BIKE

BIKE is packed with road tests of new bikes and inspirational riding stories, with fantastic places, amazing races and extraordinary people. Created by a passionate and expert team of motorcycle riders, Bike makes you feel part of the amazing motorcycling world. Our three main areas of content are... Road tests: We ride and test all the latest bikes, from tourers to retros. Riding: We take motorcycles to the four corners of the UK, and the four corners of the world Extraordinary travel stories: amazing races, extraordinary events and astonishing bike people.

Hello

Team Bike • This magazine is made by the most talented team of bike journalists, writers and photographers in the universe. Here’s what they’ve been doing this month.

BIKE

Dakar’s unsung Hero • Indian manufacturer Hero just got two bikes in the Dakar top 10 for the first time. Their rally boss explains how

One careful owner • MotoGP rider Aleix Espargaró is selling his 2020 factory Aprilia RS-GP plus all his kit. It’s a garage clear-out like no other…

Battle of the Tigers • New Triumph Tiger Sport 660 is more powerful than ever, which brings it closer to a fearsome rival: the Tiger Sport 800…

Genius or snake oil? • Verge say the new TS Pro is powered by a solid state battery with mind-boggling specs. But is it all too good to be true?

‘I wanted it to be different’ • Mission accomplished - this BSA-powered symmetrical board tracker is like nothing else…

2007 BMW HP2 Megamoto • Martin Fitz-Gibbons remembers his first taste of the bike that would reset his entire understanding of BMW

Why do some engines still burn oil? • Despite 140 years of development, some bike engines still consume the very stuff that’s there to protect them. Professor Jamie Turner explains why

What’s going on at Honda?

GET IN GEAR • The latest word in swanky riding gear, desirable bolt-ons and must-have goodies for your pride and joy

Write Off • Bike, Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, PE2 6EA

One for all the ‘other halves’

Looks can be deceiving • Is the Triumph Trident 800 the predictable product of platform design – or a spiritual successor to the Street Triple? A thrash around Cyprus reveals all…

Rivals

The original • The Trident name goes back to autumn 1968 and the launch of the Trident T150 – the world’s first superbike

‘Maybe I will have to have some crashes to understand…’ • Toprak Razgatlioğlu wants to be the first World Superbike champion to conquer MotoGP. But don’t expect too much from his rookie season, in which two big questions will be answered: can he adapt to MotoGP’s tricky front tyre, and will Yamaha’s new V4 be fast enough?

Is this the biggest adventure bargain? • Rieju’s Aventura Rally 307 may be the best-value overlander since the Himalayan

Brawn to be wild • Put some bareback beef into your motorcycling main course in 2026 with a modern naked litre bike. But which is the best bang for your buck, and which is the cash cow? Two carnivores and a vegetarian find out

Kawasaki Z1100 SE • The big Zed is back, and while it looks the same, under the skin it’s a different beast

BMW S1000R Sport • The most power, the most sophisticated electronics, the highest spec, and the highest price tag

Honda CB1000 Hornet SP • Cheap and cheerful are always adjectives associated with Honda, but the CB1000 Hornet SP changes all that

Suzuki GSX-S1000 • Plenty of power, a respectable chassis, a long lineage and a classic sportsbike heritage - but not on stock tyres

Verdict

Renthal • Brit brand Renthal is a byword for high-quality bars, sprockets, grips and clip-ons for motorcycles and bicycles. Bike gets a handle on its work with a tour of its Stockport...