NEW

7 UP FRONT
All the things we now know that we didn’t
know last month condensed into a handful of
easy-to-read pages.
12 FIRST RIDE: YAMAHA XV950
'Not a cruiser,’ says Yamaha. Er... okay... we’ll
call it something else. How about a bar
hopper? Or, given the noise it makes, shall we
shorten that to bar-per?

18 THE FUTURE OF CRUISING
Cruisers are dead. Maybe. Catalogue cafe
racers and a Brit-built masterpiece.

24 FIRST RIDE: 2014 HARLEYS
Harley builds an LC. The 2014 Ultra Classic
gets water-cooled cylinder heads. Blimey.

32 PRODUCTS
New stuff, old stuff and an update on Rosie’s
mega-mile BMW suit.

38 MAIL
You talk, we listen. This month: character,
mpg and scooters.

42 IMPROVE: RIDE SMARTER
Road positioning – why it matters, how it
works and one big nugget of useful goodness
that no one told you before.

46 THE MEGA MPG PRACTICALS
Bored with crazy performance, the Japanese
have gone back to the art of cool commuting.
Three very different, but very practical, bikes
tested. Still think you need a Chinese bike to
save money?

TOURING

59 OUT THERE
A great route used by MSL readers and riders’
groups with details of how to get out there
and try it for yourself, plus some great things
coming up that you might enjoy doing, too.
Diary dates and the odd non-biking event also.

68 ONE DAY RIDE: LA GOMERA
It’s in the Canary Islands and it takes a day to
do. If you’re heading out that way then check
out this lovely route for some cool scenery.

70 THREE DAY RIDE: FRANCE
One of those perfect long weekend rides that
promises great roads and a cracking way to
spend the time off from work.

74 THE LIFE-CHANGING RIDE:
FINLAND
The sort of route to ride that will literally
change the way you think about this blip of
life we enjoy. Amazing people, brilliant roads
and a very ‘other’ culture about it too.

80 TWO-STROKE LION TAMING
A ripping adventure yarn from the 1920s –
Three go mad on lightweight strokers in India.

84 ROMAN HOLIDAY
The long and lazy way to Harley-Davidson’s
110th anniversary rally. Plus, group riding with
29,999 other bikes.

92 LONG TERM TEST FLEET
Another month, another few thousand miles,
another new rider on the team.

KNOWLEDGE

99 MARKETPLACE
Hands-on stuff, market news, spannering
bits and pieces... plus quick interviews with
interesting people.

110 BEEMING GOOD: BMW R75/5
Make no mistake, this was a motorcycle
designed to change things for the German
factory. And it did just that. Here’s how.

120 ICON: SCHWANTZ RGV500
Quite simply, one of the most beautiful and
important motorcycles ever made. Take a
look at this image and tell us we’re wrong.
We’re not.