March 2012 - Issue 618
10 2012 KTM690 Duke
According to the pre-launch blurb the mid-sized bike from KTM can turn its hand to most things, which makes the potential supermoto, small tourer and hooligan fun-time motorcycle very good value indeed. If it lives up to the hype. MSL went to the world launch to find out how it actually is.
22 2012 Yamaha TMax
Take one of the most iconic superscoots ever made, tweak it in almost every way possible and send it out against a raft of very good competition. That’s what Yamaha’s game plan was for the venerable Tmax. And the results are good. Very good, actually.
38 Roland Sands’ Desmo tracker
We’ve featured Roland Sands’ machines in MSL before, but nothing quite like this. The American has got his hands on a Ducati Desmosedici engine and produced something truly gorgeous.
46 So you want to be a motorcycle racer?
You might want to re-think that plan after seeing what competing at the highest level on the roads has done to one Mr Steve Plater.
54 Das uber tourer – one year on
We loved BMW’s K1600GT when we saw it at the shows. We loved it when we rode it on the launch. We loved it when we rode it on British roads. But now we’ve put in some huge miles on the big bertha in Britain... so how do we feel about the bike now?
88 DerRinger-ing Around
It’s weird, yes. It’s got two wheels. It’s got a motor. It’s worth a little look. You’d certainly cross the road to look at the Derringer close up... which is what we did while in the US. Funky, this thing is.
66 Look Ma! I’m Steve McQueen!
Triumph has already sold all the Steve McQueen replica Bonnevilles it has set out to make, before it has even made them – now that’s what you might call a success story for the pretty motorcycle in the green and black. But what’s it like to ride the film star wannabe? MSL has been the only magazine to find out. Oh yes.
74 The other bikes
We’ve been pretty bowled over by KTM’s 990SMT since its launch so to see how it squares up against another one of our favourites, the Triumph Tiger 1050 we pitched the two at each other in the middle of the British winter. If they’re going to be good anywhere, then it’s going to be here.
83 MSL Touring
Plenty going on this month for you to sink your touring teeth into including, Scottish riding oop north, heading out to Switzerland for the long weekender, a life-changing romp in the Yukon, the latest episode in our Best Roads series and a fast outing in Mexico. Phew.
110 Reflections: Suzuki’s GT750
As pretty as wide flares decorated with freshly pressed-on rhinestones, as iconic as the Jackson 5 strutting their stuff on stage. The 1972-launched Seventies swinger just had that something going on about it. Here’s why.
Next issue out 2 March 2012
