MRW Issue 8 preview

ISSUE 8
APRIL 2021
N E W B I K E S T E S T E D
WHEELIE
GOOD
BIKES
• YAMAHA
MT-09 SP
• DUCATI
SUPERSPORT S
• SUZUKI
HAYABUSA
LOCAL LAUNCH
SUPER NEW
ADVENTURES
KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE S & R
KTM 890 ADVENTURE & R
ALSO INSIDE: EXCLUSIVE SA TEST
DUCATI MULTISTRADA V4S
FIRST LOOK
DOVI
RIDES
AGAIN
DOVI TALKS TESTING THE
APRILIA MOTOGP BIKE AT
JEREZ AND FUTURE PLANS
WADE
YOUNG
EXCLUSIVE
I N T E R V I E W
ALSO INSIDE: YAMAHA TENERE 700 REVIEW ||| ENDURO SA
A CONVERSATION WITH MARVIN MUSQUIN ||| HONDA CRF300L

EDITOR’S NOTE
Hello Moto Rider World fans and welcome
to issue 8 of SA’s best motorcycle
magazine. Once again we have a
phenomenal issue for you packed with so
many exclusive tests and features for you to
sit back and enjoy - over 220 pages of pure
awesomeness that now also includes a dirty
side. Yes, we have gone dirty and in this
issue, you will find the first edition of “The
Dirty Side” of MRW - focussing on all things
dirt going forward.
We are now going to bring you more dirty
stories in proper MRW quality and style,
something many people have screamed
for so unlike our government we have
listened and responded by making it
happen.
Our first issue of “The Dirty Side” is a
cracker and has some great features and
tests including an exclusive interview with
one of SA’s dirtiest bastards, Factory Sherco
rider Wade Young, and the exclusive first
ride on KTM’s new Adventure R models
from the local launch held just a few days
ago in the beautiful Drakensberg. That’s the
beauty of digital. No having to wait weeks
for a story to come out in print - it’s current
and very much up-to-date.
Staying with KTM’s new Adventure models
and we also have the more road-going
versions featured in our MRW section. We
sent Shaun along to the local launch, which
in true KTM style was a huge hit as always.
We actually have plenty of KTMs in both
issues as they are just no letting up and
keep setting the bar higher and higher.
We’ve got one of the best all-round street
bikes I have ever ridden made even better
by the crew from RAD KTM - the 1290
Super Duke GT. If you are a KTM fan I urge
you to support RAD KTM as they are a big
supporter of ours and have been from day
one so they deserve your support. Plus they
have great service and a jammed packed
store full of all the orange you could want!
I mentioned earlier that we have a bunch of
exclusives once again featured in this issue.
How’s this for a list - starting with Suzuki’s
new Hayabusa, which our UK man, Mr
Adam Child, luckily got to test and sent us
some tasty pics and a great story. Looks like
a winner once again from Suzuki despite
the spec sheet not looking that impressive.
Then we also have the first test ride on
Ducati’s new Supersport S model, also by
Adam. What an amazing machine it is. I’ve
sampled the previous gen and loved it. For
sure one of the most underrated machines
on the market today.
Staying with Ducati I got to swing my leg
over the new Multistrada V4 S, the first and
only journo so far here in SA to do so. You
can read the full exclusive feature in this
issue of MRW - another treat!
But wait, there’s more, loads more! Features
on James Toseland, Yamaha’s new MT09
SP, Zontes styling new ZT155 and the live
to Facebook interview I did with Peter
Hickman that was only supposed to be for
30minutes but turned into over an hour. A
great read and watch - full interview up on
our YouTube channel.
Now I can hear you all saying “what about
MotoGP and WSBK Rob?” Well, don’t stress
we’ve got you covered as always with a
great feature on the WSBK Honda team
and the first look at Dovi testing the Aprilia
MotoGP bike at Jerez. As I type this the
Portimao MotoGP race is about to start and
there was talk that Dovi was going to race
for Aprilia. Sadly, that is not the case but I
do think we will see Dovi back sooner rather
than later and on another Italian machine.
Seems like Dovi is impressed with the bullet
that is the Aprilia RS-GP.
Another big talking point heading into the
Portimao weekend is the return of Marc
Marquez. I for one am very excited to see
the man back in action. As if MotoGP was
not exciting enough, throwing Marc back
into the mix is going to spice things up even
more - I can’t wait!
The big question is what kind of Marc will
return? The same fast, let it all hang out,
not afraid to crash Marc or a calmer, can’t
risk too much because of the injury Marc?
I think a bit of both and personally, I think
he will be back on the top step sooner
rather than later. It’s MM93 for goodness
sake. The man has dominated for years
and by some margin, so even if he has lost
10, 20 or 30% it doesn’t matter as he was
that much better than the rest in the past.
Saying that I do think he is coming back to
a more competitive field, one that has gone
a few steps up since his last race. Riders
and machines are better than ever and I
don’t think the Honda machine is in the best
shape so Marc will have his work cut out.
But again, it’s MM93 for goodness sake!!!
Ok, that’s enough now I’m off to enjoy
the racing action and scream like a cheap
actress in a cheap horror movie for our
Binder brothers. How good are these boys
hey? Just so damn proud of them both!!!!
For more on MotoGP make sure you tune
into our “Talking MotoGP” Show every
Monday after a race weekend. It goes out
LIVE from 8pm on our Facebook page so
you can join in and have your say. I’m hoping
that one day someone from Supersport will
see the show and maybe have myself and
Don doing more live stuff on MotoGP and
WSBK on Supersport. Miss those days...
Cheers for now all and thanks again for all
the support. Make sure you take note of our
advertisers and give them all your money.
CONTRIBUTORS
Shaun Portman
Beam Productions
Adam Child “Chad”
Sheridan Morais
Donovan Fourie
Mitchell Boyes
Brian Cheyne
SUBSCRIBE!
Email rob@motoriderworld.
com to subscribe - R500
once-off for a 12-issue
subscription.
Check out our YouTube
channel and website for
some exclusive video
content.
CONTACT
DETAILS
EDITOR/OWNER
Rob Portman
082 782 8240
rob@motoriderworld.com
ANYTHING & EVERYTHING
Shaun Portman
072 260 9525
shaun@motoriderworld.com
Copyright © Moto Rider World:
All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced,
distributed, or transmitted in any
form or by any means, including
photocopying, articles, or other
methods, without the prior written
permission of the publisher.
FOLLOW US
WEBSITE: www.motoriderworld.com | FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/Moto-Rider-World | INSTAGRAM: Motoriderworld
KISKA.COM Photo: R.Schedl
defy
the norm
For those who like to push the limits of exploration, the new
KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE S is the ultimate high-performance
traveler. This new generation V-Twin powerhouse challenges
the status quo with refined ergonomics, performance-enhancing
technology and high-end componentry.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT AT KTM.COM
Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations!
The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at additional cost.

NOW AVAILABLE
FROM WORLD OF
MOTORCYCLES
146 Akkerboom Steet &
John Voster Drive Centurion
012 765 0600

NEWS
DESK
THE MEANEST
DUKE EVER!
KTM have made their 1290
Super Duke leaner and
meaner than ever - meet
the new KTM 1290 Super
Duke RR
KTM’s parts department has dumped
all its top-shelf upgrades onto one of
the most extreme hyper-naked bikes on
the market to create an even sharper,
limited-edition 1290 Super Duke RR. As
if “The Beast” needed any more Rs.
The 1,301cc V-Twin motor stays
the same, offering a monster 140 Nm
of torque and a hairy-chested 180
horsepower, but it’ll feel faster than
the standard bike thanks to a quickturn
throttle that’s fully open some 7
degrees earlier than the regular bike.
Power may not change, but the
weight does; the Super Duke RR
weighs in 9 kg lighter than the standard
bike at 180 kg, hitting the magical
one-horsepower-per-kilogram figure.
This earns the bike an elephant stamp.
Incidentally, this ratio always used to
make us picture a full-sized, jacked
and ripped racehorse with all the usual
strength, that somehow only weighs a
single kilo.
Unfortunately, this analogy doesn’t
work, because due to the wondrous
vagaries of the Imperial system, the
peak output of a horse is actually
about 15 horsepower. Who’s to blame
for that? None other than James Watt,
who literally invented the horsepower
before having its SI replacement
named after him.

NEWS
DESK
NEWS
DESK
TRIUMPH’S ELECTRIFYING
PROTOTYPE
Triumph’s TE-1 prototype may be
the hottest electric motorcycle yet
Nearly two years ago, Triumph announced
it was working with Williams Advanced
Engineering to develop a cutting-edge British
electric motorcycle platform. Now, we get
our first look at the new powertrain, as well as
sketches of the upcoming prototype.
When you get a company like WAE on board,
you can be assured of performance that’ll
make all your wrinkliest skin even wrinklier.
And indeed, the TE-1 prototype is designed for
an absolutely wild ride. The 10-kg motor, from
Integral Powertrain, will put out a peak of 174 hp
and continuous power of 107 hp, and the 360-
volt WAE battery pack is capable of up to 228
hp, putting sub-20 minute 0-80 percent charge
times on the table.
Battery capacity is 15 kWh – a little bit more
than Zero’s SR/F offers, so while Triumph has
made no range claims as yet, we’d expect
somewhere around 200 km between charges.
Then again, WAE and Integral seem very excited
about their contributions to the project, the
former claiming a “quantum leap” in energy
density and weight reduction, and the latter
claiming to “set new standards in terms of
electric motorcycle efficiency,” so the final range
figures, if they’re given to us in a format we
can actually compare against Zero’s real-world
figures, will be very instructive.
“We spent a lot of time on the battery system,”
said Dyrr Ardash, Senior Commercial Manager
at WAE. “Getting this right [on a motorcycle] is
arguably more important than with any other
type of electric vehicle. We’ve really pushed the
boundaries in order to reduce mass and optimize
position within the frame to benefit handling.
What’s more, we’ve also pushed the limits of
battery performance, balancing cell design
for acceleration and range, with simulations
based on track-based riding. In other words, as
aggressive as possible.”
The new pack features a fully integrated
electronic control system, which WAE says
combines the bike controls with the battery
management for the first time, and it’s also
designed to deliver its full performance punch right
down to zero on the battery meter, where others
curtail performance as the charge runs down.
Ardash is right that weight is a real passionkiller
when it comes to electric motorcycles that
offer proper sports-riding range, so we’ll be very
interested to see the weight of the prototype,
and indeed how the battery itself fares on the
scale next to a Zero unit. Zero Motorcycles has,
after all, been propped up in its pioneering
position on a pile of Weight Watchers cash from
its chief investor Invus, so maybe a bit of friendly
competition might help it get a beach body
happening in the next iteration.
In terms of design, I’m personally delighted to
see that the TE-1 prototype takes after one of
my favorite bikes, the mighty Speed Triple naked
streetbike. Speed and Street Triple owners will
immediately recognize the frame lines, singlesided
swingarm and overall performance naked
ergos here. The design treatment is aggressive,

THIS FEATURE IS POWERED BY
RACING
RED
Honda WSBK are ready
for the new season
ahead and have some
experienced faces in the
team and on the bikes.
We caught up with new
team boss Leon Camier
and both riders ahead
of what is going to be a
very exciting season.
Before taking to the track for the first official
tests of the year, Honda WSBK riders Alvaro
Bautista and Leon Haslam unveiled the
CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE machines with which
they will compete in the 2021 Superbike World
Championship, during what is their second
consecutive season with factory Team HRC.
The virtual presentation of Team HRC, which
was broadcast on HRC social media channels,
was filmed in the team garage, the squad
openings its doors to the many Honda fans
around the world and giving them the chance
to get an early glimpse of the wonderful 2021
CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE livery. Viewers were
also able to hear the comments and expectations
of key team members as they prepare for the
production-derived world championship.
In a message from Japan, HRC Director –
General Manager Race Operations Management
Division Tetsuhiro Kuwata underlined just how
important racing is to Honda. The manufacturer
continuously strives to push the boundaries
every further, improving its bikes by engaging
in international racing, a concept that is even
truer for the CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE, a bike
designed to compete and perform on track. Mr.
Kuwata spoke about the development work
completed over the winter with regard to both
the bike and the organisation of the team. He then
passed over to new team manager Leon Camier.

EXCLUSIVE
FIRST RIDE
NEW SUZUKI
HAYABUSA
T H E B U S A I S B A C K !
NEED
SPEED
4
Finally, the time had come to swing our leg over
a new Suzuki Hayabusa. Is true Busa back and
better than ever? Let’s find out, shall we...
Words by Adam Child ‘Chad’ | Pics by Jason Critchell
Back in 1999, I was just starting out as a motorcycle
journalist. I had hair, a thin waist, and no mortgage. At
the same time, Suzuki launched their first generation
Hayabusa, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on
one. I was only 23, yet I had the keys to a Busa and a
private runway to myself. The Suzuki didn’t disappoint;
it was fast. I remember the analogue speedo passing
200mph, the acceleration nearly ripping away my
badly fitting race leathers. I spent the next few months
telling everyone about Suzuki’s 200mph Busa (this was
before social media), even though the speedo turned
out to be somewhat optimistic…
Yes, in 1999 the Hayabusa redefined the sports
bike class, ripped up the rule book, kicked sand in
the face of other so-called fast bikes – it was a huge
step forward. While conventional sports bikes like

FIRST RIDE
YAMAHA
MT-09 SP
STREET
PREDATOR
Yamaha’s middleweight naked bike has always been a gem and
now for 2021 a new version is upon us. Is it worthy?
Words by Shaun Portman | Pics by Beam Productions
When you think of exciting and thrilling
naked bikes your first thoughts are either
Austrian or Italian. But there is one bike
from Japan that oozes character just like
the KTM and Ducati’s. Yes, I am talking
about: ‘The Dark Side of Japan’, the
Yamaha MT09. First introduced
in 2014 the Yamaha MT09
added a lot of much-needed
flavour to the monotonous
Japanese Naked bike market
and certainly raised some
eyebrows abroad while
doing so.
The bike was so
different from anything
else that had come
out of Japan since my time on this planet.
Powered by an inline 3-cylinder 847cc
liquid-cooled, DOHC, 12 valves engine, it had
something which couldn’t quite be described
but you cracked a smile every time you
rolled on the throttle and tried to find out. It
was relatively cheap, looked good and was
immediately welcomed by professional stunt
riders worldwide due to its naughty nature.
Over the years Yamaha has made small
refinements but that naughty nature has
always been ever-present. Fast forward to
today and they claim to have released an
all-new Yamaha MT09 and we would get to
test it, but not just any MT09, we would get
to test the Yamaha MT09SP- Yamaha’s top of
the range version.

FIRST RIDE
RAD KTM
1290 SUPER
DUKE GT
PURPOSE
BUILT
KTM’s Grand Tourer is one of the best all round street bikes on
the market today, and the team from RAD KTM have just made
it even better. Words by Robert Portman | Pics by Beam Productions
RAD KTM’S
1290 SUPER DUKE
GT SPECIAL
It’s been a while since I’ve swung my leg over the
beauty that is a KTM 1290 Super Duke GT. It took
a mere few seconds to get that feeling of pure
joy once again having finally got my leg over the
demo model tested here from RAD KTM.
Everything about the 1290 SD GT is spot
on. The riding position is set to thrill and offers
massive amounts of comfort - from handlebars,
footpegs to seat - it’s just perfect.
Things get even better when you twist that
throttle and hear the beast roar. Power a plenty
from the LC8 twin motor. With a ridiculous
141Nm of torque and 175 hp on hand, things get
very exciting when riding KTM’s sport-tourer. It’s
a sport-tourer in every sense - it’s sporty and it
can tour, so what more could you want?
Well, from stock you would want to fit a
KTM official Akro pipe to add to the sport and
on the touring side, you would want a pair of
official KTM panniers but without paying stupid
amounts of money, not so?
The bike, as it is here from RAD KTM is fitted
with those products and I know what you are
thinking; “it must cost a pretty penny to add
those extras on”, and you would be right in
thinking that if you shopped anywhere other
than RAD KTM.
Now, I need your full attention here as what I
am about to tell you is well-worthy of it. A new
2021 KTM 1290 Super Duke GT model sells for
R299,999 and is in no way or shape any different
from the 2020 model, which I have on test here.

T O S E L A N D
R E V E A L S A L L
“I won the 2004
title against
the grain.”
For the first time ever, double WorldSBK Champion
James Toseland talks about signing to join World
Superbike at 19, as well as dealing with a heated 2004
title battle. Words by WorldSBK.com
The 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World
Championship continues to edge closer but, in
the meantime, it is time to cast our mind back
to another era of great racing. In the first of two
parts, James Toseland – WorldSBK Champion
in 2004 and 2007 – talks about the early years
of his WorldSBK career and for the first time
ever, opens up about his first year of WorldSBK
but also his first title in 2004. From behind-thescenes
politics to intra-team rivalries, the British
star takes us through the first part of his career
in his own words; “I won the 2004 title against
the grain.”
Looking at the start of his career, Toseland
reflected on being just a teenager with a dream: “I
was 19 when I signed for WorldSBK at Donington
Park in 2000, at the last BSB round. Neil Hodgson
had won the title, but I’d had a big accident whilst
testing at the Cadwell Park and broke my femur.
I got a text from Colin Wright, the team manager
for GSE Racing, and he asked to go to the team’s
truck, just after they took the title.
“I was on crutches at the time, but I left them
in the hospitality of the team I was riding for,
although I shouldn’t have done any weightbaring.
I thought, ‘I can’t go into this potential
World Superbike job offer on crutches, it isn’t
a good sell’ and I always remember getting to
the office and after saying hello, 30 seconds
he gave me some paper and it was a two-year
contract as a teammate to Neil Hodgson in
WorldSBK. He asked me how much I wanted,
and I said I’d ride for free, seeing as I wasn’t in
a very strong negotiating position, but he soon

EXCLUSIVE
FIRST RIDE
NEW DUCATI
SUPERSPORT
D U C A T I ’ S N E W
SUPER
SPORT
Ducati’s first impression of their Supersport machine
was very impressive, so how have they managed to
make it even better?
Words by Adam Child ‘Chad’ | Pics by Tim Keeton Impact Images
Back in 2017, Ducati launched the SuperSport
950, utilising the same 937cc Testastretta
L-twin engine that can be found powering
other models in Ducati’s range. The SuperSport
offered a sensible, softer alternative to those
who loved Ducati styling, who possibly wanted a
Panigale but rationally sought something more
real-world: an attractive road bike that wasn’t
going to break the bank balance but was still
capable, even on the track.
For 2021 Ducati has stayed with a proven
recipe; think of the SuperSport as a practical
sports bike capable of touring and commuting
that can also take on the track with knee
dragging fun, whilst making you feel special
every time you open the garage door. Aside
from now making the SuperSport Euro-
5 compliant without losing any engine
performance, the stylish Italians have added
even more flair, and improved its design and
stance. As well as making the SuperSport more
desirable than ever, they’ve also upped the
electronic aids with a new 6-axis IMU, which
results in more advanced and sophisticated rider
aids that are now lean-sensitive.
We spent a week and around 1200Km in
varying conditions, putting the road-focused
SuperSport through its paces. So, is this the
Ducati road riders should actually buy?

SUPER
EXCLUSIVE
FIRST TEST
KTM 890 &
1290 ADV
ADVENTURES
It was off to the beautiful Drankensberg to test KTM’s
latest adventure bike offerings.
Words by Shaun Portman | Pics by ZCMC
It is always a pleasure to attend launches of new
motorcycles, none more so than those hosted by
KTM South Africa. The effort and detail they go
through is out of this world.
So it was off to the beautiful Champagne
Sports Resort in the Drakensberg for a nice
4 day holiday - Oh yes, did I mention that we
would be putting KTM’s new Adventure bikes to
the test? I was very excited to test both the new
KTM’s and my new Metalize riding jacket, gloves
and boots, A huge thanks to Henderson Racing
Products for spoiling me once again.
After arriving we received a warm welcome,
followed by some drinks. We were only meant
to see the new 890 and 1290 Adventures in
the presentations later that and the next night
before riding them over the next couple of
days. However, I couldn’t resist a sneak peek
and snuck into one of the conference centres
where the beasts were being caged up. To the
naked eyes, it’s hard to spot any real changes
other than the colour schemes but as we
would later learn in the presentations done by
Louwrens Mahoney(Brand Manager at KTM
SA) there have been significant upgrades and
changes of up to 80%-including the bigger and
better 1290 models.
In this feature for MRW we will focus on the
Adventure models, with the R Models making
an appearance in our brand new ‘The Dirty Side”
section later in the mag.

EXCLUSIVE
FIRST SA RIDE
DUCATI
MULTISTRADA
V4 S
MULTI
TASKING
We’ve heard all our fellow journos abroad rave
about the new Multistrada V4 and now finally it
was our turn to see if all the craze is justified.
Words by Robert Portman | Pics by Beam Productions
Known as the Swiss Army knife of motorcycles by many
who have ridden one, the Ducati Multistrada, in many ways
set the bar for sport touring motorcycles when the first
model rolled out of the Bologna factory back in 2003.
And while it divided motorcyclists down the middle - you
either loved the ’80s sci-fi aesthetic, or you hated it - it was
a game-changer no matter how you look at it. Designed
as a hybrid blend of supermoto and sport touring, the
Multistrada was ready to tackle “many roads.”
Fast forward 13 years to 2016, and the Multistrada got
bigger and better. A twin powered 1200 machine that
brought itself closer to its rivals - BMW’s GS and KTM 1290
Super Adv. But Ducati never seems to be happy. The 1200

Looking
Back
History
T h e I l m o r X 3
Maker
Gary McCoy testing
the X3 at Valencia.
2006 Was drawing to a close. The 990cc bikes knew their
time was up, and they would be replaced with 800cc bikes
for 2007. Ilmor decided to get a headstart in the last two
races of 2006, at estoril and valencia respectively. By Jacob Ward
On the face of it, there was a good chance the bike could taste success.
It was conceived by Mario Ilien, who had experience building F1 engines,
and Eskil Suter, who’s chassis would go on to win the 2012 Moto2 title with
Marc Marquez. As you would imagine, the engine was of Ilien’s own design,
a 90-degree V4 with pneumatic valves and F1 know-how. This know-how
would also work the opposite way at one point too, when the engineers
asked Garry McCoy why couldn’t he ‘just hold the throttle steady at 15,000
RPM through the corner’. This was no F1 car, and it was a difficult ask. They
made an engine that was good for the time, producing 240hp from the
800cc lump.
The chassis had a focus on being compact, with angular lines and a slim
profile to cut through the air, very much how the Kawasaki bike of the time
looked. It was a conventional design, a twin-spar aluminium chassis and
aluminium swingarm to boot. Suter had a hand in the design of the Kawasaki
chassis, so this was no coincidence. It was reportedly tricky to nail the
chassis setup, a trait that would continue on a lot of the Suter designed bikes
through the years.
The Ilmor team rocked up to Estoril amidst a lot of chatter and interest,
and when they revealed the bike they talked up it’s potential, claiming
that although the bike would struggle against the 990cc machines on the
200+mph straight, that the bike was actually lapping faster than the Ducati
GP7 in testing. The race in Portugal went exactly as you would expect, with
McCoy qualifying last and coming home in last, 4 laps down from the winner,
Toni Elias. It was no matter, as the Ilmor team had a lot of what they wanted:
Data. As this data was essential for a new team, every lap literally mattered.
There was a nice upshot too though, as even though they had brought up
the rear of the field, the 15th and final point scoring position was theirs.

EXCLUSIVE
FIRST RIDE
NEW ZONTES
ZT 155-U
N E W K I D O N T H E B L O C K
ENGINE: 155cc Four stroke,
liquid cooled, single
POWER: 18.8 hp
TORQUE: 16 Nm
SEAT HEIGHT: 790 mm
Tank capacity: 12.5 l
DRY WEIGHT: 126 kg
ZOOTING
AROUND
There is a new little gem on the motorcycle
market here in SA. It’s called the Zontes ZT
155-U and it’s an impressive piece of kit.
Words & Pics by Brian Cheyne
One bike that has been a hit in South Africa, especially
among the young crowd, is the Suzuki Gixxer 150. Hell,
even I bought one on looks alone to be my daily commute
from the Gautrain station to our office. I covered over
8000 km on that bike without it missing a beat. That
being said, the capacity makes it a bit of an oddity. Our
licensing requirements state that anyone under the age
of 18 can ride a 125 cc bike and when you turn 18, you can
buy a 2500 cc Triumph Rocket if the mood takes you.
So why would you, after riding a 125, decide to get 30
cc more when the whole superbike range is now in your
sights. The sombre truth is that, in South Africa, people
make the mistake of upgrading from a 125 cc to a 1000
cc immediately and then the funeral arrangements follow
soon after. And of course the bike then gets the blame.

RACING PAGES
EXCLUSIVE
PETER
HICKMAN
INTERVIEW
HICKY
P E T E R H I C K M A N I N T E R V I E W
EVERYONE LOVES A
We here at MRW recently had the honour of doing a one-onone
interview with the fastest road-racer in the world, Peter
Hickman. We were only supposed to talk to him for 30minutes,
but over an hour later we were still going in what has to be one of
the most in-depth interviews the UK star has ever done.
By Mitchell Boyes
Chances are if you are reading this
magazine you are a pretty big fan of
motorcycle racing. The chances are also
good that you have at least heard of the
Isle of Man TT races. We all know that
it takes a rather unique type of person
to lap the isle of man at the speed that
the professionals do. One such unique
human being is Peter Hickman. If you
don’t know who Peter Hickman is, here
is some information about him. He is a
British Superbike star; He has won 5 Isle
of Man TT races and is the fastest person
ever to lap the Island with an average
speed of 135.452 mph (216 km/h). He
has also won the Macau Grand Prix 3
times as well as the North West 200 and
last but not least he has won multiple
Ulster Grand Prix’s. That’s a little bit
of information on the career of Peter
Hickman. The guy is fast on two wheels.
Rob got the opportunity to have a
virtual sit down with the British star
and talk all things TT, BSB and much
more. Rob launched straight in asking
Peter that if someone had told 16-yearold
Peter that he would be where he is
today, what would he say? Hicky, as he
is affectionately known, said he would
probably just laugh at you. He carried
on, saying that his has been a long road,
being in the paddock since 2004.

LOCAL LAUNCH
FIRST RIDE
FIRST RIDE
T7
LIFE WITH A
700
SUPER NEW
YAMAHA TÉNÉRÉ
ADVENTURES
KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE R
KTM 890 ADVENTURES
ALSO INSIDE: ENDURO SA ROUND 1 ||| HONDA CRF300L
A CONVERSATION WITH MARVIN MUSQUIN ||| NEW PRODUCTS
EXCLUSIVE
WADE
YOUNG
I N T E R V I E W

NEWS
DESK
BIGGER AND
BETTER!
Honda boosts the new
2021 CRF300L with
bigger engine
After nine years in the global markets,
Honda’s entry-level CRF has received a
major Euro-5 update. This includes a new
frame, enlarged engine, richer equipment
list and several targeted changes to
complement its dual-purpose abilities.
Honda enjoys a long tradition in the
dual-purpose motorcycle class, dating
back to the early 1970s and the pioneering
XL250. The lightweight air-cooled fourstroke
single, one of the first to introduce
a four-valve cylinder head in this category,
spawned a long line of popular descendants
in capacities from 125 to 650 cc, next to the
more off-road-capable XR series.
In 2012 Honda introduced a new 250-
cc dual purpose model under the CRF
family moniker, mimicking the looks of
its contemporary four-stroke enduro and
motocross racing models. This time the
CRF250L was not designed from scratch,
but was rather based on an adaptation of
the liquid-cooled single-cylinder motor of
the CBR250R sportbike.
Very little changed until 2017 when the
CRF was updated to the Euro 4 norms,
escorted by a brand-new Rally version that
donned the base model with a fairing kit
cloned after the CRF450R Dakar Rally racer.

NEWS
DESK
Fittingly, the deadline for the latest Euro 5
rules’ implementation brought about the next
evolution of the entry-level model. The new
CRF300L’s single-cylinder engine has once
again been outsourced from the CBR series,
measuring 286 cc by means of a longer piston
stroke for the same bore compared to the
previous model.
This bigger motor offers a little more power,
as the official figures reveal 27 hp – that’s 2.6
up from the CRF250L, maximized at the same
8,500 rpm limit.
Torque peaks at 26.6 Nm, marking an
18-percent increase, but more importantly
the maximum value is now achieved 250 rpm
lower than before at 6,500. With the piston
stroke increased by 8 mm (0.3 in) and the
intake camshaft’s timing accordingly revised,
Honda went for a torque boost in the low and
middle rev range, describing the new engine
as “considerably stronger” everywhere above
2,000 rpm.
Compliance to new emission rules also
involved redesigning the air filter, exhaust and
ignition timing, and the addition of an iridium
spark plug. Honda upgraded the bike’s specs
with an assist and slip clutch, and updated the
gearbox with a taller sixth and shorter ratios
on all other gears.
The frame follows the same steel semidouble
cradle frame design, revamped for
less lateral rigidity, a 4-kg weight loss and
increased ground clearance by 30 mm (1.2 in),
now measuring an impressive 285 mm (11.2 in).
The suspensions once again come from
Showa, featuring 43-mm inverted forks and
a monoshock rear unit in Honda’s standard
Pro-Link setup; both units are non-adjustable
except for spring preload at the back. One
notable difference on the 2021 application
regards suspension travel, which is raised to
260 mm (10.2 in) all around.
The braking system hasn’t changed, keeping
the same two-pot caliper on a 296-mm (11.7-
in) wave disk at the front with a two-channel
ABS system keeping things tidy. Unfortunately
the ABS cannot be deactivated for more
demanding off-road use, a task that the bike
seems up for.
The updates that Honda introduced with
the new CRF300L sound wisely tuned to how
its customers used the previous model. The
main point is to make a noticeable difference
where it matters the most and, with the
torquier midrange of the bigger engine, the
bike should feel stronger and faster at city
speeds, where both CRFs are expected to
spend most of their lives.
Honda suggests that the top speed is very
slightly increased to 132 km/h, which doesn’t
come as a surprise given the taller final gear,
and will probably be appreciated by riders
whose daily routine involves some highway or
those who wish to venture farther away from
city limits.
The new output profile should also favor
off-road use, with its torquey engine topped
with sufficient suspension travel and hefty
ground clearance. Honda made sure that,
in either guise, the new CRF300 will be
more than capable in
its dual-purpose
duties, all the while
remaining friendly for
inexperienced riders.
The new 300L
has arrived in SA and
is now available from
Honda East Rand Mall at
R84 999. Call them on
011 826 4444.

E N D U R O S A : A L I V E & K I C K I N G
DOWN &
DIRTY
Enduro racing here in SA is back and better than ever thanks
to a new team running the series. We as MRW were invited to
become the official media partner to the series for 2021, we
accepted and this is what started “The Dirty Side” of MRW.
In this feature we chat to some of SA’s top talents.
Words by Mitchell Boyes | Pics by Enduro SA, KTM SA & Husqvarna SA
In the world of motorcycles, several disciplines require men
and woman that take part to ride over mountains and a variety
of obstacles. Since Moto Rider World started, we have been
focusing on road-going machines. Now, things have changed and
we at MRW have started “The Dirty Side” of Moto Rider World!
This all stemed from a call Rob got from Greg, the new man
behind the Enduro SA series asking if MRW would like to come
on as the official media partner to the new-look Enduro SA series
for 2021. Rob accepted and through the idea “The Dirty Side”
was born to cater not only for the new Enduro SA series but allthings
dirty.
Greg loved what we were doing with MRW and wanted the
same for Enduro SA as good quality media for the enduro scene
here in SA was lacking. It needed a boost, and we are here to give
it just that!
The new series is exactly what riders, teams, sponsors and
manufacturers wanted. The season has been split into three
championships effectively - the Enduro SA; focussing on proper
enduro style riding - Extreme Enduro; focussing on more extreme
type enduro riding (more hard enduro style) and then the overall
NESS championship combining both and making an overall series
in itself to see who is the ultimate champion.
Rob attended the first round of the Enduro SA championship
held at the Titans track out in Harties recently. Rob was amased
by the whole scene and the racing action and skill displayed by

THIS FEATURE IS POWERED BY
WADE
YOUNG
E X C L U S I V E I N T E R V I E W
He is one of the dirtiest bastards to ever come out of
SA and has taken the world by storm with his dirty
tricks. He is none other than Wade Young and our Rob
had a one-on-one interview with the Sherco Factory
rider to chat about all things past and present.
Words by Mitchell Boyes | Pics by Red Bull Content Pool & others

TRAVEL
LIGHT
Y A M A H A T É N É R É 7 0 0
Marvin
Musquin
Andy Biram has spent a lot of time on the new Yamaha Ténéré
700 lately, so who better to give us an impression of what the
new machine is like.
Words by Andy Biram | Pics by Andy Biram & Doug Reekie
After being appointed as a brand ambassador
for Linex Yamaha Randburg in October 2020, I
was fortunate enough to recieve the first 2020
Yamaha Tenere 700 to be ridden by a non-
Yamaha employee. My role for Yamaha is to ride
this brand new bike on all of my countrywide
adventure tours, use the bike while training clients
and generally be seen out and about on Yamaha’s
latest adventure offering.
I’ve been challenged, ever since I was
appointed, by friends saying that a sponsored
bike will illicit a biased review. While I can’t deny
that I didn’t pay for the bike, I can confirm that
if I wasn’t impressed I would not be writing this
report, I’d just keep quiet and quietly hand the
bike back after my tenure. This is my honest
opinion and I’d love to hear your feedback once
you’ve ridden it too.
Now worldwide, the Ténéré 700 (or T7 as it’s
affectionately been nicknamed) has proved to
be a massive hit saleswise, out selling all other
adventure motorcycles inits launch year in 2019.
Even the all conquering 1250 GS which it outsold
by 60 units in October 2019 in Germany!
The biggest drawback with the little Yamaha,
in my opinion, is that it doesn’t look all that

Marvin MARVIN
Musquin
In 2021 the 31-year old has been part of the AMA Supercross and
Motocross paddock for a decade so we decided to make a call
and ask #25 about coming back to the Indoor series after a year
away through injury, making an impact in a crazily close ’21
contest, KTM longevity, his career and more…
A C O N V E R S A T I O N W I T H
MUSQUIN
Words by Adam Wheeler (KTM Blog) | Pics by KTM Images
“Can you hear me?” Marvin Musquin is surrounded by hissing
and squirts of air. It sounds like he’s in a submarine. “I’m just
sitting in a hyperbaric chamber…so it’s a good time to talk!”
Twelve and a half years submerged in Red Bull KTM colours
means Marvin is the longest-serving racer for the company,
bagging two FIM MX2 world titles, a 250SX crown, Motocross of
Nations glory and a seven-figure cheque at the Monster Energy
Cup. It’s been quite a career since his protracted move into
the factory Grand Prix team in 2009 and the likeable Florida
resident is still operating at the highest level, earning podium
finishes already in the current 450SX supercross campaign. We
might be disturbing his post-training moment of tranquillity,
but it is a rare occasion to get the Frenchman during some
‘downtime’ while the hectic supercross season is running…

EXCLUSIVE
FIRST TEST
KTM 890 &
1290 ADV
SUPER
The Dirty Version
ADVENTURES
You’ve already read what we
thought of the new KTM 890
Adventure and 1290 Super
Adventure S models, now
it’s time to get a bit more
dirty with the R models.
Words by Shaun Portman | Pics by ZCMC
We’re gonna take you back to the glory that is
Drakensberg and this time get a bit more dirty. You’ve
read all about the new KTM 890 Adventure and 1290
Super Adventure S models in the MRW section of the
mag, now it’s time for me to take you through the two
R models we tested in this our first edition of “The
Dirty Side” of MRW.
As you can tell I survived the trip and did not
tumble once proving that us road-racing guys can
ride dirt. To be honest, it’s more down to the bikes
being so damn good...