Touring

Bookmark the world’s best motorcycling roads

July 8th, 2008

What a brilliant idea - Wired magazine’s Autopia has started up a Google Maps service where bikers all around the world can tag their favourite roads and learn about where others go to thrash their pride and joy.

Of course it’s unmoderated, so you’d want to do a bit of research before you turn up to a spot where some joker has tagged a 500km straight freeway, but as a starter spot to check out your local area or somewhere you’re planning to visit on two wheels, it’s a great idea.

Check it out and contribute your own roads after the jump. (more…)

Bakker Grizzly All-Round puts big Gixxer power in an adventure package

March 18th, 2008

It might look something like a Beemer R1200GS Adventure - but it’s much nastier. Flying Dutchman Nico Bakker saw a gap in the market at the top end of the adventure tourer segment - BMW’s massive Adventure is absolutely decked-out for touring, but probably sees far more road use than off-road in the hands of most owners. So why limit that bike to 100 horsepower?

The Bakker Grizzly All-Round matches the BMW’s adventure credentials, with a comfy all-day riding position, sturdy braced frame, bash plates and massive armoured luggage - but it’s built around a GSX-R1000 engine that’s around 80 horsepower up on the Beemer’s. (more…)

A quick look at Voxan’s French V-twin range and the Starck Super Naked concept

February 13th, 2008

French manufacturer Voxan has a stable full of nice 1000cc V-twins that we don’t get to see a lot of in other parts of the world. The Voxan rage was looking very delectable at the Paris bike show, so we thought we’d run a quick overview of the current range and a couple of upcoming and custom bikes like the Starck Super Naked above to show you what you’re missing out on if Voxan’s not sold in your area.

At the heart of most of the range is Voxan’s own 998cc, 72-degree liquid-cooled V-twin, fed by Magnetti Marelli injection. France imposes a frankly disgraceful 100-horsepower limit on all roadbikes, so that’s what the French retail versions of all Voxan bikes put out. Certainly the engine is capable of plenty more, and I’d imagine there’s a thriving derestriction industry ready to juice them up fresh from the showroom.

First up, there’s the Black Classic about, with lines not dissimilar to Ducati’s 1000 Sport: (more…)

Suzuki’s wild child grows up: The Bandit 1250 Grand Touring

January 15th, 2008

There was a time, and it wasn’t all that long ago, when if you wanted to be a tyre-shredding, wheelie-popping, society-menacing hooligan, the Suzuki Bandit 1200 was the pick of the showroom. Cheap, hardy, and chock full of stump-pulling grunt, the Bandit gave many punters their first taste of air underneath the front wheel.

Well, just like Henry Rollins has given up punk-rock brawling and started doing speaking tours and TV shows, Suzuki’s big bad bandit 1250 has just been released as a sensible mile muncher. It’s a bit odd to see a full set of panniers and a top box on a Bandit, let alone the Garmin Zuno sat-nav system hanging off the handlebars, but that’s what you’ll get for the extra UK£1000 you pay for the Bandit 1250 Grand Touring. The GT also features a bellypan, which looks nice but is hardly what you’d call an imperative touring addition.

It’ll still have great gobs of power, and probably no shortage of attitude in the right hands - and it’ll likely be as easy and bulletproof to ride and own as the Banditos of old - but to me, “Bandit” and “Touring” go together like “Goldwing” and “Racing.” Oh wait, they’re doing that too…

Pic of the GT’s bar-mounted sat nav after the jump.

(more…)