ROAD SAFETY and breakdown organisation GEM Motoring Assist is keen to reduce motorcycle casualties as the new riding season gains momentum. Central to this, according to GEM, should be a focus for riders on boosting their skill and knowing their limits.

Everybody has a list, usually mental but sometimes physical which details everything they would buy should they come into a position where they have a significant amount of money. It’ll be holidays, cars, boats, houses, investments, businesses, clothes, watches, a piece of memorabilia. and on and on and on. It’s kept as a source of inspiration, as a reminder to keep working, or as a fun exercise. Anything and everything can be on a list. For those reading this, there will no doubt be motorbikes on it.  

Two bikes that could make that list.

Curtiss Motorcycle the One

This is a radical motorcycle. The company who designed and produced it are the same company who made the Confederate FA-13 Combat Bomber – they’ve just had a name-change. The Combat Bomber was an unconventional and uncompromising bike. It’s pride was its cruising brute force, booming and to-the-point. With the new name came a new approach. The One is electric. It’s battery-powered. Notably, it streamlines the riding experience with no shifting and no clutch, reacting to less stimulation. There is no compromising on power, though, as it gets moving quickly. Weighing in at 139kg, it’s on the lighter end of the cruiser class. Handling and manoeuvring are made easier by its lower centre of gravity.

The One’s engine has tuning potential. Curtiss seem to be keeping it reigned in, currently. However, performance upgrades can be made via cloud-based software, meaning that it can be adjusted without having to be brought into a dealership. It’s the future.

This future-ness extends to its design. This is where the bulk of the talk will be focused. It is thin, bare, and has the sleek design of a Tron bike. It’s a £60,000 bike which makes currency and the road it's coasting on look archaic.

Harley-Davidson CVO Limited

This satisfies a retro need. The Harley-Davidson CVO Limited is based on the classic dresser tourer bikes of the 1960s. This design is a staple of luxury. The Limited version is worth £35,000 and comes with a bigger engine than the standard. Riders could have road trips on this bike, those longer rides on motorways and dual carriageways, but it looks like a bike better suited for cruising between villages, the rural and open roads going steady until the rider wants to turn on the power. Maybe it’s the image of this Harley next to Cotswold stone that feels right and any Harley in general next to Cotswold stone which feels wrong that makes this prospect so exciting. 

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The impressive speed demonstrated in the first part of the race, as the second best race fast lap will testify, is the umpteenth positive sign for Aleix and Aprilia. During a race which was, on average, faster than the one last week, the RS-GP confirmed its potential and, in Aleix’s able hands, crossed the finish line with an even narrower gap behind the leader (5.382 seconds). Only some difficulties with top speed which prevented the possibility of overtaking forced Espargaró to what was, in any case, a brilliant top-10 finish. This is a result that lets him leave Qatar in eighth place for the riders championship, whereas Aprilia is fourth in the manufacturer championship.

Lorenzo Savadori, although still far from his teammate’s performance, demonstrated a decidedly more competitive pace than last week. The reference gap behind the winner drops to around 10 seconds, whereas the Italian rider’s experience increases with the demanding MotoGP bike.

ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"I cannot be happy with my position because I believe we deserved better. The new RS-GP works well. Acceleration is spectacular and I'm able to push in braking. The only place we suffered today was on the straight. When I was behind the Ducatis, I had more grip than they did, but I am unable to overtake them. It’s a pity, but from what I could see in these two races, when we get to the European circuits, I'm sure we’ll be able to have some fun."

LORENZO SAVADORI
"I am looking at the positive sides of this race. My shoulder, although not perfect, is improving constantly, and I should be able to forget about that problem when we arrive in Portimão. I was about 10 seconds faster than last Sunday, even with the fact that I had to do a little fuel saving on the last 5 laps. There is still a lot of work to do, but I can’t wait to race in Portimão, a track that I know well, and with the experience I’ve gained from this season start."