Heading off-road on middleweights
Three of 2018’s new dirt-ready adventurers head to Wiltshire for a taste of the Trans Euro Trail
ROUND THE WORLD? Pah. Every Tom, Ewan and Charley can do that. The most challenging adventure in motorcycling today is the Trans Euro Trail: a 24,000mile off-road loop that runs through 30 countries, stretching from the Arctic Circle to the cusp of Africa and back again. The entire route is free, legal to ride, and supported by an active community of enthusiastic, knowledgeable overlanders.
Along the way it takes in more than 1800 miles of English and Welsh trails and backroads, which in itself has to be the biggest British adventure going. Just three problems: the UK stretch alone takes two weeks, is designed for small and midcapacity off-road bikes on proper knobbly tyres, and is aimed at skilled riders. Well, we don’t have any of those but we do have three new-for-2018 adventure bikes, two days and three blokes with disparate levels of off-road ability. Still, let’s give it a go…
Thankfully, the great thing about the TET is that it’s completely customisable — you can ride as much or as little of it as you like, in whatever direction you choose. So we’ve picked three of the easiest sections, linked them with some scenic tarmac roads and mixed in a couple of RIDE’S Great British Ride Out waypoints too. Sounds like the perfect playground for Honda’s updated Africa Twin, Triumph’s revised Tiger 800 XCX and BMW’S completely new F850GS.
But first, to the beer factory… Having spent the morning crossing the country from RIDE’S Peterborough office, we — road tester Jimmy Doherty, RIDE reader Cameron Thompson and myself – pause at Hook Norton Brewery. Located
on the north-east edge of the Cotswolds, this quirky Victorian brewery is one of RIDE’S 187 Great British Ride Out waypoints (see p34). No time for a tour or a tasting today, but we can at least enjoy its delicious café — try the Scotch egg.
Bellies full and eyes torn away from the gift shop, we head south on empty roads framed by gorgeous English countryside. We’re in the middle of what tabloids would hysterically label a ‘heatwave’ and what the rest of us call ‘summer’. The sky is spotless blue, the fields a gorgeous sun-bleached gold, and temperatures are heading above 25°C. Perfection.
Honda’s Africa Twin is a mighty fine place to experience it all. Sailing along the A361 through Chipping Norton and on to Burford it feels composed, calm and confident. The 998cc parallel twin purrs along, its 270° crank making it feel like a V-twin. But a softly spoken V-twin with a rather short rev range. From tickover it pulses evenly and pleasingly but surprisingly briefly, with its redline butting in at less than 8000rpm. It’s easy and willing — the clutch is light, the gearbox shifts cleanly and the throttle response is immaculate — but its level-headed character doesn’t hide a silly streak.
“It all feels very nice,” agrees Jimmy. “Everything about the Africa Twin comes to you. It has plush suspension, the ride is really smooth, and so’s the engine. It just runs out of revs too soon.”
“I love the Africa Twin’s styling,” adds Cameron. “It’s definitely the best-looking of the three bikes. And I thoroughly enjoy riding it: the comfort is good; I like the layout. It feels like a good all-rounder. The only thing I don’t really like is the dash.”
Agreed. The display is a white-on-black, vertical LCD panel that just looks dated, like an old Casio watch. It’s been upgraded this year but it’s still too busy and cluttered to be intuitive, like someone’s loaded a shotgun with random numbers and letters and blasted it at the dash. P? EB? A capital T being circled by three sharks? WTF? Perhaps it looks even worse when it’s in the company of the colour dashes on both the Triumph and BMW.
Other than that, there really isn’t much else that disappoints. The Honda feels a spacious, commanding place to sit, with excellent wind protection, minimal vibrations and a 200-mile tank range. It could do with cruise control to further its touring ability, especially as the Africa Twin got a fully ride-by-wire throttle for 2018. That’s one of the few upgrades this year, along with a lightweight lithium-ion battery, a slightly louder exhaust and peculiar flashing indicators when you brake hard. But still no cruise control.
Our route carries on through beautiful Bibury — like an American has built a theme park based around an English village — before skirting Cirencester’s ring
“The sky is blue, the fields gold, the temperature 25°. Perfect...”
road, passing round Cotswold Airport and picking up a nameless backroad that leads to our first taste of the Trans Euro Trail.
The Fosse Way
There’s no neon ‘Welcome’ sign, no fireworks, no fuss or fancy hoopla. It’s just a dirt lane leading off to our left. But this anonymous, easily overlooked trail is part of the historic Fosse Way, a Roman road that once linked Lincoln to Exeter. Today, stretches of the Fosse Way are tarmac roads — including what’s now the A46 and A429 — while other sections remain classified as byways. Like this one.
This is also where we join the official Trans Euro Trail route. We pull over to switch the bikes to their various dirt modes — the Honda has ‘Gravel’, the BMW has ‘Enduro’ and the Triumph has ‘Off-road’ — but that’s where the concessions
end. All three bikes still have their street tyres, at street pressures. And we have absolutely no idea of what lies ahead.
Nerves about heading into the unknown soon calm. This stretch of the Fosse Way starts off easy: its earthy, slightly gravelly surface is completely dry, despite being sheltered by a deep, dense canopy of green over our heads. Standing up on the Africa Twin’s wide footpegs, the riding position feels absolutely natural, with a slim tank and the bars rising up high enough to save you from stooping forwards.
The route is flat, but there are enough lumps, bumps and thumps to prevent any of us getting carried away with our speed. Sunlight strobing through the trees makes it hard to pick the surface out but at least the Honda’s plush suspension copes faultlessly with every dip, drop and rut.
And when the Fosse Way springs a couple of surprises, the Africa Twin remains every bit as unflustered and confident as it was on the road. We hit a 100m section of deep gravel but the Honda ploughs through it modestly. Later we meet a water crossing, but elect to walk the bikes up a bank and over a small bridge rather than risk the unknown water depth and river bed. Despite its height and weight the Honda is as easy to manhandle as either of the two smaller-capacity machines. It’s a big bike — at times things gets so tight that not only are both handguards brushing the scenery simultaneously, but I have to duck behind the screen too – yet not once does it feel at all out of place.
We follow the Fosse Way as far as the official TET route takes us, before taking an empty backroad to Norton. We’ve spent eight miles off the tarmac but that half hour has turned a ride to an adventure.
Norton to Hackpen Hill
We split from the Trans Euro Trail route, electing to return to familiar tarmac. Rejoining the A429, we pause to fill the three bikes up for the first time since leaving the office this morning. Over 140 miles the BMW has averaged more than 60mpg, while the Honda and Triumph are tied on 56mpg — impressive numbers.
But fuel economy is the only thing the Tiger and Africa Twin have in common. After crossing over the M4 and picking up some more B-roads, it’s clear the Triumph is completely different to the Honda. Its 800cc triple is so silky smooth that you can’t feel any of the individual combustion strokes: where the other two bikes chug and grunt, the Tiger whooshes. And it’s a wide-ranging whoosh, with the highest rev ceiling and the widest useable rev range. It’s not revvy — the torque curve is flat — but it allows you to wring its neck in a way the two parallel twins aren’t up for. In this company, it feels the most like a sportsbike.
The Tiger’s chassis is closest to one too. Its suspension is set far firmer — stiffer springs and loads more compression damping — than the Africa Twin, meaning less pitching and see-sawing when you hit
the brakes. Handling is precise and accurate, but despite the super-sharp geometry it’s not excessively quicksteering. If anything, it feels a little portly — particularly at low speed.
“The Triumph is a really good road bike, and the more you ride it the better it gets. But it does seem a bit bulky,” reckons Cameron. “It feels quite heavy, plus its turning circle is the worst of the three.”
“It’s the only bike I’ve dabbed while trying to U-turn,” nods Jimmy. “I don’t think it’s as well-balanced as the Honda — maybe that’s the weight, or maybe it’s just that it’s top-heavy.”
The funny thing is, despite our perception the Triumph is actually the lightest bike here. On our calibrated scales, the Tiger weighs 229kg with its fuel tank brimmed – a substantial 13kg less than the Honda and BMW. That means it can only be a question of where that weight sits that is not flattering the Tiger.
Thankfully, there’s plenty else to love about the 800 XCX. The screen is large and easily adjusted by hand, the seat is wide and height-adjustable, the mirrors are clear, the 5in TFT colour dash is easy to read, and standard equipment includes cruise control, heated grips and a 12V DIN power socket. There’s no centrestand though – that’s a £174 extra.
The three of us pick through Broad Hinton, cross the A4361 and head towards Hackpen Hill, where a huge white horse is carved into the hillside. Apparently he’s been part of the scenery since 1838, making him 180 years old (or more than 500 in horse years). The Tiger claws its way confidently up the steep, twisting, hairpin climb, before we pull over in the layby at the top to soak in a stunning summertime view across the rolling patchwork fields of the North Wessex Downs, still green after weeks without rain.
The Ridgeway
It just so happens, in that miraculous way that road test routes often do, that this layby is crossed by Britain’s oldest road. The Ridgeway is an ancient track that’s been used by travellers for more than 5000 years, making it even older than some bikes in Suzuki’s current lineup. Today the vast majority of its length is reserved for walkists, cyclers and horses, though a few select stretches are opened up to motor vehicles in the summer months. Well, it’s summertime and the weather is fine…
Joining the Ridgeway here puts us back on the Trans Euro Trail. I stand up on the Tiger’s pegs and begin the gentle trundle along the dusty, chalky surface. Even at little more than walking pace it’s clear the Tiger isn’t as sure-footed off-road as the Africa Twin. The Triumph’s tank splays knees wide, while the bars are quite low. Sat down the Tiger is comfortable, but stood up it’s a bit alien – as if you have to fit yourself around the bike, rather than it being designed around you.
Triumph claims it made more than 200 changes to the Tiger 800 this year, from the obvious (TFT dash, adjustable screen, smaller silencer, Brembo brakes) to the subtle (new primary drive ratios, tweaked handlebar position, fresh wheels, seats and bodywork). First gear is shorter too, the intention being better tractability when things get tight and tricky off-road. Makes sense in theory, but it was never tested on these easy, empty trails where the bikes grumble along in second or third gear.
At first the Tiger’s adjustable WP suspension is well-suited to the smooth, wide, straightforward track. Then we turn past Hackpen Farm and the byway turns into a gnarlier downhill run, all rutted, lumpy and stony. Here the Tiger’s firm, road-focused settings mean it bashes harshly off the surface and feels more like hard work in your hands.
There’s only three miles more of the rough stuff until we rejoin the road once again, but it’s enough of a mental and physical workout for me and Jimmy. Experienced off-roader Cam could have done it in his sleep, but even he’s grinning at our off-tarmac excursion. “What would that have been like if it was wet?” he smiles. Jimmy and I exchange glances but say nothing as we head to our B&B for the night, pleased that the three bikes are wearing a rugged coating of dust, rather than submerged in treacly mud.
Marlborough to Chirton
The next morning we carry on south through Marlborough, before splitting from the prescribed TET route again. The meandering, tree-lined A345 leads us to Oare, before we cut west and the road expands into a gorgeous open panoramic run through Alton Priors.
This part of the country is all new to me, as is BMW’S F850GS. At home there’s a 2011 F800GS in my garage, but this
“It’s an ancient track used by travellers for over 5000 years”
newcomer bears little resemblance to it. The 853cc parallel twin is nothing like its predecessor: bigger bore, longer stroke, new 270° crank instead of the old Boxer impersonating 360° firing intervals. The design is completely different: even the oil filter sits in a new place, stuck out sideways near the right footpeg rather than the usual spot behind the downpipes. “Bet that’ll make a mess when you come to change it,” predicts Cameron.
The new engine has more power (up from the 800’s 84bhp to a rival-matching 94bhp) and more torque too, creating a deceptively quick powerplant. I pull alongside Tiger-mounted Jimmy and a side-by-side fourth-gear roll-on test from 30mph reveals there’s nothing between the two bikes, despite the BMW being a cylinder down.
There’s less vibration than the old 800 motor, but it delivers its power with sharper stabs. The internals feel lighter, almost to the point of feeling slightly hollow. It’s more how I’d expect a KTM engine to feel, and even — dare I think it — quite coarse at low revs. “I’m really surprised, but to me the BMW feels quite rough at times,” agrees Jimmy.
Everything else on the 850 is new too. This is the Sport model with every extra added on top, including a huge 6.5in colour TFT dash, semi-active suspension, cruise control, a two-way quickshifter and more. With all the gadgets it does feel like the most indulgent, advanced and hi-tech of the three but some parts are a mixed bag.
The dash looks incredible, stays clear in sunlight, has slick animation on the rev counter, and even talks to your phone if you like that kind of thing. But it takes half a dozen pushes and several submenus just to reset the trip. The quickshifter works well at high revs and wide throttle openings, but gives a clunky shift at more sedate speeds. Semi-active suspension helps adapt to the road surface, but it only works on the rear shock (the forks have no adjustment at all), and the default Road mode is massively underdamped. Jimmy agrees: “It’s clever, but it’s only usable in Dynamic mode – Road is so soft that it’s largely redundant.”
Regardless of gadgets, the F850GS’S chassis helps it feel exceptionally wellbalanced at all speeds — nimble, yet stable too. It’s a comfortable bike, with a decent seat and relaxed ergonomics. For covering distance, it’s just a shame that the miniscule screen offers almost no wind protection, while the fuel tank carries four litres less than the other two bikes.
We pull over at the side of the road to check directions and hear a deep, resonating, earth-trembling boom in the distance. Looking where it came from reveals a helicopter hovering above a thick cloud of smoke. If I didn’t know better, I’d think we’ve stumbled into a warzone…
Salisbury Plain
Riding up the single-track access road to Salisbury Plain, we can spot a red flag flying high in the air. That means the Ministry of Defence has the big guns out. The MOD owns half of the Plain’s 300 square miles and today is a live-firing day. The Plain is home to a network of byways, some open to all traffic all the time and others only open when the Royal School of Artillery isn’t blowing stuff up. The flag means we’ll be sticking to the byway that runs round the perimeter today — though it still puts us back on the TET.
Standing up, the F850GS feels compact and manageable. Enduro mode changes the damping in the rear shock, softens the throttle response and relaxes the traction control and ABS. The fuel tank (now in the normal fuel tank place, not in the tail) is slim between my knees, and while the footpegs are substantially smaller than the
“The red flag means the MOD has the big guns out”
800’s and I think the bars are a little lower, it’s definitely not afraid of the dirt.
“Off-road the BMW is really nice to ride and is very capable,” says Cameron, speaking with the experience of a chap who’s ridden thousands of off-road miles on his F800GS and R1200GS Adventure. “It’s tractable, doesn’t feel bulky and is very forgiving. I think that if you are a novice rider, the BMW would be the bike to have if you are starting out doing a bit of off-road or trail riding.”
“It’s manageable, it feels light and it feels right,” agrees Jimmy. “And the way it makes its power is good off-road. The throttle connection is the best of the three.”
We turn off the wide, easygoing perimeter byway, picking up a tighter and trickier trail to find our way out. I’m glad to be on the BMW, which keeps on ploughing a straight line even when the front wheel feels like it’s momentarily skidding through some gravel. We pass a farm and find ourselves spat out on the A345, firm asphalt under our tyres once again. Three happy riders, three upright bikes, three quick tastes of the Trans Euro Trail. And just three hours to home.