Mark Lancaster
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QUICK SPIN: Aprilia Tuareg!
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WORDS and PHOTOS: Maja Kenney Last August I had the pleasure of taking out the Aprilia Tuareg. Not just a quick spin but a proper, full-on, adventure-loaded trip all the way to Nordkapp and back to North Wales. Over 5,000 miles to be done in just under three weeks, I knew I needed a bike…
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Return of the screamer
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The VJMC’s Steve Cooper remembers… If the 1996 season had been anything it had been prophetic and 1997’s was going to be the true validation of HRC’s relentless pursuit of Grand Prix domination. The top five places were all Honda’s with two more inside the top 10. Neither Yamaha nor Suzuki had anything or anyone…
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PRODUCT FOCUS! Ruroc Atlas 4.0
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The inside line on the sophisticated streetfighter-styled lid from the growing British firm You might not have heard of Ruroc before – but the British-based firm has been about for years, using all its experience of creating stylish and seriously capable helmets for snowboarders to create some quality lids for bikers. It’s been frequently fine-tuning…
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NEW BIKES! Suzuki’s new roadster: the GSX-8S
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Launched alongside the new V-Strom 800 DE at Milan, Suzuki’s new GSX-8S streetfighter uses the same 81bhp, 776cc parallel twin engine in a straightforward roadster chassis, with a new steel frame, aluminium swingarm, capable running gear and a midrange electronics package. Designed to replace the GSX-S750 and its ancient GSX-R750-based engine foundations, the new twin…
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Triumph Street Triples: Big changes from Hinckley!
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Big changes for the street-focused pocket rocket from Hinckley: The final MotoGP round at Valencia might seem like a weird place to launch a new middleweight roadster. But of course, it’s the perfect place for Triumph to launch its new Street Triple range, since it’s that bike’s 765cc triple engine that powers the Moto2 race…
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Ducati Scrambler updates!
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Ducati’s entry-level brand has taken over some of the duties formerly carried out by the smaller capacity Monster range, serving as the gateway drug to Bologna’s stronger material. And for 2023, the firm’s given the little retro-roadsters a bit of a mid-life tickle. The 73bhp, 803cc Desmodue engine has been treated to some flashy ride-by-wire…
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NEW BIKES! CFMOTO 300CL-X
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The Chinese firm has announced that it’s adding an A2 licence-friendly version of its funky CL-X roadster to its ever-growing range. It’s basically a restyled version of the factory’s 300NK naked, featuring the same trellis frame, cast wheels, radiator, swingarm and 292cc engine (which makes around 28bhp and 18lb-ft of torque). It’ll also come kitted…
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NEW BIKES! Honda CL500
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Honda’s a bit late to the ‘60s-styled retro scrambler’ party. But there’s definitely something sweet about this new CL500. It’s an homage to the firm’s CL72 and CL77 of the early 60s, which took the basic 250 and 305 CB/Dream engines and put them in a mildly tweaked off-road chassis. The 2023 CL500 does the…
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NEW BIKES! Ducati Diavel V4
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Four pots for Ducati’s mental super-cruiser! The Diavel is one of those bikes which, if you haven’t ridden it, is very hard to explain just how good it is. Back in 2010, Ducati took the best of its superbike powertrain and chassis kit and transplanted it into a cruiser-shaped device. Seemingly developed by the same…
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Fantic Caballero 700 Scrambler
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Yamaha-powered retro has plenty of appeal! The Caballero has been a big hitter for Fantic in recent years, so it should come as no surprise that it’s decided now’s the time to reveal a new, more powerful version for 2023. And with a Yamaha engine, Brembo brakes and Marzocchi springs, it looks like it’s going…