I take a look at why the Dunlop Sportmax Alpha 14 is an amazing tyre, but also why it gets passed over for standard fitment of the Dunlop Sportmax GPR-300 on the Yamaha YZF-R3 and Kawasaki Ninja 400, with far more than just pure grip coming into the decision making process. For a lot of riders getting the right tyre can come down to stumbling upon the right choice, but I look at how these two differ here and what kind of riders and riding habits they suit, with the Alpha 14 being a sport/track option and the GPR-300 a more commuter friendly alternative. Let me know your experiences with these tyres, or if you've got any questions and I'll do my best to answer them. Is there any other tyre you'd suggest that would make a good alternative? Don't forget to subscribe: https://motojournokris.com/youtube ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2VeHZC4ldw

Ducati have announced the 2021 XDiavel Dark, as well as the XDiavel Black Star, with Ducati’s hyper-cruiser, receiving a number of updates for 2021, revolving around the new version being Euro5 compliant with a performance boost as a result, for markets who get the Euro5 version. As you may have guessed the XDiavel Dark is the blacked out version, featuring a matt black paint scheme, with only a handful of components bucking that trend, including the triples, bar risers, muffler and brakes. The XDiavel Black Star adds grey to the metallic black, as well as a few dashes of red, plus a number of up-spec features. I’ll go through the specifications of the 2021 XDiavel models, and point out where the Black Star differs, to keep things simple. The Multistrada may be moving to the V4 for 2021, but the XDiavel remains the Testrastretta 1262 DVT powerplant, a 90 degree V2 with Desmodromic variable timing. Compression is run at 13:1 and Ducati reckon that the Euro5 version offers 160 horsepower, while non Euro5 markets will receive a 152 hp. Torque peaks at 127 Nm on the Euro5 version, and is just 1 Nm lower on the non-Euro5 version. Fuel is fed via enormous 56 mm elliptical throttle bodies, and controlled via a ride-by-wire system. There’s a slipper and self servo clutch which is hydraulically controlled, and final drive is belt driven. It does seem likely that the Diavel will be kept as the more traditional Ducati 90 degree twin, with that being a defining feature for many cruiser riders. The Diavel has no doubt prompted many riders who may not have considered a cruiser before to make the jump, and if the performance figures mentioned so far aren’t a clue to why, check out the rest of the specs. The chassis is a tubular steel trellis frame, and forks are adjustable 50 millimetre upside down units, with a DLC coating found on the Black Star version. A single sided swingarm is mated to a preload and rebound adjustable rear shock, with 17inch wheels on both ends. Wheels are a 3.50 by 17 inch front, and an enormous 8.00 by 17 inch rear, with a light alloy cast unit found on the Dark, but the Black Star runs forged and machines rims instead, saving 2 kg. Both are clad in Diablo Rosso III rubber. Things only get better with the brakes. The XDiavel Dark runs credible Brembo M4.32 four-piston calipers, with an adjustable PR18/19 front brake master-cylinder and cornering ABS. On the Black Star that gets beefed up to an M50 Brembo radial monoblock caliper with a PR 16/19 radial master-cylinder. Both run dual 320 mm semi-floating rotors, as well as a 265 mm rear rotor and dual piston Brembo floating caliper. Traditionally an adjustable master cylinder is more of something you’d see on a race machine, while just having a radial master cylinder is p ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gfq-VahK8W4

Let’s talk the arrival of Royal Enfield’s updated Classic 350, we’ve just had pricing announced here in Australia and the bike looks set to introduce updates first seen on the Meteor 350. I’d say that’s an exciting announcement because while the older bikes certainly ticked all the boxes as far as authenticity for old retro bike feel, they could have done with some modernisation, which normally delivers a slightly more refined package. Now pricing has been announced here in Australia, as well as UK, with the 2022 Classic 350 starting at $7,990 Australian ride-away for the Halycon versions, $8,290 for the Signals, $8,690 for the Dark and the Chrome versions are $8,790. In the UK in comparison, the Halycon sits at £4279 pounds, the Dark at £4359 pounds and Chrome at £4439. When it comes to the Classic 350 in 2022, we get the updated powerplant seen on the Meteor 350, with EFI, power just over 20 hp and 27 Nm of torque, alongside a balancer shaft that’ll smoothen out running vibes if perhaps at the expense of a little character. The 350s and 500s have had an excess of character though, so I think most riders will appreciate the change. The gearbox remains a five-speed, and a 13 litre fuel tank is fitted. On the chassis side of things, we’ve seen the single-tube frame, become a twin downtube affair, with 41 mm forks and dual preload adjustable shocks. Wheels are a 19 inch front and 18 inch rear combo, with most variants running spoked rims, while the two Dark variants run the alloy wheels. Disc brakes are larger 300 mm front rotor with two piston caliper, while a 270 mm rear unit with single piston caliper is fitted, alongside a dual channel ABS system. A more high tech dash now adds an LCD and a USB charging port, alongside an analogue speedo, with Australian bikes carrying a three year, unlimited kilometre warranty and road-side assist package. Obviously the Classic 350 is LAMS and A2 compliant with that power output, and there’s a definite focus on the traditional and retro elements of this bike, with styling remaining old school. We’ve seen improvements, with the move from the 35 mm forks to the new 41s, the larger disc brakes, and the new EFI engine but Royal Enfield have retained the spirit of their 350 and 500 cc machines, which I’d say brings people a lot closer to a true retro machine – for something new – than we can typically expect from the many neo retro offerings. That’s certainly been a success too, and I’ve seen plenty of the Royal Enfields out and about here in Sydney, while I’ve always enjoyed testing them. Images courtesy of Royal Enfield Australia. If you like my videos you can support the channel on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/motojournokris Don't forget to subscribe and hit that n ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-bkfRzh8tY

Yamaha's FJR1300 offers the full package when it comes to sports touring, but how does that equate to ergonomics and general rider fit? I have a chat about my impressions of the FJR1300 ergonomics as a 180 cm tall rider, and how the bike feels and handles low speed maneuvers, as well as how that almost 300 kg kerb weight translates into real world scenarios. For a big bike Yamaha have really done an exceptional job with the balance, centre of gravity and general handling on this motorcycle. For a machine that may seem intimidating at a glance the FJR1300 actually offers a very user friendly package, including dual seat heights as standard, of either 805 mm or 825 mm. Comfort is also a strong point, with long days in the saddle easily handled, for both rider and a pillion, with a luxurious overall feel, and welcome inclusions like an adjustable screen. Don't forget to subscribe: https://motojournokris.com/youtube ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GB6VeyE2Nc