Table of contents for 3 May 2017 in MCN

KTM could be the company that makes electric bikes a serious consideration. While electric bikes once had all the allure of a disability scooter with two wheels missing, we’re already living in a time when they have become exciting and rewarding to ride. What they aren’t – yet – is particularly practical. But KTM look set to be one of the pioneers searching for the perfect storm of packaging, price and practicality. Having already dipped a toe or three into production electric bikes with their E-Ride family (Freeride E-SX, E-SM, E-XC), it’s no great shock that the firm are now looking at taking that knowledge into road range. These spy shots prove KTM are is already well advanced with their thinking, too. Take me Ohm The fact that the prototype…

Meet Masaru Abe – he’s utterly nuts. He’s also obsessed with scooters, and on Monday, May 1 he wheelied his Yamaha Jog into the record books, pulling off a feat that would send even the most dedicated wheelie addict a little crazy. Taking the title of Wheelie King, Abe headed to the Kawaguchi Auto Race facility in Saitama, Japan and proceeded to get it up, and keep it up, for an arse-numbing 500km (310 miles) world record, beating a 25-year-old record of 330km (205 miles). The 33-year-old is somewhat of a legend in Japan for his scooterist lunacy, and while plenty of riders can barely get the front wheel floating with over 100bhp on tap, Abe can lift his Jog vertical from a standstill, and pirouette until he runs out…

WSB super-deal MCN readers can grab a cracking deal for the late May WSB round at Donington Park – saving 30% off a Super Fan Package which includes the chance to meet and greet your favourite riders. See the advert on page 73 for full details. Smart casual Dainese have released an anniversary collection to celebrate 115 years of combined experience between them and sister company AGV. The collection consists of five T-shirts and a leather jacket that harks back to their history of pushing the boundaries of rider protection. Ride a classic Bennetts are hosting two events at the Endurance Legends at Donington on May 6-7. The Bennetts Live Arena will host Try-a-Classic test rides with the VMCC while British Historic Racing will offer laps in a racing sidecar.…

Honda had it all planned out. 1. Bring out rip-snorting new Fireblade. 2. Win WSB with Nicky Hayden or new-boy Michael van der Mark. 3. Win BSB after ending season Showdown strongly. 4. Win a few TTs with John McGuinness and/or Guy Martin. 5. Twinkle-toe it to the front of the pack in a few headline-grabbing road tests. 6. Fill up the Honda coffers and the Honda trophy cabinet. Now, what is it they say about best-laid plans? So, we are only four months through the year and there’s a lot of racing left in 2017 yet. But as it stands, there are only two marks so far made on Honda’s ticklist. But maybe, just maybe those two ticks carry the most weight. Bringing a ground-up new bike out that…

VESPA My twin brother and I on our gramp’s Vespa in 1976. It all started from there... Adam Cook SUZUKI GSX250 1980 my first legal UK bike , all 26bhp being used to wheelie, no mean feat. Jeremy Keohane YAMAHA RD350LC At dawn August 1983 on my beloved LC. Tim Thompson, MCN AJS 350 My rebuilt AJS in the 60s with my girlfriend Katy. Had to sell the bike, but kept the girlfriend! Clive Wells ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET Is this a record? My first bike at 71 years young. William Taylor BSA A10 Me and my cousin with the BSA outfit. Brian Appleton…

‘The R6 was a proper little racer and I instantly clicked with it’JAMES WHITHAM R6 FACTFILE 1998-2017 599cc four-stroke inline four 160mph + 46mpg Contacts www.r6-forum.com,www.facebook.com/groups/YamahaR6OwnersClubUK/ Want one? £1500 (scruffy) to £10,999 (latest, new) Yamaha’s original R1 was the bike that ripped up the superbike rule book when launched in 1998 but its little brother was arguably even more significant. Yamaha’s R6, with its hardcore sports focus, redefined the superport class and brought a proper race sensation to a whole generation. And, by being so quick and so good on track, the R6 was not only instrumental in launching the careers of a whole new wave of up-and-coming young racers, it extended those of more than a few older ones, most prominently former BSB, WSB and GP racer James…

 Former British champion and WSB winner explains why he’s racing again ‘You’re doing it for the craic with the team’ “I’ve always had an affinity with Suzuki. I spent half of my racing career on Suzukis, from bikes I bought myself, to a proper factory set-up with Mick Grant and two years in WSB when the Harris brothers ran the factory team. “I’ve raced most years since I retired, on MT125s and the Goodwood Revival. But the main thing is I still do a lot of riding on my training days. I’m on the back foot compared to someone who’s racing week-in-week out, but I don’t feel ring-rusty. “I want to enjoy it. The worst thing you can do as an ex-racer is go back thinking you’re going to rekindle…

Wales seems to breed great roads and this loop around Newtown is another example of the superb stretches of tarmac that attract bikers from all over the UK and beyond. Starting at Newtown, the A483 is a fast but twisty A-road that cuts down to Llandrindod Wells, undulating as it climbs and falls through this hilly region. It’s a great road and one that sees many riders flock to enjoy its curves on a sunny weekend. Turning right just before Llandrindod, the A44 takes you across to Rhayader and is fast and challenging. This stretch of road, as well as the run out of Rhayader on the A470, is a popular spot for police patrols so keep an eye on your speed. After leaving Rhayader the A470 follows the path…

‘Relax, you don’t have to hold on tighter for motorway speeds’ RIDING EXPERT Adam Child MCN Senior Road Tester, Isle of Man TT racer and big-mile commuter Keep your distance As your speed increases so should the distance between you and other traffic. At 60mph your braking distance is going to be around 70 metres, depending on the bike. If you’re riding in a group of bikes remember to leave big gaps between yourself and the other riders, too. Be clear on filtering Do this legally and safely. In congestion you can undertake or filter but do so with extreme caution. You don’t want to be undertaking at speed. Give yourself time to react and make sure everyone can clearly see you and your intended position. Joining the traffic When…

 Price £14,299 Weight 238kg Seat 860mm Power 160bhp Torque 103ftlb Fuel 23l at 49mpg = 269.5 mile range ‘For me this KTM represents the next generation. I’m more than a little impressed’ MICHAEL GUY Former 250 road racer, Enduro and Rally racer Height 5ft 10in Weight 70kg michael.guy@motorcyclenews.com Just 550 miles in to life with KTM’s flagship 1290 Super Adventure S, and it’s fair to say I’m more than a little impressed. Having worked at MCN for over 13 years I’ve been in the privileged position of riding and evaluating a wide range of the very latest bikes, but for me this KTM represents the next generation. My last two long-term test bikes have been the Kawasaki Versys 1000 and the Honda Africa Twin, both excellent motorbikes. The Versys was…

THE EXPERT Paul Curran Has competed in the British Supersport and British Superstock series and runs PCR Performance, a Dynojet-approved tuning centre in Cannock, Staffs Whenever you shut the throttle on a bike the direction of drive is reversed and the fast-spinning rear wheel will start to try and turn the engine. Bang in some downchanges as you brake hard for a corner and the engine-braking will have the rear wheel hopping around. Slipper clutches are designed to allow you to enter corners more smoothly by limiting the amount of drive fed back to the engine. The first slipper clutch or ‘back torque limiter’ was developed by Honda for their ill-fated four-stroke NS500 GP project in 1979. From there they were developed in US Superbike racing and now many road-going…

2014 Yamaha MT-09 £4500 Ad says 16,717 miles, full service history, Akrapovic exhaust, bike tracker fitted, small dent on tank, three previous owners. MCN says With the tracker and the Akra, this bike’s a great bargain – even with the dent on the tank and the reasonably high mileage. 2014 Yamaha MT-09 £4995 Ad says 18,385 miles, two-owner standard UK bike in excellent condition with full Yamaha Dealer service history. MCN says Another high-mileage example but it looks to be in great condition and has the reassurance of a full service history. 2014 Yamaha MT-09 £4999 Ad says 15,474 miles, excellent condition, ABS, both keys and service history. A real adrenaline rush. We say A good looking standard machine which appears to be in cracking condition despite the reasonably big…

Nicky Hayden had a bizarre experience in race one in Holland, fighting his way forward and then losing places as his bike started to misbehave beneath him. His team eventually found a cracked engine hanger on the right side of the chassis, which could have been caused by a collision on the first corner with Michael van der Mark. Hayden, who had been as high as tenth from 13th on the grid, was eventually 14th in race one after his bike started to go wandering around under him. He finished an improved ninth in race two.…

Jonathan Rea ‘It is history now’ I understand he is frustrated, of course, and I would be frustrated, that is acceptable,” said Rea. “I tried to talk like a normal person but it wasn’t the time because he was completely in the red and frustrated. What is not acceptable is getting punched on the bike and we cannot set this example to young riders. I completely understand but we have to be careful because we are setting examples to young kids. I got a big penalty so it will be interesting to see if there are any repercussions after that. The first word I said to him in Parc ferme was sorry that I got in your way but he was very frustrated, for obvious reasons. I tried to remain…

‘I’m gutted of course, but it could have been a lot, lot worse’LEON HASLAM Leon Haslam’s weekend ended in disaster at Oulton Park when he was involved in a terrifying high speed incident in the closing stages of Monday’s race. The JG Speedfit Kawasaki man was chasing down the race leaders when Ellison’s R1 cut out on the 160mph straight between Druids and Lodge. Left with nowhere to go, Haslam crashed into the back of Ellison’s slowing R1 and through luck alone managed to avoid both the armco barrier and the numerous parts of his destroyed Kawasaki bouncing down the side of the track. Escaping with a bruised backside and a bash to the ankle, Haslam was thanking his lucky stars despite having missed out on what he thought could…

Suzuki struggling There was no improvement for Sylvain Guintoli and the Bennetts Suzuki squad this weekend as they struggled to make progress with the all-new GSX-R despite having an engineer from Suzuki Japan in the garage this weekend. He secured a best result of 11th in race two. Brookes bides time Oulton Park proved nothing to shout about for Josh Brookes as he crossed the line sixth and seventh in Monday’s two races, but the Aussie still lies fourth in the standings and is confident there’ll be more to come from the bike with time. Super six for Tarran Tarran Mackenzie remains unbeaten in the British Supersport class this year after yet another double victory for the McAMS Yamaha team despite riding with a badly injured finger after last week’s…

Glenn Irwin backed up his Be Wiser Ducati team-mate Shane Byrne to secure second position in the second race of the day to clinch the team’s first ever one-two finish in BSB. “I was pissed off after the first race as we had the pace for fourth but finished ninth,” said Irwin. “There are a lot of corners here but it’s hard to pass! The boys made the bike much more friendly for race two and I felt a bit more confident, but it was a frantic battle, it reminded me of Supersport! When we saw Ellison and Haslam go out we knew it was a fight for the podium, and I think in the end we were all riding so well it came down to being in the right…

 To be as far off the pace as Guy Martin was at the Cookstown 100 this close to the start of the International road racing season is far from an ideal position for either Guy or his Honda team-mate, John McGuinness. ‘When McGuinness talks you listen. Nobody knows more than him’GUY MARTIN The late delivery of the 2017 Fireblade has hindered the development of the race versions in WSB and the road race bikes have been further down the list of priority, leaving the TT riders at an even greater disadvantage. It has been obvious from the team’s pre-season tests that the British Honda Racing squad is under pressure to deliver a race-winning BSB or road racing motorbike. Everything has been committed to that task though, in a way that…

Don’t hammer Huewen So Chris Staniland says Keith Huewen has no respect for Lorenzo (MCN Letters, April 26). He must be a newcomer to BT Sport because I’ve heard him say countless times that he would pay to watch Lorenzo circulating an empty track, such is his admiration for his riding style. I really enjoy the enthusiasm that Keith Huewen and Julian Ryder put into the commentary. What does he want, some sort of boring monotone? Jon James, email Keeping it Zen I had my GSX-R750 stolen a couple months back by some idiots who have nothing better to do other than bring misery to those they affect through their thievery. Anyway I ain’t letting them get me down. The words of Robert M. Pirsig (RIP this week) Zen and…

1 WHO’S THIS? He pioneered travelling the world on ridiculously overloaded sportsbikes. 2 WHAT’S THIS? It’s designed and built in Britain using a British engine – what is it? 3 WHAT YEAR? It’s a positively embyonic looking Bradley Smith – but what year is it? 4 NAME THE RIDER Who is this 1939 Senior TT-winning flying German on his Kompressor? 5 NAME THE RIDERS It’s 1986, the paintjobs are choccy heaven – but who are the riders? 6 WHICH FIRM? This powered bike was the firm’s first – but which manufacturer? 7 WHO’S THIS? He’s the daddy of one of the most famous Japanese tuning houses. 8 WHO’S THIS? Greatly missed from the MotoGP paddock – he’s Randy, who’s she? WIN AN MCN MUG! Get them all right and you…

‘There’s no sweet spot, just a huge spread of not very much power’ Freedom, adventure, passion without any limitations. That’s what TRK stands for, according to Chinese-owned Benelli – but, in reality, the TRK502 is far from limitless. The main issue is the lack of power from the 500cc parallel-twin engine, combined with its colossal weight of 235kg – just 9kg less than a top-spec BMW R1200GS Exclusive TE. The bike makes 47bhp so it’s A2 licence friendly, but coughs and wheezes as it struggles to pull its own hefty mass. There’s no character or sweet spot to the engine either, just a huge spread of not very much power doing its best to turn into forward propulsion. Try coming to a stop and you’ll almost be thankful for the…

KTM have been forced to comply with Euro4 regulations this year, so the 1290 Super Duke R’s motor is cleaner, quieter and more powerful than the old model’s. It has a new crank, cylinder head, titanium inlet valves, a higher compression ratio and 10mm shorter inlet trumpets, which let the 1301cc V-twin rev an extra 500rpm. When the Super Duke R was released in 2014 the Austrian factory said it made 180bhp and over the years that quoted figure dropped to 173bhp, despite the bike staying the same. KTM says the 2017 bike makes 177bhp, 4bhp up on last year’s. Confused? So were we, which is why MCN dynos its test bikes. The good news is the 2017 machine does make more power and torque – a lot more. It’s…

SUPERBIKE SPEC ON A 600 With 120bhp the original R6 was the first production four-stroke bike to hit 200bhp per litre and the first 600 to have true superbike spec components. AN ALL-NEW CLASS By raising the performance bar, supersports finally lived up to the name. The CBR600RR, ZX-6R-B1 and others followed. CAL’S BIG STEP UP Britain’s greatest GP hope in a generation owes a great deal to the R6, first via the R6 Cup, then the 2009 WSS Supersport title. WHIT'S LAST HURRAH In a thrilling season Whit’s racing swansong aboard the Belgarda R6 almost nabbed him the 2000 WSS crown.…

Engine Stripped and rebuilt 1982 GSX1100 motor, bored-out to 1170cc and fitted with higher-lift cams and 35mm flatslide carbs. 145bhp Chassis Chrome-moly frame with revised steering geometry, wheelbase and swingarm pivot. Chain adjusters taken from Dunlop’s XR69 Suspension and brakes Billet fork lowers with cut-down 41mm Bandit uppers and K-tech cartridge kit. K-tech Razor shocks. Brembo twin-piston front calipers Tank and bodywork 22-litre hand-fabricated aluminium tank with quick-filler. High Fibre bodywork. Painted in classic Suzuki racing colours Wheels and tyres Dymag CH3 wheels shod with Conti RoadAttack classic race rubber. 100/90 x 18 front, 150/65 x 18 rear Sexy bits Footrests, yokes, chain adjusters, footrests and detail parts milled from billet aluminium and a titanium Pro Bolt kit used for lightness…

 If you’re looking for great riding in the south of England you can’t help but be drawn to the rolling chalk hills of the South Downs. Its network of flowing A and technical B roads is accessible throughout the year and is a popular draw to riders from across the region. But although there are many amazing routes to be ridden, there is only one destination to head for when it comes to a brew, some brekkie or just to hang out and that is Loomies Café in West Meon, at the junction of the A32 and A272. ‘Our customers are family. We have some who almost live here’ Loomies has been a regular haunt for going on a decade (and far longer if you count its previous incarnation as…

The KTM Powerparts catalogue of aftermarket official parts is a document of joy! It’s full of trick components that can take the 1290 to the next level in terms of looks and in some cases – performance. I’ve got my eyes on some luggage, an Akrapovic end can and with the current spate of cold mornings, heated grips. I’m even tempted to try a heated seat, which is something I’ve never used before. SPEC UP Slip-on Akrapovic can £818.58 LOAD UP 45 litre aluminium cases £275.10 WARM UP Heated grips £164.17 SIT UP Ergo heated seat £208.20…

Fine-tuning Out on the road or at a trackday a slipper clutch’s standard set-up is just fine and they should need no more maintenance than conventional systems. But for racing they can be tuned to give different amounts of engine braking to suit various circuits. For example, Silverstone is fast-flowing and wide and it doesn’t have many slow corners, so there’s less need for slip. But take the same bike and settings to Snetterton 300 with its tight corners and hairpins and the bike would be chattering like a manic monkey. In that case you would fit ramps with a shallower gradient as that allows the plates to separate more easily. Riders coming from two-strokes with their minimal engine braking tend to prefer this softer setting. Freeplay Having the correct…

I’m going to talk about something slightly different this week: PCP deals. I recently read in the financial pages that, in the US, banks are selling car finance deals as bonds. Take 10,000 finance contracts, bundle them together, and sell them to investors who will supposedly make their money on the interest paid by these bonds. Only something’s going wrong. The default rate is way higher than it should be – it’s about 35%, actually. That’s right – more than one buyer in three is handing back the keys and the vehicle and walking away. The interest rates payable on these bonds has been going up. It’s now more than 8%. Why? Because the interest rate reflects the risk factor. Does this ring any bells? Perhaps if I used the…

2016 Victory Octane Colours Grey Dealer £9799 Private good £8500 Private average £8000 This one This standard 2016 Octane has 383 miles on its clock and is an ex-demo for sale for £8995. 2016 Victory Octane Colours Grey Dealer £9799 Private good £8500 Private average £8000 This one Has drag bars, aftermarket silencers and a Stage 1 kit added. £9799 is the RRP, so you get the extras for free. 2016 Victory Octane Colours Grey Dealer £9799 Private good £8500 Private average £8000 This one Standard 2016 model is brand new and unregistered but has its £9799 RRP on it, give the dealer a call and haggle. 2017 Victory Octane Colours Grey, white Dealer £9799 Private good £8500 Private average £8000 This one This 2017 Octane is unregistered and for…

John McGuinness says the main changes from the Fireblade he used with great success from 2008 to now should make him a big bike TT contender again. The main changes are under the skin and involve the electronics with a throttle blipper, new engine braking system and quickshifter, all linked to the rider by the bike’s new dash. McGuinness also likes the new bike’s much slimmer profile and sharper bodywork and says the Öhlins suspension makes the bike stop and turn a lot better than the old model Fireblade. McGuinness has also added a thumb rear brake to the Nissin set up and there is a new Akrapovic exhaust system. “The old bike was pretty good really, it just needed some little bits changing and extra bits adding and I…

‘Yesterday when I got off the bike my legs could hardly support me’TOM SYKES Jonathan Rea might have secured the double win at Assen, but it was Tom Sykes who produced the heroics with two second place finishes despite remaining unwell. Since the previous round of the series at Aragon one month ago, the 31-year-old has had two spells in hospital to try to resolve a serious intestinal and stomach complaint. He’s undergone countless tests and days of fasting for a condition that has so far not been fully diagnosed. Leading up to Assen there were doubts about his ability to ride, never mind perform at the highest level, but clearly no-one mentioned that to Sykes who was fast out of the blocks, dipping under the lap record in the…

After missing two rounds through injury and being punted off at Aragon last time out, WSS all-time great Kenan Sofuoglu took his Puccetti Kawasaki to a peerless new track record of 1m 37.805s in Superpole and then won the race at a canter, keeping a 2.5 second gap back to the next nearest rival. His Turkish protégé in the Stock 1000 class, Toprak Razgatlioglu, also secured his first win at this level. It was a Kawasaki carnival at Assen with Rea doing the WSB double and Scott Deroue winning the WorldSSP300 race on his Ninja 300.…

There is a long history of WSB rider bust-ups. The street fighters on streetbikes compared to MotoGP’s upper class corporate men who were often above such vulgarity. Obviously Assen is a good place for all this WSB aggro. Who can forget Frankie Chili’s bathrobe fisticuffs in the press conference with Foggy? Of late people have criticised the fact that WSB is too cosy. Clearly there is no love lost between Rea and Sykes, but Kawasaki have always been keen to play that one down. Something changed at Assen, and this time there is no inter-team harmony to defend. Davies has clearly lost all respect for Rea. And the needle between the two looks set to stay. As long as it does not get out of hand it will be welcomed…

While some could argue you make your own luck in racing, few could dispute that James Ellison is one of the unluckiest riders in BSB. Ellison’s technical issue that caused Haslam’s dramatic crash came as he looked set to take his first rostrum of the year after leading a good chunk of Monday’s second race. The Cumbrian had shown signs of his pace in the opening race, but a lowly qualifying position left him to fight through from 15th on the grid. However, with his quickest lap giving him a second row start he was back at the sharp end in the second outing. “We’ve had no luck this year,” Ellison said. “At every circuit we’ve been to we’ve led a race but we’ve not had a single podium finish.…

 Shane Byrne kick-started his 2017 MCE British Superbike season at Oulton Park this weekend as he returned to the top step of the podium in Monday’s second race. ‘The boys have done a top job to turn the bike around’SHAKEY BYRNE Until that point, it had been a horrendous start to the season for the reigning champion after a lack of testing left him on the back foot at the opening round, where he went on to crash heavily in warm-up and miss both races with concussion. Back in action at Brands Hatch two weeks later, he narrowly missed the podium in the opening race, but disaster struck in race two as he dramatically crashed out while fighting for the lead. However, Oulton proved to be a tricky track for…

Bane of thieves Tom Hardy lived up to his on-screen macho antics when he helped to catch an alleged bike thief. Police said “two suspects rode through a red light on a stolen moped and crashed. The suspects ran off and one was detained by Hardy.” Zen author dies Robert Pirsig, author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, has died aged 88. The book, eventually published in 1974 after being declined by over 100 publishers, was a loosely-autobiographical story about a father-son motorcycle trip across America – and a reading rite of passage for many motorcyclists. Phone rage A police sergeant who head-butted a woman while wearing a motorcycle helmet has been fined £828. David Sanderson, who was off-duty at the time, believed the motorist had been using…

When BMW released their C evolution electric scooter they claimed it made 47.5bhp – yet it was A1 legal and in the same class as a 125cc petrol machine as it was rated at 15bhp. How is this possible? It’s all down to maximum power and rated output. Maximum power is, as its name suggests, the maximum power that the motor produces. However, to have a rated output the vehicle needs to be able to produce this power for a sustained period. On a petrol vehicle it’s not an issue as a motor can run at its redline as long as it is fed unleaded, but electric vehicles can’t. As an electric vehicle’s battery drains its power is reduced, meaning its average output (rated) is lower than its max value.…

 “I first came up with the idea of an automatic lubrication system thanks to a girl I was seeing in Manchester. ‘I was forever cleaning the chain and washing it in a bath of grease’ “Back in 1977 (I’m 81 now) I used to ride from Glasgow to Manchester every weekend on my Suzuki 750 just to see her. I was forever cleaning the chain and washing it in a bath of grease. I was actually alternating between three chains because of the amount of cleaning. I thought to myself, ‘there has to be a better way’ and that’s when I started looking into vacuum valve technology. “It took five years; I started by selling the product in my living room and pretty much went broke in the process. It…

EL SOLITARIO T-SHIRT £45 El Solitario are custom legends and wearing this cotton T-shirt with embroidered logo means you’ll be cool too, probably. www.elsolitariomc.com BUILT MAGAZINE ISSUE 5 £4.99 Issue 5 sees the Built chaps head to Paris to see Bad Winners, Blitz and T birds as well as JPD Cycles in the USA and a revisit to the guys at OEM to check out their latest build, simply named “Triumph”. www.builtmag.co.uk STYLMARTIN IRON TRAINER £169 Stylmartin are known for their leather bike boots but they also make more casual shoes too. The Iron trainers combine decent protection with a fully waterproof liner making them perfect for the city commute. www.stylmartin.it…

‘It’s a good looking, distinctive, urban commuter, which has a sporty side’ The all-new Street Rod is loosely based on Harley’s popular ‘entry level’ £5995 Street 750 – which has been a serious success story for Harley, selling over 35,000 units worldwide – but it represents a huge step forward for the budget Hog. The new model has been designed for people who live in the city, commute regularly, but want something that can take them away from the congestion of the city at weekends. It also needed to be different enough to the 750, and its competitors, to have kerb appeal and stand out from the crowd. But have they done enough? The Street Rod may be loosely based on the Fiddy, but don’t think of this as a…

‘The MT-10SP is more fun’ Electronic suspension does work and it adds an extra layer of sophistication to the already sensational MT-10. It’s only at the extreme ends of the scale where quality, conventional suspension, like the KTM’s WP set-up, is more predictable: on extremely bumpy roads and right at the limit on the track. The Super Duke R has a firmer ride, giving it a more serious, formidable feel, but it’s still comfortable on the road and a joy to ride fast and on the track. • Check out MCN soon when we’ll be pitching the KTM and Yamaha against all of its super-naked rivals.…

This ride rolls west out of Bodmin via the A389 to create a swooping loop around some of Cornwall’s finest roads – gas up at the services on the edge of town and you’ll be good to go. Pick up the A391 at the bypass to snake down through Bugle, past the quarries around Cocksbarrow to St Austell, then turn left to head east on the A390. Beyond St Blazey the pace should pick up, so after pausing for breath around Bridgend push on towards the Taphouses. Just beyond Middle Taphouse is a right turn for the B3359, however fuel is available if needed just a little further on the left. This classic B-road is a simply glorious ride with few restrictions and some sensational bends – undulations are mild…

1 Seaways Café, Fridaythorpe, Driffield YO25 9RX. Plenty of parking and great chips 01377 288203 2 Grindleford Station, Peak District National Park, Hope Valley S32 2HY. Active railway station with great café. 01433 631011 3 Rivington Barn, Hall Lane, Rivington, Bolton BL6 7SB. Always a popular meet. 01204 697738 4 Borough Market, London SE1. Plenty of bikes on a Wednesday evening but park up anytime boroughmarket.org.uk 5 Joey’s Bar, Seymour Street, Ballymoney, County Antrim, BT53 6JR. An essential stop on any tour of Ulster and a chance to drink in the great man’s bar. 02827 663095 GET YOUR MEET ON THE MAP If you have a bike-friendly venue and want to get your meet on the map, email: sam. williams@motorcyclenews.com…

‘The problem is they want to pay you as little as they can get away with’ Q Am I right to be unsettled about settling? I had an accident about a month ago and the other driver’s insurers have contacted me and said that I don’t need a lawyer. They’ve repaired my bike and told me that I probably won’t need to see a medical expert to get a pay-out. They seem pretty reasonable but my mum is telling me that I need legal representation to stop me from being had over. Jack Redmond, Solihull A I would be wary of someone when they tell you that you don’t need independent advice. In an effort to reduce the amount they have to pay after an accident, insurers are trying to…

Free Aprilia kit Aprilia UK are giving customers even more reason to feel smug this summer, by getting a new leather suit or jacket thrown in free. Buyers who take delivery of a new RSV4 RF or Tuono Factory during May will get a made-to-measure leather suit thrown in absolutely free. Buyers of Aprilia’s 125cc Tuono or RS will get a free Aprilia Racing leather jacket. New urban Shoei In dealers now, Shoei’s £349.99 RYD sits one above the entry-level Qwest lid, and has been designed with younger and more urban-orientated riders in mind. Beneath the composite shell is a comfort lining, a drop-down sunvisor, and ventilation system. It’s available in four shell sizes across XS-XXL, in orange, white, grey and matt or gloss black.www.shoeiassured.co.uk Chat and nav Between now…

‘Dealers have been pre-registering machines and then discounting them by around £1000’ “I honestly can’t understand why more people didn’t take to the Victory Octane when it was first launched, as it is a really good machine. It was aimed at the younger, urban rider but it never really took off and we struggled to sell them new, something that has become even harder since Victory were closed down. And I doubt as a dealer we are alone in this. “It’s odd as other Victory models, such as the Vegas machines, are really in demand, but the Octane is still generally overlooked. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if this situation doesn’t last, as when I worked at a Harley dealer I saw a similar thing happen with the XR1200 –…

‘It’s all about power at the North West and we should be at the sharp end’JOHN McGUINNESS John McGuinness’s first race on the new Fireblade will be at the North West 200 next week. “I am looking forward to it.” the six-times winner at the Northern Irish event says. “Some people say the North West is a shake up for the TT but is it f**k! It’s a proper straight race from a mass start, not like the TT. I’ve had some great ding dongs there with the best road racers in the world and some BSB boys too. Anything can happen.” It will also be a stern test for his new Honda Racing superbike. “It’s all about power at the North West but if you can hang in the…

Sykes and Baz 2014 Loris Baz knocked Tom Sykes off in Malaysia. then Baz refused team orders to help Sykes try to win the championship at Qatar. BiaggiandMelandri 2010 Max Biaggi lost the plot with his rival Marco Melandri. He confronted him in the pitlane at Donington and slapped him! HodgsonandXaus 2003 Ducati team-mates Neil Hodgson and Ruben Xaus were at odds from day one. Xaus didn’t like being upstaged by the Brit. Chili and Foggy 1998 Chili thought Fogarty had denied him a win, barged into the press conference in his dressing gown in a rage. MORE WSB NEWS AND RESULTS AT WWW.MOTORCYCLENEWS.COM…

Luke Mossey benefitted the most from Haslam’s second race DNF and is now just three points behind his team-mate in the title standings. While the young gun acknowledged he hadn’t the pace of Haslam or Byrne at Oulton he secured a strong third and fifth to keep his title challenge going. At the front of the battle for fourth when the Haslam/Ellison carnage ensued, Mossey came off the worst. “It’s all about points at this stage. I can’t say I’m pleased with the second race result, but I’m second in the championship so I can’t complain.”…