ISSUE #47 www.rustsports.com @Rust_Sports /RustSports /rustsports 2021 YAMAHA WR450F ON TEST GET BELL TOP-QUALITY PROTECTION FOR LESS IN OUR HUGE HALF-PRICE SALE Check out the deals on our clearance page at www.bell-motorcycle-helmets.co.uk Your purchase supports RUST C ntents # 06 Editorial 08 RUSTafarians 12 2021 Yamaha WR450F tech briefing 18 2021 Yamaha WR450F ride report 7 30 KLIM Badlands Pro product report 34 Contact (infl ated) ENGINEERED Autonomous No cables, no sensors FOR YOUR COMFORT Versatile Fits under every jacket Comprehensive protection Neck, spine, DAKAR DOUBLE Chest and abdomen, Congratulations to the Monster Energy Honda Team When riding a motorcycle, the focus is on pleasure. There is some risk Comfortable on Honda’s sixth Dakar victory. It was a great team involved, the desire and willingness to reduce it is only natural. To make Ergonomic, this easy for us in the future, KLIM has developed the Ai-1 Airbag Vest: breathable effort as detailed in the report we’ve posted online Low weight, ventilated and comfortable to wear, it offers comprehensive https://rustsports.com/how-we-won-dakar-2021-by- Light protection with its innovative airbag technology without reducing the approx - 1.3 kg honda/ Great shot here, too, picturing one of the pleasure - "Most Comfortable Safety". Trust KLIM. unluckiest guys in this year’s rally – ‘Nacho’ Cornejo who crashed out of the rally win when almost within sight of the chequered flag. #KLIMLIFE https://www.klim.com/Ai-1-Airbag-Vest-3046-000 Klim_Ai-1_210 x 297_2020_EN_BMW.indd 1 27.10.20 17:02 EDITORIAL his is a difficult clubman-pandering – ease of riding, not to editorial to mention reliability and durability. Some 23 write. Short of a years later the bottom line stats – on weight world war we’re and horsepower – haven’t really changed, but pretty much there’s no denying the latest WR-F engines inT the worst place right and chassis are a fair refinement compared to now, globally. Hundreds their forefathers. Proper thoroughbreds. And BRING ON THE of thousands dying due to this newest 450 was so good it prompted our the pandemic, economies in Austrian-loving tester to completely reset his crisis, travel banned, businesses failing and opinions. unemployment rising – that’s before we get With infection rates dropping (here in the onto global warming etc. And in the UK we’ve UK at least) and with vaccinations going added the shortcomings of Brexit into the out around the world lets hope that at some mix, as if the pervading misery wasn’t bad point soon – in 2021 at least! – we can all GOOD TIMES enough. Sitting here in Lockdown 3 yeah, it’s get out riding again, sharing our backyards. hard to feel the love. That said, there’s enough RUST is hanging in there and in fact for 2021 in the mainstream media to maintain a we’re looking to get back on track with 12 healthy sense of depression, so I’ll let it go. issues in 12 months. These will be necessarily Instead, let’s talk up the positives. New smaller magazines, with the balance of bike sales are up, curiously, and – given new content tipping into our website. But bike supply shortages – second hand bike between more RUST issues and an exciting prices are on the up as well. And, just before plans to republish the best of 20 years of Lockdown 3, here at RUST, we managed to at TBM (Trailbike & Enduro Magazine) least get out for one last ride in 2020 – testing we should have plenty to keep you the magnificent new 2021 Yamaha WR450F. entertained, informed and hopefully We have a long held love for Yamaha’s even laughing. WR-F series. Between the 1998 WR400F and the 2001 WR250F Yamaha led the modern Safe riding (when you can) four-stroke charge into enduro; these were bikes which brought excitement and great – [email protected] 7 www.rustsports.com www.rustsports.com 8 RUST UPDATE THIS MONTH RUSTAFARIANS What’s going on in the lives and workshops of the RUST team... JULY: A SIX-POINT PLAN #JB297 Like JB, every Jan I sit down to plan 3. Plan a long ride – The only dependency my motorcycle calendar for the year. on this is lockdown lifting. Plan your ride JB: WHAT MAY COME? #JB318 It gives me joy to see at least one with all the pit stops, places to eat, dishes to or more planned motorcycle try, sights to see, camping spots etc… and The new year always prompts deep space for more motorcycles in the garage. rides each month. This year start saving for it. Get it approved by the thought. What to do with this year of my Only the various importers are pretty much with all of us in lockdown and missus and book it in the calendar. life? That should be part of a bigger, closed for (media) business right now, so so many motorcycle events 4. GPS – Most of us have GPSs but we longer-term plan, although as I get no dice there. While there’s not enough getting cancelled it all seems a don’t scratch the surface when it comes to older I can see the longer term money in the bank to go for an exciting new bit futile. So instead I have devised using all the inbuilt functionality. Get onto actually getting shorter. Which is no model I have been tempted to nudge my a six-point plan for things adventure YouTube and master your GPS inside out bad thing, it prompts action. Only meager savings toward a project purchase. related that I (or you!) can do now: – even better plot your next rides route on with Lockdown it’s the opposite of Even that’s not easy. I’ve missed out on a it. Also, look at alternative map apps. Maps. action right now for all of us. BMW F650 Dakar and a Honda Dominator 1. Photographs and Videos – We’re all Me, and What3words are a good starting Good news is after a bit of wrangling, van lately, it seems finding scabby dirt bikes for guilty of having hard disks full of pictures point. hiring and negotiation with various charities pin money – and worthy of restoring – is that have never seen the light of day. Learn 5. Armchair Upskilling – YouTube is (just before Lockdown 3 – or should that a tall order. I might have to go a little more or improve your photography and share inundated with ‘how to ride adventure be 3.0 for the trendies?), the garage is now pricey – it’s back to stuffing tenners in the those magical moments with the world via motorcycles better’ videos. Pick your free of old furniture. It’s also now free of the piggybank! social media. I started a Facebook page a favorites and see if some theory might vast accumulation of cardboard boxes that Meanwhile Warren keeps prompting couple of years ago to celebrate this, called help you ride better. There’s also stuff on lockdown online purchases bring. This has me to think big, rally-wise. So be prepared Moto Adventure Photography. Have a look camping, outdoor cooking, bushcraft etc. seen the wee Honda TLR250 re-emerge for an onslaught from RUST as and when and get posting! 6. Travel Books, Guides and Programmes from its hiding place. It is, technically the pandemic relents. Grand plans, but 2. Kit – Have a rummage through your – Read one travel book a month coupled speaking (or non-technically), ready for right now a quiet week’s meander around motorcycle and camping kit and see if you with a country guide for a destination action. It’s not perfect, but it’s good enough. southern Morocco on a rental trail bike, need to clean it, add to it or get rid. There’s you want to ride to next and watch a Once we can get riding and trials can be run pootling from kasbah to kasbah – probably loads of sales happening including the fab programme on it. This whole immersive again, we’ll be out there. with buddy July for gourmet guidance – one on helmets at RUST’s sister site www. style works for me and brings the The clear out has also revealed there’s would do quite nicely. bell-motorcycle-helmets.co.uk . destination to life. w 9 www.rustsports.com www.rustsports.com 10 RUST UPDATE THIS MONTH CRAIG: DAKAR CALLING… #CK275 WARREN: WORKSHOP SANCTUARY #WM151 I’m going to be a modern man and a doubt the culmination of a lifetime in I’m sure I’m not alone in seeking and share my feelings. I’ve had a rubbish two-wheeled off-road sport. Well done my finding sanity in the workshop. A first two weeks of 2021. It’s man. haven, a retreat, a little quiet time a spiritual agony to sit and I shouldn’t have allowed myself to enter away from the bombardment watch other people get excited the post event fug, but for the most part of the ‘news and information’ about Dakar, even those I’ve I’ve decided to embrace a rather special bollocks. I’m sick of telly, the been among that have been time at home through these lockdowns. news and frankly all of it. I grew watching someone they know With the arrival of baby Keyworth last up listening to the radio as a kid incredibly well doing so. And with March we sort of switched off to the so (although not quite the same) I the retrospective I can now apply, I rather crumbling, pandemic riddled world and select a playlist on Spotify – get some tunes missed being there, which detracted embraced our new crew in a cocoon- going, turn on the coffee machine, get out from the enjoyment of watching.