the French and Italian Alps.
Go on your own
Adventure Rally
The 2018 European KTM Adventure Rally
will be held in Sardinia — an island with
some of Italy’s best road riding and miles
of spectacular trails. Details were still
being finalised as we went to press, but
it’s likely to be entirely off-road or 50/50
on/off-road, without a road-only group.
To book your place, keep your eyes on
www.ktm-adventure-rally.com or sign-up
for the Rally newsletter from the site.
More than 130 riders
attended the 2017 event
It might look crowded but
once moving, it’s perfect
20 | MAY 2018
It’s a very serious
business, learning the
correct method of... oh...

FIRST RIDES
FIRST RIDE DUCATI MULTISTRADA 1260
Multi functional
The Multistrada 1260 is
a genuine all-rounder,
combining several very
different bikes in one
The Ducati Multistrada 1260 has some useful
upgrades along with its extra engine capacity
Words Roland Brown Pictures Milagro
IF THE NEW Ducati Multistrada’s only
fresh feature was its optional heated
grips, I still wouldn’t be complaining
right now. The digital display is
showing an ambient temperature of
2°C as I follow lead-rider Beppe through
thickening fog down a wet, winding
Spanish mountain road that is strewn with
boulders and fallen branches. But at least
the updated grips
are keeping my hands warm and my
concentration on the job in hand.
In fact, the Multi’s other 2018 tweaks are
also contributing to a ride that is much
more enjoyable than it might have been. In
these conditions, I’m grateful for the 1260 S
variant’s smooth and gloriously flexible
torque delivery which, in conjunction with
the IMU-governed traction control and
new quickshifter, makes accelerating out
of slippery bends stress free.
As I tip the Ducati into a succession of
streaming hairpins, I also appreciate the
way the revamped chassis is keeping the
bike stable — especially when I round a
turn to be hit by a blast of wind that has the
bars twitching momentarily. You’d need a
back-to-back test to evaluate whether the
Multi’s shallower steering geometry and
longer wheelbase are having a notable
effect but they’ll do for me on this nasty
day on Gran Canaria’s highest peak.
Those mods combine to create a
Multistrada that is more comprehensively
updated than its familiar look might
suggest. The headline feature is that new
engine, the 1262cc unit with variable valve
timing borrowed from the XDiavel. The
longer-stroke lump is unchanged apart
from relocated mounting points and having
its water pump on the right crankcase
instead of between the cylinders.
Ducati says the maximum output of
156bhp at 9500rpm is an increase of six
horses on the previous 1198cc unit but the
main gain is lower down. This Multi
produces 85% of its maximum torque from
3500rpm, generating 18% more grunt than
ELECTRONICS
Four rider modes alter both the
engine characteristics and the
chassis behaviour for tailored
behaviour in all conditions
Wide handlbars
work perfectly
with tweaked
chassis to give the
Multistrada agile
handling
Sophisticated
switchgear allows
control of the rider
modes. It’s well
laid-out and looks
premium quality
ENGINE
The 1262cc V-twin from the XDiavel gains
a little top-end power but the midrange
torque is nothing short of phenomenal
CHASSIS
A touch more rake, slightly
longer wheelbase and
semi-active damping
give superb handling
44 | MARCH 2018
MARCH 2018 | 45

FIRST RIDES
the previous model at 5500rpm.
The chassis revisions are intended to add
stability. The steel frame is tweaked to
increase rake from 24° to 25°; a longer
swingarm also contributes to the
wheelbase growing by 56mm to 1585mm.
“Some riders thought the Multistrada’s
handling was a little too sporty,” says
Davide Previtera, the Project Manager.
“We’ve tried to make the bike more
relaxing, especially with pillion and
panniers, without losing agility.”
The wheels and pillion grabrail are also
new, but most other mods are related to
electronics. The 1260 S comes with a
two-way quickshifter, plus revised
Skyhook semi-active suspension.
Instrumentation is updated, the TFT
screen becoming brighter and gaining
features including colours to differentiate
the four riding modes. The display
“The Multistrada is
several outstanding
motorbikes in one”
LED headlights on
the S variant mean
as much fun at night
as during the day
17in cast wheels look the
part and perform well,
helping with the Multi’s
nimble direction changes
interface, switchgear, throttle control and
optional heated grips are revised; there’s a
new tyre pressure monitoring system; and
a smartphone app allows remote finetuning
of the functions within each riding
mode, as well as providing route sharing
and other social-media elements.
Despite that, the 1260 S feels just like its
predecessor as you climb aboard the tallish
seat and fire up the big V-twin, which
barks in familiar rorty fashion through
its revised exhaust system. On dry roads
heading inland from the south of Gran
Canaria, the extra midrange grunt is
immediately welcome — not least because
the zone between about 4000 and
7000rpm, where torque is most increased,
From urban commuter
comfort to sportsbike
handling, the Multi
really can do it all
is where most riders spend lots of time.
In Sport mode, throttle response is crisp
without being sharp. The Ducati charges
hard out of turns and always has a wallop
of acceleration for effortless overtakes.
Gearchanging is enhanced by the new
shifter, which makes going through the
impressively light six-speed gearbox easy.
The only drawback remains an occasional
reluctance to find neutral.
Top-end performance is as addictive as
Multiple Multistradas
The 1260 S sits in the middle of a trio of modified Multis, and is likely to be the most popular. It
costs £17,335 in red, an extra £200 in grey or white, plus a grand more if you want it factoryequipped
with the Touring Pack of heated grips, centrestand and panniers. It’s also available in
D-Air spec, ready for Dainese’s airbag-equipped gear, for £18,035.
In standard form, the 1260 loses the quickshifter and has an LCD instead of TFT dash; halogen
instead of LED headlight; conventional KYB/Sachs suspension; and lower-spec Brembo brake
calipers and 320mm discs. It costs £14,435 and, like the D-Air, comes only in red. Family flagship
is the 1260 Pikes Peak, which has red/white/black paintwork, a short screen, non-electronic
Öhlins suspension, forged Marchesini wheels, Termignoni silencer and a sprinkling of carbon fibre.
It shares the S-model’s LED lighting, TFT display and quickshifter and costs £20,935.
For now the Multistrada 1200 Enduro (30L tank; longer suspension; spoked wheels; 19in front)
doesn’t get the 1262cc engine, presumably as its upgrade is due in 2019. Price starts at £17,635,
or £19,135 for the Pro with its low screen, crash bars and titanium Termignoni. The Multistrada
950 offers 111bhp and most of the big Multi’s versatility from £11,535 – read our review on page 14.
ever. There’s a touch of vibration at higher
revs but that seems more characterenhancing
than annoying when the Multi
is snarling towards its 150mph-plus top
speed. Protection from the one-handadjustable
screen is unchanged and
welcome, but without approaching the
turbulence-free tranquillity of top tourers.
Ducati’s chassis tweaks are effective,
judging by the ease and enthusiasm with
which the 235kg 1260 S flicks through
smooth-surfaced sea-level turns, before
feeling reassuringly solid on the windswept
mountain after 2000m of climbing. The
wide, one-piece handblebar gives
sufficient leverage to counter any negative
effect from the more relaxed geometry. In
Sport, the ride is well controlled despite the
unchanged 170mm of travel at each end.
Switching to Touring softens the throttle
response slightly but is more noticeable for
doing likewise to the suspension, which
gains ride quality at the expense of some
vagueness due to a reduction in shock
preload and damping front and back.
That’s fine when the weather and road
surface deteriorate. Now I’m glad of the
more cossetting feel, the reshaped fairing’s
protection and the warmth of those grips,
part of the Touring Pack that also includes
centrestand and panniers.
Touring mode is also fine
back on the dry coast road,
where the more supple ride
enhances the comfort of
a seat that is broad and
supportive, but can feel a bit
firm by the time the
unchanged, 20-litre tank’s
typical range of well over 150
miles is almost used up. But
Urban mode, which limits
power to 100bhp, softens the
shock so much that the Multi grounds out
under moderately hard cornering.
That’s the beauty of the Multistrada,
though: with a couple of presses of the
mode button the urban adventurer is
transformed back into a potent, sharpsteering
sportster that can exploit all the
grip its excellent Pirelli Scorpion Trail 2
Panniers - shaped
around the
exhaust - part of
the Touring Pack
tyres can provide. Better still, its traction
control level is automatically fine-tuned,
along with the setting of the cornering ABS
system that compliments its powerful front
brake blend of 330mm discs and Brembo’s
Evo M50 monobloc calipers.
The day’s ride has been more a case of
“Many Seasons” than “Many Roads”, but
1260 motor has huge
torque output, 85%
available from 3500rpm
the revamped Multistrada coped admirably.
The 1260 adds performance, ridability and
refinement to a bike that already had those
attributes in abundance. If its price of over
£18,000 with the Touring Pack sounds
expensive, bear in mind that – more than
ever – the Multistrada 1260 is several
outstanding motorbikes in one.
SPEC DUCATI MULTISTRADA 1260 S
Price £17,335 (red), £17,535 (grey or white) Engine 1262cc 8v dohc 90° V-twin, l/c Power 156bhp @ 9500rpm
Torque 96lb·ft @ 7500rpm Transmission 6-speed, chain Chassis steel trellis Front suspension 48mm
forks, 170mm travel, semi-active damping Rear suspension monoshock, 170mm travel, electronically
adjustable preload and semi-active damping Front brakes 330mm discs, 4-piston calipers Rear brake
265mm disc, 2-piston caliper Front tyre 120/70 ZR17 Rear tyre 190/55 ZR17 Wheelbase 1585mm Rake/
trail 25°/111mm Seat height 825/845mm Kerb weight 235kg Fuel capacity 20 litres
46 | MARCH 2018
MARCH 2018 | 47

PRODUCTS
QUICK
KIT TESTS
Stylish cut
combined with
excellent
protection
Schuberth SR2 helmet £549.99
(plain) £599.99 (colours)
www.schuberth.com
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE LATEST PRODUCTS BY R DE’S EXPERT TEAM
PMJ Legend jeans £209.99
www.promojeans.it
PMJ JEANS ARE made using TWARON, a ballistic fabric with high heat and
cut resistance, no melting point, low flammability and which is used in the
production of bulletproof vests. So that’ll be ideal for when you chuck it
up the road at 60mph then...
The build quality of these jeans is excellent; from the 12.5oz denim outer,
to the Coolmax lining and the TWARON panels, there’s nothing out of place.
Even with this level of protection, they still manage to be lightweight enough
and have the flexibility to be all-day comfy. They look good too and not even just
in the context of bike jeans. There’s no horizontal stitching around the knees, and
the cut is great, so they look just like a set of posh designer jeans.
Although there are more protective examples in the PMJ range, for me, the
flexibility, cut, style and comfort make the Legends the best of the bunch. Oh,
and you also get a belt included with them. LEE SKELLETT
THE SR2 IS Schuberth’s new rangetopping
sports and race lid and is
available in a multitude of finishes. It’s
designed primarily for racetrack use but
is proving equally adept as a road lid.
It’s obviously lightweight and finished
to a very high standard — it is every bit
the premium lid the price tag suggests.
Schuberth says; “Thanks to its
advanced aerodynamics, the helmet is
always stable in wind and produces no
uplift even at very high speeds.”
Now I’ve well and truly put all of that
to the test and it really is every bit as
good as the claim.
There are some clearly sculpted lines
dotted around the shell, but most
obvious are the two plastic strips that
run from front to back of the helmet,
joining at the rear to make a spoiler. It’s
there both to channel air in and out of
the helmet and to add aerodynamic
stability and that’s clear at motorway
speeds. Assume a semi-racing crouch
and the air passes over your head
perfectly smoothly; there’s noticeably
less drag than other lids. Twisting your
head for a lifesaver or even mirror
glance gives a clear demonstration of
how much work the aero tech is doing.
The wind blast is like you’ve stuck your
head out of a car window.
The visor is very narrow and
Performs well at
high speed on
road and track
replacements are expensive, the dark
tint (pictured) costing £66.99 (more with
tear-off posts) and a mirrored version
from £80. Ventilation is top notch but,
like most race lids, it’s fairly noisy. LS
Comes in
three sizes
for men and
one for
women
Forcefield Pro L2K Dynamic back protector £134.99
www.forcefieldbodyarmour.com
I ALWAYS RIDE with a back protector and this high-performing CE
Level 2 item is the latest version of a RiDE favourite, now with
Kevlar reinforcing tread and softer than the old one. It’s thick and
fairly heavy but moulds to the back when you wear it. It’s very
comfortable but it can get a bit sweaty on hot days. It’s expensive
but will be worth every penny if you ever need it. SIMON WEIR
Alpine MotoSafe Tour ear plugs £12.95
www.alpinehearingprotection.co.uk
THE BEST BIT about these silicone ear plugs? They’re
really comfy. The soft filters and even-softer silicone
surround makes them as close to undetectable as
any I’ve ever experienced.
They offer just enough noise cancellation to remove
the harmful levels, but important things such as
communication systems and engine notes are still
clearly audible, as they need to be.
That’s all great, but after finding it way too easy to
slide them way too deep into my ear canal, and my
resultant tweezer-poking ordeal, I realized that the
silicone surround and soft filters offer very little
surface area to grab and pull them out with. I really
don’t fancy repeating that anytime soon. LS
Work well but too
easy to push too
far into the ear
The Hero’s Body
by William Giraldi
I DIDN’T GET on with this memoir of a
young man turning to bodybuilding to
help overcome the grief induced by the
death of his father in a bike crash.
Maybe it’s because I’m 47, the same age
as Giraldi’s father was when he died, so
it’s a bit close to home; or maybe I’m just
not interested in someone else’s
introspection. Either way, I didn’t find it a
cheerful read that did much to celebrate
bikes or biking. SW
Track Addict app £Free (basic) £8.99 (pro)
www.racerender.com/TrackAddict
THIS IS A clever little GPS-based app for your phone to datalog your laps on track.
It’s easy to use and I’m yet to find a racetrack that’s not on it. Just hit record before
your session starts and forget about it until you get back to the pits and it’ll give you
a log of your lap times, distance and speed data, g-forces, braking zones and a
reading for your GPS accuracy (which is much better when mounted on the bike
than stowed inside leathers… obviously). There’s
also a function to record video simultaneously.
The free version of the app allows you to save
only three recordings at a time, so if you want
unlimited
storage and
many more
features, the
full-fat version
of the app is a
meagre £8.99.
iOS versions
from the Apple
store and
Android from
Google play.
LS
Lap data as
well as video
on your
smartphone
90 | DECEMBER 2017

PRODUCTS
Lots of features but
also, limitations. And
errant rubber seals
Airoh Rev £349.99 (pattern) £309.99 (plain)
www.airoh.com
Carbon Energized base
layers £54.99 (zip top)
£49.99 (leggings)
www.carbon-energized.com
THESE QUALITY ITALIAN-MADE
base layers claim to perform all
manner of miraculous tricks, like the
ability to lower your heart-rate, slow
your breathing, reduce your body
temperature, absorb static
electricity, kill the smelly bacteria in
your sweat and more. They’re made
from ‘Polypropylene Dryarn’ which
claims to be the lightest microfibre
on the market. The fit is deliberately
tight but never uncomfortable,
forming a snug-but-soft barrier
between your skin and leathers or
textiles. I can’t say I’ve noticed all of
its supposed phenomena but they
certainly do what good base layers
should. My only problem is the price:
EDZ’s All-Climate base layers are
half as much. MARTIN FITZ-GIBBONS
A NICELY STYLED flip-front helmet with a decent interior, reasonable vents, a
drop-down sun visor, ratchet-buckle chin strap and a clever, counterweighted
chinbar that flips all the way to the back, so you can ride as if it’s an open-face.
Unfortunately it’s let down badly by three things. First, the weight: it’s a whopping
1875g, that weighted chinbar adding noticeable, unwieldy mass at the back when
flipped up. Second, the visor doesn’t take a Pinlock and is spring-loaded so there’s
no option of opening it a crack to combat misting — it’s fully open or fully shut, making
the lid more or less useless in the rain. Third, and most annoying, the rubber gasket
that’s meant to seal the top of the visor comes out and sticks to the visor or dangles
in front of your eyes. When this happened on my first ride, I sent the helmet back and
got a replacement: that one did the same thing. That’s not good enough on any lid —
especially not on one costing £350. SW
Team Green Care products
from £9.69
www.kawasaki-shop.co.uk
I’VE BEEN USING some of Kawasaki’s
own-brand bike-care products on the
Z1000SX. I like the Foam Degreaser
(£10.69), which lives up to its name and
the Hi-Speed Chain Lube (£11.69) does a
good job of staying on the chain rather
than flinging off onto the wheels. The
Penetrating Water Displacement Spray
(£9.69) is designed to protect electrical
components and build up an anticorrosive
barrier on metal parts and,
like a certain famous alternative, it’s also
very good for polishing painted wheels.
Find at your local dealer or online. SW
92 | DECEMBER 2017

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