RiDE

RiDE helps you get more from your motorcycle. Put together by a team of enthusiastic experts, with help from thousands of committed readers, every issue of RiDE is full of recommendations on bikes, kit, routes, destinations and technique. We speak directly to our readers about their biking lives & use our expertise to steer them towards the good-value option in bikes, trips and kits. We’re famed for our regular Product Tests and eery month provide a comprehensive used-bike buying guide, helping potential owners find the right bike at the right price. Finally... every issue features touring guides and riding advice to help readers explore the world on their bike.

Welcome…

YOUR RIDES • Been somewhere inspirational? Ridden an amazing road? Email ride@ride.co.uk to tell us about your trip and your bike

‘Nice ride for a Sunday chill’ • RiDE reader Tomasz Kolodziej takes us on a trip through Winnie the Pooh's backyard

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

IS THE COST OF FUEL GOING TO PRICE BIKERS OUT OF RIDING? • With petrol prices on the rise again it's harder than ever to justify recreational rides…

THREE GREAT BIKES THAT ARE FRUGAL…

Suzuki's soft sportster arrives • Incoming GSX-8R adds sporting slant to popular parallel twin line-up

Return of the Stelvio

New 500s from Honda

Lucky Explorer hits production • MV Agusta adventure bike concept becomes reality with new LXP Orioli

Mad middleweight

LETTERS • Email ride@ride.co.uk Write to us RiDE, Media House, Lynchwood, Peterborough PE2 6EA

RiDE

ASK THE LAWYER • with Andrew Dalton, White Dalton Motorcycle Solicitors

ASK THE RIDING COACH • With Rapid Training Coach Ryan Decarteret

New heights for the Himalayan • Royal Enfield's charming mini adventurer gets a modern motor and technology

BEYOND THE HYPE • The bits that actually make a difference

M means More… of everything

Well-sorted Bullet is top value

5 things you need to know about… • LiveWire's cheaper and lighter second electric bike may be the best petrol-free bike around

Q Are small sportsbikes truly back thanks to the ZX-4RR? • The Kawasaki ZX-4RR is the first all-new four-cylinder 400 sportsbike in more than 20 years. But is it better than the twins?

Q 76bhp is a lot for a 400 – is it too peaky for the road?

Q How does the ZX-4RR compare to its rivals?

Q Is the bike fun to ride?

Q Is it a proper sportsbike?

Q What are it's rivals?

THE RISE OF THE TALL-ROUNDER UNDER • The best bits of a sports tourer and an adventure bike: why tall-rounders could be the best road bikes around…

THE HIGH LIFE • The GSX-S1000GX semi-active tall-rounder is Suzuki's most sophisticated bike ever. But is it any good? Simon H gets under its skin and nabs its keys…

BEYOND THE HYPE • The bits that actually make a difference

A SUPERBIKE ON STILTS • BMW's 198bhp M-Series XR is set to be one of the most lairy all-rounders yet

…BUT CAN IT BEAT A DUCATI MULTISTRADA PIKES PEAK?

‘THEY DO EVERYTHING WE WANT’ • RiDE readers on why Kawasaki's Versys is ace

MAKE ANY VERSYS BETTER

NOT THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD • Tall, dark and handy, Yamaha's tweaked Tracer 9 GT and KTM's new 890 SMT are a new breed of middleweight tall-rounder. Simon and Matt get giddy on the Nor folk coast

THREE OTHER LIGHTWEIGHT TALL-ROUNDERS

TALL-ROUNDER EXCELLENCE FROM £4000 • The used market is full of brilliant, versatile machines. These are three of our faves…

The Forest of Bowland • If you like solitude, traffic-free roads and wonderful scenery look no further, says editor Matt

This month's Big Ride route

Great concept but needs...