Table of contents for 24 January 2024 in MCN

‘The real magic comes from the fork and shock’ MCN'S CARL GETS TO GRIPS WITH THE RALLY THIS WEEK The danger of illegal headlamps We’ve all been blinded by the headlamps of an oncoming car, and know all too well how dangerous it is as we Lose all ability to see the road, or obstacles, ahead. But why is the problem seemingly multiplying at such a rapid rate, and what can be done about it? We Look into the confusion that’s enabling the use of illegal bulbs, what the Law actually says, and what government are doing about it. PAGE 4 THE BIG TEST A Bullet blast from biking’s past The Royal Enfield Bullet is as much of a biking institution as Norton’s Commando, Honda’s Fireblade, or a Suzuki GSX-R.…

TOP STORY Nearly 90% of MCN readers believe headlights are getting too bright, with complaints of night time dazzling now also being discussed by major motoring organisations and government departments. In a survey this week on our #ride5000miles Facebook group, 86% of respondents said they agreed that modern vehicle lights are getting too bright - with some also pointing to poor adjustment, and inefficient auto-dip systems as an issue once the sun goes down. The danger has also come to the attention of motoring organisations including the RAC. “Our figures suggest drivers are more concerned than ever about headlight glare, with a huge proportion wanting to see something done about it,” RAC representative Rod Dennis told us. He continued: “We urgently need the Government to take a closer look at…

Following a six-year relationship with the armour brand, 25-time TT winner Michael Dunlop has extended his partnership with D30 for another three years. The road racing legend commented: “You wouldn’t climb a mountain in flip-flops, so why would you ride a bike with anything other than D30?” The distinctive orange armour offers high-performance, shock absorbing technology. Two tyres in one Metzeler’s new Roadtec 02 promises sports-touring Like wet grip and fast warm up, with the pin-sharp precision of a supersport tyre — all achieved through the firm’s ‘Adaptive Tread Pattern’ technology. During wet, or touring use the grooves remain open to expel water. Push on in the dry and the greater Load forces at play close off part of the tread and so increase tyre stability. Teen trials star’s Pinhard…

WWW.SPORTSBIKESHOP.CO.UK Arai Tour-X 4 Now £399.99 Save £200 on Arai’s outgoing adventure lid. One of the most versatile helmets on the market, it can be worn with or without the peak, or with goggles rather than risking the main visor off road. Ventilation is superb, and it offers an excellent field of vision. Shoei Neotec 2 Now £399.98 A class-Leading helmet under ECE 22.05, the Neotec 2 excels in comfort and practicality, and now you can have it for £170.50 less. Dual homologated for use open or closed, it boasts a drop-down sun visor, was hable comfort liner and is ready to take a Sena SRL comms system. HJC F70 Carbon Now £249.99 Now with £120 off, this is a featurepacked sports-touring helmet based around a lightweight full carbon fibre…

Oxford Atlas Straps from £14.99 Securing your luggage just got a whole lot easier with these new, self-tensioning webbing straps from accessory specialists Oxford. Key to the design is an elasticated section which keeps the strap taut to prevent your load from coming loose. Available in a variety of colours, widths and Lengths, with a choice of clip type. oxfordproducts.com HJC i40N £129.99 This lightweight lid is packed full of premium features for the safety conscious biker about town. The semi-jet CAD designed polycarbonate shell is certified to ECE 22.06 and boasts removable anti-bacterial cheek pads and headliner, an integrated dropdown sunshield plus speaker pockets for Bluetooth comms. Comes in sizes XS to 2XL. oxfordproducts.com Laser Tools bucket with dirt trap £15.22 It’s easy to scratch a polished or painted…

Q ‘Car was so badly parked’ I was riding on a country road when I was involved in an accident with a parked car. The car was parked around a sharp bend. I was Lucky to avoid serious injury but I did hurt my arm and hand, and my bike was damaged. I spoke to my insurance company who told me that the accident would go down as my fault, which seems unfair. I was riding below the speed limit and the car was parked in a dangerous place. Sam, Andover A Unfortunately these cases can be tricky. As a starting point, Rule 243 of the Highway Code states that you should not park on a bend. However, it is also established in law that drivers should reduce their speed…

Send your trips to yourpics@motorcyclenews.com Readers Jo Carter, Anthony Knight and Shaun Napier The ride We decided to brave the unpredictable December weather for a ride down to Cornwall. How many miles? 650 Tell us about the trip… Our journey kicked off from Bahnstormer BMW in Alton. You know the drill: bikes checked, spirits high, and the familiar buzz of anticipation for the road ahead. Our first stop was the Jamaica Inn near Bodmin. If you’re a bit of a history buff, you’ll know this place is steeped in smuggling lore and whispers of the supernatural. Day two dawned-well, Let’s call it a classic British morning: wet, grey, and a bit on the nippy side. It’s what makes a ride memorable, right? Our destination: Falmouth, Land’s End, Sennen Cove. Now,…

SAVE £££s - BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW FOR THE mcnmotorcycleshow.com ‘Taking along’ GRAHAM BELL A fresh but fabulous ride today to Imperial War Museum Duxford to start my year. It was great to be out, and there were plenty of other bikers braving the chill, too. ‘Looming on Loomies’ JOHN JESS Despite how it looks, it was bloody freezing when I went out and took this photo, but a fair few braved the cold. ‘Kicking off the year’ MICHELLE GARDNER Did an 85-mile trip on New Year’s Day in search of breakfast. Cold and salty roads but it was nice to be out. ‘Irish escape’ DAMIAN MCAFEE Thinking the weather would be better in the west of Ireland, I stuck a bike on the trailer and headed down in the…

Ben Matthews is a director at Watsonian Squire. In 1997, Watsonian Squire became the official importer for Royal Enfield motorcycles and continued in this role until 2013. They are still an official dealership. “The first ‘modern’ Enfield models were just as they were in the 1960s-right-foot gear change, no electric start, carbs - and in 350 or 500cc capacity, I always say these are bikes for nostalgic enthusiasts because you need to accept that you may need to occasionally get a spanner out to fettle them. For many owners this is all part of their charm and a big selling point. If you are happy to do this, we made some Lovely variants ourselves such as the Woodsman, Trials or Clubman alongside the standard Bullet and I’d recommend the ES…

MR VELCRO It is always easier to sell a bike with Öhlins suspension and while it may cost you a little more to buy a higher-spec bike over a base money it is money invested, not wasted. Especially if it’s a Ducati. Whenever I get used Ducatis in, I know higher-spec bikes will sell far faster than lower-spec ones. Most people hanker after the S model so, when I’m making an offer on a traded-in base model, I won’t be very generous. It’s the same with BMW GSs: everybody wants a TE with all the boxes ticked, and that means it’s worth spending the extra at the point of sale to ensure it holds its future value. But that’s not the only advantage of buying a bike with Öhlins fitted.…

Some motorcycles spend their time tucked away in a cosy garage, cosseted by their owner and enjoying rigorous mechanical love. This Yamaha N-Max isn’t one of those and it has to work for a living, shouldering the burden of a daily delivery job. We can all be guilty of taking liberties with maintenance, but when it comes to brakes, as this rider came close to discovering, doing so could cost more than a repair bill. When a mystery noise appeared from his rear brake, the owner called upon the expert help of Paulo Drago, resident mechanical boffin of Dad’s Garage in Watford. “He said the brake was squealing and had lost power - we put it on the bench and there was barely any disc left!” The pads had worn…

Chris Gonschor is the Technical. Director for BMW Motorrad Motorsport. Working in collaboration with Marc Bongers, the overall Director, Gonschor was appointed head of BMW’s new WSBK test team Last year. As testers, they’ve recruited MotoGP star Bradley Smith alongside 2014 World Superbike Champion Sylvain Guintoli. “I studied mechanical, engineering and the only thing lever wanted was to create motorcycles - and the only German brand is BMW,” Gonschor told MCN. “In 2004, I went from my hometown in the middle of Germany to Munich in the south and have worked on BMWs ever since, starting as chassis engineer on the very first S1000RR in 2009. They make the bikes in Berlin but the development work is always in Munich. I entered World Superbike in 2011 and in 2012 we…

Alvaro Bautista believes both he and new teammate Nicolo Bulega can contend for the 2024 World Superbike title, even if the new minimum combined weight for both bike and rider will not work in his favour. The triple World Champion struggled in his first test with weight added to his bike to make up for his diminutive stature, but is confident a solution will be found before Round 1 next month. “We have some positive things with the new regulations, but also other bad things. The good things are for Ducati, the bad things are for me. But at the end, we have to accept the new regulations and we’re working to try to reduce the weak points. The only thing I can do is work on myself, work with…

TOP STORY MotoGP’s most exciting bike switch since Valentino Rossi left Yamaha 13 years ago was always going to be greeted with anticipation. But Marc Marquez - and his new team - tried their best to quash the sky-high expectations at the Gresini Ducati’s presentation last weekend in Riccione, Italy. The eight-time World Champion was adamant “getting into the top five” is his current objective as he prepares himself for arguably the most crucial season of his premier class career. To think of fighting for the title this early, he said, was futile. “I haven’t won a race in [more than] two seasons,” he said. “Of course, expectations are super high,” he acknowledged in his first time wearing Gresini’s sky blue. “But my job is to try to forget about…

THIS WEEK Two brothers who attempted to evade Notting hamshire Police on a pair of stolen motorcycles by riding into oncoming traffic, have been handed suspended prison sentences in court. Josh and Mark Bowler were apprehended last February after Josh, 21, took a bike from outside a shop in Sherwood, Nottingham. Police traced the duo to the roads surrounding Broxtowe Country Park, where it became apparent that the other motorcycle being ridden had also been stolen - this time by 19-year-old Mark. Attempting to flee officers, the pair used tactics including riding along the wrong side of the road, towards oncoming traffic. Josh then abandoned his bike and tried to jump on the back of his brother. During this manoeuvre, police officers moved in - making low speed tactical contact…

Hedgehogs, badgers and other wildlife are getting a helping hand thanks with transport bosses updating warning signs to alert motorists to their regular crossing points and making it easier for councils to erect signs. The updated signage will build upon the existing design first introduced in 2019. The hedgehog featured will now be displayed with white quills on its back in a bid to attract more attention. In addition to this update, the Department for Transport aims to reduce red tape which had prevented councils from erecting wildlife warning signs around accident hotspots. ‘We urge people to slow down and stay alert’ The announcement has been welcomed by organisations, including the AA and Badger Trust, with the Latter encouraging wildlife supporters to contact their councils and campaign to get warning…

Send your first bike pics to: yourpics@motorcyclenews.com SAVE £££s - BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW FOR THE mcnmotorcycleshow.com My partner Samantha on my FZR600-my first four-stroke and the first bike she went on the back of. Paul Fowler My BSA C15 in around 1971. I’ve just ordered a new Triumph Speed 400 as my latest bike (I’m 71 now). Tony Farrar My first ‘big bike’ a 1973 Honda XL250 with an L-plate wrapped around the fork leg. Photo taken in 1978. Steve Davis Summer 1980 aged 17 on my new Suzuki GS250T. Forty-four years later I’m riding a BMW R1250R. Sue Buckett Here I am with my first bike-a Yamaha DT175 back in 1981. Stevie Fitzsimons Not my first bike but one of the beauties from my riding days. Graham Pritchard…

1 January 28 ’Normous Newark Autojumble The first ‘Normous Newark Autojumble of the year is taking place this Sunday at the Newark Showground (NG24 2NY). If you’re looking to sell, traders’ plots are £22, with a £4 discount if booked in advance. For buyers, early bird entry from 8am is a tenner, or £9 in advance. General entry from 10am is £7 per person or £6 in advance. Get hunting! newarkautojumble.co.uk 2 January 27 Squires Autojumble More jumble goodness with the first of Squires’ monthly events this weekend, so if you had a project drop into your lap over Christmas, now could be the time to find those all-important parts. Or if you’re looking to clear space in the garage, pitches are just £5 for sellers. squires-cafe.co.uk 3 January 28 Australia Day at the…

THE MCN TEST • THE HOTTEST BIKES • EVERY WEEK £4629 2024 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 • 349cc air-cooled single SOHC 2v • 20.2bhp @ 6100rpm • 195kg (kerb) £1000-£2500 1977-2000 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 • 346cc air-cooled single OHV 2v • 21bhp @ 5250rpm • 180kg (kerb) £1500-£4000 1956-1963 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 • 346cc air-cooled single OHV 2v • 18bhp @ 5250rpm • 170kg (kerb) Honda’s Cub is recognised as the bike responsible for providing accessible motorised transport to the world. But there’s a far more understated bike, and one that started life in Britain, which has done more than its fair share to help people get around: the Royal Enfield Bullet. Nearly 4.5 million have been made since the name was first used in 1932. Although it…

‘Keeping the name alive’ Delving into the history of the Bullet and riding these three bikes proved a real eye-opener. I never thought that the 1960s Bullet would be as easy-going or much fun to ride, but if you are after a genuine classic that doesn’t require constant fettling, I’d recommend oneespecially when you see what you can get one for. At under £3000 for a good one and parts plentiful, you can’t go wrong and if you find a £1500 ‘daily rider’ as we tested, it’s a no-brainer. The Indian-built 1992 bike is harder to recommend as it has all the bad points of a classic but none of the old-school charm. I’d Look to a more contemporary UCE-bike (or even a variant such as the Woodsman or Clubman)…

‘Built to be hardcore’ The DesertX is still an incredlble machine but the DesertX Rally, with its new suspension, wheels and subtle tweaks, truly takes adventure bikes to the next Level. It’s expensive, legshakingly tall and isn’t the comfiest mile-muncher, but it’s not made to be novice friendly, or a tarmac-tourer. This bike is built for heavyduty, hardcore off-roading, and in that respect Ducati have created one of the best performing, big(ish)-capacity adventure bikes that you can ride straight out of a showroom. THE FACTS £18,995 Ducati DesertX Rally…

TRIED & TESTED MCN STAFF RATE THEIR RIDING KIT 3200 miles ON TEST RST’s Pro Series Paragon 6 are the British brand’s top-of-therange winter gloves. The Paragon 6s are a comprehensive overhaul, of the-yes, you guessed it-Paragon 5. Gone is the zip cuff and carbon-fibre knuckle, replaced by a drawstring cuff and matt knuckle armour for an altogether less overtly sporty look. For winter gloves the Paragon 6s are pleasingly lacking in bulk and as a result offer excellent feel. The fit is generous and the full-grain leather/textile chassis is quite soft, meaning that they’re easy to get on and off while still fitting perfectly in the fingers (I tested the women’s version in my usual size seven and found them to be spot on). Inside, the brushed polyester lining…

These earbuds aren’t bikespecific, but they’re perfect for riding and the health and well-being of the squishy bit behind the bars: me. I run and cycle as much as I can, in the never ending-battle to stave off the waist-expanding effects of middle age and listen to music, or podcasts with headphones on the way. These are the best I’ve owned. Not only is the sound crisp and bassy, they’re easy to use, never fall out and with a 70-hour battery life they last for what seems like forever. I’ve only charged them three times since I’ve had them, although being half deaf I only use one. Best of all, they’re half the price of their big fruity white rival. 8 months ON TEST Quality Value www.kajaaudio.com…

Anyone serious about off-road riding will already be familiar with spoke maintenance, as it’s something that is constantly checked, along with steering bearings and suspension linkages, due to the punishing conditions. Whether it’s recreational riding or racing, the added stresses that off-road riding puts through the wheels and chassis means the demand for attention is much higher than on a road bike. Regardless of whether your spoke-wheeled bike goes off road regularly or not, if you’re like me you won’t need an excuse to purchase a special tool for the job, which is exactly how I ended up with this dedicated spoke torque wrench kit. I bought it from motorcrossdirect.co.uk who import aftermarket Haan wheels and this £59.99 kit is sold to complement their range of sexy spoked rims. Back…

After 12 stages, nearly 8000km and over 50 hours of timed special stages, just 12m25s covered the 2024 Dakar podium. In what is already being regarded as one of the toughest Dakar’s in recent years American Ricky Brabec came out on top with a superb two-week performance that combined consistency with explosive speed when it was needed. The Monster Energy Honda rider took the lead of the race on stage six and began to build, but by stage ten his advantage was just 10 seconds over race-long rival Ross Branch. Brabec’s second Dakar victory marked a turnaround for HRC whose global factory race programmes have all suffered from a lack of results over the past two years in both MotoGP and the World Superbike championship. Speaking at the finish, the…

NEW TECH KTM have huge momentum with the RC16, something the firm aim to keep going into 2024. In 2021 KTM finished fifth in the MotoGP constructors championship, in 2022 the company finished fourth and last season they finished second. How have KTM done this? Three reasons: big budget, hard work and an aggressive approach to the MotoGP engineer market. When KTM entered MotoGP in 2017 the RC16 looked very much like a Honda, because that was the winning bike at that time, with Marc Marquez onboard. Since then the MotoGP status quo has been transformed. Ducati are winning everything, so the RC16 is no longer like a Honda. “It always depends on the competition,” says Sebastian Risse, KTM’s MotoGP project manager. “Some years ago the reference was Marc with…

From the position of world champions for two years running, surely the only way is down. But if Ducati’s 2024 factory team presentation in Madonna di Campiglio in northern Italy was anything to go by, they’re gunning for more glory first. Soon after factory riders Pecco Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini showed off their largely unchanged colours for the upcoming 22-round campaign, the now double MotoGP World Champion identified several areas he is working on in a bid to hold onto his crown. “My plan is to be at the top for 44 races, so I will try,” he said, referencing the mammoth season ahead. “Last year was the best in my life for preparation, but we had three weeks off in May and five weeks in July and this season…

MotoGP is so good at the minute, but Marc’s arrival on the Ducati is like sticking a cherry on what is already an incredibly tasty cake. It’s interesting to hear what Marquez had to say at his team launch and about wanting to be in the top five… I’m not sure that’s his true aim. I can’t see that is where he’ll want to be. He’s Marquez on a top Ducati, so his aim will be to win. Maybe someone has told him to say that top fives are cool! He needs a reboot where he firstly stays on the bike and then round one - top five, round two - top four and then he has to be thinking about podiums, otherwise he’ll never win the championship. For me…

We’ve got two roles on the Bauer Motorcycling content team, working mainly on MCN. The first is Digital Reviews Editor, who’ll look after our portfolio of online bike reviews and advice. This position would suit a bike-mad person with a bit of digital knowledge. Next up is a role for a Product Writer, whose tasks will include writing, updating and optimising our expert products content online. Training is available. Head to bauermedia.co.uk/join/careers/ to apply for either opportunity. Foggy in Scotland Fancy meeting one of the all-time World Superbike greats? Four-time world champion, Carl Fogarty will be manning the Ducati Glasgow/ Dundee exhibition stand all weekend at this year’s Scottish Motorbike Show. The show will roar into life on March 16-17 this year at The Royal Highland Centre. Biking legends aside,…

NEW MODEL Honda’s striking Hawk 11 café racer burst onto the scene at the beginning of 2022, using the parallel twin found in the Africa Twin, NT1100 and CMX1100 Rebel in a sleek package. Now in production and sharing the same 100.6bhp and 76.8lb.ft of torque as the £12,499 NT1100 tourer, it has sadly never been released in the UK - leaving fans of sporty retro bikes disappointed. This was made worse still by the demise of the Triumph Thruxton 1200, which will depart dealers at the end of 2024, leaving nothing in the mainstream to scratch that itch. Featuring the same 92 × 81.4 bore and stroke as the rest of its Honda 1100 siblings, the Hawk uses the NT as a base (itself derived from the now updated…

SAVE £2000 £15,299 KTM 1290 Super Adventure R KTM’s adventure flagship is a continent-shrinking, feature-packed missile with a smattering of sophistication woven in. Coming equipped with fully-adjustable WP XPLOR suspension and combined with 18/21in wheels, the 1290’s off-road attitude is readily apparent and this two grand off deal will only add to its appeal. www.amsmoto.co.uk SAVE £2354 £9995 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 SX The Kawasaki’s grunty inline four, slick steering chassis and comfortable cockpit make the Ninja Thou’ an impressively capable sportstourer. www.daytonamc.co.uk • Engine 1043cc • Power 140bhp • Weight 235kg • Seat height 835mm SAVE £1204 £6995 Suzuki DL650 V-Strom It’s been around forever, but Suzuki’s V-Strom 650 continues to offer an incredible all-round package at an affordable price. And it’s even more affordable now! completelymotorbikes.co.uk • Engine 645cc…

‘Just don’t ask me to tell you what it’s called…’ I have a real mental-block over Suzuki’s current naming convention. For the life of me I can’t remember, let alone actually say out loud, any of the firm’s GSX-S models. From the first GSX-S1000 to the faired GSX-S1000F, the GSX-S1000GT and finally the new GSX-S1000GX it’s all a blur in my mind and an amalgamation of tongue-tied random noises when I try and say them. Which is a bit of an issue, as I do have to say them quite a lot as where it was once GSX-R, it is now GSX-S that is forming the backbone of the Japanese firm’s model range. And they are starting to look quite tempting in the used market - pricewise more than visually.…

SAVE £££s - BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW FOR THE mcnmotorcycleshow.com Now is the perfect time to bag a huge saving on your next crash helmet, with retailers selling off the last of their ECE 22.05 stock, following a change in regulations. Back in 2020, a new ECE safety testing standard for helmets was announced to replace the 20-year-old ECE 22.05 regulation. The new test (ECE 22.06) not only assesses helmets for impact resistance but adds a rotational test to gauge potential damage to the brain from shear forces, estimated as the cause of 60% of brain injuries. Production under 22.05 certification ceased in July 2023 and manufacturers were given until. January 4 this year to clear remaining stock. Retailors, however, are free to sell22.05 helmets until their own stock is…

Don’t let crims target your bike Security always comes at a premium, so discounts can be hard to find, but our regular mining of deals on the web has revealed a rich vein of offers from two of the UK’s more popular brands, Oxford and Bike-lt’s Mammoth range. All the products listed this week (with the exception of the Stormtex cover) have been approved by Sold Secure, an independent test body whose certification could result in a reduction to your insurance premium. Theft deterrents can be audible, physical or visual, and the Oxford Boss lock and Monster chain has you covered on all three counts. The lock itself has a 14mm double-locking shackle, with a ball bearing mechanism and integrated ear splitting 100dB motion triggered alarm. The package comes with…

mcn.letters@motorcyclenews.com motorcyclenews motorcyclenews MCNnews ‘Biking is for everyone’ I have recently qualified as a CBT instructor with Phoenix Motorcycle Training. Even though more women than ever are getting on bikes (and not just as pillions!), my students are often surprised to be greeted by a young female instructor. They are even more surprised when they see my Street Twin 900! When I completed my CBT aged 16, I was a completely new, trying out a hobby that none of my friends had tried. Facing the roads on two wheels would have been much less daunting if I’d had female instructors. Schools are often seen as intimidating, but it shouldn’t be that way everyone should feel welcome. When schools have a wide range of instructors, they become more welcoming to a…

‘The style was eccentric. Nobody knew how to react’ GET MORE OF THE INSIDE LINE WITH A PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP members.motorcyclenews.com/membership MCN PREMIUM Few bikes have made as big an impact as Yamaha’s 1984 V-Max. Conceived as a US-only ‘hot rod’, it was powered by a boosted 1200cc V4 producing a mind-melting 145bhp, in an era when Kawasaki’s GPz900R put out just 108. Fitted with the fattest rear tyre available and with muscle car-style tank-mounted dials and scoops, the VMX1200 became an overnight sensation and remained on sale for over two decades before spawning an even more powerful successor. Simply put, ‘icon’ doesn’t even come close. So it may come as something of a surprise to learn that it was inspired by illegal street racing and a full-dress tourer. The idea…

1989 New Zealand Supercross Champion 1990 New Zealand SX Champion 1991 125cc Australian SX Champion and 125cc Australian National Motocross Champion 1992 250cc Supercross Masters Champion and 250cc Australian Production Bike Championship 1993 Australian Superbike Championship (Honda) 1994 Australian Superbike Champion and WSBK Sugo wild card (Honda) and Phillip Island wild card Muzzy Kawasaki 1995 WSBK Muzzy Kawasaki 1996 WSBK Muzzy Kawasaki 1997 500GP Lucky Strike Suzuki 1998 AMA Superbike Vance & Hines Ducati 1999 AMA Superbike Vance & Hines Ducati, 500GP MuZ Weber 2000 WSBK Bimota, 500GP Modenas, BSB Virgin Yamaha 2001 AMA Superbike and Supersport Yamaha 2002 AMA Superbike and Supersport Yamaha 2003 No racing 2004 AMA Superstock 2005 Australian Superbikes (Honda) 2006 World Supersport (Yamaha) 2007 Australian Superbike (Kawasaki)…

Hard metal panniers have become synonymous with big adventure bikes. For some they finish off the ‘round-the-world’ look, for others they are perfect for adding serious carrying capacity. But personally, I’m not a fan. First up is the weight; even empty, the panniers and racks easily weigh in at over 10kg. Chuck in another 20 or 30kg of luggage because you can and you’ve just added on a significant amount of weight to the bike-which even with electronic suspension and 150bhp compromises everything about the way the bike accelerates, stops and handles. 900 miles ON TEST There’s also the extra width which reduces the ability to filter. I know this doesn’t bother a lot of riders but I have to confess I have some form when it comes to hitting…

Wonder wheels Keep spoked rims strong with a bit of easy care and attention BRUCE’S TIPS Don’t forget to check both front and rear wheels 1 Discover and identify A Loose spoke will often be picked up by a diligent MoT tester, if this is the case then ask them to mark it with a piece of gaffer tape. Or if you have discovered the spoke, for example during a routine dean, then mark it in the same way before checking for others; tap each one with a spanner, any loose spokes will produce a very flat tone. 2 Look for wobbles Before you do anything else, next make sure the wheel runs true and is not buckled in anyway. You can do this by placing the wheel on a static tyre…

Injury, a change of surroundings and crew chief, and too much pressure all contributed to Enea Bastianini’s disappointing 2023. But ‘The Beast’ is aware he can have no excuses during his second season in factory red. First impressions of Ducati’s GP24 were good. “The first impact has been better compared to the 2023 bike,” he said. Now fully recovered from the serious shoulder, wrist and ankle injuries he suffered through 2023, the 26-year old is aiming high for the year ahead, one which is crucial for his chances of maintaining a factory seat in 2025. “I’m here to win some races and to fight for the title. Also I don’t want to commit some mistakes like last year or be too nervous at some points because this was really complicated…

Taking over from Santi Hernandez, Marc Marquez’s crew chief since 2014, is no mean feat. Together the Spanish duo amassed five premier class crowns and 53 wins across ten years. But Englishman Frankie Carchedi is up to the task, having led Joan Mir to the title in 2020 and overseen Fabio Di Giannantonio’s rejuvenation last season. “My objectives are realty clear: to make sure he’s happy, to get him as fast as possible so he can compete at the front,” Carchedi told MCN. “I have no idea how long that will take. The whole thing now is about the Sepang test. We’ll build from there. We haven’t even thought about the first race. Come Valencia we’ll see where we started and where we finish!” ‘Everything is either new or different…’…