Table of contents for 10 May 2017 in MCN

Lights, camera, points, profit... Insurance brokers Carole Nash have compiled a list of the UK’s highest earning speed cameras, with one camera recording over 6000 speeding offences in one year. The camera on the A1 at Great Ponton brought in around £1661 per day. 1 million Hondas Honda’s Atessa factory, founded in Italy in 1971, has reached the gargantuan milestone of producing one million Honda SH scooters. The Atessa factory started producing the SH range in 1996. Circuit closure The Three Sisters race circuit has closed with immediate effect after The Racing School, the operators of the venue, went into liquidation. Motor Circuit Management, the leaseholders of the circuit are urgently looking into new circuit operators to reopen the venue. BrakeFree New LED light system BrakeFree promises to boost your…

1 WHO’S THIS? He was a legendary figure at Ducati, so who is this pioneering engineer? 2 WHAT’S THIS? This engine is defined by its unique internals, what configuration is it? 3 WHAT YEAR? MAG campaign against the helmet law. What year was it introduced? 4 NAME THE BIKE This nuts Yamaha concept uses an existing engine from which bike? 5 NAME THE BIKE Ariel’s most famous engine gifted the bike it’s name - what’s it called? 6 WHERE’S THIS? This run-down tyre shop is now a very special place (again), called... 7 WHO’S THIS? This Japanese legend wheelied for over 500km non-stop last week. 8 WHO’S THIS? Esquire shoot refugee, or owner of a motorcycle firm – who is this? WIN AN MCN MUG! Get them all right and…

‘It made me feel like a superhero. It also made me want to wear urban camo’MCN READER DAVID SPENCER GSX-R750 FACT FILE 1985-1996 749cc four-stroke inline four 100bhp + 185kg Contacts: www.gixxer.com, www.gsxroc.com Want one? £1200 (scruffy) to £6500 (immaculate restoration) ‘It was my first big bike, and the first I used to travel abroad, to events like Le Mans’MCN READER KEITH MORRIS Few bikes become icons, and far fewer are so significant that they change the whole direction of powered two-wheelers. But Suzuki’s first GSX-R750 is just such a machine. Launched in 1985, that original GSX-R750F became the first true race replica. By setting a whole new standard for road performance and handling, it became not only the new benchmark on the street, but also hugely important for…

“I always fancied my chances at the TT but I was racing against the likes of Joey Dunlop, Mick Grant and Rob McElnea so it was a big ask,” says Roger Marshall, now BSB riders’ representative. “I do reflect on it and wish I’d won one, but I also look at the positives and console myself with the fact that I won at the North West 200, the Ulster Grand Prix and at Daytona, and I won 12 British championships. “But it would have been nice to have won a TT – especially since my team-mate Roger Burnett won the Senior in 1986! I think about five of the top riders retired from the race that year. I was leading comfortably, until my chain stretched and that was it. Another…

52 MPG can be coaxedup to 65mpg Servicing £66.00 (4000 miles), For oil, and check over.. £259.64 (7500 miles) Oil & filter, air filter, spark plugs, service sundries and a full check of moving parts, chain and sprockets, brakes pads etc. Tyres £250 Metzeler Roadtec 01 Best PCP deal £100 MONTH/ Kawasaki Versys 650 GT For a standard £8499 Versys 650 GT, with a £1800 deposit over 36 months, with a 5000-mile annual allowance, and 5.9% APR. At the end, you can hand it back, or stump up the optional final payment of £4219. Insurance MCNcompare quote to insure a 2016 Kawasaki Versys 650 GT worth £8639, each rider has full no claims discount…

‘Has it worked? Damn right it has. Gone is the lurching, snatchy, obstinate throttle response’ SUZUKI GSX-S1000 Price £9599 Fuel 17 litres @ 38mpg = 141miles range Weight 209kg (kerb) Seat 810mm Power 143.4bhp Torque 78.2lbft RICHARD NEWLAND Sportsbike addict with a love of road and track riding, in all weathers, year-round. Height 5ft 11in Weight 115kg Remember those awful Churchill adverts with the nodding dog? That’s what you feel like trying to ride the GSX-S1000 through town, or anywhere where you have to treat the throttle with anything less than full aggression. The unwelcome nodding sensation comes from the Suzuki’s schizophrenic fuel map; so smooth when hard on the gas, so abrupt when you shut the throttle – and with one of the worst transitions from closed to open…

‘Motorcycle accident litigation is a specialised area of law’ Q How do I know if my solicitor is worth the money? I was recently involved in an accident when a car pulled out of a side road in front of me. The car hit me side-on and I have two fractures to my left leg. I have been given a solicitor who is acting on a no-win no-fee deal but will be taking 25% of my compensation towards legal costs. How do I know if they are worth the money as opposed to the next firm? Leslie Hamil, email It has never been more A important that you are sure your solicitor is the right person for the job. Motorcycle accident litigation is a specialised area of law and whilst…

‘A bit of a haggler’ it said on the eBay feedback left for me recently. Damn right. In this case, though, the seller had set a classified price of £20 but invited offers. My first one was rejected; the second, for £15, accepted. I know eBay is a closed book to many people. They don’t trust it or they’ve had one bad experience that’s put them off, so this week I’m looking at how to buy on eBay and next week, how to sell. First, take a good hard look at the pictures on the auction page, because these and the buyer’s description are all you have to go on. If there are bits of the bike you want to see that aren’t pictured, ask the seller if they can…

DAN LINFOOT Honda Racing British Superbike rider HONDA CRF450 SUPERMOTO I’m a sucker for little supermoto bikes! I’d probably buy something to pimp it up to its maximum to muck about on a go kart track! I’ve currently got a CRF150 so I’d probably go 250, maybe 450 and have a full blown supermoto! I like twiddling in the garage, that’s what it’s about for me. DARREN ‘SPIDER’ MAISEY Dan Linfoot’s BSB Crew Chief DUCATI 1098 I think I’d buy a Ducati 1098 of some kind. I would have said a 996 but I’ve got one of them! Then again, I’d quite like to put a 1098 engine in a 996 chassis. People have done it before and it makes for a really exciting bike. CALUM WILEY Guy Martin’s road…

2007-2009 Aprilia Shiver 750 Colours Silver, white or grey Dealer £3750 Private good £3500 Private average £3300 This one 2008 model in silver with full service history. 11,000 miles, dealer sale, £3250 2009-2011 Aprilia Shiver 750 GT Colours Black or silver Dealer £4200 Private good £4000 Private average £3800 This one Tidy condition 2011 model on a 62 plate in silver. 9000 miles, dealer sale, £4199 2010-2015 Aprilia Shiver 750 Colours Black, red or orange Dealer £5500 Private good £5350 Private average £5200 This one 2015 model in black fitted with an aftermarket bellypan. 8000 miles, £5495 2010-2015 Aprilia Shiver 750 Colours Black, red or orange Dealer £5500 Private good £5350 Private average £5200 This one Our 2015 test bike in red on sale at Wheels in Peterborough. Completely standard,…

Battery heat is electric racing’s big performance hurdle. An electric motorcycle motor that make 100kW creates a lot of heat, which is the biggest obstacle facing whoever builds MotoGP’s electric racers. “The issue isn’t battery capacity, but more the rate of discharge and heat management,” says Mugen’s Colin Whittamore. “The faster you pull/push energy out of/into a battery, the more heat is generated, which is why your mobile phone gets hot when it’s working hard. “I expect there will be a ‘eureka’ moment when someone will come up with the next generation of battery, for want of a better word. Think back to early mobiles and their ‘satchel’ batteries, and the effect going from NiCad to lithium batteries had on power tools.” MORE GREAT SPORT NEWS AT WWW.MOTORCYCLENEWS.COM…

‘He took 11th place at the head of the privateer Ducatis’ SCOTT REDDING Qualified: 11th Finished: 11th Scott Redding achieved his main goal from the weekend of minimising the potential for damage to his championship hopes at Jerez. He achieved 11th place and the ‘best of the rest’ tag at the head of a gaggle of privateer Ducatis. ‘He stayed on, but was over a minute behind Pedrosa’ SAM LOWES Qualified: 22nd Finished: 16th Despite coming home to his best MotoGP result so far – and staying on the Aprilia RS-GP when many others crashed out – Sam Lowes was left bitterly disappointed with his result after struggling with conditions and coming home over a minute behind distant race winner Pedrosa. ‘In Saturday’s race, he took his first international win’…

‘Things are only just starting to kick off’SIMON PATTERSON, MCN What a start to the 2017 season it’s been! We’re only four rounds into the series and already we’ve had highs and lows, drama and excitement, and plenty to talk about as new Yamaha sensation Maverick Viñales lines up against his old sparring partner Marc Marquez. On top of that, there’s a resurgence in form from the old hands of the paddock, with Dani Pedrosa taking a stunning race win and of course Valentino Rossi remaining as title leader – but only just! After four races, only four points now separate the top three in the championship, with Rossi a mere two points ahead of Viñales, and Marquez two more adrift – and with Sunday’s win thrusting Pedrosa right into…

‘We came back to a Ducati position and he learned how to ride the bike’PAOLO CIABATTI Ducati boss Paolo Ciabatti believes that Jorge Lorenzo has finally worked out how to ride the Ducati MotoGP machine, and that after nine seasons on the Yamaha M1 it was changing this mentality that has provided the biggest breakthrough. He said: “He didn’t have a good feeling in testing and he started to modify the ergonomics, the riding position, but that didn’t work so we came back to a more normal Ducati position – and he learned how to ride a different bike, especially using the rear brake much more than he is used to. “When he came to us he said ‘I could have stayed where I was and been very comfortable –…

SPIDI TANK JACKET £450 Inspired by the leather jackets worn during WWII, the Spidi Tank is made from full-grain cowhide. It’s not all looks though, with CE armour included and a slot for a back protector. www.spidi.com SIDI ARCADIA RAIN £175 The Arcadia has been in the Sidi line-up for a little while but now the urban range has expanded to include this waterproof pair. With a vented polyester liner, they should be comfortable too. www.sidi.com BUILT MAGAZINE £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…

‘Gone are the hairy sensations of Z1000 frame flex and loss of braking in the wet’TERRY SNELLING, MCN TESTER When MCN hit the newsstands on May 9, 1979, Maggie Thatcher had been in 10 Downing Street for four days. Britain’s first female Prime Minister, she was soon to be known as the Iron Lady and like some bikes of the era, she wasn’t for turning. For some it was the start of a bleak time – Britain was riddled with strikes for years and the weather wasn’t helping, either. May was unseasonably cold – some stages of the Scottish Six-Day Trial were called off thanks to deep snowdrifts. In the world of bikes, things were looking good for Kenny Roberts to retain his 500cc title. We were also looking in…

‘It’s funny as hell to be on the road with Roland Sands’ Q1 What are you currently riding? I’ve got a nicely modified R nineT, but today I was on an R nineT Racer. I love the thing – it gets so much attention. Q2 Which living motorcyclist do you most admire? Thorsten Hellmann – he introduced the world to modern motocross. He was a factory Husqvarna rider and raced for ten years in the USA from the mid-60s. He won every big race over there, and later started Thor MX clothing. Q3 What’s your worst riding habit? I sometimes filter too fast. Q4 If you could have one riding super-skill, what would it be? Crazy stand-up wheelies! When we’ve been at the track with BMW’s test riders, I get…

‘You can’t help but wonder how much better it’d be with those tasty mods’ KTM have moved their racy RC390 into the Euro4 era with ride-by-wire, a new side-mounted exhaust, a bellypan and, er… that’s about it. The £5099 race replica doesn’t feature the swathe of updates lavished upon the new £4599 390 Duke we rode at its glitzy launch last month on the racetrack roof of the old Fiat factory in Turin. That bike boasts a new chassis, engine mods aplenty, uprated WP suspension, stronger brakes, a crisper gearbox, revised styling, an LED headlight, evolution switchgear, a full-colour multi-function TFT dash, and a big leap-up in build quality. KTM have raised the bar so high with the new 390 Duke that you now can’t help feeling you’ve been a…

A TRUE ‘RACER REPLICA’ The GSX-R was modelled directly on a race bike – the world endurance championship-winning alloy-framed XR41 GS1000R of Herve Moineau. ‘SACS’ Oil cooling or ‘Suzuki Advanced Cooling System’ debuted on the GSX-R (among other acronyms). KEVIN SCHWANTZ OK, the Texan would probably have made it anyway, but his GSX-R rides at the 1987 Transatlantic Trophy certainly propelled him to fame in the UK. THE ‘GSX-R CUP’ After the first ‘Slabbie’ the later ‘Slingshot’ stayed in the proddie racing spotlight thanks to the likes of Jamie Whitham and Ray Stringer in the GSX-R Cup.…

‘Hang off to reduce your lean angle; only accelerate hard when upright’ RIDING EXPERT Michael Neeves MCN Chief Road Tester and Elite instructor at the Honda Ron Haslam Race School Smooth is safe The key to safe riding in the wet is being smooth on the controls and shifting your weight around. Concentrate on the straights; braking and accelerating hard when upright, and taking it steady in the corners. Effective braking Gently release the throttle and wait for the weight to transfer to the front tyre before braking. Squeeze the front brake lever lightly, to get the front tyre dug in, then progressively harder, feeling for grip. Finish braking before tipping-in. Blip the throttle on down-changes to reduce engine braking. Getting through the corners Do all your turning off the…

‘The can looks like the long-lost cousin of Dusty Bin. I’m fitting a Yoshi’ SUZUKI GSX-R1000R Price £16,099 Fuel 16ltr@47mpg Weight 204kg (measured) Seat 825mm Power 199bhp Torque 87ftlb MICHAEL NEEVES Ron Haslam Elite instructor, races Thundersport GP1, Island Classic and Endurance Legends Height 6ft weight 72kg Let’s address the big grey elephant in the room: the GSX-R1000R’s exhaust can. Some allege you can see it on Google Earth without zooming in and that it’s the long-lost cousin of Dusty Bin. All we know is it’s there to pass Euro4 regs and it’s on borrowed time. I’ve already got a Yoshimura Titanium R-11Sq slip-on race can (£734, www.performanceparts-ltd.com) to fit, but much as I can’t wait to get rid of old bloaty-can straight away, I’m going to get my new…

Michael Dunlop ‘It’s in my Blood’ £20 Road racing aristocracy, Michael’s story covers not only his racing career but also he talks in depth about his family story. We have ten copies up for grabs. Enter until: May 31 Freddie Spencer ‘Feel, My Story’ £20 Freddie is one of the greatest riders of his age and his new autobiography documents the highs and lows of his racing career. We’ve got five copies to giveaway. Enter until: May 31 Bundle of goodies from 1DOWN 5UP £45 Our prize includes one of their eye-catching t-shirts, hoodies and stickers with a choice of unique and quirky motorcycle-related motifs. If you’re not our lucky winner don’t worry, we’ve been given a special discount code for all giveaway entrants, quote MCNREADER and you’ll save 10%…

THE EXPERT Sam Palmer runs Palmer Performance, who build and tune bikes for the track. He is also Crew Chief for racer Danny Buchan, currently second in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 championship at BSB. www.palmerperformance.co.uk A bike’s brain is called the ECU, or Engine Control Unit. Considering how important it is, it looks very unimpressive – just a box the size of a large phone with wires coming out. ECUs have been around in analogue form since the 1970s and just controlled the basic ignition timing. Later, as technology became digital in the 1980s, ECUs were able to deal with more. Nowadays ECUs use microprocessors that can read all the inputs from a range of sensors – around 20 on the latest bikes – and decide, in milliseconds, how…

‘I could have sold the last Fireblade SP we had in many times over’ Our recent superbike shootout proved that the 2017 Fireblade SP is one of the best sportsbikes ever produced, but there is also actually very little wrong with the bike it superseded – and thanks to the advent of the new machine, the previous SP can now be picked up at great prices. The 2017 bike retails at £19,125, but ultra-low-mileage, nearly-new 2016 SPs can be picked up for £11k. In fact, Grantham Honda have a 700-mile 65-plate SP in Repsol colours up for grabs at £10,999 – a saving of nearly £3500 from last year’s new price and £8000 less than a 2017 SP. And they’re not alone – as we went to press, there were…

Bike sales down New bike sales have continued to struggle in 2017. According to figures just released by the Motor Cycle Industry Association, bike sales in April were down 16% compared to the same month last year. So far the bike market is also 15.2% down on the year to date, with 33,678 bikes sold until the last month, compared to 39,738. Avon calling Avon have launched a new sports-touring tyre to replace their popular Storm XM. Dubbed the Spirit ST, the new rubber has been designed to offer improved wet grip and good mileage. The tyre boasts a new carcass and a new tread pattern. We’ve just ridden the tyre so check out what MCN’s Chief Road Tester says on www.motorcyclenews.com Bag a test ride at the MCN Festival…

It’s been more than three decades since Kawasaki unveiled the GPZ900R and it was a groundbreaking arrival. Contrary to what you’ve heard, it wasn’t the first Japanese 16v liquid-cooled inline four: that was a little-known Jap-market Suzuki GSX400FW, a year before the big GPz. In fact, there was no new tech on the 900R: it was a careful amalgam of all the best tech around, in a good chassis, compact, and with attention paid to weight-saving. It absolutely blew away all the wobbling old air-cooled dinosaurs of the era, including Kawasaki’s own GPz1100. It was also reliable, and so good it outlasted its successor, the 1000RX, and even that bike’s successor, the original ZX10. It was in production for 15 years. It led Honda and Yamaha (Suzuki took the oil-cooled…

 “It’s a good bike – we had a very good start with it back in 2007-08 when it first got launched, it was very, very popular. The only thing it suffers with is that I don’t think Aprilia renewed it enough and made enough noise about it, so sales tailed off. But it’s a great little bike that has aged well. ‘It was the first bike to have full fly-by-wire throttle so you had rider modes and so on’ “When you look at it now it still looks cutting edge. When launched it was the first bike to have full fly-by-wire throttle so you had rider modes and so on. It’s a phenomenal little machine that’s great fun to ride and very reliable. We’ve had no mechanical issues with them,…

‘I believe we can make even more steps forward before Le Mans’BRADLEY SMITH The Red Bull KTM duo of Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaró had a significant breakthrough at Jerez after major changes to their RC16 machine saw them radically slash the gap to the leaders. Debuting their new ‘big-bang’ configuration V4 engine in a pre-Jerez test at Le Mans, they became the last of four manufacturers to make the switch from a traditional ‘screamer’ engine – and chose to use it in the race. “It felt more like the engine that I had last year,” explained Smith. “It’s still different but it’s going in the right direction and that is the direction that everyone else is heading in, so it makes sense that we’d do it. “We’ve always been…

‘Nothing went to plan. It all stemmed from a tyre issue in qualifying’ JOHN McPHEE Moto3 front-runner John McPhee had a weekend to forget at Jerez after a series of errors compounded to give the Scotsman his worst result of the season. Struggling throughout the three days and starting Sunday’s race from a distant 26th place, he eventually crashed out of the fight for 12th. Speaking to MCN, McPhee said: “Nothing really went to plan. It all stemmed from the tyre issue in qualifying which just meant lack of laps and lack of time to test the bike and get up to speed.” Despite all the problems at Jerez, McPhee retains both fourth in the championship standings and a positive attitude as he goes to Le Mans looking to put…

‘We have to look forward, and the chassis had some positive points’ MAVERICK VIÑALES Maverick Viñales bounced back from the disappointment of Sunday’s race to end Monday’s one-day test at the Jerez circuit top of the time sheets by a mere 0.002 from Honda man Marc Marquez after debuting a new frame for his Yamaha M1. Designed to counteract some of the issues of the new 2017-specification frame, introduced at the start of the year to improve tyre life at the end of races, the Spaniard was able to improve by almost a second on his race pace in only 24 hours – and to put to bed some of Sunday’s demons. He said: “We made a back-to-back test compared to the race and we were on the pace of…

Miller penalised Luckless Jack Miller has been fined €1000 for his gravel trap scrap with Alvaro Bautista in the opening stages of Sunday’s race. The Aussie was on for another strong point-scoring finish when the Aspar Ducati rider lost the front as he overtook, leaving both in the gravel and Miller lashing out. Nakagami’s carrot Japanese Moto2 rider Takaaki Nakagami has confirmed that, as first reported by MCN last month, he is in line for a MotoGP promotion in 2018 if his results improve. He’ll become the first Japanese rider in the premier class since 2014 if he can finish in the top three in Moto2. He’ll most likely join Cal Crutchlow at LCR Honda. Morbidelli swap? Despite crashing out of Sunday’s Moto2 race, Franco Morbidelli could be rewarded for…

One well-known school of thought says: If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Another one states (in a slightly passive-aggressive manner) that If you stand still you’re going backwards... So, this year’s Carole Nash MCN Festival of Motorcycling somehow (cleverly, some would say) manages to achieve both of the above. The very best bits from previous years – like the brilliant retail area, dirt track racing, awesome autojumble and camping fun and games – are now even bigger than before. The amount of cracking clubs eager to bring along a wide range of bikes has grown significantly since the Festival burst into life three years ago, and that area has been extended for 2017. And there’s plenty of new feature to help take the Festival to new heights in 2017.…

Organised crime Thieves have targeted four UK dealers in recent weeks. Ducati Manchester was raided by a gang who stole two SuperSport models in 17 seconds. Contact Crimestoppers (0800 555111) or the police (101) with any information. Indian summer Suzuki India have reported a 43% rise in sales at a time when the global motorcycle market is showing few signs of growth. The domestic sales rose from 25,343 units to 36,289. Suzuki have also now announced they intend to sell their new GSX-R1000 duo in India. Vnuk you Lloyds of London, the insurance underwriters, have described the Vnuk judgement as “unworkable”. The judgement will require all vehicles to have insurance, even if they are not used on the road, with many fearing this could seriously damage motorsport in the UK.…

SR-VVT is a mechanical solution to the problem of altering the cam’s position, and with it the engine’s valve timing. On the new GSX-R1000 it is only on the intake cam, not the exhaust, and is effectively just a different design of cam sprocket. The SR-VVT replaces the traditional cam sprocket with a guide plate and slotted cam sprocket that has 12 steel balls positioned in slanted grooves within it structure. This system is pushed together using a spring and pressure plate. When the centrifugal forces of the cam turning at high rpm become strong enough to overcome the spring’s pressure, the balls are forced outwards along the grooves, mechanically turning the cam sprocket and altering the engine’s intake valve timing. When the pressure drops, the spring’s pressure forces the…

American dream The Ace Café has been a stalwart of the biker scene in the UK for almost 80 years and now it’s hopped across the pond as the Ace Café North America opens in Orlando next week. The American café has even had a clock tower built to more closely (well, sort of) resemble the British original. Czech it out Czech motorcycle company Jawa have introduced a new bike powered by a 350cc single. The 350 OHC uses a copy of the Honda XR400 engine built in China but with fuel injection, as used in several models by SWM. From the pictures it has a certain retro appeal – although visually it’s not far from the Jawa and CZ models of old. No word so far on availability in…

Some riders immediately ingratiate themselves into your affections, while others just grate. For me, Jorge Lorenzo has always been the latter. Despite the unfaltering respect I feel for his abilities, hard-fought titles, and undeniable all-round riding godliness – I just can’t bring myself to like the chap. So it was with no small amount of disbelief that I caught myself silently cheering him on as he scythed through the field at Jerez, dicing elegantly with wonderkid Zarco, and making the hereto recalcitrant Ducati dance beneath him like a cross-dressed Yamaha from 2016. By the time he rolled into parc ferme, I was beaming nearly as much as he was. Most interestingly though, the change is inside Jorge’s brain, not the bike’s. Just like Rossi has done in the past, he…

SUZUKI GP100 On my way to my new job at Natwest. I bought the bike by doing the dishes in a hotel. David Rich ZXR400 L3 My first toy. Had an epic time on her until I blew her up two years later! Mike ‘Marshy’ Marsh TRIUMPH TIGER 110 On my Trophy-ised Tiger 110, with my mate Rabbie Burns. John Walker ITALJET 50 My first bike on my fifth birthday in 1980! 36 years later I’m riding an 1199 Panigale S. Andrew Watson MZ SIMSON James Lanik on his MZ Simson S51 in 1991. Check out the trainers and massive topbox. Henry Lanik BULTACO 250 Circa 1972 on my gorgeous Bultaco 250 Pursang. Rick Tidwell…

‘MT-07 is one of the greats of motorcycling’ If money wasn’t an issue then we might be tempted by the Ducati Monster 797 as it’s the most desirable and has the sweetest handling. And although the motor lacks a little gusto it’s more than sufficient for road riding. But if it were my money on the table, it would be the Yamaha MT-07 every time – at £6099 it’s an all-round bargain and, pound-for-pound, one of the greats of motorcycling. At only £69 a month on PCP, the Kawasaki is pretty tempting, even cheaper than the Yamaha at £89, and if you intend to spend more time in the city than out of it, the Kawasaki could be ideal. The Suzuki exceeded our expectations. It’s comfortable, quick and stylish –…

‘Zero has the most potential’ After a 70-mile ride, the Energica and Zero were split by just over a minute, but more impressively they both did exactly what their range claims said they would. On an electric bike, this really is crucial. These two bikes prove that electric propulsion is certainly on the right path, and increasingly becoming a viable option – as long as your lifestyle suits the range constraints. But which is best? Energica and Zero have taken two different paths. The Eva is a traditional motorcycle made electric with cutting-edge tech, while the SR is more a two-wheeled electric vehicle – and more basic. They are very different, but with a price tag of £26,999 the Eva’s market is far more limited than the £15,690 SR’s. The…

‘Three hours of commuting each day, five days a week. It’s became part of the family’ ‘Somehow the Versys always managed to raise a smile and carry me home without fuss’ Price £8499 Fuel 21 litres @ 58mpg = 268 miles Power 68.4bhp Torque 47.2ftlb Weight 168kg Seat 815mm ADAM CHILD Adam Child. Former road racer who regularly commutes 90 miles to the MCN office. Height 5ft 7in Weight 78kg My choice of winter transport for my high-mileage commute from Yorkshire to Peterborough raised a few eyebrows around the office. “A middleweight adventure bike?” was the general gist. “Why not go for something with a bit more presence?” But I’d scanned the market and done my homework, and Kawasaki’s Versys 650 GT ticked all the boxes. With the bad…

‘Despite the big twin rumbling away, vibes through bars and pegs are minimal’ HARLEY-DAVIDSON STREET GLIDE Price £22,385 Fuel 22.7 litres @49mpg = 245 miles Weight 376kg Power 88bhp Torque 110ftlb JORDAN GIBBONS A lover of custom bikes and BMWs, but has lots of experience with a wide range of bikes Height 5ft 6in Weight 72kg The Street Glide forms a big part of Harley’s touring range, so people always want to know if the comfort lives up to the billing, especially after a few hours. Thankfully, it’s remarkably refined. Despite the big twin rumbling away, vibrations through the bars and the pegs are minimal. It’s not as smooth as a modern four but the vibes are gentle enough that I don’t notice them at all anymore. Interestingly they are…

Spada Stelvio Adventure Suit, £339.98 Tester Jordan Gibbons Time tested 3500 miles/three months What’s good? I was a bit nervous at first – would a jacket that looks like stonewashed denim a) still look good after some decent miles, and b) reduce me to an outcast for wearing double denim? Thankfully, it still looks fine and I have yet to be banished. The thermal qualities of the jacket are excellent, especially with the 150g thermal liner. I’ve ridden in temperatures hovering around freezing and the suit has kept me warm. The jacket and trousers are decked out with pockets (which are waterproof) and the leg pockets have a pleat that stops your possessions falling out if you leave them open. Both the jacket and trousers have a non-removable waterproof liner,…

Information is king Sensors are the eyes and ears of the ECU. There are sensors everywhere on the latest high-level bikes – airbox pressure, inlet manifold, throttle butterfly position, fly-by-wire throttle, knock sensors, cam position, crankshaft position, gear position, coolant temperature and two lambda sensors in the exhaust – one before and one after the catalytic converter – and that’s just the engine. You also have sensors around the bike. Both wheels have speed sensors, some have tyre pressure sensors and many bikes now have an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit). This clever device, made by Bosch, is a multi-gyro and accelerometer that helps the ECU to understand what the bike is doing, how fast it is accelerating, braking or how far you are leaning over. This is essential for determining…

2016/65 Blade SP £10,999 With just 700 miles on the clock, this Fireblade SP seems like an absolute bargain. The only thing to bear in mind is that the Repsol Honda paint scheme may not be as desirable as the Tricolour version in years to come. 2016/16 Blade SP £11,295 This Fireblade SP has just 400 miles on the clock and if it’s as impressive as it looks, it’s basically a brand-new homologation special HRC bike for £300 more than you’d pay for a 2017 Yamaha R6. You can’t say fairer than that! 2016/16 Blade SP £12,199 With 2400 miles it is barely run-in, in the best colours and comes with goodies including an Akrapovic pipe, rearsets, engine protectors and a tail tidy. Make sure you get the stock parts,…

 Personal Contract Purchase now finances 20-30% of all new bikes sold in the UK, and it’s a method of ownership that is growing fast. But it might not be right for you, so make sure you understand the ins and outs. ‘Get yourself a new bike for less’ You can have these new bikes for less than you might have ever imagined – and what’s more you can have another new one in three years’ time, probably without increasing your monthly outlay or having to find a fresh deposit. This is how it works… • Work out what you can afford as a deposit and in monthly repayments for the duration of the contract. • You can get PCP on any amount from £1500 upwards. • Choose your new motorcycle…

‘We don’t want to charge bikes from the mains, we’ll use solar panels’ DORNA CEO CARMELO EZPELETA MotoGP plans to run an electric bike championship from 2019, alongside its existing MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 categories. Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta is already in talks with manufacturers with the idea of running it at five MotoGP rounds. “It is the right time to have an electric class in MotoGP,” says Ezpeleta. “Now we are talking with different electric bike makers and then we will see. We have had a lot of interest from people. Our aim is to start the series the year after next, with maybe one race at the end of 2018.” Dorna will make its first foray into electric racing with a one-make series because the MotoGP rights-holders believe…

MICHAEL DUNLOP Although the 28-year-old set a new outright lap record in 2016, he has only appeared in a few test sessions and BSB outings since his switch from BMW power to the new Bennett’s Suzuki during the winter. His huge army of local fans will be hoping he has the power to see off the visitors once again. BRUCE ANSTEY The man no pundit ever rules out, the 48-year-old will be seeking an 11th victory on a brace of Padgett’s Hondas, including a 2017-spec stocker and last year’s 209mph Fireblade. 2016 was the first time since his 2002 race winning debut that the Kiwi hasn’t stood on a NW200 podium and he is determined to make amends this time out. IAN HUTCHINSON Very much the man in form, Hutchinson…

‘I nearly crashed two or three times, and I just tried to bring it home’ Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales have left the fourth round of the 2017 MotoGP championship searching for answers after a disastrous race saw them slump to tenth and sixth respectively. The factory Yamaha pair are still sitting first and second in the championship standings – albeit by the slimmest of margins – but these weren’t the results they were expecting at the Spanish Grand Prix. Rossi was off the pace and out of sorts throughout the weekend as he struggled at a track where he won in 2016 and clearly expected better. The nine-time world champion said: “It was a difficult weekend and a difficult race, and we expected to be a lot stronger. But…

‘Losing control of the 575bhp BMW, he ploughed into the tyre wall Former world champion and FIM safety officer Franco Uncini had an unfortunate end to his Spanish Grand Prix early on Sunday morning, when he crashed heavily on a sighting lap in the BMW M5 safety car shortly after warm-up. Losing control of the 575bhp car on the exit of turn five onto the back straight, the Italian legend ploughed into the tyre wall, leaving himself with broken ribs and a passenger in the car needing treatment for a broken arm. The incident may well raise more questions about the conduct of those driving the MotoGP safety cars, which have suffered numerous high-speed accidents during sighting laps in recent seasons, most recently at Silverstone last year. RESULTS…

Whether your favourite racing era is the golden age of the 1960’s, or you prefer your race bikes a little newer, the Motorex Fire-up paddock at this year’s Carole Nash MCN Festival of Motorcycling has something for all race bike fans. Together with the Brackley Festival of Motorcycling, MCN has gathered bikes from Grand Prix, WSB and BSB paddocks to create one of the biggest (and loudest) fire-up paddocks of the year. Bikes are started three times per day on Saturday and Sunday, just gravitate towards the glorious noise! FIRE UP BIKES INCLUDE 1962 Honda RC163 250cc 4cyl rep 1965 Honda RC115 50cc single 2011 DR Moto YRT 1000cc 1970 Honda CR 750 1969 Yamaha 250cc 4cyl 4stroke 1974 Suzuki RG500 Mk 1 Sheene rep 2001 Yamaha YZR V4 Biaggi…