BIKES Q & A
QI’ve just bought a four-yearold KTM 1190 Adventure R — my first adventure bike. I’m finding it unnerving in corners, to the point that I regretted buying it by the time I got home. Is it the bike or is it the tyres? It’s on Continental TKC80S.
AIt’s the tyres. If you’ve never ridden on knobblies before, they can feel alien and even a bit scary – on tarmac, anyway. Clearly, whoever sold you the bike was using it off-road (because they’re great there). For a more dual-purpose version, you could try the TKC70 — more of a 50/50 road/dirt tyre. But it’s still quite different to a road tyre, so unless you intend to do some serious dirt riding — from green lanes on wet days to proper trails — you’ll probably be much better off on a road-focused tyre like the Avon Trailrider, Bridgestone A41 or Michelin Anakee III.
AQI’m looking to get a second bike to commute into Birmingham, so I don’t blow the PCP mileage on my BMW R1200RT. Is a 125 a practical choice? The journey’s only 40 miles but does involve some unavoidable motorway.
Running costs will be low, as 125s are easy on tyres, petrol and insurance. A good one might be a viable choice if it’s fast enough to stay ahead of lorries on the motorway but it will still feel small and exposed. We’d be inclined to look for a decent used middleweight – something like a Suzuki Bandit 650, SV650 or V-strom 650, Yamaha Fazer 600, a Honda Hornet 600 or a more modern Honda CB500X. The CB is a particularly good option: cheap to run, easy to use but still with a big-bike feel. Clean used ones start around £3500 and often have some commutable luggage.
QThe horn on my 2003 BMW R1200GS has packed up. It wasn’t the best anyway (though I rarely use it between Mots) so is there a louder replacement?
AWe’d look for a suitable Stebel Nautilus horn – just be aware that you often have to buy horn, mounting bracket and wiring kit separately. It’s likely to cost you from £70 all together but is potentially much louder than the stock horn. See www.nippynormans.com