April 2004

008 News
Along with the usual helping of what's going on in the world of motorcycling, this month we have news of a great competition. Fancy winning a touring holiday in the US of A? Better flick to the news pages then...

015 Ridden
Moto Guzzi V750ie Breva Honda CBR125R

020 Scribe
This month's Star Letter is a poem. So you see, it doesn't matter what you write, just write. As long as it hints at this pastime of bashing about on two wheels with an engine, we want to read it, and if it's a good 'un you could bag yourself a new set of Avon tyres. What are you waiting for Wordsworth?

025 Cathcart
Quite where he gets his tip-offs for news stories we don't know, but he digs deep, does Sir Al. This time his nose takes him to the land of curry and that slightly smaller sort of elephant: India. But is curry being swapped for pizza and pasta? Confused? Better turn to page 25...

026 Hershon
In this instalment of biking life across the pond, someone had ruffled Maynard's feathers. MSL's favourite American was offended when someone called his dearly beloved - that's the two-wheeled kind - boring Once the anger had passed, Mr Hershon decided his pen was mightier than his sword...

029 Cameron
With two-stroke numbers diminishing faster than Amazonian rain forest, Kevin Cameron thought it wise to let the world know that if it wasn't for the humble stroker, motorcycles as we know them now just wouldn't be the same.

030 Cover Story
Elephant Rally: been there, done that, got the T-shirt. In one of MSL's rare moments of extreme madness the idea of attending this year's Elefantentreffen in Germany's Bavarian Forest was raised. We braved sub-zero temperatures, rode through blizzards and dodged fireworks to bring you the story of this unique and slightly chilly event...

044 Honda CBF600
Aimed at the more sensible and practical end of the motorcycle market, Honda's new CBF6OOS fits its criteria perfectly. As Editor Chapman found out recently at the model's launch in Spain, one size really does fit all.

050 Chiqane III Aprilia
Without people like Dutchman Roel van der Heide the world would be a very conventional place. Determined to find an alternative to motorcycling's established telescopic forks, the self-taught engineer designed and built a strange but wonderful machine that MSL had the pleasure of testing...

056 Grand Designs
Ever wondered how a motorcycle goes from drawing board to full-scale production? We have. So when the European arm of Yamaha's design house, GK Dynamics, invited us to join them for a behind the scenes peek, we jumped at the opportunity.

062 Auto Race
What do you get if you take a greyhound race, and replace the dogs with motorcycles and riders? Entertainment, that's what. This story enters the colourful and slightly crazy world of Japanese Auto Racing.

066 Tail of the Dragon
Florida-based Brit Neale Bayly takes us with him on a weekend ride to America's infamous 'Tail of the dragon' - a stretch of sinuous bitumen located in Deals Gap, North Carolina. Intrigued? All is revealed on page 66...

072 Cruising USA
This is the story of last year's MSL RoadTrip USA competition winner, Rob Yates, who took to the road in southwestern America with a broad smile and an appetite for adventure. His meandering route saw him traverse six states in just two weeks. Fun? You better believe it, and remember: this year, it could be you (see page 12 for details)...

080 Long termers
Almost at the end of their tenure with MSL, the Yamaha Fazer 1000 and Triumph Speed Four have given a good account of themselves throughout their 12-month stint. No doubt they'll be sad to see the back of these Fenland roads - or will they? Chapman's been making quite a few phone calls to his bank manager of late...

084 Products
We needed a few necessities to take with us on our jaunt to the Bavarian Alps: first aid kit, warm socks, tent et al. So here they are in all their glory, with a couple of other bits and pieces thrown in for good measure, after taking the ultimate acid test...

090 Yesteryear
This month Alan Brodrick takes us on a tour of post-war Ireland. The year is 1947, and equipped with his 1934 Ariel 350 Red Hunter Brodrick rode to Holyhead and caught the ferry to Dublin. And the rest, as they say, is history - and this issue's Yesteryear...