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From the roar of the engines to the intricate details that make each bike a work of art, these reviews capture the essence of biking in all its glory. Whether you're a seasoned rider or simply have a passion for all things two-wheeled, this video is your golden ticket to relive the thrill and excitement of Classic Men & Motors!
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© Men and Motors - One Media iP 2023
From the roar of the engines to the intricate details that make each bike a work of art, these reviews capture the essence of biking in all its glory. Whether you're a seasoned rider or simply have a passion for all things two-wheeled, this video is your golden ticket to relive the thrill and excitement of Classic Men & Motors!
------------------
Enjoyed this video? Don't forget to LIKE and SHARE the video and get involved with our community by leaving a COMMENT below the video!
Check out what else our channel has to offer and don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to Men & Motors for more classic car and motorbike content! Why not? It is free after all!
Our website: http://menandmotors.com/
----- Social Media -----
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/menandmotors/
Instagram: @menandmotorstv
Twitter: @menandmotorstv
If you have any questions, e-mail us at talk@menandmotors.com
© Men and Motors - One Media iP 2023
Category
🚗
MotorTranscript
00:00 [MUSIC]
00:10 Oh, go on, Fran!
00:11 No.
00:12 Go on, Fran, get your top off.
00:13 No, I'll get cold, it's raining, no.
00:15 Get your top off. Go on!
00:17 No, you take yours off!
00:19 I can't, it's fixed!
00:21 Okay...
00:23 [MUSIC]
00:33 [MUSIC]
00:43 [MUSIC]
01:11 There are a few important points about the C1 before you even move.
01:14 Number one is getting it back onto its wheels, and you don't just kick the stand off.
01:17 I've got to... let me get this right.
01:19 I've got to lift this lever here and lift the bike sort of onto its wheels again,
01:23 and then this lever retracts the centre stand.
01:26 Then there's the matter of your seat belts,
01:28 because it won't actually start until you belt it in,
01:31 which isn't something I'm used to doing on a bike.
01:34 Strapping myself to a giant hula hoop with wheels on.
01:37 And then, of course, because this is the UK and not Europe,
01:41 you can't actually wear it, although it was designed to be worn and ridden without a helmet.
01:45 You've got to wear a helmet, which is on the floor.
01:48 Well, these are supposed to be all-weather scooters,
01:56 and this is the weather to test them in, so...
01:59 here we go.
02:01 Yeah, well, it's all right for you with your fixed roof,
02:06 but if you think I'm going out and getting wet...
02:08 The BMW is so unlike a scooter,
02:27 it's hard to imagine it has anything in common with any two-wheeled vehicle.
02:31 It is a seriously strange feeling.
02:33 As soon as you tilt the bike into the corner,
02:35 the extra height in front of your face of the windscreen is a force.
02:38 But accentuate the amount of lean, you feel like you're getting a four-lunch burn.
02:42 The Franz Adivo is actually far more like a scooter.
02:45 Basically, it's an ordinary two-wheeler with a little extra roof stuck on top.
02:49 Who'd have thought that for just a few grand you'd get a Mercedes SLK folding roof?
02:54 Trust Franz to pick the flash one.
02:57 [Franz Adivo]
02:59 You know, you don't so much park and stop on this thing as come into land.
03:10 Stand down, drop back onto stand,
03:13 and then I've got to unbuckle myself and I've got a quick release button.
03:16 I don't know if you could combine that maybe with an ejector seat.
03:20 Well, the end result is, all the bits of me down the middle are quite dry,
03:25 everything down the outside is a bit soggy.
03:27 But think about it, who are you kidding?
03:28 How's a strip of plastic that wide going to keep you completely dry
03:31 unless the rain's coming perfectly head on or perfectly from above?
03:35 So whilst on the move, I've had a bit of time to look around
03:37 and I've found even more gizmos.
03:39 Apart from the fact that the build quality in here is excellent,
03:42 as I suppose you'd expect from somebody like BMW,
03:44 I've found a mobile phone holder,
03:46 I've found an interior light,
03:48 and I've even found a sunroof,
03:51 which is unbelievable, I've no idea why.
03:55 (ENGINE REVS)
03:57 So the Adiva is basically a scooter with a roof.
04:04 It has no elaborate stands like the C1,
04:06 and it has no radical interior light or seatbelts or roll bars.
04:10 It does have slightly better weather protection
04:13 and space for a stereo, so I can sing along on my travels.
04:18 Useful, I'm sure.
04:19 Thing is, at about 3,200 quid,
04:21 I can kind of see the point of the Adiva
04:23 as a scooter with a bit of extra weather protection.
04:26 But for £4,000 for the C1,
04:28 that's a hell of a lot of money for a scooter.
04:30 And no matter how radical it may be,
04:32 that is still ultimately just what it is at heart - a scooter.
04:36 So you fancy a bit of muscle, do you?
04:38 Well, don't look at me. No, seriously, I'm talking about bikes.
04:41 What could you suggest? Maybe a Honda CB1000?
04:44 Perhaps a Yamaha XJR?
04:46 Or even a Kawasaki ZRX or a 1200 Bandit?
04:49 No, no, no, no, forget them.
04:51 I'm talking about real muscle.
04:53 How about a Yamaha 1200 V-Max?
04:56 Now, the V-Max really seems to have that nasty boy image.
05:00 And once you climb aboard, you really do get the feeling
05:03 that nothing's going to come even close in the old traffic-light Grand Prix.
05:07 The V-Max was born way back in 1984,
05:11 but it wasn't officially available in the UK until 1991,
05:16 when it arrived with its 1,198cc of stonking liquid-cooled V4 performance.
05:22 It does in fact come in two versions.
05:24 There's one like this, which is a restricted one - 95bhp and it'll do 133mph.
05:31 Doesn't sound that restricted to me.
05:33 And then in 1996, the UK officially got the full-power version,
05:38 which will produce 121bhp and that'll do 156mph.
05:44 But don't even think about riding any V-Max flat out,
05:48 unless you're wearing a very strong neck brace
05:50 and you've got some way of securing your hands to the bars
05:53 and your arms to your shoulders.
05:56 The V-Max certainly is different, doesn't look much like any other machine.
06:00 The dashboard, for example, is kind of split in two.
06:03 You've got the speedo up here on its own, mounted on the bars,
06:06 and down here, the rev counter, temperature gauge and warning lamps
06:10 are on a kind of little console at the front of this tank.
06:13 Tank, I said. It's not really a tank, it's a dummy tank.
06:16 There is a storage box under there, but it's not very big.
06:19 If you want to put petrol in your V-Max, you have to do this.
06:22 A couple of catches there, just behind the back twin shocks.
06:25 Flick them, and up it pops.
06:28 Petrol filler cap there, and the tank is actually underneath the seat,
06:31 which helps to keep the weight down, and this is quite a heavy beast.
06:34 The tank actually only holds 15 litres of fuel,
06:37 which, if you ride it fairly hard, will take you just a touch over 100 miles
06:41 before you have to switch to reserve.
06:43 Not very far, I know, but believe me, 100 miles hard riding on one of these,
06:48 and you'll be well glad of the rest.
06:50 It really is built to go very fast in straight lines.
06:59 It's absolutely crap at going round corners, to be quite honest with you,
07:03 but one thing it does do very, very well is stop, thank goodness,
07:07 because at the front we've got twin 282mm discs being squeezed
07:11 by twin four-piston calipers,
07:14 and at the back a 290mm disc with a single twin-piston caliper,
07:19 and they bring everything to a very, very rapid halt.
07:22 It really is incredible in a straight line.
07:32 Not so clever going round the corners.
07:34 The weight's got something to do that. It's a heavy beast.
07:37 262kg, which is £576 in old money.
07:42 It certainly takes a bit of shifting around.
07:44 Anyway, by the time I get to the twisty bits, I'll be that far in front,
07:48 I can slow down and let you all catch up.
07:50 The full-power version gets most of its performance from the V-Boost system,
07:59 which very cleverly controls the fuel supply to the front and rear cylinders,
08:03 and it adds extra fuel to the one that's firing.
08:06 And believe me, when that starts to happen, you will know about it.
08:10 The V-Max is a great bike. It makes you smile when you ride it.
08:28 There's something good in that.
08:29 And one thing that has surprised me is the price.
08:32 I always thought V-Maxes were a kind of luxury item. Not so, really.
08:36 The price for this particular bike, which is a 1998 import version,
08:40 and it's restricted, but don't let that put you off. Still a lot of fun.
08:44 This on the road is less than £6,000.
08:47 And if you do want to splash out and buy a UK model, unrestricted, full-power version,
08:52 that will cost you about £9,300 on the road.
08:55 So there's the V-Max. All I need now is a new rear tyre.
09:01 This week, we're once again at Tommy Robb Motorcycles in Warrington.
09:04 Now, one thing guaranteed to attract the interest of everybody in the motorcycling world
09:08 is the label "World's Fastest Bike".
09:11 And when it was introduced in 1990, that was certainly the case for Kawasaki's ZZR 1100.
09:17 Now, often the first thing that people do when they approach a bike,
09:20 and you'll see this every time you go to a bike rally,
09:22 is they walk up and they look at the clocks.
09:25 Now, why everybody looks at the clocks, I don't really know, but they do.
09:28 Now, the first thing to strike you when you look at the speedo on this machine
09:31 is that it goes up to an incredible 200 miles per hour.
09:34 Now, the ZZR, well, it doesn't quite reach 200 miles per hour.
09:38 But if you can manage to attain the top speed of around 175 miles per hour,
09:42 then you're not going to be too worried about anything coming past you.
09:45 Underneath this ballistic-looking fairing,
09:48 there's a 1,052cc in-line, liquid-cooled, four-cylinder engine
09:53 with a double overhead cam and 16 valves.
09:55 And it's capable of producing around 123 brake horsepower.
09:59 The gearbox is six-speed, but really, the gearbox,
10:02 well, I think it should be at a three-speed.
10:04 It should be fast, very fast, and good morning, judge.
10:09 Braking on this machine is absolutely outstanding.
10:12 To the front, there are twin discs with twin piston calipers,
10:15 and they really are exceptionally powerful.
10:17 And to the back, there's a single disc and a single piston caliper.
10:20 The brakes really are up to the job.
10:22 Although on a machine with the performance that this thing can do,
10:25 really nothing short of a railway sleeper through the front wheel
10:28 is going to stop you too quickly.
10:30 The petrol tank, well, a full tank is 21 litres of fuel.
10:33 And that will give you a touring range of over 200 miles.
10:36 That's if you drive it, well, fairly sensibly.
10:39 But with a bike like this, the performance that this thing is capable of,
10:42 well, you can't really drive these too sensibly.
10:45 Can you?
10:47 Well, try and keep up. I'll do my best.
10:50 [MUSIC]
10:52 You don't have to drive this machine like a complete nutcase,
10:58 but it's hard to resist.
11:00 The worst thing you can do with a ZZR 1100
11:03 is start throwing it around like a sports bike,
11:06 because although it may have the performance to match the Fireblades and Ducatis,
11:10 it certainly hasn't got the same sharp handling
11:12 due to its increased weight and a softer suspension.
11:15 Although if you're pushing it hard enough for the handling to let you down,
11:18 then you're missing out on the best feature.
11:21 That being that it's one of the most comfortable sports tourers
11:24 you're ever likely to sit on.
11:26 In fact, the numb bum syndrome is virtually non-existent,
11:30 with the silky smooth four-cylinder transmitting none of its vibrations
11:34 through to the seat or the handlebars.
11:36 Indeed, it's as well to keep an eye on the rev counter
11:39 if you want some idea of what's going on down below.
11:42 So if you want to travel a long way with as much excitement as you can handle,
11:46 then this one's well worth a try.
11:49 And there's only one other bike on the road that could possibly leave you behind.
11:53 Now then, where's that blackbird?
11:56 Well, we're now back in the showroom with the ZZR 1100.
12:00 I've lost a few pounds in sweat, and I managed to keep my licence intact, I think.
12:05 Tommy, this is absolutely incredible.
12:08 Now, you've ridden works Hondas, works Yamahas,
12:10 won all sorts of championships and races,
12:12 and been just about everywhere fast on a bike,
12:14 but this is serious performance, this, isn't it?
12:17 Without a doubt. This has been probably the flagship of the Kawasaki range.
12:21 It's been a bike that does everything that you want from a sports bike,
12:25 but you can also add your luggage to it to give it touring bike appeal.
12:29 And the performance of this is nothing short of absolutely sensational.
12:33 In fact, it's so sensational that even Hondas have now brought out the blackbird
12:37 to do battle with this particular model.
12:40 Right, that's right, because really for the last five years or so,
12:42 this has been the top of the tree, hasn't it?
12:45 There's been nothing to touch it speed-wise.
12:47 No, without a doubt. The CBR 1000 Honda was the bike that was near to it,
12:51 but the ZZR came in and took that all away from Honda,
12:53 and now they've come back with the other machine,
12:56 but the ZZR is still a wonderful selling machine.
12:59 Yeah, a cracking bike. It looks great as well.
13:01 And something that I noticed is you don't have to drive it like a lunatic.
13:04 All right, the performance is there and the power's there if you want to get excited,
13:07 but it can be a very sensible bike.
13:09 It's a bike that you can ride through town easily.
13:12 Yeah, but as far as sports touring goes, I mean, I noticed that they've actually thought about that.
13:15 They've got little bungee straps on the seat and everything, I mean,
13:18 so they sort of, up on the fairing there, there's a little cubby hole,
13:21 which is a lockable compartment there, so it's not an out-and-out sports.
13:25 It's probably the best sports bike performance-wise.
13:28 I would say it would be, and I'm not sure that these are for bungee cords.
13:32 I think they may be for strapping your pillion passenger on.
13:35 Right, yeah, that would be an idea, yeah.
13:37 I suppose a big top box and all that, wouldn't it?
13:39 So what are these with a set of luggage on the back?
13:41 Superb.
13:42 The ultimate machine.
13:43 A superb sports tourer.
13:45 There's no doubt about it.
13:46 The suspension, the road holding, the riding position,
13:49 although it looks so sporty, it's actually got quite a nice upright riding position.
13:54 Not one that goes for your wrists and gets you behind the shoulder blades.
13:57 This is Kawasaki's flagship.
13:59 Yep.
14:00 Well, the only thing wrong with this bike is that it's not mine.
14:03 It actually belongs to Tommy, which is very sad, and he won't let me borrow it again.
14:06 Well, I'll leave you with the rest of the programme, Two Wheels Better,
14:09 and I'm going to go and change my pants.
14:11 Well, he did tell me that he's got something for me to road test that is black and red.
14:17 It's not this.
14:18 He thinks he's got one up on me, that Paul Johnston fellow.
14:21 Well, I can tell you he hasn't.
14:23 What he's done, he's obviously gone into a motorcycle showroom
14:26 and chosen the biggest bike he could find.
14:29 On the idea that it's too big for me to ride and do a road test on,
14:33 well, he's found this, and understandably, I can see what he means.
14:36 It's a muscle bike, it's 1,300cc, and you think it'd be too big for me.
14:40 Well, it isn't.
14:43 In fact, it's perfect.
14:46 My feet reach the floor.
14:48 So, I've got me a road test, and he's waiting for me to turn up on it.
14:53 He's got a long way.
14:55 [MUSIC PLAYING]
14:58 [MUSIC PLAYING]
15:01 [MUSIC PLAYING]
15:04 [MUSIC PLAYING]
15:07 [MUSIC PLAYING]
15:10 [MUSIC PLAYING]
15:13 [MUSIC PLAYING]
15:16 [MUSIC PLAYING]
15:19 [MUSIC PLAYING]
15:22 [MUSIC PLAYING]
15:25 [MUSIC PLAYING]
15:28 Oh, look at this.
15:29 Here's Wayne.
15:31 Wayne the motorcycle tourer.
15:33 I think he's been on a world cruise or something.
15:35 A week I've been waiting.
15:36 A week?
15:37 I've had two shaves, three showers.
15:40 Do you know, it just felt like an hour or so, that's all.
15:42 Well, where have you been?
15:43 I've been for a good ride, and I've thoroughly enjoyed myself.
15:46 And have you learned anything about the bike in the week?
15:48 Can you tell us anything, inform us?
15:50 Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
15:52 It's red.
15:53 It's a Yamaha, and it's 1,300cc.
15:55 It is.
15:56 I really enjoyed it.
15:58 Can you sort me out with something else?
16:00 Oh, and by the way, it's run out of petrol.
16:04 [LAUGHS]
16:06 That's very informative, isn't it?
16:08 Now you know why we don't let him get involved with road tests.
16:11 Looks like it's down to me again.
16:14 So what can I tell you about this XJR 1,300
16:17 that Wayne hasn't already told you?
16:19 Well, probably loads and loads.
16:21 It is indeed 1,300cc.
16:23 It's a Yamaha.
16:24 It's big, and it's red.
16:25 Ha, there's a bit more to it than that.
16:27 It's a proper true retro machine, true retro muscle bike.
16:31 Retro right from the front to the back.
16:33 So many bikes these days call themselves retro,
16:35 but they're not really.
16:37 They've got a big chrome headlamp,
16:38 and that's really where the retro theme ends,
16:40 because they've got monoshocks at the back.
16:42 Whoever said a monoshock was retro?
16:44 I don't think so.
16:45 This one, we're back to the old twin shocks.
16:47 And even the engine looks retro.
16:49 Look at that.
16:50 It's air-cooled.
16:51 In fact, if you took a picture of that there and said,
16:53 "Name the year," you'd probably say 1970-something
16:56 or 1980-something, because it really, really does look the part.
17:00 No fancy fuel injection.
17:02 Four McUney CV carburettors.
17:04 All works perfectly well.
17:05 It's not rocket science, but it's perfect for this kind of machine.
17:08 Big oil cooler on the front there.
17:10 And a five-speed gearbox in this,
17:12 as opposed to the more normal, or should we say more conventional, six-speed.
17:16 And I'm led to believe it works perfectly well,
17:18 although talking to Wayne, I would never know that.
17:21 So looks like I'll have to find out for myself.
17:25 (ENGINE REVS)
17:27 The first thing you'll find out when you climb aboard the XTR 1300
17:34 is that it has to be one of the most comfortable bikes to ride.
17:37 An excellent padded seat and well-placed bars.
17:40 In fact, the whole machine feels perfectly balanced.
17:44 There's plenty enough power, and if you really want to,
17:47 you can have a go at mixing it with the boy racers.
17:52 It's nowhere near as fast as some of your more dedicated sports bikes,
17:56 but with no protection on this naked machine,
17:59 you really don't want to be hurtling along at ridiculous speeds.
18:03 It's far more suited to high-speed cruising around the country lanes.
18:07 It's physically a large machine.
18:10 You will get noticed on this bike.
18:12 But having said that, it's not daunting.
18:15 It's very, very user-friendly.
18:19 You may have noticed, you should have noticed,
18:22 that this is a little bit different to your standard XTR 1300.
18:26 This, of course, is the SPS version.
18:28 Now, they all do SPS versions and fancy limited-edition versions.
18:32 Honda do them, Aprilia, Ducati do them with the 996s and all that.
18:35 So why not have an SPS retro machine like this?
18:38 Nothing wrong with that.
18:39 Two main differences between this and your standard model.
18:42 One, perhaps the most obvious, is the paint job.
18:45 Look at that.
18:46 Yamaha Speedblocks, a proper retro paint job if ever I've seen one.
18:50 Straight off an RD out of the 1970s, that, isn't it?
18:53 Very smart on the tank and, of course, on the tail unit there as well.
18:56 And you probably not fail to mention the shocks on this are different to your standard.
19:00 Lots of people use different types of suspension these days.
19:03 You've got your white power, your Piola, your Showa, all them.
19:06 On this SPS, we're on Ohlins shocks,
19:08 which are used throughout the world on all the top super bikes.
19:11 Of course, they're fully adjustable.
19:13 You can tweak them and tune them and set the bike up exactly the way you want it to feel.
19:17 Look at that for a nice seat.
19:19 Not only is it a nice, comfy stepped seat,
19:21 but it's got all this nice quilting in it, these nice little quilted sections here.
19:25 Again, perfectly in keeping with this style of machine.
19:28 Not really much to show you under the seat, but we'll pop it off and have a look.
19:32 Little compartment there, a couple of bits in there.
19:34 Tool kit there, C-spanners there, so you can have a play with your rear suspension.
19:38 But nothing very exciting to tell you about under there.
19:41 But it has got this bike two things that I think are really important,
19:45 that are important to me when I'm looking at a bike.
19:47 One is up there, a fuel gauge.
19:50 I think every bike should have a fuel gauge, I keep saying it.
19:52 And the second thing is there, can you see it?
19:56 A main stand. Perfect. Makes life a lot, lot easier.
20:00 So if you are a fan of the retro scene and you're impressed by size,
20:06 then this could be right up your street.
20:10 If big really is beautiful, then this is about as good looking as things get.
20:17 So this is the SPS version, therefore it's much more expensive.
20:22 Well, no, it's not really that much more expensive.
20:25 The standard machine XJR1300 will cost you £5,800 to put on the road.
20:31 This SPS model will cost you £6,200, so only just about £400 more.
20:37 And for your £400, you get a nice paint job and fancy rear suspension.
20:41 I don't think that's bad because if you bought the standard bike,
20:44 you had it painted yourself and you treated yourself to some fancy new shocks,
20:47 I think you could be looking at the best part of £1,000.
20:50 So in today's day and age, I don't think that's bad value for money.
20:53 Now, what other thing we must do?
20:55 Wait, no, wait, no. One sec.
20:58 I need you to do me a favour. Just, there's the key.
21:01 Take it back, apologise that you've had it for so long,
21:05 tell them you won't do it again. I want to put some more petrol in it.
21:08 Now, those European types love these great big enduro-style bikes like the Africa Twin.
21:18 It is actually a known fact that nine out of ten Germans have at some point or another
21:22 leapt on one of these, bolted on those narrow metal panniers to the back
21:26 and buggered off around the world.
21:28 So there must be something right about them.
21:30 But I've avoided trying one until now for one very good reason.
21:35 It's this bit of a problem.
21:37 But it's not that bad. If you are like me, built more for compactness than anything else,
21:41 once you're on board, those long, soft off-road springs compress
21:45 and bring the ground almost within reach.
21:48 And once you're rolling, well, it's really not a problem.
21:50 The Honda Africa Twin 750 has been around for a few years now,
21:55 so you could say it's getting a bit long in the tooth.
21:58 Or you could say it's a classic.
22:00 Either way, it's certainly not changed much over the years.
22:03 What you're not buying with an Africa Twin is a sophisticated machine loaded with cutting-edge technology.
22:09 They're built and designed to look rugged, and in fact, they are rugged.
22:13 So that's exactly what you get, a simple, solid machine,
22:15 that long travel, off-road-ish suspension front and back,
22:18 the wheels with those tyres that look off-road, but those are road tyres, they're not fooling anybody.
22:24 And you get a simple frame, cradling a simple V-Twin 750cc engine
22:28 that shares components with a dozen other 750s in the Honda range.
22:32 On board, well, obviously, you've got these huge, broad handlebars,
22:35 you're sitting almost bolt upright, and in front of you is a dash layout that,
22:39 well, it's not a layout, it's a throw-out, really.
22:41 Certainly nothing like a sports Tourer, bits and pieces clustered about all over the place.
22:45 But it's got everything you need.
22:47 You're not riding a Tourer, you're riding a roughy-toughy Enduro.
22:51 But what's really amazing is what a good Tourer it makes.
22:54 That riding position is so comfortable for long journeys.
22:58 Bolt upright, arms out wide, legs straight down below.
23:01 Believe me, it's comfy.
23:03 Now, of course, you'd have to be mad to attempt the Paris-Dakar on something like this.
23:08 It is very much more a styling exercise after off-road, rather than romping across hill and dale.
23:13 But that long travel suspension means it irons out even the roughest of potholes.
23:17 It's silky smooth.
23:20 Anybody who's ever spent any time on this, or even many other bikes in the same category,
23:24 will tell you what's also amazing is how well it goes round corners.
23:28 The suspension compresses, it soaks up the bumps, and it'll grip and grip and grip.
23:33 You can get some serious lean on, if you so choose.
23:35 Mind you, it's quite a long way down.
23:38 Some things I really don't get.
23:41 Most computer games, those stupid little mini-scooters, bikes with CD players, I don't get any of those.
23:47 This, I actually do get.
23:49 It might seem a really odd idea to go touring and use every day a bike that's styled to look like something you'd cross the desert on.
23:55 But it actually makes a surprising amount of sense.
23:58 That riding position, upright, with your arms widely spaced, is hugely comfortable.
24:02 Those great dollops of torque from that simple V-twin mean it is actually a delight to ride without feeling you've got to go at breakneck speed everywhere.
24:09 And they're cheap, best of all.
24:11 This R-plated example with about 17,000 miles on the clock, you'd pick up for four, four and a half thousand pounds, and you could get one for less.
24:18 Remember, there's no need to buy desperately new with something like this.
24:21 They're very long-lived.
24:22 So cheap, practical and durable.
24:25 Maybe the chairman's had it right after all.
24:27 You know, if you open a motorcycle magazine, go and buy any motorcycle mag, and have a look down the bike listings, the names of the bikes, the makers and the models, in particular the models.
24:39 Every month we seem to be getting new models, new names, and you think, "Oh, how on earth am I going to remember all this lot?"
24:45 They're coming out all the time.
24:47 But also, if you look closely, you'll see names that seem to have been there for years, for donkey's years.
24:52 This is one such name.
24:53 This name here, Honda Transalp.
24:56 Yeah, been around for ages.
24:58 Actually been around since 1987, can you believe?
25:01 All that time.
25:02 So they must have been doing something right, but it's grown up a little bit since then.
25:06 Back in '87, the Transalp was a 600cc V-twin motor.
25:10 Well, it's still a V-twin, but it's grown up now to a 650cc, well, actually 649cc, I think it is.
25:17 But there it is, still a V-twin, and it's the same engine as Honda used in the Deauville.
25:21 And that's got a good reputation, that's become a bit of a favorite with motorcycle couriers.
25:26 And they like machines, or they like engines, that are good for many tens of thousands of miles, up and down the country all day long, seven days a week, some of them.
25:33 So they won't be very much wrong with the motor.
25:35 But it's not just grown up engine-wise, it's grown up, I think, in its looks, because it's still essentially an off-road-looking machine, off-road style of bike.
25:44 But I think it's becoming a little bit more road bike in its looks, in its bodywork.
25:48 It's a bit more sort of streamlined now, shall we say, the way these indicators are all flushed into the fairing.
25:54 Oh, very, very smart.
25:55 Perhaps lost that little bit of rugged look that it had in its early days.
26:00 And one other thing that you need to be careful of, I'll just show you this.
26:03 Watch this.
26:04 People with short legs should beware, because this is a very, very tall machine.
26:09 But that can be a good thing, because sitting this high gives you a great view of the road ahead.
26:17 The Transel isn't fast. It's not meant to be.
26:20 It's got a nice, friendly sort of power delivery, just about right for this style of bike.
26:26 It really is an easy bike to ride. There's no nasty twitches.
26:30 Everything's just very predictable and very sure-footed.
26:34 It's more at home on the tarmac, but it won't complain too much on the odd muddy track.
26:40 Suspension set up as standard is a bit too soft for any serious terrain,
26:45 but you certainly wouldn't get away with this on your race replica.
26:58 So while we're on the off-road theme, let's have a look at the off-road bits and pieces on the Transel.
27:05 Well, the most obvious one is down there, bottom of the engine. Have a look at that.
27:09 How's that for a sump guard, eh? Massive, huge, big bash plate on the bottom there.
27:13 So that'll protect the bottom of the engine, should you choose to do any off-roading over rocks and boulders and things like that.
27:19 And also it'll protect the downpipe for the exhaust as well, because the front cylinder comes right down there, right behind that.
27:25 So that's all protected nicely. Then the exhaust along up here.
27:29 Any off-road bike, any decent off-road bike, has the exhaust up there, tucked up high, out of the way.
27:35 Out of harm's way where it can't get bashed and wrecked.
27:38 And while we're on the back end here, nice big rack there. Look at that.
27:42 Big solid thing there. You could stick a top box on there, fill it up, you could strap luggage to it, you could do anything you like really.
27:48 And somewhere nice and easy for your pillion to hang on to.
27:51 And I've been riding this two up, had a pillion on the back quite a bit, quite a few times.
27:55 And it's nice with a pillion on the back. It's quite easy to ride, it doesn't upset the handling of it.
27:59 And it's quite comfy for the pillion because the seat is pretty good.
28:03 But if you don't like the seat, you can take it off.
28:06 Wouldn't be much use if you took it off, would it? But there you go, it comes off like that.
28:09 And there's not much to see under there. Big hole there, you could probably get a packet of crisps and a toothbrush in it, but little else.
28:17 Let's put that back on out of the way. Up here on the dashboard, come and have a look up here.
28:21 There's nothing too fancy about it, but it just looks nice.
28:25 Full of rain at the moment of course, but it's nice and classy. It's well finished, it's well done, it's nicely put together.
28:31 And over here, the left hand side, my favourite, I'm always moaning about it, fuel gauge.
28:35 We've got a fuel gauge. We like bikes with fuel gauges.
28:39 But going on the off road thing, still on the off road theme, we've got these over here, on the top of the bars.
28:44 On each side of course, these knuckle guards, hand guards, stop you bashing your fingers as you're going down the dirt tracks.
28:49 Stop all the branches bashing your fingers.
28:51 But I suspect that most people who own a Transalp won't go on the dirt tracks because, let's face it, the off road ability of this is, shall we say, somewhat limited.
29:00 But these are actually great for keeping your hands warm.
29:03 Because when you get cold fingers, when you're riding the bike, the things that make your hand cold is the wind.
29:08 It's the wind chill that makes your knuckles freeze and makes your fingers freeze up.
29:11 Well, then, help to sort of stop the wind blowing on your hands.
29:14 So they do keep your hands quite warm.
29:16 So, very useful, even on a road bike. Doesn't have to be an off road bike.
29:19 But shall I tell you what it hasn't got?
29:21 And I hate it, I hate for saying this, it hasn't got a centre stand.
29:25 And you know what really annoys me about it?
29:27 Is that underneath there are the holes for the spindle for the centre stand.
29:32 So it's all there. It just needs the stand to put it on it.
29:34 But they don't do it. You don't get it.
29:36 But you can have it, but you'll have to pay extra for it.
29:38 I don't know, that's just one of my pet hates.
29:41 But I'll tell you the best thing about this bike, the very, very best thing.
29:44 And that's its comfort. The riding position.
29:46 Because it's so, so comfy.
29:48 And if you've got a bad back, perfect.
29:51 If you've got a bad back, this is the style of machine that you need.
29:54 Because really, you could sit here all day long.
29:57 You know, I can't begin to tell you just how comfy this bike is.
30:03 Cutting through busy rush hour traffic is easy.
30:06 The bike's nice and light and it's all very manoeuvrable.
30:09 Now, it may have been around for some time, but this Neutron's Elp,
30:13 or the XL650V to give it the full title,
30:17 certainly doesn't feel or look dated.
30:20 And on the road, it'll cost you £5,400.
30:24 And here it is, was it? Honda's CB1300.
30:33 Do you know very much about these?
30:34 Well, Honda have been trying to get in on the muscle bike market for a long time, haven't they?
30:39 We go back a few years, the CB1.
30:41 Yeah, CBX, the big, massive six-cylinder.
30:43 That worked, didn't it?
30:44 Yeah, well, that was great.
30:45 They're trying to build on that heritage.
30:46 CB1 came first, then they got the Blackbird motor, went off on a tangent, gave us the X11.
30:50 That's right, yeah.
30:51 Neither really down favour.
30:53 Well, they reckon this might just do the trick for them.
30:56 It looks right, doesn't it?
30:57 Sort of semi-retro, nice red and white colour scheme.
30:59 It's a Honda, so it's going to be okay, we think.
31:02 Just hope it's got a bit of aggression, eh?
31:04 Well, 30 points to beat, eh? Let's give it a go.
31:06 The CB1300 is Honda's newest old bike, if you get to see what I mean,
31:17 with a heavy growling engine and 107bhp encased in a heavy '80s-style bike.
31:30 Honda seem to have developed an uncanny knack over the years for producing bikes
31:34 that do their job with so little fuss that we almost take them for granted now.
31:38 Well, guess what? They've gone and done it again with the new CB1300.
31:43 Lots of four-cylinder machines need to hit somewhere around 6,000rpm
31:48 before anything exciting starts to happen.
31:51 This CB1300 develops its peak power at a lowly 5,800rpm,
31:56 and it will pull cleanly in just about any gear from as little as 1,500rpm.
32:01 Make no mistake, this bike is big and it's heavy,
32:06 but it's not intimidating in any way.
32:08 In fact, it's easy to ride and it handles really well.
32:11 And since riding it, I've been avoiding motorways and fast A-roads
32:15 in favour of more challenging B-roads.
32:17 And it's not very often you'd say that about something which weighs 240kg and has 1,300cc.
32:25 The gearbox is typical Honda, super slick with no hints of any false neutrals.
32:30 The steering is more than sharp enough to have some real fun on the twisties,
32:34 although the suspension could be a touch on the soft side for any serious boy racer types.
32:39 Looks-wise, this is not quite as retro as some of the other bikes in this class,
32:46 but it has a kind of pleasant mix of new and old styling.
32:50 As I said before, this is no sports bike, but I'm sure that in the right hands,
32:54 this could certainly teach the boy racers a thing or two.
32:57 And it's not slow either, with a top speed close to 140mph.
33:02 So it's over to the scoreboard on Honda's CB1300.
33:07 Styling, 7 out of 10. That engine just doesn't look retro enough.
33:12 Performance, 8 out of 10. A fantastic motor that pulls cleanly from very low revs.
33:18 Practicality, 8 out of 10. Very, very comfortable,
33:21 and you could ride this every day of the week.
33:24 Value, 7 out of 10. It's not quite the cheapest in this class.
33:28 So, how does it compare to the GSX?
33:31 Well, I would say it's probably a better bike to throw around.
33:35 You could probably have a bit more fun on this.
33:36 Surprising, given how big it looks, isn't it?
33:38 Yeah, but as I said before, it's not intimidating.
33:40 It handles really well, very, very smooth.
33:42 Loads of power down at the bottom end, which is great.
33:44 Very low revving, like most of them are.
33:46 But there's just a problem with the style of it with me.
33:49 Now, you're saying it's not looking old enough, aren't you?
33:51 That's what I'm saying, yeah.
33:53 And why is that?
33:54 Well, what I'm saying is these bikes are retro.
33:56 Make no mistake, they're made to look like 70s muscle bikes,
33:59 but that engine...
34:00 Oh, I hadn't noticed that.
34:01 I mean, it's just a great big brand new lump of metal.
34:04 Put some cooling fins on it, put some dummy spark plugs on it if you want,
34:07 but if you're going to make a retro bike, go the whole hog.
34:10 Give us a finned engine as well, even if it's not air-cooled.
34:12 Even if it's not air-cooled, make it look it.
34:14 So, that's 30 points. It's neck and neck with the GSX.
34:16 But not all is lost because there's two more bikes still to play with, isn't there?
34:19 Indeed there are.
34:20 There are two more bikes left to come, as Paul has said.
34:22 That's going to be in part two because this is the end of part one.
34:25 Join us after the break when we'll be meeting Kawasaki's ZRX and Yamaha's XJR.
34:30 We'll see you in a minute.
34:32 Right, bad gag time. You're going to need some matches.
34:35 Checkers yours.
34:37 Thank you.
34:38 You need two of them.
34:39 Sit down.
34:41 So, two matches.
34:42 One between your knees, like that.
34:44 Put the one on the top like that and go like that.
34:47 Now you know what it feels like to be an elephant riding a scooter.
34:50 Or a fully grown adult riding a Sports 400.
34:55 Such as this.
34:57 It's actually the VFR 400R, the NC30 from Honda.
35:01 It was the first of the proper Sports 400s to hit these shores back in the very beginning of the 90s.
35:06 Maybe the very last year or so of the 80s.
35:08 It was really pretty exclusive and expensive then.
35:11 Since which there's been loads of 400s launched.
35:14 They actually brought this one in officially.
35:16 Then they went grey, then there's a whole load of grey imports.
35:18 This though is probably still the only one that has a V4 engine.
35:22 It's huge fun.
35:23 And we're going to play on it.
35:25 I feel huge.
35:29 Makes you feel like Monster Man.
35:30 I feel like John Wayne climbing onto a little tiny pony.
35:34 And just like a proper little sports bike, you need to give it a really big handful of revs to move off from the start.
35:40 Mind you, first gear is pretty tall.
35:42 And once you've cleared that, the rest is easy.
35:44 There's no doubting that it's small.
35:47 But it's only when you ride it do you realise how short it is.
35:50 The front of the bike kind of disappears from below your feet.
35:53 And it's a bit of a pain to ride.
35:55 But it's a bit of a pain to ride.
35:57 And it's a bit of a pain to ride.
35:59 But it's only when you ride it do you realise how short it is.
36:03 The front of the bike kind of disappears from below your field of view.
36:06 You really are sat right over the front wheel.
36:08 Now it may have been small, but they packed a lot into the VFR 400R.
36:13 For a start, there is that V4 engine.
36:15 A little 400 baby VFR engine, obviously.
36:18 Which gives it that lovely note and that huge amount of torque in the bottom range for what is a small engine.
36:23 Then we had little radical tricks, like the single-sided swinging arm.
36:26 And on something this tiny, it was incredible.
36:29 There's a really lovely alley frame, which is definitely worth a quick look.
36:32 And then of course, that proper race bike geometry, so you're right over the front wheel.
36:36 All in all, it was pretty advanced.
36:38 There was nothing else like it, certainly on the UK roads at the time.
36:41 But above all else, it was and is about attitude.
36:45 Because when you climb on board, you've got to assume the position, buster.
36:49 With those rear sets, your head down, those low, low clip-on bars here at the front.
36:53 Incredible braking. The size of the brakes on this thing would stop something three times its weight, no problem.
36:59 The stripped-out, almost naked cockpit up here, a real racer feel to it.
37:03 And that's really what the whole 400 thing is all about.
37:06 And that's why I like the idea of them, because there's something slightly naughty about it.
37:10 A bit like having your first fag when you're perhaps a bit under 16.
37:13 This bike clearly has no purpose other than going fast.
37:17 There's nothing sensible or compromised about it. You can't tour.
37:20 God knows you wouldn't want to sit on the back of the thing and there's nowhere to put luggage.
37:24 Even to the point of, if you've gone to the trouble of fitting a single-sided swinging arm at the back,
37:28 why root the exhaust in front of it? Put it at the other side, let the world see.
37:32 This is a racing bike. For racers. Small racers, obviously.
37:36 This particular bike hadn't yet been prepared for sale, and so it had a rather wobbly headstock,
37:44 due I suspect to a dodged bearing, and a very squared-off rear tyre,
37:48 which made cornering a bit of an adventure.
37:51 Nevertheless, the VFR's handling does shine through. There's no doubt that it is extremely flickable.
37:55 It'll change direction quicker than you can plan it.
37:58 The 400 sports bike class only exists at all, because in Japan you have to take another test to ride a bigger bike.
38:04 Therefore, they've squeezed every last iota of power from the 400 engine.
38:09 Dealers over here soon realised that there was a bit of a market, and so the grey imports caught up.
38:14 Eventually, Honda stopped bringing the VFR in as an official import at all.
38:19 Now, of course, there's a whole raft of 400s available.
38:22 It might be a pocket rocket, but don't expect it to be that light on your wallet.
38:27 This example on a J-plate, once all its little niggles are being put right,
38:30 will set you back at a deal of the best part of three grand.
38:33 You'll get it for less if you're really brutal with your dealer.
38:36 And what could be better, on the right day, than getting out on a 400?
38:39 OK, any sport 600 is probably going to beat it, but not in the hands of most of us.
38:44 And with the VFR 400, you're also getting that rare thing in such a fast and frantic class.
38:49 That's a bike with not only that extra torque from the V4, but also a little bit of heritage and pedigree.
38:55 Kawasaki's ZX-9R Ninja. Here it is. Been around for some time now.
39:03 And it's always been very well respected. I can't ever recall it getting any really, really bad press.
39:08 So it must have been about right from the start.
39:11 Well, yes it was. But would you believe now it's even better?
39:15 One of the things that's always appealed to me about the ZX-9 is that when you climb aboard,
39:19 it actually feels incredibly sensible for an out-and-out sports bike, superbike.
39:24 Still got a single seat like many other sports bikes, but it's a big size single seat.
39:28 It's not very thick, not all that comfy, but it's big enough to slide around on.
39:32 And in fact, you can actually slide right to the front on this.
39:35 And it's not too much of a stretch to the bar, so you could sit almost upright if you wanted to.
39:40 You wouldn't look a bit of a plonker riding around like that all day.
39:43 And you certainly wouldn't be able to sustain that position for very long.
39:46 Not if you wanted to enjoy the best feature about this bike, the power.
39:51 Make no mistake, this is a very, very fast machine.
39:59 143bhp is the same as the previous ZX-9, but this new model does feel sharper and a bit more nimble than its predecessor.
40:08 Most of the improvements aren't actually visible.
40:11 The modifications to the motor include a new all-aluminium cylinder block with electroplated cylinders to save weight.
40:18 It has tighter piston clearances to give an increased compression ratio,
40:22 reshaped intake ports and a new, more efficient Ram-Air system designed to scoop more fresh air into the now larger airbox.
40:30 Combine all of that with Kawasaki's unique throttle response sensor, which first appeared on the '98 model,
40:37 and you have a motor with more mid-range and better efficiency.
40:41 So say Kawasaki, and I tend to agree.
40:44 The power of this latest ninja is fantastic.
40:50 So most of the mods you can't see, and there are more that you can't see.
40:54 It's got a larger curved radiator than before, it's got a lighter clutch,
40:58 there are modifications to the gearbox, smoother gear changes, and it's got a bigger, more powerful alternator.
41:04 So there you go.
41:06 One of the most distinctive changes, of course, is to the styling, especially the front end here.
41:10 This big, pointy headlamp here.
41:12 Underneath which sits this, what my colleague Jeff Stone referred to as a pooper scooper when he looked at this at last year's bike show.
41:19 This is of course this huge air intake for the Ram Air System.
41:23 I have to say, there's nothing better in motorcycling, no better sound than a big Kawasaki sucking air in.
41:29 Get your head down over the tank, big fistful, and just listen to the noise. It's terrific.
41:33 And let me just show you this. Watch this when I put the key in, turn the ignition on.
41:37 Watch the dials. Look at that. Wee, fantastic.
41:40 You might remember, you've seen that before.
41:42 The first time I saw that was on a Suzuki Hayabusa when we were in Spain testing out there.
41:46 And what it is, it's a way of recalibrating themselves, the dials.
41:49 They start at zero and they go to the full extent of the travel, recalibration every time you switch on, so you get a good, accurate reading every time.
41:56 Good, isn't it? Do you want to see it again? Watch. Here we go.
41:59 Whoa, look at that.
42:01 The brakes, well, they're not any different to before really as far as the calipers go.
42:05 Tokiko six spots, the old model had them.
42:08 A little bit more to grab hold of now though because the discs are up from 296 to 310mm and superb they are as well.
42:15 More mods down towards the back end.
42:18 Swingarm, that's completely different.
42:20 Well, sort of completely different. It's full of muck at the moment because of the British weather.
42:24 But it's now a pentagonal section swingarm instead of the normal sort of box square section.
42:30 It's got this internal bracing in it.
42:32 It's stiffer and more rigid than before, but would you believe it's actually lighter than before.
42:37 Suspension, not much to talk about there. More or less the same.
42:40 They've revised the damping in the front forks, but the back now it has a ride height adjustment as standard.
42:47 So you can adjust the ride height, not a great deal, but a little bit.
42:50 And they've also revised the rear suspension linkage a little bit as well to give a more rigid, a firmer and a much more sporty ride.
42:57 There's a whole load of other technical modifications, mainly to the front end.
43:05 The fork offset has been reduced by 5mm and the steering head bearing actually moved forward.
43:11 They've even replaced the tapered steering head bearings with ball bearings in an effort to give the ZX-9R a lighter feel through the bars.
43:19 It's certainly better, although it does somehow just lack the cutting edge of Yamaha's R1.
43:26 Now I doubt that many people would be brave enough to take a brand new ZX-9R onto a racetrack.
43:32 But that's the only place to really enjoy the power and ability of this machine.
43:37 So here we are, a racetrack. You know I got these directions off Wayne.
43:46 I said to him the other day, I said I want to set 143 horses loose on a racetrack.
43:52 And he sent me here. What's he like?
43:54 If you want something doing, do it yourself.
44:00 Well it wasn't quite the type of racetrack I had in mind.
44:03 Although I wasn't exactly a million miles away from the real thing.
44:07 I probably saved myself a few bob by leaving early anyway.
44:11 Now this is more like it. A nice short and fairly twisty circuit to try out this new ZX-9R.
44:19 OK then, onto the track. And starting grid, position number one of course.
44:25 But hang on, there's a car on grid number two. And it's my friend Wayne in his super-duper V6-powered Ford Mondeo.
44:34 Well that's the last I'll see of him for the rest of the day.
44:39 Now the new Ninja behaved itself superbly well on the circuit.
44:43 Throttle response is absolutely instantaneous. The amount of power on tap really is quite awesome.
44:49 The steering is certainly lighter than on previous models, but there is still plenty of feedback through the bars.
44:55 Even when powering hard out of a corner.
44:58 Price-wise it's in the same ballpark as Yamaha's R1 and Honda's new Fireblade at just over £8,000.
45:06 Performance-wise it's as fast as you'll ever need.
45:10 Well there's absolutely no doubt about it. This is the only place to enjoy a bike like this.
45:15 Racetrack, superbike, the perfect combination. It really is a superbike, the new ZX-9R.
45:20 Tons and tons of mid-range, much better than the old ZX-9.
45:23 Sharper steering than the old one, but I have to say, perhaps still not quite as flicky as your R1 and maybe your GSX-R.
45:31 But a superb bike, excellent brakes, slam the brakes in at the end of the straight, lap after lap after lap, no fading.
45:37 Very, very positive. Great, great fun.
45:39 In fact, I think I could probably just squeeze another dozen laps in, excuse me.
45:45 [ENGINE REVVING]
45:55 Well winter's starting to draw in very fast now, it's getting very cold and damp, especially in the morning.
46:00 So maybe it's about time to put the superbike away for a couple of months, keep it nice and clean and shiny.
46:05 And if you do that, what's your alternative?
46:07 You could use a car of course, but then you'll be stuck in a traffic jam on a motorway all day, not a lot of fun.
46:12 You could of course use a little scooter.
46:14 Well, the trouble with little scooters is, well they're little aren't they?
46:18 And if you do use a motorway, you'll struggle to keep up with the rest of the traffic.
46:21 So we need a big scooter.
46:23 Well here is a very big scooter, Suzuki's Bergman, all 400cc's of it.
46:29 Well if you want to split hairs, it's actually only 385cc's.
46:36 But it was the first of the new breed of larger capacity scooters.
46:40 Aimed at eliminating the problems of the smaller machines, which can often feel underpowered with their little two stroke motors.
46:47 Having ridden the Bergman around for a few days, I've noticed that more people ask the question,
46:53 "What's it really like?" than they've ever done when I've turned up on some fancy sports bike.
46:58 It seems to me that bikers are genuinely intrigued and interested to learn more about this machine.
47:04 They want to borrow it and try it out.
47:07 Those that do, usually return with a smile on their face, and then agree, if somewhat reluctantly, that it's actually rather good.
47:15 Just about the ultimate rev and go.
47:18 Well there's not a great deal to look at mechanically on a Bergman, because it's just one huge lump of plastic.
47:23 And it is huge as well, it's physically quite a big machine.
47:26 But despite that, the height of the seat is definitely worth a mention.
47:29 Look at that, look how low to the ground it is.
47:32 Now that can be a problem on even the smallest of scooters, little 50cc scooters.
47:36 Just because they've got a small engine, doesn't mean they've got a low seat height.
47:39 Some of them are actually quite tall.
47:41 But on this, despite its large capacity and big physical size, no such problem.
47:46 So, short riders, no trouble at all.
47:48 If I just pop it onto its main stand, we can just have a closer look at the actual brakes on it, because they're definitely worth a mention.
47:56 At the front here, you'll see there's two hoses there, going to this caliper for the front disc.
48:00 And this brakes front and rear on this one.
48:03 And the reason there's two hoses is because it's got a linked brake system.
48:07 Which means when you pull this left hand lever on the handlebars here, it brakes the back as normal, but it also brakes the front.
48:14 So that brakes back and front, and this one over here just brakes the front.
48:18 Linked brakes, very, very clever.
48:20 As I say, you can't see anything mechanically on this, but under there is the engine.
48:24 400cc, single cylinder, water-cooled engine.
48:27 And it actually lies flat, sort of along the chassis really.
48:30 The cylinder goes that way.
48:32 If I took the bodywork off, you'd see what I was talking about.
48:34 But it goes that way, which means the piston's going up and down along the length of the bike.
48:39 That helps to keep the weight down, and it also means that you've got more space under your seat, because you've not got a cylinder stuck up there, taking all the room up.
48:46 And under the seat, there's actually quite a bit of room.
48:49 It opens up that way, supported on this strut here, and as you can see, a full-face helmet in there.
48:55 No problem. It has to go that way.
48:57 You can't put it that way, because it won't shut.
48:59 But if you put it that way, it'll shut quite easily.
49:02 Plenty of room in there.
49:04 Also helping to keep the weight down and keep the weight low, should I say, not so much down but low, is the petrol tank, which is there.
49:12 Fill the caps there, and the petrol tank is beneath there.
49:15 So again, lots and lots of weight low down.
49:17 Moving up here, look at this here.
49:19 This is a brake lock, because you've got a problem on a scooter, because it's automatic.
49:23 You can't leave it in gear.
49:24 So if you park on an incline, it will roll away.
49:27 On a normal motorbike, you just leave it in gear.
49:29 So this has a brake lock.
49:31 Pull that down there, and it puts a little lock, cable-operated, on the back wheel.
49:35 Stops it rolling away.
49:37 So quite a good idea.
49:38 Next to that, a funny, strange little arrangement here for the ignition.
49:42 Take your key out, you pop that down, and it covers the ignition hole there.
49:46 So you can't put a key in, you can't put a screwdriver in.
49:49 So to release that, you use the back of the key, which is shaped there, to match that little socket there.
49:55 Give that a flick, that pops up, and there you go.
49:58 You stick your key back in, and you're away.
50:00 And on to the dashboard up here.
50:02 A nice dashboard on this with everything you'll need.
50:04 Not a lot of warning lights.
50:05 There's a warning light for the brake lock, and there's one for the high beam, and that's it.
50:08 You've got a clock, you've got a digital trip there, two different trips on this, analog speedo.
50:15 Fuel gauge, which I always keep saying, every bike should have a fuel gauge and a temperature gauge.
50:19 And that dashboard at night looks really nice, actually.
50:22 You won't see this now during the day.
50:23 But at night, when you've got your lights on, it's got a lovely, kind of icy blue backlight to it.
50:27 It looks really, really smart.
50:28 Very nice.
50:29 Up here, then, a big screen.
50:32 Not the biggest of screens I've ever seen, but it does actually do a reasonable job.
50:35 It keeps the worst of the wind blast off your chest and your neck area.
50:39 So it's quite useful.
50:40 And that's quite important, because this, remember, might only be a scooter, but it's 400 cc,
50:45 and it's capable of cruising at 85 miles an hour plus all day long.
50:50 And that may sound amazing, but it's true.
50:54 The top speed is quoted as 97 miles an hour.
50:57 But I have to say that anything above 80 should really be reserved for only the very straightest of roads,
51:03 because the Bergman does have a tendency to start weaving around at high speed when things get a little twisty.
51:09 I think due to a combination of 13-inch wheels and a very long wheelbase.
51:14 But of course, you shouldn't be doing those kind of speeds.
51:17 That said, it's very difficult to find fault with this machine.
51:21 Perhaps its big problem lies with its image, or lack of it.
51:26 It's often seen as rather uncool to ride around on a scooter.
51:30 But more and more bikers are waking up to the idea that these machines are more than capable of doing the job.
51:36 I'd say, swallow your pride. Try one out. You might just like it.
51:41 You know, I really, really do like this Bergman. I don't mind admitting it.
51:49 And I think it's the only scooter, really, at the moment, that's got any real respect from the bike world, if you like.
51:54 But it is very, very comfy. You could sit on this all day long.
51:58 You can put your feet up there, the old feet forward riding position.
52:01 You can have your feet down there, big comfy seat.
52:04 There's even a backrest there for the rider, so you're not going to get a sore back.
52:08 And even the pillion gets little footboards like that. Look at them.
52:11 Nonny little foot pegs on this. And how about that for a pillion seat?
52:15 That is the height of luxury, if ever I've seen it there.
52:18 Fantastic seat, that. That's bigger than the whole seat on some of the sports bikes that I've been on.
52:23 I mean, that is superb.
52:25 Nice little backrest there for the pillion, so the pillion isn't going to fall off the back.
52:29 You could notice on this one that it's had a little rack fitted.
52:32 That's a little aftermarket accessory, because, of course, this is a second-hand machine.
52:36 This is done just over 3,000 miles from you.
52:39 And if you wanted to buy this one, you could save 1,000 pounds on the new price.
52:42 This is on offer at just 3,500.
52:45 A brand-new Bergman, now on the road, will cost you 4,500 pounds.
52:49 And, you know, I'd go anywhere on this.
52:52 I'd go touring on this dead easily because it's comfortable, it's got the performance,
52:55 it'll keep up with everything else on the road, well, apart from your top superbikes.
52:59 It's got the comfort, it's got luggage-carrying capacity.
53:02 You can put a top box on there, and if you were on your own,
53:04 you could strap loads and loads of stuff on this pillion seat there,
53:07 take anything you needed with you.
53:09 I think my next touring holiday could be on a Suzuki Bergman,
53:12 because, really, this is all you'll ever need.
53:15 Unless, of course, you've got a mate like mine who happens to own one of these.
53:20 Alan, have you...? Are we ready?
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