MOTORCYCLE NEWS

Brunel leather jacket

A collarless leather jacket? None of us here at Sump favour this style. If you haven't got a collar, after all, where the hell are you gonna pin all your favourite bike badges? Moreover, if you don't have a collar, how are you gonna turn the collar up and look as cool as Elvis and as mean as Eddie Cochran? That said, we also understand that plenty of riders with more tender necks prefer the collarless look, and Weise also understands that fact—hence this retro Brunel leather jacket with its "stripped-back classic look". We haven't seen the jacket up close, but we're advised that it's manufactured from full-grain cowhide, the leather is waxed to aid drying, and Level 2 CE-approved protectors are fitted at the shoulders and elbows. Meanwhile, a Level 1 CE-approved  Elastofoam® back protector is part of the deal. This protector, we understand, has a low-profile design to keep you looking like the cool dude that you no doubt are (as opposed to tramping around like Quasimodo). [more...]

KTM 125 & 390 Duke recall

If you're riding a 2017 KTM 125 (£4,099 RRP) or a 390 Duke (£4,599 RRP), especially at night, you might want to pay a little attention to this story. Apparently, the company has found a fault with the on-board software that could switch your lights out without warning. There's nothing wrong with the headlight itself, we're advised. It's just computer thingies having a bad day. The remedy is to take your bike to your neighbourhood KTM dealership and have them sort it out (and only an official dealer can do this work, says the firm). Here at Sump we're evidently living a lot further in the past than we thought because we're struggling to figure out if you really need a headlight managed by a computer. But then, these bikes—like many modern bikes—are running LED lights that require different switching technology. So we need to play a little catch up if we're going to report on stuff like this. [more...]