We ride again
It's been a longwait, but we're finally able to ride more freely again. Thank goodness for that!
How good does it feel to be able to ride again? I know! And you're not alone in thinking that. Since the lockdown restrictions have been eased, it seems that there are more bikes on the roads than I remember seeing in years - it's beautiful!
At the time of writing we are still restricted to day rides as the hospitality industry remains closed, but there's a good chance that by the time you read this we can already enjoy longer rides, and give the hotels, cafes and tour companies the financial support they so badly need after the lockdown. Fingers crossed things will all be back to normal (or the 'new normal') soon.
Foreign touring will hopefully be possible soon, but in the meanwhile there is plenty to explore back home. To give you a few ideas for great rides, we talked to Henry Cole, to get his tips on the best destinations to point your bike towards. Just remember that not all nations in the UK follow the same lockdown rules, so check that you are good to go before travel.
Bike dealerships are now open too, and many of them are reporting impressive numbers of customers, which will hopefully go some way to easing the pain caused by the loss of sales during the lockdown.
If you are currently thinking of swapping bikes or getting another one (you can never have too many!), we feature an eclectic mix of bikes in this issue. There is the adventure bike group test with a selection of machines from small manufacturers - something you don't necessarily come across that often, but which still deserve an honourable mention in the motorcycle press for producing well-equipped, interesting and entertaining bikes that are affordable compared to many from bigger manufacturers. And then we have the big hitters of Kawasaki and Aprilia - the naked bikes that are tried and tested favourites in their own categories. Changing course again, there's a test of the Harley Iron 1200 with its unique stateside riding experience. And finally we have the diminutive KTM 390 Adventure, offering yet another approach to motorcycling. If you like variety, you'll love this issue!
We have kept our travel section going through the Covid-19 crisis, because it's something that a lot of our readers are particularly interested in. I appreciate that at the moment a lot of it is rather academic as we can't go and visit some of the places covered, but it's nice to get some ideas of where to go and what to do when we can. Next month we'll hopefully be in a position to take a little more pragmatic approach to travel too.
One more article to highlight in this issue is the airbag vest group test. This technology is still fairly fresh in motorcycling, and there are so many different factors to consider that any comparisons between traditional and airbag protectors are difficult, not to mention those between airbag products from different manufacturers, as everyone has their own way of measuring and communicating performance. Hopefully we have managed to make some sense of it.
In many ways, putting this issue together has felt like the beginning of a return to normal. Let's hope the trend continues, and that we can all enjoy a fantastic summer of riding!