The new Royal Enfield HNTR350, aiming to win over a younger audience

With this model, Royal Enfield tries to make motorcycling and commuting by motorcycle accessible and attractive to a younger audience. Think new riders, students, young working professionals, perhaps even as a second, lighter motorcycle. The lines remind of us of the British heritage. It would not look out of place in a line-up with the moderns classics like Triumph.

Riding experience

The little thumper produces 27Nm of torque and 22 BHP of power that are predominantly experienced through the mid-range of revolutions. It is third in line after the very successful Classic and Meteor model (check out our First Ride Review and this Starship custom). It is based on same the 350cc J engine. This single cylinder bike has an entirely different geometry and thus creates a very different riding experience. The reduced rake (25°) and trail (94mm) combined with the 1370mm wheel base make the bike feel light and agile, perfect for city riding. The motorcycles we rode were brand new. Pushing them to their limits, testing peak power at 6100rpm, would have been disrespectful to the technology and torturing the machines. We will save that for another ride… ;)

It easily climbs through the revs and the black dial speedo with white numbers clearly displays increasing velocities. 60km/h to 100km/h in fourth gear is a comfortable acceleration without discomforting vibrations. These do show up at 80km/h in fifth gear, so do not short shift it!

That said, the engine is very forgiving in second and third due to the heavy flywheel. This makes it very suitable for city riding. Unpredictable and abrupt city traffic stops are the responsibility of the 300mm single front and 270mm rear brake rotor. Combined with the dual channel ABS, these do the job.

Room for improvement

Room for improvement can be found in the suspension and in the exhaust. The cobblestone pavement in the historical centre of Dijon and surrounding villages, and the French country lanes did put the suspension to the test. Observations: the linear rear shocks are rather hard, the front suspension is rather soft, a little unbalanced. Though, rear suspension upgrades can be performed rather easily at home. As to the exhaust, for city riding it is, to our taste, too loud and not a pleasant, well-rounded thump one would expect from a little thumper. Plus, I experienced that with a very average EU size 42 I found the heel of my boot touching the exhaust more often than not. A small nuisance, yet I image it to be worse for people with larger feet. Taken both into account, if I would own one of these, I would swap the exhaust for an aftermarket (slip-on) exhaust as soon as they would become available.

Make it your own!

Besides the exhaust and suspension, other work on the bike to do at home would be personalisation of your HNTR. And this is where it becomes even more exciting. We try to provide a platform to inspire motorcycle owners to personalise and customise their motorcycles. Therefore, we are happy to see that RE offers a plethora of accessories. These range from mirrors and indicators to engine guards and tail tidies that are easily bolted on and maintain the warranty. Especially the tail tidy with the ribbed seat will make it look very elegant in our eyes! There are two themes available from the dealers, urban and suburban, that include a selection of the accessories.

The suburban comes with black crash guards, a (although somewhat flimsy) pannier plus rack, touring mirrors, a pillion back rest.

The urban caters more to the (undoubtedly inspired by café racers) roadster image, a fly screen, a level seat, LED indicators, engine guards, and bar end mirrors.

What plays a large role in the outstanding looks of the HNTR350 is the paintjob. It is available in 6 colours, divided into a single colour and two-tone series, called ‘dapper’ and ‘rebel’, respectively. The former includes white, ash, and grey, the latter blue/white, black/white, and red/black. Personally I tip my hat to RE for not making the same mistakes as many other motorcycle (gear) producers when aiming to engage women riders. They offer predominantly white/pink and black/pink colour schemes. These nicely painted petrol tanks hold 13 litres of fuel, good for a couple hundred kilometres with reported consumption of 2.63 L/100km.

In all, I had a great time riding this very fun motorcycle! It is excellent for its intended purpose, so it might just be that the hattrick is not too far off. Of course, we all look forward to seeing what you do with these cool little rippers when it comes to customisation!

(Photos by Florian Meuret and Rodolphe Herpet)

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The big one

This is the Kawasaki Z900RS SE and I want to start off by saying: I like the Z900RS. If you’re looking for a bike that has it all, this might just be a candidate. And although that might be a matter of opinion. As a matter of fact, I am writing this piece entirely based on my personal opinion. Nothing to do with facts or statistics, just the experience. You may have read my previous articles by now (if you haven’t: they are on this site somewhere) so by now you may know that I like to write different stuff than the usual.

Let’s have a look at the Kawasaki then. I had the pleasure to know this bike from the beginning, having been present at the press presentation back in 2018. At the time, it impressed me just as much as it has this time and I’ll tell you why. In this day and age, we have gotten used to some pretty edgy design, frontrunning electronics, power beyond measure and handling beyond our wildest dreams. So far so good, you might think. But that’s not the case for everyone. Sometimes, you don’t want more. Sometimes, you want a little less.

Retro
Kawasaki jumped on the retro band wagon with the Z900RS, and for good reason; who remembers the legendary Z1? Kawasaki did decide to things slightly different from their competitors, by not building a full retro machine, but a retro inspired modern motorcycle. Just take a look at those flashy wheels and design, or the USD front fork with radial mounted brakes. That’s not just for looks, it’s an honest upgrade. Then, the engineers went a little step further and tweaked the engine. Just a little less power (only a few hp) from the top, but with a trade off for some more torque and a bulkier midrange. That’s where my interest was caught, because even though power is nice, it’s only good when you can use it. On a desolate Spanish backroads where we usually ride at a presentation, that’s okay. But in real life, when or where would you be able to use its full potential?

To really top things off, they even went so far as to tweak the fuel injection so it doesn’t run as perfect as it could at idle, just like it’s an actual old carburettor bike. Now that’s eye (or ear) for detail. Another big difference is the seating position. Gone is the high rising fuel tank or passenger seat, instead you get a much flatter seat unit and tank. And if you ask me, it’s a godsend. The seating position on this bike is just perfect. I have to admit, this is a trick other brands also use, but in those cases it also works. Because of this, ‘retrofied’ middle class machines are just plain awesome.

Special Edition
This is not your average Z900RS. This is the SE model which has a new color. And also some parts. It’s not the first time Kawasaki adds a little bit tricked out model to the lineup. Usually it’s a little sprinkle of performance parts that are pre mounted and as a package costs just a little less than you’d pay for the individual parts. So that’s a win-win. However, it would be a little bit weird to present a Performance model of the retro bike, so they went a different way.

In earlier years Kawasaki had also enticed the public with a special ‘R’ version, like back in 2011 with the Z750. That included an upside down fork, radial mounted brake callipers and I think a little beefier rear shock. And now here’s the 900RS SE edition. This bike now has Brembo callipers instead of the standard Tokico and an Öhlins rear shock instead of the standard one. And although that’s really all they did, it does make a difference.

Picturesque
It’s a great looking motorcycle too. When I was taking the pictures, I had to regularly answer questions and almost always people were surprised when I told them it’s actually a brand new bike. So if you were still wondering if this is retro enough for you, there’s your answer. But there is an extra. The retro community is thriving, and it has been for years. In that respect, you can also see the RS as an homage to that scene.

Now as for ride quality, I can be brief; I like this bike. It feels nice, it runs great, especially with the ECU tweak down under, to make it respond like a carbed motorcycle, it handles and performs like a modern bike and that is, I believe, a big part of the appeal of this bike. Buy something cool, get something without any technical issues. It does have fuel injection, so it runs just fine. ABS is standard, so no issues with that. It has modern wheels and tires, so you can ride it like any other modern bike. And as an extra it also has 3-way adjustable traction control, just like most modern motorcycles. I could have been fine without it, but I can only speak for myself. It’s a safety feature, so it’s fine. And also it’s easy to switch off if you like. Just for the pictures, of course, officer.

Kawasaki haven’t just picked any bike. They went for the one that would fit the plans as good as possible. So with the 900, we get a four cylinder engine that performs but also fits the space under the tank beautifully. And it’s even finished with some faux air-cooled ribs on the side. As for the rest of the bike, well, you can see the pictures. The seating position is just like you’d expect, upright and commanding. It does feel a bit bulky when manoeuvring at stand still, but that’s exactly how bikes used to feel ‘back in the day’. And there are so many details I haven’t mentioned yet… the tank logo, the side logos, the cockpit (did you know the angle the dials make when it’s off is an exact match to the original Z900?), the list just goes on. Don’t take my words, just take a look.

So well, that’s my summer holidays well spent. I’m going back to work, but you just never know when I present you with a new adventure. And maybe I can think of an excuse to do some more riding on this bike.

Make sure you head over to your nearest Kawasaki dealer to check out what they have in store for you.

Special thanks to Kawasaki Motors Europe NV for making this Z900RS available for review.

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The BikeBrewers editorial team are motorcycle enthusiasts pur sang. We ride our bikes every day of the week, come rain come shine. These aren’t just a hollow statement; these are facts. We pride ourselves with the fact that we are die-hard riders. That also means that we really do use the gear we receive for testing on a long-term basis. The same applies to the gear we received from Rusty Stitches, trusting us to give an honest and unbiased opinion not only as editors, but also as users. We’ve been using the Rusty Stitches gear extensively the past couple of months, and now it is time to share our experiences with you.

The package we received consisted out of:

• Jari Leather Jacket
• Chase Leather Jacket
• Fonzie Helmets
• Johnny Gloves
• Gordon Leg Bags
• Rusty Stitches T-shirts

We had some fun unboxing the package! Make sure to check out the video below:

Leather Jackets
We received a pair of leather jackets in the sized M and XXL. The black Jari Jacket and yellow Chase Jacket are very similar in many ways. They both are made from the same thick but supple leather. What makes the Chase stand out is, without a doubt, the bright colour. It is available in black, red and yellow, with yellow being their number 1 seller since the very beginning. The black Jari jacket looks more subtle and less in-your-face than the Chase. Both have the same specifications and come with 2 faux chest pockets that actually contain vents. They come with removable shoulder and elbow protectors, but a back protector is missing. This can easily be added since a protector pocket is provided.

These two jackets fit perfectly and have adjustable waist and wrist bands. They’ve proven to be incredibly comfortable, and the comments people gave us was always positive. They look like they come from a different era, which fits the retro and classic bikes we ride perfectly. Adnane wore the Jari jacket one a 4-day, 2000 km trip to the Vosges in France. The Jari jacket held itself incredibly well. However, what really got the mouths talking was the yellow Chase jacket. Everybody mentions Kill Bill or Bruce Lee when they see the jacket! We think it’s one of the best looking jackets out there. Made from the same quality leather as the Jari, the Chase is really for those that don’t mind the extra attention. Did we mention that it looks so damn good?!

Fonzie helmets
There are cool helmets, and then there are cool helmets if you know what I mean. We got our hands on 2 different colour Fonzie helmets: black & white, and black & yellow. Both are technically identical and consist out of a matt coloured outer shell, with a leather and suede interior. Lush! The first thing that we noticed was how lightweight the helmet felt in our hands. The second thing that we noticed was just how snug of a fit the helmet had. No surprise there since Rusty Stitches offers the helmet in 5 different shell sizes. Despite the good fit, on a hot day the Fonzie helmet never felt uncomfortable. This is mostly thanks to the Silvercool liner. Aside from all the technicalities, it is one seriously good looking helmet, that fits really well around most people’s heads due to the wide range of sizes available (XS-4XL). For those that want to, there is a detachable peak available, as well as a 5-steps adjustable visor. We just wore ours with goggles or sunglasses, making it the perfect modern retro helmet at an incredibly affordable price point.

Johnny Gloves
We don’t understand how Rusty Stitches pulled this one off. The Johnny gloves look so incredibly good, surely everybody with a retro or classic styled motorcycle should have one by now. If you’re reading this and you don’t know what we are talking about; the Johnny gloves are some of the most comfortable leather riding gloves we have ever had wrapped around our hands. It looks like a workers glove, designed to do a tough job all day long without getting uncomfortable. It has that worn-look that makes it incredibly desirable. These gloves were also worn during Adnane’s 2000 km trip. Like most leather gloves, it takes a moment for the leather to stretch around your knuckles, but once it’s set, you never want to take them off again. An interesting fact is that although these are designed as summer gloves, the can handle cold temperatures pretty decently. We love that these gloves are available in different colours such as yellow and red, just like the Chase jacket.

Gordon bag
This item has a somewhat debatable reputation. Some people love it for its practicality, others think it looks bulky. However, after using the Gordon bag for some time now, we have come to the conclusion that its looks aren’t as disruptive as one would think. Also, having a bag on your hip/thigh is a lot more comfortable than on your back, or putting all your stuff in your jacket pockets. It definitely has proven its value on a long trip. The Gordon bag is just big enough to fit your wallet, phone, and other small items such as keys. Attaching the bag to your leg is super simple with to adjustable straps that use a clicking system.

Rusty Stitches T-Shirt
The Rusty Stitches T-shirts must be our most favourite and most worn items we had received. Not just because of the beautiful original prints, but also because you don’t have to be a biker to wear one. They look cool as hell, and are incredibly comfortable. After more than 5 washes the colour and printing still looks like new, which is a testament to the high quality material that is being used by Rusty Stitches. They have a normal fit, and are made out of 100% cotton. Rusty Stitches offers over 14 designs, some of them are long sleeved, and other are short sleeved. It’s hard not to like one of their designs!

Verdict
Overall we think that Rusty Stitches is doing a great job at offering high quality urban and retro motorcycle gear, at an astonishing price point. I remember when I first got my motorcycle license and I wanted a cool jacket, helmet and gloves, and I couldn’t afford any because it was so incredibly expensive. Thanks to new players like Rusty Stitches, everyone can look cool while being safe on their classy motorcycle. By the way, all their motorcycle gear is CE-approved, meaning that it meets European requirements for road-safety. We wouldn’t want it any other way. And remember: Don’t feed the monkey!

Photo Credits: Dan Sugrue & Ron Betist

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Ready. Set. SCRAM!

As you can imagine, this isn’t a powerhouse. It doesn’t even pretend to be and that’s just fine, it doesn’t have to. What it is though, is a very, very nice bike. Especially for what I was planning, which was nothing. Don’t get me wrong, I do get excited from exciting bikes and I can ride them to within an inch of their limits, but I didn’t want to. And then it’s much more satisfying on a bike that hasn’t the pretence. When you ride a cutting edge bike slow, that’s just what you do. You’re not using its full potential and somehow that gets to you. On this, when you ride it exactly the same way, you’re using it exactly as you should. And that makes a huge difference.

Ultimate de-stressing machine
No, I haven’t gone soft. I just wanted to ride. Let me explain. As I was on my way to pick up the Scram, I realised I was happy right then and there. On my way, nice weather, out of the house, no goals, just on a bike. Perfection. I didn’t need anything else. No brand, no model, just the fact of riding a bike. And that really is key. The Royal Enfield is an extension of that. I remembered the email saying ‘we’re very sorry that you had to miss the international presentation’, but I know how that would have gone. Now I had full control and wasn’t going to let anything get in the way. So if I wanted to cruise I would do just that. Even now and here in this country, it’s still possible to not look at the tacho and be fine. You just have to pick the right bike and for now, this is it.

That’s a really long intro to a bike and you still don’t know what it is exactly. This is, in full, a Royal Enfield Scram 411. So it’s a scrambler version of the popular world traveller the Royal Enfield Himalayan, by the infamous Indian brand. There you go. By now you probably have taken a peek at the pictures and know exactly what I mean.

Best of both worlds
And as they go, this might just be the most Royal of all the bikes RE has to offer. I mean, as you know the brand originates from the UK, then went on to live in India for a few decades and only the last few years has taken on the global market again. In one corner with bikes that really make that cut, appealing to all the right senses when it comes to retro and vintage, with good looks and an engine that works for that audience. On the other side they make motorcycles like the Himalayan, a bike that stays close to the business that made the brand survive all these years: a bike that never breaks down and if it does, it’s easily repairable by the side of the road. This 411 is exactly that. So at first we don’t have to expect a lot of power. However there’s a spoiler: you don’t even need that much power, let alone miss it. Less power means easier handling and improved longevity. Besides these bikes just ooze reliability. Although this machine is extremely minimalistic, it does come with ABS as standard, as well as a gear indicator.  It also comes with Royal Enfield’s famous Tripper GPS navigation system. This allows you to plan a trip on your phone using Royal Enfield’s proprietary app, and send the directions to a small LCD display for turn-by-turn directions. Brilliant!

The remaining amount of power still is ‘enough’, even for international standards and so they decided to play with the platform, which in the end resulted in this Scram. So there you have it. It looks, it goes, it stops. And it’s cheap and fuel efficient. What more could one ask for?

No-frills
Seriously, this thing is 100% percent no-nonsense. It’s the opposite of nonsense and if you are like me, you’ll love it for that. And even though there are many details you could get into and maybe complain about if you’re picky, but I’m not going to. The seat position is ok (but maybe not great), the handling is ok, we talked about the performance already and the list just goes on and on. Let me put it another way. On the way over, I rode a BMW K1100 and was perfectly happy. I was happy to be on the road, happy to ride, happy to enjoy what I had and not need or want any more. On the Royal Enfield, I was even happier. And I think that’s all you need to know. Ride, smile, repeat.

Head on over to your nearest Royal Enfield dealer to check the new Royal Enfield Scram 411 out for yourself!

Special thanks to Moto Mondo; the number 1 importer of Royal Enfield in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxemburg.

Photo credits: Vincent Burger

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We are selective
Luckily there are companies like Pando Moto who hear our calls. A while ago a set of Pando Moto motorcycle apparel landed on our desk for review purposes, and review we did! Included in the box was a little care-package as an add-on from the Lithuania based company. We were spoiled with a set of t-shirts, sweaters, and trucker caps. Much like earlier gear we got, we have worn and washed the shirts and sweaters at least a dozen times since we got them. Before we give it our seal of approval, we want to be absolutely sure the gear deserves it.

And it does.

T-shirts with a capital ‘T’
First, the t-shirts. Just like all the other Pando Moto gear, the t-shirts are in black with white printing on them. You really can’t go wrong with that combination. The shirts we received were the MIKE MOTO WING 1 – Regular Fit and the MIKE DON’T DIE – Regular Fit. The t-shirts have a perfect fit, and are a bit longer than most t-shirts on the market. This is a great thing, since most bikers like to tuck in their t-shirts into their riding pants for increased comfort. It’s not always easy to do with a regular t-shirt. I wear an XXL, and the shirt size was spot on. Same goes for Ron, who is a ‘Medium’ guy.

The cotton quality is just phenomenal. Nice and thick, not at all the flimsy stuff you all too often encounter when ordering online.
Pando uses the 5.3oz fabric for their T-shirts. for comparison; really heavy weight shirts go up to 7oz, but we think that’s mor like a light sweatshirt.

Pando Moto & Zero Motorcycles
Pando Moto set up a collab with Zero Motorcycles a while ago. In light of that partnership, a series of Pando/Zero hoodies were made, and honestly, they look incredible! . The hoodies are incredibly comfortable and easy to wear. Even after numerous washing cycles, the printing hasn’t faded or come off yet. My wife loves wearing my hoodies too, especially if they’re oversized, and the Pando/Zero hoodie is by far her most favorite one to wear.

As you can see in the unboxing video above, Ron was sent an extra Pando/Zero T-shirt. All we can say; ‘Same quality, different print’. In other word, a must-have if you are into electric motorcycles.

Topping it off
The all-black trucker cap was an instant hit with us. The classic looking cap has been my go-to cap since receiving it. The black color hasn’t faded yet, despite the many hours it was worn in the sun. The mesh ensures enough ventilation to keep your head cool on those hot days. The embroidery is subtle, and the plastic snap adjuster at the back completes the classic look of this cap.

There is much more that Pando Moto has to offer, go check it out for yourself! We expect to hear and see a lot more from this manufacturer.

More reviews:
Boss Dyn 01 jeans
Steel black 9

Unboxing Steel Black 9[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/Mq1MmsbuHRo” width=”800″ title=”Unboxing: Pando Moto Steel Black 9 & Lorica Kev 1″]

Ass tested: Pando Steel black 9[su_youtube url=”hhttps://youtu.be/gu6QFuCbZgE” width=”800″ title=”Ass tested: Pando Moto Steel Black 9″]

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The post Royal Enfield Classic 350 – first review appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

Superlative
To top off three consecutive weeks of riding big (or should I say GIANT?) bikes I was offered the opportunity to test the 2021 Triumph Rocket 3R for a full seven days.
And what a week it turned out to be!

The prelude to this week was composed by the BMW Motorrad R18 Transcontinental and the Indian Roadmaster Heritage (post to be published). Both machines are fitted out with 1.800cc engines and pack an impressive amount of ‘oomph!’ in the torque department. The horse stable is quite overcrowded too.

I am happy to ride nearly any bike but there are those that give you extra pleasure. The BMW and the Indian are sort of similar bikes in spite of the totally different styles. I try to adopt myself and my riding style as much as I can to fit to the bike I am testing. On most occasions I managed to keep my inner demons and the hooligan safely locked away in the panniers of those bikes, but the Triumph is a naked bike without such storage options.

Do I like it?
When Triumph launched (pun intend) the Rocket back in 2004 the whole world thought the engineers had gone completely bonkers. How much fun these guys must have had when they were designing that machine though.

Truth be told, being a caféracer afficionado, I was never a big fan of the Rocket. I just did not see the point in creating such a monster cruiser with a rear tyre fatter than fitted on most cars and a stonking 2.3-litre engine between your thighs. As said those engineers must have created it to shock and surprise – and they managed to do just that. It was impressive and scary. Still leaving the happy few with a whopping grin as they summoned its ungodly torque.

3 times lucky
With all of the above in mind I was never really tempted to try this bike out. But with the new 2021 ‘3’ design, which is a major improvement in my view, the time was right to swing my leg over the seat and hit the launch button.
It’s an imposing € 30,000+ motorbike that comes in two editions – the R, and the more laid-back, long-distance GT. The latter comes with footpegs mounted forwards , a decent windscreen and a pillion backrest over the back wheel.

Powertrain
Both Rocket 3 ‘R’ and ‘GT’ trims share the same powertrain. Triumph are in a league of their own, fitting the largest production motorcycle engine in any motorcycle: 2500 cc’s over the previous 2300 cc’s.
While increasing the number of cc’s, the madmen at the Hinckley R&D department managed to shave off nearly 17 kg’s compared to the Rocket’s predecessors thanks to all-new aluminium frame. It weighs 291kg without any fluids. It’s still a substantial chunk of metal. The motorcycle now produces class-leading 167 hp at 6,000rpm (redlining at 7.000 rpm) and a mammoth 221Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm.

All this power goes through a six-speed helical gearbox with a ‘Torque Assist’ hydraulic clutch. The bike I rode was fitted with a quick-shifter, which is as an optional accessory. When called upon, the horses in the stable are led to the rear wheel using a longitudinal shaft drive to give the rider all the fun he (or she) is ready to handle.

Styling
Triumph gave the Rocket 3 the limited edition treatment with only 1000 examples of each of the R & GT variants globally. Upping the exclusivity game, each Black edition Triumph will receive a Certificate of Authenticity and a customizable motorcycle VIN for each bike.

Moreover, for an already incredible-looking motorcycle in the flesh, the attention to detail has been taken to the upper echelons, giving it an even more menacing appearance. Common between both variants is carbon fibre front mudguard, completely blacked out exhaust fenders, heat shields, end caps, and an exquisite crinkle back powder coating on the engine’s intake covers. Besides, Triumph further enhanced the bike with the front mudguard holders, headlight bezels, fly-screen, radiator cowl, and so on.

The list doesn’t stop there as Triumph’s designers gave a black anodized finish to the bike’s handlebar clamps, yokes, riders, fork lowers, brake and clutch pedals, rider footrests, heel guards, and the innovative folding pillion footrests

Triumph really attended to even the smallest of details and managed to put the icing on the cake with the black anodized paint job and a magnificent aluminium finish on the bar-end mirrors.
All the similarities aside, the main differences between the R & GT variants include a slightly sportier stance for R with the mid-positioned footpegs, wide handlebars, and a matte black livery with a blacked-out Triumph logos and a glossy white stripe running down the centre of the fuel tank.

For the riders who are more adult than me, the GT variant has more relaxed ergonomics for the rider & pillion with forward-set footpegs, an adjustable windshield, an easy-to-reach handlebar with heated grips. Passengers are cared for by mounting an adjustable backrest.

Furthermore, it gets a triple black paint scheme with ‘50 shades of black’ on the fuel tank to distinguish itself from the sporty sibling.

Ride baby! Ride!
I mentioned before this is an imposing bike. Definitely not fit for novice riders. Still, once you are on the seat, is less scary instantly. The seat is mounted low, and the weight is buried low in the chassis, so although it takes an effort to get it off the side stand, it feels nicely balanced. The engine fires up and wobbles the bike gently to the left-hand side

As I set off on my first flight on the Rocket, it immediately felt like home. It is a gentle giant when you treat it as such. It is an amazingly easy bike to ride. It really handles like a Street Triple. The engineers have done an incredibly good job there as well. Everything about it is impressive as you’d expect with this much torque, pulling away is simply a case of easing the clutch lever out. My brain told me to short-shift up into second gear before giving it the spurs, but my inner demon was hitting the adrenaline pump switch. It was not before long that my hooligan persona was the pillion passenger, whispering sweet nothings in my ear…

Fast, faster fastest
There are more than enough electronics aboard to make you feel confident enough to open the throttle once in second gear. That’s where the band starts playing! Before you realize the front wheel is no longer touching the tarmac and the 24cm-wide rear (240/50 R16!!) tire digs in for traction. As a result you launch yourself forward at warp speed. The fact that the Rocket pulls this mind-bending, vision-distorting trick from just 2,000rpm onwards, makes for an utterly hilarious ride. You just feel like you’re are on a drag strip constantly and you are just in it for the ride, hanging on for dear life.

It is hardly surprising the Rocket 3 has set a Guinness World Record of 2.73 seconds to 0-100 km/h.
Me being me, I got overly self-confident rapidly. While on a slightly wet highway, cruising at around 120/130 km/h, I shifted down and hit the throttle to overtake the car in front of me. Suddenly all warning lights on the dashboard flared up as the rear started twisting just before the minions in the traction control department decided to help me out.

WHOAA! That was an exciting moment. Yes, the torque is truly unbelievable. Never before did I experience such powers on a bike.

Who needs one?
I asked that same question when riding the BMW and the Indian too.
The amount of money you’d spend on bikes like that is extreme. All of them are in the € 30.000+++ segment. The BMW and the Indian go up to € 40.000 easily once you start selecting the available options.

The Indian Roadmaster Heritage and the BMW Transcontinental are ‘luxury liners’. You can have miles for breakfast and be home for dinner still after a full day of riding, still feeling quite relaxed. Answering the ‘why’ question with the Triumph Rocket 3 was much harder. It is not a bike you take out to commute on a daily basis, nor is it a machine built to go on long roadtrips (I’d do it still, just for the fun of it). So who is this meant for?

Even my contacts at Triumph had some trouble coming up with a defining response. However we all seem to agree that is a fun machine for those who are in it ‘for the ride’ as Triumph puts it in their corporate slogan. If you are lucky enough to sit on a lot of ‘disposable income’ and want to stand out from the crowd, this is the definite motorcycle to go for.

If you are such a lucky person, I can only say: ‘go for it! You only live once!’

Looking ahead
This winter we will be following our friend Bas Kentrop at Roké Motors.
He is an amazing mechanic who managed to create a monster supercharged Triumph Thruxton R a few years ago. This bike packs an impressive 175 Nm and 171 Bhp.

We rode that machine back in 2017. We filmed the experience and made it one of our best viewed clips on our YouTube channel. Unfortunately the sound of this beast was so loud, it just killed the microphone, which we only found out in post-production. Our video editor decided to add in a little piano music, much to the dismay of the majority of the viewers (just look at all those comments..). We will re-make this video in 2022 as we have retrieved the current owner. Including the real sound. Promise!

Anyway, Bas will be working on a supercharged version of the Rocket 3. Can it get any wilder than that we ask? Watch this space as we will give regular updates on the progress of this project and I will be road testing it in Spring of next year.

Until then, I will just enjoy the memories of my love affair with this standard Triumph Rocket 3.

 
All in all
The Rocket is a superb machine and more. It handles phenomenally, the power is awesome and you can enjoy the bike in any way you want. You can ride it as a cruiser or race it around. It is really up to you, your experience, your mood and your testosterone levels.
The setup of the fully adjustable Showa suspension is so well done that you’ll just ride the Rocket 3 like a regular street bike. It will tempt you to stick your elbows out and punch it into corners like a Speed Triple on steroids.

The riding position on the R model is relaxed and inviting you to just ride on. The brakes are magnificently strong. Those Brembo Stylemas are of superbike standards. They do their job very efficiently and you need them on a bike like this.

Yep, the rear brake is ripped from the front of a sports bike. And it’s a good thing too – you’ll want to use the back brake to settle it in corners and hammering it really helps bring you to a stop in a straight line, unlike on most bikes.
The Rocket gets the same TFT dashboard as mounted on the Triumph Scrambler 1200, and it has an 18-litre fuel tank which will get you just over 200 km’s. Unless you are like me of course. I needed a pit stop at around 180 km.

Electronics and other fun stuff
Being the top of the line model in Triumph’s line-up, the manufacturer fitted a whole suite of electronics to enhance the riding experience:
•Triumph Shift Assist (up and down quickshifter)
•Heated grips (standard on the Rocket 3 GT)
•Tire Pressure Monitoring system
•Advanced 6-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) measures the roll, pitch, yaw & acceleration rates of the bike in real-time and unlocks features such as Lean sensitive traction control and cornering ABS keeping the rider in safe hands at all times.
•Full-color TFT display instrument cluster.
•Preinstalled with Triumph’s ‘My Triumph’ app with support for smartphone music, calling, & navigation controls.
•Unique to Triumph motorcycles, you also get GoPro controls.
•Both motorcycles get 4 Riding modes: Road, Rain, Sport, and a Rider configurable mode to adjust throttle response and traction control.
•Added are Hill Hold Control, Cruise control, keyless ignition, steering lock, and fuel cap opening
•LED lighting all around with twin LED headlamps with integrated DRLs, LED tail lights, indicators, and a number plate light
•advanced lightweight aluminum frame.
•Suspension – Showa’s monoshock RSU with a piggyback reservoir at the rear and a massive 47mm Showa USD front forks with compression and rebound damping.
•Stopping power comes from Brembo Stylema ® radial monobloc 4 – piston calipers with two 320 mm dual discs and a never-before-seen four 4-piston Brembo caliper with a single 300 mm disc.
•Tires & rims: 150/50 17-inch Avon Cobra Chrome tires with a blacked-out 20-spoke cast alloy wheel at the front and an incredible 240/60 section R16 tire with an intricate cast alloy wheel at the back.
•Track+ and Protect+ tracking and alarm systems

details:
Manufacturer: Triumph Motorcycles
Astronaut: Ron Betist
Photography: Nubbs Sugrue
Helmet: Davida HelmetsJacket & jeans: REV’IT Urban
Boots: Stylmartin

The post Lost in space – Triumph Rocket 3 R road tested appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

To keep things in balance we wanted someone to share his adventures based in the Southern Hemisphere. We were lucky enough to have a good friend who was back moving to Brazil a little while back.

New Zealand born and a biker in every fiber of his big frame. It is with great pride and pleasure we introduce the one and only Jonathan Rattray Clarke a.k.a. ‘Captain Kiwi’ or ‘Kiwi-Moto Menace’.
His wife being a Brazilian diplomat, they have lived all over the world. When they were about to move to Amsterdam in 2017 we connected, helped him find his feet and together we set up the Amsterdam community for the Classic Riders.

Many adventures rides later duty called and they shipped all their belongings to Brazil. Once properly settled in, Jonathan replaced the Triumph Thruxton he left behind in Amsterdam, with a spanking new Royal Enfield Interceptor.

He is currently working on that bike to customize it to his taste and will share reports on progress of this build with us.

In the meantime Summer is setting in and there is riding to be done. While we are bracing ourselves for the cold, Jonathan’s first report is a review on a cooling vest.

Enjoy.
BikeBrewers editorial team

Brazil calling
Brasília is the federal capital of Brazil and seat of government of the Federal District. The city is located at the top of the Brazilian highlands in the country’s center-western region. It was founded by President Juscelino Kubitschek on April 21, 1960, to serve as the new national capital. Brasília is estimated to be Brazil’s third-most populous city. As my wife is a diplomat, this is the city we now use as our home base for the time being.

Riding in the heat
I am a self-confessed moto maniac, and I love living in the tropics in the middle of the savanna and love those long rides without a pre-set goal. .

After a three-year stint in New York we moved to Amsterdam. The climate of these two cities is comparable and very different from Brazil. Yet as much as I love the warmth and the endless sunshine, the heat when riding here can take a toll on your energy levels. Riding your bike in this climate you need to stay alert. Keeping it cool is not limited to your head, but you need to take care of the rest of your body too.

Keeping it cool
So I began my search for a product to help remedy that situation. After an in-depth investigation, I finally settled on a “Fly Cooling Vest“, paid my money and anxiously waited for my order to arrive.

When Fly’s product finally landed on my doorstep I was eager to give it a proper test. Was it as good as my research had led me to believe, or was it just a piece of, you know what?

Yet after my first ride out wearing the garment, I am delighted to say riding now is like sitting in my own personal air conditioner. I found the solution to my fatigue in this excellent moto-wear item. This is undoubtedly the best $49.95 I have ever spent on motorcycle apparel!

It really is a brilliant bit of kit; all I need to do to activate its outstanding cooling properties is soak it in a bucket of water, allow the vest to absorb all up the water, and put it on to wear under my mesh riding jacket.

The Fly Cooling Vest works by process of evaporation and wicking as the hot tropical air blows through my jacket to create the most relaxing and comfortable cooling effect as I ride. It even keeps me cool just standing around and chatting with the moto bros shooting the breeze, and talking bull at a lunch stop or a photo-op on the way across the savannah.

I am now geared up and ready for my task as southern hemisphere correspondent working alongside BikeBrewers buddies around the globe. I highly recommend this product if you are living in those hotter riding zones of our wonderful planet.

Off to a great start and I look forward to sharing many motorcycle adventures with all you BikeBrewers afficionados!

Product details:
Item:
Fly Racing Cooling vest (SKU #477-6023S)
Product details:
-Hyperkewl® polymer embedded fabric uses a safe and natural method to keep you cool
-Evaporative-cooling process
-Outperforms competition by keeping you more relaxed for longer due to the larger evaporative surface area
-Quick 2-minute activation
-Remains hydrated for up to 10 hours

The post Product review – Fly Racing cooling vest appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

Having ridden Beemers for years I was quite used to the feeling, but to have a 900cc piston on each side was a whole new sensation.

As MotoShare and BMW Motorrad Benelux had teamed up to promote the R18 models. I was offered the opportunity to ride this giant for a week. Next thing I knew I was finding myself riding my ‘rear fender-less’ caféracer for an hour while avoiding cats and dogs falling from the sky in large quantities.What a start of my Monday morning!

Arriving in style but soaked to the bone at BMW Motorrad’s Fleet Services, I quickly wrapped up the paperwork and hopped on the R18 to speed to my next business meeting.

The rain was with me all the way for another hour while I was doing my utmost to get to grips with this battleship. Traditionally riding with a jet helmet, I had my goggles fogging up constantly. My very limited view turned my close encounter with this baby into a challenging ride, sweaty armpits included.

Learning curve
It took me about a day to get used to the BMW and its unique road behaviour, but that might well have been more between my ears than anywhere else. It’s the sheer size that may scare you off at first glance. When starting up the bike, it will greet you by wiggling its hips. Automatically you will find yourself immediately planting both feet firmly on the ground to create a sense of stability, but after a while, stopping at a traffic light will feel OK with just the right foot on the ground. It takes a bit of getting used to, that’s all. The R18 is much more of a Gentle Giant than you might expect.

Hooligan
I was riding the ‘option 719’ edition which comes with about all the extra’s (and more) you can think of. Anything you can imagine is added to the R18 making it utterly complete and always ready for long hauls. The storage space side cases are a bit limited by the speakers mounted in the lids, but leaves enough room to store stuff you may want to drag along on a longer ride. The top case is spacious and will let you squeeze in loads of goodies that don’t fit into the side cases.

The top case being the larger one, I decided to store my inner hooligan in that little dark cave. There was no room for him on this machine I figured. It was funny to experience the difference in attitude I had when riding this awesome machine. A sense of royalty if you will, stimulated by the reactions you get from other people on the road. The R18 is by no means a bike you will often see on the road and the Transcontinental is even more outlandish. You get a lot of second looks and passengers in cars giving you the thumbs up.

All of this will make you (at least this is the effect it had on me) sit up and have a face that beams with confidence. You have it all under control and you are having the time of you life. No hooligan in sight.

Pandora’s box
However…… after a couple of days riding it felt as if the machine and I had grown really fond of each other. We started playing around and curves yet again became the usual invitations to twist the throttle. The top case must have been Pandora’s box, and I must have given my inner demon a chance to escape. Together we challenged the R18 to a duel and experienced the might of the 1800 cc engine. Floorboards were scraping the tarmac on a regular basis as the mutual respect between rider and machine continued to grow.

Straight as an arrow
The steering damper is an accessory that added a lot of stability to the road handling at high speeds straights (we hit 170 km/h easily) as well on fast corners at around 130 km/h. The signature on the bike reads ‘made in Berlin’. It refers to the heritage of the R18, but it has the Bavarian seal of modern day quality that makes riding a blissful experience.

In spite of its size the R18 it is surprisingly nimble and has a very short turning circle, making it easy to manoeuvre even in tight urban spaces. Unfortunately these bikes are wide because of their front fender and the cases in the back, so I had to give up on my habit of crawling forward in the city between rows of cars to be the one on pole position at the traffic lights.

Lane splitting is something else however. When the ‘Batwing’ appears in people’s rear view mirror the immediate reaction is to veer sideways to let you through. Which is kind of nice. Lane splitting works on highways when there is enough room the keep a safe distance from the cars on either side. On smaller roads the bike is just too wide for comfort.

Road side reactions
The response from people you meet on the way vary enormously. The majority will admire the BMW and comment on the way the German manufacturer has designed this build. As it should be, every little detail is just right. And, yes indeed, the Bayerische Motoren Werke have done a damned good job as you might expect.

But then there are the fans of American Iron. They will claim the R18 Transcontinental is nothing more than a rip off of one of their beloved brands. Also they will complain about the footboards being mounted too much in the center which they view as less comfortable compared to the forward positioning of the controls on American machines. This being caused by the two gigantic cylinder heads sticking out on either side of the frame.

I did not experience it as being more uncomfortable. And those cylinders, with the two bottles of Coke vigorously swinging left and right on the inside, are a very pleasant sight, also when riding. In response to the remarks on the position of the feet I’ll add that riding those big V-twin bikes, especially in the Summer, can sometimes become unpleasant with the heat from the rear cylinder warming up your inner thighs beyond comfort.

But as always it is a matter of very personal preference.

Technical data on this particular R18 Transcontinental:

• It comes with a package called ‘option 719’** which includes lovely extra’s such as exquisite special paint, hand striping, meticulously hand-stitched seats and loads of other stuff
• They also added a whole list of accessories such as:
o Hill start control
o Headlight Pro
o Central locking
o Reverse gear (electric)
o Active cruise control
o Automatic tire pressure sensors
o Intelligent Emergency call
o Marshal Gold series Stage 2 Sound blaster (magnificent sound!)

Special thanks to:
Bikes:
BMW Motorrad
Apparel:
Lifestyle Motowear
Photography:
Gijs Paradijs

The post How To have fun with two bottles of Coke – BMW R18 Transcontinental appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

BMW R18 – 1800cc cruiser

Until you start reading the spec sheet, and realize that there is something quite provocative about the R18. To begin with, there’s that massive engine. 1800cc boxer twin engine to be precise, still air-cooled, but with a little bit of help from an external oil-cooler. The 90hp of peak power at a lowish 4750 rpm isn’t too bad considering the displacement, but the 158Nm of torque at a ridiculous 3000 rpm is what gets our hearts pump faster; this we gotta try!

And try we did. BMW Motorrad in the Netherlands invited us to try out their new, dressed-down version of the R18, called ‘First Edition’, and the full-fat version of the R18 known as the ‘Trans Continental’. This review is about the R18 ‘First Edition’. The review on the R18 ‘Trans Continental’ will follow next.

First impression of the R18 ‘First Edition’
Wow, this thing is massive! That was the first thing that came to mind when I saw R18. It’s that engine that blows your mind. 900cc on each side, the barrels are huge compared to what we’re used to. The black color with white pinstriping is simple and elegant at the same time. It looks timeless on the R18. Then there are the beautiful chrome polished fishtail exhaust pipes; they look incredibly beautiful; we wish more manufacturers would put them on cruiser! What BMW did really well with the R18, is hide the ugly catalytic converters underneath the engine, between the exhaust headers, out of eye-sight. Wire-spoked wheel, with stainless steel spokes and black rims add to that distinguished look and feel. But the ‘piece-de-resistance’ has to be that exposed shaft drive. It’s so incredibly old-school, we fell head over heels for it. That’s how you build a retro bike!

Second impression
When you swing your leg over the seat, you feel you are seated on something special. There is one minimalistic speedo, but make no mistake, it has an LCD display that allows you to access information most companies would be jealous of! The R18 is brought to life in a similar way like most modern cars and motorcycles. You keep the key in your pocket, and simply press the power button on the right controls. There are 3 ride modes from which you can choose: Rock, Roll, and Rain. We had to guess and search up what Rock and Roll did, but there was very little doubt about the Rain-mode. This impacts the throttle response and traction control in a pleasant and non-intrusive matter. Rock would be similar to ‘Sport’ mode on most bike, and Roll is the equivalent to ‘Normal’ or ‘Touring’. We kept the R18 on Rock, because it allowed for a very useable throttle response.

Third impression
Picking the bike from it’s side stand immediately gives away the elephant on the room; 345 kilograms of wet weight. Maneuvering the R18 at stand still is difficult to say the least. Getting the bike rolling will help, so you hit the start button. First thought: This bike rocks! Quite literally! The slightest opening of the throttle results in a massive swing to the right, caused by the inertia exerted by the flywheel, which must be huge. That’s also when the first lesson was learned: you keep both feet firmly on the ground when you pull up in first gear. If you forget that, you risk tipping the bike over to the left by the sheer force of the flywheels’ movement. But, as predicted, once the mass is in motion, the R18 hides its weight pretty well. A neat feature the R18 has was the ‘reverse’ gear, which needs to be operated manually. This helps with moving the bike backwards without looking like you’re hitting the gym, if needed.

King of the road
The sound the exhaust produces when you open up the throttle is magnificent. It reminds me of the sound a turbo-charged V8 diesel engine makes; deep, short, throaty. With a similar powerband too! A small twist of the right wrist results in incredible acceleration. It feels as if the road is moving underneath your tires, and not the other way around! The R18 invites for some serious mile-munching. The handlebars aren’t too far of a reach, the seat is very comfortable, but the seating position leaves much to desire. If you have a larger shoe size than 43 (Size 10), you’ll struggle with keeping your feet from hitting the cylinders and air-intake. You want to sit with your feet a bit further to the front, but you can’t. Instead, it looks like you’re sitting a on a small camping chair. Too bad, because it could have made a massive improvement on the ride quality. The same goes for the suspension. The front Showa fork works well under most circumstances, but the rear ZF shock with its limited travel of 90mm only (!) can be a bit too harsh on anything that isn’t silky smooth tarmac. The brakes are good for such a massive bike, but they’re not nearly as good as the radial Brembo brakes that can be found on Moto Guzzi’s 1400 California. The 16-liter fuel tank provided a sufficient range for comfortable riding without getting range anxiety, we averages around 16 km/l or 38 US MPG under mixed riding conditions. Rides of up to 2 hours or done effortlessly, especially with nice comforts like cruise-control and heated grips, which worked flawlessly.

Verdict
Overall, the BMW R18 ‘First Edition’ was a very pleasant surprise, to the point where we are foreseeing a renaissance of the custom cruisers. We’ve seen revivals of retro style motorcycle before, such as café racers and scramblers. Could the cruiser be the next big thing? If so, then BMW has set the standard pretty high as far as we’re concerned. Just like with any other new BMW, there is an accessories catalogue that seems to be endless with exclusive and high-quality special equipment, were a potential buyer can opt for features such as cruise control, special paint, special wheels, heated comfort seat and so on. With a starting price of just below 28,000 Euro in the Netherlands, prices can go up to nearly 40,000 euro. That’s a lot of money, question is if the R18 is worth it. We’ll let the market decide, but we sure would love to see these beasts more often on the road.

Photographs:
Gijs Paradijs
BikeBrewers – Adnane

BMW Motorrad Nederland
MotoShare

The post Review: 2021 BMW R18 ‘First Edition’ appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.