Category: Motocross
Ducati Multistrada
The promotional literature heralds the Multistrada as A dream Ducati – four bikes in one. A sports bike, long distance tourer, urban machine and road enduro all separated by just one click .
The blurb goes on to hail the Multistrada as a truly game changing motorcycle. Bold words indeed, though from the manufacturer that launched the hugely acclaimed Diavel last year, could this actually be the only bike I ever need? Really? Wasn t that the Diavel? Well, without the road enduro bit at least?
Well I am a bit of a bike hoarder and right now I own a brace of bikes that suit either of my biking moods – a 2003 Ducati 900SS and a late Yamaha XJR1300 – both of which satisfy in their own way. From the comfort and lusty power delivery of the Yamaha, along with the retro styling that does something for a man of my advancing age, to the all engaging and rewarding riding experience of the 900SS.
The king is back: Hot shoeing Italian style
On a sunny spring weekend in Treviso, Italy, the Ippodromo s clay – based kilometre – long oval was lined with straw bales and turned over to a very distinct type of bike sport. The atmosphere was weirdly Italian/Anglo/American. An Airstream trailer acted as race control while a punk lady DJ cranked out heavy metal music setting the tone for hosting the third round of the seven – race FMI Trofeo Dirt Track Italian championship series, contested mainly by four – stroke singles up to 600cc – but with one exception – a three – time world GP champion. A legend in almost every sense of the term. None other than Freddie Spencer, no less.
BSB wins
It s been a month of pre – season testing and hype that s seen something of a paradigm shift in the racing universe.
No really, it has.
Normally we are hit with news from the World Superbike paddock about moans and groans following the first round of the year in Australia. Then we re hit with news from the MotoGP world about testing and have to put up with reams of nonsense about what technical gurus know about the inner workings at Ducati or Honda. Or what Casey Stoner is now favouring for his breakfast in order to win another world title.
Tried & Tested
ARAI VIPER GT
By rights, this helmet should have been retired a long time ago. Four years old and with somewhere around 80,000 miles covered, you can see by the scuffs and scrapes that it hasn t had an easy life.
But the thing is, I can t stop wearing it. This Viper GT is the most comfortable helmet I own. So snug and cosseting that I forgive it the slightly fiddly vents and the fact that the visor clip no longer clicks shut properly. So comfy that I don t care that the strap fastens so tightly I can barely get it undone on a cold morning with freezing fingers, so comfy that despite having four newer helmets on the shelf at home, this is the one I wear most.
SIMON WARBURTON – MANAGER
Why did you build the Explorer?
Because it made perfect sense to do so. When this project kicked off more than five years ago there was no other real adventure tourer to compete with BMW s R1200GS – which was selling units by the bucket load. It was an area of opportunity and we wanted a slice of the action. What s more, we knew we could produce a bike that would be able to outperform the GS. For the GS s many strengths, it has many weaknesses too. Areas that we knew we could make better on the Explorer. For example, we knew we could build a better handling bike than the GS, both on – and off – road, with more power, better electronics and a more exciting look. We ve also worked hard to achieve a motor that requires less servicing over larger intervals – every 10,000 miles as opposed to the GS s 6000 mile increments.
