Author Archives: Jean Le Motard

Review: Harley-Davidson Iron 1200

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It’s hard to ignore the fact that in recent years Harley-Davidson has been broadening its range to seduce a wider audience. The most talked about models that Harley will soon launch are the electric LiveWire (already in September of this year!) and an adventure bike that will see daylight only next year but that’s already causing quite some stir. It’s safe to say both bikes belong in the “pretty particular” category.

Luckily, Harley doesn’t forget the beginner bikers. Proof of this is the 750 engine that was introduced in 2015, first in the Street 750 and later in the Street Rod.

Still, the lightest Harley isn’t always a novice’s first choice, which is why the Sportster range was expanded this year with the Iron 1200. Indeed, a big 1202 cc engine, but in the slender body of the Iron 883. Yet its price is just slightly higher than the 883’s: the Iron 1200 starts at £ 9,395 while you ride a new Iron 883 from £ 9,045.

So isn’t that bigger twin cylinder engine too much for a beginner? Well, I found the Iron 883 to have a nice engine but it lacked some excitement. The Iron 1200 wants to remedy that. The newcomer delivers 96 Nm and 67 hp while the 883 does 70 Nm and 52 hp. But other than a clear difference between the engines Continue reading →

Tournée Pyrénée: ready, set …

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Finally! Tomorrow morning we’ll be heading for the Pyrenees. After the first draft, we’ve updated our routes, spending a bit more time on Spanish ground. I won’t be riding my own bike but a Moto Guzzi V85 TT. If you’d like to hop on virtually, I’ll try to post something every now and then on Instagram and/or Facebook.

Click here for a bigger version of the map.

Gear-update 2019

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Alpinestars Toucan boots
In February 2017 I bought a pair of Alpinestars Toucan boots and there hasn’t been anything to complain about. After two years they’re still perfectly waterproof, they only show some slight traces of use despite using them very often, and there’s no Sidi squeak. Recently however, I noticed cracks in both of the boot’s shafts. I asked Rad, the shop where I bought them, if this was normal, knowing the boots just passed their 2-year warranty period. Rad contacted Alpinestars, who took their time to answer (three weeks!) but luckily had great news. They said they believed this was subject to wear, but exceptionally they wanted to take the boots back and exchange them for a new pair. Using the new pair for a few weeks now. Me happy!

Klim Badlands motorcycle pants
Also for more than two years in use (and still to my great satisfaction): my Klim Badlands motorcycle suit. One shortcoming: the zipper of the pants began to close worse and worse until it finally gave up. A broken tooth. Time to find out if Klim’s lifetime warranty – which doesn’t cover regular wear and tear – is worth something. I contacted Klim and got a reply within a few hours: send your pants in, we’ll replace the zipper. Meanwhile the pants with the new, perfectly fixed zipper already found their way back to me. Me happy!

Doubletake mirrors
Allroadmoto gave me a pair Continue reading →

Photo special: Matchlight Motorcycle Show 2019

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Yesterday the second edition of the Matchlight Motorcycle Show took place in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. As the organizers describe it: “a carefully curated collection or hand-picked vintage and custom motorcycles by some of Europe’s best builders”. A few pics I took:

Very impressive, supercharged 1975 Ironhead by Kruyswater Motorfietsen:

Descendant Of A Weapon by Simon’s Custom:

1970 Shovelhead by Pancake Customs:

Piss Yellow Panhead by James Bull:

Continue reading →

Improving my off-road skills with BMW and Grondpadman

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Adventure bikes are everywhere, however only a few go off-road. The manufacturers for their part, would of course like to see more adventure bike riders exploring the off-road capabilities of their motorcycle (“unbelievable what my bike can do!”). So more and more manufacturers are starting collaborations with local off-road instructors.

Since this year BMW has two off-road training partners in Belgium: Grondpadman and Backtrail. When BMW invited me to an introductory day to discover their off-road training facilities and the off-road qualities of their motorbikes, I immediately said yes.

Because riding off-road with a big GS isn’t something I’m allowed to do every day. I decided to go to the event at Grondpadman, since I already knew Backtrail (and approved their course, after having followed an advanced training in the Ardennes last year). I’m the guy wearing the green jacket and white helmet by the way.

The Grondpadman team consists of Piet Lievens (who’s authorised to put a BMW Certified Offroad Instructor badge on his jacket for quite some years now), instructor Bart and sidekick Annelise. On their training grounds, Enduropark Mandes in Ingelmunster (Belgium), they offer a basic and an advanced off-road training and training for women only. You can participate with your own GS, but you can also rent one (from the 310 to the 1250). You’re not allowed to ride Continue reading →

Review: BMW R 1250 R

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Can you imagine a BMW line-up without boxer engines? The emblematic image of the two bulging cylinders is inextricably linked to the brand. So probably BMW won’t bury their flat-twin any time soon. In any case, they continue developing it. Because the competition doesn’t stand still either of course.

One hundred years after the birth of the very first BMW boxer engine, the M2B15, BMW adds another chapter to its boxer book with the introduction of the brand-new 1250 two-cylinder. The new engine is available in four flavors: GS, RT, RS and R. With the latter you experience the flat-twin in its purest form.

All aboard the VVT train

The last 1200 boxer engine dated from 2013. With the development of the new 1250, BMW focused first and foremost on more muscle in low rpms. The engine displacement increased from 1,170 to 1,254 cc, the horse stable was expanded from 125 to 136 stallions, and the peak torque climbed from 125 Nm (at 6,500 rpm) to 143 Nm (at 6,250 rpm).

Next to those boosted figures, BMW makes its debut with the ShiftCam technology, also referred to as variable valve timing. While some brands have already been using this technique for years, the Bayern Boys are only now boarding the VVT train. The Euro5 standard seems to Continue reading →

Review: Yamaha Tracer 700 GT

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The “sport tourer” moniker probably brings big muscular bikes to mind, like the KTM 1290 Super Duke GT or the BMW S 1000 XR, or rather bulky long-distance runners such as the FJR1300 or the GSX1250FA.

Going fast is easy with those bikes but if you look for light-footedness in a sport tourer, you need to look somewhere else. Enter the Yamaha Tracer 700 GT.

For a few years now, the Yamaha MT-07 has been a popular model from which Yamaha smartly derives other models. The XSR700 already stole my heart in 2016 and now the (already reasonably touring-oriented) Tracer 700 gets an (even more) touring-oriented relative: the Tracer 700 GT.

The Japanese kept it simple and drafted an easy upgrade: take a stock Tracer 700, exchange the windshield for a bigger one, replace the seat with a comfort seat and mount color-matched 20-liter side cases. There you go: the Yamaha Tracer 700 GT. Price for that suffix: £600, bringing the total to £7,999. That’s an attractive price tag. But isn’t the GT label too promising?

Hop on the comfort seat and you’ll immediately notice that the Tracer 700 GT doesn’t make an overwhelming first impression like the big sport tourers mentioned in the intro do. The Tracer feels compact and very manageable. At 835 mm the seat isn’t Continue reading →