Table of contents for 30 November 2016 in MCN

‘It’s more about the event, the machines and the people. But the racing is great’ Guy Martin returned to bikes-port at the weekend when he travelled to New Zealand’s South Island to race his monster Martek turbocharged Suzuki GSX-R1100in the 11th annual Burt Munro Challenge, a multi-event rally that attracts riders and racers from all over the country. The Lincolnshire rider, who missed this year’s TT and hasn’t raced competitively since his crash at the 2015 Ulster Grand Prix, enthralled spectators in the sprint event on his self-built Suzuki, even with the Martek’s boost turned down to ‘just’ 260bhp. Local rider, John Beck, who helped Guy during the week and got to take the Martek out, said: “That thing is just the right amount of angry.” Fresh from the tarmac,…

Leafy loveliness Customised old bikes are 10 a penny right? Well not this one, from New Orleans-based builders Night Shift bikes. Gone is the Suzuki Savage petrol engine, replaced with a battery pack from a Nissan Leaf. Its 3000W charger can connect to any household power outlet. TT film coming Bold Films have confirmed they will produce a film about the TT. ‘Isle of Man’ tells the story of an American racer who comes out of retirement to take on the TT one last time. Little else is confirmed at this stage, but rumours claim Matt Damon will star. Rieju’s return The MRT 50 SM Trophy has been such a sales success for Spanish firm Rieju that they are producing a Trophy 2.0. Improvements include a new locking fuel cap,…

 “In 2006 I set up the Boundary 500 Motorcycle Group to raise money for the Great North Air Ambulance as they receive no funding from the government and rely on charitable donations. In 10 years we have raised over £400,000, but I also organise the Santa Run. ‘We dress up and decorate the bikes for the ride too’ “In 2006 I also spotted that a local hospice called Zoe’s Baby Hospice was in need of help, so we started raising money through a Santa Run. At Christmas time everyone is wondering what they will be bought, but the only thing the babies in the hospice want is the gift of life. We can’t give them that, but we can raise sufficient money to ensure that they want for nothing during…

REV’IT NEWTON JACKET £220 The Newton has CE armour, a removable thermal liner and waterproof membrane to make it a fashionable four-season product. www.revit.eu DAVIDA MENS TOURING GLOVE £60 Not just a helmet maker, Davida recently brought us these touring gloves. There’s Kevlar stitching, a waterproof membrane, visor wipe on both index fingers and a thermal lining. www.davida-helmets.com BUILT MAGAZINE £4.99 Built is a new magazine all about handcrafted, customised motorcycles and the lifestyle that surrounds them. It’s for riders who like being different. Order yours at www.builtmag.co.uk…

HIGHLIGHTS • 150bhp, 93ftlb, 213kg (kerb) • Fully adjustable Öhlins suspension front and rear • Bosch cornering ABS • Wheelbase shortened • Wheelie control as standard Ducati have given their big Monster a seriously thoughtful refresh for 2017. It gets an extra shot of power, redesigned tank and chassis, a bunch of styling tweaks and posh electronics. It might not sound earth-shattering – but when you consider how good the outgoing model is already, it’s extra treats like this that push the bar even higher. Ducati’s engineers say their goal was to make the V-twin sportier and more agile. And, after a full day of riding around Monaco, I’m impressed. They’ve employed the latest, Euro4-compliant version of the Testastretta 11° DS powerplant, which is near-identical to the one used by…

‘With its exhaust and race ECU the RR packs arm-wrenching grunt’ HIGHLIGHTS • Forged Marchesini wheels • Track-focused suspension • Modified cylinder head • Ready to accept race kit Next year will feel like the early 1990s all over again because the Japanese are back in force with limited-edition Rs, double Rs and SPs. All hail the return of the homologation special. Yamaha already have their R1-M, but for 2017 there’ll be a new GSX-R1000R, Fireblade SP2 and now, from Kawasaki, the ZX-10RR. Prices haven’t been finalised but expect the Kawasaki to be around £16,249, that’s £1900 more than the standard ZX-10R. In true homologation style, the reason the ZX-10RR exists is World Super-bike racing. Next year the rules become even more restrictive and more towards Superstock spec, so Kawasaki…

DUCATI 748 I went from an Aprilia RS125 to a Ducati 748 I felt like a right jammy bugger! Ian Robinson YAMAHA PW50 MCN reader Poppy Newcombe aged six on her first bike this year, a Yamaha Pw50. KTM DUKE 125 Here’s me with my first bike in 2014. Jacques Evans YAMAHA FIZZY Me with my first bike. A 1974 Yamaha FS1-E . Taken in Hastings in 1979 when I was 16. Jon Rudd SUZUKI AP50 16 years of age in 1980 outside my girlfriend’s house in Exton, Rutland. James Healey MZ250S My brother Henry and I with our MZs, purchased new from Freddie Frith’s of Grimsby in 1975. Today we both ride BMW R1150s. Ted Plaziuk Send shots to: yourpics@ motorcyclenews.com…

THE LONG WAY ROUND First of Ewan and Charley’s televised globe-trots turned to GSAs after KTM backed out. The rest, as they say, is history... THE ADVENTURE BIKE CRAZE ‘LWR’ and the R1200 sequel Long Way Down boosted GS sales by 50%, kickstarting the adventure bike boom. ALLOY ‘MESS TIN’ PANNIERS Where would Touratech, Metal Mule and all the other alloy pannier manufacturers be without the success of the GSA? BMW OFF-ROAD SKILLS SCHOOL The GS and Adventure can be capable off-roaders... if you get taught how at Simon Pavey’s BMW Off-Road Skills school……

PRICE£6749 WEIGHT 220kg SEAT 830mm POWER 54bhpTORQUE 50ftlb MPG65.92 OLI RUSHBY BSB reporter and long-distance commuter. HEIGHT 5ft 8in WEIGHT 85kg ‘The NC gives you all the joy of being on two wheels; you just have to work a bit harder to find it’ ‘The practicality side of the NC750X always wins me over ’ You know they say absence makes the heart grow fonder? I rode the NC750X for the first time in three weeks yesterday – I’d been away on an epic scooter adventure to Valencia with our MotoGP reporter Simon Patterson (read about it in MCN December 7) – but despite the wet, greasy and cold conditions the Honda brought a huge smile to my face as I reminded myself just how good this bike can be.…

YAMAHA XSR900 £7849 ANDY CALTON FUEL 14 litres at 45.02mpg = 141 miles WEIGHT 195kg SEAT 830mm POWER 115bhp TORQUE 64ftlb So the XSR900 has now clocked up over 4000 miles with the last 500 in the current cold and wet wintry weather. The Bridgestone S21 tyres seem to be performing well in the slippery conditions and look good when it comes to wear, despite having over 1500 miles clocked up on them. I’m now far more used to the bike’s café racer stance and quite like being hunkered over the tank in the cold weather as it adds a degree of shelter. But I have found one major issue with one of the changes I’ve made. The suede seat (£189.99) looks great but soaks up water like a sponge…

‘You can have a new bike for less’ With interest base rates at an all-time low, the cost of borrowing cash has never been cheaper. When you combine these unprecedented times with bike manufacturers’ desire to shift old stock, you’ve got the recipe for some very tasty 0% deals. With no interest to pay, you get the luxury of paying off the value of the bike on a monthly basis over two, three or four years, and you’ll own the bike at the end of the term, too. Hire purchase explained Most dealers offer Hire Purchase through one or two big companies. This is how it works... • Get your budget worked out based on what you can afford to repay. You can borrow any amount from £1500 • Choose…

‘The GSX-R looks like being a real weapon and I’m looking forward to proving that’SLYVAIN GUINTOLI Sylvain Guintoli has been unveiled as Suzuki’s star BSB signing and will pilot the all-new GSX-R1000 in a bid to topple Shane Byrne as the main man in the MCE British Superbike Championship. The Frenchman has unfinished business in MCE British Superbikes after his 2009 title attack was hit by injury following an incident on the warm-up lap of the third round at Donington. He was just 11 points off runaway victor Leon Camier at the time. Now he expects to be fighting for the title with his Hawk Racing Bennetts Suzuki squad. He told MCN exclusively: “I had a good experience when I last rode in BSB. I won the first race in…

The Burt Munro Challenge has become a New Zealand institution in recent years. With the NZ Hillclimb Championship kicking off the competitive side of the week-long event, followed by a Supercross event, the circus then heads to Teretonga, the world’s southernmost race circuit, before tackling the country’s oldest motorcycling event – beach racing on the South Island’s southern coast. Oreti Beach is not only the venue for the sand-kicking event, it’s also where Burt Munro tested the machines he built that were to become the basis of the movie ‘The World’s Fastest Indian.’…

1 Riding ZX-10RR and WSB bike Find out how the new Kawasaki took our breath away. 2 Hayden in the house Nicky Hayden, winter tests, a new Fireblade, enough said. 3 #ScootToValencia Witness the most epic ride to Valencia, on 125cc scooters. 4 Our kind of noise Get involved in racebike action live from the pitlane... 5 Brilliant bike bargains GSX-R600, Hypermotard, RSV4. Fast bikes, slow sellers... Follow MCN on facebook.com/  motorcyclenews for stacks of daily updates and live videos…

 Carbon fibre is, quite literally, fibres of carbon that are woven into a material in much the same way wool is woven into a blanket. There are two main types of carbon production, wet lay and pre-preg, but most companies now use pre-preg. The carbon sheet is pre-impregnated with resin and once shaped around a mould is put in a vacuum bag and then heated and pressurised in an autoclave. The pressure forces out any trapped air bubbles to give a perfect fault-free finish, while the heat causes the resin to cure and harden. ‘It’s quite literally, fibres of carbon woven into a material’…

Ice, ice, baby Triumph unveiled this Tiger 800 Ice Bike at Motorcycle Live. The front end has been replaced with a new suspension unit and ski, while the rear tyre is studded. Other accessories include a side-exit exhaustand and ice axe mount! Theft up 44% Motorcycle theft has risen by 44% in Greater London, according to statistics compiled by insurance broker Carole Nash. Brighton and Southampton follow close behind as the next biggest theft hotspots. Tyco bikes stolen Four Tyco BMW race bikes were stolen from the Premier Inn car park near the NEC between 10.30pm Sunday, and 6.30am Monday. The bikes were Ian Hutchinson’s Superstock S1000RR, Christian Iddon’s BSB bike, a Guy Martin TT bike and Iddon’s Superstock test bike. Anyone with info should call Tyco on 028 8674…

Brough goes 007 After years of development, Brough Superior brought a production-ready SS100 to Motorcycle Live. The bike, frame number 007 in Alpine white and chrome, is an absolute work of art – and is being retained by Brough founder Mark Upham for himself. They cost £53k, if you fancy one. NEC show shines A stunning 113,172 bike fans passed through the doors of Motorcycle Live at the NEC from Nov ember 19-27, poring over hundreds of new bikes, 150 exhibitor stands, and hours of live entertainment. Next year’s show will run from November 18-26. Katana battle fit Remember the Suzuki Katana classic racer project we previewed in MCN’s show guide? The team, led by Nathan Columbi, performed the perfect build over the duration of Motorcycle Live, with the finished…

WHAT’S THIS OFF? 1 Recognise this back end? It created quite a storm when it first appeared in 2003 but soon ran out of puff. NAME THIS PUB? 2 If the rider’s chain were to snap on landing, which pub would be pulling him a consolation pint? WHOSE RACE NUMBER? 3 You may recognise the number, but which Brit currently runs with it in the GP paddock? WHO’S THIS? 4 This man is the boss of the most famous three letters in motorcycle racing. Who is he? NAME THIS CORNER 5 This track has 11 turns, but this is the most famous of them all and has seen some epic overtakes in the past. Can you name it? WHOSE HELMET? 6 Who do voodoo with this on the back of…

OK, The Victoria Bikers Pub might not have Loomies’ contemporary cool or the slick professional veneer of the Ace Café. But it’s amazingly popular; the vast range of visitors from as far as New Zealand proved its appeal to Leicestershire County Council, who awarded it official tourist destination status in 2010. There’s the capacity to camp or rent a room for the night, for those recovering from too many miles or pints. An ever-changing calendar of live bands and vintage vehicle meets welcomes riders every night of the week, but I’m here for ‘The Big One’: Thursday night, where from 6pm year round there’s anything from a handful of motorbikes in the worst weather, to over 500 on a summer scorcher. When I visited, hundreds of bikers packed the Vic’s…

Despite looking a little dated with its twin shocks and a drum rear brake, the Honda CB125F is the best bike here. It feels well put together, has a greater quality feel than the others, is smooth, easy to ride, has nice suspension and is very user-friendly. Pushing the Honda close is the Lexmoto. For £1700 we didn’t have high hopes for the Chinese 125, but it’s actually rather good. If you don’t care about branding and just want a great-value bike then look no further, it’s incredible value for money. The headlights are more attractive than the Honda’s, the clocks are digital, there’s a rear luggage rack and useable storage under the seat. There is a reason they’re regularly getting into the top three of the best-sellers list. The…

At a normal, Sunday road bike pace, the 959 is a more appropriate bike than the 1299 S, despite lacking the bells and whistles. Its whip-crack steering and more accessible engine performance just win the day, let alone the price-saving winning the monthly repayment battle. The Minigale may not have pub bragging rights, but it’s ultimately just a bit more fun than the Panigale – which suffers from the same issues as all the litre sportsbikes: you have to be serious about speed to get much back from them on the road. “That’s the one thing these two have in common with the old Ducati sportsbikes,” says James. “People often preferred the baby versions.” He’s right, they did – but, having said that, it’s worth remembering the 959 is larger…

2004 HONDA RS125R ENGINE 124cc (54.0mm x 54.4mm) liquid-cooled, two-stroke, single cylinder POWER 45bhp (est) WEIGHT 70kg THE RIDER Emma Franklin, Acting Consumer Editor HEIGHT 5ft 7in WEIGHT 60kg HER RIDING: Experienced rider with a love of sportsbikes and two strokes And so another race season ends. Despite the fact that my 2016 campaign finished with me stood at the armco at Mallory’s Lake Esses as I watched a sure-fire victory slip into the jaws of defeat, I’ve had a cracking season on my Honda RS125 GP bike. Other than that one, critical, mechanical failure at Mallory – which I’ll come back to shortly – 2016 has been fairly epic. Highs included coming fourth in the inaugural round of the ACU 125GP National Championship at Donington Park, and also…

Tester Liam Marsden Time tested Three months/2000 miles What’s good I was a little apprehensive about going for an out-and-out sports tyre for my Husqvarna 701 Supermoto. I’m not quick enough to truly take the tyres to their limits and I would be using them everyday on the commute, but I needn’t have worried. The Racetecs gave me loads of confidence almost as soon as I rolled out of the car park. They were warm enough within 10 minutes for me to comfortably lean to the edge of the tyre. On track they’re brilliant – just one lap is all that’s needed to bring them up to temperature and they offer bags of grip – way more than I know what to do with. After 2000 miles – a lot…

Q Can I still claim even if I can’t recall the actual crash? I had an accident when overtaking and the driver who hit me said I was going above the speed limit and was riding erratically. He said he was attempting to turn right and was indicating. I can’t remember much about the accident but there are witnesses. Some of them say I was speeding while others say I was not and some of them say the other driver was indicating and turning appropriately while others say that he pulled out fairly sharply. This uncertainty means my solicitors are considering dropping my claim. Mario Vulevic, email A Considering liability, or who is to blame for the accident, the majority of cases turn on the witness evidence of the parties…

‘Buy a depreciation-free bike’ As new bike prices go sky-high, used R1200GS values hold When bike prices go up – and they will next year – depreciation of older bikes changes. All of a sudden it’s not: “Well, it’s five years old so it’s lost half its value,” but: “Well, look at the price of a new one. OK, so the new model has a few more gizmos and a new paintscheme, but it’s 15 grand!” And that makes your older model worth more. I’ve just been through this with a mate who was after the latest BMW R1200GS. That’ll be the interim 2016/17 model launched in August this year to bridge the gap between the non-Euro4-compliant 2016 model and the new-for-2017 version arriving in April. Confusing, eh? The interim…

BEPPE GUALINI Professional test rider, instructor and former Dakar racer 2014 HONDA CRF450 The only bike I’ve never tried is a small electric enduro bike; I’ve tested thousands of bikes but never an electric. I doubt I’d get one for three thousand though, so I would go for a small single like a Honda CRF450. I love off-roading, from my days racing Dakar, so I’d need a bike that would go anywhere and do anything. ANDREA ROSSI Ducati test rider 1992 DUCATI SUPERSPORT 900 I would definitely go for a Ducati Supersport 900. Because it has beautiful lines, it’s a cheaper bike to buy now and it’s a blast to ride. I used to own a 350SS and loved it. I now have an 1198 but I’d still go for…

‘Owners of road-going bikes take excellent care of them’ “With a number of years of production behind it, there are plenty of used 675s to choose from, and by-and-large owners have looked after them well. The previous models are all excellent, but the latest generation, with Triumph’s superb ABS, is the culmination of seven years’ refinement, and it shows. However, you should be wary of any bikes that look as though they might’ve been raced or used as track bikes, as there are probably just as many 675s circulating Britain’s racetracks as there are out on the roads, and most will have cartwheeled through the gravel at least once. “The Daytona 675’s lock stops are two metal tabs machined in to either side of the headstock, and snapping them in…

Voting is now open for this year’s MCN Man of the Year. From an initial shortlist of 14, our panel of experts have narrowed this down to five of 2016’s most impressive performers in the world of motorcycle sport. But now the choice is yours. Cal Crutchlow Despite a torrid start to 2016, the Honey Badger turned things around in spectacular fashion as he went on to become the first British racer to win a premier class Grand Prix race since Barry Sheene 35 years ago. However, that wasn’t enough for Cal as he followed it up with a stunning second in front of home fans at Silverstone, before taking an arguably even more impressive win in the dry at Phillip Island. Jonathan Rea Making history by becoming the first…

‘The package was good in 2015; we finished on the podium at Brands’JOHN HOPKINS John Hopkins will return to MotoRapido Ducati for the 2017 MCE British Superbike Championship as both he and the team look to bounce back after a difficult season in 2016. The former MotoGP star will be reunited with Steve Moore’s team after a challenging year aboard a Yamaha R1 with Tommy Hill’s ePayMe-backed squad. While the American showed flashes of pace, a mid-season injury hampered his chances of really progressing with the Yamaha. With Hill’s team looking unlikely to make the grid in 2017 after the withdrawal of title sponsor ePayMe, Hopkins has opted to return to Ducati power in the hope that he will be able to pick up where he and the Hampshire team…

‘The biggest thing I’ll take away from here is how fast we were able to be on race rubber’JONATHAN REA Jonathan Rea put the cat among the pigeons at Jerez last week as he topped the timesheets at a rare joint World Superbikes and MotoGP test. Rea and his Kawasaki team, along with numerous WSB rivals, were joined at Jerez by a handful of MotoGP outfits, including Pramac Ducati, Aprilia and KTM, but the Northern Irishman outpaced all of his GP peers with an imperious lap time that would have put him on pole position for this year’s Spanish Grand Prix. It wasn’t just his one-lap pace that was strong, either – the Ulsterman put in two solid race runs on Thursday and was able to lap almost as quickly…

‘The test wasn’t about lap times, it was more for data and learning’BRADLEY SMITH New KTM factory MotoGP rider Bradley Smith has left three ‘bloody hard’ days of testing at Jerez content with the progress that the team are making with the new RC16, despite the results failing to reflect the progress made at the end-of-season test. Finishing near the bottom of the times alongside KTM test rider Mika Kallio, Smith remained upbeat after the final test of 2016, saying that performance and outright lap times were never the priority and that the team are still very much learning the intricacies of making a MotoGP machine. He said: “They’ve been three bloody hard days and my head wants to explode, but the biggest thing is I really enjoy working with…

Paul Anderson is proof that you don’t need to throw a mountain of money at a bike to build something special. Paul, from North Dakota, started with the XLH 883 Sportster that he already owned. He replaced the rear wheel with a 19in hoop shod with dirt track tyres, shortening and reshaping the stock rear mudguard and a front mudguard from a Honda minibike. The engine was fitted with a 1200 kit with the carbs re-jetted to suit. He already owned the two-into-two stainless pipes and handlebars, the speedo comes from a bicycle and the skidplate is from an old fridge shelf. He did nearly everything himself, including painting and embossing the H-D emblem on the tank. Phil Little, a flat track racer from Minneapolis made the adapters for the…

Rebel rebel Honda have unleashed the Rebel, a new bobber that’s A2-licence friendly. The beating heart of the Rebel is a 471cc parallel twin taken from the CBR500R, but retuned for more bottom end torque. There’s also a brand new two-into-one exhaust that, combined with the 180 degree crank, means the Rebel should sound as good as it looks. Frame firm folds? Frame maker FTR Moto have entered insolvency four years after they were bought by the Heads of the Valleys Development Company (HOTVDC), who are behind the Circuit of Wales. Despite success in Moto2 and Moto3, they have declared substantial losses since 2012. Maverick Viñales took five Moto3 wins with an FTR chassis in 2012. Avinton for two French manufacturer Avinton have announced a new model called the Pearl.…

The Motorcycle Live show at the NEC has packed up after a mammoth nine days of wowing the 120,000-odd motorcyclists who flock there every year. This is no small undertaking and takes months of planning and millions of pounds worth of metal, staff and stand builds. The show is run by the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) which is made up of bike manufacturers and importers. But that’s not all the MCIA does. And, one might argue it’s not even the most important thing the MCIA does. It has been working hard behind the scenes for the last few years to get motorcycling on the government’s agenda when deciding on how to improve road safety. And it’s just been announced that Highways England has partnered with the MCIA and the National…

1 The Victoria Bikers’ Pub Coalville, Leics. Thursdays from 6pm. www.vicbikerspub.co.uk 2 Squires Cafe, Newthorpe near Sherburn in Elmet, West Yorks. www.squires-cafe.co.uk Bike meets every Wednesday. 3 Whistlestop Cafe, HTM Business Park, Rhuddlan, Denbighshire. 01745 591235. Thursday bike meets, 7am-4pm. 4 Cabin Dairy Tearooms, High St, Burnham on Crouch, Essex. 01621 782404. Saturday bike meets. Open 8am-4pm. 5 Woody’s Bar, Ancaster, Grantham, Lincs. From 6.30pm. www.woodlandwaters.co.uk Monday bike meets. GET YOUR MEET ON THE MAP If you have a bike-friendly cafe and want to get your meet on the map, contact us on: mcn@motorcyclenews.co.uk…

‘After some training days in Wales, I thought it was fantastic’ ‘The 1150GS is reliable, sweet-handling and feels so planted and safe to ride’ With the latest, liquid-cooled BMW GS still dominating the sales charts and the original, 1981 R80G/S, often referred to as a design icon, it’s easy to forget it was 1999’s fifth-generation version, the R1150GS, which is probably the most influential GS of all. Distinctively rugged and hugely practical, the 1150 was the catalyst for the whole culture of adventure bikes. So, whether you’re a true global adventurer in the vein of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman who famously rode 1150GSAs in TV’s Long Way Round, or simply a connoisseur of one of the most versatile and durable bikes ever, a huge number of us owe a…

TRIUMPH STREET TWIN £7350 FUEL 12ltr@63mpg = 164 miles WEIGHT 198kg (dry) SEAT HEIGHT 750mm POWER 54bhp TORQUE 59ftlb PED BAKER Enjoys tinkering nearly as much as he does riding the Triumph. HEIGHT 6ft 4in WEIGHT 90kg ‘The slip-assist clutch is more important than something like traction control’ As I mentioned in my last report, Triumph’s Street Twin is a fool-proof way into retro bike ownership. Not only is the Street Twin amazingly easy to ride with its low seat height, friendly power delivery and lightweight controls, but behind the classic facade, it also boasts some hidden, hi-tech help such as traction control and a slip-assist clutch. Slip-assist clutches aren’t that new but the way they work is interesting. Inside a slip-assist clutch are the usual things you see in…

EDZ All Climate Boot Socks £7.99 Made from a mix of wool and performance yarns for the perfect mix of warmth and comfort. The loop pile design in the sole adds extra plushness. EDZ also say the socks have antibacterial properties to keep them fresh. FLM Short Sock £8.99 These tough toe toasters are made with tough Cordura at the heels and toes so they’ll provide many thousands of miles service without holing. They promise high breathability and comfort, as the Coolmax fabric claims to help keep your feet at a constant temperature. RST Tour Tech Socks £9.99 Extra-long design created with big-distance riders in mind, the RSTs are cotton with a layer of Coolmax yarn to help prevent feet becoming excessively sweaty. There’s light elastic at the shin to…

THE EXPERT MHP Exhausts. Ex-racer Mark Hill makes bespoke race exhausts, as well as development systems for the likes of Hesketh and the Gemini T3 projects. ‘Negative pressure helps pull the fresh charge in through the inlet valve on overlap’ An exhaust uses the negative pressure of the exiting gases to help suck more fresh fuel/ air into the cylinder. It has to complement the type of engine and its number of cylinders and changing the design can alter where the power is delivered in the rev range, affecting drivability and other characteristics. When an engine’s piston rises it pushes the exhaust gases out of the open exhaust valve as a pulse, and this gas pulse is ridiculously hot and travelling at an incredibly high speed. Just like a MotoGP…

Upgrade your SX to get free satnav Kawasaki are trying to entice Z1000SX owners to upgrade to the 2017 model by giving away a free TomTom Rider 400 satnav. The sports-tourer has sold well since its 2011 launch, so plenty of current owners may be tempted by the new advanced rider aids, brighter lights and improved screen, especially if there’s a £350 satnav thrown in. Ducati hikes their new bike prices Ducati UK have announced a 4.8% average price increase across their range from January 1, 2017. The price hike comes in response to the fluctuation we’ve seen in the pound over the last 12 months. For example, a Monster 1200R will now cost £15,995 not £15,500, and a Multistrada 1200S rises from £15,895 to £16,595. CFMoto 650TR price slashed…

Forget the 996… ’98 Aprilia RSV is the Italian twin to invest in Over a decade after Aprilia’s 2004 meltdown and takeover by Piaggio it’s easy to forget how dynamic and ambitious the Noale-based Italian firm were in the late 90s and early Noughties. Having served their apprenticeship in the tiddler classes, Aprilia, from 1998, decided to put not just Ducati but even Honda in their sights with an all-new family of big V-twins. The first, the RSV Mille superbike, was arguably the best. Its compact, 128bhp 60-degree V-twin not just out-punched its Italian rival, but was more reliable and required less maintenance. Its gorgeous, polished aluminium twin-spar frame was not just a work of art, it also delivered great handling, and its roomier proportions compared to the Ducati gave…