Dunlop have an offer on Roadsmart 4s running until next month - buy a pair of tyres and the front is free.

The Big K (K1600) has lost its record to a Triumph Tiger 

Iván Cervantes (Tiger 1200 GT Explorer) has taken the most miles covered in 24 hours from Carl Reese (K1600GT), taking it from 2117 miles up to 2493 miles.

Wow! New legislation has just been passed to fit speed limiters to all new cars from 2022.

The mandatory speed limiters will be introduced at the same time as a raft of other safety equipment, which includes data loggers, autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, a driver fatigue detection system, reversing sensors or cameras, and pre-wiring for alcohol interlock devices. All new models given type approval from May 2022 onwards will be required to have these systems, while models on the market prior to that date must have them by May 2024.

Doesn't look like it applies to bikes as yet!

All new bikes going for approval from 1st of Jan 2020 have to be Euro 5. There is a one year grace period and then ALL bikes sold from 1st Jan 2020 have to be Euro 5. So far only XRs are Euro 5 in the BMW range:

https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/news-and-views/news/2020/april/bike-industry-pushing-delay-euro5

Does make you wonder if there will be a load of pre-registered deals at the end of the year - or a further years extension? Or will a whole bunch of bikes just disappear?

After having a strange time on bikes for a few months, I am almost back where I started.

Had the XR, which I loved owning but couldn't get it around corners for some reason, and traded it in for a R1250GS HP, which I love riding but don't love owning. Strange world.

My K16GT Sport hit two years old and went out of warranty, so I sold it on and convinced myself I could be without a "K" for the first time in 10 years. 2 days later my wife caught me looking at pictures of the K16 again.

I spoke to Reiten Mottorrad, and they put together an amazing deal for me on a base level K16GT with a few extra bits added on, and I am please as punch with it. Better still it comes with three years warranty and three years free servicing thrown in:



And with my old Akras fitted, new "Held" crashbars and my old topbox re-keyed.

Needed a new helmet to replace my ageing Shcuberth C3 and spent ages looking at options. Loved the look of the Shoei NeoTech 2, but after trying on several different models I found I really liked the Shark Evo One 2. Fitted me well, and after a few big Tours this year, I found some stop start riding around small towns I was riding with the chin up on the Schuberth which doesn't really work 

This one is homologated as a Open Face or Full Face, and that has grown on me. Wouldn't normally wear an open face, but little things like going through Customs at Euro Tunnel rather than keep taking it on and off has swung me. I was also worried about it being plastic, but I guess things have moved on as it gets quite high safety ratings. With a Pin Lock in the box as well as a dedicated Bluetooth kit available.

Not actually ridden with it yet, will let you know how noisy it is?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0b1D7CR_Rk

Just got hold of a set of BMW Panniers for the XR. After the usual three days to change the locks (the pannier lock are the same as the K1300S once you have stripped them right down) I fitted them.

38 inch wide - same as my K16GT   

Not quite as nippy through traffic as I thought it would be!

Took my K1300S up to Reiten Mottorad on Saturday for a trade in against an S1000XR. Well, for me the journey home was a lot more comfortable than the journey there. I had put the K1300S back to standard, including the handlebars, and as  Gentleman of a certain size I seem to have a bit too much tummy nowadays to reach those low bars  .

What I would say though, the K13S is still a brilliant bike, sitting at 90mph is effortless and  the engine is sooo strong it is far too easy to go fast, especially when playing with the quick shifter out of roundabouts. But for me it is just not enjoyable when going slow. Riding the XR home it was far more comfortable at low and not too bad going fast, would not be good over a 100mph for any distance (probably a good thing?) and at last a proper cruise control again, like my K16GT has (and K13GT has). Great, hit one of the average speed camera roads and just set the speed to 1mph above the limit.

Right, the Elephant in The Room – it does vibrate still. Not enough to be a problem (rubber mounted bars on the Euro4 version) but you can feel it throughout the bike – handlebars, pegs, body work and more importantly the pillion grab rails  . I wonder how bad the older version was?Funny enough I noticed some on my K13S that I hadn’t noticed before – it now has standard bars where I always had Helibars or Superbike bars – nowhere near as bad as the XR, but definitely there.

The K13S Quick Shifter is brilliant, I think it was one of the first bikes to have that as standard, but now the standard is for a two way shifter. My K16GT has it and so does the XR, really great for attacking roundabouts or tight turns – just keep knocking down the gears. And one of my favourite things engineered into the XR is the “Thrust Acoustics” in Dynamic Mode – great roar of the induction and pops and bangs on the overrun and on downshifts – really does sound good when riding with a bit of spirit.

Brakes are pretty much comparable, both are superb, but the XR has the latest generation ABS module that works in corners, and has less intrusion in some of the higher power modes.

Engine power feels very similar, but the K13S will leave the XR for dead over 100pm due to better aerodynamics – in fact my K16GT does as well, I found that out riding with some last year in Germany. But in Dynamic mode it does allow power wheelies – very impressive out of slow bends when it does a controlled wheelie in 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Put it in Dynamic Pro and it turns off the wheelie control, as well as greatly reduced rear wheel lift control, ABS and Traction control – and a track mode and a bit pointless on the road, but I had it activated with a little plug under the seat anyway.

When I got home I had a good result as well, the SW-Motech Quick Release ring and bag fitted perfectly, and my Hepco & Becker rack fitted onto the XR and looks good, allow my Touratech tail back to fir, or my 52 Ltr Hepco & Becker Top Box to click on – looks bloody horrible mind you (and did on the K13S   ) but practical if needed. I haven’t got a set of panniers for the XR yet, but might. They are slightly bigger then the K13S ones, so with the tank bag and top box it will carry about the same or more if needed.

All in all, I am happy to have made the swap. I think this will accompany my K16GT better than the K13S did – I tried putting higher bars on it etc, but never quite got it how I wanted. Don’t know how I will get back on with a chain, but they seem to last well nowadays, and also the Dynamic ESA does stop the front diving, not as good as the duolever setup, but pretty close.