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BYD e6

THE STORY GOES that Chinese car makers are too busy catering to their massive domestic market to bother exporting BYD e6 but that’s not the case with BYD, China’s sixth-largest car maker. Build Your Dreams has imported 50 of its e6 all-electric crossovers to the UK and begun a process of polishing them by directing sales to professional fleet customers, and engaging consultants such as Ricardo and MIRA to help.BYD e6

The car is a neat-looking five-door hatchback, powered by a single 119bhp engine with a torque peak of 332lb ft. More powerful versions are proposed, but BYD reckons the single-engined version, which can cruise easily at 70mph yet has a range of around

140 miles, makes more sense for fleet operators.BYD e6

The e6 is slightly smaller than a Land Rover Freelander, with a similar elevated driving position and level of cabin luxury, although many of the materials and surfaces won’t suit Europe’s private buyers. The biggest drawback (apart from the price) is the boot; it’s hard to imagine four occupants’ airport luggage fitting in it.BYD e6

BYD e6

language: EN-US;">Step-off is leisurely, but the car cruises well, with little wind noise. Sadly, this silence reveals whirrs and buzzes that private buyers wouldn’t tolerate. For UK roads, the spring and damper rates allow far too much pitch and bounce and the power steering, while quick, lacks the feel we’re used to. Still, BYD’s BYD e6
expertise with electric powertrains is obvious. Cars like this are coming; it’s just a matter of when.

Triumph Speed Triple R

     I'm stacking on the miles. That’s because 1) I love riding this motorcycle, and 2) I’ve had a few assignments outside Los Angeles County that I opted to ride to. Before I could shove off on my f rst overnight trip, I needed to reinstall my Ventura luggage system. Fine, except the L-brackets—the structural pieces that bolt to the bike’s subframe and support the rack and Mistral packtriumph speed triple rwere bent in the crash. No problem, because Ventura (www.ventura-mca. com) sells components individually, allowing me to order up new L-brackets for $174. triumph speed triple r

     Back with my rack and pack, I realized something that may have contributed to that rear-ender incident. There’s no doubt the driver who hit me wasn’t paying attention, but I may have been hard to see; the tail pack is tall enough that it obscures the big ref ective stripe that spans the back of my

Aerostich Roadcrafter suit. As a quick f x, I outlined a triangle in red ref ective vinyl tape on the back of the pack. It def nitely makes the bike more visible from the back, even in daylight, plus it matches the R’s red subframe and rim strips. Nice! I don’t want to look like a construction site, though, so I’ll probably add some auxiliary LED brake lights as a more elegant, permanent f x.triumph speed triple r

     I logged an easy 350 miles cruising to and from El Cajon, CA, to ride the Suzuki Hayabusa discussed elsewhere in this issue. With my MFW Vario footpegs offering more legroom and the Mistral pack serving as a backrest, the trip went down in comfort. After stepping off the ’Busa, the Speed Triple didn’t feel quite as fast, but the upright riding position is more comfortable for longer rides, and I made the entire return trip to Santa Monicatriumph speed triple rabout 150 milestriumph speed triple rin one sitting, averaging an all-time high of 47 mpg.triumph speed triple r

BMW R1200GS

BMW’s globetrotting GS has topped my dream-bike list since forever, so when Cook offered me our 2013 long-termer—the frst water-cooled Boxer in the 90-year history of that engine configuration—I jumped at the chance. There was just one condition— my frst assignment would be to ride the bike from the U.S. press launch in Valencia, CA, to my home in Milwaukee, WI, 2200 miles away.BMW R1200GS

Because that launch happened at the tail end of our “Class of” test that already had me away from home 5 days, I was forced to make my return trip in just 2 days. I had done a similar trip a decade ago, on a Yamaha YZF-R1, and it was one of the more miserable experiences of my twowheeled life—one I wasn’t looking forward to repeating. But less than 50 miles into this ride, reveling in the next-generation Boxer’s newfound power along the two-lane Pearblossom Highway just south of Willow Springs, I knew this ride would be different.BMW R1200GS

I’ve said it before about BMW’s K1600GT and this also applies to the GS, which delivers an even more comfortable riding position and only sacrifces some wind protection: This bike makes the Iron Butt Association’s “SaddleSore” contest irrelevant. Anyone who can stand upright can comfortably click off a 1000-mile day on the GS, especially one equipped with the $620 Comfort Package that includes handguards and heated grips, which I appreciated over Colorado’s snowed-in, 34-degree Loveland Pass, and excellent cruise control ($350) with a slick toggle to precisely adjust speed up or down.BMW R1200GS

The best option on this bike, however, is the $2100 Dynamic ESA that lays BMW’s revolutionary semi-active damping system over electronic suspension adjustment that allows pushBMW R1200GSbutton preload adjustment (for different passenger and luggage loads), as well as Soft, Normal, and Hard suspension profles. ESA is more than a noveltyBMW R1200GSit’s fairly remarkable to glide over tornBMW R1200GSup interstate wallowing in the long-travel comfort of the Soft setting, then, with just the click of a barBMW R1200GSmounted button, instantly tighten the ride for a twisty side road. It was especially illustrative to jump on the GS after spending four days on BMW’s HP4 superbike that features Dynamic Damping Control without ESA. The dynamic advantages seem even more evident on the GS: ESA makes fairly radical changes to chassis attitude and feedback, but suspension action and reactivity remains remarkable consistentBMW R1200GSand nearly perfect—across the many settings.BMW R1200GS

There are also four ride modes—Rain, Road, Dynamic, and Enduro (the latter, for off-road riding, is only available on Dynamic ESA bikes). Each mode alters not only power output and delivery, but ASC (traction control) and ABS strategies as well. Because my tester was delivered without an owner’s manual, it took most of my frst day to fgure out how to navigate the various handlebar buttons to alter the electronic parameters—and disable ASC’s obnoxious wheelie-abatement!BMW R1200GSto suit my whims. A big part of my frst weeks will be devoted to learning the nuances of these many systems. BMW R1200GS

Like I mentioned in my Megaphone column that appeared in our August issue, I’m going to resist the urge to modify this bike too much. With a more powerful engine and some of the most sophisticated suspension and engineBMW R1200GSmanagement technology ever ftted to a motorbike, there’s little performance improvement to be gained, anyway. Instead, I’m just going to rideBMW R1200GS. The GS is already proven capable everywhere from Dakar to Dawson City to the Darien Gap. My ride home was mostly interstate, but a few miles of fre road in Utah’s Fishlake National ForestBMW R1200GSa touch of slickrock, tooBMW R1200GSgot me dreaming of knobby tires, crash bars, and other “necessities” for exploring the off-highway potential of my new best friend. I’m looking forward to an adventurous year.BMW R1200GS

Wolfman Peak Tail Bag

Wolfman Peak Tail BagNot every dual-sport ride is a crossthe- continent expedition, so there’s no need to carry your entire inventory of ADV kit all the time. And that’s where Wolfman Luggage’s Peak Tail Bag comes in.

Wolfman Peak Tail BagThis 8-liter, wedge-shaped bag fts perfectly on the factory racks of many dual-sport machinesWolfman Peak Tail Bagin fact, it mated to the Husky Terra’s stock piece like it was made for itWolfman Peak Tail Bagand is large enough to hold your essential tools, plus your own incidentals like wallet and cell phone. Bungee-cord webbing on the top adds capacity. Internal compression straps keep heavy items in place, which is where you want them. Overall, the bag is 10 inches long, 9 in. wide at the broadest part, and 6 in. high.  

Wolfman Peak Tail BagMounting is simple. The Peak has four web straps that can be looped around your existing rack and cinched tight. For other applications, use the included J hooks to secure the bag to the passenger seat. The straps are sewn toward the top edge of the bag, but internal stiffeners keep the bag from sagging and the straps from loosening.

Wolfman Peak Tail BagThis particular bag has been on and off various bikes, including several dual-sports, for the last year and has not one missing stitch or any visible wear beyond a slight mottling of the nonWolfman Peak Tail Bagslip surface along the bottom. In short, the Peak is a super-handy, durable, clever tail bag for when you don’t need anything more.

Edelweiss Bike Travel

         In the business of guiding intrepid two-wheeled travelers to all corners of the earth for more than 33 yearsEdelweiss Bike Travel, no one can argue with Edelweiss’s “Number 1 Worldwide” claim. Founded by Werner Wachter in 1980, the Austrian frm employs 40 tour guides around the globe and currently ofers more than 60 routes in locations as popular as the Alps and as obscure as Patagonia or Myanmar.Edelweiss Bike Travel

     Edelweiss tours are not inexpensive,Edelweiss Bike Travel but for the level of service and amenities provided, they are a remarkably good value.Edelweiss Bike Travel Your choice from a broad selection of the latest motorcycles from many manufacturers is provided,Edelweiss Bike Travel frstrate accommodations are arranged on your behalf, and most meals are included in the trip price. But the most valuable beneft,Edelweiss Bike Travel of course, is the ride routes, each carefully designed by extremely knowledgeable guides to insure that you experience the very best riding of any given locale.Edelweiss Bike Travel

     Steve Gish, who lives in California’s Sierra foothills and so knows a thing or two about great riding,Edelweiss Bike Travel was still blown away by Edelweiss’s Alpine adventure. “Tis is just one epic pass after another after another,” Gish says. “Every time you think it can’t get any better, it does. [My wife and I] spent two weeks riding around Europe on our own last year, but it was nothing like this. Another thing that can’t be beat with Edelweiss is the local knowledge, and historical information the tour guides incorporate. And having someone schlep our luggage—tricky with two people on one bike—is a huge beneft.”

    Ten there’s the unique camaraderie engendered on a group tour, spending a week or more traversing the most amazing scenery with a gang of similarly passionate riding enthusiasts. Dan Watson summed that up best: “I don’t want to go home and ride by myself!”

Honda Crosstourer

Honda’s fagship ADV bike looks unfamiliar because it’s not available for sale in the United StatesHonda Crosstourer, but underneath that adventurous exterior is the exact same frame as Honda’s VFR1200 sporttouring platform Honda Crosstourer, along with a very similar—though retuned for more midrange power—version of the VFR’s V-four powerplant Honda Crosstourer. In Crosstourer form, the 1237cc, shaft-drive V-four is said to put down 127 horsepower and 93 lb.-ft. of torque Honda Crosstourer.

      Another parallel with the VFR is the availability of Honda’s Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) technology, which deletes the clutch and shift levers in favor of automatic shifting Honda Crosstourer. Full automatic shifting is possible in two modes: Drive, which prioritizes smooth action and fuel economy, and Sport, which favors snappy acceleration. A Manual mode lets the rider select shift points using thumb and forefnger paddles adjacent to the left grip. While the automatic transmission made urban riding as easy as piloting a scooter, all our testers preferred to manually select gears Honda Crosstourer.

     The Crosstourer’s arrangement is obviously much more upright than the VFR, and the ADV aesthetic is achieved with a prominent beak, handguards, and luggage racks. Spoked wheels Honda Crosstourer 19-inch in the front—and a wide, fat handlebar complete the transformation and lend more confdent of-road handling, though with soft suspension, a 62.8-in. wheelbase, and a claimed curb weight of 628 lbs., you won’t want to wander too far from the tarmac. On pavement, however, especially on fast, fowing roads where you can tap into all that torque and exploit its extra stability, the Crosstourer is an excellent touring bike.