▲ 2018 Harley-Davidson Sport Glide. Introduced at this year's EICMA Show, H-D unveiled yet another variation on a well worn—but not quite worn out—theme. Featuring the firm's "most advanced frame ever", this new general purpose/all-purpose cruiser is based around the current 100mm x 111mm, 107 cubic inch (1754cc), 6-speed, 45-degree, Milwaukee Eight V-twin. Torque is rated at 107lb-ft (145Nm) @ 3,250rpm, but the power output remains a secret between you and your dynamometer. Inverted forks help keep the bike looking modern. But a single 4-piston front disc doesn't seem enough to jerk the lead of this 668lb (304kg) Softail. Meanwhile, a removable fly screen and detachable "saddle bags" stamp this bike's easy touring passport. "Call it a bagger, we dare you..." says Harley-Davidson. Hmm. Prices are £15,000 for black, and another £350 for a splash of colour. Looks like a nice enough bike. But it seems they might equally have called it the Déjà vu, if you get our drift...

MOTORCYCLE NEWS

December 2017

H O M E

T O P

S H O P

Honda CB300R for 2018

New for 2018 is this 286cc single cylinder CB300R roadster aimed squarely at the A2 licence category. Any similarity between this and Honda's imminent CB1000R is not coincidental. The power output is quoted at a respectable enough 31bhp @ 8,500rpm. Torque is quoted as 20lb-ft (27Nm) @ 7,500rpm. The bore and stroke are, respectively, 76mm x 63mm. The compression ratio is 10.7:1. Transmission is 6-speed via a wet multi-plate clutch. Starting, as you'd expect, is electric. The suspension is merely workaday rather than anything exciting. The inverted front fork has 37mm tubes with 130mm of travel. There's no adjustment, so one rate will have to suit all. At the rear is a monoshock spring/damper fitted to a Pro-Link swinging-arm with 107mm of travel. There's a 5-position pre-load on that. Wheels are 17-inch front and rear. That should afford owners a decent choice of tyre. The front rubber is 110/70R17M/C 54H. The rear is 150/60R17M/C 65H. [More...]

Ducati 1100 Scrambler

Ducati has added an 1100 (1,079cc) to its highly popular Scrambler range of bikes. So now you've got three choices: the 400cc (399cc) Sixty 2; the 800cc (803cc) Icon; and the 1,100cc. Although the new "Eleven" is clearly styled to emulate its more diminutive brethren (or even sistren?), there are differences worth noting. Firstly however, the engine (all models in this range) is, as you might expect, Ducati's established L-Twin, air cooled unit. Despite the Euro 4 regulations, this lump is clearly still viable—but it's hard to see it continuing for very much longer. The bore on this Desmodromic, 2 valves-per-cylinder engineering masterpiece is 98mm. The stroke is 71mm. The compression ratio is 11:1. Ducati is claiming 86hp (63kW) @ 7,500rpm, and we're not doubting it. Maximum torque is 65lb-ft (88Nm) @ 4,750rpm. Fuel is delivered by injection and is controlled by a Ride-by-Wire throttle. Three riding modes, traction control and cornering ABS are also part of the package. The transmission is 6-speed. [More...]

2018 Triumph Tigers

There are twelve new Tigers on the loose for 2018. Six of them are 800s, and you can figure out for yourself how many are 1200s. There's also more ongoing confusion than in a Donald Trump White House address, and as you read on you'll understand why. But first the models and variants:

Tiger 800 XCX
Tiger 800 XCA
Tiger 800 XR
Tiger 800 XRX
Tiger 800 XRT
Tiger 800 XRX low

Tiger 1200 XCX
Tiger 1200 XCA
Tiger 1200 XR
Tiger 1200 XRX
Tiger 1200 XRT
Tiger 1200 XRX Low

[More...]

Click the link for: November 2017 motorcycle news from Sump

"Live to ride, and ride to live." Amen to that, brother...

EAT SLEEP RIDE REPEAT T-shirt £19.99

This the second edition of these Bobber T-shirts, and they're different from edition one which were printed on grey. Why the change? Well, we received numerous email enquiries asking if we had these tees on black. So eventually we relented and changed the colour (ya gotta keep the customer satisfied, are we right?). Anyway, these shirts sell fast. The new batch is here, but they won't last long. To get yours while it's going, click on the image or the button below. You never know when the production fairy will call it a day...

New motorcycle launches and reviews

Motorcycle news

There's news, and then there's Sump news, and we usually see it differently from the rest of the world. Come check it with us...

Latest motorcycling products and accessories

Biking product news

In a world of plenty, there's plenty more coming down the pike. Stay with us for new motorcycle gear.

Motorcycle industry news

Bike industry news

Without industry, the wheels won't turn. We're keeping an eye on the guys who grease your spindles.

New motorcycling laws

Motorcycle legal news

Fortunately, in the UK we have the rule of law. Unfortunately, few know what all those laws are, and the government keeps changing them anyway. But if it affects you, we'll tip you the wink...

Safety news for bikers