Simon Hargreaves
@sihbikes.bsky.social
Ride motorbikes, write about them & stand in front of a camera and talk about them for RiDE, MCN, Bike & Bennetts BikeSocial. Talk into a microphone for frontendchatter.com, a podcast about motorbikes. Slappa da bass for High Rollers function band too.
Me too. There's a 1300 GSA under there somewhere.
April 30, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Me too. There's a 1300 GSA under there somewhere.
You'd be miserable too if it kept trying to spit you off. Whit in the pits, in both senses, Donington 1999, on Roberts' Modenas KR3. Had a better time at the same track, same year, on an R6.
April 30, 2025 at 12:03 AM
You'd be miserable too if it kept trying to spit you off. Whit in the pits, in both senses, Donington 1999, on Roberts' Modenas KR3. Had a better time at the same track, same year, on an R6.
Bad Photoshop R1300 RS v the real thing. Close enough.
April 29, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Bad Photoshop R1300 RS v the real thing. Close enough.
Running repairs. This is the P&M Kawasaki Z1000 ridden by 1980s endurance stalwarts Jim Wells, Mark Salle and Asa Moyce, who finished 9th.
The 82 Bol was the year before, I think, @matoxley.bsky.social started racing – and he'll know a lot more about all this than I can find out!
The 82 Bol was the year before, I think, @matoxley.bsky.social started racing – and he'll know a lot more about all this than I can find out!
April 28, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Running repairs. This is the P&M Kawasaki Z1000 ridden by 1980s endurance stalwarts Jim Wells, Mark Salle and Asa Moyce, who finished 9th.
The 82 Bol was the year before, I think, @matoxley.bsky.social started racing – and he'll know a lot more about all this than I can find out!
The 82 Bol was the year before, I think, @matoxley.bsky.social started racing – and he'll know a lot more about all this than I can find out!
SERT Suzuki has a 130bhp GS1000 motor with a factory frame, endurance forks, Dymag wheels, Full Floater, weighing 175kg. The man behind the bike is Dominique Méliand, team boss and who’d carry on running the team until 2019 (I *think*). Rider is Herve Moineau, world champ in 80, 83, 87 and 88.
April 28, 2025 at 3:21 PM
SERT Suzuki has a 130bhp GS1000 motor with a factory frame, endurance forks, Dymag wheels, Full Floater, weighing 175kg. The man behind the bike is Dominique Méliand, team boss and who’d carry on running the team until 2019 (I *think*). Rider is Herve Moineau, world champ in 80, 83, 87 and 88.
AMA star and dirt track legend American Dave Aldana (who’d won Suzuka 8hrs the year before), out of his usual skeleton leathers, wrestles the hub-centre steered Honda France Elf, with a 125bhp RSC kitted CB900 motor, weighing 185kg with carbon brakes. Threw a rod after 4 laps.
April 28, 2025 at 3:21 PM
AMA star and dirt track legend American Dave Aldana (who’d won Suzuka 8hrs the year before), out of his usual skeleton leathers, wrestles the hub-centre steered Honda France Elf, with a 125bhp RSC kitted CB900 motor, weighing 185kg with carbon brakes. Threw a rod after 4 laps.
This is A Etienne on a Team Guignabodet Honda CB900 – another RSC kit motor, chassis parts are CB1100R. They finished 7th. The yellow Honda is Nationale Moto’s CB900 Bol d'Or, making 120bhp, weighing 192kg (including q/r tail unit battery!). Finished 6th, no dramas.
April 28, 2025 at 3:21 PM
This is A Etienne on a Team Guignabodet Honda CB900 – another RSC kit motor, chassis parts are CB1100R. They finished 7th. The yellow Honda is Nationale Moto’s CB900 Bol d'Or, making 120bhp, weighing 192kg (including q/r tail unit battery!). Finished 6th, no dramas.
This is a Segale-framed Honda Italia CB900 Bol d'Or, making 125bhp with an RSC motor (Racing Service Centre; what HRC was called before it was HRC), with Fox shocks and weighing 188kg. It lasted less than an hour.
April 28, 2025 at 3:21 PM
This is a Segale-framed Honda Italia CB900 Bol d'Or, making 125bhp with an RSC motor (Racing Service Centre; what HRC was called before it was HRC), with Fox shocks and weighing 188kg. It lasted less than an hour.
The bikes are stunning. Here’s second place, a 135bhp KOOL Kawasaki France race-kitted Z1000J ridden by Jean Claude Chemarin, Jacques Cornu & Sergio Pellandini – and in action, ridden by Chemarin (champion with Cornu in 1982). KOOL are menthol cigarettes, which you smoked when you had a cold.
April 28, 2025 at 3:21 PM
The bikes are stunning. Here’s second place, a 135bhp KOOL Kawasaki France race-kitted Z1000J ridden by Jean Claude Chemarin, Jacques Cornu & Sergio Pellandini – and in action, ridden by Chemarin (champion with Cornu in 1982). KOOL are menthol cigarettes, which you smoked when you had a cold.
Here’s the start. Feel a bit sorry for Dutchman Van de Endt, caught napping (his Yoshimura Kawasaki Z1 with a Nico-Bakker frame retired in the early hours of the morning, so take yer time etc). MotoGP should start like this.
April 28, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Here’s the start. Feel a bit sorry for Dutchman Van de Endt, caught napping (his Yoshimura Kawasaki Z1 with a Nico-Bakker frame retired in the early hours of the morning, so take yer time etc). MotoGP should start like this.
This is the 46th Bol d’Or at Paul Ricard, Sept 1982, beautifully shot by PB’s (then Motorcycle Mechanics’) technical editor John Robinson. 100,000 crowd taking every vantage point. Pre-race entertainment by Kawasaki’s KDX450. Nice shoes, nice whiskey-throttle. Bike looks like an animal.
April 28, 2025 at 3:21 PM
This is the 46th Bol d’Or at Paul Ricard, Sept 1982, beautifully shot by PB’s (then Motorcycle Mechanics’) technical editor John Robinson. 100,000 crowd taking every vantage point. Pre-race entertainment by Kawasaki’s KDX450. Nice shoes, nice whiskey-throttle. Bike looks like an animal.
From Practical Sportsbikes (RIP): “When the tacho hits 6000rpm there’s an uptick in urgency – the CX sits up, its snub nose goes light, gold Showas extend and off it waddles like a turbocharged gruntlepig snuffling for truffles.”
Pics from Robbo's archive; last one is Jason Critchell.
Pics from Robbo's archive; last one is Jason Critchell.
April 22, 2025 at 11:00 PM
From Practical Sportsbikes (RIP): “When the tacho hits 6000rpm there’s an uptick in urgency – the CX sits up, its snub nose goes light, gold Showas extend and off it waddles like a turbocharged gruntlepig snuffling for truffles.”
Pics from Robbo's archive; last one is Jason Critchell.
Pics from Robbo's archive; last one is Jason Critchell.
...nothing compared to the 1982 Turbo, which added Honda’s first fuel injection & forged pistons (plus an alleged 230 patents), and a 51mm blower at the front of the V and a contra-rotating transmission to counter the motor’s torque reaction (took BMW & Guzzi a few more decades to figure that out).
April 22, 2025 at 11:00 PM
...nothing compared to the 1982 Turbo, which added Honda’s first fuel injection & forged pistons (plus an alleged 230 patents), and a 51mm blower at the front of the V and a contra-rotating transmission to counter the motor’s torque reaction (took BMW & Guzzi a few more decades to figure that out).
The 80° V CX500 was Honda’s first V-twin and had loads of innovative engine design such as cylinders twisted by 22° to make room for the riders’ knees, a central chain-driven cam punching stubby pushrods to four valves per cylinder...
April 22, 2025 at 11:00 PM
The 80° V CX500 was Honda’s first V-twin and had loads of innovative engine design such as cylinders twisted by 22° to make room for the riders’ knees, a central chain-driven cam punching stubby pushrods to four valves per cylinder...
You can see the physical controls in the dyno pic.
Think the next pic is Honda’s speed bowl at Osaka, & pretty sure that’s John Robinson (then of Motorcycle Mechanics, Performance Bikes’ predecessor) flat out on the std CX, while the Turbo rider is taking it easy. Which he would, with twice the bhp.
Think the next pic is Honda’s speed bowl at Osaka, & pretty sure that’s John Robinson (then of Motorcycle Mechanics, Performance Bikes’ predecessor) flat out on the std CX, while the Turbo rider is taking it easy. Which he would, with twice the bhp.
April 22, 2025 at 11:00 PM
You can see the physical controls in the dyno pic.
Think the next pic is Honda’s speed bowl at Osaka, & pretty sure that’s John Robinson (then of Motorcycle Mechanics, Performance Bikes’ predecessor) flat out on the std CX, while the Turbo rider is taking it easy. Which he would, with twice the bhp.
Think the next pic is Honda’s speed bowl at Osaka, & pretty sure that’s John Robinson (then of Motorcycle Mechanics, Performance Bikes’ predecessor) flat out on the std CX, while the Turbo rider is taking it easy. Which he would, with twice the bhp.
A rare vintage glimpse inside Honda’s R&D centre in Osaka from 1981, with a CX500 Turbo on the dyno. Enjoying the foot pedal controls – presumably clutch, brake & throttle, with gear changes via the joystick? Love the computer tape spools too, on the right. Very Gerry Anderson.
April 22, 2025 at 11:00 PM
A rare vintage glimpse inside Honda’s R&D centre in Osaka from 1981, with a CX500 Turbo on the dyno. Enjoying the foot pedal controls – presumably clutch, brake & throttle, with gear changes via the joystick? Love the computer tape spools too, on the right. Very Gerry Anderson.
BMW announced new R1300 R today – new 1300 motor in same spec as 1300 GS, sportier dynamic.
But what about the R1300 RS*? Watch that space, I guess. Hope it's got flat bars & bigger tank.
*some Photoshop may have been used in this pic. Not AI, mind, just cut & paste 😊
But what about the R1300 RS*? Watch that space, I guess. Hope it's got flat bars & bigger tank.
*some Photoshop may have been used in this pic. Not AI, mind, just cut & paste 😊
April 10, 2025 at 9:53 PM
BMW announced new R1300 R today – new 1300 motor in same spec as 1300 GS, sportier dynamic.
But what about the R1300 RS*? Watch that space, I guess. Hope it's got flat bars & bigger tank.
*some Photoshop may have been used in this pic. Not AI, mind, just cut & paste 😊
But what about the R1300 RS*? Watch that space, I guess. Hope it's got flat bars & bigger tank.
*some Photoshop may have been used in this pic. Not AI, mind, just cut & paste 😊
Help please camera bods. Got a Sony A6700 for 4k at 120fps, & Sandisk V90 SD card from Amazon (link below). But the camera says the card's not quick enough to record 4k etc (I formatted).
Ran a test on the card (see pic).
Is it fake or am I doing something wrong?
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08YF7PB1...
Ran a test on the card (see pic).
Is it fake or am I doing something wrong?
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08YF7PB1...
April 6, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Help please camera bods. Got a Sony A6700 for 4k at 120fps, & Sandisk V90 SD card from Amazon (link below). But the camera says the card's not quick enough to record 4k etc (I formatted).
Ran a test on the card (see pic).
Is it fake or am I doing something wrong?
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08YF7PB1...
Ran a test on the card (see pic).
Is it fake or am I doing something wrong?
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08YF7PB1...
First Hornets of the year arrived in my garden, courtesy of @bennettsinsurance.bsky.social and #ridemagazine
March 22, 2025 at 3:07 PM
First Hornets of the year arrived in my garden, courtesy of @bennettsinsurance.bsky.social and #ridemagazine
Latest Front End Chatter wiv me & @mufga.bsky.social out now for listen &/or download directly from @bennettsinsurance.bsky.social
Cut & paste into yer browser:
www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/n...
Cut & paste into yer browser:
www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/n...
February 28, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Latest Front End Chatter wiv me & @mufga.bsky.social out now for listen &/or download directly from @bennettsinsurance.bsky.social
Cut & paste into yer browser:
www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/n...
Cut & paste into yer browser:
www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/n...
Woah, turn down the dental brightness! Turkey Teeth central. And I speak as someone who's spent the day watching a video with my own tombstones gyrating like a disco graveyard.
So, how much does it cost?
So, how much does it cost?
February 21, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Woah, turn down the dental brightness! Turkey Teeth central. And I speak as someone who's spent the day watching a video with my own tombstones gyrating like a disco graveyard.
So, how much does it cost?
So, how much does it cost?
C'mon asshole, you've done this before.
February 19, 2025 at 9:18 PM
C'mon asshole, you've done this before.
This shop goes up to 11.
February 4, 2025 at 2:23 PM
This shop goes up to 11.
Riding no. 11 tomorrow, at the launch of Ducati's 2025 Multistrada V2 S - 1st go on the new 890cc V-twin (lightest V they've built, apparently). Lots to 🗣️ - new engine, chassis, ergos, electronics.
For next week's MCN & if you miss it, it'll be in Bike mag shortly afterwards. So no excuses.
For next week's MCN & if you miss it, it'll be in Bike mag shortly afterwards. So no excuses.
January 27, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Riding no. 11 tomorrow, at the launch of Ducati's 2025 Multistrada V2 S - 1st go on the new 890cc V-twin (lightest V they've built, apparently). Lots to 🗣️ - new engine, chassis, ergos, electronics.
For next week's MCN & if you miss it, it'll be in Bike mag shortly afterwards. So no excuses.
For next week's MCN & if you miss it, it'll be in Bike mag shortly afterwards. So no excuses.
Status update: still don't smell like fags.
January 26, 2025 at 1:08 AM
Status update: still don't smell like fags.