ride
DESCRIPTION
Britain's most helpful motorcycle magazineTRANSCRIPT
SEPTEMBER 2012 |
SUBSCRIBEClaim your Muc-Off cleaning
kit and get RiDE delivered
to your door every
month. See page 24
I N T H I S I S S U E O N T H E C O V E R
W E L C O M E
Colin ovERlandEDitOR
Who’d be a motorcycle dealer? They’ve never had it so tough. Sales are low, and many riders are doing low mileages so they’re not
spending much on servicing, repairs and tyres. as customers, our expectations are higher than ever. In this internet age, we want everything NoW, preferably for free, and we demand a lot of bike for our money.
So praise be that there are still some good dealers in business. People like World of bikes, featured in our used sportsbike story. Many of those who’ve survived the recession (so far) have done so because they’re very good at what they do, and
because they enjoy what they’re doing, rather than caring more about the size of their Mercedes.
In the short term it may cost a couple of quid more to buy from a dealer rather than online, but in the long term we’ll be glad we made that small contribution to keeping them afloat.
News + ViewsPLUS win Suzuki clothing and bSb tickets
4
Your bikes 16
Letters 20
The Ride Clinic 22
Subscribe to Ride 24
brilliant used sportsbikes 26
one month with a KTM 990 adventure
38
Two months with a bMW K1600GT 42
one month with a Triumph Speed Triple R
44
bMW K1300S vs Kawasaki ZZR1400 46
husqvarna Nuda R vs bMW F800R 54
Racing Kawasaki W800s 56
Café Racer dVd special offer 61
Triumph bonneville anniversary edition
62
how to buy a Cagiva Raptor 66
bMWs on track 70
Clean your bike like a pro 72
Training with the California Superbike School
75
destination dubai: meet the riders 80
Is your body armour protecting you? 85
honda Integra and Piaggio X10 90
New Kit 93
essential bikes 98
The Ride economy Challenge 105
essential Kit 106
essential Riding Skills 116
essential Workshop 118
essential adventure biking 120
6662Essential contactsWant to get in touch with us? Ride, Media house, Lynchwood, Peterborough Pe2 6eatel: 01733 468 000 Fax: 01733 468 290Email: [email protected] to subscribe? Call 0845 601 2672 or go to www.greatmagazines.co.uk/rideWant to advertise? Call 01733 468892Got an editorial enquiry? Call 01733 468081Can’t find RiDE in the shops? Call 01733 555161Need a back issue? Call 0845 601 1356 (UK) or 0044 1858 438828 (overseas)
6285
93
46
56
82
Co
ve
r p
ho
to J
aso
n C
ritc
he
ll
Tell us what you think of the issue at [email protected]
26
3
SEPTEMBER 2012 |
SUBSCRIBEClaim your Muc-Off cleaning
kit and get RiDE delivered
to your door every
month. See page 24
I N T H I S I S S U E O N T H E C O V E R
W E L C O M E
Colin ovERlandEDitOR
Who’d be a motorcycle dealer? They’ve never had it so tough. Sales are low, and many riders are doing low mileages so they’re not
spending much on servicing, repairs and tyres. as customers, our expectations are higher than ever. In this internet age, we want everything NoW, preferably for free, and we demand a lot of bike for our money.
So praise be that there are still some good dealers in business. People like World of bikes, featured in our used sportsbike story. Many of those who’ve survived the recession (so far) have done so because they’re very good at what they do, and
because they enjoy what they’re doing, rather than caring more about the size of their Mercedes.
In the short term it may cost a couple of quid more to buy from a dealer rather than online, but in the long term we’ll be glad we made that small contribution to keeping them afloat.
News + ViewsPLUS win Suzuki clothing and bSb tickets
4
Your bikes 16
Letters 20
The Ride Clinic 22
Subscribe to Ride 24
brilliant used sportsbikes 26
one month with a KTM 990 adventure
38
Two months with a bMW K1600GT 42
one month with a Triumph Speed Triple R
44
bMW K1300S vs Kawasaki ZZR1400 46
husqvarna Nuda R vs bMW F800R 54
Racing Kawasaki W800s 56
Café Racer dVd special offer 61
Triumph bonneville anniversary edition
62
how to buy a Cagiva Raptor 66
bMWs on track 70
Clean your bike like a pro 72
Training with the California Superbike School
75
destination dubai: meet the riders 80
Is your body armour protecting you? 85
honda Integra and Piaggio X10 90
New Kit 93
essential bikes 98
The Ride economy Challenge 105
essential Kit 106
essential Riding Skills 116
essential Workshop 118
essential adventure biking 120
6662Essential contactsWant to get in touch with us? Ride, Media house, Lynchwood, Peterborough Pe2 6eatel: 01733 468 000 Fax: 01733 468 290Email: [email protected] to subscribe? Call 0845 601 2672 or go to www.greatmagazines.co.uk/rideWant to advertise? Call 01733 468892Got an editorial enquiry? Call 01733 468081Can’t find RiDE in the shops? Call 01733 555161Need a back issue? Call 0845 601 1356 (UK) or 0044 1858 438828 (overseas)
6285
93
46
56
82
Co
ve
r p
ho
to J
aso
n C
ritc
he
ll
Tell us what you think of the issue at [email protected]
26
3
16 SEPTEMBER 2012 |
My BMW R1150RT
next to the
memorial to 4th/7th Royal
Dragoon Guards at Creully,
Normandy, near the end of
my 2000-mile trip to
France – David Neale
Six lads from
Teesside on tour in
Normandy. Three of us on
Fazer 1000s, one on a 1250
Bandit, one on a Tiger 1050
and a fool on a CBR1000
– Jim Walton
My new Triumph Street Triple R on
my first trip up to the Lake District.
Saying I’ve fallen in love with the both of
them somehow doesn’t quite cut it –
Phil Clark
My grandsons Jack and Louis on
board the Harley – Frank Hart
The famous hedges near Armoy, in
Joey country – Frank McDowell
Going through the Italian Alps as a touring virgin
with my best riding buddy Phil, one month after
getting my Honda VFR800 VTEC. What a ride:
Birmingham to Venice and back in 10 days taking in the
French, Italian and Swiss Alps – Ian Moyse
Triumph Sprint ST 1050 outside Colditz Castle
during my two-and-a-half-week trip with a WWII
theme: Arnhem, Berlin, Auschwitz, Dresden, Colditz, the
V1 caves at Mittlebau-Dora and the Mohne Dams. A
fantastic trip – Peter Davies
17
16 SEPTEMBER 2012 |
My BMW R1150RT
next to the
memorial to 4th/7th Royal
Dragoon Guards at Creully,
Normandy, near the end of
my 2000-mile trip to
France – David Neale
Six lads from
Teesside on tour in
Normandy. Three of us on
Fazer 1000s, one on a 1250
Bandit, one on a Tiger 1050
and a fool on a CBR1000
– Jim Walton
My new Triumph Street Triple R on
my first trip up to the Lake District.
Saying I’ve fallen in love with the both of
them somehow doesn’t quite cut it –
Phil Clark
My grandsons Jack and Louis on
board the Harley – Frank Hart
The famous hedges near Armoy, in
Joey country – Frank McDowell
Going through the Italian Alps as a touring virgin
with my best riding buddy Phil, one month after
getting my Honda VFR800 VTEC. What a ride:
Birmingham to Venice and back in 10 days taking in the
French, Italian and Swiss Alps – Ian Moyse
Triumph Sprint ST 1050 outside Colditz Castle
during my two-and-a-half-week trip with a WWII
theme: Arnhem, Berlin, Auschwitz, Dresden, Colditz, the
V1 caves at Mittlebau-Dora and the Mohne Dams. A
fantastic trip – Peter Davies
17
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24
Title Initial Surname
Address
Postcode
Telephone Mobile*Email*
YOUR DETAILS
Title Initial Surname
Address
Postcode
TelephoneEmail
DELIVERY DETAILS (if different, i.e. purchased as a gift).
Account Name
Account Number
Sort Code
Name and Address of Bank
Direct Debit Guarantee. • This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct
Debits. • If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit Bauer Consumer Media Ltd will notify
you 10 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request Bauer Consumer Media
Ltd to collect a payment, confi rmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request. • If an error is
made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by Bauer Consumer Media Ltd or your bank or building society, you are entitled to
a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society. • If you receive a refund you are not entitled
to, you must pay it back when Bauer Consumer Media Ltd asks you to. • You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply
contacting your bank or building society. Written confi rmation may be required. Please also notify us.
Signature Date
Postcode
Please pay Bauer Consumer Media Direct Debits from the account detailed in the instructions (subject to the safeguards of the Direct Debit Guarantee).
Originator’s Identifi cation Number
PAYMENT DETAILS
I enclose a cheque/postal order for £made payable to Bauer Consumer Media Ltd.
Please debit £ from my debit/credit card:
Visa Maestro Delta Mastercard
Card Number
Expiry Date / Valid From /
Issue Number
Signature Date
SEND TO: Please include completed coupon and cheque (if appropriate) with the magazine name on the back.
Magazine Subscriptions, FREE POST, EDO3995, Leicester, LE16 9BR
7 2 0 9 64
*Please enter this information so that Bauer Media Group (publishers of this magazine) can keep you up-to-date by email and free mobile messaging with fantastic offers and promotions. We promise that you can unsubscribe at any time if you don’t fi nd them interesting and you’ll only get messages about things we’ve chosen especially for you from ourselves and our network of great partners whose products and services we think you’ll enjoy.
We have really special offers and promotions that we think you’ll enjoy but if you’d rather not hear from us please tick for post or phone and if you would prefer not to hear from our partners tick here for post or phone .
For our Privacy Policy visit www.bauerdatapromise.co.uk. Bauer Media Group consists of Bauer Consumer Media Ltd, Bauer Radio Ltd and H. Bauer Publishing Ltd.
24
| september 2012
t all comes down to purse strings at
the moment,” says John Roberts,
co-owner of World of Bikes in corby,
Northamptonshire. “People are very
cautious about spending money so if
they want a superbike they’re sticking
to those that cost less than £5000. that’s
my most buoyant market. For most blokes
who just like to have a bit of fun at the
weekend and treat their bike as a toy, it’s
too difficult to justify spending more than
£5000. also, sub-five grand, people can
whack a bike on their credit card.”
Buying secondhand doesn’t mean buying
second best; there are some incredible
bikes available for the kind of money that
Roberts is talking about. “the Kawasaki
ZX-10R is an awesome bike for under five
grand,” he says. “the Fireblade is also good
if you want something a little softer. and
Yamaha R1s are always popular. You’d also
be able to pick up a nice aprilia RsV1000
mille or even an ’04 mille Factory.
“I’d have something like a Ducati 999,
but I love things like Honda’s sP-1 and
sP-2, suzuki’s tl1000R – you could get
any one of those for under £5000. If you
want to use it for ragging around and
bouncing it off the rev limiter then you
need a Japanese bike. But if you want
something that’s a little bit different and a
bit quirky, I’d definitely go Italian.”
the fact that relatively few people are
buying new bikes at the moment means
that secondhand prices are fairly high
because demand is too. “You’re paying
strong money for any 1000cc,” Roberts
says. “With new superbikes costing about
£12,000, secondhand values have shot up
Brilliant used sportsBikesWe spoke to six owners of the kind of pre-loved litre bikes you can expect to buy for less than £6000 to find out what they’re like to ride, own and live with Words Stuart Barker pictures Jason Critchell
26 september 2012 |
R1 and Fireblade borrowed from World of Bikes in Corby: both up for grabs for less than £5000
because people are holding onto their bikes
for longer. even a 1999 Yamaha R1 is
fetching £3500-£3800 because they’re
hard to find. Hondas always tend to sell for
a little bit more, simply because of their
reputation for reliability and build quality,
even though the others are just as good.”
Despite the strong secondhand market,
there are still bargains out there and
Roberts says there are even better deals to
be had by thinking out of the box a little
and playing to the strength of the pound
against the euro. “Don’t be put off going to
southern Ireland to buy a bike. Because of
the euro, you can get them cheap and it’s
very easy to bring them back. as long as
they have a certificate of conformity then
they’re easy to register in the UK. But if you
buy private, make sure you do an HPI
check because there are a lot of bikes out
there with a bit of finance on them. a full
service history is always a good thing too.”
If you’re still not convinced about buying
a secondhand bike, consider this sobering
tale: “I just sold a year-old R1, with a
couple of grand’s worth of bits on it, and
just 2000 miles on the clock, for £11,000.
they’re just under £14,000 new so it had
lost £3000 in a year. and bear in mind I
didn’t give the owner £11,000 – I gave him
£10,000, so really he lost £4000 in a year.”
that four grand in depreciation would
buy you a very nice secondhand superbike.
there’s no denying the appeal of a being
the first owner of a shiny new motorcycle,
but if you just don’t have the cash right
now read on to discover what it’s like to
ride, own and live with some of the best
secondhand superbikes on the market.
27
| september 2012
t all comes down to purse strings at
the moment,” says John Roberts,
co-owner of World of Bikes in corby,
Northamptonshire. “People are very
cautious about spending money so if
they want a superbike they’re sticking
to those that cost less than £5000. that’s
my most buoyant market. For most blokes
who just like to have a bit of fun at the
weekend and treat their bike as a toy, it’s
too difficult to justify spending more than
£5000. also, sub-five grand, people can
whack a bike on their credit card.”
Buying secondhand doesn’t mean buying
second best; there are some incredible
bikes available for the kind of money that
Roberts is talking about. “the Kawasaki
ZX-10R is an awesome bike for under five
grand,” he says. “the Fireblade is also good
if you want something a little softer. and
Yamaha R1s are always popular. You’d also
be able to pick up a nice aprilia RsV1000
mille or even an ’04 mille Factory.
“I’d have something like a Ducati 999,
but I love things like Honda’s sP-1 and
sP-2, suzuki’s tl1000R – you could get
any one of those for under £5000. If you
want to use it for ragging around and
bouncing it off the rev limiter then you
need a Japanese bike. But if you want
something that’s a little bit different and a
bit quirky, I’d definitely go Italian.”
the fact that relatively few people are
buying new bikes at the moment means
that secondhand prices are fairly high
because demand is too. “You’re paying
strong money for any 1000cc,” Roberts
says. “With new superbikes costing about
£12,000, secondhand values have shot up
Brilliant used sportsBikesWe spoke to six owners of the kind of pre-loved litre bikes you can expect to buy for less than £6000 to find out what they’re like to ride, own and live with Words Stuart Barker pictures Jason Critchell
26 september 2012 |
R1 and Fireblade borrowed from World of Bikes in Corby: both up for grabs for less than £5000
because people are holding onto their bikes
for longer. even a 1999 Yamaha R1 is
fetching £3500-£3800 because they’re
hard to find. Hondas always tend to sell for
a little bit more, simply because of their
reputation for reliability and build quality,
even though the others are just as good.”
Despite the strong secondhand market,
there are still bargains out there and
Roberts says there are even better deals to
be had by thinking out of the box a little
and playing to the strength of the pound
against the euro. “Don’t be put off going to
southern Ireland to buy a bike. Because of
the euro, you can get them cheap and it’s
very easy to bring them back. as long as
they have a certificate of conformity then
they’re easy to register in the UK. But if you
buy private, make sure you do an HPI
check because there are a lot of bikes out
there with a bit of finance on them. a full
service history is always a good thing too.”
If you’re still not convinced about buying
a secondhand bike, consider this sobering
tale: “I just sold a year-old R1, with a
couple of grand’s worth of bits on it, and
just 2000 miles on the clock, for £11,000.
they’re just under £14,000 new so it had
lost £3000 in a year. and bear in mind I
didn’t give the owner £11,000 – I gave him
£10,000, so really he lost £4000 in a year.”
that four grand in depreciation would
buy you a very nice secondhand superbike.
there’s no denying the appeal of a being
the first owner of a shiny new motorcycle,
but if you just don’t have the cash right
now read on to discover what it’s like to
ride, own and live with some of the best
secondhand superbikes on the market.
27
| AUGUST 2012
K a w a s a K i Z Z R 1 4 0 0> £11,499 > 190bhp > 186mph > 268kg fuelledEconomy on test: best 46mpg, worst 33mpg, average 39mpg
Z Z R 1 4 0 0 i n How owners rated the previous model:
Brakes, engine, headlights
Running costs
OvErall pOsitiOn 13tH
B M w K 1 3 0 0 s H P> £15,580 > 175bhp > 175mph > 254kg fuelledEconomy on test: best 48mpg, worst 41mpg, average 44mpg
B M w K 1 3 0 0 s i n How owners rated the base model:
Brakes, build quality, engine, handling, reliability, rider comfort
OvErall pOsitiOn 2nd
AUGUST 2012 |
The ulTimaTe sporTs Tourers
You can keep the Black Forest, I think to myself as I
tip into yet another perfect corner – this is better. not
that I have much spare brain power for comparing
German riding regions. all my concentration is taken up
with the absorbing, beautiful, brilliant road.
I’m tackling the unbelievably good B266 from the
Bikers Ranch cafe in Simmerath. The tarmac is immaculate and
grippy, draped in seductive curves across a hillside that drops
down towards the obersee lake. Roadside pine trees part to give
teasing views across wooded hills, sometimes with a flash of
the road ahead, before closing in again to leave me entirely
focused on the next bend. This is my first trip to Germany’s
eifel Mountains and I’m blown away.
Being on the right machine helps, of course. In this case, it’s
kawsaki’s flagship ZZR1400 hypertourer. For a big, long bike it’s
amazingly light on its feet, turning quickly and accurately – at
268kg with a 15480mm wheelbase it’s too huge to be a
sportsbike, but it does a very convincing impression of one.
The heart of the ZZR is the 1441cc inline four, pumping out
a monstrous 190bhp with 116 lb.ft of torque, most of it on tap
from as low as 2000rpm. Yet the throttle is so accurate and the
transmission so silky that there’s nothing brutal about the
Is there more to Kawasaki’s new ZZR1400 than the world’s most powerful production bike engine? We took it to the
Nürburgring with the benchmark high speed sports tourer, the BMW K1300S
Words Simon Weir Pictures Mark Manning
| AUGUST 2012
K a w a s a K i Z Z R 1 4 0 0> £11,499 > 190bhp > 186mph > 268kg fuelledEconomy on test: best 46mpg, worst 33mpg, average 39mpg
Z Z R 1 4 0 0 i n How owners rated the previous model:
Brakes, engine, headlights
Running costs
OvErall pOsitiOn 13tH
B M w K 1 3 0 0 s H P> £15,580 > 175bhp > 175mph > 254kg fuelledEconomy on test: best 48mpg, worst 41mpg, average 44mpg
B M w K 1 3 0 0 s i n How owners rated the base model:
Brakes, build quality, engine, handling, reliability, rider comfort
OvErall pOsitiOn 2nd
AUGUST 2012 |
The ulTimaTe sporTs Tourers
You can keep the Black Forest, I think to myself as I
tip into yet another perfect corner – this is better. not
that I have much spare brain power for comparing
German riding regions. all my concentration is taken up
with the absorbing, beautiful, brilliant road.
I’m tackling the unbelievably good B266 from the
Bikers Ranch cafe in Simmerath. The tarmac is immaculate and
grippy, draped in seductive curves across a hillside that drops
down towards the obersee lake. Roadside pine trees part to give
teasing views across wooded hills, sometimes with a flash of
the road ahead, before closing in again to leave me entirely
focused on the next bend. This is my first trip to Germany’s
eifel Mountains and I’m blown away.
Being on the right machine helps, of course. In this case, it’s
kawsaki’s flagship ZZR1400 hypertourer. For a big, long bike it’s
amazingly light on its feet, turning quickly and accurately – at
268kg with a 15480mm wheelbase it’s too huge to be a
sportsbike, but it does a very convincing impression of one.
The heart of the ZZR is the 1441cc inline four, pumping out
a monstrous 190bhp with 116 lb.ft of torque, most of it on tap
from as low as 2000rpm. Yet the throttle is so accurate and the
transmission so silky that there’s nothing brutal about the
Is there more to Kawasaki’s new ZZR1400 than the world’s most powerful production bike engine? We took it to the
Nürburgring with the benchmark high speed sports tourer, the BMW K1300S
Words Simon Weir Pictures Mark Manning
C U L T S P E C I A L R E T R O R A C I N G
If you’re wanting a paint scheme that says ‘retro’ and ‘racing’, you couldn’t do much better than the legendary Gulf colours
SEPTEMBER 2012 |
Well, yes. It’s true that most
motorsport’s been banned in
switzerland since 1955, initially as
a reaction to the disastrous le
Mans event of that year which saw more
than 80 spectators killed when Pierre
levegh’s Mercedes flipped the barriers,
disintegrated and scythed through the
crowd. It’s also true that there are no
purpose-built permanent racetracks.
But there is a thriving motocross scene,
and because some tarmac racing’s allowed
as long as there’s also a dirt element,
supermoto has been able to fill the void
left by the absence of normal club racing.
As of last season though, swiss
supermoto tracks have been echoing to a
lazier beat, courtesy of the latest - and
most unlikely - single-make series we’ve
seen for ages. Which is why I find myself
wandering around an enormous quarry at
Bürglen in the north east of switzerland, a
few miles from lake Constance, on a
sunny weekend in May, watching the
Kawasaki W800 Gentlemen Cup.
Originally dreamed up by Kawasaki
sales manager Marcel Kellenberger (who
also administers the series and acts as
chief scrutineer), the format’s simple: one
bike, limited modifications, and five
rounds with a variety of challenges.
this year that includes three supermoto
races, one grasstrack and one hillclimb,
which is run as a reliability trial (you have
to get both runs as close to each other as
possible) rather than an out and out race,
due to switzerland’s strange rules on pure
tarmac racing.
Gentlemen prefer W800sMotorcycle racing? In Switzerland? With their reputation?
Words and pictures Kev Raymond
Switzerland doesn’t like tarmac tracks. They’re dangerous. Racing retro Kawasakis on shale, however....
57
C U L T S P E C I A L R E T R O R A C I N G
If you’re wanting a paint scheme that says ‘retro’ and ‘racing’, you couldn’t do much better than the legendary Gulf colours
SEPTEMBER 2012 |
Well, yes. It’s true that most
motorsport’s been banned in
switzerland since 1955, initially as
a reaction to the disastrous le
Mans event of that year which saw more
than 80 spectators killed when Pierre
levegh’s Mercedes flipped the barriers,
disintegrated and scythed through the
crowd. It’s also true that there are no
purpose-built permanent racetracks.
But there is a thriving motocross scene,
and because some tarmac racing’s allowed
as long as there’s also a dirt element,
supermoto has been able to fill the void
left by the absence of normal club racing.
As of last season though, swiss
supermoto tracks have been echoing to a
lazier beat, courtesy of the latest - and
most unlikely - single-make series we’ve
seen for ages. Which is why I find myself
wandering around an enormous quarry at
Bürglen in the north east of switzerland, a
few miles from lake Constance, on a
sunny weekend in May, watching the
Kawasaki W800 Gentlemen Cup.
Originally dreamed up by Kawasaki
sales manager Marcel Kellenberger (who
also administers the series and acts as
chief scrutineer), the format’s simple: one
bike, limited modifications, and five
rounds with a variety of challenges.
this year that includes three supermoto
races, one grasstrack and one hillclimb,
which is run as a reliability trial (you have
to get both runs as close to each other as
possible) rather than an out and out race,
due to switzerland’s strange rules on pure
tarmac racing.
Gentlemen prefer W800sMotorcycle racing? In Switzerland? With their reputation?
Words and pictures Kev Raymond
Switzerland doesn’t like tarmac tracks. They’re dangerous. Racing retro Kawasakis on shale, however....
57
70 71
70 71
SEPTEMBER 2012 |
How the California Superbike School help you understand and master the art of cornering
Words Simon Toyne Pictures Mark Manning
California Superbike School
Who are they? CSS have been
teaching road riders and racers for
more than 30 years in 12 countries
What does it cost? From £399
What do I need ? An open mind
More info call 08700 671061 or
visit www.superbikeschool.co.uk
Cornering by numbers
75
SEPTEMBER 2012 |
How the California Superbike School help you understand and master the art of cornering
Words Simon Toyne Pictures Mark Manning
California Superbike School
Who are they? CSS have been
teaching road riders and racers for
more than 30 years in 12 countries
What does it cost? From £399
What do I need ? An open mind
More info call 08700 671061 or
visit www.superbikeschool.co.uk
Cornering by numbers
75
| SEPTEMBER 2012
E S S E N T I A L A D V E N T U R E B I K I N G in association with GlobeBusters
Keep calm and carry onThe one predictable thing about border crossings is that they’re unpredictableWords Kevin and Julia Sanders
Rule number one: push the very English concept of queuing out of your head and ride to the front
e take it for granted in Western
europe: the freedom to cross
borders. France to Spain to
Portugal; the Netherlands to Belgium;
Luxembourg to Germany. Other than the
oddity of the Swiss, we’re free to pass
through unhindered.
Outside the euro comfort zone, though,
traversing a frontier with your bike
becomes a game of chess: a long process
and, to the ill informed, unfathomable.
Don’t prepare yourself for it – physically
and mentally – and it can quickly turn your
trip sour, or halt it altogether.
in essence, passing between two
countries comprises four basic steps. First,
you enter yourself into the country at
immigration. Secondly, you enter your bike
with customs. thirdly, on leaving you get
yourself stamped out. and finally, you exit
your bike.
in theory it’s simple, but in practice every
border you come across will be different.
Faced with masses of locals, being jostled
for money, and a random collection of
anonymous sheds to trawl through, you’ll
forget it all instantly.
Rule number one: push the very english
concept of queuing out of your head and
ride straight to the front. Before you get off
the bike, chances are enterprising youths
will be chatting 10 to the dozen, pointing at
your documents and the faceless windows,
offering their services as a guide. Using
fixers at borders can be a more efficient
way of getting yourself through. they will
charge, but if you gain a few hours and
avoid tearing your hair out, then it can be
money well spent.
it’s easy to rush in, but take your time to
suss out your surroundings and make sure
your bike is as secure as possible: borders
attract a strange array of characters, and
foreign travellers on big, heavily laden bikes
attract them all.
accept that part of the system will be
under-the-table payments to the man with
the stamp. taking a stand on principle and
refusing to pay will mean a prolonged and
tedious experience. Stay calm, smile, try to
communicate in their language and offer a
cigarette or a drink, and things will go
much smoother.
immigration is the easy bit. the only time
we had an issue was entering the USa. the
officer flicked through our passports and
found iranian visas. Why had we gone to
iran? When did we go? How long were we
there for? What was our business there?
know your international disputes and get a
new passport before any big trip.
there’ll always be some variations on a
theme to get your passport stamped: fill
out a tourist visa, or go to a different office
to buy a stamp. in any event, border
officials are significantly better at pushing
people across countries than they are
private vehicles.
experience has taught us that to avoid
problems you need to get your paperwork
spot on. Have your original documents to
hand (see box above) and carry sufficient
copies for every entry and exit. We’ve never
been to a border that didn’t require an
original passport and V5 to get through, but
that’s not to say that we haven’t blagged
without the originals, and the further away
from home you are, the more you can get
away with. an iranian border guard doesn’t
know what an original Uk V5 should look
like, and a good colour copy (although it’s
technically illegal to do this) can do the job.
Certain countries also require a carnet de
passage too: an import/export guarantee
that the bike will leave the country. in the
Uk, you can get one from the RaC.
Before leaving home check all your
documents. Make sure the chassis number
on the V5 matches your bike, as they will
look at this. the other check they normally
do is that the name on the V5 is the same
as on the passport. taking your mate’s bike,
or a company vehicle, will land you in all
sorts of trouble.
to let your bike in, customs issue you with
a local temporary bike permit. Double check
this; the chances are there will be an error.
On our first Central america trip, our Costa
Rican permit had the number plate
incorrectly typed. We were two hours and
three checkpoints in before the police
spotted it and sent us back.
if a customs officer really wants to be
seen to be doing his job, he’ll want to go
through your luggage. Some borders will
also check for food and you’ll find yourself
binning dairy products, fresh meat and fruit.
a good way to ward off a search is to have
smelly laundry at the top of panniers, or
toss them a few dollars.
Before completing formalities of the
permit, there can always be another
amusing procedure: bike fumigation. this is
supposed to prevent nasty bugs and insects
getting into the next country (the logic
escapes us…) and will consist of a man
spraying insecticide over the wheels of your
bike; “that’s $5, please.”
Just when you think it is all completed,
there can be a final police check of all your
documents and then another by the
security man in charge of raising the barrier.
Now, your instant reaction is to get the
hell away as soon as possible before they
change your minds, but that’s when
documents can get mislaid and items lost.
So ride far enough away for people not to
bother you, then stop and sort out all your
paperwork ready for the next crossing.
take a breather, crack a smile of relief at
getting through unscathed and then grin at
having another country to ride in.
ThinGs you’ll need To cross a Border
Passport Mandatory for all borders. It needs
to be valid for at least six months after your
date of departure from the country you are
entering.
Vehicle registration document (V5)
Mandatory for all borders, although blagging
your way across with good copies is not
unheard of.
uK driving licence Often requested. The
photocard will normally do, but it’s worth
taking the part two just in case.
international driving Permit Occasionally
requested, but normally the UK driving licence
suffices. You can get one from the RAC.
Third Party insurance for your bike
Sometimes requested by police. Some
countries require obligatory purchase of
country-specific insurance at the border (it’s
normally cheap and covers you for very little).
carnet de passage for your bike
(depending on country) Required by many
African and Middle Eastern countries. Also
available from the RAC.
120 121
| SEPTEMBER 2012
E S S E N T I A L A D V E N T U R E B I K I N G in association with GlobeBusters
Keep calm and carry onThe one predictable thing about border crossings is that they’re unpredictableWords Kevin and Julia Sanders
Rule number one: push the very English concept of queuing out of your head and ride to the front
e take it for granted in Western
europe: the freedom to cross
borders. France to Spain to
Portugal; the Netherlands to Belgium;
Luxembourg to Germany. Other than the
oddity of the Swiss, we’re free to pass
through unhindered.
Outside the euro comfort zone, though,
traversing a frontier with your bike
becomes a game of chess: a long process
and, to the ill informed, unfathomable.
Don’t prepare yourself for it – physically
and mentally – and it can quickly turn your
trip sour, or halt it altogether.
in essence, passing between two
countries comprises four basic steps. First,
you enter yourself into the country at
immigration. Secondly, you enter your bike
with customs. thirdly, on leaving you get
yourself stamped out. and finally, you exit
your bike.
in theory it’s simple, but in practice every
border you come across will be different.
Faced with masses of locals, being jostled
for money, and a random collection of
anonymous sheds to trawl through, you’ll
forget it all instantly.
Rule number one: push the very english
concept of queuing out of your head and
ride straight to the front. Before you get off
the bike, chances are enterprising youths
will be chatting 10 to the dozen, pointing at
your documents and the faceless windows,
offering their services as a guide. Using
fixers at borders can be a more efficient
way of getting yourself through. they will
charge, but if you gain a few hours and
avoid tearing your hair out, then it can be
money well spent.
it’s easy to rush in, but take your time to
suss out your surroundings and make sure
your bike is as secure as possible: borders
attract a strange array of characters, and
foreign travellers on big, heavily laden bikes
attract them all.
accept that part of the system will be
under-the-table payments to the man with
the stamp. taking a stand on principle and
refusing to pay will mean a prolonged and
tedious experience. Stay calm, smile, try to
communicate in their language and offer a
cigarette or a drink, and things will go
much smoother.
immigration is the easy bit. the only time
we had an issue was entering the USa. the
officer flicked through our passports and
found iranian visas. Why had we gone to
iran? When did we go? How long were we
there for? What was our business there?
know your international disputes and get a
new passport before any big trip.
there’ll always be some variations on a
theme to get your passport stamped: fill
out a tourist visa, or go to a different office
to buy a stamp. in any event, border
officials are significantly better at pushing
people across countries than they are
private vehicles.
experience has taught us that to avoid
problems you need to get your paperwork
spot on. Have your original documents to
hand (see box above) and carry sufficient
copies for every entry and exit. We’ve never
been to a border that didn’t require an
original passport and V5 to get through, but
that’s not to say that we haven’t blagged
without the originals, and the further away
from home you are, the more you can get
away with. an iranian border guard doesn’t
know what an original Uk V5 should look
like, and a good colour copy (although it’s
technically illegal to do this) can do the job.
Certain countries also require a carnet de
passage too: an import/export guarantee
that the bike will leave the country. in the
Uk, you can get one from the RaC.
Before leaving home check all your
documents. Make sure the chassis number
on the V5 matches your bike, as they will
look at this. the other check they normally
do is that the name on the V5 is the same
as on the passport. taking your mate’s bike,
or a company vehicle, will land you in all
sorts of trouble.
to let your bike in, customs issue you with
a local temporary bike permit. Double check
this; the chances are there will be an error.
On our first Central america trip, our Costa
Rican permit had the number plate
incorrectly typed. We were two hours and
three checkpoints in before the police
spotted it and sent us back.
if a customs officer really wants to be
seen to be doing his job, he’ll want to go
through your luggage. Some borders will
also check for food and you’ll find yourself
binning dairy products, fresh meat and fruit.
a good way to ward off a search is to have
smelly laundry at the top of panniers, or
toss them a few dollars.
Before completing formalities of the
permit, there can always be another
amusing procedure: bike fumigation. this is
supposed to prevent nasty bugs and insects
getting into the next country (the logic
escapes us…) and will consist of a man
spraying insecticide over the wheels of your
bike; “that’s $5, please.”
Just when you think it is all completed,
there can be a final police check of all your
documents and then another by the
security man in charge of raising the barrier.
Now, your instant reaction is to get the
hell away as soon as possible before they
change your minds, but that’s when
documents can get mislaid and items lost.
So ride far enough away for people not to
bother you, then stop and sort out all your
paperwork ready for the next crossing.
take a breather, crack a smile of relief at
getting through unscathed and then grin at
having another country to ride in.
ThinGs you’ll need To cross a Border
Passport Mandatory for all borders. It needs
to be valid for at least six months after your
date of departure from the country you are
entering.
Vehicle registration document (V5)
Mandatory for all borders, although blagging
your way across with good copies is not
unheard of.
uK driving licence Often requested. The
photocard will normally do, but it’s worth
taking the part two just in case.
international driving Permit Occasionally
requested, but normally the UK driving licence
suffices. You can get one from the RAC.
Third Party insurance for your bike
Sometimes requested by police. Some
countries require obligatory purchase of
country-specific insurance at the border (it’s
normally cheap and covers you for very little).
carnet de passage for your bike
(depending on country) Required by many
African and Middle Eastern countries. Also
available from the RAC.
120 121