Bike Reviews

  • TESTED: Tucano Urbano Pol jacket review

    TESTED: Tucano Urbano Pol jacket review

    £129.99 | www.tucanourbano.com | Tested by: Bruce Wilson, Deputy Editor Motorcycle Sport & Leisure magazine Milanese-based Tucano Urbano is the king of casual, stylish street kit, as highlighted by this wax-coated cotton canvas Pol jacket. Designed as a short urban summer jacket, the windproof and breathable garment has been a real joy to wear on some…

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  • TESTED: Furygan Dorsale XP1 back protector review

    TESTED: Furygan Dorsale XP1 back protector review

    £59.99 | www.nevis.uk.com | Tested by: John Milbank, Editor Motorcycle Sport & Leisure magazine This CE Level 2 back-protector uses a soft, flexible D3O panel inside a lightweight, adjustable carrier. The shoulder straps are high at the top, keeping the armour tight against your back while preventing it getting hooked into your leathers when you take…

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  • TESTED: Gerbing 12V heated vest & battery review

    TESTED: Gerbing 12V heated vest & battery review

    £149.99 & £109.99 | www.gerbing.co.uk | Tested by: John Milbank, Editor Motorcycle Sport & Leisure magazine I always thought I was pretty resistant to the cold, but as age inevitably creeps in, I’m coming to really appreciate heated kit. I’d previously used Gerbing’s excellent £169.99 heated jacket liner, but this vest is offering even more versatility…

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  • TESTED: TomTom Rider 400 motorcycle sat-nav Premium Pack review

    TESTED: TomTom Rider 400 motorcycle sat-nav Premium Pack review

    £399.99 | www.tomtom.com | Tested by: John Milbank, Editor Motorcycle Sport & Leisure magazine NOTE: THE RIDER 400 HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE RIDER 410, WHICH INCLUDES FREE LIFETIME MAPS OF THE WORLD If I could only buy one accessory for any bike, it’d be the new TomTom Rider. While it takes all the stress out…

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  • TESTED: Shoei Hornet ADV review

    TESTED: Shoei Hornet ADV review

    £449.99 | www.feridax.com | 01384 413 841 | Tested by: Bruce Wilson, Deputy Editor Motorcycle Sport & Leisure magazine I’ve been testing Shoei’s adventure lid relentlessly over the past four months – before this I had the original Hornet for a few years, but I’m already much more of a fan of the second generation product.…

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  • TESTED: Avon Trailrider tyre review

    TESTED: Avon Trailrider tyre review

    Be honest… if most of your biking time is spent on Tarmac, do you really need extreme off-road rubber?   Tyre technology has transformed over the last decade or so, but it’s still about compromises. Choosing a tyre best suited to an adventure bike means taking a long, honest look at what type of riding you’re…

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  • TESTED: Givi Xstream XS1314 panniers review

    TESTED: Givi Xstream XS1314 panniers review

    £149.66 | www.givi.co.uk| 01327 706220 | Tested by: John Milbank, Editor Motorcycle Sport & Leisure magazine Not everyone wants the bulkiness of hard luggage. More manufacturers are now building clever mounting systems into their machines, to avoid the typical tubular frames required, but besides tying you to their accessory catalogue, it’s still something many bikers don’t…

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  • TESTED: Schuberth C3 Pro review

    TESTED: Schuberth C3 Pro review

    £529.99 | www.tranam.co.uk | 01425 620580 | Tested by: John Milbank, Editor Motorcycle Sport & Leisure magazine This is the most expensive helmet I’ve ever had, but it’s also the one I use most regularly. Everyday riding sees plenty of fuel-stops, and not many things get me more annoyed than being asked to remove my lid…

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  • TESTED: Shorai Lithium Iron battery review

    TESTED: Shorai Lithium Iron battery review

    £170 | www.shoraipower.com | 0161 337 4390 | Tested by: John Milbank, Editor Motorcycle Sport & Leisure magazine Lithium batteries are smaller, lighter, and claimed to perform better than lead-acid packs. For 18 months now, I’ve been running the same Shorai LFX18, first in a Honda CBR600, and now in a 2008 Ducati Monster S4R. Let’s…

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  • USED BIKE TEST: 2010 Kawasaki Versys 650 review

    USED BIKE TEST: 2010 Kawasaki Versys 650 review

    2010 was a funny old year. We lost a Labour government and had an election that nobody won. We discovered that no matter how many millions you spend on a bid, we are never getting the football World Cup. And we learnt that sometimes, just sometimes, what appears to be a good bike sold at a good price…

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