THE LITTLE THINGSBy Tug McClutchin – Image credit Motothing “ Then the authorities realised that having a 250cc limit meant youngsters were ending up on 250cc two strokes like Suzuki’s RGV and Aprilia’s lovely RS, and they decided that having that much fun needed to be outlawed, obviously. ” Sometimes, when your job includes testing motorcycles, you are forced to ride bikes you would never normally choose to ride. Before you start writing nasty emails about me to the Editor (again), I’m not complaining. It’s all fun, for the most part. They’re bikes, after all. Occasionally they turn out to be exactly what you expect, but more often than not, they open your eyes, even just a little.

“CROSS A STREET DRAGSTER AND AN EXCEPTIONAL CAR,YOU WILL HAVE A REFINED BEAST”Words and Images: Tom Boissel (Cus’Tom Motorcycle). So, we are on a Vmax 1200 carbon from 2002 4500 km. My client’s request was to take inspiration from motocrew’s Vmax café racer, by crossing it with an exclusive Porsche 911 series, on a low-mileage motorcycle, keeping the identity of the Vmax, and to add the RAGE signature of the workshop. It took me several months of research to find the rare gem of 4500 km, entirely original.

RIDING OFF THE BEATEN TOURIST PATH IN THE BALKANS Intriguing Southeast Europe with Adriatic Moto ToursWORDS by Tim Walker; photos by Tim Walker & Adriatic Moto Tours “ Our riding skills in curves were tested on our very first day when we rode alongside the wandering Danube River separating Serbia and Romania. ” If one word could describe the riding experience in the half dozen Balkan countries on the AMT Intriguing Southeast Europe tour, that word would be variety.

By Tug McClutchin Yeah, not really. But that’s only because my people are six feet tall and not very flexible. Were it not for that, the X350 may just tick some boxes. I haven’t spoken to Pete (who wrote the main review of the bike) about his thoughts, but he’s an even taller lad than me, so he’s my people too, and I’m going to assume he found the same issues as me, but you can read for yourself in his piece.

Words Pete Vorst Photography Motohead I caned Harley’s new X350, I caned it remorselessly! I tried to break it by thrashing it around town and when that didn’t work, I took it for a 600-plus kilometre ride into Western NSW and I thrashed it some more, well outside what Harley envisage the X350 would be subjected to by the average punter – it didn’t break!

I may be the editor of a motorcycling magazine however I have had a long-term interest in the professional cycling tours; most particularly, the Tour de France. Watching the motards (see article below) is a natural part of the audience experience and it’s a career choice that anyone with sporting, motorcycling, and media interests could be naturally attracted to. One of the best known motards is Willy Wauthle (if you enjoy cycling you might like to follow Willy on FB www.facebook.com/willy.wauthle ). Willy’s last race was in 2023 but he continues with his passion for the riding and the career that made him a household name in international racing circles.

The long and winding road on a 2024 Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic 114Words: Heather Ellis Photos: Karen (Kaz) Forman “I seriously asked myself, like many a rider when we reach a certain age: ‘Is it time for a bit more comfort … and a lot more power?’ ”

Andrew Gosling – tbgsport, Rob Mott – RbMotoLens, Half Light Photographic I didn’t have the pleasure of seeing Giacomo Agostini race, but I’d likely have been bored anyway. Watching a guy win all the time on a machine that is miles better than what anyone else has doesn’t do it for me. Not that it matters. I saw Valentino Rossi race since his 125cc debut, and I enjoyed every second of it. He’s my generation’s Ago. When Valentino retired, I felt a mixture of love and loss. Loss for his departure from our fortnightly racing appetite, and love for what he gave us, and for the incredible sport he has left us all with to carry us into the future. Don’t think for a moment that what we have now as the sport we all love would be what it is without him. It wouldn’t.

Life is good Harley Davidson’s launch of the 2024 Road Glide™, Street Glide™ and Aussie-first Road Glide™ Limited. Images: Incite Images/Harley-Davidson Attending new-model releases is part-and-parcel of working on a bike mag, but some are tougher than others. The launch of the Street Glide and Road Glide was about as good as it gets. If it were possible today to ride in a Harley-Davidson freedom story from the 1970s, this is what it would be like.

“You live more in five minutes at full throttle on a motorcycle like this, than some people do in their entire life.” TEXT AND PHOTOS: HERMANN KOEPF