Table of contents for 22 April 2020 in MCN

When we told you to ‘Watch this space’ last week about the much-rumoured imminent buy-out of floundering Norton by Indian mega-business TVS, even I didn’t think we’d be breaking the news just a few days later. And what incredible news it is. Amidst one of the bleakest periods in social and business history for a generation, the £16million buy-out by TVS Motor Company of Chennai, India is a beacon of light – not just for those who want Norton Motorcycles to continue, but also for British jobs and bike manufacturing in the UK. When I spoke to the new owner on Monday, the message that resonated loud and clear was that TVS is not just in love with the brand, but with it’s inherent Britishness. The staff will be retained,…

‘We will build on Norton’s legacy and restore it to its original glory’ ‘We will start to build new bikes as soon as possible’ Norton Motorcycles has been sold to Indian motorcycle giant TVS Motor Company in a £16million cash deal that will see manufacturing remain in the UK, while those who paid deposits will finally receive their bikes. Under the agreement, a subsidiary TVS Motor Company has acquired Norton, as well as a licence to occupy the existing manufacturing premises for the next six months, after which they will build a new factory in the UK. Speaking exclusively to MCN, Sudarshan Venu, Joint Managing Director of TVS told us their first aim is to rebuild the brand. “The most important thing for us is to build on Norton’s legacy…

UK Blood Biking charities could collectively lose between £170,000 and £200,000 every month according to the Chairman of the Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes, John Stepney. Despite many groups now providing voluntary 24/7 support to the NHS, the groups have been forced to shutdown much of their fund-raising, which relies heavily on social gatherings, due to the virus crisis. “Most of the revenue we get is from people coming together; whether that be in the form of a talk to people like the Women’s Institute, a black-tie dinner or standing in places like supermarkets and football stadiums collecting donations,” Stepney explained. “Some groups won’t collect as much as £5000 and some will do better than that,” the Milton Keynes rider continued. “I would be comfortable in saying the community could…

•‘Marquez survived a 26g impact then went fastest in FP2’ Airbags used to be the preserve of factory racers and wealthy trackday riders but with prices now dropping below £400 for the first time, everyday road riders can benefit from the latest safety tech. But what’s out there and will it work if the worst happens? MCN finds out… How much will an airbag protect me? Far better than other forms of armour, but still not as much as you might think. Weirdly, most airbag manufacturers do not make any specific claims about impact protection. The exceptions to this are Alpinestars and Dainese, who say their systems offer as much protection as 18 back protectors stacked together. Traditional motorcycle armour is designed to protect against injury through impact with the…

•‘I’m sweating and have only managed about five seconds’ With most of us now confined to our homes, the internet has become awash with online courses in just about everything under the sun. Cooking, exercise (am I alone in thinking fitness isn’t the only thing on the wife’s mind while watching Joe Wicks?), baby yoga – it is all out there – even Mr Motivator has dusted off his spandex. But what about us bikers who are stuck indoors with nothing to satisfy our two-wheeled cravings? If you look, there are a few motorcycle-related online courses, so why not spend self-isolation learning a new riding technique without having to leave your drive? And you don’t even have to fill up with petrol for this leisure activity. “When the coronavirus hit…

It is not often that the might of HRC gets rattled, but in 2000 this was the case. Despite dominating the premier class of racing with Mick Doohan and the NSR500, Honda were being given a very public bloody nose in the increasingly popular World Superbike series by Ducati. Huge R&D investment in the homologation-special RC45 had only led to a single title since being introduced in 1994 compared to Ducati’s five and head-to-head the Bologna bike was handing Honda their backsides with 81 race wins compared to 33. In HRC’s mind the issue was not their V4, it was WSB’s rules which allowed V-twins a 250cc advantage over the 750cc fours, so they decided to prove a point… “There was definitely a bit of needle between Ducati and Honda,”…

The SP-1 is built with real precision and a very high level of finish, however there are a few things to look out for when buying a used one. The first is originality as they are viewed as collector’s items so you want the original exhausts, licence plate holder, screen etc. The SP-1’s wiring loom has an exposed area under the seat, which can rot through next to the bank angle sensor. Any damage can cause the bike to misfire and even cut out, so check for any signs of corrosion. Both the SP-1 and SP-2 suffer from a weird issue where the screen can act like a lens (it is worse with aftermarket double-bubble screens), focusing light on the top of the dash and melting it, so check this…

It’s been a funny old start to the riding season. Well, I say ‘start’, but I’m yet to turn a wheel on my long-term test bike. Like the bulk of the UK, and along with the rest of the MCN team, I’m currently working from home and the only two-wheeled action I’ve seen of late, is my daily hour of exercise. I’ve swapped from an engine to pedal power for that, but at least my fitness is improving and there’s a fighting chance that I’ll fit in my leathers, when the need arises. Talk about bad timing, I was due to collect my BMW F900XR TE the week we went into lockdown. So rather than getting to grips with the parallel twinned beauty, I’ve spent the last few weeks reading…

We’re now well into the fifth week of lockdown with MotoGP, WSB and BSB racing becoming a distant memory, but all is not lost. MotoGP and WSB promoters Dorna remain committed for racing to take place in 2020. Huge amounts of work is going on behind the scenes with teams, manufacturers and race circuits to make sure it happens. Last week BSB boss Stuart Higgs underpinned his commitment to get the series running with plans to kick things into action from as early as June if permitted or even starting racing as late as September and running through into November. ‘There could be a race every weekend…’ The roads community has arguably been hit the hardest with the NW200 and Isle of Man TT cancelled along with the Ulster GP…

‘He lost a gear but still took second’ DEAN HARRISON Three-time TT winner “It’s a hard year to talk about because it was the year David Jefferies got killed so as a result not much about the races that year is remembered, but the Superbike race was brilliant. Adrian Archibald was on the TAS Suzuki and John McGuinness was riding Paul Bird’s Monstermob Ducati. The race was really close and when McGuinness came into the pits he’d lost fourth gear, but he continued and he still managed to finish second. It meant he had to go from third to fifth and I guess the only saving grace was that he was on a torquey V-twin, but even so... If you tried doing that on my current race bike it…

‘Joey’s most famous victory’ STEPHEN DAVISON Photographer & Journalist “At 48, Joey’s TT glory days seemed over. In 1999 David Jefferies and the new V&M Yamaha R1 had blown Honda and Dunlop away in both the F1 and Senior. Joey remained certain he could win another big bike TT. The threat to leave Honda if they didn’t provide a competitive bike forced the manufacturer into supplying Dunlop with their new SP-1 and a WSB-spec engine. Untested, it was almost unrideable around the TT. Rumour has it Joey decided to run a tyre from a firm other than the official supplier, which helped settle the nervous SP-1. Iffy track conditions also played into his hands as Jefferies struggled on the opening lap. When the V&M Yamaha ground to a halt…

Countless motorcyclists across the UK are volunteering their time during the ongoing battle with Covid-19 – maintaining the thrill of riding during the lockdown period while delivering packages to those in need. “It’s kept me sane over these last weeks – particularly on days where it’s nice clear blue sky,” Billericay-based Graham Bell told MCN. Offering a prescription home delivery service aboard his KTM 1290 Super Duke GT for two local pharmacies, Graham transports up to 15 parcels from each site every morning alongside any additional orders taken in the afternoon. “For the people I deliver to, part of it is a social thing. A lot of people have been isolated – many of them are very elderly and they like to have a little chat at the door,” Graham…

F-series BMWs have been delivering real-world riding fun since 1993 and the new F900XR is no exception. Using a big-bored F850 engine and the GS frame it is a fabulously composed and usable road bike which can be flicked about easily at any speed, and a base model price of £9850 is dead in line with its rivals. But if your budget doesn’t stretch that far there are F-series models stretching back to the early 90s. 2020 BMW F900XR What is it? The BMW F900XR is either a smaller S1000XR or a road-going F850GS, depending on your point of view. Either way, it’s surprisingly good fun. MCN says “Don’t dismiss the BMW F900XR as a poor relative to the S1000XR – the new middleweight has a character all of…

It’s nice to be able to report some good news on this page and that’s never been more true than during the coronavirus lockdown. Last week we brought you the story of dementia care respite worker, Keith, who had his Kawasaki ZZR1400 stolen from outside his house, leaving him unable to get to work. Electric bike firm, Super Soco heard of Keith’s plight and they’ve delivered him a TC Max from their fleet to tide him over until he can procure a full-time replacement for the Kawasaki with his insurance payout. “How nice is that? They drove all the way from London to deliver me a bike and help out,” Keith said when he spoke to MCN after the bike arrived. “I had chatted to some of the big dealers…

Claire Lomas remains determined to complete the London Marathon in her wheelchair this year in a bid to raise thousands for charity, despite the event’s postponement until October due to coronavirus. The 39-year-old had been training hard and was looking forward to the race, despite facing it dressed in full motorcycle leathers, helmets and boots. ‘Training in August will be a real challenge’CLAIRE LOMAS, CAMPAIGNER But she remains positive. “I am now aiming for the October date and will just carry on with training but not in leathers until closer to the time. During August it will be early mornings and late evenings as training at that time of year will not be nice!” Claire was paralysed from the chest down after a horse-riding accident in 2007. Since then she…

Ding dong! Your latest delivery of 10 fresh boredom-busting ideas is here to see you through lockdown. Be it pure entertainment or a bit of self- or bike-improvement, you can indulge your passion for two wheels from the comfort of your own home… 1 Get a Simoncelli fix Three years before his life was cruelly cut short, Marco Simoncelli made his mark on the racing world in the 2008 250GP championship and was crowned world champion – which, given the fierce competition from young hot heads like Alvaro Bautista and Hector Barbera, was no easy feat. The season review DVD from Duke (£4.99) is full of all the close finishes, high-speed slipstreaming and insane fairing bashing which made the class so great. 2 Fit new wheel bearings Sod spending hundreds…

Memories of Rutter Really sad to hear the passing of Tony Rutter, such a great guy. Back in the mid 80s, when I was around 18, I visited his bike shop in Brierley Hill and fell in love with the Ducati 500SL Pantah and left a £500 deposit. Unfortunately, after about six weeks and many phone calls he couldn’t get me one and my returned my deposit. Although massively disappointed, he kept me fully informed. I then turned to Slater Brothers in Hereford and fancied a Laverda Montjuic 500 but since it had no indicators and straight-through pipes my father put me off, so I ended up with a BMW R45, which was a disappointment. Today I’m nearly 55 and enjoy my TL1000S. Andy Bryan, Wolverhampton One of the true…

AJS/TRIUMPH 500 Thought you might like to see my AJS which had a 500 Triumph engine. This was back in 1963. David Rosier SUZUKI GS250 Here I am on my pride and joy with my nephew, who now rides sportsbikes himself, on the back. David Long MOTO MORINI 3 1/2 SPORT Collecting my 1979 Moto Morini 3 1/2 Sport from North Leicester Motorcycles. Really wish I’d kept it! Jonathan Knutsford  Sold a Honda 550 four for this beautiful GS1000E. My Tom Cruise lookalike days in Borras Park Wrexham, Wales. Marshall Clayton SUZUKI GS1000E YAMAHA XS250 Stroppy teen me with the Solvol. Dad wouldn’t let me have an RD as they weren’t as ‘sensible’ as a four-stroke. Simon Hunt HONDA CB250 The CB cost £3/week when I bought it new in…

First and only sportsbike “After being a courier I bought my only real sportsbike a Honda VFR750. I liked it but only ended up having it for just under a year.” Proper Enduro bike “The XR was too heavy so I bought a proper enduro bike – Suzuki TE125” First promo shoot “Trying to look presentable with my Honda XR400 to get sponsored” Heading into the desert “I wanted a proper adventure so my husband and I rode off-road to South Africa from the UK on two Yamaha 600 Ténérés – what an adventure!” Starting them young “It’s gone full circle now. These are my two grandkids!” Still winning “I did the two week Heroes Legends Rally in 2012 and won it outright.”…

1 Trouble getting it up? “Put the bike on full lock, weight the inside peg and then gently raise your outside foot off the ground to balance the bike. Start on tiptoe...” 2 The pendulum effect “Lean your inside calf against the bike and let it push back against you. This creates a solid structure and connects you to the bike so you work with it, rather than fighting against it. Use the headstock angle by turning the bars to balance the bike, rather than throwing your body around. Your outside foot should be just behind the front wheel like a pendulum.” 3 Get it all in line “Shoulders and hips should be in line with the bike’s bars, so your mass is over the bike.”…

“The first time we tested the SP-1 was January 2000 at Phillip Island. The bike was straight out of the crate with an engine that had virtually no work done on it as we were planning to race the RC45 that year. I did a day on it after two days on the RC45 and I thought the twin was dog slow – terrible. I returned to the pits and told the mechanics exactly this, which is when they showed me my lap times! I was less than a second off the RC45 and not even breaking a sweat, which is when we realised that with a bit more power the SP-1 would be very good. The decision was made to race the SP-1 and retire the RC45 and I…

1 Get the low-down on your linkage Easily ignored, the rear linkage is responsible for transmitting the movement of the swingarm to the shock. The moving parts are either bushes or roller bearings lubricated with grease, with seals to keep out water and road grit. From time to time they need to be checked and re-greased. Familiarise yourself with the procedure in your bike’s workshop manual. 2 Stand to attention In order to get at the linkage, you need to support the bike without using a conventional paddock stand. Ideally a stand that can lift the bike via the swingarm mounting points, such as this Abba stand, is perfect. The bike needs to be raised so the back wheel is not touching the ground. When the linkages are stripped out,…

What we said then... More than just an MT-07 with a fairing, the Tracer 700 features all-new ergonomics that make it feel like a much larger bike. The footpegs remain in the same place as on the naked but a new rear subframe has raised the seat up by 35mm so there’s more legroom, meanwhile the bars have been raised and moved slightly backwards. These changes create a comfortable but commanding riding position, especially when combined with the cocooning effect generated by the new 17-litre fuel tank (three litres larger than the MT-07’s), and the subtle wind-cheating effects of the manually adjustable screen, small handguards and bikini fairing. The other key change is the Tracer’s aluminium swingarm in place of the naked’s steel unit. It’s been extended by 50mm to…

Former 500cc British Champion Jim Harvey has passed away. Having started racing in 1969 Harvey became Clubman champion on a 500cc Norton Dominator before moving on to a 350 and 500cc Metisse-framed AJS. He became Shell Oils Champion in 1971 before winning the 500cc British championship in 1972 onboard the TWS Suzuki. In 1974 he bought an ex-Kenny Roberts Yamaha TZ700 which he campaigned throughout the UK and Europe alongside the likes of Barry Sheene and Giacomo Agostini. He finished seventh in the 1975 John Player GP at Silverstone and was the first privateer home. Harvey was also an accomplished endurance racer finishing second at the Thruxton 500 behind Mick Grant and Dave Croxford on a 750 Norton-Villiers.…

‘It’s so easy to burn yourself out’ PHILLIP MCCALLEN 11-time TT winner “I’d had to ride so hard to win in 1996 on the RC45, so there were some pretty strong conversations with Honda before heading to the 1997 TT. My mechanics Dennis Willey and Steve Mellor went to Japan to build the bikes and myself and Michael Rutter, who was riding for V&M, both had full factory engines and electronics. There were a lot of RC45s on the Isle of Man grid that year, as well as myself and Rutter, Joey was my teammate and Ian Simpson was on the second V&M bike. Having taken four race victories in 1996, the plan for ’97 was to win five and it got off to a perfect start. It’s easy…

‘For many the bike is too soft in standard trim’ Rally Raid Products have once again made use of their engineering and off-road expertise to transform another machine. We love the T7 and so do Rally Raid owners, but as with all bikes built to a price, the Northantsbased firm knew the suspension would need some work, so they partnered with Tractive in Holland to come up with plenty of options. For many riders the T7 feels undersprung, so RR are offering heavier springs for the rear shock with the stiffest ideal for a rider up to 100kg plus a passenger and luggage. They’ve also produced some fork preload caps that allow up to 23mm of preload at the front (using the included spacers) while still allowing access to the…

Countless people are using their motorcycles to travel to jobs in the emergency services and as key workers. With two wheels cutting journey times for some and providing a break from a high-stress environment, many #ride5000miles members have been bolstering their totals, while making a genuine difference to people’s lives. This includes James Crichton, 36, who uses his Yamaha XJ6 Diversion between his home in Leicester and Stamford ambulance station, where he is based as an emergency medical technician. “If you’re sitting in a car going backwards and forwards, you’ve got that time just to sit there and think,” James explained. “You can mull things over more but being out on the bike in the fresh air, you’re concentrating more on what you’re doing.” ‘It’s more of an escape than…

So for those of you that don’t know, my plan was to race the Ducati TriOptions Cup which runs at BSB races. The idea was that I’d do it with a good friend of mine, Andre Compton, who’s a pro speedway rider. I figure that anyone that is going to go well on the roads has to be doing a lot of other racing – just look at Hickman or Harrison. ‘IT’S FAR EASIER TO TURN UP AS A RIDER AND STRUT ABOUT’ Obviously it’s all up in the air, but right now I’m asking myself ‘why am I messing around building these Ducatis?’ I tell you what, it’s murder trying to organise it all and team managers who do it full time have really gone up in my estimations.…

•‘As a kid I was always the tomboy on a Raleigh’ It’s hard to fully appreciate what Patsy Quick went through to achieve her goal of finishing the Dakar. For even the most hardcore riders, Dakar is a pipe dream, only a tiny percentage make it to the start and even fewer to the finish. Patsy has been there, done that. Not once, but four times. “I’m not sure if stubborn is the right word, but I just don’t give up very easily,” she explains. In her first attempt Patsy threw everything into the race but was airlifted out of stage six after a crash led to life-saving surgery and the loss of her spleen. She returned in 2004 where problems saw her rescued by the Mauritanian army after two…

When KTM’s 790 Duke burst onto the scene it gave middleweight fans an unhinged alternative to the Yamaha MT-07, but there was no R version… until now. The 890 Duke R comes with an extra 16bhp, sticky tyres, big brakes, racy suspension, and cleverer electronics. While we wait to ride it ourselves, we asked development rider Jeremy McWilliams to reveal his testing secrets. 1 More bhp… but not too much “That 119 bhp figure is exactly what the 890 needs and with so little weight to push along it needs minimal effort to do what you want it to do. I’ve always been a fan of big cc bikes with a lot of go because you can ride them as you want – you can either be a bit of…

Ixon IX-U03 £379.99 Type Universal airbag vest. Electronic/autonomous with GPS Coverage area U-shaped bladder covering left/right chest, collarbone and back Certified protection CE Level 1 back protector Weight 1.3kg Triggered by these crashes Collision with an object with an angle between 45° and 135° at the time of impact (Street mode). Highside, lowside with tumbling (Track mode) Airbag volume 12 litres Airbag fully inflated in 55ms Minimum activation speed 25kph (Street mode), 50kph (Track mode) Battery life 20 hours continuous use Re-gas at home? Yes, £90 Subscription £12 monthly/£120 annual (or buy outright for an extra £399 over rrp). Sizes S-XXL Merlin Universal Airbag £329.99 Type Mechanical universal airbag protector Coverage area Back, coccyx, neck Certified protection CE Level 2 Airbag back Weight 800g Triggered by these crashes…

TALKING TECH Engine Both the Honda SP-1 and Ducati 996 use 90-degree liquid-cooled DOHC 8-valve V-twin engines, however the Honda has a 100 x 63.6mm bore and stroke (the biggest pistons Honda had used on a motorcycle) with a 999cc capacity where the 996 has 98 x 66mm dimensions and a 996cc capacity. Just like the previous RC30 and RC45 V4 machines, the Honda uses gear-driven cams on the SP-1 where the 996 has Ducati’s traditional cam belt-driven desmodromic system. Tested power On the dyno, the SP-1 made a genuine 122bhp with 74.2ftlb of torque where the 996 made 110bhp with 72.3ftlb of torque. Fuel injection The SP-1’s huge central air scoop channels air through the frame into the forced airbox where each cylinder has two fuel-injectors feeding 54mm throttle…

The 2020 TT may have been cancelled, but while it’s hugely disappointing for riders, teams and fans it gives us time to reflect on the amazing races from TT history. MCN has picked the brains of some of the most influential people in the paddock to nominate what is the best TT race per class from the last 25 years. Over the next six weeks we’ll focus on a class at a time starting this week with the greatest Superbike/F1 race that took place between 1994 and 2019. Our panel of experts are made up of the greatest living TT racer John McGuinness, esteemed team boss Clive Padgett, 11-time winner Phillip McCallen, TT boss Paul Phillips, Senior TT winner Dean Harrison plus road racing photographer Stephen Davison. Then it’s your…

‘The race Guy should have won’ PAUL PHILLIPS TTBoss “In terms of drama it has to be the 2008 race. It was the first year of the new Fireblade, Guy Martin was on the Hydrex bike and John McGuinness was riding for Padgetts and it was between those two. Guy was late to the start so that was a bit chaotic but he was quickly into the lead and for me it was the one time he was the best rider in the race and he should have won it. But the bike eventually stopped with a crank sensor fault, McGuinness inherited the lead, but he then stopped out on track with exactly the same fault. That left the two Relentless Suzukis of Cameron Donald and Bruce Anstey who…

‘Bruce set the first-ever 132mph lap’ CLIVE PADGETT Padgetts Racing “I’m biased here because it was Bruce Anstey’s first Superbike win and he was riding our bike. But saying that, even if he hadn’t been on our bike I would have applauded it because Bruce wanted it so much and he is such a lovely bloke. “But it’s the back story that makes it so interesting because, although it’s never been common knowledge, at the end of 2014 Suzuki wanted us to run their team at the TT in 2015. Commercially it would have been the right thing to do, but not many people will remember that in the 2014 Senior, Bruce ran on at the Nook and dropped right back to 12th place before setting the first-ever 132mph…