Bikes

It's an argument that's plagued pubs, cafes and offices for generations. Each side has strong opinions. The bikers attack with flowery descriptions of how fast a litre sports bike is whilst the car drivers parry with vague descriptions of contact patches and braking ability.  As the conversation goes on, each side becomes more entrenched and less willing to concede. Before you know it, the bikers are claiming that no car can beat a bike around the TT circuit, and the drivers are pointing out that no bike will beat an F1 car around Silverstone. The discussion doesn't really move after it reaches this point, aside from each tribe making unfounded assertions about the other tribes' mothers. It's high-brow stuff, naturally.

I'm not mechanically minded. When I hold a spanner, the sky darkens, crows crow, and church bells toll. Having said that, there are a few simple, essential tasks that all of us should stay on top of. They're simple to perform, too. At worst, you'll have a clean, shiny bike when riding. At best, they'll help you avoid putting your bike in a hedge.

Congratulations! You've successfully passed your CBT, aced your theory test, spent an afternoon messing about with traffic cones, and, finally, an experienced external observer has deemed you competent. You've got to grips with all the controls, mastered the turn in the road without putting your foot down, and enjoyed your first taste of two-wheeled freedom. Patience, time and money have paid off, and you're now a fully-fledged biker. All you need now is a bike!

Coming off your bike isn't a fun experience. It's not great for the bike, your body, your wallet or your mind. I've had a couple of offs in my time as a rider and just about come through them without any lasting damage. Do what you can to avoid them in the first place and make sure you're prepared should the worst happen.

After ditching my Streetfighter V4 for an Africa Twin, I decided to explore some byways for the first time. Feelings of nervousness and fear were ultimately replaced by elation and joy. I've found something new I really enjoy, and you should probably give it a go, too! You can even leave your penknife at home.

Do you know what happens in 2035? The death of the internally-combusted motorcycle happens. We have just thirteen years before legislation bans the sale of new ICE-powered motorcycles, and that doesn't seem like a whole lot of time. For many people, a big part of motorcycling is in the sounds, smells and sights. As bikers, I'm sure we all have the ability to smell a 2-stroke bike from four miles away and identify the sound of a Ducati two minutes before we’ve seen it. How will you feel when you no longer have the option of buying a new one?

We live in unusual times, however motorcycle technology keeps pushing forwards. While only cars are getting an internal combustion engine ban from 2030 it’d be silly to think that motorcycles will be unaffected by this.

There’s been a flurry of new bikes being announced this week, despite there being no EICMA 2020. We looked at a few early announcements last week, but let’s check out the latest ones.

With the way 2020 has been you’d be forgiven for thinking that good news is at a premium – thankfully for motorcycling this isn’t the case. While we’re not getting an EICMA 2020 to drool over the latest metal from our favourite manufacturers they’re still announcing new bikes for next year, and there are some tasty updates to cover.