0:02 Welcome back to Bike News, the monthly
0:03 look back at all that's been going on in
0:04 the world of motorcycleycling. Well, at
0:06 least according to MCN here in the UK
0:17 Hey kids, this is Mr. FL here. Hope
0:18 you're well and welcome back to another
0:20 edition of Bike News. Can you believe
0:21 March is gone already? Absolutely
0:23 incredible. But good news, spring is
0:24 just around the corner, isn't it? Well,
0:26 suppose technically we are in spring
0:27 now. We changed the clocks tomorrow. So
0:28 that's absolutely fantastic. Well,
0:30 tonight in fact, isn't it? Well,
0:31 tomorrow technically. Anyway, let's not
0:33 get hung up on technicalities. All
0:34 righty. Let's crack on straight then
0:36 with the news. We've got four papers as
0:38 usual to go through. Uh lots of stories.
0:40 Uh lots of stuff going on. Starting off
0:42 with this released into the wild
0:44 production ready 890cc Desert X revealed
0:47 in full ahead of launch. Now, this is of
0:49 course the Jucati uh Desert X. It's now
0:51 the latest bike to get the new V2
0:52 engine. Probably I think it's the last
0:54 in the lineup uh that's likely to get
0:56 this uh motor. Uh and I think it'll be
0:58 great for it, too. I really love the
0:59 looks of the Desert X, I must admit. And
1:01 uh anything that makes a bike a bit
1:02 lighter, especially an adventure bike,
1:03 it's got to be a good thing, isn't it?
1:05 Let's see what it says here. Jucati's
1:07 second generation Desert X adventure
1:09 bike has finally arrived. Featuring the
1:12 brand's latest 890 cc V2 twin cylinder
1:15 engine platform and priced at $14995,
1:17 which actually is a lot of money, 15
1:19 grand, isn't it? But it does look a
1:20 special thing. And when you ride it, it
1:22 makes you feel special in that JK sort
1:24 of way. So, I don't think that's a bad
1:25 price. says here, "Due to arrive in
1:27 dealers from next month, it's the final
1:28 model to officially migrate away from
1:33 the Jucati's 937 C test V twin engine.
1:35 Uh, looks are still instantly
1:36 recognizable as Desert X. The panels
1:38 themselves feature minor revisions,
1:40 although looking at it, um, I mean, I
1:41 thought it looked a bit narrower
1:43 generally than the older bike, the
1:45 outgoing bike, but uh, I'm not sure. I'm
1:46 not entirely sure. Maybe the lights have
1:48 had a little bit of a treatment. I'm not
1:49 sure. Can't tell that much difference on
1:51 the looks." Anyway, uh the front end is
1:54 now also 20 mil lower for aerodynamics.
1:56 Uh the standard seat height coming in at
2:00 880 mm. This can be reduced to 840. I'm
2:01 glad to hear that cuz 880 is a bit tall
2:03 for the likes of me. I'm only 5'8 and
2:04 I'd struggle with that a bit. But uh
2:06 yeah, it's looking nice. It's a lovely
2:07 bike and I think good value at that
2:10 price too. Um although as I say 15 grand
2:11 is expensive, don't get me wrong.
2:13 Anyway, yeah, nice. Fancy one of those?
2:15 Let me know in the comments below. Okay,
2:17 next up, a bit more Exotica. This time
2:20 from MV Augusta. electronics for all on
2:22 MV bikes. Full suite of rider aids now
2:24 standard for 2026. Now this is a move
2:27 now MV Augusta uh is is divested away
2:29 from KTM. It can do things uh you know
2:31 make its own policies on terms of
2:32 electronics and stuff. So it says here
2:35 I'll explain as we go. MV Augusta have
2:36 confirmed that every bike in their 2026
2:38 lineup will roll out of the factory with
2:40 the full bells and whistles electronic
2:42 package fitted as standard with no
2:44 activation fees down the line or
2:46 additional hardware required. Uh Luca
2:48 Martin, MV Augusta CEO said, "This
2:50 commitment is what allows us to deliver
2:51 the full experience of standard. The
2:54 move follows MV's 2025 split from Pier
2:56 Mobility, now called Badage Mobility,
2:58 whose KTM branded machines sometimes
3:00 came with all the electronic goodies
3:01 free to use initially before being
3:04 turned off at first service, requiring a
3:05 fee to reestablish them, which is
3:07 absolutely shocking, isn't it?" I don't
3:08 know if KTM still do that, but it's
3:09 something that we've talked a lot about
3:12 on here on previous uh Bike News
3:13 editions. And uh well, I don't know.
3:15 There's just something about it that
3:17 didn't smell right. I understand why KTM
3:19 did it and presumably MVIA Augusta had
3:22 to do that too. Um but not anymore. So
3:24 if you buy an MV Augusta, uh and let's
3:26 face it, not that many people do sadly.
3:27 They are beautiful looking bikes, but
3:28 you don't see them around much, do you?
3:29 But anyway, you get the full electronic
3:31 suites now. And uh yeah, if I had money,
3:34 time, space in the garage, an MB Augusta
3:36 would be there. Very nice indeed. Okay,
3:40 moving on. Oh, uh biker scran is when uh
3:41 a little series that I do occasionally.
3:43 did one uh last week. I think I
3:44 published one all the week before uh
3:45 where I go out and about with my mates
3:47 Jeff and Dan and we sample cafes around
3:49 biker cafes around the place. And
3:50 there's an article here about Jack
3:52 Hills, which is a bit of an iconic bike
3:55 cafe up uh sort of towards well I think
3:57 of it as towards um sort of Northampton
3:58 Way. Um I used to call in there
4:00 occasionally when I used to pick up
4:02 bikes from Triumph up at Hley. It's not
4:03 too far from the uh what's the other
4:05 one? The Super Sausage is just up the
4:06 road from there on the left if you're
4:08 coming from the south. Anyway, haven't
4:09 been in there for ages because it was a
4:11 bit rough and ready and then it closed
4:12 down for a while. But anyway, apparently
4:14 it's reopened. It says here, Jack Hills
4:17 back in business. It's open 24 hours a
4:18 day, which is incredible. Uh, winter
4:21 kitchen hours are 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
4:23 So, you're going to get yourself an all
4:24 day breakfast there. Says here, Jack
4:26 Hills is a bit of an institution with it
4:28 hearty food, nononsense atmosphere, and
4:29 cracking events. Oh, we're going to
4:33 sneeze. Hang on.
4:35 Oh, excuse me. Hey, fever season coming
4:38 perhaps. Head of operations Colin Cowie
4:41 Herurlock said uh we want to ensure that
4:43 the cafe has its old school charm. The
4:45 cafe is open every day. Uh keep an eye
4:47 on socials for events and uh yeah is a
4:48 bit of a classic place. Maybe it's
4:50 somewhere that uh Jeff Dan and I need to
4:52 do another biker scram in the future.
4:53 Have you been back to Jack Hill since
4:55 it's been reopened? Is it good or is it
4:56 a bit tricky still? Well, I say a bit
4:58 tricky. I mean it had character but it
5:00 was a bit rough and ready. It was a
5:02 proper truck stop really but bikers used
5:04 to go there a lot. Anyway, it's worth a
5:05 revisit. I probably haven't been there
5:08 for seven years, I reckon. Right. Next,
5:10 an electric turning point. Now, every
5:11 time I talk about electric bikes on Bike
5:13 News, people let out a sigh and a bit of
5:16 a moan. Um cuz let's face it, electric
5:17 motorcycles haven't really made much of
5:18 an impact, have they on the market here
5:21 in the UK, at least. Um there was
5:22 probably about 5 years ago when they
5:24 were first emerging. Everybody was very
5:25 excited about them. I got quite excited
5:27 when I rode the Zero uh I think it was
5:30 the DSR for the first time cuz the, you
5:32 know, the instant torque, amazing fun.
5:34 Uh, but actually practically they were
5:35 heavy, they were costly, charging took
5:38 ages, range was rubbish, so none of them
5:40 really took off. Anyway, Honda has now
5:41 got into the game with its first
5:43 electric bike. Uh, and it's a bit
5:44 different. I mean, it looks fantastic. I
5:46 I really do like the look of this, but
5:48 having read this article in full, I have
5:49 to say I can't get that excited about
5:51 it. Let me read you a full a few
5:53 highlights. It says here, "Why Honda's
5:56 first full-size electric, the WN7, is a
5:58 breath of fresh air for battery bikes.
6:00 Washing along at speed and a cocoon of
6:01 calm and quietness is an experience like
6:04 no other. I would agree with that. It
6:05 isn't better than a machine with an
6:06 internal combustion engine, but it isn't
6:08 worse either. It's just different. It's
6:12 12,999. So 13 grand, the WN7. So not
6:14 that much less than that decay we were
6:15 just talking about. It's available in
6:17 dealers in June and it's also Honda's
6:19 first ever big electric. In terms of
6:21 cutting edge, the WN7 isn't too
6:22 different from the competition, but it
6:24 high voltage battery allows the use of
6:26 DC fast charging network which puts it
6:28 ahead of the pack. So, I suppose it's
6:30 technologically more advanced. But
6:32 anyway, let's see what the verdict was
6:36 here. And this is Ney uh riding it. I
6:38 trust what Ney says. It says here, "The
6:40 WN7's ability to use the fast charging
6:42 network is a huge bonus." I know very
6:43 little about charging. I don't I've not
6:45 had an electric car that you have to
6:46 charge, and I've never charged anything
6:48 at one of those charging points, so
6:49 don't really know much about it, but
6:50 presumably, we'll take your word for it,
6:52 Ney. It's a It's fast charging. But
6:54 where it differs from rivals is the way
6:56 everything works so well together. From
6:57 the way it carves through fast corners
6:59 to the power of its brakes and the way
7:00 it's bolted together, it offers a
7:02 credible wellexecuted electric
7:05 alternative. So neither just thinking
7:06 about that fast charging. I've
7:07 highlighted a bit down here. It says
7:09 fast chargers uh zap the battery from
7:13 20% to 80% in 30 minutes. Okay, so you
7:15 haven't got a fully empty battery and
7:16 you're still going to have to sit around
7:18 for 30 minutes at one of those charging
7:20 points just to get it up to 80%. Uh
7:23 claimed average range is 87 mi. So even
7:24 when it's fully charged, you only get 87
7:27 miles out of it. So 80% of that what
7:29 you're talking 70 mi. You've got to do
7:30 it when you've got 20% left. So that's
7:32 let's say 10 m. So you've only really
7:34 realistically got 60 mi to ride before
7:36 charges and a weight of half an hour.
7:38 Not sure I still like that. Claimed
7:40 average range is 87 mi. As I said, top
7:43 speed is 80 mph or continuous is 70. So
7:45 it's hardly a rocket ship either. So
7:46 although it will have that instant
7:47 torque, I don't think it's particularly
7:49 quick off the line. So you're not going
7:50 to have the excitement that that zero
7:52 gave me. So, I can't really say although
7:54 it looks nice and uh I applaud Haunter
7:55 for getting, you know, trying new tech
7:58 and so on and clearly likes it. I'm
8:00 afraid it's not for me based on the
8:02 figures. It looks good, but I think it's
8:03 for me a thumbs down and I can't get
8:05 excited about it. Again, what do you
8:07 make of this? Stick your comments below.
8:09 I do love to read them to see if I'm way
8:11 wider the mark or not. Anyway, moving
8:15 on. Last story in this first paper.
8:18 Uh the trailer to happiness. Now, this
8:19 is an amazing looking bike. This is the
8:22 new Kawasaki Kle 500. It says here
8:25 Kawasaki's Kle 500 is back, but is it
8:26 highly capable adventure middleweight or
8:28 just a competent long-legged commuter?
8:29 Well, I know. We'll have a look at that
8:31 in a second. But, uh, I must say I love
8:33 the looks of this. To me, it's got a bit
8:35 of um sort of middleweight Africa twin
8:38 about it. I don't know why. Uh, I just I
8:40 like the stance of it. I didn't used to
8:42 like sort of Daresque looking bikes, but
8:43 they are growing on me over the years,
8:44 and I think this looks an absolute
8:46 corker. Let me read you the highlights
8:47 here. simple, affordable, and manageable
8:50 adventure is becoming bigger business by
8:51 the year. I can relate to that as I get
8:53 older and more knackered. Uh, now
8:56 Kawasaki rejoining the party with their
8:59 allnew third generation KLE 500. The 451
9:03 cc engine is from the Ninja/Z500.
9:05 Purpose-built if basic KYB suspension,
9:07 21in front wheel. Performance figures
9:10 are 44 brake horsepower, uh 31 ft-lbs of
9:13 torque, 195 kg, so relatively lightish
9:16 for an adventure bike, and an 870 mm
9:18 seat height. It says sounds high. We'll
9:20 revisit that. So, I guess there's an
9:21 answer to that somewhere. But, uh, yeah,
9:23 it looks good. Um, wonder what the price
9:30 And who's writing this? This is Chris
9:32 Newiging. So, he says, uh, typically
9:34 Japanese. It's easy to ride around town.
9:36 fun and competent in the twisties. Makes
9:38 trail riding safe and unintimidating.
9:40 Well, we need a bit of that, don't we?
9:41 If you're a dedicated, confident
9:42 off-roader, it's unlikely to be your
9:44 bag. But for the first 4A into
9:46 adventure, it's a tempting, practical,
9:48 and fun option. And now here we get to
9:50 the price. Comes in at the base one, 5,999
9:52 5,999
9:55 or the one that they did here, 6,599. So
9:57 6 12 grand for what looks to be a
9:59 lovely, albeit basic uh adventure
10:01 middle. The sort of bike that you could
10:02 really go around the world on. stick
10:04 some big bags on that and you could ride
10:06 all day long and you'd have great fun
10:08 for not a lot of money. Suddenly when
10:09 you look at that, we were looking at
10:11 that Jucati weren't we earlier, the
10:12 Desert X, which is a lovely bike and we
10:13 were saying it was good value or I was
10:16 saying it was good value at 15 grand.
10:17 You know, when you can get this, I know
10:19 it's not the same spec. I know it's not
10:21 the same exoticness, but it effectively
10:22 does the same job, doesn't it? And might
10:24 be easier to handle. I don't know.
10:25 Certainly won't have the performance of
10:28 course or the cache, but six grand. That
10:30 is a tempting proposition. I like the
10:30 look of that. I think that's going to
10:32 fly off the shelves of Kawasaki. Nice
10:33 one. I'll see if I can get hold of one
10:34 of those at some point and give it a
10:36 little test ride. Kasaki, if you're
10:37 watching, can you put me down for one of
10:40 those? Thank you very much.
10:42 Very quick one. Why are you paying over
10:44 100 quid for just a phone mount when you
10:46 can have Apple CarPlay for just about 70
10:49 quid? Satav, music, messages, the lot.
10:50 They're absolute cracking bit of kit. I
10:52 used one myself and uh yeah, I think
10:54 they're a bit of a no-brainer at under
10:55 70 quid. Click on the link below in the
11:01 All righty. Paper number two then in
11:02 this month's review only three stories
11:04 from this one. Must have been a light
11:06 newsweek or just things didn't catch my
11:08 attention. Old dog learns new tricks.
11:10 Ah, now this is interesting. This is Do
11:12 you remember the um Suzuki SV 650? A
11:14 great bike. I really loved it. It was
11:16 retro looking but it just always looked
11:17 like that. So it just kind of got old
11:20 with us. But it had that fantastic 650cc
11:22 V twin in it that sounded brilliant and
11:23 it was a much underrated bike I think.
11:25 Although it does have its followers.
11:27 Well, Suzuki have sort of reconstituted
11:30 it now with that engine now, V um Euro5
11:31 Plus, and they've come out with this
11:34 bike called the uh I think it's the S
11:36 the SV7 GX. So, it's kind of it's the
11:39 the SV 650 spiritual successor because
11:40 it's got that engine and I have to say
11:42 it looks lovely. I've been critical
11:44 sometimes of the way Suzuki touring
11:45 bikes have looked a bit pointy at the
11:47 front end for my liking, but the fairing
11:48 on this looks lovely. I think it looks
11:50 an absolute cracker. Uh, and with a new
11:51 version of that engine, if it sounds
11:52 like it used to, although it may be
11:55 muted a bit thanks to Euro 5 plus, um, I
11:57 think it's been an absolute corker. So,
11:58 let's have a little read about this. It
11:59 says here, "Suzuki's punchy but
12:02 dependable 645cc liquid cool V twin has
12:05 been around since 1999, making its debut
12:07 in the original SV 650. This year, the
12:09 engine gains Euro5 plus compliance as
12:10 well as a ride by wire throttle for
12:12 riding modes, traction control, and an
12:14 up and down quick shifter. well
12:17 equipped. Uh the update work saw the 90
12:21 do sorry the 90 means degree sorry I
12:23 marked it out with my felt tip double
12:24 overhead cam V twin receive a number of
12:26 internal changes including new dual
12:28 aridium spark plugs for improved
12:30 ignition and combustion as well as a
12:32 redevelopment of the intake layout for
12:35 2026. Power is now acclaimed 72.4 brake
12:39 horsepower at 8,500 RPM with 47.2
12:42 foot-lb of torque at 6,800. real world
12:44 power here. You don't need any more for
12:46 fun. I mean, it's going to be fairly
12:47 economic. It's going to sound great.
12:49 It's going to ride great and it looks
12:50 great. Uh, we'll get to the price in a
12:52 minute, I hope. Another advantage is
12:53 that the cylinder heads are independent
12:55 for each cylinder, making it relatively
12:56 easy to adopt a dual spark
12:58 configuration. This allowed us to comply
13:00 with emissions regulations without
13:01 making major changes to the engine
13:04 itself, uh, said somebody important,
13:06 that Suzuki. Suzuki have also tried to
13:08 retain the rumbling twin cylinder sound.
13:09 Good news, despite reworking the
13:11 position of the catalyzer in the exhaust
13:14 and adding oxygen sensors uh before and
13:16 after to help achieve Euro5 plus. It
13:17 looks an absolute corker, doesn't it?
13:18 I'm just scanning around here to see if
13:20 I can see what the price is going to be.
13:22 Doesn't say here, I don't think so. Yet
13:24 to be announced, watch this space, but
13:26 uh I imagine it'll be priced quite
13:29 keenly. Uh it says here, uh they
13:31 expected to do battle with things like
13:33 Yamaha's Tracer 7, which comes in at
13:35 8904. So, you can probably expect it to
13:37 be a little bit shy, a little bit
13:38 cheaper than that maybe. But, uh, yeah,
13:39 we'll keep an eye out. That's uh
13:41 definitely one I'd like to have a go on.
13:43 Again, stick your comments and thoughts
13:44 below. Uh, love to have a look at and
13:45 see what you think of that one. Whether
13:47 I should get one in. Does look good.
13:50 Liking that. But then I was an SV 650
13:53 fan. Right. Three is the magic number.
13:55 TR third generation Tiger Sport 660
13:57 triple gains bolder looks and sharper
14:00 claws. The 660. What a great engine. I
14:02 like for some reason I preferred it in
14:04 the Trident 660. wasn't so impressed
14:06 with it in the Tiger Sport 660, which is
14:08 very odd cuz it's basically the same
14:09 bike just with the fairing a bit more
14:11 uprightness. But anyway, let's see what
14:13 they've done to this. Uh, now the Tiger
14:15 660 is back with more power, new
14:17 bodywork, and a bundle of tweaks. It has
14:19 revised cylinder head fitted with higher
14:21 lift cams and larger exhaust valves,
14:23 plus triple electronically governed 44
14:25 mil throttle bodies. This means nothing
14:26 to me, but I'm sure it all helps. Uh, in
14:28 place of single unit, the result is a 14
14:30 brake horsepower increase in power and
14:33 an extra,000 RPM. Well, the 14 brake
14:34 horsepower increase on a bike of this
14:36 size is actually worth having, isn't it?
14:38 So, that's good. Uh, it's got a
14:40 recalibrate calibrated super slick quick
14:42 shifter, apparently. The rear shock
14:44 gains remote preload adjuster within
14:47 easy reach of the rider's left leg. Uh,
14:49 it's got new angular body work, makes it
14:50 look uh slightly stockier, apparently,
14:53 and the new tank holds 1.4 L more fuel,
14:55 which is always good news. Says here
14:56 from Justin Hazeldine, this is his
14:58 summary. With these updates, the Tiger
15:01 Sport 660 has really come of age. While
15:03 it's still fun to send it screaming to
15:04 the upper echelons of the rev range, the
15:06 boost at the bottom end and flattened
15:08 torque curve make more scope for easy
15:10 progress. Again, another real world
15:12 cracking sort of motorcycle. It looks
15:13 great. I don't know if they do this in
15:15 the yellow. It would be good if they did
15:16 this. We can only see this sort of bluey
15:18 color here, but uh yeah, maybe that's
15:20 one to have a go on. I can't get that
15:22 excited about the Tiger 660. Uh I'm more
15:24 interested to try the new uh Trident,
15:27 the 800cc. But anyway, we'll get to them
15:28 at some point during the coming season,
15:30 I'm sure.
15:32 Right, final story in this paper. Ah,
15:34 yes. Readymade custom kings. This is a
15:37 story close to my
15:38 Sorry about that unscheduled break. For
15:40 some reason, my microphone stopped
15:41 recording as my screen saver kicked on.
15:43 So, that wasn't very good. So, uh, where
15:45 was I? I think I just said, uh, check
15:47 out these box fresh options. So, yeah,
15:48 these are these are bikes that I really
15:51 like. So, it's the Kawasaki Z900 RSSE.
15:53 Now, full disclosure, I'm a big fan of
15:55 this bike. I've got the, uh, older
15:56 model, the original model, but this new
15:58 one is out for this year. the TR Speed
16:01 Twin when I owned a Trans Speed Twin for
16:02 years, probably about seven years. I
16:04 sold it last year, so I'm a big fan of
16:06 that, too. And this is the new model
16:08 again, I think out this year with some
16:09 updates, but uh given I've got the
16:11 Kawasaki still, you can see where my
16:14 loyalties lie. And then the uh Yamaha
16:16 XSR900 GP, a beautiful looking exotic
16:18 sports bike from Yamaha, which I really
16:20 enjoyed having for a couple of weeks
16:22 last year, but I have to say was
16:24 unbelievably painful to ride. So, I
16:25 couldn't have one on that basis,
16:26 although it did make you feel very
16:28 special. So, these are bikes I very much
16:30 love. And I must say, MCN also did a
16:31 good video on these. They were talking
16:35 to a guy from uh the bike shed uh who
16:37 humorously hadn't ridden the Kawasaki,
16:38 but they were talking about the styling
16:40 of the bikes. And uh the bike shed guys
16:41 of course know what they're talking
16:42 about when it comes to coolness, don't
16:44 they? So, that's worth seeing if you're
16:45 interested in these bikes. Let's have a
16:47 little look at the verdict here who's
16:50 talking. It is Oh, Michael Neves.
16:52 Excellent. So, Ney says, "Kawasaki
16:54 continues to nail it." I'm glad about
16:56 that. Kawasaki continues to nail it with
16:58 the Z900 RS. It's beautifully built and
17:00 dripping in Z1 detail. There's no
17:02 question. Oh, sorry. Yeah, it is. And
17:03 then the next one he goes on to, there's
17:05 no question the Yamaha is a head turner.
17:07 Absolutely true. Uh, an awkward
17:08 stretched out rider position. That was a
17:10 pain in the wrist for all testers. Yeah,
17:12 I agree. That's what would put me off
17:13 owning that. Although it was a great
17:14 thing and made you feel special. Uh,
17:16 Speed Twin is hugely capable at all
17:18 speeds, but for a burly 1200 twin, it's
17:20 a small machine and lacks drama compared
17:21 to the others. Well, that's interesting.
17:23 My Speed Twin I found quite dramatic.
17:26 Uh, I had the Vansenheind pipes on mine
17:27 that you could have in those days. You
17:28 can't have them now. And it sounded
17:29 great and popped and banged on the
17:31 overrun and was quite dramatic and I'm
17:33 quite a small fellow. So for me it
17:34 fitted a treat because it is a quite a
17:36 compact machine for a 1200. When you
17:39 jump on my Kawasaki Z900 RS, it feels
17:41 big and bulky in comparison. But anyway,
17:43 they've given the Yamaha four out of
17:45 five, the Speed Twin 4 out of five, and
17:46 the Kawasaki 5 out of five. And I would
17:48 agree with that categorization, which is
17:50 why I still have a Kawasaki in my
17:52 garage. First story. Yeah, this is
17:54 something that a lot of us have been
17:55 talking about and annoyed with. The
17:56 national disgrace. This is talking about
17:58 potholes in the road. I won't go on
17:59 about this cuz we've talked about this
18:00 before, but uh it's a danger to
18:02 motorcycles, isn't it? I mean, you
18:03 damage the car wheels on a pothole, but
18:04 on a bike, particular if you're riding
18:06 at night, I'm finding myself having to
18:08 pick my way through uh potholes like
18:10 you're planning a route on a on a ski
18:12 slope, you know? Ridiculous. Anyway, it
18:14 says here a a report reveals record
18:17 18.60 billion pounds is needed just to
18:18 repair local roads. A report looking
18:20 into the state of the roads in England
18:21 and Wales has concluded that it would
18:24 take 12 years of work, blime me, and
18:26 18.6 billion to repair all local
18:28 authority controlled tarmac across both
18:30 countries. This is England and Wales
18:31 we're talking about. To help tackle the
18:33 cost of road maintenance, the government
18:35 have now confirmed 7.3 billion to tackle
18:36 the roads in England, which sounds like
18:38 a substantial chunk of that, doesn't it?
18:40 That's good news. Uh, this will be
18:42 available between 2026 and 2030 with
18:44 authorities receiving different amounts
18:45 of money each year depending on the road
18:47 tops found in their area. Well, let's
18:49 hope they crack on and do this quickly.
18:52 Um, the RAC released data on the March
18:54 on March the 10th showing the breakdown
18:56 of specialists received an average of
18:59 225 reports a day across Feb February
19:01 from broken down drivers regarding
19:03 potholes. That's up from an average of
19:07 66 per day in 2025. So 66 per day up to
19:09 225 a day. That is a massive increase.
19:11 What is that? Three or 400%. Nuts. So
19:13 yeah, go on councils, get those potholes
19:14 fixed. Spend that money that the
19:16 government has given you. It's quite
19:18 embarrassing, isn't it? The road state.
19:20 Right, moving on. Daytona 660 gets
19:22 sporty. Now, the Daytona 660 was a bike
19:23 I was a little underwhelmed with uh when
19:25 I rode it, which is a shame because I do
19:27 love a TR triple. I don't know why. Um I
19:30 just was a bit. Um but uh they've done
19:31 made some tweaks to the bike, made it a
19:33 bit sharper, given it some extra bits
19:34 and pieces to make it better. And
19:36 they've given it a cracking yellow paint
19:38 scheme. Why don't Triumph bring out all
19:39 their bikes in the yellow? They brought
19:41 this yellow out, didn't they, for the I
19:42 think it was the Street Triple was the
19:44 most recent incarnation of the yellow.
19:46 Uh they used to do it years ago, but it
19:47 just looks fantastic. And I'm sure the
19:49 yellow box are flying off the shelf, so
19:50 glad to see it's on the Daytona now. I
19:52 know I'm shallow liking colors that
19:54 much, but anyway, let's see what else
19:56 it's got. Dant for promising sharper,
19:59 more engaging Daytona 660 for 2026.
20:00 Introducing adjustable front shower
20:04 suspension alongside Metler Sport M9RR
20:05 tires. The new tires are joined by
20:07 styling revision. Can't see what the
20:08 differences are, but I'll take the word
20:10 for it. The inclusion of an updown quick
20:12 shifter is standard. That is brilliant.
20:15 Uh prices start from $8995 representing
20:17 a400 increase over the outgoing model.
20:19 So 400 quid for a quick shift up and
20:20 down. That's that's all right. Actually
20:22 I can live with that. Completing the new
20:24 look are three fresh color designs
20:26 consisting of sapphire black, aluminum
20:28 silver and sapphire black or cosmic
20:30 yellow and sapphire black. More than 30
20:31 official extras are available. So this
20:34 looks a corker now. Um so yeah, nice
20:35 one. Triumph. Well done on bringing out
20:36 the yellow. And let's hope the bike is
20:37 better now. And that addition of the
20:38 quick shifter will certainly make it
20:40 more exciting. Maybe I should have
20:41 another go and revise my views on the
20:45 Daytona 660. Right, talking of um
20:47 midsize adventure bikes as we were
20:49 earlier with the Ducati uh Desert X,
20:51 Moto Marini have come out with a bike in
20:53 this segment. Says here, Motorini All
20:55 Trike 450 enters the hotly contested
20:58 class. Motoarini are throwing their hat
21:00 into the one of the hottest one of the
21:02 hottest rings in motorcycleycling
21:04 launching a 5299 plus on the road
21:06 charges All Trike 450 Adventure Twin
21:08 that's set to arrive in UK dealerships
21:10 from April. It's got spoke wheels, 5-in
21:12 color TFT dash, and a claimed 44.8 brake
21:14 horsepower. So, not super powerful, but
21:16 enough. It says here it's a similar
21:19 recipe to the CF Moto 450M. Um, with the
21:22 Moto Marini 5 Plus motor also producing
21:24 a claimed 31tbs of torque. It's got an
21:26 18 and a half liter fuel tank with Bosch
21:28 fuel injection, six-speed gearbox, ABS
21:30 can be deactivated when you're exploring
21:32 the trails, a claimed wet weight of 190
21:35 kg without fuel. What? Sorry, that's a
21:38 dry weight of 190 kg and 80 40 mm seat
21:40 height. It looks cracking. I mean, it is
21:42 actually a Chinese bike and I know those
21:44 come with connotations uh you know to do
21:46 with dealer support and all that sort of
21:49 thing. Um but it's designed initially by
21:51 Motoarini. I think it's a nice looking
21:53 bike. So, does this one tickle your
21:56 fancy? 5,699. I mean, compare that to
21:58 the was it 14 grand for the Jucati? I
21:59 know they're different animals, but it
22:01 just shows there are great. There's a
22:02 bike out there for everyone, isn't
22:05 there? Very nice indeed. All right, next
22:07 story. Scream to go cheaper. Now, this
22:10 is talking of um triple motorcycle.
22:12 Sorry. Um screaming four-cylinder
22:15 motorcycles, a Q motor. Uh this is the
22:18 SRK421RR. And I made a first look video
22:19 about this a couple of weeks ago when I
22:20 received a press release. Now, I don't
22:22 often do those sort of videos, but this
22:24 one just tickled my fancy. Four
22:26 cylinders, really nice looking sports
22:28 bike, and uh yeah, it comes in at a
22:31 really bargain price as well. 5,599
22:33 quid. This one piqu my interest. and you
22:34 listen to this spec. Let me read you
22:37 what it says. Time to welcome the 5,5009
22:39 QJ motor SRK41R
22:41 complete with winglets, Brembo braking,
22:43 and high revving four-cylinder engine
22:45 ready to do battle with the 8,799
22:50 Kawasaki Ninja ZX4R. It's got a 41cc
22:52 um motor producing 76 brake horsepower,
22:54 which is quite a lot of horsepower for a
22:56 400 cc, isn't it? Torque is claimed at
22:59 28.8 footpound at 13,000 RPM. So,
23:00 screaming like a Formula 1 engine.
23:04 Brilliant. 176 kg without fuel. Uh
23:06 modest 88 uh mm seat height that suits
23:08 me as a shorty. Uh fully adjustable
23:12 mazoki forks, four uh pot front Brembo
23:14 brake calipers, bike on 300 mil discs,
23:16 and cornering ABS. This spec is quite
23:18 something. 7-in TFT dash, smartphone
23:20 connectivity, tire pressure monitoring,
23:22 2-year unlimited mileage warranty, up
23:24 down quick shifter, switchable traction
23:26 control, and two riding modes. What more
23:27 do you want on a bike? I mean, that is
23:29 incredible. And when you put it together
23:32 with it sub5 £5,600 price, what an
23:34 absolute bargain. Blime me. Um yeah, I'd
23:35 love to go on one of those. Qchain motor
23:37 if you're watching. I don't know how I
23:38 get hold of you, but yeah, that I mean
23:41 to me it just looks lovely. I I love
23:42 sports bikes. I don't much like the
23:43 riding position. I don't know how
23:45 extreme this one will be. Um but this I
23:47 just think looks looks much nicer than
23:49 the Kawasaki. Uh who knows whether the
23:50 quality will be there. I'll have to see
23:51 if I can get hold of one as I say to
23:53 see. But it certainly looks nice in this
23:54 picture. It's almost one of those
23:56 things. It's worth buying just to look
23:57 at in your garage cuz I think it's that
23:59 it's that nice. You can maybe buy one
24:00 and do a paint job on it. I don't know.
24:02 Anyway, it's a lovely looking thing. Uh
24:05 I approve QJ motor. Right. Final story
24:07 in this paper.
24:10 We big tank showdown. Here we go. Right.
24:12 Jucati's updated Multi Strider V4 takes
24:14 on its last remaining 30 liter tank
24:18 rival, BMW's R1300 GS Adventure. Now,
24:20 I've made no secret about the fact that
24:22 I find the looks of the Jucati
24:24 Adventure, uh, sorry, the R1300 GS
24:27 Adventure repulsive. I have to say the
24:29 1300, the standard bike, it looks
24:30 starting to grow me a bit. Maybe I'm
24:31 just getting used to it, but I don't
24:33 think the GSA is ever going to do that.
24:34 It just looks like a an air conditioning
24:36 unit on on wheels as far as I'm
24:37 concerned. Whereas, I love the looks of
24:40 the Multistrider. Um, so anyway, it's
24:43 just my opinion. Um, you know, don't
24:44 take it to heart if you love the GSA. I
24:46 personally find it repulsive, but I must
24:48 have a go on one uh so I know what I'm
24:49 talking about. I haven't ridden the
24:51 Multistrider V4 Rally, but I've ridden
24:54 its um smaller brother, the V4S. I
24:55 absolutely loved it. For my money, the
24:57 V4S Multistrider is the best adventure
24:59 bike you can buy now. And if it wasn't
25:01 down to uh me needing to take into
25:03 account the wishes of my wife, uh who
25:05 wants, you know, comfort and didn't find
25:06 the Multistrider that comfortable on the
25:07 back, then I'd definitely have one of
25:08 those in the garage. I think it's the
25:10 best adventure bike you can buy. Let's
25:12 see what the verdict was anyway of the
25:15 test. And this is Ney writing here. He
25:17 says, "The Jucati edges it. Jucati's new
25:20 MultiV4 Rally is more refined than ever.
25:21 That makes it one of the fastest,
25:23 crispest handling, and most decadent
25:25 ways to cover big miles. But the BMW
25:27 isn't far behind. Unsurprisingly, it's
25:28 the more touring focus of the two, and
25:31 its boxer twin is ultra refined. Most of
25:33 all, it's given the BMW a big dose of
25:35 its GSness back. Now, that's amazing.
25:36 Uh, in many ways, it's a spiritual
25:39 successor to the old non-adventure R1250
25:41 GS." Now, I've got the R1250GS in my
25:42 garage. I bought that rather than the
25:45 1300 because it still had that GSness. I
25:47 found that the 1300 lost it. It's become
25:49 more focused, more sporty, not as
25:52 comfortable, and had lost its GS. So,
25:54 maybe I'm doing the GSA a massive
25:56 disservice by not riding it cuz it
25:57 sounds like it's more akin to what the
25:59 old GS was, and that's what I'm after.
26:01 So, I will give one a ride. Says in the
26:04 more polished Jucati uh edges it, but
26:05 there are no machines we'd have rather
26:07 been on for our tour of the peaks in
26:09 filthy early season weather. So, they've
26:11 given both bikes five. Take your choice
26:12 depending on what you like the look of.
26:15 Uh both uh bikes are expensive. The uh
26:18 BMW I think came in Let's have a look at
26:19 the as tested price cuz that's what matters.
26:21 matters.
26:23 BMW's 2635
26:27 as tested and the Ducati 27295 is
26:29 tested. So 1,200 between them. So not a
26:30 lot when you're talking this amount of
26:32 money. But uh yeah, both very expensive
26:34 bikes, aren't they? If you're only going
26:35 to have one bike and you can stretch to
26:37 that sort of money though, but uh then
26:39 lovely. But boy, maybe wait on the
26:40 secondhand market. Good stuff. All
26:42 righty. Final paper before we get to
26:47 Here's a quick news flash. Did you know
26:49 that most people watching this channel
26:51 aren't subscribed? It's absolutely free.
26:53 Takes just a second. Hit that subscribe
26:55 button below now. It makes a massive
26:56 difference to the sorts of videos I can
27:02 Exotic 400s return to the UK. Yet
27:05 another four cylinder motorcycle sports
27:07 bike. Uh and this is from Bimota. Now,
27:08 this is entirely the other end of the
27:10 spectrum cuz this is a super premium
27:12 bike and I guess not many of us are
27:13 going to be seeing these on the road
27:15 cars. It comes in at in the ES version £14,699.
27:17 £14,699.
27:19 Yes, you heard that right. Nearly 15
27:22 grand for a 400cc 4-cylinder sports
27:24 bike. But boy, does it look good? But
27:25 the question is, does it look that much
27:27 better than the um bike we were just
27:28 looking at, the QJ motor? I'm not sure
27:30 it does. I'm sure it's dripping in
27:32 carbon and high-tech stuff. And if you
27:33 looked at it closely up against each
27:35 other, of course, a Vimoto would be
27:37 better, but three times the price. Now,
27:39 it says here, "Vimot are putting small
27:41 capacity sports bikes back at the top of
27:43 the wish list with their screaming new
27:46 KB399 Forcer Duo based on parent company
27:49 Kawasaki's ZedX4R." Now, I have to say,
27:50 the ZedX4R is a bike I've always wanted
27:52 to ride. I haven't ridden one yet, but I
27:53 don't much like the looks of it, which
27:55 probably is why it wasn't to towards the
27:56 top of my list. This certainly looks
27:58 better than that. Uh while the full
28:00 details about the bim motor are yet to
28:01 be released, at its heart lies the same
28:04 399cc uh liquid cooled 16 valve inline
28:06 four-cylinder as the Kawasaki, producing
28:09 a claimed 78.9 brake horsepower at
28:11 14,500 RPM. That's going to sound good.
28:13 Uh the bikes meet Euro5 emission
28:14 standards, meaning they're legal for
28:16 road use in the UK. The screaming
28:18 soundtrack is then amplified by a
28:20 homologated acrobic encan found on both
28:23 models. Prices start from 9,749.
28:26 That's a grand more than the Kawasaki.
28:28 Uh with a spicier Adition Speciali
28:31 version, that's the ES for $14699.
28:32 That's the one you're going to want,
28:34 isn't it? First batch of customer bikes
28:36 expected to arrive end of October, early
28:38 November 2026. Well, I hope I get to see
28:40 one. Uh I imagine they'll be quite rare
28:41 at that price, but a lovely looking
28:42 thing for sure. Let me know what you
28:44 think in the comments below. Right, next
28:46 up, a bike I love very much, and if I
28:48 had time, space, money, time to ride
28:51 one, uh I'd have one of these Monster V2
28:53 S4 Tribute. So, this is the new Jucati
28:55 Monster with that B2 engine in. I've
28:56 always liked the Monster. I like the
28:58 previous Monster, but I liked the looks
29:01 of the um the SP version. You know, the
29:03 Jucati often bring out a basic bike,
29:04 then a year or two later bring out an
29:06 SP. Well, the SP of the Monster I like
29:07 the look of because it has a really nice
29:10 GP paint scheme, but I didn't much
29:12 prefer the ride. It had the O-in
29:13 suspension. It was a bit stiffer. It was
29:15 a bit tall. It wasn't as easy to ride as
29:17 a standard bike. So, I was a bit torn
29:18 between which one I'd have. Well, now
29:19 they've come out with this bike. says
29:21 the Educati have unveiled a new color
29:23 for their incoming monster inspired by
29:25 the first four valve monster the S4
29:27 released in 2001 called the sport livery
29:30 is available as a 500lb extra the new
29:31 paint job will be available on both the
29:34 11995 standard and 12295 plus version of
29:36 the bike the latter adds a color match
29:38 fly screen and passenger seat cow to the
29:41 naked bike mix. So if I were buying a
29:43 Jucati Monster and I have to say it's a
29:45 very desirable bike and one that I might
29:47 one day actually will buy cuz I do like
29:49 it. I've liked them for ages, then I
29:51 would now go for the V2 S4 Tribute in
29:53 plus form cuz it gives me the paint
29:55 scheme I like but all the easiness of
29:57 ride uh that the that the basic bike
29:59 gives you over the SP. Um I'm not sure
30:01 they've announced an SP for this latest
30:03 one yet. I may have missed it. Uh but I
30:05 imagine it'll have the same sort of
30:06 characteristics as the outgoing models
30:09 did. So yeah, for me the Monster V2 S4
30:10 Tribute, breath of fresh air. I like the
30:12 sound of that and good value, isn't it?
30:14 As well, I think. 12295 to get into
30:17 Jucati ownership. Lovely jobly. Right,
30:19 moving on.
30:21 Ha, now this is a bit different. Three
30:23 wheels and an airbag. Meet the new
30:25 Trristy 300. Now, this has vibes. Do you
30:27 remember the old Yamaha uh Nickon, a
30:29 bike that everybody raved about at the
30:31 time and then no one bought? I was the
30:34 same. I I loved riding it, but uh it was
30:35 kind of solving a problem that didn't
30:37 really exist. But the Trristity, a
30:39 three-w wheeled scooter, seems to be
30:41 have uh done better in the market uh and
30:43 they've been updating it. I haven't seen
30:45 many in this country, but you do see
30:46 them abroad. And what I like about this
30:48 over the Nick, and I think I'm right in
30:49 saying, is this will stand up on its
30:50 front two wheels, so you can keep your
30:52 feet up when you come to halt, whereas
30:53 on the Nickon, you have to balance it
30:55 like a normal two-heel bike. I think you
30:57 might have to lock it to do it, but it
30:59 is possible. Anyway, it says here,
31:01 Yamaha have unveiled a string of updates
31:03 to the Trristy 300 three-wheel scooter,
31:04 and most interestingly, the addition of
31:07 a built-in rider airbag. Airbags on
31:08 bikes are not new. Honda have offered
31:11 one on their Gold Wing since 2006.
31:12 However, with current Gold Wings costing
31:14 well over 30 grand, factory fitted
31:16 inflatable protection as Nail now
31:18 remained far beyond the reach of most
31:20 commuters, wearable vests aside,
31:22 electricity comes in at a far more
31:24 accessible 8,780. So, it's still quite
31:26 expensive for a scooter, isn't it? But,
31:27 uh, you know, if you're serious about
31:28 your scooters, this could be the one to
31:30 have. I mean, how convenient would that
31:32 be? I like it. So, yeah, maybe if you
31:33 got one of those on the press fleet and
31:34 you're watching, can I have a go on one
31:35 of them? I'd like a go on. I do
31:36 occasionally do scooter reviews and they
31:38 go down very well on the channel. So,
31:39 yeah, I'd like a go on one of those.
31:43 That looks great. but quite expensive.
31:44 Right, final story then. Traveling
31:46 light. Now, this is a bike that's had a
31:47 lot of attention and a lot of people
31:49 have been waiting for this, including
31:52 myself. BMW's new F450 GS. Now, I've
31:54 seen a lot of videos of people who went
31:55 on the launch of this. I saw one, I
31:57 think last week from username Kate. Uh,
31:59 I saw Bike World. Chris had been riding
32:01 them. Uh, and they've been extolling the
32:02 virtues of it, and I think it looks
32:04 lovely. It does have It does look very
32:05 much, doesn't it, like the standard
32:07 R1300 GS, the looks of which are growing
32:09 on me, I have to say. Uh although for
32:11 other reasons I wouldn't have one. Um
32:12 but this looks nice. If you're in the
32:14 market for this sort of trail bike then
32:16 you know this could be the way to go. So
32:17 yeah, I'm looking forward to having a go
32:19 on one of these myself uh once they
32:21 become available. Let's read the verdict
32:23 here from Carl Stevens. I'll read his
32:25 whole verdict to you. Premium but not
32:28 perfect. He says the F450GS is a serious
32:29 competitor. Not only does it have a
32:31 premium fit and finish, but it's packed
32:33 with tech and has true GS feel to its
32:35 ride. The new motor is exciting and
32:36 engaging. The chassis and suspension
32:38 offer a fairly plush ride. And the whole
32:39 package is friendly, but there are a few
32:41 niggles, especially it sits at the
32:43 premium end of the spectrum. Wind
32:44 protection isn't the most complete. The
32:46 engine is buzzy at motorway speeds.
32:48 Uh-uh. That's not good. Uh, and thanks
32:50 to its slightly more road bar setup. It
32:52 won't be the most effective for serious
32:54 off-road. Okay, so not exactly a glowing
32:56 uh response from Carl Stevens there. The
32:57 price of the bike, by the way, is £7,760.
32:59 £7,760.
33:01 So is quite pricey for a 450, but then
33:03 it is a BMW. BMWs are always pricey,
33:04 aren't they? But they are premium bikes
33:07 and you do get things like it's premium
33:08 TFT which I think is the best in the
33:10 business. It does look, you know, I
33:11 think you'll feel like you're on a
33:13 proper G. Well, I say proper GS is a
33:15 proper GS, but yeah, a baby one. So,
33:17 it's easier to manage. Uh, yeah, look
33:18 forward to giving that a go. Um, are you
33:20 excited about that? Would you buy one?
33:31 Okay, welcome to Parish Notices. Then a
33:33 look at what's coming up on the channel
33:34 in the next month, plus a few other
33:35 things. And I want to start this time
33:38 with my mate M. If you follow uh the Mad
33:40 Leprechaorn on YouTube, you'll know M.
33:42 He's a really nice guy. Him and his mate
33:44 Andy Andrews have decided to do some
33:46 raising money for charity via a bike
33:47 ride. And he asked me if I had to give
33:49 it a bit of a plug. Very happy to do
33:51 that for you, M. So he and Andy Andrews,
33:52 uh I've got a little graphic here with
33:53 the details on as well. You might want
33:56 to scan their QR code. It says Mert
33:58 says, "I lost five of my former works
34:00 mates uh to mental health issues over
34:02 the past 3 years." I'm sorry to hear
34:04 that, M. Uh so I've decided to do this
34:07 ride in aid of mind, 8 days, 3,000 m uh
34:09 four corners of the UK, historic
34:10 circuits on the island of Man and
34:12 Ireland's four provinces. Wow, that
34:14 sounds like quite a ride, isn't it? So
34:16 great cause and potentially great fun as
34:18 well, though. 8,000 uh sorry, 3,000 mi
34:20 in 8 days. It's a bit of an iron butt
34:22 one, isn't it? So hope you got a comfy
34:23 bike to do it on but that sounds
34:24 fantastic. If you are able to support
34:27 the chaps, uh, then do scan that QR code
34:28 on the screen. It will take you to their
34:30 Just Giving pages and you can donate
34:31 there. I'm going to be doing it as soon
34:33 as I finished recording and editing this
34:35 video. So, thank you for letting me know
34:36 about that and good luck with the ride.
34:37 Let me know how it goes. All right.
34:39 Coming up on the channel then, next
34:41 Saturday, the 4th of April, um, I am
34:43 going to be putting up a vlog of my
34:44 first ride on a bike since I had the
34:46 operation on my shoulder. I don't like
34:47 to mention it. Uh, and I have let the
34:49 cat out of the bag. I have now been
34:51 riding, but only in the last week or so.
34:53 So, there's a vlog on that coming up uh
34:54 next Saturday, 4th of April. Uh
34:56 following that on the 11th, uh
34:58 Speed Triple RS, my first ride review of
34:59 that bike. I'm a little bit late to the
35:01 party on it, but I love a Trans uh
35:03 Triple Me and there's some updates on
35:05 the latest Speed Triple RS, so I've been
35:06 out on that. So, I'm absolutely chuffed
35:08 to be doing bike reviews again. After
35:11 that, we were talking about um cheap
35:12 sports bikes in bike news, weren't we?
35:14 Well, I've been riding a bike that
35:16 absolutely blew me away when I rode it
35:17 actually before I had the OP. This is
35:20 the Zontes TZ or ZT73RR
35:22 I should say. It's a triple sports bike
35:24 and although I've ridden other Zontes in
35:26 the past which I found to be a bit not
35:28 great quality. This is in another
35:29 league. It the quality of it was lovely.
35:31 It sounded great. It rode brilliant.
35:32 Really is a nice bike and it looks
35:35 fantastic. So do look out for that uh uh
35:36 review on the 18th of April. And then
35:38 the next bike news, so stick this in
35:40 your diary if you like these videos is
35:42 scheduled for the 25th of April. And
35:44 there could be the odd bonus video along
35:45 the way as well. So, hit the subscribe
35:46 button and make sure you don't miss
35:48 anything. All right, that's it for this
35:49 time. Until next time, this has been the
