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The main drag becomes a curving 800-yard promenade, lined end to end with bikes and bikers

If the weather’s holding up, make your way to Derbyshire’s Riviera,

population 900, plus a 1000 or so bikers

on a good day WORDS AND PICTURES

PATRICK MURPHY

On any Sunday

Why Matlock Bath became such a draw for bikers remains something of a mystery. History books say that ‘intrepid’

bicyclists came here in the 1890s. Old Raleighs with spring-loaded bells, saddlebags and puncture repair kits, brought out for a pedal to the nearest bit o’ green and a gentle piss up. The lads at the River Kiosk in the Pavilion car park reckon Matlock Bath first became popular with bikers during World War II. ‘Despatch riders used to meet for a bite and a cuppa after delivering documents to the military HQs in Matlock,’ they tell me.

These days there must be a million quid’s worth of steel, chrome and carbon fibre on display. Bikers arrive from every direction, whether via tight, twisty back lanes and flat-out, long-burn straights, over the Pennines via the Cat & Fiddle or from the south carving across the Via Gellia road.

Andy, arriving on his Yamaha YZF-R1, says, ‘People have been coming here since the 1960s. There were only about 100 bikes then – mods and rockers. Look at it now, there must be a 1000.’

When people do arrive, they’re usually looking for something to eat. Matlock’s shops and pubs are bursting with good grub. Liz at the River Kiosk does a mean bacon butty, while the Riva and The Fishpond are good for preening and people watching.

Matlock Bath

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ARTHUR MACDONALD & VICTORIA BELL BMW F800‘I haven’t been to Matlock Bath for years,’ says Vicky. ‘I asked Arthur to take me. I’ve just passed my CBT and I’m looking for

a CBR125 on eBay.’ Vicky is Arthur’s fiancé and they’ve ridden here from Newark-on-Trent. ‘We plan to get married next August,’ says Arthur, who used to work in the bike industry. ‘I’ve tried loads of bikes – ZX-10s, Gold Wings, you name it. I bought this BMW F800 because I wanted to keep my licence.’ Is it true Matlock Bath’s a lot calmer these days? ‘Yeah. When I came here in the 1980s you had RD400s doing wheelies all over the place and you could camp just about anywhere. There’d be clouds of dope coming from the tents.’ Ever had any lemons? ‘I’ve had some absolute heaps of shite – mainly old British bikes... complete dogs. But there’s no such thing as the perfect bike. They’re all good in different ways.’

JUMZ 660I met JU from Mansfield at The Twisted Spanner. He was helping out on a busy weekend. He reckons his MZ 660’s the

best bike he’s ever had. ‘It’s a good all-round bike. Works well in summer and winter – a good workhorse, good in traffic, for racing, good for touring, good for playing about with it. And a very reliable one, for an MZ, that is. It gets used 365 days a year. I don’t drive a car so as far as I’m concerned it’s either this or a pair o’ legs! It’s had a lot of hammering. It does 100mph, which is as much as you need. It’s a real bikers’ bike –

All sizes, shapes, ages and tastes are

attracted to Matlock

If you’re after fish and chips, there are seven shops to choose from. Tuckers will appeal to carrot crunchers with its vegetable oil fried offerings, while the Charles restaurant is more traditional, serving up ‘thick cut chips deep fried in fat’, according to Dell.

There are also three biker shops: Adrian A Peach & Son, The Bikers Gearbox and, the latest, The Twisted Spanner, housed in the former Tourist Information Centre.

If a wander round the shops leaves you feeling a bit parched, try an ice cream from Hall’s, in business since 1843. A giant plastic ice cream cone will guide you there. ‘Bikers are always welcome here,’ says Clare Hall. ‘We have our regulars. A couple come every weekend. Most Fridays two lads come on Harleys. One has a limited edition, a number three, I think.’

Tourism is big business in Matlock. Amusement arcades and gift shops sit alongside a barbers. At one time a clown used to ride up and down on a monocycle and an old boy busked with a one-string guitar. There’s always something going on. Last week it was Vespas and Lambrettas. The week before it was old chaps with handlebar moustaches in their Morgans. Sunny Matlock Bath, Gateway to the Peak District, and a curving 800-yard stretch of promenade without no beach, no sea, just the River Derwent.

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2

Love or hate the styling, you can’t argue with 180bhp

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1993–2008 + 904/992cc, 4v, sohc, 90° V-twin + 66-94bhp (claimed) + 130mph + Private £1000–4500 + Dealer £1500–5000A true icon, even from a company renowned for churning out icons in its sleep. If the new air-cooled 1100 is out of your price range, there’ll almost certainly be a 900, 1000 or S2R to suit your budget

SH OP

Ducati Monster 900/1000

Why you want one‘In an age when motorcycling seems to have gone all muggy, clouded by irrelevant jargon, petty distinctions, downright boring nonsense about whether a bike’s a sportster, a sport-tourer or a vacuum cleaner and people seem to want this year’s model simply because it has different stickers, the basic, uncluttered Monster is a huge breath of fresh air.’

Ringing any bells? This isn’t a humbug 21st-century opinion of 2009’s new metal, but Bike’s take on Ducati’s then-new wild child back in 1993. We’re always looking for something different, which probably shows how big an impact the Monster had for anybody to sit up, take notice and recognise they’d actually found it.

That’s thanks to Miguel Angel Galluzzi, the man who also sketched the new Aprilia RSV4. In drawing the Monster – inspired by the simple Harley XR750 flat-track racers – the Argentinian set a style standard for every naked bike that tried to follow.

Fittingly, Bike predicted the artistic and cultural impact to come by describing it as ‘a huge willy on two wheels’. With around 75bhp the Monster wasn’t trying to be a FireBlade or ZZR of its day. Instead it was recognised as being one of the most fun, characterful and original bikes for years. That remains true throughout the 15 years of secondhand choice now on offer. From the original 1993 hooligan, to 2000’s injected version, the even gruntier 992cc twin-spark motor and the latest S2R 1000, the Monster is as inescapably refreshing today as it was 15 years ago.

SH OP

Main changes in an epic lifeline

1993 Monster 900 launched. 904cc motor, grey frame, unadjustable Showa forks and Boge shock. Red only.1994 Black colour option.1995 Gold frame, grey cam cover.1996 Rubber on footrests, choke on bars, Marzocchi forks.1997 Smaller valves, new cams, less power. Carb heaters. Fairing.1998 Showas, braided lines. ‘S’ back to bigger valves, carbon bits and sole rights to fairing.1999 Six versions: Basic 900; S model (Öhlins shock, carbon bits); Dark (base model); Chromo (as S,

chrome tank); City (base model with higher bars, posh luggage); City Dark (a Dark with higher bars and posh luggage).2000 Styling, 900SS cams, fuel injection, rev counter, 748 gearbox, 43mm Showa forks.2001 Oil cooler, 1kg-lighter battery, larger engine mounts...2002 Monster S4 bits added. Immobiliser.2003 New Monster 1000S, with 992cc twin-spark motor. 84bhp.2004 M1000 and M1000S. S has trick bits, in grey, red wheel rims.2005 M1000S now in black and red. Power up to 94bhp.2006 Replaced by S2R 1000.

T H E C H E C K O V E R

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Typical price (pair) £140Weight (pair) 9.9kgTread depth before test 3.8mm front, 6.5mm rearTread depth after 100 miles 3.7mm front, 5.8mm rearBest lap time 1:30.01Conditions Dry, cold, 12°C

What are they?The Sport Demons are a new conventional sport tyre designed for medium-powered touring bikes. Pirelli claim a lightweight construction allows for precise handling and stable behaviour in all riding conditions. They are available to fit a wide variety of bikes.

Tester saysThese tyres immediately feel sporty and give the rider excellent feedback. They allowed the bike to be flicked through the chicane quicker than all of the other sets of tyres and the limiting factor would have been the bike’s ground clearance. Under power and exiting turns the bike remained stable. But they lost this sporty characteristic after a while because the rear tyre started to go off and made the bike squirm, which let them down. Rating Contact www.pirelli.co.uk

PIRELLI SPORT DEMON

HOW WE DID ITT H E B I K E T Y R E T E S T A T A G L A N C E

Typical price (pair) £139Weight (pair) 9.8kgTread depth before test 4.1 front, 5.9mm rearTread depth after test 3.9 front, 5.5mm rearBest lap time 1:34.6Conditions Dry, cold, 12°C

What are they? The Lasertec has a classic tread pattern but Metzeler say it boasts modern compound technology with a high silica count to boost grip in both dry and wet. The carcass is designed to give the rider enhanced comfort and improved handling.

Tester saysSteering was responsive and light, but they made the bike feel a bit nervous when ridden hard. Into fast corners they lacked stability and there was movement from the bars, which didn’t instil confidence. This was also the case at slower speeds, but it was not so severe. High speed riding needed real concentration, as again the bike was nervous through the handlebars and this transmitted to the whole bike. Testers didn’t like riding on these at all.Rating Contact www.metzelermoto.co.uk

METZELER LASERTEC

Typical price (pair) £120Weight (pair) 9.2kgTread depth before test 3.8mm front, 5.4mm rearTread depth after 100 miles 3.7mm front, 4.9mm rearBest lap time 1:33.46Conditions Dry, cold, 12°C

What are they?Continental aimed for long life, good grip and effective water dispersal when they designed the new Conti Go. They claim that the tread pattern was chosen for its ability to get rid of water and also because it helped create even wear across the tread.

Tester saysThese tyres gave a very reassuring ride as the bike felt stable and neutral through all of the corners and speed ranges. They felt particularly good when changing direction and steered accurately. At flat-out speeds down Bruntingthorpe’s long straight there was a hint of instability and the handlebars became sensitive to input, but this was an observation rather than a problem. A good tyre choice for this bike.Rating Contact www.conti-tyres.co.uk

CONTINENTAL CONTI GO

We wanted to test crossply tyres that were suitable for mid-range commuter bikes and older machines, as plenty of bikes fall into this category.

We contacted the top tyre manufacturers and invited them to send us a pair of tyres that they would recommend as a replacement for a Suzuki GS500.

The first part of the test included an eight-lap session pushing the tyres to the limit, and recording the laptimes with an electronic laptimer. After this session the rider made notes on the tyres’ stability and handling characteristics.

After the fast laps, the tyres were then ridden for just over 80 miles on the same circuit but not at the same pace, to give a total mileage of 100 miles on each pair of tyres we tested.

The tread depth was then re-measured using the same technique so a wear rate could be calculated.

SH OP

169

Typical price (pair) £152Weight (pair) 10.1 kgTread depth before test 4.3mm front, 6.2mm rearTread depth after 100 miles 4.1mm front, 5.9mm rearBest lap time 1:33.06Conditions Dry, cold, 12°C

What are they?Michelin say they used a new rubber mix and created a larger contact patch on the Pilot Activ compared to the Macadam 50 it replaced. Michelin claim this offers significantly improved grip in wet and dry conditions, and 20% more tread life than the Macadam 50.

Tester saysThe steering felt light and responsive, with reassurance from the front end and good stability on the turn in to corners. Around corners they turned very well, the bike felt neutral and stable. Approaching top end speeds, around 110mph, there was a hint of instability from the front end, but this was not significant enough to be a problem. Overall the Pilot Activ was a good tyre that worked well through the GS500’s speed range.Rating Contact www.michelin.co.uk

MICHELIN PILOT ACTIV

Typical price (pair) £146Weight (pair) 10.1kgTread depth before test 3.8mm front, 6.5mm rearTread depth after 100 miles 3.8mm front, 6.3mm rearBest lap time 1:31.27Conditions Dry, cold, 12°C

What are they?This is an all round tyre designed for use on a wide range of bikes. Bridgestone claim that the compound has been developed to give excellent performance in all types of weather and temperature conditions, and the tread pattern and construction are designed to improve wear rates.

Tester saysInstantly these tyres feel stable and give good feedback at the handlebars. Turning into corners at all speed ranges they offer impressive stability. They turn well and hold an exact line through higher radius corners. On the fastest section of track down the straight at Bruntingthorpe they gave maximum confidence, almost like a sports tyre would provide. A really good tyre.Rating Contact www.bridgestone.co.uk

BRIDGESTONE BT-45

Typical price (pair) £137Weight (pair) 10.5kgTread depth before test 3.8mm front, 6.6mm rearTread depth after 100 miles 3.7mm front, 6.5mm rearBest lap time 1:31.17 Conditions Dry, cold 12°C

What are they?The GT501 is claimed to offer a larger contact patch and a radial-style tread pattern for contemporary styling and a larger footprint. The tread depth at the centre of the tyre has been increased with the aim of better wear characteristics and water clearance capability.

Tester saysThey gave a slightly heavy feel at the handlebars initially and provided excellent stability at high speed. These tyres give very good rider feedback and confidence, particularly into the fast corners. They turn in accurately and hold the chosen line round and through the corner like a sports tyre. Bumps were absorbed well and never unsettled the bike. These are a very good choice that suit this bike well.Rating Contact www.dunloptyres.co.uk

DUNLOP GT 501