Kevin Ash Articles
News
What’s the deal with Yamaha’s new three-cylinder?
We do know that Yamaha has a new three-cylinder engine on the way which it's very excited about. We don't know why...The engine is very important to Yamaha as it's symbolic of a return to its old values of innovation and risk taking, areas it was stronger in than any of the other Japanese factories. Yamaha has tried hibernating through the recession but this isn't working, the world's economic wo...
08 October 2012
How Ducati Skyhook semi-active suspension works
There are two main technical advances on the 2013 Ducati Multistrada 1200. One is a package of upgrades to the engine, but the second is the real headline: "Skyhook" suspension, semi-active electronics have arrived in motorcycles. The engine is the same basic Testastretta 11° which made its debut in the first Multistrada, so I'll concentrate on the changes. The fuel injectors on the new bike a...
04 October 2012
News
Motorcycle racing is money wasted
It’s time for the motorcycle industry to have a serious think about its priorities, because they're looking bizarrely skewed right now. The classic mantra tells us that winning on Sunday sells on Monday, but is this really true, or indeed relevant? If ever there was the perfect time to drive up the decimated sales figures of bikes and scooters, this is the time. Fuel is gaspingly expensive and ...
02 August 2012
News
A rebuttal to Kevin Ash’s Super Tenere review
How long will it take for western motorcycle media to understand that pure enthusiasts are not the volume drivers of this industry? Many will think Kevin Ash's recent review on HFL for the 2012 Yamaha Super Tenere is fair and balanced, but it's just as possible the criticisms leveled against the new Yamaha are misdirected and narrow in scope. I admit to having a pro-Japanese tilt, but the fact i...
03 November 2010
2012 Yamaha Super Tenere: first ride
The 2012 Yamaha Super Tenere is being launched to the US press today, but we figured we’d get a jump on them by asking Kevin Ash, England’s most respected motorcycle reviewer, what he thought about the GS-rival. His opinion after riding it on and off-road? Well, he compares it to a Japanese cruiser. — Ed. Photos: Friedemann Kirn, Alessio Barbanti, Paul Barshon There’s no doubting which...
03 November 2010
What's the dual clutch transmission on the Honda VFR1200 DCT like?
We always knew it would work, this Dual Clutch Transmission thing. It's a Honda, after all, and when it comes to engineering, Honda doesn't do duff. But that doesn't mean all the questions are answered, and the two big ones are, do you want it? And will we get it on sport bikes? Here's what it's like to ride the 2010 Honda VFR1200F DCT.>Editor's Note: We asked England's premier motorcycle reviewer...
30 June 2010