Scooter Community

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Scooter Community is the fastest growing social media website for moped and scooter riders in the UK. The website had a huge facelift and was re-launched last year. It now has over 2,200 NEW members and 115 scooter clubs registered.

Currently over 230 businesses, bands, clubs, event promoters and even other websites like 2commute also use the site – All for FREE!!!

To register just click on the sign up button in the top right corner of the website and complete your details. Once approved you are then free to use the site as much as you like. For example: Set up a club page or event page, place a FREE classified advert, start your own blog or even give advice in the forum!

The website also runs monthly competitions and you could win anything from a years free insurance courtesy of Lexham Insurance to a revolutionary REEVU helmet.

www.scootercommunity.co.uk

KTM Duke 125

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Smaller capacity bikes have just started to make a bit of a comeback in Europe. For a while the slowly enforced death of the two stroke engine meant buyers were left with functional but ever so boring four stroke commuters. Bikes like the Honda CBF125 for instance, perfect for commuting on but not likely to inspire a new generation of rider. For excitement we need something a little bit different from a well proven manufacturer.

Four strokes do of course have a place, they are reliable and economical but they will never produce the same kind of excitement as a similar capacity two stroke. The peaky power delivery, aroma and narrow power bands are as addictive to me now as they ever have been. Thankfully though manufacturers have started to realise that the way forward is to design bikes that will appeal to riders of all ages, no matter what engine lies beneath the bodywork. Style is everything.

Sportsbikes have traditionally been a way to tempt riders on to two wheels and there are plenty of tasty looking, fine handling small capacity bikes in the class, like the Yamaha YZF-R125, Rieju RS-3 125 and the Kawasaki Ninja 250 but times are changing and practicality is starting to feature on a bike buyer’s wish list. Naked machines have knocked sportsbikes off the top spot in many European countries. Comfort, good looks, reliability and economy are all higher on the wish list for many buyers than race bike inspired beauty and impracticality.

KTM decided to shake things up a bit in 2011 by releasing their first ever 125cc road bike. It’s not just any old 125 either; this is the new benchmark in naked style. For a factory with such a rich sporting history behind them KTM missed out on the learner legal road market. Well they did until the launch of this stunning 125 Duke. The Duke is a bike which should win over any self respecting teenage bike fan, or (as the firm hopes) encourage a new generation of young riders to discover the fun and freedom that only a journey on two wheels can bring.

The Austrian bike firm employ over 1600 people and have a presence in over 70 countries. KTM have no less than 188 world titles to their name in various disciplines and can also boast ten successive victories in the gruelling Dakar rally, so they know how to build a race bike, but can they build a successful road bike that will appeal to kids? When they decided to develop a brand new 125 for the road KTM invited 90 youngsters from all over Europe to visit the factory and give them ideas on how it should look. Can you think of any other manufacturer who would even contemplate the thought of hordes of children running around their factory and being a large part of the inspiration behind such an important machine?

The result of that market research, coupled with the skills of the KTM engineers and the well proven Kiska Design team have created what has to be one of the most innovative and funky looking naked bikes a seventeen year old can ride on the road today. The KTM Duke 125 is without a doubt very eye catching, in fact during the photo shoot at a skate park during the UK launch we were mobbed by teenagers, all wanting to know everything about the bike. They were interested in the quality names which adorn the Duke, like the 43mm upside down WP forks and rear adjustable mono shock, the Bybre radial front brake with 280mm disc (the bike also has a 230mm rear disc), they were also intrigued by the multi functional and very pretty digital dash which offers loads of useful information including trip distance, odometer, clock, temp, RPM, speed, gear indicator, fuel used etc. Incidentally during our time with the bike it was averaging 6.7 litres per 100km and we weren’t riding with economy in mind!

KTM realise that youngsters like to personalise a bike and the factory aftermarket catalogue features loads of goodies to allow them to do just that. Items range from sticker kits to an exhaust and even a very snazzy looking LED lighting strip, which can be fitted to run along the groove in the tank. There are also hand guards, crash bungs and a headlight kit, but due to an agreement with the Austrian Government and KTM you won’t find any factory tuning parts, although I dare say firms like Malossi will soon release a big bore kit to suit the bike.

KTM developed a brand new engine for the bike; it’s a fuel injected four stroke (as you’d expect), it’s also liquid cooled and has a traditional six speed gearbox. The engine is clean burning and produces the permitted 15bhp. The engine benefits from a balancer shaft which cuts out nasty vibration and I must say it’s very smooth. Press the starter button and it springs eagerly to life, prod the gear lever to select first, ease out the light clutch and the bike pulls away nicely. Four stroke 125’s aren’t always as exciting as I’d like them to be but KTM have put some thought into how the Duke sounds. The R&D team put a lot of time and effort into perfecting the exhaust and it has quite a distinctive note to it, almost like a large capacity bike as you drop back down through the gears.

The engine performs very well and I must admit it provided enough fun to keep me entertained for the day. Like all 125’s in Europe the bike has to be restricted so you’re unlikely to see over 70mph on the clock but it does accelerate well enough and the gearing is well spaced, although sixth almost felt like an overdrive at times, which means you can keep it in fifth for ages, in fact you could pretty much leave it in fifth until you get on to a motorway (providing you’ve got a full licence of course).

The engine may be good but how about that lightweight steel trellis space frame, suspension and brakes? We spent a day blasting around the English countryside and the bike impressed me. The weight is carried low down and is centralised which means the bike feels very neutral and well balanced beneath the rider; it’s very stable at low or high speed and is light too. The Duke is comfortable and the seat height is low enough for most riders to touch the floor easily. It also has a great turning circle, which is great for novice riders. The brakes are made by Bybre, a name you may not be familiar with but they’re a Brembo subsidiary and they do work very well and are capable of producing stoppies on demand. The WP suspension is another top-notch name and it soaks up the bumps perfectly well, even with the rear shock on the standard settings

All that road riding is good fun but for a ‘proper’ test we needed something a bit more entertaining so we went to a kart track for the afternoon. The Duke handled itself perfectly well on the tight and twisty track. It can hold a good tight line, has loads of ground clearance and the suspension and brakes are just as good on track as they are on the road, as were the tyres, just what you want from your first ‘proper’ bike. One of the test riders on the day decided to test how well the bike crashed (by accident of course) with a low speed tumble. The bike was fitted with crash bungs, which took most of the impact and the only damage to the bike was a circlip, which popped off the rear brake pedal, not a bad result for bike or rider. We put in 100 laps on the track and the bike never felt like it was getting out of shape, there was no brake fade and the chassis is stiff enough to cope with a bit more power, just as well because the 200cc version has arrived recently.

I defy anybody to have a go on the Duke 125, or even to see one in a bike shop without coming away wanting one. It may only be small in capacity but it’s big on style, attitude and personality. The Duke 125 will put KTM firmly on the learner legal map and convert them into loyal customers of the brand and quite rightly so.

 

 

 

 

FACTS AT A GLANCE

  • Engine: 124.7cc, 4-stroke (liquid cooled, fuel injected)
  • Power: 15bhp @ 10,500rpm
  • Brakes: 280mm front disc, 230mm rear disc
  • Wheels: Front 110/70-17, rear 150/60-17
  • Suspension: 43mm inverted forks, rear mono shock
  • Seat Height: 810mm
  • Weight: 118kg
  • Tank Capacity: 11 litres
  • Price: £3795 (200cc £3995)
  • Contact: www.125duke.com

Daelim S3 Advance

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According to UK Daelim importer, MotoGB, the new 250cc Daelim S3 Advance ‘Offers the ultimate in ‘luxury urban style’, being full of innovation and high specification equipment’.

Highlights include a ‘smart key’ operating system, combined braking system and ‘halo’ running lights. The S3 arrives in September, is available in a choice of black, silver or white and will retail for £3299 OTR. The machine is powered by a four-stroke, four-valve, double camshaft engine. The 18.4 KW S3 Advance compares to 15KW for the Yamaha X-Max 250 and 16.4 KW for the Vespa GTS300 Super. 2commute will be bringing you a road test as soon as it arrives.

Two wheels better?

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Two wheels have once more been shown to be the only real choice if you want to get around the urban sprawl.

Journalist Stephen Sinfield pitted SYM’s new ComBiz 125 scooter and Daelim’s new VJF250 motorcycle against a Skoda Citigo car and public transport in a challenge that saw him try and get the best time in his cross-city trek through Derby. His findings were published in both the Burton Mail and the Ashbourne News Telegraph.

Starting from a popular ‘park and ride’ stop at one of the city’s out-of-town retail parks, the six-mile journey went through the city via two busy islands on the inner ring road before terminating at Markeaton Park. On average for the vehicles, the journey should take around 20 minutes.

With the times rounded to the nearest minute, the final results were that the car took 24 minutes to complete the route, the SYM ComBiz 18 minutes (despite a downpour) and the Daelim VJF250 did it in a rapid 16 minutes. Easily last was the public transport option, which saw Stephen have to change buses once, leading him to do the six miles in 40 minutes – twice the time of the two-wheeled options.

Stephen says: “The figures speak for themselves. Nothing compares to a bike or scooter in city centre traffic. Sure, the car has advantages and the bus takes away the stress of driving, but the Daelim and SYM were not only the fastest and most economical methods of cutting across the city, they were also the most enjoyable.”

The SYM ComBiz is a new machine to the UK, featuring a liquid-cooled engine and a clever retractable pillion seat which makes a backrest for the rider, giving further carrying capacity on the back, it retails for £1999. The Daelim VJF250 is the latest machine to enter the 250cc sportsbike bracket, boasting all the refinements of the competition but costing just £2999 – compared with £3950 for the Honda CBR250R and £4650 for the Kawasaki Ninja 250R.

MotoGB’s Steve Oliver said: “We were delighted that both our machines beat the car and public transport on both time and fun factor. Whether your licence decrees that you have to have a scooter, or a motorcycle this test has shown that the only way to travel across an urban environment is on two wheels. Today’s modern machines are safer than ever, the kit worn by riders gives maximum protection from incidents and the elements. And with high fuel prices, car insurance soaring and the price of public transport going up too, there’s never been a better time to make the switch to two wheels.”

Images courtesy of Jason Critchell

24 hour Commute for Macmillan

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As part of their charitable efforts for Macmillan Cancer Support the sales team at Colin Appleyard Motorcycles are to carry out a 24 hour sponsored Commut-a-thon. The gruelling event will start outside the multi-franchise dealer`s Keighley showroom on Wellington Road at 3pm on Friday 31st August and run through the night finishing mid-afternoon the following day.

The team will take it in turns to ride a Yamaha Vity 125cc scooter, which on a daily basis is an ideal commuter bike, comfortably achieving 100miles to the gallon and costing just £16 a year in road tax.

Colin Appleyard Motorcycles General Manager Kevin Feeny said “Macmillan Cancer Support is the company`s chosen charity of the year so we wanted to support this very worthy cause by doing something a little different. Yamaha have kindly contributed to the cost of the scooter which we will raffle off after the event with the proceeds going to Macmillan”.

He added “We`re looking to turn it into a bit of a fun event and would encourage everyone to come along to support us and also give generously. Whether they stay all night remains to be seen!”

The Commut-a-thon mirrors a similar event organised by Kevin`s father Stuart 35 years ago when the Lord Mayor of Keighley turned up to cheer the riders on.

Raffle tickets for the Yamaha Vity scooter worth over £1500 cost just £5 each and will be available on the day or via the company`s website: www.colinappleyard.com The draw will take place on Friday 14th September.