Moto Ventures – Challenge 125

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How economical do you think a 125cc bike can be? Do you think you could ride 1250 miles to Spain for just £125, one pound per cc? Well that’s what a TV star, bike shop owner and one lucky competition winner will be doing in the next few weeks as they head to Valencia for the final round of MotoGP.

After months of whittling down the competitors (all non riders before the competition) and setting them tasks to see who would fit in on the epic adventure to Valencia from the UK with just £125 in their pocket, a winner has finally been chosen for Challenge125. He is George Nickless from Manchester, who narrowly beat Claire Hobden and Zarina Kadylbek in a two-day long final held in and around Worthing in Sussex. He will now join actor Danny John-Jules (best known as Cat from Red Dwarf) and bike shop owner/feature film rider, Steve Keys, on the 1250-mile charity fund-raising journey on behalf of Riders for Health. The trio will leave the UK on November 3rd armed with just £125, their wits and a cheeky smile to make sure they cover the cross-European trip on their Yamaha YBR125s, without going over budget or doing anything illegal!

The three finalists were set a number of tasks during the two days, including camping in the wilds of Sussex, making supper on a budget (road-kill not allowed!) and showing how well they had progressed with riding a motorcycle – because all were non-licence, non bike riding entrants at the beginning of the process. Following these tests, Keys, John-Jules – via satellite phone from the set of ‘Death in Paradise’ in the Caribbean – and Moto3 racer Danny Webb, conducted a thorough assessment of the three before declaring Nickless to be the best suited to taking on the adventure. As part of his prize for winning the competitions, Nickless will also get to keep the

Yamaha YBR125 that he is riding to Spain on, whilst the two runners-up both received their full access motorcycle licences paid for courtesy of Get On (www.geton.co.uk ).

Challenge125 is the latest event for MotoVentures to raise funds for Riders for Health. RFH is making sure that via the use of motorcycles, millions of people across Africa receive regular, reliable health care, often for the first time in their lives. Challenge125 follows the success of 2011’s Viva Valencia, where John-Jules and Keys – ably joined by BBC TV’s Matt Roberts – donned pink leathers and rode pink Yamaha R1s from the UK to Spain, this latest project is sure to test them even further.

George Nickless said “I am so excited, I honestly cannot wait! I’ve been grinning since I found out and really can’t think of a better way to spend seven days. I’m sure there will be plenty of mucking about, laughing, as well as a few up-and-downs as we go through France and Spain, but I’m sure it will be an amazing adventure.”

Steve Keys said “It’s been a fantastic couple of days with the three finalists and at the end a very hard decision because they all had their own attributes that would have benefitted the trip. But George just had a little bit extra that will make him a big asset to the team and Danny and I are very happy to have him onboard, so congratulations to him and also a big well done to Claire and Zarina, they were both brilliant and we hope they enjoy their biking future now they’ve got their licences. We now have a lot of work to do before we head off to Valencia, but it’s good to know who will be with us now and we can start planning the trip in-depth.”

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

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

Peugeot Tweet RS 125

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If you’re one of the growing number of scooter riding commuters then you should give yourself a pat on the back because you’re largely responsible for propping up the struggling UK bike market.

The only significant two-wheeled growth area at the moment is in the scooter segment. Overall scooter sales were up by 11.7% last year (compared to 2010) and the figures for 2012 are even more encouraging. Hopefully the British public have finally woken up to the fact that a modern scooter will save them money and just as importantly time, plus it’ll open up a whole new world of freedom. That’s where a scooter like the Peugeot Tweet RS fits in, it’s a fairly basic but good looking 125, costing just £1999 on the road, or £1799 with the promotion if you’re quick (it ends on 31st August). The purchase price is just the start of your savings though; we’re talking cheap insurance and 80mpg on average, so to see how the figures stack up we took it out to Oxford, which is the 13th most congested city in Europe according to a Tom Tom survey.

Rush hour

Being a rural lad and working from home I don’t often have to worry about congestion (which may seem strange for somebody running a website called 2commute!). On the odd occasion that I do venture out into the big bad world it still makes me wonder why regular car driving commuters would prefer to sit feeling agitated and frustrated in stationary traffic as they waste precious chunks of their life eventually getting to a job that they probably hate. Why don’t more of them switch to two wheels? After all it only takes a simple one-day CBT course (you don’t even need that if you’re only planning to ride a moped and you passed your car test before Feb 2001) and you could be on the road. If you’re reading this and haven’t yet taken the plunge what are you waiting for?

Loving Monday?

For most folks an early Monday morning journey isn’t something you look forward to but if you’re wearing the right clobber and you’re doing the trip on two wheels it’s much more appealing. It’s freezing cold, windy and I’ve got a 270-mile day ahead of me. Not to worry because I’ve wrapped up warm in the latest biking gear and have my excellent heated Oxford vest plugged into the battery on the Sym Maxsym 400 I’m using for the trip down to Oxfordshire. The 120-mile journey down to Witney to pick up the Peugeot Tweet RS 125 will take two hours and 19 minutes according to the sat nav. It’s rush hour and if I was doing the journey by car I’d allow an extra hour or more, by maxi scooter I know the journey (even with a fuel stop and probably some filtering thrown into the equation) will be quicker than the sat navs prediction. As expected slow moving/stationary traffic litters the M1, M42, M6 and M40 along the route but I reach Witney 12 minutes before the Tom Tom’s schedule. The only time I had to put a foot to the floor along the way was in the fuel station. It may have been a mostly motorway route but I still enjoyed the ride and arrived toasty warm, early and above all else – stress free. Despite riding quite quickly the Sym still returned 51.58mpg on the journey, which isn’t bad at all.

Oxford bound

Just time for a quick cuppa with my Peugeot Satelis riding companion and Oxford tour guide, Dan whilst we connect the excellent Interphone intercoms then it’s time for me to get on the Tweet RS 125 for the 10-mile journey into Oxford. Imagine this is your daily commute, a 20 mile round trip on a mixture of rural and urban roads with plenty of stop/start traffic and you’re doing it in a 40mpg car. You’ll do the journey twice to a gallon of fuel, or four times on the Tweet in much less time and you could park for free when you get there, that’s half the fuel which is a huge saving over a year. We took the scenic route on the way there which included a local toll bridge, free to scooters but car drivers have to pay for the privilege. After seeing a few sights along the way, complete with a running commentary via the Bluetooth headset, we easily negotiated our way into the busy city and quickly found a free place to park in the heart of historic Oxford. A quick latte break to warm up, a few photos as we dodged the students and we were on the road again, heading back towards the sleepy village of Witney for a very civilised gastro pub lunch. Until you experience the benefits of two wheels for yourself you’ll find it hard to understand just how much easier life can be. Just the everyday minor inconveniences, like a set of road works or a minor accident can ruin your time keeping in a car, whilst a scooter can safely get to the front of the queue and be first away from the lights, perfect. Scooters are the only sensible way to commute, fact.

Hashtag@ Tweet RS 125

The Tweet RS is a very nimble little scooter; you can perform feet up U-turns in the smallest of spaces in complete control. You can also filter through the tightest of gaps and although the engine is a simple air-cooled four stroke lump it’s quite nippy and accelerates very well. In fact it was capable of keeping up with the 500cc Satelis away from the lights and will do around 63mph at the top end, probably more like 65 if you get your head down a bit. The Tweet is perfect for the daily commute, thanks to it’s 16” wheels which iron out the troublesome bumps that can affect the stability of a smaller wheeled scooter. It’s also got powerful disc brakes at both ends, complete with wavy discs. This RS version is Peugeots special edition Tweet so it comes with the usual Peugeot RS detailing, like red stitching on the seat, polished edges to the black alloys and of course the ‘RS’ stickers, it costs just £50 more than the base model. The Tweet also has a smart looking digital dash complete with funky blue backlighting, fuel gauge and trip function, for storage the Tweet has a small glovebox and some space under the seat (admittedly not large enough for a full face helmet but you’ll get an open face in there), the scooter has a rear luggage rack too, again quite small but you can attach a top box if you need extra lockable space. All in all it’s great value for money and cheaper than buying a second car.

Tech spec: Peugeot Tweet RS 125

  • Engine: 124.6cc, single cylinder, air cooled
  • Power: 8.5hp
  • Brakes: 226mm front and rear Shuricane discs
  • Wheels: Front 90/80-16, rear 110/70-16
  • Seat Height: 800mm
  • Weight: 100 kg
  • Dimensions: Width 690mm, wheelbase 1330mm
  • Tank Capacity: 5.7 litres
  • Price: £1999 OTR (£200 off promotion until 31/08/12)
  • Contact: www.peugeotscooters.co.uk