Sales of sub-500cc bikes are soaring. Even firms who’ve built their business around big-engined behemoths are suddenly launching small-capacity sidekicks. To explore the rising popularity of shrinking steeds, the latest issue of Bike brings together BMW’s all-new F450GS and all-conquering R1300GS for one of the year’s most revealing rides. Is now the time to start thinking big about small bikes?
If you can’t decide between the two, you could always build your own bike that combines the best of both worlds. Extraordinary engineer Andy Stevenson did just that in creating his incredible ASP4, a wild-looking home-made special that crams 1000cc firepower into a 250-sized chassis. Find out how he did it, and what this astonishing creation feels like to ride, in our world-exclusive test.
Elsewhere this month we’ve pitched Triumph’s much-anticipated Trident 800 against Yamaha’s MT-09 and Ducati’s new Monster V2, stepped inside the madcap world of Harley Bagger Racing, scaled the highest road in the world on a rented Royal Enfield, and learned the secrets of working with MotoGP’s top riders from crew chief Frankie Carchedi. All this and plenty more, only in the September issue of Britain’s best-selling bike magazine – out now.