Press

Suzuki GSX 1400 - One Bike to Rule Them All

It was around 1998 and I was dreaming about a muscle bike, but one with good brakes none of your sliding caliper rubbish. It had to be twin shock or a 1200 Bandit may well have fit the bill.  I read in Bike magazine about a Japan only Suzuki that looked perfect but I didn’t want a grey import.  I have never had much luck with Kawasaki’s so the ZRX was out.  I focused on the Yamaha XJR and started saving my pennies. 

A couple of years or so later I walked into David Jones in Newtown and there sat a Suzuki GSX 1400 the bike that was supposed to be Japan only.  It was very impressive the tank was huge, having front forks the size of bridge supports. It had six pot Tokiko callipers on the front, remote reservoir twin shocks, traditional looking clocks, a six speed box  and a 190 section rear tyre (a big tyre back then). So that’s all the boxes ticked.  Just like that my XJR fund had a new destination.

The BMW Motorrad Concept R18 shows how a forward projection of a 1960s boxer engine could look like today as a purist custom bike in combination with all the classic design icons of BMW Motorrad design.
 
Edgar Heinrich, head of BMW Motorrad Design explains:
“With its clear aesthetics openly on display, the Concept R18 embodies for me what motorcycling, at its core, is really about. It is all about feeling instead of thinking, and not using technology for self-staging, instead giving space for imagination. This concept bike appeals to something deep down – you just want to just get on it and ride off. But when you get off it again, you don’t just put it in the garage and walk away – you turn around again and give it a final parting glance.”

Following on from our article on Captain America’s Tribute Bike, Colin’s brother Brian has kindly given us an insight into the background on this talented guy. Often we stand and admire craftsmanship at its best without appreciating the hard-yards of blood sweat and tears to reach this point; not just the effort put into the project stood before you, but the years of dedication and devotion to develop their expertise.

Whether madness, passion or obsession, there is something quite special about the motorbike community, to invest so much time and effort into creating art on two wheels. From the functional 50yr old off-road BSA’s racing up a hill caked in mud to the showroom restoration or customising of the classics, money does even come into it. Often the project costs more than the result, but that doesn’t matter, no amount of money can buy that feeling. 

The weather was kind for the 2019 red Marley Hill Climb on Easter Sunday. It was a stark contrast to the 2018 wash out. The event organisers described the previous conditions as, ‘ Wet, in fact it was very wet, just like the proverbial paddy field but with no rice. As time went on the rain stopped, but the conditions underfoot and under wheel became worse.’  

That year only half of the 105 entries made an appearance. Without doubt such a remote location will only attract the most hardy of riders and spectators alike in such adverse conditions. Thankfully 2019 made up for it. Large crowds enjoyed the thrill of t

2018’s fastest man on the roads Peter Hickman and Gary Johnson to ride Triumph Daytona 675R in 2019 road races

Triumph Motorcycles are extremely proud to announce their support for two top rank riders, Peter Hickman and Gary Johnson, in their 2019 Supersport road racing campaigns, with the provision of Daytona 675R motorcycles and engines. Peter Hickman, who is widely recognised as the fastest man on the roads during the 2018 season, will be riding a Triumph Daytona 675R for the Smith’s Racing team during the 2019 road racing season campaign, incorporating the North West 200, Isle of Man TT and Ulster Grand Prix.