Tag Archives: Bikes

The cost of adventure – London Motorcycle Show

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I get asked a lot about bike choice, should I get a BMW, a CRF, a T7, are KTMs reliable… the list is endless but the most common theme seems to be the cost of the bikes. Paying 18K for a new bike is a massive commitment, PCP is not for everyone, so how about a classic fully equipped low mileage adventure bike for less than £4500. This year I am going to be at the 2020 Carole Nash MCN London Motorcycle Show on the Metal Mule stand with my XT660 Ténéré encouraging low cost travel, cheap digs, fuel efficiency and low purchase prices – trust me you don’t need that new R1250GSA to have a great time. So if you are going to the show, stop by and say high and check out the bike, the gear and some of my route suggestions.

Buying Off Plan

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The CRF1000 Africa Twin has now gone back to Honda. My second foray into ownership via PCP and for once in my life it worked out to my advantage. Honda slashed the price of the new original CRF with the introduction of the Adventure Sports version which addressed the shortcomings I identified in my Overland Magazine review way back in 2016. The new bigger tank, metal grab rails for luggage fitment and more stainless to avoid the much complained about corrosion… it’s not a bad bike just soulless despite my attempts to love it. Trying to part exchange the bike with 32,000 km on the clock was met with cries of derision ‘that much mileage’, and a slashed baseline price, heavy dealer discounts and service and luggage offers meant that no one wanted a high mileage 2nd hand bike. Along come Honda and the PCP promise – they collect the bike and I walk away, albeit with a small excess mileage charge. So what is going to take the place of the CRF? My original 260,000 km R1150GSA is with Cardiff Motorrad getting off a SORN and the XT660Z Tenere is getting a suspension overhaul at PDQ Motorcycle Developments in Slough. I am tempted by the XT700Z Tenere but its tank is too small and buying again off plan like the CRF is not for me – I will wait for 3 years until Yamaha bring out the refined touring version of the new twin and then maybe dip my toe in the water.

Yamaha T7 Tenere 700

Skyteam – Afternoon Delight

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They do say classic design never fades and that copying is the highest form of flattery in which case the 1980’s original Japanese bike designers must have got something right. Meandering around one of the Heptanese islands I have been struck by the number of copycat small monkey bikes and narrow engineered enduros – all are perfectly designed for the islands and rough gravel and pitted roads. This well used and sun bleached Skyteam ST200 model was born in 2007 and with 17HP is faster than much of the local taxi and tourist traffic. The ST200 looks like a slimmer love child created by blending a 1991 Honda XR250 and a 1993 Suzuki DR350 – nice to know that classic design lives on care of the Jiangsu Sacin Motorcycle Company based in Nanjing. But one question remains – now that Honda have announced the release of a new 125cc classic monkey bike following on from the success of the Grom, maybe design is going full circle with Honda recreating the Skyteam copy of a Suzuki copy of a Yamaha copy of a Honda original – I can see patent lawyers rubbing their hands together from here…Skyteam ST200