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Jun 05

Harley-Davidson Iron 883 review: Head for the sunset

By General Posts

by Fraser Addecott from https://www.mirror.co.uk/

Fraser says the iconic American brand’s ‘smaller’ V-twin Sportsters are the perfect entry-level way in to the wonderful world of Harley-Davidson

I will confess straightaway that I have a bit of a soft spot for Harley-Davidson’s Sportsters and, in particular, the Iron 883.

Years ago, back when global pandemics were merely the stuff of horror writers and even before David Cameron had considered holding a referendum on leaving the EU, the 883 was the first bike I reviewed for the Mirror.

Harley’s Sportsters have been around and in in continuous production since 1957, when they were known as the XL range.

For most of that time, this was the smallest-capacity machine produced by the iconic American brand, although that position is now taken by the Street 750.

Nevertheless, the bike is still regarded as an entry-level model and has been the way into the world of owning a Harley for many riders.

Some old-school Harley riders may give the Iron short shrift, but this bike is undeniably cool.

It is part of the company’s Dark Custom range, so looks mean and moody with the frame, engine casings, exhausts and most other parts blacked out.

The only colour on my silver test bike was on the rather groovy peanut tank and the two fenders.

It may be a smallish version of it, but that V-twin motor is unmistakable and completes the look, showing this bike means business.

With a seat height of 760mm or just under 30in, the Iron is low.

I see this as a big advantage and one of the reasons it is popular for newish riders and women.

The biggest Harleys can seem somewhat daunting in terms of size and weight.

At 256kg (564lb) the Iron is not light, but with both boots firmly planted flat on the tarmac on either side, the bike feels perfectly manageable and the rider in complete control.

The ride position is upright and comfortable, with wide, nicely angled bars.

The cockpit is a simple but elegant affair – a single round clock with analogue speedo and small digital screen which displays the usual information, including gear selected and revs.

These are flicked through via a button on the left-hand switch-gear.

Spec wise, ABS comes as standard, but there’s not much else – no ride modes, traction control or any other electronic wizardry.

With the key fob safely in your pocket – no key involved – hit the start button and the V-twin thuds into life.

What can I say about the ride?

Well, it’s not particularly powerful, the gearbox is a bit clunky, the handling is lethargic and the footpegs can be scraped pretty easily.

The suspension is comfortable enough, but not adjustable, that tank looks cool, but is good for only about 100 miles worth of fuel, and the brakes aren’t the sharpest in the world.

So, overall, a bit of a dud right?

Far from it. I still love the Iron.

It may be basic and it may have, by Harley standards, a small engine, but this is pure, simple, unadulterated motorcycling at it’s best.

This bike looks cool and it feels cool, and it just makes you want to ride off into an Arizona sunset.

The Facts: Harley-Davidson Iron 883

Super cool: Fraser with the Iron 883

Engine: 883cc V-twin

Power: 52bhp @ 6,000rpm

Torque: 54 lb ft @ 3,750rpm

Colours: Black; silver; grey; orange/silver

Price: From £8,895

Jun 05

Kawasaki Z900 review: You don’t have to get your kit off and start a fight to like it

By General Posts

by Geoff Hill from https://www.mirror.co.uk

It may be an evolution rather than a revolution, but the latest version of this popular naked streetfighter looks good and is tons of fun, with a great engine and a very attractive price tag

Question: A naked streetfighter is

a) A football fan after the bars shut in a nudist colony.

b) Someone who thinks that naked streets should be brightened up with those nice hanging baskets full of petunias.

c) The small green thing on which I’m hurtling around a corner with a smile on my face.

The answer, of course, is c – in other words, a sports bike which has been stripped bare of any fairings, folderols and fripperies to look more lean, mean and aggressive.

Or in this case, the latest incarnation of the Z900, a very nice 32,000 of which Kawasaki has sold since introducing it in 2017 as an evolution of previous 750 and 800cc versions.

To be honest, it didn’t really need to update this one apart from the pressure of Euro 5 emissions demands from Brussels, but the Kawasaki boffins thought they may as well take the opportunity to tweak a few other things while they had their sleeves rolled up.

They started with the aesthetics, reshaping the nose, side panels and fuel tank for a more aggressive look, and sticking in LED headlights while they were at it.

Thankfully, they didn’t muck about with the seating position, which, while slightly compact for anyone of 6ft 7in like me, is perfect for smaller folk, canting you forward slightly to leave your hands resting lightly on the wide bars and needing only the hint of a nudge to leave you carving into bends like a cornering craftsman or woman on their way to a BBQ for a bit of LOL.

It’s one of those bikes on which you only need to think of where you want to go, and you’re already there.

Anyway, where was I? Ah yes, admiring the new TFT screen, which although only 4.3n compared with some of the 7in monsters out there, shows all the information you need at a glance, including which of the four riding modes you’re in – Rain, Road, Sport or Rider if you want to reduce the ABS or the newly added traction control.

Or even switch the latter off completely if you like the smell of burning rubber in the morning, and your dad owns a rear tyre shop and gives you mate’s rates.

It being the sort of bright, sunny day which makes you glad to be half alive, I spurned Rain, since that reduces the power and I usually get bored with that after five seconds, and launched straight into Road. I know, call me a wild, impetuous fool, but my family motto is Carpe Diem. That’s Latin for Seize the Fish, since you ask.

Anyway, where was I before I interrupted myself again? Ah yes, enjoying the splendidly brisk progress, aided and abetted by a light clutch and slick gearbox and accompanied by a civilised snarl, like a well-brought-up lion.

With a bigger catalytic converter and exhaust, it definitely sounds better than the previous version to my ears, well tuned over the years by waiting for the rare sound of incoming cheques hitting the doormat.

The clutch and gearbox are so good that while a quickshifter would be a nice option, it’s not necessary and would remove that very attractive eight at the start of the price tag.

Time to switch to Sport mode with a quick press of the button on the left bar, and…there was no difference at all, since as I later discovered, all it does is reduce the traction control.

Either way, there’s so much grunt from the engine that you can quite happily spend all day in the top three gears.

With decent Nissin calipers and big twin discs up front, braking is great, although there’s poor feel and bite from the rear brake. Mind you, most sporty riders I know aren’t even aware that bikes are fitted with rear brakes.

The suspension, meanwhile, is nicely balanced between firm and plush, keeping the bike stable in corners but soaking up rough patches without having a panic attack.

All in all, looks good, loads of fun, great engine and a very attractive price.

Now if you’ll excuse me, the bars have just closed, so I need to get my kit off and go out to start a street fight.

The Facts: Kawasaki Z900

Sharp: Restyled front end gives it a more aggressive look

Engine: 948cc liquid-cooled inline four

Power: 124bhp @ 9,500rpm

Torque: 99 lb ft @ 7,700rpm

Colours: Grey/black; white/black; green/grey, black

Price: £8,899

May 23

SportBike Chic Kevlar Jeans Review

By General Posts

Made in the USA by a Woman Rider

By Chris Gibbany with photos by her husband

Although I have been riding motorcycles for years, it has only been in the last few years that I have really wanted a pair of Kevlar riding jeans. Two things have kept me from buying a pair; cost and sizing.

Not having a brick and mortar store that allowed me to try on a pair, kept me from ordering a pair online not knowing if they would fit or not. Now, I can tell the world about an awesome pair of Kevlar jeans made by a woman rider to help other women riders be safe and look great while doing it, at a very reasonable price.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REVIEW ON BIKERNET

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Apr 13

BMW F900 XR review

By General Posts

by Geoff Hill from https://www.mirror.co.uk

Same engine, frame and brakes as the F900R, but a very different bike

Small changes can make a huge different to a machine and the adventure version of this middleweight Beemer proves it by being much better than the naked roadster version, says Geoff

Sometimes small is big.

And before you think I’ve come over all Zen and am sitting on the stone floor of a hut halfway up Mount Fuji contemplating my hara and coming up with koan riddles, I mean that even small changes to a motorbike can alter its character completely.

This can be a good thing, such as when Triumph moved the bars back on the Rocket III, and the pegs back and down very slightly, to create the Roadster.

It was only a matter of an inch or two, but it made for a much sportier ride.

It can also be a bad thing, like when Ducati moved the footpegs forward on the Diavel to create the XDiavel, effectively emasculating a brilliantly macho machine.

Which leads me, naturally, to the BMW F900 XR. I’d just got off its stablemate the F900 R, which was good but not memorable, and although the XR has the same engine, frame and brakes, it feels like a completely different bike.

Whereas the F900 R is a naked roadster, the XR is an adventure tourer and it feels like it from the moment you sit on it, with wider bars, and a more upright and neutral position, which not only means all-day riding comfort, but better visibility all round, including a better view in the mirrors.

The TFT screen is the same simple but effective model as on the R.

Riding off, it feels right from the start, with perfect low speed balance which on the road translates into sweet and neutral handling, with less of a nudge needed on those wide bars to get it tilting into corners with aplomb than on the R version.

Whereas I’d ridden the top-of-the-range SE version of the R, with quickshifter and four riding modes – Rain, Road, Dynamic and Dynamic Pro – this was the base model of the XR, leaving me with the unbearable hardship of using the clutch to snick through the slick six-speed gearbox.

It also had only two riding modes, Rain and Road, and after a good seven seconds of Rain, I got bored and switched to Road, which changed progress to sporty without being too aggressive, with a nicely linear power delivery for effortless cruising, but a satisfying rush at the top end of the power band for some happy hustling through some twisties.

If you want even more excitement, go for the top-of-the-range TE model, with Dynamic and Dynamic Pro riding modes, and semi-active Electronic Suspension Adjustment which, at the touch of a button, changes the suspension from plush Road mode to more sporty Dynamic.

The heated grips are just as good as on the R, to the extent that even on a freezing day I had to turn them down from 3 to 2, and with a bigger tank than the R, the range is about 200 miles compared to the 130 or so of the R.

There’s also an A2-compliant version for newbies who want a big bike but are limited to 47bhp.

So although it’s over a grand more than the R, for me, it’s no contest. The XR is a much more enjoyable machine.

Bike supplied by BMW Motorrad Belfast charleshurstgroup.co.uk/bmw

Apr 08

Kawasaki’s Open-Road Ready 2020 Ninja 1000SX Ups The Comfort, Tech And Power

By General Posts

by Bill Roberson from https://www.forbes.com

It’s raining and I’m sheltering in place with my family, which sadly means no motorcycle riding as spring weather imminently arrives in the Northwest. Thankfully, Kawasaki just broke the boredom by holding a model reveal online, as is the sudden new norm, and the new bike is the 2020 Ninja 1000SX. It looks to be another fine machine from the always capable Kawasaki. But after the presentation, I found myself wandering down memory lane (and through digitized photos) to the first and only Ninja I personally owned. In the early 1990’s, I happened across a pristine first-gen Top Gun era 1986 GPz 900 Ninja in bone-stock, unblemished like-new condition (below). Resplendent in original red, white and blue livery, it was by that time somewhat of a performance relic, but I bought it anyway because, well, I had always wanted one and the price was right. Compared to the back-road-strafing Suzuki GSX-R 750 I was riding at the time, it was heavy, a bit wobbly when pressed in the curves, and big. But still, it was just so cool. It still is.

One weekend, a riding buddy and I saddled up our respective bikes with some soft bags and headed out to parts unknown in the wide-open (and very lightly patrolled) reaches of eastern Oregon. Midway into a long leg of the trip, my cohort was complaining about the uncomfortable riding position of his mount and tried everything from using the rear pegs to sitting on towels to soothe the pain. But I had made an unexpected discovery: That big, heavy GPz Ninja was a near-perfect sport-touring machine, with a supple yet sporty suspension, a comfortable seat, a near-perfect bar-seat-peg triangle (for myself at least), and a willing, powerful engine. That was the first of many long trips on the Ninja.

Over 30 years later, Kawasaki’s now-venerable Ninja nameplate has gone through numerous iterations and generations, ranging from sword-sharp track attack weapons to the beyond-bonkers 300+hp H2R supercharged exotic. But sitting in the sweet spot in the lineup is the great, great grandchild of that first GPz machine, the 2020 Ninja 1000SX. It still looks fast, with rakish, geometric bodywork and a mean, purposeful stance. And it is Ninja fast, with a new 1,043cc inline-four that puts out triple-digit horsepower and is tuned for more torque than your typical sportbike screamer. But best of all, this modern Ninja calls out to me like my old friend, with more focused capabilities that weren’t readily apparent in my sturdy GPz.

The $12,399 2020 Ninja 1000SX is both a sport-riding and a sport-touring platform with a definite emphasis on sport, but Kawasaki has also embraced and expanded its touring acumen. Hard bags that use a slick low-profile mounting system are an OEM option, the quick-release windscreen adjusts across four settings, there are four seat options, and the SX has been retooled digitally for open-road riding including, at long last, electronic cruise control (the real kind, not the plastic throttle lock I used on my ‘86 Ninja). But it’s also designed to be a competent back-roads tool, including a new clutchless quick shifter and slipper clutch, giving riders the ability to scratch an itch in both worlds.

For 2020, Kawasaki has also upped the tech quotient to a large degree over the 2019 model. The KIBS ABS smart braking system is now standard, and a new Bosch inertial module adds more safety options to the braking and acceleration parts of the ride, including a novel new cornering management system. For pilots wanting less tech intervention, certain aspects of the system, such as the three-level traction control, can be set to “off.” Incredibly, the Bosch IMU doing all that thinking for you only weighs a scant 40 grams, or about as much as a handful of paperclips. There are also expanded ride modes including Sport, Rain and Road, as well as a custom Rider mode where you can set up your own favorite profile. Parameters within riding modes can be adjusted as well and everything can be set up on the bike’s new 4.3-inch TFT color cockpit display, or through the Kawasaki Rideology smartyphone app. As I recall, my Top Gun Ninja had a gas gauge, which I thought was pretty damn trick at the time. I taped an LCD clock from the dollar store to the tach to really take things to the next level. Ah, the carbureted days…

To be sure, the 2020 NinjaSX is a smart-looking bike, and Kawasaki’s engineers have tweaked the fairing for better airflow, as well as moving from a two-pipe muffler layout to a more sporty (and lighter weight) single-sided affair more in tune with its pure sportbike brethren.

Probably my only complaint is the color scheme, which is a natty grey and black scheme with Kawi-green accent stripes (as above) as the only option, at least so far. Come on, Kawasaki, find some old cans of Ninja red, white and blue paint already!

Once the world starts turning again, the new Ninja 1000SX should be available in Kawasaki showrooms, and it’s only a $200 bump over the old model.

Apr 07

Riding Triumph’s Rocket 3

By General Posts

by Dries Van der Walt from https://www.wheels24.co.za

As promised during the local launch of the new Triumph Rocket 3, Triumph South Africa allowed me to ride the beast on Wednesday, March 25, beating the national coronavirus lockdown by just two days.

It was a bitter-sweet experience because while riding the open (and already noticeably quieter) roads in the Hekpoort area of Gauteng, I was keenly aware of the fact that this would be my last leisure ride on a bike for quite a while.

I was joined on the trip by Triumph South Africa CEO Bruce Allen and a colleague from another publication, and the conversation over brunch was predictably dominated by our shared concern about the effects that the looming lockdown, as undeniably necessary as it was, would have on the country’s already brittle economy.

But all of that did nothing to distract from the experience of riding the world’s biggest-capacity production bike. At 2500cm³, the Rocket 3’s engine capacity exceeds that of most cars – almost double that of the popular B-segment hatchbacks that are ubiquitous on South African roads. Housing an engine of that size dictates the design approach, and the Rocket 3 presents a squat motorcycle that is not likely to be mistaken for anything else.

Intimidating at first

Despite being not very tall, the sheer bulk of the bike is somewhat intimidating at first sight. This feeling is not dispelled once you swing a leg over, because that’s when you realise how wide the frame actually is. That said, as soon as the wheels start rolling and your feet are on the pegs, the intimidation factor dissipates with the realisation that, despite its bulk, the Rocket is really well-balanced.

It carries its weight low in the frame, and the size seems to melt away as speed picks up, so that by the time you reach the first traffic light, you’ve forgotten that you are sitting astride a machine of decidedly unusual proportions.

Sandton’s streets are not the place to explore the limits of the Rocket’s prodigious torque, but it did allow me to develop an appreciation for the remarkably smooth quick-shifter. Working both up and down, shifts are immediate and jerk-free, even at lower revs. With a bike that can be ridden in top gear most of the time, a quick-shifter may seem unnecessary, but this one worked so well that I found myself running up and down through the ratios for the sheer fun of it.

We soon hit the highway, and with the relative lack of traffic, I could start playing with the throttle. The torque was everything I expected, and then some. Twist the throttle wide open in any gear, and the Rocket takes off like the proverbial scalded cat leaving your body caught between the twin sensations of your arms being wrenched from their sockets and your hands strained to their utmost to maintain a grip on the handlebar.

Zooming past

On the other hand, if you give the twist grip the respect it demands, the torque is exhilarating but manageable. Overtaking becomes a non-event – you edge up to whatever is in front of you, wait for a brief gap in the oncoming traffic, twist the throttle and zoom past it in the blink of an eye.

Highway gave way to some twisty backroads, and I found that the Rocket is not averse to brisk cornering. At this point on the route, I was on the Rocket 3 R, the “sporty” naked version with footpegs almost directly underneath your hips. This gave me the opportunity to adopt the usual weight-forward riding position, and I could attack the curves with confidence.

While no sportbike, the Rocket remains stable through the twisties, making it once again easy to forget how big and heavy it actually is.

After brunch, I switched to the GT. On this version, you get a welcome windscreen, and footpegs set more forward for a relaxed riding position. I’m not a cruiser person, but to my great surprise I found that I preferred the GT to the R. The small screen was remarkably helpful in preventing my body from acting as a drag chute, and the footpegs weren’t so far forward that I was forced into the dreaded C-shaped riding position.

Ideal for long distance

Although these slight changes to the identical frame shared by the two variants made the GT feel like a different bike altogether, it retained the sure-footed handling of the R, leaving me to enjoy the twisties on the way back as much as on its sibling.

The new Rocket 3, aimed mostly at the US market where long, straight roads and low-speed limits are at the order of the day, is without a doubt a niche bike. As such it is unlikely to appeal to a broad audience locally, but one thing is for sure: if I were offered one for a trip down to Cape Town, I would grab it with nary a second thought.

SPECIFICATIONS:

ENGINE & TRANSMISSION 
Type: In-line three-cylinder, water-cooled, DOHC
Capacity: 2458 cm³
Max Power: 123kW @ 6000r/min
Max Torque: 221Nm @ 4000r/min
Final Drive: Shaft, bevel box
Clutch: Wet, multi-plate hydraulically operated, torque assist
Gearbox: six-speed

CHASSIS 

Frame: Full aluminium frame
Swingarm: Single-sided, cast aluminium
Front Wheel: 17 x 3.5in cast aluminium
Rear Wheel: 16 x 7.5in cast aluminium
Front Tyre: 150/80 R17 VRear Tyre: 240/50 R16 V
Front Suspension: Showa 47mm upside-down 1 1 cartridge front forks, compression and rebound adjuster. 120mm travel
Rear Suspension: Fully adjustable Showa piggyback reservoir RSU with remote hydraulic preload adjuster, 107mm rear wheel travel
Front Brakes: Dual 320mm discs, Brembo M4.30 Stylema 4-piston radial monobloc callipers, Cornering ABS
Rear Brakes: Single 300mm disc, Brembo M4.32 4-piston monobloc calliper, Cornering ABS
Instrument Display: TFT multi-functional

DIMENSIONS & WEIGHTS 

Width (handlebars): 889mm
(w/out mirror): 1065mm
Seat Height: 773mm
Wheelbase: 1677mm
Dry Weight: 291kg
Tank Capacity: 18L
Fuel Consumption: 6.82-l/100km (claimed)

Apr 05

DORF Reviewed

By General Posts

A Book about Two Brothers Riding from Los Angeles To Sturgis

Book by Bob Bitchin, Review by Rogue

I was thinking about all of you on Quarantine and how much I think you would enjoy reading this book by my friend Bob Bitchin. I will tell you ahead of time, it is an ADULT PUBLICATION and if you are offended by Sex, Drugs, or Rock and Roll it is probably not for you.

READ THE BOOK REVIEW ON BIKERNET – CLICK HERE

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Mar 29

BMW F900 R review: Nothing like a naked roadster on a freezing day

By General Posts

by Geoff Hill from https://www.mirror.co.uk

Starring in his own remake of Freezy Rider, our man Hill tackles the elements to see if the Beemer has what it takes in the tough middleweight sector and finds it’s close, but not quite a cigar

It was freezing, raining and blowing a gale – and I was on a bike with zero miles and new tyres.

Perfect conditions, then, for pushing the limits of the Bavarian firm’s naked roadster whose mission, should it choose to accept it, was to give a good spanking to Triumph’s new Tiger 900 and the established and very popular Yamaha MT-09.

“Mmmm. I’d start in Rain mode if I was you,” said Ian at the dealership, slapping me cheerily on the back and going back to his nice warm office, the swine.

Oh well, I was obviously being punished after getting home from back to back launches in southern Spain and Morocco, and at least first impressions of the Beemer were good – compact but comfortable riding position, tilting you forward in a mildly sporty fashion on to the bars to give you a view of decent mirrors and a fairly simple but informative TFT screen.

A quick toggle of the Mode button through Road, Dynamic and Dynamic Pro into Rain, another toggle of the Electronic Suspension Adjustment to solo rider with luggage to take account of the fact that I’m heavier than the average ride, three presses of the heated grips button to get them up to the maximum setting – and I was off.

The fuelling at low revs was slightly snatchy and acceleration in Rain mode was a stately affair, and was never going to set my pants on fire, particularly since they were now soggy anyway.

Why BMW designs very expensive suits with the waterproof lining on the inside is a mystery to me. I wore one for a round-the-world trip and, in heavy rain, everything in the outside pockets got soaked.

Anyway, where was I? Ah yes, on the F900 R in the rain.

Good points so far – the quickshifter on the SE model I was riding was perfect, snicking seamlessly through the six-speed box both up and down, and handling was light and neutral, although I was still taking it relatively gently on those shiny new tyres, even though with traction control, I was unlikely to come a serious cropper.

With Brembos and big twin discs up front, stopping was linear and progressive, with cornering ABS on the SE model to give me a nice warm feeling of safety.

Oh, wait, that nice warm feeling wasn’t the ABS – it was the heated grips, which were so good that even in the sub-zero temperatures, my pinkies were in danger of bursting into flames and I had to wind them back to the 2 setting.

Right, that was it – I was bored with Rain mode, and the roads were drying out a bit anyway, so it was toggle time again, to Road mode, and while I was at, changing the suspension mode from Road to Dynamic.

That was more like it – progress became satisfyingly swift, accompanied by a meaty rasp from the exhaust and, with the bike hunkered down and firmed up, it flung itself into corners with a nice combination of enthusiasm and precision.

Things got even better in Dynamic mode and I think once the tyres were scrubbed in, I’d leave it in that all the time and use Road if it was raining.

On the base model, you only get Rain and Road riding modes, sadly, and no Electronic Suspension Adjustment.

The verdict? The Yamaha MT-09 is more powerful and aggressive, but the BMW makes peak power and torque at lower revs. It’s also cheaper and has more tech, including the electronically adjustable suspension, which makes it more user-friendly and a slightly plusher ride, and with BMW luggage attached, more suitable for touring.

Dec 28

2019 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Special Review

By General Posts

Wild hogs can’t be broken

No name in American motorcycling looms as large as Harley-Davidson, the longest continually operating motorcycle brand in the States. While it’s experienced its share of problems over the last decade or so, it’s continually working on updating and innovating.

What is it about the Street Glide that makes it such a special machine? It’s got a massive 114 cubic-inch Milwaukee Eight engine that produces just 90 horsepower.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REVIEW ON BIKERNET.COM