The Scorpion design team opted for a side-mounted silencer configuration for the smaller of the Duke family, for “a more aggressive appeal”. Removing the catalytic converter, it achieves a 2.1kg weight reduction over the standard fitment. The stainless steel connecting pipe links to the Serket Taper silencer.
Available in brushed stainless steel, carbon or satin titanium with a contoured end cap featuring the distinctive Red Power outlet port.
BMW Blue Sky Fly & Ride adds motorcycle hire in Spain to the wide variety of experiences already available through World of BMW. The option to hire BMW motorcycles for your own two-wheeled holiday perfectly compliments the range of guided premium motorcycling holidays and adventures run by BMW Tours, which organise everything from ferries and accommodation to itineraries and activities.
World of BMW also offers the opportunity to get your licence and improve your skills with BMW Rider Training and to discover the joys of off-road riding at the renowned BMW Off Road Skills school run by Dakar racer Simon Pavey.
Neil White from BMW Blue Sky Fly & Ride, said: “With BMW Blue Sky Fly & Ride, we offer truly bespoke BMW motorcycle hire packages from one day to over two weeks. Riders and pillions can fly into a local airport, cutting out days of riding from the UK for those short on time, collect their bike and experience the incredible sights, sounds and flavours of Southern Spain on a BMW.
“We are very excited about teaming up with World of BMW to offer this bespoke service. Some of the very best roads in the region are right on the doorstep – and some wonderful destinations are within easy reach, including the region’s incredible riding roads and highlights such as the Sierra Nevada national park, Alhambra fortress and the Mediterranean coast. We can offer travel advice on these destinations and many more.”
Choosing from the wide range of machines available, including the F 800 ST & GS, R 1200 GS & GS Adventure, K 1300 S and the mighty six-cylinder K 1600 GT, riders can pick the perfect machine to match their experience and travel plans.
Whether it be the opportunity for an extended test ride on a desired model, a longer touring experience, or to ride an adventure-sports motorcycle in the Spanish sun – the potential is endless.
The Gearlink Kwasaki is a showcase for Skidmarx, Britain’s largest manufacturer of motorcycle screens and bodywork. Based in the seaside-resort of Weymouth, Skidmarx have an enviable track record – their screens have been fitted to the winning machines in Superbike, Superstock and Supersport classes at the Isle of Man TT races for the past four years – and the Gearlink machine features the trademark race ’bubble’. These are manufactured from 2mm acrylic, for enhanced optical clarity, whereas the road versions are made using 3mm acrylic sheets to reduce flexing. Double bubble screens for road bikes cost £54.95 in clear or tinted options and a range of colours are available for £60.95 (including VAT).
Produced from lightweight 450gm CSM material that is backed up with woven cloth, the fairing and single seat unit are pre-drilled to fit onto existing mounting points. Supplied with quick-release Dzus fasteners, both fairing and seat unit are manufactured in the UK and are designed to directly replace the original body parts. Unlike the road fairing, the race version has no headlight aperture or indicator mounting points, but is fitted with an enclosed belly pan with a catch tray to comply with ACU rules. Skidmarx produce their race bodywork in plain white, ready to be painted in team colours; the race fairing sells for £269.95 and the single seat unit costs £114.95 (including VAT).
Other accessories for the ZX-6R include a front guard and hugger, both made from GRP. The front guard retails at £59.95 and the hugger sells for £74.95, complete with tailored fitting kit.
For more information on the full range of Skidmarx products to fit most popular models call 01305 780 808.
Introduced in the spring of 2011, the GSR750 quickly caught the imagination of UK riders, following positive launch tests from the major publications, before going on to win group tests and even picking up the coveted MCN Machine of the Year award for its class too.
Arriving in dealers this month and also on display at the forthcoming MCN London Show (Excel Centre, 2nd-5th February), the ABS version brings enhanced control to a bike already praised for its agility and sure-footedness. With a recommended retail price of £7,349, the GSR750 continues to combine performance, style and value in one great package.
Suzuki GB general manager, Paul de Lusignan added, “The GSR750 has proven to be an extremely popular machine both in the UK and mainland Europe. As well as winning the MCN award in 2011, Zoo Magazine voted it their machine of the year and we’ve received great praise from our customers too. ABS is obviously a great safety enhancing feature which we hope will only add to the GSR’s desirability in 2012.”
The GSR750 ABS is currently available on low-rate finance and with a £650 cashback offer too, until the end of April 2012.
Taking centre stage on the Suzuki stand at London’s premier Motorcycle Show will be the new GSX-R1000, that for this year benefits from major technical revisions, offering enhanced performance and reduced weight, bringing a gimmick-free fight back to the 1000cc superbike class.
Other models on display at ExCel include the 2012 V-Strom 650ABS, that’s already becoming one of the UK’s most popular go anywhere, do anything adventure machines, as well as the definitive luxury commuter scooter, the Burgman 650 and the award-winning GSR750 too.
For those keen to brush up on their riding skills, ex-500 Grand Prix racer Simon Crafar will be in attendance throughout the duration of the show, keen to chat with visitors about riding techniques and his new on-track instructional book and DVD – Motovudu, The Dark Art of Performance.
Suzuki GB Marketing Manager, George Cheeseman, commented, “Naturally we’re delighted to attend the London Show once again and pleased to be able to bring the 2012 GSX-R1000 to the capital for fans to see close-up for the first time. With many of our 2012 models already in dealer showrooms or on their way, we’re also delighted to offer customers a great new finance offer, offering up to £1000 cashback together with low rate finance options. As ever, we look forward to welcoming everyone who attends the London Motorcycle Show to the Suzuki stand.”
Models on display at the show include: GSX-R1000, GSX-R600, V-Strom 650 GT, GSR750 ABS, GSX1250FA ST, Van Van 125, Intruder C800 and Burgman 650.
We look forward to seeing you on our stand, N610.
Suzuki changed little on the 2012 model, instead opting to stay with the successful formula of the 2011 RM-Z250; and this proved in it favour with the Suzuki coming out the winner from the five manufacturers entered.
Motorcycle USA reported: “The powers that be at Suzuki decided to leave well enough alone and sent the 2012 model into the fray unchanged for this year apart from bold new graphics and a red stripe on the seat. With just about every other model getting at least some sort of performance-enhancing update, would the RM-Z’s razor sharp handling and massive power be just as impressive this year?
“In the motor department, Suzuki decided to let it ride for 2012. The calculated gamble paid off as the RM-Z bested the competition in outright horsepower generation with 35.26 ponies. In the torque number the Suzuki still hung tough with a second-best 18.45 lb-ft of torque. The RM-Z also just edged out the Kawasaki on the dyno for top-dog in the horsepower department with a peak 35.26 hp.
“Those impressive power numbers also transferred to the dirt effectively in the holeshot and 3rd-gear roll-on tests. Launching the 233-pound RM-Z from the start line was a bit more difficult than the lower-powered bikes; the rear tyre tended to break loose and kick to the right during both testing runs. Even so, the Suzuki rocketed to a 4.05-second time to 120 feet at 37.7 mph. A few more practice runs to sort the power delivery would net better results, but we set the two-run procedure to judge power as well as launch-ability. In the 3rd-gear roll-on test the Suzuki blasted its rivals, taking just 3.01 seconds and 121.2 feet to accelerate from 15 to 40 mph.
“It’s clear the 2012 RM-Z250 owned the score sheet in the objective tests, so how would our motley crew of testers rank the Suzuki? Every rider enjoyed the power output, and, if not for the incredible character of the KX250F engine, the Suzuki would have been the hands-down favourite. The Suzuki felt every bit as beefy as the Kawasaki until the revs climbed into the stratosphere, at which point it signed off just a hair too soon. On the bottom and midrange it was an absolute ripper.
“Once again the Suzuki’s motor was on point!” exclaims retired pro racer Nick Thiel. “The bike ripped right off the bottom and kept pulling away on the top-end. You could ride it a gear high or over-rev it. Either way it worked well.
“Last year the RM-Z ranked highly with our testers in the handling department, and this year was no different. The Suzuki is sharp as a knife, and in the opinion of some of the less-aggressive testers almost too sharp. There was no denying the Suzuki could carve inside of any other bike in this test. Tight rutted corners stood no chance under the wheels of the Suzuki.
“Just as impressive as the handling is the braking performance of the 2012 RM-Z250. Squeezing the front brake rewards the rider with strong and responsive action without any hint of being grabby. At the rear, the feel was a bit less powerful but still more than adequate. Even so with the praise from our riders, the brakes on the Suzuki ranked second behind the Brembos of the KTM.
“The only point of contention between the testing staff when it came to ergonomics was the handlebars. Riders either loved the bars or hated them. Some felt the pulled-back sweep helped with the excellent cornering of the RM-Z, while others said the bars needed a straighter, more-modern bend.
“Our testers also gave the Suzuki the nod in the subjective category of Transmission, Gearing and Clutch. The RM-Z shifts with the precision of a Swiss watch, and the clutch never showed signs of fading and the gearing complimented the punchy power from the Suzuki’s powerplant.
“I loved the feel of this transmission. It felt like a works-style gearbox,” declares Thiel. “There were no issues of false-neutrals for missed shifts. It was the favourite transmission out of all the bikes.”
The Royal Enfield brand name dates back to the 1890’s, when the Worcestershire-based business won a contract with the Royal Small Arms factory to supply precision parts for the making of Enfield rifles. When they made their first new two-wheeler they marketed it through a new company – The Royal Enfield Manufacturing Company Ltd – adding the legendary trademark “Built Like A Gun”, which is still in use today.
First introduced in 1931, the Royal Enfield Bullet has a long tradition of military service too; thousands were supplied to the British Army and RAF for use by despatch riders during the Second World War. When updated for 1949 the Bullet was chosen for patrol duties by the Indian Army, a fact that has ensured its survival to this day.
Powered by the latest fuel-injected unit engine, with 5-speed gearbox and multi-plate clutch, Desert Storm combines classic looks and sound (complete with kick-start), with modern levels of performance and reliability thanks to front disc brake, gas-filled rear suspension, Avon Road Rider tyres, hydraulic pushrods and 12-volt halogen headlight.
In a statement, their spokesman Simon Belton stated;
“Yamaha continue to look at offering the best value for our customers, striving to give not only our customers the best product but continuing to produce exciting motorcycles and scooters of the highest quality for our customers to enjoy well into the future.”
Shown below are the 2012 models affected and the new prices are effective immediately;
For those looking for extra practicality, the ‘Tourer Pack’ priced at £499 including fitment and VAT, offers useful additions. Further enhancing the V-Strom’s already great universal attributes, the pack features a Knuckle Guard set, providing handy protection from the elements, a useful 14 litre magnetic Tank Bag, Tank Protector, a styled Under Cowling, Accessory Bar and branded Chain Guard. All together, this offers customers a saving of £121 over the individual parts and labour price.
For those looking to cover larger distances, the new Adventure Pack priced at £999 including fitment and VAT is THE choice. Offering all the features of the Tourer Pack (excluding the Tank Bag), the Adventure version offers the useful Vario Touring Screen, allowing the rider to set the level of weather protection to suit, as well as a maintenance-friendly Centre Stand and a 42-litre Top Case set too, saving the customer £291 over individual parts prices.
And for those looking for more practicality and luggage capacity, then the ‘GT Pack’ offers it all, combining virtually every component from the Adventure Pack, but with additional carrying capacity, thanks to side cases providing a useful 70-litres of extra luggage space too. Priced at £1,299 including fitment and VAT, the kit offers a saving of £360 on the individual parts and labour costs.
With all V-Strom packs available now from authorised Suzuki dealers, customers who choose their kit as they purchase their machine new, also get the advantage of a two-year, unlimited mileage warranty on all components too.