Table of contents for 1 January 2020 in MCN

THIS WEEK WEDNESDAY 1ST Brooklands New Year’s Day Classic Gathering Brooklands Museum, Surrey Entr y 9am-4pm, Adult £16, Senior/ Student £15, Children under 5 go free Info 01932-857381 or w w w.brooklandsmuseum.com WEDNESDAY 1ST The Hangover Meet Ace Cafe, Stonebridge, London Entr y 10am Info 020-8961-1000 or w w w.london.acecafe.com THURSDAY-2ND Superbike Thursday The Leadburn Inn, Leadburn, West Linton, Midlothian Entr y 7.30pm Info 01968-421069 SATURDAY 4TH Rufforth Autojumble Find yourself a bargain at Rufforth Park, Rufforth, Yorks. Entr y Gates open 8am, £2 per person w w w.rufforthautojumble.com SUNDAY 5TH Chilly Willy Charity Rideout All Seasons Cafe, Billing Garden Village, Northampton, Northants. Entr y Arrive from 10am, rideout leaves at 12noon. All donations go to the Air Ambulance Charity Info Facebook: Chilly Willy Charity or chilly willynbc@gmail.com YOUR HANDY…

Northamptonshire Police have charged Anne Sacoolas with causing death by dangerous driving, after a collision resulted in the death of a young motorcyclist. The Crown Prosecution Service also announced they have begun extradition proceedings through the Home Office. Sacoolas is suspected of driving out of RAF Croughton on the wrong side of the road and colliding with Dunn, who later died in hospital. In an interview with the police Sacoolas, an American citizen, said she did not intend to leave the country, however she later went to the US while claiming diplomatic immunity. However the CPS has now said that diplmatic immunity does not apply in this case. Northamptonshire Police gave a file of evidence to the CPS in November, after they were able to interview Sacoolas in the States.…

‘A Yamaha MT-07 is almost half the price’ 237 miles Suzuki somewhat jumped on the bandwagon with the 2019 Katana having no doubt seen Kawasaki’s success with the Z900RS. Take a tried and tested road bike, in this case the GSX-S1000, give it a restyle and a name that taps into fond memories of the ‘good old days’ and away we go. Only many feared, after seeing it at various shows and from early test reports, that Suzuki hadn’t gone far enough and at £11,399 (a Z900RS is £10,199), it was too steamy for some. I liked the looks of the new Katana and wasn’t too worried about how authentic its links to the original Katana were. I was a bit too young (honest guv’nor) to have that particular rulebook…

RATINGS POOR ★ AVERAGE ★★ GOOD ★★★ VERY GOOD ★★★★ EXCEPTIONAL ★★★★★ 3500 MILES Richa ARC jacket & Atlantic trousers £639.99 (jacket), £419.99 (jeans) Tested by Mike Armitage for three months, 3500 miles A fan of leathers, I don’t usually enjoy the bulk of textiles. But this is a joy. The jacket has the cut and fit of leather, with pre-curved, slim-fit sleeves and single-zip closing. I zip it to equally snug-fitting Atlantic trousers and no longer worry I may get wedged in doorways. The laminated Gore-Tex laughs at winter and there’s a sense of security from the D3O armour. Five-year warranty, too. But despite the quality thermal liner it’s not as warm as thicker kit. That said, I commute on freezing mornings wearing a T-shirt, Gerbing heated liner and…

FOR SINGLE-SIDED CHAIN ADJUSTING Torque wrench You’ll need to torque-up the hub clamp pinch bolt(s) to the correct spec. It’s usually a fairly high value but check in your bike’s owners’ manual for details. C-spanner This should be part of your bike’s toolkit, but if you need to purchase one, an adjustable wrench can be picked up for as little as £12. 3/8 sockets and ratchet It’s always good practice to use a ratchet to loosen your pinch bolts rather than a torque wrench. They may require a bit of force so enlist some help to steady the bike. Steel ruler The most accurate and easy way to measure the slack of your chain or record your ride height. It’s a garage essential for all sorts of jobs – and…

British biker Hayley Bell has been named the American Motorcyclist Association 2019 Motorcyclist of the Year. Bell is the founder and president of the Women Riders World Relay, a movement joined by thousands of riders from 84 countries to create a “global sisterhood of inspirational women.” Participants carried a baton for a leg of the journey through their countries, then passed it to the next group. Bell was determined that the relay demonstrate that female riders “are exactly equal to other riders.”…

Bikes are pretty easy to steal. A vehicle with no windows or doors that can be picked up by a few strong people is easier to steal than, say, a car. Steering locks are defeated by a firm kick and immobilisers can be bypassed using a cheap circuit board and a few wires. So what are bike manufacturers, who make money out of selling their machines, doing to help keep them safe? Quite a bit, actually. BMW and Yamaha have been exploring new ways to keep their models in the hands of the people who have paid for them. Patent drawings have been filed by BMW showing a new way of locking a motorbike’s gearbox to prevent it from being wheeled away. A solenoid will drop a metal pin into…

Reader Craig Ward The Ride Portsmouth to Caen to Pamplona and Millau Bridge When to do it Summer Miles 2600 Time required Ten days Don't miss this “The scenic route through the Basque country to the Pyrenees. Scorchio Spanish sun and twisty roads, we were having the time of our lives that day!” THE ROADS You can't argue with roads as good as this, especially as three of us were riding Yamaha MT-10s. THE GROUP We are a group of eight and have been touring together for five years. It's brilliant for trips. DIVE! DIVE! The Keroman Submarine Pens are famous for the sheer size of their construction. Amazing. MILLAU Some more mountain roads and another border crossing, and were heading for our destination of Millau. Home of the biggest…

Q ‘Breakdown truck broke my Bonneville’ I needed to call out recovery for my 1978 Triumph T140. My insurer uses a call handler which then used a third party firm. After leaving me waiting over three hours until 2am, they turned up with a flat-bed truck and insisted it went on its sidestand and ratcheted it down with heavy-duty straps so tight it broke the stand and nearly fell off the back. Now they are denying it happened, even though I have a witness. The handler now won’t even reply to emails and when I phone it’s ‘with another department’. I have tried to make a claim through my insurance (I am fully comp) but they say because it’s not a road accident I can’t. How can this be when…

NIGEL WRIGLEY Age 45 Height 5ft 11in Current bike 2015 Street Triple RX Been riding for 20 months First bike KTM Duke 125 Dream bike Ducati Streetfighteer “I bought a bike in the first place because I was fed up with my daily drive home. It would take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours to cover a nine-mile journey. I ended up buying a KTM Duke 125 and did 4500 miles in 11 months. My plan was to just get the next Duke up, the 390, but a friend at work suggested a Street Triple might be quite good, so I bought the RX last May. I’ve done over 3000 miles and reach for the key as often as possible. “I love its agile handling and how easy it…

The 2020 model is cleaner, quieter and mixes the midrange surge so beloved of the Street Triple R with the fiery top end of the RS. Ridden back-to-back with the old RS, the motor’s extra urgency and fluidity through the gears is obvious, but it’s the mere polishing of a very slightly rough diamond and not a big step forward. Both go like stink when you prod them and handle like premium-price European sportsbikes, even in the wet. New dash graphics are what you notice the most, as well as the extra convenience of the blipper, but that aside it’s still the Street Triple RS we know and love. At just a shade over 10 grand it’s a lot of naked niceness for the money, but the introduction of the…

The revised styling, new inverted forks and tweaked riding position make the new MT-03 ideal for novices looking to make the step up to an A2 licence. Although lacking the pizzazz of some rivals (particularly the trellis-framed, single-cylinder KTM 390 Duke), the Yamaha’s light clutch, low seat and less intimidating twin-cylinder delivery let the MT be fully exploited without any threat of getting into trouble. The fun isn’t reserved for novices, either, with its comfy seat, ample performance and frugality also making it ideal for commuters. Tech spec…

I really wanted to find a flaw in the R1250GSA’s skill set this year. It’s nothing personal, but having covered 35,000 miles on GSs over the last five years, the cachet of being the one who finally manages to whinge (with supporting evidence) is an attractive lure. Of course, the GSA isn’t perfect. Nothing is. But picking holes in it is a bit like criticising a supermodel for having a mole on her arse. I’ve said it before, but the genius that’s laced into every molecule of the GS is hard to pin down. It’s the sum of all its talents that impresses. I would argue that 2019 has given it a bit more of an edge in one regard, though. That new 1250 ShiftCam engine is a thumping peach…

“I don’t go out in the rain at all but back in the ’70s I had a horrible experience when I lost the front in the wet but managed to stay on. That memory is always at the back of my mind, despite my BMW having lots of electronics and really good tyres. “Although I’d class myself as experienced, there’s nothing to beat practising your skills, especially in unusual conditions, and I discovered riding in the rain can be enjoyable. Concentration, observation and smooth riding are critical and I found Mark’s reminders about different lines and engine braking beneficial. I also found it useful to use the rear brake more, as it adds stopping power whilst also maintaining stability.”…

I LIKE • Suspension and handling. The way it’s set up out of the box is really good. • I love the power delivery, the Ducati V-twin is so well sorted and it rides really well. • The quickshifter and autoblipper make it incredibly easy to ride. • I love the way all the controls are laid out, the switchgear and the seating position. I DON'T • OE tyres. I don’t think the Scorpion Trails suit the machine particularly well. • It’s an expensive bike and I think the price is a bit too high, even though it’s very exclusive. • I wish I had more time to ride it outside of commuting. QUICK SPECS •1262cc •158bhp •206kg •825-845mm seat height PRICE NEW £19,995 VALUE NOW £17,995…

Honda’s chunky little 50cc Zoomer is a sturdy piece of kit and it had taken the owner of this example 14 years to need help. Mind you, the ped had only covered 14 miles in all that time! When Sam Harris, M&M’s delivery driver, arrived to pick the bike up he found it sitting in a garage, covered in dust, but looking like it was in decent condition. ‘You don’t even get that with a head gasket’ Sam told us: “The owner got home from that first 14-mile ride, parked it up in the garage and never got round to riding it again. But he got attached to it, so he just hung onto it.” When Sam got back to the workshop, M&M’s owner Viv McCann started checking it over.…

The last time anyone beat KTM was BMW in 2000 – but it’s not through want of trying. Honda returned with a full HRC factory effort in 2013 with advanced traction control and electronic suspension. But while they’ve won plenty of stages, they’ve failed to secure the big prize and have suffered high profile reliability issues. Yamaha’s effort with their MX-derived WR450F has been gaining momentum, too, especially in the more technical stages, which is the direction the race was going in when it was run in South America. The terrain in Saudi Arabia remains largely unknown.…

TOBY PRICE Red Bull KTM Factory Team Nationality Australian Debut 2015 Wins 2Podiums 4 Australian hardman Price has been on the podium in every Dakar he’s finished and is reigning champion having won last year despite riding with a broken wrist. Superfast and aggressive he’ll be fighting for victory once again. MATTHIAS WALKNER Red Bull KTM Factory Team Nationality Austrian Debut 2015 Wins 1Podiums 3 KTM’s golden boy and former 125cc MX world champ failed to finish his first two Dakars, but has since finished second twice and won once. Like Price he starts as a race favourite ADRIEN VAN BEVEREN Monster Energy Yamaha WR450F Nationality French Debut 2016 Wins 0Podiums 0 Best finish 4th 2017 Yamaha’s no.1 has serious pace and was leading in 2018 before suffering a huge…

The progress made by KTM in 2019 can be traced back to test rider Dani Pedrosa. Since his arrival at the end of 2018, the Spaniard has brought priceless knowledge and experience. “From day one he wanted to work together and bring his part to the table,” said KTM’s Pit Bierer. “He was talking to the engineers in detail about how a rider sees a MotoGP bike and the tyres, and how we should see a bike and look after the tyres in the development stage.” From day one Pedrosa told the KTM factory what was good with the bike, what should be left alone, and the areas which they should focus on and his work with the chassis led to Johann Zarco clinching KTM’s first front-row start at Brno,…

Andrea Iannone’s MotoGP future remains in serious doubt after he failed a drugs test carried out at the Malaysian Grand Prix. The Aprilia man’s urine sample contained traces of anabolic steroids and he has been handed a provisional suspension by the FIM. Iannone is barred from competing in any motorcycle competition or activity until further notice. Iannone is believed to have activated his right to request the analysis of his B-sample, with the results likely to be known on January 7. ‘If the B-sample is positive he faces a lengthy ban’ The Italian press have reported that the substance found in Iannone’s urine was Drostanolone, which is commonly used in bodybuilding. UFC fighter Brian Ortega was suspended for nine months in 2014 for using the steroid. Aprilia are yet to…

‘Today a naked bike is the most difficult to develop’BMW DESIGN CHIEF EDGAR HEINRICH BMW have just announced that they’re officially accepting orders for their upcoming R18. For around £100 (price varies by dealer) you can put your name on the list, guaranteeing yourself a machine as soon as they’re available. But before the finished machine arrives later this year, we sat down with BMW’s design supremo to discuss how the all-new bike came about. “There is a big cruiser market out there and we’ve never had a real bike to attack it,” said Edgar Heinrich, Head of Design at BMW Motorrad. “We looked at the other bikes in that segment closely and we thought that if we really want to go for this, we will have to play by…

By now most of us have seen the video of someone at the Royal Enfield factory pin striping a petrol tank in a matter of seconds. Standing next to them as they do it is even more awe inspiring. The pin striping at Enfield is all taught by one family, who have passed on their talents through their own generations and to various others along the way. Including myself. With my sleeves rolled up, it was time to give it a go. I must confess I have actually done it a bit before but even so my effort left a lot to be desired. You see in standard pinstriping, you’d generally swap brushes for different thickness of lines but there’s no time for that here. One typical painter will produce…

While many head to the gym or start a ‘dry January’, in the New Year, #ride5000miles members are already setting their sights on realistic 2020 targets that will make a more lasting difference to their lives. Iron Butt UK President, Phil Weston, 69, plans to pass the 200,000-mile mark on his five-year-old Triumph Tiger 800 to mark his 70th birthday. With 31,000 miles left to go the Bristol-based freelance building manager has a number of European trips planned to reach his bum-numbing total. These include Iron Butt ‘Ride to Eat’ events, where members from across Europe converge for a meal before returning home. Destinations vary from a trip to Holland in February to one to Solvenia in June. ‘I tried to do it this year but was too ambitious’R5K MEMBER…

To celebrate their tenth birthday, BikeTrac have launched a new finance offer meaning you can get a BikeTrac unit for as little as £39-a-month over 12 months with a 10% deposit. “When we launched in 2009, tracking was seen as a luxury. Ten years on and we are extremely pleased to see such wide adoption of the technology but the price of the technology can still be considered as a barrier,” said BikeTrac’s Bill Taylor. “We are delighted to offer a 0% finance via participating dealers, making it the easiest it’s ever been to protect your pride and joy.”…

KAWASAKI KX80 Thought you might like this one of me when I was about 11 or 12 years-old on my first bike, a Kawasaki KX80. Chris Boyle YAMAHA YZF-R125 A picture of me and my first bike taken when I was celebrating my 17th birthday earlier this year. Shannon Bowering YAMAHA TZR250 My first bike (well, first bike post-test) in 1989 on a trip to the Lake District. It was a bit of a busman’s holiday as I was a despatch rider in London. Ayala Marshall DUCATI MONSTER This was five years ago. It’s a black and gold Ducati Monster 696+. Loved it but since then I’ve upgraded to a Fireblade. Ben Hallam YAMAHA THUNDERCAT Parked up at Matlock on my Yamaha YZF600R Thundercat a few years ago. They were…

Mark says: “We’re in a golden age of safety technology and tyres are much better, too, but when it comes to riding in slippery conditions, there’s simply no substitute for observation, planning and rider skill. If you ride with thought and finesse then you won’t need the electronic safety nets of ABS and traction control. And if you find you’re regularly triggering these systems then you need to look at your riding to find out why. Proper planning will prevent most panic situations and allow you to maximise safety and smoothness.”…

This is the gear David Dickinson uses on his Ducati Pikes Peak 1. Klim Badlands Gore-Tex Jacket £720 I came across Klim through my off-road riding and have always rated it really highly. This jacket is laminate, so the water runs off, plus it has lots of vents and plenty of pockets (too many actually). 2. Klim Badlands Pro Gore-Tex Jeans £519.60 Like the jacket, the fit is spot on, they’re well made and fully waterproof. As well as knee armour they also have coccyx protection and although they’re expensive, they should last a long time. I rate them highly. 3. Shoei GT Air 2 £549.99 This is my second GT Air and I love it. It’s got an easy-to-change external visor with Pinlock insert plus a…

“We’ve Honda to thank for the modern single-sided swingarm. Their Pro Arm system was developed on their endurance racers and made its way onto the RC30, VFR400/750s etc. Ducati, MV and Triumph use them too. “The main advantage is ease of maintenance as it makes it much easier to remove the rear wheel – provided the bike has a centrestand or you have a paddock stand. This is a huge advantage in endurance events but is also handy for us if replacing a tyre, looks cleaner and has fewer nooks and crannies so is easier to keep clean as well. “Disadvantages include being larger and more heavily engineered to enable them to cope with the stresses, increasing unsprung weight. Bearings also have to be larger and stronger and an unusually…

KTM have had their best, and most controversial, year in MotoGP since they joined the paddock in 2017. The Austrian outfit secured their first front-row starts, finished inside the top 10 multiple times and secured the services of Dani Pedrosa within their test team. But at the same time it hasn’t been all plain sailing, with KTM parting company with Johann Zarco mid season. MCN sat down with KTM’s Motorsport Director Pit Bierer to discuss their MotoGP project past, present and future... The way KTM got up to speed when you started in 2017 was impressive. After a tough 2018, 2019 has been positive. How do you see it? In 2017 everybody said we did a fantastic job and were doing great things, which was maybe not the case. We…

OMG Racing will enter the Isle of Man TT and North West 200 for the first time this year. The BSB race-winning operation have signed James Hillier and David Johnson for their maiden campaign between the hedges. Hillier has won races at both events and also has multiple podiums to his name on the roads. Meanwhile, Johnson claimed his maiden podium in last year’s Superstock race onboard a Honda. OMG will use a BMW S1000RR in the Superbike and Superstock class, and a Yamaha R6 in Supersport.…