Moto Guzzi isn’t really the most top-of-mind motorcycle brand. Nonetheless, the Italian brand covers quite a few pages in the history books. It’s the European motorcycle manufacturer with the longest continuous production, it has a rich racing past and it pioneered in many areas. Think of the integral brake system, the centerstand and the eight-cylinder engine.
Last year, the Moto Guzzi V7 celebrated its fiftieth birthday and got an update. The Roman three in its name indicates it’s the third update of the V7 generation that was introduced in 2012. The V7 III comes in a handful of variations. The Rough for example has scrambler accents, while the Racer has the sportiest look.
Garage Chris Smeyers lent me a demo V7 III Special for a week. In their showroom I also spotted a limited edition V7 III Anniversario with a beautiful chrome fuel tank, of which 750 are produced for the occasion of that fifty-year anniversary.
The Special has the most vintage-inspired style of the V7 range. The orange and gray lines on the fuel tank and flank panels nod to its ancestors, the Blu Zaffiro paint has a wonderful retro look, and the well-considered harmony between chrome and matte black powder coated parts proves that the North Italian designers don’t lack taste. The slightly upward bended double exhaust gives a sporty touch. And there’s also the nicely ribbed saddle, the passenger handgrip that twists beautifully around the back of the saddle and the (well, that’s been a while) unvarnished spoke wheels. Base price of the Special: $ 8,990 (USA) or 8.540 euro (Italy).
The V7 isn’t very generous on technology. ABS and (adjustable and disengageable) traction control are standard, and Continue reading →
Choppers and bulky bikes with a chrome overdose. If those are the first associations people make when they hear your brand name, it might be time to take action. Especially if you want to target a larger, younger audience.
That’s why Harley-Davidson introduced the Street 750 in 2015. Less heavy, less expensive and less of a Harley cliché. This new approach apparently gained traction, because in 2017 Harley presented the Street Rod. Based on the Street 750, but with a more lively, sportier attitude. I rode the Street Rod for a week.
Baby Harley?
The Harley-Davidson Street Rod has the smallest lung capacity of the entire Harley stable. After the Street 750, it’s also the cheapest Harley out there (starting at $8,699 in the US and € 8.225 in Germany).
Nevertheless, you can’t say the Street Rod is a Baby Harley. Absolutely not. This is a genuine Harley which can pull up next to its bigger brothers without a blush. The built quality leaves little to be desired (the tie-wraps look a bit cheap, and the cabling could be done a bit more decent here and there), there are plenty of Harley logos (up to the Michelin Scorcher tires), and I can’t imagine non-Harley fans loathing things like the beautiful, wide tank and red rear shock absorbers.
So it’s an all-classic Harley? Well no, not entirely. The Street Rod wants to be sportier than the average Milwaukee creation. So the Street 750 got some seriously slogging. Starting with the V-Twin. The 749 cc engine got pumped up considerably, making it climb from 59 Nm and 57 hp to 65 Nm and 68 hp. Harley even dares to put a High Output label on it.
Compared to the 750, the Rod also gets more ground clearance (from 145 mm / 5.7 in. to 205 mm / 8.1 in.), a higher saddle (from 720 mm / 28.3 in. to 765 mm / 30.1 in.), a bigger lean angle (from 28.5 to 37.3 degrees before the left footpeg touches the asphalt) and a sharper rake (from 32 to 27 degrees). Sounds promising? Start your engines!
And then you find yourself not being thrown back to your childhood, when you loudly raced your bike through the streets, a bunch of playing cards in the spokes. Nope, in contrast to earlier Harleys that I tested, the Street Rod sounds rather tame. So be it. Open the throttle and … try to find a good spot to put your feet.
Ergonomics
As Harley tradition dictates, it’s almost impossible to Continue reading →
The first thing I notice when standing next to the Ducati Multistrada 1260 S Touring is what an impressive bike this is, with its tall shoulders, slim waist and broad hips. It’s almost intimidating. Some say it’s the prettiest Ducati ever built. I wanted to know if it’s also the best Ducati ever built. So I took it on a 3 day blast to the Eifel region in Germany.
Getting a taste of it
A first walkaround shows plenty of typical Multistrada elements: the pointy lights, the air inlets that look like nostrils in a beak, the beautiful LED rear light, the sophisticated single sided swing arm.
The grey color of my test bike almost looks, well, boring. I like the red version much more and the Pikes Peak version really makes me drool.
On top of the standard 1260, the S version comes with Skyhook Evo suspension, a quickshifter, a TFT display, LED lights and cornering lights. Albeit for an extra, obviously. US price: $ 20.995, Italian price: € 20.390. And if you want the Touring suffix (consisting of the Touring and Urban pack), you’re looking at an even larger extra.
That Dash
When I switch on the Multi a deep red Ducati logo appears on the 5” TFT screen. The crystal clear dash shows a lot of information. Current speed and chosen gear are indicated in big numbers while the rpm’s are shown on top of the dash. All clear so far. The rest of the information is shown only in the bottom third and it takes some getting used to to find what you are looking for immediately. You can find trip data, temperature, mileage, the menu entry, fuel level and all suspension settings. And more.
When hitting the start button, the first split second nothing seems to happen. Then the fat Testastretta DVT twin shakes itself awake. This shaking will always be present, be it more or less depending on the situation.
A modest deep sound rolls out of the double exhaust pipes when I start riding. Already after the few first meters Continue reading →
Triumph’s Modern Classics series grew to such proportions lately, that you’d almost stress out by the choice you have. Most definitely when you see the wide range of styling accessoiries. Broadly speaking, you can divide the classics into two groups: the 900 cc and the 1200 cc models. Triumph’s original classic, the Bonneville, can be found in both groups, while the Thruxton got a 1200 cc engine during its most recent update. You’re not particularly looking out for a more performance oriented bike (with a higher price tag) but you still prefer a sporty and at the same time classic looking Triumph? How about the Street Cup?
The Triumph Street Cup is the caféracer version of the Street Twin, which in turn is a Bonneville T100 in a more modern look. The Street Cup scores at the first glance, thanks to its beautiful finishing. Neat looking engine, well concealed cables, classy details such as logos, pinstriping and metal footpegs. Available from $10,500 in the US and the same amount in Euros in France, in two color combinations: adorable yellow-gray and somewhat dull gray-black. Although the dullness wasn’t that bad when I saw my test bike in the flesh. Especially the metallic gray sparkles beautifully.
The 900 cc parallel twin delivers 55 hp and 80 Nm. Numbers that won’t lead to astonished reactions when you pull up at your favorite pub. The torque, however, already peaks at 3,230 rpm, so the engine is spicier than you’d expect. With a good twist of the ride-by-wire throttle, you haste away. Experienced riders shouldn’t fear any lack of enthusiasm. At the same time, the power delivery is very smooth and friendly, easing newbies’ minds.
The display is classic: two analog meters for speed and revs. Each has a small digital display for, among other things, range, trip counter, selected gear and consumption.
With its dynamic appearance, the sloping handlebar and the forward bent sitting position you’d fancy to ride the Street Cup lively. To which it lends itself Continue reading →
“Ready to race” the digital display of the KTM 1290 Super Adventure S announces when you press the start button. Not a lie, as the bike will soon prove. Did you expect something else, with 160 hp and 140 Nm? But before we talk about power, let’s first take a closer look at this bombshell.
The 1301 cc LC8 engine that created quite some excitement for the KTM 1290 Super Duke, was also used by the Mattighofen team for a sports-touring motorbike and an adventure bike. I tested the 1290 Super Duke GT, the sports-tourer, before. Time to get to know that adventure bike.
The KTM 1290 Super Adventure comes in an S and an R version. The R focuses more on offroad, with its spoked wheels, 21″ front wheel, higher seat and standard crash bars. The S aims at the asphalt, with cast wheels, 19″ front wheel and a lower, two-part, height-adjustable seat. I got to test the S for a week.
Brutal or subtle?
I remember from the 1290 Super Duke GT that it simply was a brute bike. In so many ways. Brute power, rough sounding exhaust, not always refined in handling. So I expected the same character from the 1290 Super Adventure S. And it immediately surprised me: Mr. Adventurer is more subtle than his sports-touring brother.
However, with its looks you’d assume the opposite. Especially the not particularly modest design of the headlight. Not everyone’s a fan of it. Me neither at first, but after a while, its distinctive and even photogenic nose grew on me. Finally a KTM adventure bike that comes close to that still good-looking 990 in terms of design.
A push on the start button generates quite some fuss. Caused by the optional Akrapovic exhaust. Its shortfall of subtlety has a Moses and the Red Sea effect in dense traffic. Or in this case: Orange Moses and the Car Sea.
And then it’s time to clamp the handlebars firmly – because maybe the bike throws you out of the saddle like a wild stallion – you open the throttle and … notice that this Super Adventure is extremely easy-going. There’s no sign of any brutality at all. Not yet.
The Super Adventure has four riding modes (Sport, Street, Rain and Offroad). Even in Sport, the Brussels city center at peak hour wasn’t a problem. Yes, the Sport mode has the harshest gas reaction, but you don’t necessarily need kid gloves to keep the KTM under control. Still, I found the Street mode more comfortable. I didn’t even try Rain (with 100 hp instead of 160) and Offroad.
Hard, harder, hardest
Fortunately, the 1290 Super Adventure doesn’t throw all the brutality overboard. Sporty driving is so easy and so tempting that a sixth sense for speed cameras would be a blessing. You go so fast so quickly, that it’s almost impossible to open the throttle completely. The (optional, perfectly working) quickshifter makes the explosive accelerations even more insane. And although the traction control was on, short wheelies couldn’t be avoided. The traction control, like the ABS, has cornering technology. A good thing.
Ask any motorcyclist what they think the coolest motorcycle trick is and you’ll probably get “a wheelie!” as an answer. Besides stealing the show, mastering the wheelie technique can help when your front wheel suddenly lifts during a fast acceleration or to overcome an obstacle during an off-road ride.
For a long time I’ve wanted to learn how to wheelie so I booked a wheelie training at Jeremy Vonk’s Stunt and Wheelie School.
The Stunt and Wheelie School opened last summer and was a great success from the start. The reason for this is that it offers a package that cannot be found elsewhere in the Benelux region: there’s a well-known stunt rider as a teacher, there are rental bikes so you don’t need to abuse your own bike, and there’s a Wheelie Safety Device which prevents you from falling on your back.
Upon arrival, two KTM’s 390 Duke are neatly parked next to each other on the strip of the Enschede airport. The safety device draws our attention: some kind of frame on three wheels that’s mounted behind the motorcycle. This ensures that the bike cannot fall sideways nor can you pull a wheelie too far backwards, avoiding a landing on your rear. Feels safe.
We start off with the correct sitting position: towards the back of the seat, two fingers on the clutch, one finger on the brake, knees tightly against the tank, ankles pressed against the bike and above all: keep your foot on the rear brake. These instructions are constantly repeated throughout the day. After turning off the traction control we immediately start with the first exercises.
Wybe, fellow instructor of Jeremy, demonstrates: first you ride straight on two wheels, then you accelerate decidedly and slow down by only using the rear brake without locking the rear wheel. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But because of the safety frame, the bike doesn’t steer like a bike. It’s more like riding a quad, a feeling not everybody’s used to.
The next exercise consists of an acceleration to more or less 7000 rpm and then reducing the speed with the rear brake without throttling down. A good exercise to get a better feeling of the rear brake.
Next up: the actual wheelie! Jeremy and Wybe first put everyone on the rear wheel, using the frame as a support for the bike. This is steeper than expected! We clamp our knees against the tank so we don’t slide down, we (try to) relax our arms and keep them reasonably straight.
Then it’s up to us. Accelerating from a standstill and then suddenly releasing the clutch. The first time the bike stalls, but the second time I unexpectedly find myself and the bike in a very vertical position. My surprised reaction makes me close the throttle and hit the rear brake. The bike’s front hits the ground hard and my family jewels hit the tank hard too. Wybe smiles. “Forgot to clamp your knees?”
The rest of the day we practice doing wheelies with Jeremy and Wybe constantly adjusting our technique and giving tips. Both have their own style. Wybe is very calm and encouraging while Jeremy has a more exuberant feedback style using funny comparisons to make it clear to you what you should do. They’re perfectly complementary.
When I find myself having trouble keeping a constant throttle during the wheelie, Jeremy takes me along as a passenger for a quick demo. It’s hard to believe how smooth his technique is and how little he plays with the throttle. Finally I manage to control a wheelie more or less, over the entire length of the training strip.
To conclude the training, Jeremy shows some tricks on his KTM 1290 Super Duke R. First he does a couple of slow wheelies, after which the speed and difficulty go up. The powerslides are great to see but his stoppies are the most impressive.
Who, what, where?
The Stunt and Wheelie School is located in the Netherlands, at the airport of Enschede. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, groups of up to four people can book four hours of training on two motorbikes, so you’ll have to alternate. Despite a hefty price tag (we paid 250 euro per person, but in the meantime the price’s gone up to 275 euro) I found three wheelie wannabees who wanted to go with me in no time.
Jeremy Vonk is an official KTM stunt rider and a cheerful pal. From the welcome to the last wheelie, he puts a smile on your face with his jokes. Wybe is the cool guy but at the same time he’s very enthusiastic and supporting every time you succeed in an exercise. We had a wonderful day.
Team Throttle 