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The 7 golden rules for adventure happiness

Stock bike’s inner wolf allowed out PHOTOGRAPHY: BMW, MIKE ARMITAGE

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Unlocked potential

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Honda GB350S

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November 2025

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October 2025

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‘Enjoy the ride – not the speed’

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‘People think you just go in faster… they’re almost always wrong’

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We all love an RG500…

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Inside Supermoto

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September 2025

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No sleep till Redruth

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A case of mistaken identity

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August 2025

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Streetfighting years

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‘He was a man of truth’

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What the TT does to your engine

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WHEN A BIRTHDAY PRESENT TURNS INTO THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME…

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New bikes

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’81 Triumph TR7T

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Easy as that

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‘Y’know what? I want one’

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SAM SUNDERLAND

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Trackday Clobber

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SIX MONTHS FROM HOME

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BRADLEY RAY

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THE VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE CLUB

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DAN LINFOOT & HIS DAD

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THE KTM DESIGN TEAM

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A RIDE WITH MICK GRANT

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A RIDE WITH RANDY MAMOLA

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Glorious ride: A land lost in time…

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GOING THE EXTRA MILES

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Boost your bike skills

**Andy** and **Alissa** have been riding around the world for nearly eight years, covering more than 80,000 miles riding from the UK to Japan, through Southeast Asia, Australasia and the length of the Americas, and are now somewhere in Africa. Here’s what they’ve learned…

By **Andy Davidson** Photography **Alissa Potter**

Any bike will do – so long as you love riding it. That’s the only rule that matters with motorcycles. If you want to paddle your way through the Gobi on a Gold Wing, go for it. If that sparkling red Vespa makes you grin, perfect. If you dream of ripping up the Andes on a KTM 690, then saddle up. No one-size-fits-all exists in adventure riding. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you need a £20,000, fully loaded monster dripping in accessories. You don’t. You don’t need a featherweight Dakar desert weapon, either.

> ‘People ride round the world on overloaded scooters, old Enfields and even choppers’

We were told we couldn’t go two-up on a single-cylinder bike; that our Yamaha XT660R was too small. Turns out they were wrong – we loved it, and wouldn’t have chosen anything else. We’ve now gone even smaller, splitting the setup into two Honda CRF300Ls. For us, the longer the trip, the lighter the bike – the easier life gets, and the happier we are on the road.

But adventure travel is personal. What works for one rider may not work for another. We’ve met people riding round the world on everything from overloaded scooters to old Royal Enfields and even choppers. Meanwhile, plenty of folks are still at home arguing online about what bike you ‘should have’ – while the rest of us are out there, living it on the ‘wrong bikes’.

Everyone has their own idea of what makes a great trip, and where you should and shouldn’t go. Take the time to figure out what you want from your travels. Off-road or tarmac? Camping or hotels? The Pyrenees or Peru? It’s your call – you don’t have to solo camp in the Hindu Kush for it to be an adventure. Decide what you want to do and go your own way.

> ‘Don’t be put off by someone else’s fears. It’s not their adventure – it’s yours’

You’ll always get opinions, especially when it comes to places people have heard aren’t safe – and they’re usually places they haven’t been themselves. The warnings about Mexican cartels were relentless, and for the first time in years we felt a flicker of apprehension crossing the border. One month turned into three riding remote goat tracks through the mountains. We fell in love with the country, its people and the tacos. Avoid Afghanistan? Some of our most unforgettable memories came from there. Don’t depart for your round the world trip in the middle of Storm Eleanor? Okay, that one was probably a good call.

On the flip side, you’ll also hear where you must go ‘or you haven’t really done it’. We’re often told we must ride a specific road or visit a certain place. We used to go out of our way to do it, only to find it’s not always our cup of tea. Recommendations are great, but don’t feel like you have to do and see everything and don’t be put off by someone else’s fears or travel preferences. It’s not their adventure – it’s yours.

Overpacking is fine, we all do it. It just means you have to pay for postage to send stuff home later. We were heavily overloaded at the start – it took us nearly two years of continuous shedding before we got down to a lightweight setup. Now, nearly eight years on, we’re finally very minimal (apart from the huge Colombian vase Alissa is carrying in her pannier – don’t ask).

You can take as much as your rear subframe can handle – but an overweight bike makes life harder. It’s superfluous stuff that adds weight to your machine and your mind. Riding, turning, off-roading, picking up your bike, parking – it’s all harder. And unpacking stuff you’re not using every night is a waste of time.

Lay everything out you think you need, then go through each item with a ruthless eye. Try to use compact, lightweight gear. For example, we swapped all the layers, thermals and jumpers for one heated jacket that can be worn on and off the bike. Buy light, compact and low volume. Once you have it sorted, throw in a few luxuries that will make your life happier on the road. If you love to camp but it gives you cramp, take a lightweight chair. Just don’t go overboard. Our luxury items are a foldable silicone kettle, coffee maker and a ridiculous stash of English tea bags.

Light bikes and gear mean we can squeeze them into our rooms at night in dodgy areas, balance them on rickety handcranked wooden ferries and have the confidence to ride places we wouldn’t if our bikes were overloaded.

Budgeting helps you travel further, for longer. It doesn’t mean drinking river water and catching squirrels for dinner – it just stops you from blowing all your cash and having to turn back after a few mad weeks. Figure out how much you’ve got, set a rough budget and calculate how long it’ll last. You can then adjust as you go. It’s your call: spend on posh meals, fancy hotels and beers for a shorter trip; or stretch it with street food, wild camping and more time on the road.

We set a daily budget based on where we are. In pricier countries like the US, Australia or Japan, we camp, cook our own meals and keep things lean. In Southeast Asia or South America, money goes further, so we can afford a few more comforts.

Let’s say your budget is £25 a day, all in. If you camp and cook for five nights at £10 a day, then spend your full budget on guest houses the other two nights, you’ve only spent £100 that week instead of £175. That’s £75 saved. We stash that surplus in a separate pot for a proper bed, a slap-up meal, or a hot shower when it really counts.

That’s what makes it fun. Because when you’re on a long-term trip, you’re not on holiday – you’re living on the road. And when you earn your comforts, they taste even better.

A little planning goes a long way. We figure out the paperwork requirements for a country, pin a few must-see sights and roads on a map, check the weather season – and then go for it.

It’s a fine balance. Some riders go overboard, booking every day and plotting every route in advance. Others are totally carefree. Personally, we plan – but just enough. You’ll get far more out of your trip with a little prep. The zen riders can end up soggy in the wrong season, where the best mountain passes are closed. And the overplanners tend to miss the road magic that only happens when you’re not chasing a schedule.

So much changes on the road. You may meet a fellow rider heading somewhere you didn’t want to go alone. Or end up staying with a family you just met in Turkey. That Japanese rider you bumped into in Uzbekistan may invite you to his home in Kyoto for a week. Be open-minded. Go for those experiences, instead of rushing from one hotel reservation to the next.

But one thing matters above all when it comes to planning: always have a backup. Throw caution to the wind and see where the road takes you, but have a safety net in case it hits the fan. And that’s insurance. Never ride without personal medical cover. Alissa had a nasty crash in Nepal – spiral fracture of the tibia and fibula. Without insurance for that £25,000 hospital bill, we’d still be in Kathmandu washing dishes.

Riders spend fortunes on bikes, gear, and accessories – but rarely invest in themselves. Learning on the job works. But picking up a few key skills before you go makes life easier and builds confidence.

You don’t need to be an expert rider to travel the world – whatever your skill level, you’ll learn as you go. But if you’re new to rough terrain, hit as many off-road schools as you can. You’ll be amazed at what you pick up and how much fun they are. The UK has some cracking options, too.

Mechanics is the other big one. Tools put people off, especially if they’ve never used them. But don’t stress. You’ll figure it out. One of the most seasoned travellers we’ve met didn’t know where his spark plug was and had never changed a tube. As he popped his wooden leg on the bar in Southeast Asia, he said: ‘It’s just not my thing. I’d rather spend my time riding.’

Truth is, backstreet mechanics can fix and bodge almost anything. Help is out there. But with a bit of know-how, you’re better equipped to get yourself out of trouble. Take a maintenance class before you go. Strip your bike down as far as you’re comfortable. Practise changing tyres. Pay a mechanic to walk you through the basics. That little investment will make a huge difference. Investing in your skills gives you a solid foundation to build on, and the confidence to tackle that sandy track or fix something yourself when it counts.

> ‘It’s easy to stress over things going wrong… learn to love those moments’

Travelling by motorcycle is one of the best things you can do in life. But it’s easy to get caught up and stress over things going wrong, planning, dodgy borders, paperwork and mishaps. Instead, shift your mindset and learn to love those moments. Smile when things go wrong because it’ll lead to new experiences that you haven’t planned for. And happiness lives in those little unexpected things.

Take time to really appreciate what you’re doing – the good and the bad. Don’t worry if it goes wrong, things have a way of working themselves out. Have a rough plan, and a plan B if that fails, but don’t cling to them, because humans plan and the universe laughs anyway.

People are kind the world over, so don’t let the news scare you. Be open to interactions, meeting strangers and challenging yourself to ride places and do things you never thought possible. Over time you’ll change how you see life on the road. It’s not about getting from start to finish in the most streamlined way possible. You reach the end, great… now what? Home? The real story is everything in between.

Enjoy every moment of it and try not to stress any of it. Think about it that way, and you’ll stay happy no matter what your adventure throws at you.

Andy and Alissa packed up, sold everything and left the UK on 1 January 2018 to ride round the world indefinitely. They started their adventure riding two-up on a Yamaha XT660R, but recently switched to a pair of Honda CRF300Ls. Right now they are somewhere in South Africa. You can follow their adventures on :a[madornomad.com]{href='https://madornomad.com' }

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Find the Street Triple RS or Hornet SP a bit predictable? Build your own naked hot rod instead. **Mike Armitage** takes a spin on a BMW F900R Cup race bike…

**I**t probably comes from the same thing that makes us cheer for the 150/1 outsider in the Grand National. The mindset that wants the crooning old boy to win whatever tedious talent show is on telly this week, or the little fella to win the brawl. Supporting the underdog. Not that you’d necessarily view BMW’s F900R as such, of course. But the road-focused twin-cylinder naked would certainly be on the back foot if thrust up against the freshly sharpened tools on the preceding pages.

Unless it’s in Cup specification. In which case the jazzed-up BMW has the potential to make them feel a tad stodgy.

Running as part of the British Superbike circus, the F900R Cup is a one-make race series with strict rules. Modifications are limited to K-Tech fork internals and rear shock; rear ride height adjuster; steering damper; rearset footpegs, a remote brake adjuster and crash protection; and a barking Arrow race exhaust. All parts come from authorised supplier Fortis Racing. You can also tinker with the rear sprocket size and play with suspension spring rates (within specific boundaries), and there’s an ECU flash – but that’s it. Engine, frame, swingarm, yokes and even spindles must be original BMW parts.

With decent prize money, the F900R Cup attracts young ’uns looking to make a name and more senior pilots keen to prove a point. And today this one is being guided around Mallory Park by my hammy fists.

> ‘It dances through the Edwina’s chicane and scoffs at the tight hairpin and Bus Stop’

And it’s chuffin’ brilliant. Taller and far more up on its toes than a standard bike – or any of the hot-stuff nakeds in our group test – the way the F900R tips into and rails through corners is glorious. Gerard’s is a ridiculously long 180° turn that you tip into at three-figure speed and makes my palms sweaty, but the Beemer gives confidence like I’ve never experienced.

After skipping in breezily yet with utter composure, it encourages steadfast lean and ever-increasing corner speed.

No matter how fast I manage to go, the F900R always feels like there’s oodles in reserve. I’ve been tooling around on an S1000R Sport today as well, and the differences in front-end feel, agility and faith at big (ish) lean are amazing.

It’s the same for the rest of the lap. The F900R dances through the Edwina’s chicane, scoffs at the tight hairpin and Bus Stop chicane, and encourages full-throttle flying out of the Devil’s Elbow. Its suspension is luxurious. The 895cc parallel twin’s 104bhp isn’t setting the straights alight, but in Mallory’s tight confines it’s plenty fast enough – especially as the chassis’ grip and handling brilliance allow rapid cornering and hearty twistgrip usage. Delicious deep soundtrack as well.

May sound stupid, given it’s a race bike, but I didn’t expect it to be this good. It’s the most confident I’ve felt on a track in yonks.

Racers get a deal. They can buy one bike for £6995 and the complete race kit is £5995, plus £252 for the ECU flash. That’s £13,242 – plus £960 to have it built. Ignore bits like the radiator guard, fibreglass bodywork and shark fins, and a hot-rod road version could be cheaper. Leaving the exhaust off and going full street-sleeper, the essential parts are the fork internals, rear shock, rearsets and ride height widget, which, when added to the standard bike’s on-the-road starting price of £9090, comes to a whisker over £11,800 (plus fitting or a bit of knuckle skin). In other words, the same as a Street Triple RS or MT-09 SP.

If your summers are spent barrelling around on trackdays or you want the classiest, raciest ‘middleweight’ naked, building your own F900R Cup replica would be a hoot.

#### **  
What you need and what it costs** {#block-d5e36f4e-d7fe-462b-8b9c-5478b72fe8d2}

**»** **BMW F900R** from £9090 {#block-831c6822-2713-4f8a-953c-eccf00911632}

**»** **K-Tech FF Cartridge 25IDS fork internals** £839.94 {#block-1879febf-58a7-44b4-9517-803c2239bd34}

**»** **K-Tech DDS Lite rear shock** £954 {#block-6dcae781-6f4f-459c-93ff-a6fea2d0aab9}

**»** **Hydraulic preload height adjuster** £316.80

**»** **Frame plate and rearset kit** £606.34

**»** **Arrow Pro-Race Nichrom full exhaust** £1010.09

**»** **R&G engine covers (both sides)** £250.06

**»** **R&G Aero crash protectors** £84.52

**:a[fortisracing.co.uk]{href='https://fortisracing.co.uk' } :a[bmw-motorrad.co.uk]{href='https://bmw-motorrad.co.uk' }**

Possibly the cuddliest bike ever made. **Ed Armitage** reports on life with the simple £3999 retro

It’s rare to see a new bike with solid, well-placed bungee points. They are very handy and securely fasten luggage (and unwilling pillions). The helmet lock is nice too – I don’t use it, but it’s the sort of thing I’d find on my dad’s old bikes, so helps with its authenticity. The bike’s dotted with small things that bring it together with convincing style.

Old-fashioned door to the petrol is as far removed from the latest keyless as it gets. And I love it. I understand why some don’t like fully removable caps – and I’ll be the first to lose it on the forecourt – but the contrast of the shine with the pale blue tank, the smooth lock action and the simple old-school feel bring me pleasure.

Normal people would call this six years; either way it’s a hell of a good warranty. I know it means stumping up for services at a Honda dealer, and you may decide it’s cheaper and easier to do it yourself on a brick-basic bike that only costs £3999. But for me, the peace of mind from such a healthy warranty is very appealing.

The sidestand. All bikes have one, but the Honda’s is great. If I had a penny for every time I’ve got home and spent a minute fishing round trying to find the stand, I’d probably have a fiver. The GB’s sidestand is in just the right spot: slide your foot back off the peg and there she is, the lug neatly meeting your heel. It’s a small thing, but it’s right.

Metzeler Tourance seem an odd choice, but they sort-of give a ’70s chunky tyre look and the 350 steers sweetly. The centre of gravity is low and the bike rolls through corners easily. Comfortable riding position too – it’s not suited to the longer treks, but is spot-on for Sainsbury’s runs, bobbing to work or nipping to an evening meet.

Very little to complain about with the GB, but the mirrors are a bit annoying. They’re too close together, meaning all you can see are your shoulders – and if you angle them to remove body parts, they’re not in the right place to show what’s behind. On the flip side, filtering feels easy and it slides readily through our narrow garden gate.

Despite only being 20 years old I’m not fussed about having a techy display. All I need is speed, the time and some trip data. The digi panel is a bit small, but it’s nice having a fuel gauge as well. That 74mpg is despite over-enthused use, and thanks to a top (fifth) gear that’s like an overdrive – I find myself changing down for overtakes and big hills.

Unlike every other brand I’ve ridden, Honda have their indicators and horn switched around. I know it’s not to everyone’s taste, but I like it. The winkers are in a far more natural position, and it’s still no hassle finding the horn to honk at careless city drivers. And I don’t miss the umpteen buttons for altering settings that I’d never alter.

The November issue of Bike celebrates motorcycling pleasure in all its forms. At one end of the instant-gratification spectrum sit the four sporty nakeds in this month’s main test – Triumph’s Street Triple 765 RS, Yamaha’s MT-09 SP, Honda’s CB1000 Hornet SP and Ducati’s Streetfighter V2S. Stripped back in style but overflowing with exuberance, their surging power deliveries, frisky handling and raw energy deliver immediate thrills. Which bike proves the most fun on a Sunday blast? You’ll have to pick up the mag to find out…

Heading further afield to explore the unknown offers a different kind of two-wheeled appeal, but one that’s every bit as exhilarating. Elsewhere this month are tales that prove you can have an amazing adventure on any bike, from tackling the Trans Euro Trail on a 40-year-old Suzuki, to riding a Royal Enfield 650 to the Arctic Circle, to impulsively heading off-road on a Yamaha Fazer 600. Yes, a Fazer.

You’ll find all this in the November issue, plus an exclusive interview with MotoGP winner Alex Márquez, the world’s fastest BMW R1300GS, what it’s like to live with Honda’s charming GB350S, and plenty more…

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Bike magazine is your definitive guide to the world of motorcycling. Every issue you'll find incredible motorcycling travel stories from our team and readers with amazing adventures and epic photography. Plus, there's expert opinion on all the new motorcycles available in the UK, giving you all the details you need to choose your next bike.

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For years supersports bikes formed the backbone of Biking Britain. Now, after years in the wilderness, a new generation of supersports has arrived including Ducati’s Panigale V2 S and Yamaha’s R9. Freed from capacity limits and loaded with fresh road focus, the big question is whether either can thrill with the same single-minded purity as Honda’s screaming CBR600RR. The answer is revealed in this month’s group test.

As well as spending time with today’s machinery, this issue we revisit the past by gatecrashing the Suzuki RG500’s 40th birthday party, then explore the future by explaining the tech that’ll power tomorrow’s engines. We’ve asked experts to divulge zero-cost techniques that instantly make you faster, head behind the scenes at Britain’s newest bike manufacturer, ask Mat Oxley to rank racing’s angriest riders and join Nick Sanders on a 20,000-mile lap of Europe. All this and plenty more besides…

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#### Hang on, just twenty-one horsepower? **Ed Armitage** heads to the local bike meet to see if our bargain-priced new Honda GB350S test bike really can deliver

It’s been one of those nowt-nor-summat kind of days. Warm, muggy, overcast and dreary, with the odd splash of rain. But the forecast on optimistic :a[weather.com]{href='https://weather.com' } promises a dry evening with the possible appearance of actual sunshine, so my younger brother Lyle and I decide to get out the house and venture to one of the many bike nights that are dotted across Leicestershire. As it’s a Tuesday we’re heading to The Carrington Arms in Ashby Folville, as there’s usually a right mixed bag of bikes, they stick a tent out the front doing decent food, and – most importantly – it’s a decent ride there.

The biggest incentive is waiting outside, though: our new Honda GB350S test bike. Looks-wise it’s right up my street, and I’ve seen the superb sales figures, but after a few months on a faster and more powerful twin-cylinder CB500 Hornet, I’m intrigued to find out what the two-valve 21bhp single really delivers. The power-to-weight of Lyle’s Yamaha R125 isn’t that dissimilar…

We endure the boring A46 dual carriageway to make use of the pleasingly cheap fuel stop at Six Hills, and the Honda seems fairly happy bobbing along at 75mph. Then we head onto some beloved twisty country lanes and sweeping corners, and the GB350S comes into its own. The engine makes its power low down and in the middle of the revs, and the five gear ratios are widely spaced – dawdling through villages in third gear it sounds like it’s firing every other house, but is also smooth. Swinging down lanes, the single feels nice switching lazily between third and fourth gear. Lyle’s 125 might be about as fast in a drag race, but it has nothing like the Honda’s roll-on flexibility (or its pleasingly deep old-school exhaust noise). Rolling gracefully through turns with a low centre of gravity and upright riding position, the GB350S gives a great sense of confidence and control. Handling is easy, but with a feel of weightiness; it’s what my dad would call ‘steadfast’ on slightly too narrow country lanes.

We trundle up to the pub a little later than intended and it’s beginning to wind down, but there’s still a dictionary of bikes to drool over. By pure luck I manage to wheel our bike wheel-to-wheel with an original CB750, the bike largely responsible for how the GB350S looks, and I’m surprised to find the new single is as big as the old four. The 750 is much shinier, but it also looks like it’s been stamped out of tin; the new bike looks like it’s cast from aluminium in comparison.

The 350 also gets ‘bloked’ quite a bit, other people stopping to ask about it. Telling them it’s £3999 with a six-year warranty get lots of nods of approval.

The ride home is great. With a nice long stretch of road and the wind behind me, the Honda could probably squeeze out 90mph if I climbed inside the tank. But that’d be missing the point. I’m entirely content bumbling around comfortably at 50-60mph and enjoying the feel and the ride, rather than the speed. The CB500 I did my A2 licence on and have been using so far this summer offers twice the power and has a chirpy nature that encourages more ‘spirited’ riding, and its chassis has upside-down forks and better brakes. But of all the bikes I’ve ridden so far (mainly 125s, admittedly, but probably nearing a dozen) the GB350S is by far the most enjoyable. It’s not fast or flash. But the way it rides is perfectly in tune with its great looks.

The sun eventually bursts through the cloud as we head past the old airfield on the way into Melton Mowbray, and we can’t resist stopping to take some pictures (Lyle loves a bit of Instagram). With its modern tech and features neatly hidden away within the classic image, the Honda looks mega. If you had a black and white photo of some quaint Somerset village, you could just drop the GB in. It wouldn’t stand out but would subtly make the picture. It doesn’t make a show, and that’s what I love about it.

We get home bright and cheery, lightly dusted with flies, and very impressed with the GB. I thought 21 horses may be disappointing, but it’s a fine package. Actually, for a quid under four grand it’s a hell of a lot of bike. If you’ve just passed your A2 test, don’t be swayed by fancier-sounding spec lists.

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#### Want to ride quicker for free? Five motorcycling masterminds reveal the go-faster tips, tricks and techniques that don’t cost a penny

Words **Martin Fitz-Gibbons** Pics **Bauer**

**»** **Expert road tester Michael Neeves reveals the one body position tweak that makes all the difference**

**‘T**he thing that limits most people’s confidence through corners is body position. Narrowing it down further, it’s what you’re doing with your arms. You really see it when people say they’re more confident round lefts than rights, or the other way round – their body position tends to be different. In their weaker corner they’ll be quite straight-armed; in their good corner they’ll have their inside arm bent more. When you have your arms locked straight it doesn’t give you confidence, and then it’s a downward spiral.

‘When I’m instructing on track, I say that if you forget everything else today, remember to bend your inside arm into the corner. To get there you’ve got to lean forwards, and that puts more weight over the front wheel, gives you more feel, and gets you better connected with the bike. Bending your inside arm also pulls your upper body into the turn, which helps keep the bike more upright.

‘It’s only the inside arm – you can still keep your outside arm fairly straight. Things always feel more extreme than they look, so you may need to bend it much more than you first think.

When people look at pictures of themselves, they always say: “I’m sure I was lower on the tank than that.” But they’re still sitting quite upright.

‘Imagine there’s a cone on the apex in the middle of the corner, and you’re trying to tap it with your elbow. On the road it’s a lot more subtle, but even just having a slight bend in your arm and not keeping it locked straight will help loads.

‘I remember being on a CBR at Donington Park years ago with my toe and peg on the floor, and it felt so dangerous because I was hanging off with my bum, but not the top half of my body. Then years later when I was instructing at the Ron Haslam Race School, I was following people doing the same thing – but with the right body position you’re not even breaking a sweat. The difference isn’t ability, it’s just knowing what to do.’

Neevesy has been a professional road tester for more than 20 years, instructed at the Ron Haslam Race School, and has ridden pretty much everything ever.

**»** **Professor Alex Stedmon describes how to make better decisions from behind the handlebars**

‘If you ask people “are you a better-than-average rider?”, most will say yes. But not everyone can be better than average. I know I have good days and bad days, and some riders say the same thing. But other riders don’t at all – and they’re the ones this can really help.

‘If you feel yourself being caught out during a ride – perhaps by a tight overtake, or if the person you’re following brakes unexpectedly – take a moment to have a bit of a sanity check. Am I getting tired? Is the weather changing? Do I need a pee or a coffee? It’s also helpful to reflect on how your riding may look to someone else. An overtake can look dangerous, or it can look really well executed. Which would you prefer?

‘This taps into the “theory of planned behaviour”, which says our intentions are influenced by three things: our own attitude; other people’s opinions; and our ability to overcome negative barriers like being angry or stressed. Reflecting on our riding makes the mental space to step back from all that.

‘There’s a psychological construct called the “locus of control”. “Internalisers” look at their own actions: “I could have been in a better position” or “I should have held back”. “Externalisers” pick out what other people do wrong, like blame other road users. I did a study with the University of Nottingham where we put riders in simulators, and we found riders who’d had further training tended to be internalisers.

‘All of this is about getting you to be more slick – overtake better, be more mentally prepared, and enjoy a more flowing ride. If you work to make things smoother, be less caught out and feel calmer and more in control, you’ll make better progress as a result.’

A professor of psychology specialising in rider behaviour, and the driving force behind Project PRIME, a safety scheme in Scotland that improved riders’ road positioning.

**»** **…Faster out. Rapid Training boss and TT racer Dave Hewson reveals how less entry haste unlocks more overall speed**

‘When riders try to go fast they usually rush into corners, thinking they’ll carry more momentum. But what actually happens is you’re on the side of the tyre for too long, or you end up wide of the ideal line. Both of these prevent you opening the throttle, and if you want to go faster the easiest place is in a straight line.

‘I’d call it a controlled corner entry. When you don’t rush into a turn you’ll have more capacity to get the bike on the right line, pointing the way you want, which means you can get on the throttle earlier and drive off the corner. You’ll go faster overall by going into the corner a bit slower to begin with. Over the years it’s been called “slow in, fast out”, but it’s still true both on the road and the track. If anything it’s even more relevant today because bikes are so much faster. The more power you have, the more of it you want to use – and to do that you need the bike pointing in a straight line.

‘Track riders generally try to brake later, thinking that’ll make them faster. But the chances are it’ll just mess up your corner entry. Instead, use the brakes harder and earlier. A lot of riders don’t pull the lever as hard as they can. More effective braking gives you more time to process things in your head, and more capability to begin turning.

‘On the road, the biggest issue we find is an old-school way of riding where people try to be very smooth. They close the throttle and coast towards the corner, as if using the brakes is a sin. But use them properly and you’ll be much more controlled on your corner entry, able to get the bike turned, and open the throttle much earlier.

‘Even if you don’t want to increase your top speed – even if you only want to do 60mph – you’ll still get to that 60mph quicker and hold it for longer if you use your brakes properly on the way in to a corner. You’ll end up going faster overall, without actually going faster. By going slower, in fact…’

The boss of Rapid Training, which offers the UK’s most complete advanced bike tuition, with courses covering both road and track riding catering for all experience levels.

**» Dakar Rally finisher and Off Road Skills instructor Llewellyn Sullivan-Pavey explains why the eyes have it**

‘Whether you’re a beginner, an intermediate or an elite level professional rider, the most important thing is where you look. It’s really well documented, with studies showing sports teams can dramatically improve their performance when they train something called the “quiet eye”. Basically it’s how long your eyes rest on the thing you need to be looking at.

‘In adventure riding, this means you need to be intentional with where you look. The more information you can take in early, the more time it gives your brain to process. Sometimes you can see a hill coming a minute out, whereas if you wait until you’re at the bottom of the hill to look up it, it’s game over. Beginner adventure riders – and all the way up to quite good riders, actually – tend to look too closely at their front wheel. Riding off-road can be information overload at first, which causes us to hunch up and close in. If you can make yourself go “hang on a sec, let’s look up”, it really helps.

‘But I’m not talking just about looking further ahead. If you only look blindly at the horizon you may miss a rut, a rock or a root, which will cause problems. So if there’s something that needs attention then I’ll look, process and deal with it, then go back to seeing what’s in the distance. I may see a pothole when it’s 50 metres away and then I’ll only need half a second to process that I need to change my line and go around it, or lift the front to hop over it. The less experienced you are, the longer it’ll take to process, so you end up following the object in for longer. The key is not to get stuck on it – don’t follow the obstacle all the way until your front wheel hits it…

‘You’re always playing a game, adjusting your gaze between taking in things that are miles away, while also paying attention to the close-up detail. It’s not just changing where you’re looking, it’s being conscious of where you’re looking. It makes such a phenomenal difference.’

Founder of online adventure empire _Brake Magazine,_ where he makes some of the best mucky motorcycle videos. Go to YouTube and search for @BrakeMagazine.

**» Racing royalty James Whitham explains how track riders can find time lying at the side of the circuit**

‘If I could give someone who’s new to track riding one piece of advice, it’s to use reference points. Find a braking marker, a turn-in marker and an apex point for each corner. It doesn’t matter if the apex point you’ve picked is five metres away from the actual apex – it’s still better than just staring at a corner, making it up and rattling in on a wing and a prayer. Sticking to reference points will get you some consistency, and you can build on that.

‘If there are distance boards on the approach to a corner then fantastic, but if not you have to look for something distinctive. It could be a change in surface, a kerb, a pole holding a loudspeaker, a marshal’s post, or even a skid mark. Some tracks are harder than others – at Silverstone there’s not much furniture and it’s all really far away from the track.

‘As you get more experienced these reference points become fluid. If you get a slide coming out of a corner, you may push your braking point on a metre because you know you won’t be going quite as quick. If you get a slipstream or catch a tailwind, you’re gonna have to brake a bit early.

‘But pick your markers wisely. Early in my career I was racing a Suzuki GSX-R750 Slabside at Kirkistown. It’s a long old airfield circuit where the back straight is an old runway, and I couldn’t find a decent braking marker. Then I spotted an ice cream van on the outside of the track which was in the perfect position. Later on I messed up my braking several times, before I realised it had moved during the day…’

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