| | Biker News - Regularly updated
Category: Products & Clothing
-
High-quality workmanship, available at a favourable price and suitable for the A2 driving licence - the KTM 390 Adventure is the perfect introduction to the world of adventure bikes. With tailor-made accessories from Touratech, this easy-to-handle machine can be optimally equipped for journeys near and far.
For almost 25 years, adventure bikes from Mattighofen have proven that the model designation "Adventure" is not a marketing gimmick, but an honest commitment. Since the legendary 620, the Austrians have continued to develop their adventure models with great seriousness, and currently offer six models ranging from 390 to 1290 cubic centimetres.
Perfect base for adventurous tours
Even the entry-level model, the KTM 390 Adventure, provides the perfect basis for having fun on adventurous excursions: a feisty engine, solid spring elements and agile handling. If you are planning to ride the small Adventure off-road or on a longer trip, however, this is where Touratech parts come into play – extra-robust, well-engineered and tested over thousands of kilometres of trails.
Wide range of luggage systems
The Touratech range for the KTM 390 Adventure starts with the robust ZEGA aluminium pannier system, which is attached to an indestructible 18x2 steel tube rack. Several pannier sizes and designs are available. For even more storage space, there is the ZEGA Topcase, mounted to make it trail-proof on a rack with a quick-release fastener. Then there are the tank bags from the Ambato series. Depending on space requirements, there are three variants of this proven line to choose from.
Rugged parts for heavy use
When the going gets rough, the extra-rugged stainless steel engine crash bars come into play, offering effective protection in off-road use. Protectors are also available for the headlight as well as the rear ABS sensor. Also highly recommended for off-road riding are the folding foot brake lever and the folding rear view mirrors.
And last but not least, the 25 millimetre handlebar riser demonstrates its strengths on long stretches that demand a standing rider position. The handlebars are more comfortable to hold, and the rider's position is much more upright. A better line of sight and less fatigue are the rewards of this small modification.
Wherever you plan to go with the KTM 390 Adventure - accessories from Touratech get the most out of this machine's great potential.
-
A whopping 800 pages of inspiration for motorcycle travels - that‘s the Touratech catalogue for the 2022/23 season. Whether it‘s high-quality components to upgrade your suspension, luggage systems in aluminium or waterproof textile, ultrarugged protectors, a comfort seat, an aerodynamically shaped windscreen or a trail-proof mount for your navigation system: everything adventure riders require to customise their machine can be found in the current Touratech catalogue. And of course in proven top quality Made in Germany.
Clearly structured
The practical grouping by motorbike model makes the search for the best parts for your own bike particularly convenient. All the latest adventure bikes are covered, as well as numerous tried-and-tested classics. And when it comes to riding gear, there is a full range from head to toe. Textile suits, helmets, boots or gloves - the Touratech range includes top-quality products developed in-house for maximum comfort on motorcycle trips near and far.
With all the concentrated information, there are exciting stories about great motorbike adventures. The lavishly designed work also includes extensive insights into the technologies Touratech uses to develop and manufacture motorcycle accessories.
Print – Online - Download
As always, the Touratech 2022/23 catalogue is free of charge. For those who prefer to browse on their PC or smartphone, there is a specially prepared and fully mobile-compatible online version of the catalogue. A download in PDF format is also possible.
The catalogue will be published, both digitally and in print, in time for the start of the season on 1 March; pre-orders for the print version can be submitted as of now.
Further information
-
Valentino Rossi’s announcement of retirement brings down the curtain on an incredible career in the MotoGP motorcycle world championships. With his nine titles, including seven in the premier class, he is widely regarded as the greatest motorcycle racer of all time, and his 26 seasons of Grand Prix racing make him unique across both motorcycling and Formula 1. Rossi has been captivating fans since he won his first Grand Prix at the age of 17 and even in his final season, at the age of 42, he has been riding faster than ever. 
In this major new book by top MotoGP journalist Mat Oxley, each and every one of these races comes under the microscope, complete with perspectives about Rossi’s achievements, the controversies, his character, and analysis of his bikes. This is a Valentino Rossi book like no other.
“It’s been a joy watching Valentino’s GP career from the very beginning in 1996 and I’ve really enjoyed reliving so many of his great moments through writing this book,” says Mat. “In fact I started with his first international campaign in 1995, dissecting and analysing every one of his 400 plus races since then. It’s a career that may never be matched and it’s been an honour to write this book, which I hope becomes the ultimate tribute to Valentino’s brilliance.”
“Mat wrote the world’s first biography of Valentino in 2002,” says Mark Hughes, Evro’s Publishing Director. “Working for the publisher then, I saw how Mat not only knew Valentino well and thought the world of him, but also wrote about his subject with sublime skill and insight. Back then, we could never have imagined just how much Valentino would go on to achieve, nor that he would still be racing nearly 20 years later. Now, upon his retirement, there is no-one better than Mat to record every single moment of his incredible career.”
Key content
Early days, from karting and minimoto bikes to a first GP win, on a 125 Aprilia in the 1996 Czech GP, then onwards to claim the 125cc world title in 1997.
Moving up to the 250cc class in 1998 brought four consecutive end-of-season wins riding for Aprilia, followed by a decisive title in 1999 with nine victories.
Grabbed by Honda to race its super-successful NSR500, Rossi graduated to the ‘class of kings’ for 2000, almost becoming champion that season — but the following year he sealed the last two-stroke 500cc crown with 11 wins.
MotoGP, for 990cc four-stroke bikes, took over and Rossi immediately reigned supreme aboard his Honda RC211V, securing back-to-back titles in 2002 and 2003, before a surprise departure to uncompetitive Yamaha.
Rossi rates his first year with Yamaha, 2004, as his best: defying expectation, he won first time out on the YZR-M1 and took a fourth successive title with nine wins.
In six more seasons with Yamaha, 2005–10, Rossi collected three more championship crowns, his 2008 success especially sweet because it involved a fightback after two leaner years.
Rossi’s move to Ducati looked to be an appetising all-Italian prospect but his two winless seasons there, 2011 and 2012, were disastrous.
A return to Yamaha never quite recaptured his greatest glories, but Rossi was championship runner-up three times and came very close to another title in 2015.
Author: As a motorcycle racer, Mat Oxley is an Isle of Man TT winner and lap record holder. As a writer, he has been plying his craft for 40 years and is revered for his sharp reporting of MotoGP for magazines and websites around the world, including Bike, Motor Sport, Motorcycle News and Performance Bikes. Ever since Rossi burst into Grand Prix racing in 1996, Oxley has followed his career closely and in 2001 wrote a landmark first biography, MotoGenius, with full cooperation from Valentino and his family. Among Oxley’s other acclaimed books are Mick Doohan: Thunder from Down Under (1999), Valentino Rossi: Portrait of a Speed God (2002) and Stealing Speed (2009). Married with two children, he lives in north London.
Valentino Rossi
All His Races
Mat Oxley
Publication date: 13 January 2022
Price: £50.00
ISBN: 978-1-910505-21-2
Format: 280x235mm hardback
Page extent: 336
Illustration: 280 photos
-
- Improved wet grip* and longevity** compared to the MICHELIN Road 5 tyre range
- Performance improvements made possible by a new tread design, advances in raw materials and optimized tyre architecture
As the latest in a long line of class-leading sport touring tyres, Michelin is pleased to announce the launch of its MICHELIN Road 6 tyre range, a tyre range designed to offer riders of roadsters, trail bikes, sportsbikes and GT motorcycles the optimised performance in terms of wet grip, longevity, comfort and handling.
Alongside the standard MICHELIN Road 6 tyre range, which now incorporates sizes for big trail bikes, there is also the MICHELIN Road 6 GT tyre designed for grand touring machines.
Using technologies developed by engineers in Michelin’s R&D centres, the new MICHELIN Road 6 tyre offers a 15 percent improvement in wet grip* and a 10 percent increase in tyre life** compared with its predecessor, the MICHELIN Road 5 tyre.
These improvements in performance have been made possible by a new tread design, advances in raw materials and an optimized tyre architecture.
Tread Design:
- An optimized void ratio of 14 percent (the ratio of grooves to rubber), which gives high levels of grip performance in wet and dry conditions. This ratio does not change when cornering to give consistent feedback.
- MICHELIN Water EverGrip technology – a patented sipe technology developed by Michelin to give high levels of wet grip and rider confidence in these conditions. The design of these sipes mean that they open as the tyre wears.
- New groove and sipe angles, with longer edges to cut through the film of water and grip the road surface.
Raw Materials:
- A 100 percent silica compound featuring MICHELIN Silica Technology improves grip in cooler conditions and on damp and wet roads, without any compromise on tyre life.
- MICHELIN 2CT+ (2 Compound Technology) front and rear means that different parts of the tread are optimized for different performance characteristics. The harder under layer of tread rubber maintains rigidity during cornering, whereas the softer upper layer in contact with the road offers very good grip and high mileage in dry and wet conditions.
Architecture:
- MICHELIN Radial X Evo technology – the 90-degree plies on the crown of the tyre ensure a wide footprint giving high grip levels, both in a straight line and at lean angles. The sidewalls of the new generation of Radial X Evo tyres use a special ply fold that provides even more flexibility and greater comfort by absorbing road deformations, and at high speeds the tyre remains stable, making it well-suited to high-powered motorcycles. The overall effect of this technology is that the handling and responsiveness of the tyre are optimized to provide riding pleasure and fun without compromising on safety.
- MICHELIN Aramid Shield technology is a highly dense, more rigid tyre casing, which helps give excellent feedback and handling. Aramid tread plies resist centrifugal growth at speed, reduce weight and provide excellent stability.
Another Michelin first
Bearing in mind the pride that most riders have in the appearance of their motorcycles, a first for a MICHELIN Road tyre range is the use of MICHELIN Premium Touch Design in the design of the sidewalls of the MICHELIN Road 6 tyres. This exclusive technology uses micro geometry on the sidewalls to create texture, which in-turn allows it to modulate contrast and create shades of grey to highlight the tyre markings and give an attractive finish.
Available in dealers from 1 January 2022, the new MICHELIN Road 6 tyre range comprises six front and eight rear sizes, while the MICHELIN Road 6 GT tyre range is available in one front and three rear sizes. This range provides fitments for everything from small roadsters such as the KTM 390, through sports bikes and trail bikes, up to GT machines such as the BMW K1600 GT/GTL.
MICHELIN Road Tyre History
The MICHELIN Road 6 tyre range follows in the footsteps of a long line of Michelin firsts in its Road tyre ranges:
2002 MICHELIN Pilot Road – the first Road tyre range
2007 MICHELIN Pilot Road 2 – the first Road tyre range featuring sipes
2014 MICHELIN Pilot Road 4 – the first Road tyre range with a dedicated GT version
2018 MICHELIN Road 5 – the first Road tyre range using 3D sipe technology
*In-house comparisons of the MICHELIN Road 6 and MICHELIN Road 5 ranges conducted at Fontange track:
07 & 08/07/2020: 120/70 ZR 17 & 180/55 ZR 17, on a Suzuki 1250S Bandit and a Triumph Street Triple S 765.
15/03/2021 & 21/05/2021: 120/70 ZR 17 & 180/55 ZR 17, on a Suzuki 1250S Bandit.
17/01/2020: 120/70 ZR 17 & 180/55 ZR 17 (GT version), on a BMW R1200RT.
17/09/2020: 120/70 ZR 17 & 160/60 ZR 17, on a Kawasaki ER6n.
17/01/2020: 110/80 ZR 19 & 150/70 ZR 17, on a BMW R1200GS.
**Comparison of the MICHELIN Road 6 and MICHELIN Road 5 ranges, according to an independent test on public roads by DEKRA Narbonne:
20/07/2020 to 07/08/2020: 120/70 ZR 17 & 180/55 ZR 17, on a BMW K1300R.
17/08/2020 to 14/10/2020: 120/70 ZR 17 & 180/55 ZR 17 (GT version), on a BMW R1250RT loaded, but without top-case.
28/09/2020 to 12/11/2020, dimensions: 120/70 ZR 17 & 160/60 ZR 17, on a Suzuki Gladius 650.
Michelin, the leading mobility company, is dedicated to enhancing its clients’ mobility, sustainably; designing and distributing the most suitable tyres, services and solutions for its clients’ needs; providing digital services, maps and guides to help enrich trips and travels and make them unique experiences; and developing high-technology materials that serve a variety of industries. Headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Michelin is present in 170 countries, has 123,600 employees and operates 71 tyre production facilities which together produced around 170 million tyres in 2020. (www.michelin.com)
-
The luggage plate XL for the Yamaha T7 offers solo travellers the perfect solution for safely stowing even extra-large rack packs. The extremely robust aluminium plate takes over the pillion seat and luggage rack area.
It's not only veteran travellers who know that luggage stowed on a motorcycle should be as close to the centre of gravity as possible. It therefore makes no sense for solo travellers to fix their luggage roll right at the back on a rack. Experienced riders strap their rolls to the pillion seat.
But the fastening options in this position are often limited, and the bench foam does not provide an ideal base either. For the Lonesome Rider on a Yamaha Ténéré 700, Touratech now has the perfect solution in the form of the luggage plate XL with which you can lash even the largest luggage rolls securely, with a low centre of gravity.
The luggage plate XL not only replaces the pillion seat, it provides a flat surface, reaching over the mudguard - where the luggage rack normally sits. The luggage plate XL is definitely not lacking in robustness. An aluminium adapter plate with stainless steel hooks snaps exactly into the original locking mechanism of the pillion seat. The device is locked with the standard lock, operated with the ignition key. In addition, rubber buffers ensure a play-free fit.
The actual luggage plate is made of black anodised aluminium with a sturdy thickness of four millimetres. Generous material recesses keep the weight within practical limits. The straight lines, forming an exact extension of the surface of the rider's seat, prevent the creation of an edge so that coccyx injuries, for example during rough off-road use, are excluded.
To enable secure lashing to meet any terrain, the luggage plate XL has generously dimensioned strap eyelets. Rack packs can be attached either classically crosswise to the direction of travel or lengthwise.
The grips at the rear of the frame remain fully accessible, and there is nothing to prevent the simultaneous use of a ZEGA aluminium pannier system.
Luggage plate XL for Yamaha Ténéré 700 benefits
• Easy exchange with pillion seat
• Lock with ignition key
• Four millimetre thick aluminium
• Huge storage area
• Generous strap eyelets
• No risk of injury
• Can be used together with case system
Item no.: 632-5457
|
