Inhoudsopgave van 26 November 2025 - MCN

‘They've taken a proven platform to the next level’ HONDA CB1000GT FIRST RIDE, P24 THE BIG TEST Thoroughly modern retros If you like your retros a bit more modern than classically styled, perhaps a retro-mod will be up your street? Suzuki are the latest to join this class with the launch of their new GSX-8TT, complete with GS1000-inspired looks. Suzuki aren't the only ones seeking inspiration from yesteryear as both Husqvarna's Vitpilen 801 and Honda's CB650R fit the bill too. But which is best? We find out… PAGE 29 NEWS Suzuki talk singles Following the surprise announcement of a new 645cc V-twin-based SV-7GX, MCN News Editor Dan Sutherland sat down with Suzuki President Toshihero Suzuki to find out what else the Japanese firm have in store for us, and whether…

SAVE £3900 £14,229 KTM 1290 Super Adventure R Fancy £3900 off the wildest adventure bike on the market? Look no further. Sporting a Super Duke-derived motor KTM's 1290 Super Adventure R is seriously quick, and thanks to excellent ergos, heaps of suspension, and a proper 21/18in wheelset, it's a real weapon in the dirt, too. With this saving you've got to give it a look. www.thepotteries.co.uk SAVE £1905 £15,990 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS Always iconic, but after its 2025 refresh, Triumph's flagship super-naked is faster, better handling and cleverer than ever. www.lind.co.uk/triumph/north-london ● Engine 1200cc ● Power 180bhp ● Weight 199kg ● Seat height 830mm SAVE £1009 £9995 Yamaha XSR900 Retro styled with bags of FZR and YPVS nostalgia, but beyond that, Yamaha's XSR900 is a fantastic road bike…

Non-existent certification An American brand recently told me its leather racing suits are FIM-certified and therefore ‘a better standard than the EU’ because they're accepted in MotoGP and World Superbike. But is that true? Online searches produced confident AI claims that the FIM specification exceeds EN 17092 AAA. That proved as misleading as the brand's own assertion. A contact in the FIM clarified: “The FIM does not homologate racewear. We mandate the use of protective clothing for competitions and, depending on the competition, the relevant protectors.” They directed me to the MotoGP regulations, which require airbags and back, chest and limb-joint impact protectors meeting European standards. Where the suit's fabric is concerned, the FIM MotoGP requirements for tear strength, seam strength and abrasion resistance sit somewhere between EN 17092-2 ‘AAA’…

mcn.letters@motorcyclenews.com motorcyclenews motorcyclenews MCNnews STAR LETTER IN ASSOCIATION WITH The French have got it right. We need a Circuit Carole… Wouldn't it be amazing if one of our larger urban conurbations gave some brownfield site to the ACU who then proceeded to build a race circuit? We could have a small circuit for kids, a motocross track on the infield, and facilities to hire track bikes. Michael Laverty would be in charge of the tarmac section and David Thorpe would run the dirty side. It would be free for 26 weekends of the year on a first come, first served basis and bookable on weekdays for a nominal fee. It would not be long before we had a British MotoGP contestant and a credible MXGP runner. Just like Circuit Carole…

THE DETAILS Mon-Thurs and Sat 10am-5pm, Fri 10am-8pm and Sun 10am-4pm Find out more / dragonsoulprojects.co.uk Service Station, Forton Road Unit 1-2 Nix, Newport TF10 7JR Dragon Soul was never meant to be a café. But when Alex and Natalie Sereda's custom springer forks company needed a new workshop and a coffee machine for customers, the idea was born. Before long,the workshop retreated into the corner of the premises, and the café took over – although a new workshop is now on the cards. “Customers were travelling from all over,” says Natalie, “so we thought we'd put a self-serve coffee station out. That's where it started, we didn't expect it to get so busy!” Along with a covered outside seating area so you can eat while admiring the bikes, the…

‘The first pure stripped, high-barred superbike’ THE FACTS No bike better characterises the super-naked than the Aprilia Tuono 1000. The Italian wonder caused a sensation when launched in 2002 as a limited-edition experiment: the first pure ‘stripped, high-barred superbike’, as derived from Aprilia's then RSV1000 Mille V-twin. (Yes, Triumph's Speed Triple arguably got there first but the Daytona 900-based 1994 original had only tenuous superbike DNA.) That first Tuono R Limited spawned the more mass-production 2003 Tuono Fighter and high-spec Tuono Factory, with both setting the benchmark for lofty-barred performance. While both proved so popular they became catalysts for a whole new class. Those first 1000cc Tuonos were succeeded by revised, restyled second-generation versions in 2007. They were followed by the all-new Tuono V4 in 2011, which grew to 1100cc…

It's a wet morning at Thruxton, but the weather hasn't dampened the spirits of personnel from across the country who have gathered for an Army Motorsport Day. Along with passenger rides with Tiff Needell and the chance to go drifting on a soaked circuit, there is plenty of two-wheel action with the army enduro, trials and road race team. But what makes this day different is that this is the first time there has been a fleet of Royal Enfield Himalayans waiting to take smiling soldiers onto a muddy track in what is to be the beginning of a whole new partnership. Back to the beginning The link between the forces and Enfield stretches way back through 20th Century history. They have worked together through world wars and beyond, and…

Corporal Mark Featherstone Rides: Honda XR250, Beta 300 “When I went to the first event that the Army Enduro held, I was scared out of my skin. But I got comfortable with it because the guys helped me, especially riding through sand for the first time. “Then I did a couple of the Army Enduros, although it's now tri-service which opens it up a little bit more. You get to meet new people. “When I can get out on the bike and ride there's a sense of freedom. As soon as you put your helmet on, that's it, it's my world. No one else's. “I've been speaking to people about these Himalayans and the potential of doing trips as I'd love to do trips with the Army, especially now we've…

MCN's website has expert opinion and buying advice on hundreds of used bikes, regularly updated and packed with insight. Here are three of the latest – visit motorcyclenews.com for dozens more. 1990-1997 KAWASAKI ZZ-R1100 Owner's rating A total of 26 owners have left reviews of the original King of Speed. The engine scores a near-perfect 4.9 but soggy suspension and poor brakes see it's average drop to 4.6 overall. 2018-CURRENT KAWASAKI NINJA H2 SX Owner's rating The supercharged H2 SX replaced the ZZR as Kawasaki's flagship sports tourer in 2018. Owners rate its ride quality and engine's performance highly. A good used buy. 2004-2009 KAWASAKI VN2000 Owner's rating The VN2000 was powered by the biggest-capacity V-twin Kawasaki had ever made. Owners score it just 3.7 out of five, citing poor…

The last thing you expect when you hand your pride and joy over for a posthibernation refresh is for it to come back on a stretcher. Yet that's exactly the fate that befell one Triumph Bonneville after a carb clean and service went sideways in a big way. Upon heading home from the garage, the motor grenaded after an oil line had been left undone – but fortunately Joe Holliday, co-owner of The Wurks, was on hand to save the day and perform bike-saving surgery on the twin. Holliday told MCN: “The engine was blown apart. It had crank failure, one cylinder dragged down, and had clearly been quite hot.” After assessing the damage, it was decided that a replacement engine was best, and so the hunt began to find…

Ducati's GP25 bike has brought them the world title, but also headache and confusion. How could Marc Marquez dominate while Pecco Bagnaia and Fabio Di Giannantonio struggled so much? Add in the fact that Alex Marquez, on last year's bike, cruised to second in the standings and Ducati have a lot of food for thought as they develop their GP26. Without Marc, who is still recovering, the target for this test was to try and tame the bike to make it a more user friendly package. Tech guru Gigi Dall'Igna and his team wouldn't tell us what they were testing but a lot of time was spent on aero. It included a 2025 fairing (that only Marc sometimes used) but with a deeper, wider ‘gutter’ on the side panels. It's…

Despite now also producing a circa 82bhp, 776cc parallel-twin line-up, complete with a 270-degree crank, Suzuki elected to continue to update their now 26-year-old 645cc V-twin engine to sit in a new SV-7GX, arriving for 2026. “Technically, a parallel-twin with a 270-degree angle can give you almost like a V-twin performance, but the benefit of the V engine is the compactness of the inside,” Suzuki's Akira Kyuji told MCN. “Our philosophy is we want to make our bike with lower seat heights,” he added. “I think the benefit of that V-twin engine is simply the size of the bike. Slimness and compactness.” The motor is now paired with a ride-by-wire throttle and an up/down quickshifter. When asked if this could spawn another SV650, and possibly a sportier S variant, President,…

British racer and adventurer Lyndon Poskitt is marking the release of his new book, Races to Places – The Ultimate Overland Story – with a competition to win the very first rally adventure bike he ever made. Hand-built from the ground up, the bike, known as the LPR (Lyndon Poskitt Racing) 732 Factory Adventure Bike, was the original prototype that led to the creation of ‘Basil Bike’ (named after Poskitt's grandfather), on which he travelled 146,000 miles across 74 countries, completing 11 events along the way, and during which he filmed his landmark 200-plus-part Races to Places video series. Originally constructed in 2013 from a KTM 690 Factory Rally platform – not to be confused with the more common 690 Enduro – the bike up for grabs here was raced…

MCL, the annual motorcycle show, came to a close last Sunday at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre, with organisers celebrating a boost in visitors across the nine-day event. Running from November 15-23, 97,000 bikers arrived from a number of countries to see the latest new metal from a widerange of manufacturers – with many machines making their UK public debut. “With more advance tickets sold, more stand space sold and ultimately more visitors, along with a fantastically positive atmosphere, I can confidently call it a success,” Managing Director, Finlay McAllan said. ‘More stand space sold and more visitors’ Big hitters like Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and BMW sat alongside relative newcomers such as Wigan-based Langen Motorcycles, and incoming electric brand, Ultraviolette. On top of new motorcycles, there were daily freestyle MX live…

‘Who doesn't like a used Big One?’ So, Honda have released a new retro. Based around the Hornet 1000 platform, the CB1000F has lots of visual appeal as well as a temptingly low price of £10,599. The CB1000F has taken its inspiration from the 1980s, a decade that is back in fashion with TV shows such as Stranger Things making this period cool once again. Although how could big hair, neon colours and New Romantic music ever not be cool? Will the 1980s prove a more successful hunting ground than the 1990s for Honda? I reckon so, although I wouldn't overlook their 1990s-inspired retro offering if you are looking at buying a used bike. Released in 2003, the CB1300 was an homage to the 1993 CB1000 Super Four ‘Big One’,…

CLAIM YOUR FREE DISC LOCK Subscribe to MCN now at: greatmagazines.co.uk/mcn-offer Following the launch of their new Manx R and Manx V4s, plus Atlas twin-cylinder adventure bikes, TVS-backed Norton Motorcycles have announced a 36-month, unlimited mileage warranty that is transferable between owners. During this three-year window, customers will also get access to 24/7 breakdown cover – including onward travel if the bike can't be fixed at the roadside. The coverage was announced during the recent MCL show in Birmingham, with Global Director of Aftersales Ownership Experience, Mainak Nandi saying: “While the new products and updated brand and business strategy drive the resurgence, it is the experience and service that will continue the journey for our customers. “We are here to enhance, educate and resolve all aspects of the ownership experience…

Hedon Interstellar £359.20 Fill your basket with British bargains! You'll have done well to escape the deluge of Black Friday marketing this week. Whether you love to grab a bargain in the sales or you think it's a load of tosh, this American tradition has well and truly imbedded itself in our shopping calendar. So, if we're stuck with it, then why not own it? That's why this week we're going to embrace our own motorcycling heritage by focusing on bargains from British brands. Every product you'll find here is either British-made, or produced and designed by a UK brand. This helmet from Hedon, for example, is the sort of gear usually reserved for the London café elite; handmade in the capital, and at first glance screams style over substance.…

While the EV Outlier gives us a glimpse of the future, Honda currently offer the WN7 as their production-spec leisure motorcycle. Fully launched on November 4 at the EICMA bike show in Milan, it's set to hit UK dealerships from early 2026 priced from £12,999. The WN7 will come with a nominal output of either 24.1bhp (A2) or 14.8bhp (A1), with peak power coming in at 67bhp and 15bhp respectively – fed through a 160-section rear tyre. Both are claimed to produce 73.8lb.ft of torque, with the larger bike capable of up to 87 miles of range before going flat. Top speed for the larger of the two models is just 80.2mph, with power sent to the rear wheel via a belt. You get a 9.3kWh lithium-ion battery that's said…

Q ‘Mud slick was not my fault’ I lost control because of mud on the road. I was riding around a sweeping bend on a country road in Somerset when my bike slipped. I'd describe it as a ‘mud slick’ covering a long stretch of the bend. I have been advised to take two weeks off work. The police have said that the mud is likely to be from a farm and there was a field entrance nearby but my insurer says the accident will be recorded as a fault accident – that is, my fault! It obviously wasn't my fault. Can I claim? Sarah, Minehead A Mud on the road is especially dangerous to motorcyclists. Farmers, their employees and contractors are legally responsible for cleaning up any mud they…

By the time you read this I'll have just wrapped up the nine days I was doing at MCL. I've been on stage at the NEC interviewing all sorts of people and it's been really good. The other thing that's been good is that I get to have a good look around, and I have to say that I'm encouraged by the way motorcycling is going, where I haven't necessarily been over the last few years. My take on it is that adventure bikes have been brilliant for motorcycling, because they've got more people back into motorbikes. People that simply wouldn't have got back on a bike without them. But now there seems to be a little bit of a pull back from the great big 280kg models that you've…

Send your trips to yourpics@motorcyclenews.com Readers Cyril Visovsky, 2012 Yamaha FJR; Larry Wright, 2015 BMW R1200R; Paul Koehler and Andrea Blake (Ex-TT Sidecar: Trevor Ireson chassis / Honda CBR600RR engine) The ride The Barber Vintage Motorcycle Festival and a vintage vinyl stop at the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, also in Alabama. How many miles? 2000 Tell us about the trip The Barber Festival is amazing with over 2000 bikes in the museum collection, a massive swap meet and three days of vintage racing. Plus, on the way south a stop at the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. Both locations are filled with history. My riding buddies are scattered all over the States, so the logic is ‘get yourself to Barber and we will meet in the pits. Paul and Andrea will…

JOIN THE MCN PIT STOP BREW CREW www.motorcyclenews.com/pit-stop Wednesday November 26 BIKE MEETS Squires Cafe, Newthorpe, near Sherburn in Elmet, West Yorks 01977-684618 or www.squires-cafe.co.uk The Old Stores, Pontblyddyn, Mold, Flints. 6pm-9pm 07548-224866 or Facebook: The Old Stores Motorbike cafe Loomies Moto Cafe, West Meon, Hants. Open till 9pm www.loomiescafe.co.uk The Pathfinder Cafe, Blackbushe, Surrey. From 10.30am-1pm Facebook: Pathfinder Cafe TRIALS Wessex Centre, Warmley Community Centre, Bristol, Gloucestershire 07802-760085 or talbot.family2@outlook.com Thursday November 27 BIKE MEETS Vic Bikers Pub, Coalville, Leics www.vicbikerspub.co.uk Nadee Bike Meet, Lagon Bar & Grill, Findern, Derbyshire. 6pm Facebook: Nadee Bike Meet The Whistlestop Motorcycle Club, Rhyl Rugby Sports & Social Club, Rhyl, Denbighshire. From 5pm 07544-143494 Iron Bull Roadhouse, Basingstoke, Hampshire. Facebook: Iron Bull Roadhouse Vintage Metals, Coleford, Gloucestershire. 6pm-10pm www.vintagemetals.co.uk Ryka's Cafe, Box Hill,…

‘It's right on the money’ The CB1000GT still delivers a bucketload of Hornet-style fun, but the hooligan side has been teased into something more dashing thanks to the enhanced stability, increased comfort and touring-focused additions. A 21-litre fuel tank (up from the Hornet's 17) should see the theoretical tank range exceed 200 miles; we can't confirm that until we test it on UK roads. Honda's value for money philosophy is evident too – its £11,999 OTR price outflanks the opposition and offers tremendous bang for your buck. If the Hornet sold like hot cakes, then the broader appeal of the GT is likely to be even better news for the order books. As a sharp-handling, sporty tall-rounder, Honda have got it right on the money – again. THE FACTS £11,999…

There are plenty of full-on, middleweight retros, from Bonnevilles to BSA Gold Stars and from Royal Enfield Interceptors to BMW R12s, but far fewer retro mods (or whatever we choose to call them), fully modern machines like these based on sporty roadsters which sacrifice little in terms of speed for their style. But one stands out, Yamaha's XSR – or rather, it's two, with the XSR700 twin and XSR900 triple. The MT-07-derived XSR700, at £8270 (so £300 more than the Honda) is possibly closest, its 74bhp twin bearing comparison to the Suzuki's if now a tad underpowered, and its chassis similarly entertaining. But the whole, having not been updated since 2021, now also seems dated (LCD dash anyone?) and also lacking in comparison to this trio. Its bigger brother, the…

In 2000 Ducati boosted their Monster by basing the new S4 on the engine and chassis of the ST4, which used a detuned version of the 916’s Desmoquattro engine producing 101bhp. This was raced to great success in Italy, while in 2002 it was promoted via a UK one-make racing series supporting BSB, the Monster S4 Challenge. In 2003 the S4 was succeeded by the S4R, with 113bhp, single-sided swingarm and two-into-two pipe while, following the launch of the more powerful Tuono, this was updated again in 2006 with the S4RS, with 130bhp ‘Testastretta’, fully adjustable Öhlins, radial brakes, carbon fibre mudguard and belt covers and Marchesini wheels.…

Major Ruth Cork Rides: Honda Transalp, Voge 300, Triumph Bonneville “I got into motorcycling because lads at work were going out to Germany on a trip and I got FOMO (fear of missing out!). So I decided to go and do my licence and now it's my headspace. “We go through a lot and there's a lot we need to deal with in our lives. Having this little escape is brilliant. I think just to get out on bikes with like-minded people doing an outdoors sport, it's so enjoyable. “It's just handy to have, especially having this sponsorship from Royal Enfield means we get to ride some pretty cool little bikes too.”…

Corporal of Horse David Richardson Rides: Beta 300 X trainer, Suzuki RGV250 (ridden in the Army Road Race team) “I think motorbikes are quite relevant currently for the British Forces because if you look at quite a lot of the activity that's going on in Ukraine with drone operators, strike teams, FST groups, stuff like that, quite a lot of them are using motorbikes to get to where they need to be. They're very quick, very agile on the battlefield which is what it's all about nowadays. “This is a great opportunity to get out and do the sport that they love doing and because you've got to be pretty handy with the spanners, you'll soon learn to be if you aren't! It's all really good transferable skills for military…

Between switching gears and low-speed control your clutch is constantly in use, so wear and tear will take their toll. In this week's How To, we've shown you how to inspect a multi-plate clutch or friction clutch, which is the most common form of clutch assembly. The example used here is a wet clutch (dry clutches are very similar but are not bathed in oil), and it is made up of rings or plates of alternating materials – the inward plates being metal and the outward plates being a high-friction material. When the clutch is fully released and the engine is running these plates press together to transfer power from the engine to the drive. Pulling the lever in separates these plates and disengages the power. When operating the clutch…

Delivering the latest scoops in the racing world Peter Hickman's year has been tough after a crash at the Isle of Man TT derailed most of his season. Severe injuries put Hickman on the shelf, but he has since returned and finished second to 8TEN Racing teammate and co-owner Davey Todd at Macau – showcasing the team's overall success story in their maiden year, and evidence that the two road racing juggernauts can work together. MCN sat down with Hickman at the recent MCL show to discuss his recovery journey, and what his future looks like. The rebuild Hickman's crash at Kerrowmoar left him with fractures to his collarbone, left scapula, shoulder blade, three ribs and four vertebrae, plus severe brachial plexus nerve damage and a punctured lung. The nerve…

Racing tech expert decodes the latest bikes As the 2025 season culminated at Valencia, Aprilia have what is considered by many to be the best bike on the grid, yet they still brought a host of new parts to try at last week's test. The majority of the testing duties were given to Marco Bezzecchi; the man that won the final two MotoGPs of the season. Meanwhile, Bezzecchi's teammate, former world champion Jorge Martin, is still in the process of learning how to ride the RS-GP fast without crashing. His physical condition is still not yet good enough, meaning that he lacks strength and with that, the confidence to push and feel the limit. Martin started the test on the latest chassis, the one that Bezzecchi used during the final…

Tech expert goes behind Valencia headlines ‘Some of the aero helped me during braking’ With the dust only just settling on what was the longest MotoGP season to date, preparations for 2026 got underway at Valencia last week. With a major shake-up of tech regs confirmed for 2027, next year will be more of a holding pattern with fewer changes allowed alongside an engine freeze. Despite this, engineers have been busy with each and every manufacturer unveiling a string of new parts. MotoGP tech guru Peter Bom was on the ground to investigate. This is what he uncovered… KTM are pushing hard The weakness of the KTM RC16 throughout 2025 has been threefold - edge grip, understeer through longer corners, and tyre life. The bike also needs careful initial braking,…

Reporting direct from the end-of-season testing TOP STORY Five months on from signing a deal that would take him to MotoGP, Toprak Razgatlioglu made his public debut aboard Yamaha's new V4 at Valencia and left his team impressed by both his attitude and adaptability. In the most hotly anticipated MotoGP switch by a World Superbike star since Ben Spies in 2011, the Turkish rider was 18th at the end of Tuesday's session, 1.2s off Raul Fernandez's fastest time. The Valencia appearance wasn't quite his full debut: the 29-year old had tested at Jerez earlier in November. Even so, Razgatlioglu was able to get within 0.7s of Fabio Quartararo's fastest time in just his second day aboard the bike and around a track he was less familiar with than his new…

Diogo Moreira capped a mad three-day spell which started with him lifting the Moto2 title trophy on the Sunday and ended with his first experience on a MotoGP machine. Only Ai Ogura (64) and Marco Bezzecchi (60) logged more laps than the Brazilian's 57 as he got to grips with the LCR Honda's carbon brakes. “That was the most difficult to understand, also to know when I needed to brake,” said Moreira, who was 21st fastest. More impressive was the steady progression of Nicolo Bulega who is widely expected to switch to MotoGP in 2027. After deputising for Marc Marquez for two rounds, the WSBK runner-up ended the day less than 0.3s from Fernandez's fastest time, and ahead of Pecco Bagnaia in the time sheets. ‘The dream of every rider…

Phoenix Motorcycle Training have announced their annual Toy Run, set to take place on Saturday, December 13, in support of Rutherford School, South Croydon. The event sees riders deliver gifts to students with learning disabilities while dressed in a festive get up. Head to bookonline.uk.com/toyrun to register. All licences welcome. See p23 for more toy runs in our event listings. Latest TT Arai goes for gold Arai Europe showed off their 2026 Isle of Man TT helmet at this year's MCL show at Birmingham's NEC. Known as the RX-7V EVO IoM TT 2026 Limited Edition, it's the 17th special helmet from the brand to be themed around the 37.73-mile road racing course. Featuring a black, white, and gold livery, the special will be available from May 2026, as well as…

First issue of Motorcycle News Geoff Duke suspended Bid to track down 1922 Vauxhall motorcycle On Sunday of this week, November 30, MCN officially turns 70 years old. So what better time to look back at the very first issue? The top story relates to leading racing star Geoff Duke and others receiving a ban for striking over starting money disputes before the Dutch 350 GP race. Instead of doing the full race, riders withdrew at the end of the first lap and organisers had to rush to pay riders so the 500cc race could go ahead before the crowds got too antsy. The article goes on to say that the appearance payment at Assen is less than half of what is paid at some of the smaller French races…

MT Viale SV Pure £69.99 MT have been making helmets in Spain for nearly 60 years, so they should know a thing or two about hot-weather scooter lids. This one is approved to ECE 22.06 with a claimed weight of 1200g. It has a drop-down sun visor and removable washable lining, plus it comes in four colours/designs, and is relatively affordable at under £70. www.mthelmets.com Oxford Chain Laser £34.99 To help with getting wheel alignment spot on, this handy gadget clips onto your chain or belt at the rear sprocket and shines a laser at the front sprocket. When it lines up, you know your wheel's aligned. It's pretty simple stuff, but can really help with performance, handling, power delivery and chain and sprocket longevity. www.oxfordproducts.com Keis heated inner gloves…

Send your first bike pics to: yourpics@motorcyclenews.com THE WORLD'S WARMEST BASELAYER R www.zerofit.co.uk Me and my girlfriend at the time back in 1975. The bike moved on, but my girlfriend became my wife. Graham Pullen 1977 and I am on my 1966 Yamaha YF1. I am pretty sure my helmet cost more than the bike… Martin Downs My first bike taken in 1965. My pillion was called Prince, he loved riding as pillion but only short distances. Alan Faulkner Birches Head Stoke-on-Trent. My bike back then was an MTX200 and my brother was the one performing the jump on his DT125LC. Fab times. Mark Tylney March 2023. Had a scooter before, but they don't count right? I'm now on a T100 Bonneville. Matt EJ 40 years later I am still…

So we said goodbye to Jake Dixon in Moto2 and with it our most likely chance of having a Brit in MotoGP anytime soon. I think he had his chance. I think he was good enough to do it, but it didn't work out. He won seven Moto2 races and when he looks back at his record in 20 years’ time he should be thinking ‘what a flipping good career’. The problem with racing now is that if you don't make it to be world champion or MotoGP champion, then you're viewed as some kind of failure. It never used to be that way. Lots of riders in the past were good in a class, but stuck to that class and were regarded as a great. Whereas now, it's like…

THE MCN TEST THE HOTTEST BIKES EVERY WEEK £9999 Suzuki GSX-8TT 776cc DOHC 4v parallel twin 81.7bhp @ 8500rpm 203kg (kerb) £7999 Honda CB650R E-Clutch 649cc DOHC 4v inline four 92bhp @ 12,000rpm 205.8kg (kerb) £8399 Husqvarna Vitpilen 801 799cc DOHC 4v parallel twin 105bhp @ 9250rpm 180kg (dry) Forget full-on retros with cylinder fins and wire wheels, instead modern styling that's been inspired by the past is the latest fashion. Take the new GSX-8TT: this restyled version of Suzuki's excellent (but basic-looking) GSX-8S roadster is no true retro and hasn't lost any of its dynamism, but fresh looks harking back to the classic 1979 GS1000S, add aesthetic and premium appeal, a little practicality (a bigger tank and new screen) plus the small matter of £1700 to the price. Nor…

‘The Suzuki now makes real sense' I've long admired the CB650, Honda's friendly, affordable four, and, updated again, it promised to be the best yet. The Vitpilen, already a funky, fine-handler, with new twin-cylinder power (and a price reduction) looked to be a 790 Duke with added style. While the Suzuki appeared to be a restyling job that didn't justify its £2000 premium. It didn't work out like that. The Honda, though great value and with the appeal of being a four was the biggest disappointment. Its E-Clutch appeals initially but quickly becomes annoying. Yet as an introductory four it's still classy and good value. The Husqvarna, though wild and wacky, came over as raw, basic and too much of a left-field punt. At times the most entertaining and addictive…

Project leader Klaus Nennewitz recalls the birth of the Tuono. “In fall 2001 I was really bored and hadn't even noticed that the design department under Gianfranco Frison was working on two proposals for the Motorshow of Bologna that December: the Shiver 1000 of Maurizio Carbonara and the Tuono 1000 by Giuseppe Ricciuti. The first thing I saw of the Tuono was the golden frame in the machine shop, to be honest I found the colour quite awkward for a motorcycle frame… “When I came back from the presentation at the Motorshow 2001 (together with the Aprilia Cube, the first Italian Moto GP bike) we set up a prototype in one week. “My mechanic Stefano came back from the first ride and sat down at my desk, still dressed up…

Captain Ellis Grant Rides: KTM 950 Adventure, Husqvarna 701 Rally “We started off with a few individuals from the army getting into adventure and expeditions. So large scale, multi-continental, harsh terrain riding – something that falls well within the army's bracket of self-sustaining, adventurous, a bit scary. It led us to have a chat with Royal Enfield. They seemed super keen to be able to support, especially as we have some history with Royal Enfield and the British Army. “In the army we try to push people out of their comfort zone, because only once you find something scary and overcome it, you realise that you can do so much more. Quite a lot of these guys will be riding out in wet weather, falling over, picking bikes up, learning…

RATINGS Exceptional Very good Good Average Poor 12 months ON TEST Overall fit and comfort rated Design, warmth and construction rated Each item used during real-world riding Macna Ascent Ladies £209.99 ‘Toasty commuter' Tested by Charlotte King for 1800 miles What a game changer! This heated under-jacket from Dutch firm, Macna, runs from either a battery pack that tucks away into a little zip pocket, or it can be plugged directly into the bike's battery via a cable. I have mostly used it plugged into the bike, as I find that it's more powerful this way, there is no need to worry about remembering to charge the battery, and you can keep riding for as long as you like without getting cold. Macna have designed the cable connector in such…

Honda's main end-of-season priority was to get feedback from the factory riders on the new bike. The 2026 RCV213V doesn't look very different to the 2025 bike, but under the fairing it has a new chassis and swingarm. According to Aleix Espargaro, who rode the Valencia race as a wildcard, the bike has more mechanical grip and improved stability on corner exit. Johann Zarco claimed it to be a noticeable step, but said he needs more laps to understand and use the advantages. Thanks to the concession system used in MotoGP to balance performance between the manufacturers, Honda already made at least two significant engine updates during the season. ‘Marini was spectacular round turn 13’ And these upgrades have worked with Honda sitting at the top of the list of…

I was glued to the TV last Tuesday watching the MotoGP testing, but it was all pretty standard really. I said it last week, but it looked to me like all the riders and teams are just ready for a holiday. The Yamaha side of things was interesting and Toprak was second fastest Yamaha which was something. But he was 1.2s off Fernandez in first, which is miles off. For me it was a massive anticlimax because we all thought he was going to be doing massive stoppies all the way down pitlane and reverse it into the garage, but he didn't. The thing is that he is now a small fish in a big pond. He's got from being Billy big b******s in primary school and now he gone…

Whatever next? That's what tests are supposed to reveal. Sometimes they do. But not those taking place without Marc Marquez at a cold Valencia. With Raul Fernandez on top and Bezzecchi second, they proved that both Aprilia riders are threateningly fast. So tell me something I don't know… In the same category, that Yamaha's V4 is a bit slow; that Ducati has a small but bewildering selection of bikes that may or may not be early GP26 prototypes, GP24/25 hybrids or even just GP25s; KTM is trying hard. And Honda has a new rider. That's Diogo Moreira, fresh from becoming Brazil's first-ever two-wheel world champion, and making a first-time transition from a three-cylinder Moto2 Triumph to a 1000cc V4 prototype, with heavy-duty electronics, Michelin tyres, and quirky, heat-sensitive carbon brakes…