Table of contents for 18 October 2017 in MCN

FURYGAN BRONSON JACKET £369.99 The Bronson is constructed from premium cow leather, and is both stylish and tough, with triple stitching and D3O CE armour at the elbows and shoulders. It’s available from January in S-4XL. www.nevis.uk.com INDIAN WORTHINGTON BOOTS £238 Based on the Red Wing Engineer style boot, this 11-incher has been modified with plain toe styling and a Vibram sole for improved grip, an ankle strap for a snug fit and subtle Indian branding. Nice. www.indianmotorcycle.co.uk NEXX ROK’ON HELMET £TBC This is the new ROK’ON design by NEXX, which is part of their new 2018 line-up of unashamedly retro new-for-2018 lids. The shell is their new X.G200 series, and will come in arrange of equally funky paint schemes. www.nexx-helmets.co.uk BUILT ISSUE 7 £4.99 Issue seven of Built, features…

‘Everyone should have their next adventure planned’ QUICKFIRE ROUND • Fast, intermediate or novice group? Fast in my head, novice in reality • Mud or tarmac? Tarmac. I enjoy off-road, but I prefer tarmac • Four-stroke or two-stroke? Four-stroke, I’m into the environment • Dark visor or clear? Clear, I’ve got a little flick-down dark visor inside my helmet • Gloves in or gloves out? Out – who wants cold arms? • GPS or map? GPS. I’m a new tech convert Q1 What are you riding? A Triumph Sprint RS. I was saving up for a bike when I was diagnosed with cancer seven years ago. It’s just what I could afford at the time, and I love it. It does everything I want it to, and I’m not going…

‘Pushing my bike across the finish wasn’t wha I had planned, I just ran a little low of fuel’ Weston Beach Race, Britain’s annual and oh-so-bonkers festival of motorcycle sand racing, is 35 years young. And what better way to celebrate a birthday bash than by inviting 1500 sand-crazed racers to party hard in front of 70,000 sun-kissed spectators? Bigger, madder and tougher than ever, WBR 2017 brought together its ever-eclectic mix of weekend warriors, have-a-go heroes, star riders and west country chargers. Add into the mix a cross-section of Britain’s finest off-road talent and it was chaos from start to finish. Riders came from motocross, enduro, trials, supermoto and the TT – every corner of the racing world. The likes of Dave Knight and Johhny Walker are world class…

MCN’s campaign to encourage as many readers as possible to cover 5000 miles in a year is all about getting the most enjoyment possible from your motorcycle. We realise life is full of pressures that stop you biking, but there’s always a way. So #ride5000miles is all about finding time on a Sunday to go for a blast, or doing that tour or trip you’ve always wanted to do. It can even be about just riding your bike to work more often. There’s a great network set up to help you achieve this – and thousands of bikers have already signed up to our #ride5000miles Facebook group. It’s a wonderful place full of friendly faces who are happy to share routes, experiences and tips. Even if you’re not going to…

UPDATE 8 8130 MILES Price £14,299 Accessories £4409.40 – Total £18,708.40 Weight 238kg Seat 860mm Power 160bhp Torque 103 MICHAEL GUY Former 250 road racer, adventure rider, Enduro and Rally racer Height: 5ft 9in Weight 75kg michael.guy@motorcyclenews.com ‘The bark from the exhaust induces a grin every time I crack the throttle’ ‘A few quick tweaks turn the KTM from comfy tourer to sportsbikebeating beast’ I can see the road snaking off in to the distance. On my right, an aqua blue river crashes down a canyon and on the left a sun-kissed cliff face towers above me. The heat is rising from the immaculately surfaced tarmac and the Continental Road Attack 3s are digging in and giving me the grip and level of feedback I’d expect on a track day.…

HONDA CBR1000RR FIREBLADE SP £19,125 Fuel 16 litres @ 49mpg = 172-mile range Weight 195kg (kerb) Seat 820mm Power 176bhp Torque 79.6ftlb (measured THE RIDER Tim Thompson. Rode the first Blade into the UK in 1992 and had his mullet blown off in the process. Height 5ft 7in Weight 71kg Tim.thompson@motorcyclenews.com Twenty years ago, bikes with the performance of the Blade SP would have been fettled by a team of factory mechanics and had an engine rebuild every few weeks. Today, they have wide 8000-mile service intervals and barely need touching, which is incredible. I’m kind of waiting, tool chest open and ready, for something to happen so I can have a proper fiddle. The only repetitive job is adjusting the chain, which gets a hard time on track where…

‘It’s two spark plugs, an air filter and some oil and that’s a major service’ SCOTT BULLETT Workshop Manager at Honda dealers Doble in Coulsdon, Surrey “The engine is such an old design but they’re smooth and absolutely bulletproof. They just go on and on – nothing ever goes wrong with them. “If you just do general maintenance and wash it every now and then it’ll last forever. Change the oil when you have an MoT, lube your chain and they keep going. “They do have corrosion issues but it’s the same with anything. The exhaust cans rot but I’ve not really got a bad thing to say about them. You just get on them and go. “You might get the odd regulator/rectifier failure but generally they’re probably one of…

‘I don’t know if the solution is a new bike. I don’t know what the problem is’VALENTINO ROSSI The ongoing crisis Movistar Yamaha riders Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales have been enduring in 2017 only continued at the Japanese Grand Prix. Rossi crashed out of contention in Sunday’s race, leaving Viñales to come home a distant ninth, 36 seconds behind race winner Andrea Dovizioso, and one place behind the satellite Yamaha mounted Johann Zarco. Struggling yet again with a chassis that simply refuses to deliver rear-end grip in slippery conditions, the pair were unable to ride with the frontrunners at any point. It seemed earlier in the year that significant modifications to the M1 machine had helped alleviate the issues – but the torrential rain in Japan proved otherwise. Even…

‘I should be one of the fastest in these conditions’JOHN MCPHEE British Talent Team Honda rider John McPhee’s future in the Moto3 championship could well be hanging in the balance as rumours continue to circulate the MotoGP paddock about the future of the entire squad. With the 2017 podium finisher still to sign a contract with series organisers Dorna, despite only three rounds remaining of the current season, speculation has increased in recent weeks that the Spanish company’s plan is to scrap the project for next season, potentially leaving McPhee high and dry. Speaking to MCN after Sunday’s race, a Dorna spokesperson would only confirm that there are likely to be ‘significant’ changes announced for the future of the project in the coming weeks, but it’s unclear exactly what could…

Illness damages Folger’s future Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider Jonas Folger was unable to race after he contracted what is suspected to be the Epstein-Barr virus. He was replaced by Yamaha test rider Kohta Nozane. Broc Parkes is set to step into his shoes at Phillip Island. 2018 test shake-up The 2018 MotoGP testing calendar is likely to see a dramatic shake-up, after a series of meetings that took place at Motegi. It now appears the factory teams will see their in-season testing cut back, possibly even with a mid-season testing ban to force teams into a proper summer break. It’s Miller time... One rider who will definitely line up at Phillip Island is Jack Miller, with the Marc VDS Honda racer making a fast recovery from the broken leg…

‘I made it hard for him. To fight with Marc always gives you big tension’ANDREA DOVIZIOSO Andrea Dovizioso once again outfoxed 2017 MotoGP championship rival Marc Marquez to reignite his hopes of lifting the crown. Taking an incredible last corner victory at Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix, the Ducati racer demonstrated once again why this could finally be his year – thanks to a combination of smart tactics and incredible speed on the Desmosedici. In an almost carbon copy repeat of this year’s stunning Austrian Grand Prix, Dovizioso baited a last lap trap for Marquez, making his move earlier in the lap to goad the Repsol Honda racer into a last corner move – and then making sure he was in the right place at the right time when Marquez couldn’t…

We made a slice of history when we joined forces with Energica’s UK importer, Moto Corsa in the summer to become the first team to race an electric production bike in the TT Zero race. Until this year only prototypes had competed, but riding a standard Ego, with only the mirrors and sidestand removed, our aim was to first qualify and then, fingers crossed, complete the one-lap race itself. Not only did we make the grid, we finished seventh and set a new production electric bike lap record in the process. Amazingly only three bikes completed a lap on the first night of practice: ours, and two, million-dollar factory Mugens ridden by Bruce Anstey and Guy Martin. We set a benchmark speed of 74.79mph and over the course of the…

Sports adventure bikes are all about insanely powerful engines, superbike-derived chassis technology, cutting-edge electronics and extreme comfort. The S1000XR has it all and it’s our Adventure Sport bike of the year for the third time running, beating the brilliant Ducati Multistrada 1200 and KTM 1290 Super Duke GT. With a motor lifted out of the German firm’s RR superbike and retuned for more mid-range grunt, the 163bhp 999cc masterpieces gurgles on the overrun, pops and bangs through its gearbox blippers and goes like merry hell. It’s a four-cylinder cacophony of noise, aggression and power when you poke it with a stick, but relaxed and tractable when you’re just cruising. The 999cc inline four-cylinder motor is now Euro4-friendly and comes with an extra 5bhp. New handlebars are designed to reduce vibes…

KTM has completely transformed the 390 Duke for 2017, turning it from a merely a good low-capacity naked, to the best machine in the entire A2 licence category. Giving the bike its first major updates since its inception in 2013, the new 390 offers an unparalleled level of fun, quality and performance for its size. Gone is the slightly lacklustre quality and styling and in its wake comes a 5.2in full colour dash, illuminated switchgear, brilliant panel fitment and deep glossy paint. Claimed dry weight is just 149kg dry, meaning its 44bhp single-cylinder engine has more than enough poke to achieve a decent level of performance. At the front, the new non-adjustable WP forks are well damped and the four piston radial calipers bite hard, offering enough bite to inspire…

Triumph Thruxton R £12,200 Our 2016 Retro of the Year is still a formidable machine, mixing style with sportsbike performance. It beat the new R nineT Racer in our performance retro head-to-head earlier this year. Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled £9395 More than just a styling job the uprated Scrambler is built for muddy fun. It held off challenges from the hugely capable R nineT Scrambler and Triumph Street Scrambler in our shootout. Ducati Scrambler Café Racer £9395 The Café Racer is fun, beautifully-built and in our café racer shootout walked away with top honours after beating the Triumph Street Cup, Yamaha XSR900 Abarth and BMW R nineT Racer.…

BMW’s R1200RT underlines its superiority by once again being MCN’s favourite tourer of 2017. There’s no finer and easier way of clocking up big motorway miles in comfort, for both rider and pillion. Minor Euro4-induced tweaks aside the RT remains largely unchanged for 2017, but that’s no bad thing. Pay the extra for goodies like dynamic electronic suspension and it gives the BMW an edge over the competition. Traditional tourers like the Honda ST1300 Pan European feel like dinosaurs by comparison. The RT handles far better than its bulk suggests and at 274kg it’s lighter than many of its touring rivals. That clever suspension irons out imperfections on bumpy back roads, yet provides supple comfort on motorways. A huge electronically-adjustable screen comes standard, but tick more options boxes and you…

An exciting and no-holds-barred class with plenty of top contenders... like this lot Yamaha MT-10 SP £13,999 | 158bhp | 210kg New for 2017, the SP model costs an extra £2600 over the standard model and has semi-active Öhlins suspension, a TFT colour display, a quickshifter, cruise control and R1M-style paintjob. BMW S1000R £10,905 | 162bhp | 205kg This year’s bike has a lighter RR-style frame, which accounts for a big chunk of the machine’s 2kg weight loss and a Euro4-friendly motor with an extra 5bhp. It also has cornering ABS and lean-angle sensitive traction control. KTM 1290 Super Duke R £13,999 | 174.3bhp | 195kg (dry) KTM’s ‘beast’ is now Euro4-compliant and has an extra 4bhp, tweaked WP suspension, a roomier riding position, a full colour TFT dash and…

WEBBS MOTORCYCLES Based in Peterborough and Lincoln, Webbs Motorcycles moved from their old premises in Peterborough to a new unit at the end of 2016 after investing over £750,000 in the bespoke 10,000sqft showroom. The official opening of their new Peterborough premises demonstrated just how highly regarded this Yamaha, Triumph and used motorcycle dealer is in the area as the weekend event at the start of April was attended by hundreds of local riders. With an impeccable new showroom that is kitted out to the highest possible standards, Webbs in Peterborough now sets the benchmark for all Triumph and Yamaha dealers to, while the Lincoln dealership retains its quirky charm. “Webbs Motorcycles has always been driven by our customer service, it is one of the most crucial parts of our…

Sports-touring tyres are the fastest growing part of the market as riders demand a mix of everything. If you want bags of confidence on the road, reassuring grip on the track and sure-footed feel in the wet, this is where you look. And Metzeler have served up a fantastic offering in this sector. This year’s winner, the Metzeler Roadtec 01, is the evolution of a previous MCN Award winner, the brilliant Metzeler Roadtec Z8. The Z8 was always a great wet weather tyre, but the Roadtec 01 moved the game on a notch. They warm up exceptionally fast, even in the coldest conditions and offer good grip no matter the weather. When Senior Road Tester Michael Neeves tested the Roadtec against the competition in a blind test earlier this year,…

1993 M900 Monster • 904cc • 67bhp • 185kg The original set the tone with minimalist bodywork over a steel trellis chassis. 1994 M600 Monster • 584cc • 51bhp • 175kg The baby monster – it looked like the big ‘un, but with dramatically less poke. 1998 M900 S Monster • 904cc • 67bhp • 183kg The first high-spec model got Showa suspension and carbon parts. 2000 M900ie Monster • 904cc • 78bhp • 188kg Fuel injection arrives, along with uprated forks and a digital dash. 2001 Monster S4 • 916cc • 101bhp • 193kg Water-cooling and four-valve heads arrive to create an absolute nut-job of a naked. 2005 Monster S2R 800 • 803cc • 77bhp • 179kg The Monster get the stacked pipes and single-sided swingarm. 2007 Monster S4RS • 998cc • 129bhp • 177kg The first testastretta Monster gets Öhlins suspension and 998 motor. 2011 Monster M1100 EVO • 1078cc…

Autumn thieves Motorcycle security gurus, Tracker, have revealed that almost a third of all bikes it recovered in 2016 were stolen in the autumn months. Presuming this wasn’t some extraordinary blip, it means that now is the time to be even more vigilant. Deer mistakes Rural riders need to take more care as frisky deer get distracted chasing each other during the mating season, resulting in an increase in road collisions. There are around 75,000 deer strikes on our roads each year, so think of all the places you’ve ever seen one before and take extra care. He’s on the Ball Think your local dealer knows nothing? Well some do. Fowlers of Bristol technician Dave Ball knows so much that he’s just finished runner-up in a pan-European competition to find…

Pulling away on a steep incline, especially on a big touring bike, with a pillion and a week’s luggage strapped on the back, can be a miserable experience. Thankfully an increasing number of bikes now have Hill Hold Control (HHC). So how does it work? The sensors on the motorcycle, such as the longitudinal acceleration sensor, detect that it is on an incline and is stationary. Once the rider has released the brake lever and pedal, the function automatically holds the brakes for a few seconds longer – overriding the release of the brake lever. This is made possible by the fact that the braking system (usually a Bosch unit) is electronically controlled, meaning that there’s no physical or mechanical weight or complexity added with the system, it’s just a…

Established Spanish off-road firm, Toro Trail, have launched a new adventure break, dubbed Toro Adventure, using BMW’s R1200GS Rallye. Based in a luxurious mountain top villa, Toro Adventure is the ultimate no-hassle riding experience, with collection and delivery to the local Malaga airport (30 minutes away) all part of the service. The tour offers to tailor the tarmac/dirt mix to suit your needs. The routes offer some of the best riding roads in Europe coupled with sinuous, mountain tracks for even the most adventurous explorer. MCN travel correspondent, Justin Hayzelden, recently tried it out, and said: “The road routes feature an incredible blend of long fast sweepers, technical compound curves, endless S-bends and sensational switchbacks. The off-road a is mainly gravel tracks of varying difficulty, and even a slippery river…

HIGHLIGHTS • Retro bobber styling • Tried-and-tested V-twin Indian Scout engine • Low-rider suspension • Knobbly tyres Indian has drawn inspiration from the past to create its stripped-down, blacked-out look, but their new £11,299 Scout Bobber exudes 21st century performance and refinement. Based on the American firm’s hugely popular liquid-cooled, 1133cc, 94bhp V-twin Scout cruiser, the motor remains unchanged but there’s a tasty array of chassis and styling mods to make the Indian feel and look like the old-school, pared-to-the-bone custom Bobbers of the 1940s and 50s. Hunkered down to the tarmac, Indian have reduced rear suspension travel by 26mm and for a more aggressive riding position they’ve moved the footpegs 38mm closer to the rider and fitted street tracker-style bars to place your beard more over the front end!…

‘Open the throttle and you’re met with strong low-down power’ Running gear KTM own WP so their kit features. Save for rear preload it’s non-adjustable but gives great ride quality. Two-piece radial calipers are KTM’s own. Front tyre is a 120/70x17, rear is a 180/55x17. OE Maxxis Supermaxx ST feel OK. Engine 799cc DOHC parallel twin is almost as small as the firm’s 450cc motocross engines. It has been designed for torque and kicks out around 100bhp. It’s mated to a ride-by-wire throttle and has a six-speed gearbox. Compact size means optimum positioning for the chassis. Chassis The steel trellis is fabricated in Austria and has a cast rear subframe with integrated air intakes. The swingarm is very long for stability and allows the catalyst and exhaust to pass through…

‘The road sweeps up and left through no fewer than five fabulous apexes’ Although somewhat limited in the scenery department, the East Midlands can provide more than a surprise or two. Our route kicks off from the junction of the A15 and A151, just south of the market town of Bourne in Lincolnshire; there’s a convenient filling station bang on the roundabout, so top up and then take the A151 towards Grantham. Free of urban restrictions the broad green hedgerows quickly set a tone for this ride, flashing by against a backdrop of farmland to provide a focused view of the twisty tarmac ahead. Beyond Grimsthorpe the road sweeps up and left through no fewer than five fabulous apexes to skirt the Castle Park and Gardens, cresting half way round…

1 Road Runner Riders, Chequers Inn, Gt Blakenham, Suffolk. Wednesday night meet from 7.30pm, 07883-271610 2 Cafe Plus, Baldock, Herts. Sunday bike meet. 01462-895755 3 Segways, Fridaythorpe, Driffield. YO25 9RX. Always a popular spot with #ride5000miles members like Jeff Terry who popped in to celebrate reaching his target. Good work Jeff! www.seawayscafe.co.uk 4 Oasis Snack Bar, Monmouth Rd, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire. 01873-855375 5 Bike Stop, High Street, Stevenage. 01438-317038 GET YOUR MEET ON THE MAP If you have a bike-friendly cafe venue and want to get your meet on the map, email: sam.williams@motorcyclenews.com…

‘There’s only a tenner a month difference’ DUCATI SUPERSPORT S £12,995 Fuel 16 litres @ 42.6mpg = 149-mile range Weight 210 kg (kerb) Seat 810mm Power 113bhp Torque 71.3 ftlb ANDY CALTON Used to be quite slow and is now really slow. But still loves a sporty bike… as long as it doesn’t hurt his wrists too much! Height 6ft 1in Weight 95kg andy.calton@motorcyclenews.com There’s no getting away from it, £12,995 is a lot of money for a motorcycle. Mind you, £11,495 is quite a lot of money for a motorcycle, too. Opt for the red-only Ducati Supersport and you get a good-looking machine capable of fast road riding and the occasional track dabble. Delve a little deeper into your bank account (£1300 more for a like-for-like red S model…

THE EXPERT Tony Foale Is a successful racer and chassis builder and the author of Motorcycle Handling and Chassis Design, who has spent over 30 years experimenting with different approaches to improving the design and performance of bikes. Get the hump Turbulence as the bike rushes through the air can be smoothed out by the addition of an aerodynamic hump to the leathers. Ducati gives you wings Now banned in MotoGP, the winglets were all about downforce. Firms are working on less sticky-out alternatives. THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW… Drag saps your power Once you get over 30mph, drag is the largest thief of our engine power output. It’s the difference in air pressure between the front and rear of the machine as it moves forward, and the shape and…

‘The 0% figure is something that will make people pick up the phone’ From now until the end of the month, you can get any Suzuki over 400cc on 0% APR finance with a deposit of just £500 at Saltire Motorcycles. The multi-franchise Edinburgh-based dealer devised the exclusive offer in an attempt to boost sales over the winter. Managing Director Calum Murray founded the two-time MCN Dealer Award-winning business 12 years ago and has been involved in the industry since leaving school in 1980. He said: “We’ve created this offer to boost footfall in the showroom at the end of the season. We are trying to encourage people to buy motorcycles at the end of the year and this has given me a great headline to shout about.” The offer…

Circuit: Motegi Laps: 24 Fastest Lap: Dovizioso 1Õ56.568 MOTOGP 15. Rabat +1’03.514 16. Redding +1’04.162 17. Smith+1’06.271 18. Aoyama+1’13.250 DNF .Bautista. Pedrosa. Abraham. Crutchlow. Rossi. Nozane. MOTO2 15. Mackenzie35.252 16. Fernandez38.385 17. Lecuona40.934 18 .Pons 41.470 19 .Quartararo42.757 20 .Nagashima43.147 21 .Corsi45.410 22 .Mizuno46.813 23 Pawi50.531 24 .Vinales51.898 25 .Raffin53.699 26 .Manzi1’01.051 27 .Pons1’04.776 28 .Navarro+1’07.423 DNF. Binder. Locatelli,Cortese.Simeon.Marini. MOTO3 15. Martin+21.208 16. Bastianini+22.731 17. Mir+23.879 18 .Danilo +23.935 19 .Loi+33.663 20. Binder+34.695 21. Toba+39.533 22. Pulkkinen+48.473 23. Arbolini+1’30.837 24. Toparis+2’18.580 DNF. Guevara.Rodrigo.Sasaki. Norrodin.Pagliani.DallaPorta.…

Leon Camier will join the Red Bull Honda World Superbike team for the 2018 season. The 2009 British Superbike Champion has been linked with the team since earlier this year when rumours suggested he could be drafted in to replace Nicky Hayden, but when this didn’t come to fruition speculation turned to a 2018 deal. Joining the World Superbike championship the year after his British title success, Camier has remained in the series ever since and has raced Aprilia, Suzuki, BMW and most recently MV Agusta, with whom he has impressed considering the performance disadvantages faced by the Italian marque with their F4 RC machine.…

‘Last year I was confident we could beat him. Not now’CAL CRUTCHLOW One person left absolutely amazed by Marc Marquez’s performances during Sunday’s race was fellow Honda racer Cal Crutchlow. Himself a race winner last year in wet and cold conditions, the Brit says that what Marquez is able to do in the rain with a bike almost identical to his own is nothing short of miraculous. Struggling all year to find the pace he enjoyed last season with the new combination of engine and chassis, Crutchlow was left completely at a loss to explain what the reigning champion was capable of on his RC213V. “Every time I’ve ridden in the rain this year, it hasn’t worked, and we have no idea what’s wrong. I’ve won in the rain, I’ve…

Five-time world champion Jorge Lorenzo became the latest rider to end a race frustrated with the aggressive riding style of MotoGP rookie Johann Zarco. Lorenzo was an early leader of the race on Sunday, but as more and more rain continued to fall on the Motegi circuit, he quickly fell back through the field – coming into contact, and worst off, against the assertive Frenchman. “It’s not the first time that he’s done this sort of thing, not just with me but also with two or three other riders. It’s like he’s playing on the PlayStation – he’s very aggressive, invades your position, forces you off the track. I went to his box after the race, but he doesn’t understand that he did anything wrong. Maybe someone needs to tell…

The factory Suzuki pairing of Andrea Iannone and Alex Rins picked the perfect time to finally show their form in the 2017 season, impressing both home crowds and senior management from the factory by riding to fourth and fifth. And with the result coming towards the end of a grim season for the pair that sees Iannone a distant 15th in the championship, he says his best result of the season by far is a welcome ray of light at the end of the tunnel. “Finally this was a race that I enjoyed,” he said. “It has been a positive one for us. I had a good start and was able to keep a consistent pace, and I’m happy for the improvements we made from the time of the warm-up…

From the moment I stepped on the Triumph Street Triple RS I felt at home. It inspired and impressed me the second I fired up the engine and it just keeps getting better. Everything is in perfect reach and the seating position is ergonomically pleasing to say the least. Start the engine and you’re greeted with that recognisable three-cylinder symphony that we all know and love. It barks with a beautiful induction roar and has more than enough power on tap for eating up spaghetti-shaped roads. It’s on the twisties where my Triumph really comes alive. With its agile chassis, sticky Pirelli rubber, delicious Öhlins and Showa suspension and heart-stopping Brembo brakes, it’s hard to think what would be more suited for the thrill of road riding. But it’s not…

You can’t deny I’m riding the coolest 125 on the road right now and living with this baby Duke is like sharing a flat with your best mate: fun, easy and action-packed. We’ve covered over 2000 miles together, despite at first being apprehensive about her 830mm seat height. The 124.7cc engine was perfect when I took Doris the Duke (yes, really!) to London for her first big outing: a 100-mile round trip. With great low-speed power, smooth delivery and a slick gearbox, getting through traffic is a breeze. The only thing missing is power (for the motorway miles I cover). My KTM makes a learner-legal 15bhp and struggles when asked to go faster than 70mph. It gets to 68mph in fifth gear and up to 73mph in sixth. However, if…

‘Its genius is the way it morphs into a comfy, long-distance mile-destroyer’ To create the perfect all-rounder the ingredients are simple: take the one of the best super-nakeds around and add soft panniers, a comfortable seat, hand guards, a GPS mount, a taller screen and a quickshifter. The MT-10 Touring Edition is the result and it’s been an instant success, beating off some stiff competition along the way. During the summer we headed to the west coast of Scotland and pitched the Yamaha against a variety of different-sized and priced tourers: the Yamaha FJR1300 and Tracer 900, BMW S1000XR and Suzuki GSX-S1000F. None could match the MT’s enviable mix of laugh-out-loud fun and high-mileage practicality. I first rode the new machine at the start of the year at its launch…

The bobber offers an almost perfect blend of style, character, refinement and performance. Let’s start with styling. The Bobber is the prettiest bike released this year and maybe even in the last five years. Its throbbing exhaust note makes passers-by turn their heads and they continue staring once they see the Bobber’s distinctive lines. Character for me is a combination of style and performance and the 1200cc parallel twin is a beauty. It sounds incredible for a standard bike, and the way it delivers its power, in a huge gob of low-down torque is addictive. But it’s also incredibly smooth. The Triumph manages to look old, but it still offers the ride you expect in the 21st century. Ground clearance is better than most, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised the…

‘Triumph are at the very peak of their modern-era success’ The ceaseless endeavours of the entire motorcycle industry gave us an incredible deluge of new bikes for 2017, but one manufacturer really stood out this year: Triumph Motorcycles. After delivering an impressive reinvigoration of much of their core range in 2016 – with the all-new Thruxton, Bonneville, Street Twin and Speed Triple families – the firm took another great step forward in 2017, most notably with the arrival of the innovative T120-based Bonneville Bobber and four new Street Triples. Two of those new models resulted in three separate gongs at this year’s MCN Awards, with the Bobber taking the accolade of Best Cruiser/Custom (see p20), and the range-topping Street Triple RS grabbing Best Naked (see p4), and Overall Machine of…

The 2017 season has been a classic. Across all the disciplines of motorcycle sport the competition has been fierce with drama and intrigue filling the championship battles all year long. In MotoGP it’s been the closest ever season of racing with, at times, four riders all within a handful of points at the top of the table. Right now it’s looking like a two-horse race with Andrea Dovizioso set to push Marc Marquez all the way. On the roads it’s been an unpredictable year with TT legend John McGuinness ruled out of the big races through injury before they even began. The TT accolades belonged to Ian Hutchinson and Michael Dunlop but other riders including Peter Hickman and Dean Harrison have stamped their mark on the year, too. In WSB…

The 2017 season has been a roller-coaster year for the MCE British Superbike Championship that’s seen 10 different race winners, which is more than any year since 1998. It’s been a season full of unpredictability and none of the leading stars have helped themselves! Both Leon Haslam and Shane Byrne had seven non-scores to their name ahead of the final round… Byrne and Haslam faltering has allowed others to be in the mix, most notably Josh Brookes on the unproven Anvil Hire Yamaha and Jake Dixon, who stormed to that incredible double at Knockhill earlier in the year to really set the cat amongst the pigeons. And let’s not forget Luke Mossey, who may well have had a say in the title fight had he not broken his back at…

Giovanni Crupi DUCATI CORSE SHAKEY’S CREW CHIEF “You can see in my face and my hair that in the last four rounds I have aged quite a bit! Shakey is a proper champion. He managed race one and race two very well. Of course we are very sorry for Leon and that nasty crash in race two (on Sunday). I’m so happy for Shakey, he did it again. “It wasn’t expected, to be honest. We came here to enjoy racing, to enjoy our job and everything came together. What a season? It’s been strange and very different to a normal championship. We came here with no hopes really, we just wanted to enjoy it and we did.” Paul Bird BE WISER DUCATI TEAM OWNER “I’m lost for words, when it’s…

‘The new Ninja looks more comfortable and substantial’ Kawasaki have been busy building a gorgeous Z900RSand an all-new supercharged H2-based sports-tourer – both revealed in MCN last week. But if your wallet, or licence entitlement, won’t stretch that far then this might be more up your garden path. Spied several times in recent months, and confirmed by our Japanese insider as a 2018 model addition for Europe, this new Ninja 400 is the closest the firm have come to a return to the halcyon days of the ZXR400 pocket-rocket. The new Ninja is certain to offer a more modern package than the slightly outdated-at-birth Ninja 250. The parallel-twin can hopefully break through the 45bhp bracket (the 300 was 39bhp), while remaining beneath the 47bhp A2 licence cut-off. Clearly visible on…

Don’t miss your chance to snap up advance tickets to this month’s Classic Bike Live – supported by Footman James – and the chance to meet TT hero and guest of honour John McGuinness. He’ll be bringing along bikes that span the history of his incredible TT career, and sharing anecdotes on stage where he’ll be interviewed by legendary commentator Fred Clarke. Classic Bike Live is your chance to see and hear awesome machines bursting into life in the Fire-Up Paddock with bikes once raced by the biggest names in biking – Barry Sheene, Phil Read and Kevin Schwantz – up and running. Amongst the star bikes are Kevin Schwantz’s RGV500 XR94, Phil Read’s RG500 Mk1 and Barry Sheene’s XR27 RG500 as ridden at the 1979 Silverstone GP. There will…

New hover hope Dubai police have been testing a hoverbike! The motorcycle-like electric Hoversurf is a one-man drone, and can be piloted by a police officer, or flown remotely. It can fly at 70kmh for 25 minutes and can carry an extra 300kg, so it could lift a bike and rider off the ground. Safe and sound The figures are always too high, but it’s encouraging to see that the number of riders killed on UK roads has fallen by 13%, from 365 to 319. This is despite an increase in motorcycle miles travelled, and an increase in fatalities for other road users, and a dramatic increase in the number of pedestrian deaths. New Flight time Brit firm Watsonian-Squire have released a new sidecar to mark the company’s 105th anniversary.…

The importance, weight and credibility of an award is not decided by the way it is given. It’s decided by the way it is received. You can have all the glitz and glamour you like around the presentation process, but if it’s chucked in a cupboard the moment the recipient gets home, then it’s hardly worth its weight in plastic. MCN has been presenting an array of awards to the best bikes, dealers, products and racers for decades in a variety of different ways. The awards are MCN’s way of celebrating the very best in the bike business and the only real way we can tell if it’s worth the mental anguish choosing winners, is whether anyone actually cares who wins what. Judging by the use of the MCN number…

HONDA CB650 I’d just rebuilt it from the gearbox as it kept jumping out. Dad wanted a pic, so I posed. Jez Robinson HONDA CBR600RR My first trackday at Mallory Park on my first big bike. Emmanuel Murray SUZUKI GN250 My first bike in 1997, still riding 20 years later. Christine Cutts YAMAHA FS1-E This was my first road bike when I was 16 in 1979. Of course it had to be a Yamaha-ha-ha-ha FS1-E. Steve Wilkinson SUZUKI RM250 A picture of my first bike at age 15 – a Suzuki RM250. What a beast of a bike! Simon HONDA QR50 My seven-year-old out for a ride with his dad. Tim Cowan BSA ROCKET My girlfriend Linda, now my wife of 55 years on my Rocket in 1961. I now…

MARTIN DICKSON Nominated by Rachel Farren Martin is the founder of Ride to the Wall, now in its tenth year. The ride raises funds solely for the National Memorial Arboretum. TALAN SKEELS-PIGGINS Nominated by Nik Dean Talan Skeels-Piggins was knocked off his motorcycle and thrown under the path of the oncoming traffic in 2003. Eight years later Talan was back riding a motorbike and now teaches others to do the same. PAUL BROOKS Nominated by Paul Hartley Paul Brooks and three others set up North West Blood Bikes which now covers approximately 3000 square miles, helping five hospital trusts and much more all for free. We had so many votes that we had to include an extra in our intended top 10 – so it’s now a top 11! Get…

‘Ride down to the Quayside for Whitby’s famous fish and chips’ Scarborough makes a great base for touring the North; not only are some of the UK’s finest roads on its doorstep, it also has a lion’s share of biker- friendly accommodation. The latter might have something to do with the close proximity of Oliver’s Mount. There aren’t many circuits in the world that you can just rock up to for a lap, but as Oliver’s is all public roads you can do just that – providing it’s within the 30 limit. Grab a brew at the cafe then head for the moors. Take the A64 south, top up as required then turn right towards Irton and on to Ayton. Join the A170. Turn right at the roundabout in the…

It’s been a great week for clocking up the miles for R5K-ers with a host of riders zooming past the 5000-mile mark. Our favourite was from Fazer-riding reader Barry Thompson, who clocked 750 miles with a great Borders/Northern England tour. He said: “I had a long weekend in Dumfries and Galloway then a day through The Lakes, hitting Kirkstone, Wrynose and Hardknott in one go. There was great scenery and mostly good weather. It was another 750 miles clocked, and the Yamaha ticked over another 1k milestone as well.” But there has also been some great road-trips for MCN staff too. Chief Road Tester Michael Neeves has just returned from a weekend at the Mettet Superbike event in Belgium. He commented: “It’s bloody brilliant – everyone should go next year.…

SUZUKI GSX250R £4399 Fuel 15 litres@77mpg = 254-mile tank range Weight 181kg (no fuel) Seat 790mm Power 24.7bhp Torque 17.3ftlb DAN SUTHERLAND Sportsbike fan normally seen commuting from Lincoln to Peterborough on a ZX-6R Height 5ft 7in dan.sutherland@motorcyclenews.com Suzuki’s GSX250R joined the MCN long-term fleet just midway through August and since then, I’ve been getting to know it very well. My 110-mile daily commute from Lincoln to Peterborough means I spend at least 550 miles and 15 hours of my week on the 250 and in that time I have come to know its quirks and mannerisms inside and out. Believe it or not, the GSX250R is the smallest bike I have ridden long-term since I passed my test five years ago and so adjusting to life with just shy…

AGV Share Easy - Side £129.99 This Bluetooth communication system is designed (unsurprisingly) to fit with Share system-ready AGV helmets and is the cheapest of the options here. The Share Easy is simple to install and once in, the helmet remains comfortable. It’s also waterproof and has up to 11 hours of talk time. Cardo SHO-1 £299.95 The Cardo option is compatible with the Shoei Qwest, XR-1100, Multitec, Neotec, Hornet DS and J-Cruise and has an intercom range of up to 1.6km. The device allows you to send audio signals to up to eight riders. Nolan N-Com B5 Bluetooth Intercom Kit - Single £219.99 The N-Com boasts easy fitment to Nolan lids and can be complete in just a couple of minutes. The keypad is designed to work with a…

‘Shakey came out fighting in every single session’ Shane Byrne was crowned 2017 MCE British Superbike Champion after a dramatic season finale at Brands Hatch saw him overhaul Leon Haslam’s 33-point lead. With such an advantage, Haslam was the favourite heading into the weekend but it all went wrong for the JG Speedfit Kawasaki star. A tyre pressure issue in the second outing allowed Shane Byrne to reduce the gap to just two points ahead of the final race. A race in which disaster struck for Haslam as his brakes failed on the approach to the infamous Hawthorns bend. Even Byrne didn’t expect to topple Haslam this weekend, but he came out fighting to top every practice session before obliterating the outright circuit record in qualifying to clock the fastest…

“Japanese engineers don’t like to go backwards – although in 1981 I did have to steal a chassis from the Suzuki museum to fix some problems! But it seems like Yamaha still haven’t fixed their feedback problems with this year’s bike. The Honda and Ducati look to me like they have so much more stability at the front, and how the feedback from the front-end comes back to the hands and feet of the riders seems better. “Obviously at the start of the year one guy with nine titles was saying that the bike didn’t agree with him, and Maverick was just pushing ahead. But they stopped and looked at the problem and went in Rossi’s direction in the end – and maybe that gave Viñales a little bit of…

‘You need to release the brakes, and believe in the bike. It’s so scary’MARC MARQUEZ Marc Marquez showed yet again that he’s willing to risk everything in the fight for the 2017 MotoGP championship, after riding to the absolute limit in front of senior factory bosses during Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix in an attempt to halt Andrea Dovizioso. And while he might have finished second to the Italian and conceded five valuable championship points to shrink his lead to a mere 11, the race could have ended much worse for the reigning champion thanks to a combination of his no-holes-barred style and the torrential rain that plagued the circuit all weekend. The Spaniard admitted after the race that he was prepared to put it all on the line as he…

Joan Mir has been denied the chance of lifting the 2017 Moto3 title early by a disastrous weekend’s performance at the Japanese Grand Prix. Coming home outside the points in 17th, he saw Romano Fenati – the only man who can now deny him the crown – romp to a stunning win in the wet. Admitting that he never really found a comfortable setting on the Leopard Honda machine throughout the weekend, he conceded 25 valuable points to Fenati, meaning that they now go into this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix separated by a still-comfortable, but closer, 55 points.…

While Dovizioso might continue to insist that he’s the same racer he always was, despite the huge improvement in form this season, team boss Davide Tardozzi was more forthright after Sunday’s race. Conceding that the improvements in the Desmosedici GP17 have played their part, Tardozzi says that there have been obvious changes in his protégé. “We have to say that both have grown this year. The bike has for sure, but even him too. His mentality and his racing attitude is different. Now he trusts himself to beat Marc Marquez, which is not something that is in the head of every rider on the grid. “He hasn’t stopped surprising us this year, because he’s always doing something different that we didn’t expect – and we’re looking forward to seeing what…

‘Euro4 has given manufacturers the chance to sprinkle glitter on their bikes’ What a brilliant year we’ve had for new bikes. With well over 100 new models, facelifts and updates, the sheer quantity has been overwhelming. All that riding has kept MCN’s Road Test department pretty busy… not to mention happy. Euro4 noise, emissions and safety regulations are the main reason for the influx of fresh metal. It’s given manufacturers the perfect chance to sprinkle some glitter on their creations, while they got on with making them quieter and more fuel-efficient. Retro-style machines have continued their ascent into our affections for 2017, so there was much head-scratching when it came to choosing our favourite. There have been exciting new machines for restricted licence-holders, as well as a raft of updated…

BMW F800GS £9195 | 85bhp | 217kg BMW’s baby GS punches well above its weight. The burbling parallel twin is calmly efficient, easy to ride; an adventure bike that consistently kicks mud in the face of its rivals. Ducati 950 Multistrada £10,995 | 113bhp | 204kg (dry) Powered by the same 937cc L-twin Testastretta motor you’ll find in the Hypermotard and new Supersport the new 950 is manageable, fun, versatile and competitively priced. BMW R1200GS £12,400 | 125bhp | 244kg Updated this year with improved refinement, electronic wizardry, safety and a Euro4-friendly motor the evergreen GS continues to impress on the road and in the dirt. It never disappoints. Ducati Multistrada Enduro £17,295 | 152bhp | 225kg (dry) With its 19in front wheel, huge 30-litre fuel tank, sublime semi-active suspension…

Talk about a slow burner. As the miles slip by, my Blade SP inexorably grows bigger in my life, to the point where my attitude towards it has progressed from one of indifference and Guy Martin and John McGuinness-fuelled suspicion, to one of desire. Quality is everywhere and, at £19k, so it should be. This is a Honda in the purest sense of the word: a beautifully packaged object that lights up the garage. I love to clean it, marvel at it, admire it. Individual components like the minimalist TFT dash are perfectly judged. I love its accuracy, too. Whether it’s holding an inch-perfect line at 164mph through Spa’s fearsome Blanchimont corner or nipping between two lorries on a clogged A14 – its throttle response, its brakes, its steering are…

‘This bike seems to be crafted from velvet, butter and gunpowder!’ Aprilia didn’t need to do much to their fiery super-naked to impress us, but as well as tweaking it to meet Euro4 regs this year they’ve improved the ride, handling, brakes and electronics… not that they needed to, it’s already the best of the breed by a very long way. For 2017 the BMW S1000R, KTM 1290 Super Duke and Yamaha MT-10-beating Aprilia now has a new TFT Bluetooth enabled colour dash, switchgear, lighter 43mm Öhlins forks and tweaked rear shock, bigger 330mm discs and Brembo radial master cylinder, an up/down quickshifter, pitlane limiter and cruise control. Eight-stage traction (easily adjustable on the move with paddles on the left bar) and wheelie control are now controlled by a new…

‘The motorcycle industry is fantastic to work in and I feel very lucky’ You may not have heard of Dave Hancock, but if you have ridden any Honda in the last 25 years, you have Dave to thank for its development. One of only three people whose signature decided that a Honda motorcycle model was ready for production, Dave is held in extremely high regard by the Japanese factory not only for his development skills but also his honest feedback on whether a model is fit to be released to the general public or not. He has earned the title Genteki (test rider) through over two decades of dedicated service to ensuring Honda’s products are the very best they can be. With a CV that includes helping develop the…

LEON HASLAM Haslam has had to overcome crashes and injury in 2017, but has shown once again his unrelenting pace and incredible ability to bounce back. Seen as the perennial bridesmaid he’s now at the very top of BSB. MARC MARQUEZ The reigning MotoGP champ has had to deal with challenges from all directions in 2017. First it was Maverick Viñales and now it’s Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso. But Marquez has responded with race wins while always keeping a smile on his face. IAN HUTCHINSON Another incredible TT performance saw Hutchinson win the Superbike TT before taking victory in the Superstock race. His dream week came to a sickening end when he crashed out of the lead of the Senior. But he’ll be back. JOSH BROOKES Written off at the start…

Shane Byrne clinched a record sixth MCE British Superbike title against the odds with a display of Brands Hatch dominance that included two race wins and saw him overhaul a huge points deficit to title rival Leon Haslam. The shock title victory sees Byrne win back-to-back titles for the first time in his career and the 40-year-old says this one feels better than all the rest put together after a challenging 12 rounds. Sitting down with MCN in his first major interview after winning the title Byrne said: “I really didn’t think I was coming here to win a championship, so this feels more special than the lot put together as I’ve successfully defended a title for the first time in my career. “There are a lot of guys who…