Real world rides, real world riders

News, bikes, world scoops and an idea for a project bike...

Honestly, we can barely move for new bike launches at the moment, which is marvellous, not only for those of you looking to upgrade your current bike for something a bit fresher, but also for those of us who delight in scouring the second-hand adverts for a dream bike at the right price or project to begin.

And it shows that the two-wheeled world is, generally speaking, in pretty good shape – especially when you consider that at the time a lot of the bikes we’re seeing now were starting development when the world’s financial system was in freefall.

We’ve had very big and important bikes announced for 2011 from Honda, Suzuki, Ducati, Kawasaki, Moto Guzzi etc. All good stuff.

BMW too has been beavering away, not only with the truly remarkable K1600GT and GTL tourers but with the next wave of new bikes currently in the wings.

How can I be so sure about that? Well it’s easy to be so confident because MSL has sat down with the very top man in the German firm’s motorcycle division and asked him the questions straight. And in a most unusual step for such an important person in the two-wheeled world, Hendrik von Keunheim answered every question straight.

Oh yes my friends, he told us about the claims made recently that the GS is getting a water-cooled motor, about BMW’s ideas for a diesel bike, about the launches coming of two scooters to begin with and more to follow, about his personal goal of making a proper BMW cruiser and that BMW has developed both a V8 and four-cylinder Boxer bike... and he tells us plenty more too.

It’s as revealing as it is surprisingly open, honest and illuminating.

But it’s not just BMW that’s working hard on the next generation of motorcycles.

Every main player in the motorcycle market (and one who is very much a blast from the past) has noses to the development grindstone.

It’s just a whisper coming from inside the factory at the moment but we’ve been told the Triumph is making a new bike that looks pretty similar to the awesome 675 but is aimed more at beginners, now that’s a clever move. In a world where bikers’ ages are rising and new riders perhaps want something a bit less intimidating than a 600cc motor. But then the modern Triumph factory is uncannily clever at finding a market for its products these days...

I do think that in a world where it’s all a bit doom-and-gloom we bikers have quite a bit to look forward to. Even the knock-on effect of all these new bikes is a good thing because it’ll mean more modern machines coming up for sale soon enough.

Me? Well, if you’ve been reading MSL for a while you may remember that I’ve now finished my RGV250 Suzuki project where I updated the Suzuki quarter-litre screamer in a modern way rather than going down the tiresome route of buying a box of bits and just making it look like it did when first released. I’m cracking on with the YZR500 replica for the road project bike which I’ll update you all on soon and now I’ve had an idea for the next project – and I need your help.

Blame Evel Knievel for this and the fandom he set firm in my three-year-old head when he jumped at Wembley, but I’m looking for some sort of 750cc motor to put into a flat-tracker/jump bike 1970s-inspired machine.

The trouble is, I’m not sure about which motor or frame to use. It’s got to have wire wheels, I know that, and I’d quite like it to have modern suspension too.

But I’m stuck about what to go for, so before I start searching for bits I want to get the right combination. MSL readers are the biggest and best font of knowledge I’ve ever known for this sort of thing so I’m looking for a steer from you lot.

Help me out with your thoughts please.

Have a safe ride,

Tony