Cheers to 2023
There’s only one way to kick this off and that’s by wishing you all a happy new year. We’ve made it to another one, which will hopefully be every bit as fulfilling, or more so, than the last. I’m not the kind of bloke who goes about setting a million resolutions and such like, but I do like a rough idea of what I want to aim for at this time of the year. While the roads are still muckier than a pig pen and it’s cold enough for your tyres to catch pneumonia, there’s no harm in getting a few aspirations jotted down on a hypothetical to-do list.
My boxes to tick include more road trips. Whether at home or abroad, I really don’t mind, but I’ve come to realise that good times happen when you head out on a bike with a bunch of mates for no particular reason. I also want to ride on track more. Last year was a bit pitiful on my part for getting out on circuits, which I plan to make amends for in the coming months. Lastly, I want to buy a new bike. When I say new, I mean new to me, but first I’ll need to raise some cash, so if you see me down the car boot flogging flowerpots, do me a favour and buy a couple, please… it’s for a good cause.
The festive break has given me much time to think, drink, and scan the internet looking for bargain bullets of yesteryear... I’d have a garage full of such steeds if I could. Arguably, you could have just that for the price of most new sporty propositions, but quantity doesn’t always make up for quality, and if the latest headbangers from BMW are anything to go by, you wouldn’t want to miss out on what’s heading our way. I say this having recently sampled the M 1000 R, which was a tasty toy on road and track. How on earth have we got to a stage where nakeds claim to have 207bhp? I’m not complaining, I’m just mesmerised by the feat, along with the kind of technology that bike is packing. It’s mind-blowing, as you’ll hopefully gauge in a few pages’ time. Another thing that’s mind-blowing and deserves a big mention is our man Tim’s progression to the British Superbike series with the MCAMS Yamaha squad. We couldn’t be prouder and want to wish him all the best for the season ahead. Likewise, we want to thank you, the readers, for your continued support and wish you a cracking time on and off your bike in 2023. Make sure to scratch all the itches you can and keep us posted with your antics.
Enjoy the mag.